Pereg Gourmet Zahtar

Pereg Gourmet sells a whole bunch of spices, and this time they sent me a free sample of their zahtar (sometimes spelled zatar or za'atar) which is a Middle Eastern spice blend. It can be used as an at-the-table seasoning, or for cooking.

Like many blends, the ingredients can vary, depending on who is making it, so if you've tried one zahtar, it's worth it to look around and see what others have to offer. This version include hyssop parsley, sesame seeds, chickpea flour, coriander, olive oil, salt, and citric acid.

The flavor is unique, and a little hard to describe, but somehow it reminds of of pizza. Interestingly, one of the suggested uses is to sprinkle it on pizza, but I think I'd be more likely to use it on hummus or pita bread.

The jar from Pereg Gourmet was larger than I expected (5.3 ounces), which isn't a bad thing, particularly for a spice that you will use on the table and in the kitchen.

Pereg Gourmet makes a lot of different spice mixes along with selling single spices, so if zahtar isn't on your must-have list, it's a sure bet you'll find something you have to have.

I got this spice for free, and I've gotten spices from them previously, as well.

MagnetJar

I get all kinds of interesting items for review. MagnetJar qualified as interesting - a spice jar you could hang somewhere with a magnet.

I really didn't think it through before I said yes. Because there's one tiny problem with any spice solution that has the spices hanging on the fridge. Herbs and spices should be stored in a dark place. Out in the open hanging on the fridge isn't a good spot.

The company also suggests you can hang the jars on the stove hood, which is worse because you have both light and heat.

But then I thought, gee, if these jars are that spectacular, maybe it would be worth hanging a sheet of metal inside a cabinet door to hang the jars.

When the MagnetJars arrived, I had to clarify ... are these the final versions, or are they a prototype? Sometimes I get prototypes and test models, so I had to find out.

Functionally, they work fine. They're a spice jar with a magnet glued to one side. They hold spices and they stick to metal surfaces. Job done.

But they're not particularly decorative or elegant. They're not ugly. But no one is going to look at them and say, "Oh, those are pretty!" Looking at them from the front with spices in them, they'll look fine. But from the side, that magnet is bulky and not particularly attractive. Depending on where you hang them, you might not see the side. But you might, right?

I have absolutely nothing against things that are function over form. Function is actually more important to me. So ... these work. Pretty much like any other spice jar I own. My original thought was actually pretty good. If you hung a big metal sheet inside a pantry door, these would be nice stuck to the inside of the door. As for leaving them out in the open ... you're really better off having your herbs and spices safely inside a cabinet.

These would also be useful in a garage or craft room to stick on metal shelving to hold small screws, washers, nuts, and other small parts.

Who's it for: People who need more spice jars and who want to hang them up.

Pros: They're functional.

Cons: They're not particularly attractive.

Wishes: Opaque jars would make so much more sense, like maybe opaque white with a chalkboard-painted circle to write on.

Source: I received this from the manufacturer for the purpose of a review.

Kyocera Dual Grinder

I use fresh ground pepper exclusively. Although I might have an ancient can of pre-ground stuff stuck in the back of a cabinet somewhere, I never use it. I have a couple of different grinders for different purposes.

The one thing I never saw a major need for was a salt grinder. I have a few, and they look cool. They're fun on the table. Maybe for a finishing salt when you want a rougher texture.

But in the end, it's just plain white salt that you're grinding - and salt doesn't get stale like pepper does, so "freshly ground salt" doesn't make a bit of difference if you're cooking with it.

But when Kyocera offered me their dual grinder to test, I thought I'd give it a shot. Or a grind, I guess.

I filled it with black peppercorns and I raided a couple other grinders for coarse white salt.

And then I read the instructions. Woah. This is something to re-think. Because the grinding mechanisms are ceramic rather than metal, you can use this for "wetter" salts as well as regular salt. And you can use it for spices other than pepper, if that amuses you.

This is a game-changer.

Okay, it's not the most earthshaking thing on the planet, but after I read the instructions, I dumped the white salt back into the original grinders, and I dug out a jar of a gray coarse salt that has been languishing in my pantry. It was a little too coarse for most uses, and too wet for a grinder with a metal mechanism.

Not only does the grinder look cooler with the pebbly gray salt in it, it means I'm actually going to use that goofy salt. And for folks who like the idea that the gray, pink, red, black, and other salts carry minerals that pure white salt doesn't have - well, here's a way to use it more often.

Not only could I use this grinder for salt and pepper, but I could use it for two different salts (gray and pink, maybe) or for black pepper on one side and white pepper on the other. Or, if you have other spices or spice mixes that you like to grind, this could be ideal.

Oh yeah, and the grind size is adjustable, there are caps on both ends so nothing's going to get messy, and it's easy to fill.

It has a pretty design so it would look good on a dining room table (without being pretentious) and it looks sturdy and easy to clean, which means it's great for the kitchen.

Who's it for: People who use salt and pepper. Okay, fine, people who use salt, pepper, or other spices and who are looking for a nice grinder.

Pros: Nice design, easy to use and keep clean, works well, can be used for "wet" salts and for spices other than salt and pepper.

Cons: It's not huuuuge, so if you grind vasts amounts of stuff, this isn't what you're looking for. However, for normal cooking and table use, it's plenty big.

Wishes: Not really a wish for the product, but I'm going to take a hard look at the grinders I use and maybe buy one or two more of these transfer some spices into dual grinders. We'll see.

Source: I received this from the manufacturer for the purpose of a review.

More info: You can find Kyocera one Twitter, Facebook, and Pinterest.

Indian as Apple Pie

I might have said this before, but I used to be quite the snob about spice mixes. I thought, gee, if I own individual spices, why on earth do I need a blend? I can mix oregano, basil. marjoram and rosemary ... I can mix lemon and thyme.

What I was saying was that I can mix the easy stuff. That's before I knew anything about Indian food, where the list of spices can be a mile long.

Now I know better. When the folks at Indian as Apple Pie asked me if I wanted to try their products, I said sure. This showed up.

This is the six-jar Custom Blend Spice Set with generously sized jars of spice blends. The first thing I did was sniff all of them, and I can tell you that they're fragrant and definitely different from each other.

The second thing I did was use the Tandoori Masala as a dry rub on a pork roast. I wasn't trying to make a true Indian dish - I just wanted to sample it and and add some flavor to the roast.

Wow. A little bit of rub truly did add a lovely punch of flavor. Since then, I've tried a few other flavors and I have to say that I'm really impressed. I still haven't made an actual traditional Indian dish with any of these, but that's fine. I'm okay with using the flavors of a cuisine in non-traditional ways.

Sooner or later, I will make a traditional Indian dish, but meanwhile, I'm enjoying them on different meats and vegetables.

Who's it for: Anyone who wants an easier way to make Indian cuisine and use Indian flavors.

Pros: The prices seem very reasonable for the spices. Flavors are very good. I've tried other Indian spice blends, and I have to say that something about these is much more appealing - brighter and deeper flavors.

Cons: When you're buying spices online, you can't sniff them to see which you like best.

Wishes: For people who don't know which blends they like the spice set is a good idea, but it's a lot of spice - it would be great if there was a sampler set with smaller jars or even packets for people who aren't sure what they will want.

Source: I received this from the manufacturer for the purpose of a review.