My good friend Krista Scully took me out to tea today at a new tea room--actually, maybe it's the only tea room in Anchorage. I haven't done any research on this.
It is at the new outpost of Summit Spice & Tea Company, a place that I think of as a slightly less fun Penzey's, my favorite spice store. There isn't a Penzey's in Alaska, so I always stock up when I visit people in the Midwest.
I had some time to poke around the store before Krista arrived, and let me be totally honest--I don't need spices. David goes through the spice cupboard once a year and pulls out all the things barely used since the year before. Over my protests, he dumps a few and I generally don't miss them. It gives me the space to buy a few more random things.
Here's the thing about most spices: a small jar is inexpensive, takes up very little space and holds the promise of making something potentially fascinating. In short, spices make great impulse purchases.
I was generally restrained today, buying champagne vinegar and a few little tasting spoons. However, I couldn't resist buying one random spice: porcini mushroom powder.
I have absolutely no idea what to do with this, but am going to find out. Hold me to that, or else it will be the thing that gets purged the next time David goes through the cupboard.
