Flavor Matters

Anthony & Marie Provetto, Spicehouse owners

I'm no "supertaster" but I know what I like, and top-quality seasonings are something I treat myself to. Spice Specialist is where I find them. From a Newsday article: "If you enjoy a culinary adventure and want access to products that are usually the exclusive province of restaurant chefs, figure out a time to visit on a weekday between 8:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m." (Minimum quantity is one pound.) Spice Specialist isn't a store, it's a warehouse stocked floor-to-ceiling with individual spices, spice blends, beans, grains, oils and vinegars, molecular gastronomy ingredients, etc. It's where I get the delicious Telicherry peppercorns, porcini mushroom powder, and smoked paprika that give meatless dishes so much flavor. It's a great reason for a Brooklyn-centric person like me to take a drive out to the Island.

Spice Specialist / 47 Bloomingdale Road, Hicksville (Long Island) NY 11801 / 516-942-7248 / Also "Chef Cherie" on Amazon