One of the quickest ways to make your holiday party memorable — in a bad way — is to serve bland, tasteless dishes. But giving your palate some pizzazz is easier than you think. Whether you’re a novice in the kitchen or a seasoned Michelin-worthy chef, Ward’s Supermarket has the ingredients you need to make taste buds sing. When you’re ready to spice up your life this holiday, read on for our recommendations.
Spices to Put Some Pep(per) in Your Step
It’s thyme to add some flavor to your favorite holiday foods. The following are some of the best, most flavorful winter spices around.
Cinnamon
This versatile, pungent spice can be used in either savory or sweet dishes. In addition to being delicious, it is also thought to aid in digestion. It’s often used in pastries and desserts such as cinnamon coffee cake, muffins, bread, and even soups. This surprising cinnamon, sweet potato, and carrot soup is sure to knock your socks off, so get your buns in the car and head to Ward’s!
Cloves
Cloves are similar in taste and zest to cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice. Its intense flavor and aroma are far more potent than these other spices, so cloves tend to be used more sparingly. Ground or whole cloves can be used in soups, sauces, or traditional Indian foods. They can also be used to season a holiday ham or liven up desserts or beverages such as chai tea lattes or egg nog. Try this recipe for pork rib roast with sweet Onion puree and crisp sage tempura for a tastebud explosion you’ll love.
Mint
Mint is an aromatic spice whose 2 major types are peppermint, used for flavoring sweet treats and breath freshening products, and spearmint, used for cooking. From mojitos to cream cheese mints, this spice can be used to add some cool freshness to almost any dish, like this recipe for linguine with peas and mint pesto. Let this be your encourage-mint to shop at Ward’s.
Nutmeg
This popular spice has a warm, nutty flavor and pairs well with meat, certain vegetables like winter squash, or even hearty stews. But, it’s also a superstar in baked goods, like pumpkin pie, this killer cheesecake, and holiday favorites like eggnog.
Rosemary
This fragrant herb can be used in everything from main dishes to desserts. Some of the most popular uses are rosemary chicken with goat cheese, roasted potatoes, or even this recipe for rosemary shortbread. This spice makes it easy to eat, drink, and be rose-merry this season!
Ward’s Helps You Keep Calm and Curry On
Make Ward’s Supermarket your one-stop-shop for everything on your holiday grocery list. We have what you need, from the freshest meat, seafood, and produce around to chocolate, wine and beer, plants, and live herbs, to make your holiday meals delicious. Check out our amazing weekly deals and stop in and see us today!
