spice blend

Spotlight Spice: Gust Pizza Co. Pizza Seasoning Blend

This Friday (Oct. 9) is International Beer and Pizza day – and you’d better bet we’re not going to let that one pass without celebrating! We’re getting out one of our favorite blends, created by the guys at Gusto Pizza Co. – it’s the aptly-named Gusto Pizza Co. Pizza Seasoning Blend!

For pizza out, Gusto is our go-to. And it’s because they consistently create some seriously delicious and creative pies. The Deburgo is a Des Moines-inspired favorite, and we love the Asian flare of the spicy Thai Kwon Dough (see what they did there?). But sometimes we’ve got a hankering for a homemade pizza. There’s just nothing quite like it. It’s almost as if restaurant pizza and homemade pizza are two completely different things.

What’s consistent is our love of (liberally) shaking the jar of Gusto Pizza Co. Pizza Seasoning Blend over each slice. In fact, it’s become as critical at the table on pizza night as the shaker of parmesan cheese and the jar of Crushed Red Pepper Chile.

Gusto Pizza Co. Pizza Seasoning Blend is far from a one-trick pony. We also like to use it as a sandwich sprinkle, seasoning for red sauce, topper for our garlic bread, and sprinkled atop a dish of extra virgin olive oil as a bread dipper.

You can find a jar to take home in the shop, the online store, or at one of the Gusto Pizza Co. locations in the Des Moines area. Grab a jar, a pie, and your favorite beer and celebrate!

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There’s a chill in the air

There’s a chill in the air, and we’ve got chili on our minds.

Chili con carne (chili for short) is the chili we know and love. Like most things historic, it’s tough to get a straight answer on where chili came from. Stories range from easily believable (it was brought to the Texas area by immigrants from the Spanish Canary Islands) to more colorful (it was brought to the Southwestern United States by the spirit of a Spanish nun known by Native Americans as La Dama de Azul, who never physically left Spain).

What’s true? You be the judge.

We do know chili has strong roots in Texas – particularly in the San Antonio area. Chili is such a beloved dish in Texan cuisine that the state legislature declared it the official state food in 1977. If you don’t live in Texas, you might be surprised to learn traditional Texas Chili does not include beans. If you challenge a true Texan on that, you’d better be ready to run.

Here at AllSpice we’ve amassed quite the collection of tasty chili recipes. Some honor Texas tradition by being bean-free and others are chock-full of beans. You can find them all – including Iowa State Fair prize winners – in the AllSpice recipe library.

In true AllSpice style, we’ve also got a collection of blends to help you perfectly season your pot of chili.

Our Chili Powder, Medium spice blend is a great place to start. It combines mild ancho chiles with traditional chili flavors of cumin, garlic, and more to create a flavorful chili everyone will enjoy.

Like things with a spicy kick? Then move to our Chili Powder, Hot spice blend which amps up the heat by layering in spicier dried chiles.

And we couldn’t talk chili without having something traditionally Texan. Our Texas Chili Seasoning is on the milder side and has a unique and delicious smokey flavor.

We’re dying to know how you like your chili! Beans or no beans? Spicy or mild? Saltines or cracker-free? Tell us in the comments.

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Spotlight Spice: Five Onion Dip Seasoning

School is back in session and fall activities have started. Pumpkin spice everything is lining the shelves at the grocery store. Ready or not, it feels like autumn has arrived.

We don’t know about you, but we always find ourselves just a little busier than we’d like to be this time of year. This week’s Spotlight Spice is here to help simplify things in the kitchen without sacrificing deliciousness – it’s our Five Onion Dip Seasoning!

This blend’s most obvious use is to make…wait for it…five onion dip! For a perfect after-school snack, mix 1/3 cup of Five Onion Dip Seasoning into a 16 oz container of sour cream, add a little salt, and voila…you have an onion dip perfect for chips and fresh veggies.

Don’t let the name stifle your creativity. Five Onion Dip Seasoning also makes a perfect addition to fall soups and stews, is a tasty dry rub for grilled and baked chicken, turkey, and seafood, and is amazing whipped in with your mashed potatoes. Try sprinkling it on your favorite simple weeknight casserole to give it some extra umph. It’s perfect in any dish you’d think about adding onion to.

The best part? This savory blend is a mix of onions, herbs, and spices – no funny business (we’re looking at you hydrogenated soybean oil and guar gum – yuck!).

Feeling saucy? Find variations on the standard five onion dip recipe in the AllSpice recipe library. Have a favorite use for Five Onion Dip Seasoning we didn’t mention? Tell us all about it in the comments!

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Spotlight Spice: N.Y. Steak & Burger Seasoning

This week’s spotlight spice will give you mid-19th century New York City steakhouse vibes – it’s our N.Y. Steak and Burger Seasoning. New York steakhouses from this era were so famous a cut of meat was named for them – the New York Strip.

This blend is a customer favorite in the shop. In it, old reliable pepper and salt are given a tasty zippiness with the addition of tomato, tamarind, sumac, chiles, and garlic among other herbs and spices. This blend, referred to as Bougie (fancy) Pepper by AllSpicer Andy, is the perfect, simple way to level up your steak and burger game.

For steaks, we recommend using the blend on its own as a rub or as a marinade by mixing it with a little Traditional Balsamic Vinegar and any Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Marinate your steaks for 6-12 hours before grilling or pan-frying.

If burgers are more your jam, combine 1 tablespoon N.Y. Steak and Burger Seasoning with 1 tablespoon Col. Pabst Worcestershire Sauce per pound of ground beef. Mix thoroughly, form your patties, and grill to perfection.

It’s salt ‘n pepper roots make it the perfect peppery topper for your baked potato, a good seasoning for roasted potatoes and root vegetables, and perfect for adding a zip to your Bloody Mary. Use it in place of pepper in any recipe for an extra zip!

Grab a jar, give it a try, and let us know what you think.

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Spotlight Spice: Greek Seasoning

This savory blend of herbs and spices highlights earthy, herbaceous flavors common in Mediterranean cuisine, along with distinctly Greek additions of marjoram and peppermint, creating a unique and versatile spice mixture you will be reaching for again and again.

It’s uses are nearly endless, but here are a few ways we recommend getting started with Greek Seasoning:

  • Use as a dry rub for meat and fish. We recommend starting with 1-2 tablespoons of the seasoning blend per pound of meat.
  • Sprinkle on vegetables, pasta salads, and even hummus for an extra punch of Greek flavor.
  • Add to an extra virgin olive oil like our Grand Cru Cuvee or Arbequina along with a pinch of salt for a perfect bread dipper.
  • Combine with olive oil, Red Wine Vinegar, lemon juice, salt and pepper for a delicious vinaigrette. We enjoy it on a salad of mixed greens, kalamata olives, and feta cheese crumbles.
  • Combine with Greek yogurt and lemon juice to create a tasty dip for fresh veggies.

This blend is salt-free, which makes it perfect for reduced sodium diets.

Check out the AllSpice recipe library for great recipes featuring Greek Seasoning, including Greek Pasta Salad (perfect for cookouts), Chilled Zucchini Soup, and Cucumber, Tomato and Feta Salad.

Do you have a favorite way to use our Greek Seasoning? Share it with us in the comments.

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