Smidgen

Quarantine has revealed for many of us the importance of a well-stocked pantry; for some, their pantry was an absolute lifeline in a tough time. Anne Milneck—chef, owner of Red Stick Spice Co., and host of Smidgen— talks on this bonus episode about pantries, staples, and stocking up. How do you make sure you're stocking stuff you actually use? How can sauces make all the difference for your pantry meal planning? Should you stock up on spices? What do oils and balsamics have to do with a well-planned pantry? What mindset should you have about planning your pantry? All this and more on this episode of Smidgen.

Mentioned on the show:

- SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT: Online cooking classes with Anne Milneck! No matter where you are in the world, you can learn from Anne via Zoom. Class listing here: https://www.redstickspice.com/collections/cooking-classes

- Curry is a dish that can almost wholly be made with pantry items. Explore all the curry options on the Red Stick Spice Co. website (including some of the spice blends.)

- Lentils are another pantry staple that can be made quickly and can host a variety of flavors. There's a lot about lentils on the Red Stick Spice Co. website: https://www.redstickspice.com/search?q=lentils (There's also a round-up of 25 bean recipes that can inspire many meals here.)

- Your freezer is an extension of your pantry, especially for veggies and meat. Our local butcher is Galen Iverstein, of Iverstein Farms. (Galen was on the very first episode of Smidgen, listen here.)

- Get the Essential Spice Starter Set—combine spices from this set to deliver the flavors of the world to your meals. The Essential Spice Starter Set makes an awesome wedding gift or for someone setting up house.

- You won't believe the array of flavors found in the balsamics at Red Stick Spice Co.! Catherine might have got in trouble for chugging blackberry balsamic; Anne touted the strawberry and honey ginger balsamic.

- Olive oils (in dark bottles) can store great in a pantry—see the selection of olive oils offered by Red Stick Spice Company here.

- Catch Red Stick Spice Company on Facebook Live! Anne and her crew will be cooking live. Follow along or get some ideas for dinner. Red Stick Spice Co on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/redstickspicecompany

We invite you to reach out to us with any ideas you have, or just to say hello and check in. Contact us on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter.

Hear all Smidgen episodes on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Pandora, or your browser, or your favorite podcast app. Smidgen is the podcast of Red Stick Spice Co.

Any peek into foodie social media during quarantine has revealed pictures of beautiful loaves of bread, tales of sourdough, and beautiful cakes and cookies (still warm from the oven.) Everybody is baking! Anne Milneck, intrepid host of Smidgen and owner of Red Stick Spice Company is… how to say it… not an avid baker (she even claims FOF—fear of flour.) That's why on this special bonus episode of Smidgen, Anne talks with Sarah Joy Hays, baker and proprietor of Counterspace bakery in Baton Rouge. Listen to this episode to learn what bread recipe you could bake today; what resources will help you become a sourdough superstar; Sarah Joy's must-have piece of equipment for baking; and Sarah Joy's top tip for becoming a better cake and cookie maker.

Mentioned on the show:

• SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT – Cooking classes by zoom! You can take a class with Anne Milneck of Red Stick Spice Co. online. Register here: https://www.redstickspice.com/collections/cooking-classes
• Counterspace in Baton Rouge. Website: https://www.counterspacebr.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/counterspacebr/

Sarah Joy drops a lot of resources on the episode including…

• For sourdough, Sarah recommends Baker Hands. The book A Baker's Year by Tara Jensen is the sourdough cookbook she suggests.
• Zoe Bakes is the Instagram of Zoe Francois. Ms. Francois is the author of The New Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day. You can also follow @BreadIn5 on Instagram. Try this bread today!
• Rolls and buns? Check out Cloudy Kitchen—website and Instagram
• Didn't the hibiscus shortbread sound delicious? Red Stick Spice Hibiscus flower is available or try Hibiscus Sugar. In the sugar department, Red Stick Spice Co. also offers Lemon Sugar and Strawberry Sugar (and other varieties, too!)
• Sarah Joy remarked about Saffron cookies having a wonderful warm quality. Red Stick Spice Company offers saffron in sealed one-gram tins.

We really enjoyed making this bonus episode—what did you think? We invite you to reach out to us with any ideas you have, or just to say hello and check in. Contact us on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter.

Hear all Smidgen episodes on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Pandora, or your browser, or your favorite podcast app. Smidgen is the podcast of Red Stick Spice Co.

All this home cooking everyone has been doing either reveals your cooking skill limitations or inspired you to take things up to the next level. How can you become a better cook? What skills should every home cook improve right now? (And how can we improve our cooking skills?) Anne Milneck—chef, owner of Red Stick Spice Co., and host of Smidgen—tells us what are the top skills every home cook should know and how to improve them right away. Catherine O'Brien (Smidgen producer) gets Anne to talk about food presentation and plating (a pet topic of hers after watching so much Smidgen cooking.) For fun, Anne closes the show by sharing recipes and cooking challenges for the beginner, intermediate, and experienced home cooks.

Mentioned on the show:

- Make a curry! WARNING—you may find yourself making curries weekly once you get hooked on this dish. Versatile, easy, delicious—change the spices, change the dish. Work with a variety of veggies and proteins to make amazing curries. Try Chicken Curry in a Hurry to get started; explore all the curry options on the Red Stick Spice Co. website (including some of the spice blends.)

- Soup season lasts 365 days. Award winning Summer Squash soup to handle the "squash situation" that lots of gardeners are experiencing now. Did we mention this soup won Anne an award?

- Talk to your local butcher wherever you live. Our local butcher is Galen Iverstein, of Iverstein Farms. (Galen was on the very first episode of Smidgen, listen here.)

- Change the profile of some of your favorite meals with Smoked Tomato Blend, a rich and aromatic spice blend that brings zest and dimension to sauces, chilis, soups, and more. Let Smoked Tomato Blend do some of the heavy lifting on taking your dishes to the next level.

- Catch Red Stick Spice Company on Facebook Live! Anne and her crew will be cooking live. Follow along or get some ideas for din din. Red Stick Spice Co on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/redstickspicecompany

We invite you to reach out to us with any ideas you have, or just to say hello and check in. Contact us on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter.

Hear all Smidgen episodes on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Pandora, or your browser, or your favorite podcast app. Smidgen is the podcast of Red Stick Spice Co.

Parents with children of all ages, we see you! Right now, this very moment, you're probably preparing food for the folks in your home. On this bonus episode of Smidgen, the podcast of Red Stick Spice Company, host Anne Milneck and producer Catherine O'Brien talk about the extra home cooking lots of parents are doing now. How can you use this time to get kids involved in cooking and meal prep? What can skills and experience can older kids learn now? What are some kid-friendly recipes to add to the rotation? All this and more on this episode.

Mentioned on the show:

- Make Natchitoches Meat Pies tonight! Freeze the extras; these are perfect to make with kids of all ages. Recipe here: https://www.redstickspice.com/blogs/recipes/natchitoches-meat-pies?_pos=1&_sid=2bca1550c&_ss=r

- Try Boucherie to flavor your meat pies

- …Or Adobo blend

- Check out The Feeding Doctor to get some insights on positive eating habits in families: http://thefeedingdoctor.com/

- Catch Red Stick Spice Company on Facebook Live! Anne and her crew will be cooking live. Follow along or get some ideas for din din. Red Stick Spice Co on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/redstickspicecompany

We invite you to reach out to us with any ideas you have, or just to say hello and check in. Contact us on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter.

Hear all Smidgen episodes on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Pandora, or your browser, or your favorite podcast app. Smidgen is the podcast of Red Stick Spice Co.

If you are hunkered down, practicing social distancing, and maybe wanting a little comfort, we have a little Smidgen bonus for you. Anne Milneck, host of Smidgen and owner of Red Stick Spice Company talks (remotely) with producer Catherine O'Brien. Anne shares her thoughts on why heading to the kitchen is a good idea right now, and can even be a source of joy in stressful times. Anne also has a unique perspective in our current circumstance: Anne's son Clay has a chronic illness that requires extra care and consideration. Anne hit up Clay's gastroenterologist Dr. Casey Chapman with a few questions that provides valuable information for all of us, especially folks who want to help #flattenthecurve. Finally, Catherine quizzes Anne about being a small business owner in uncertain times; Anne comes back with ideas for supporting your favorite small businesses and highlights the creativity and innovation that can arise from unusual circumstances.

We invite you to reach out to us with any ideas you have, or just to say hello and check in.

Mentioned on the show:

- Now is the Time to Overreact in The Atlantic

- Flattening the Coronavirus Curve in The New York Times

- Catch Red Stick Spice Company on Facebook Live! Daily at 4:30PM CDT, Anne and her crew will be cooking live. Follow along or get some ideas for din din. Red Stick Spice Co on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/redstickspicecompany

- Catherine gave a shout out to her favorite dish (that is now on PERMANENT rotation in her household) featured in Season 1 on Smidgen—slab grilled cheese. Mmmmmm. Hear the whole episode here: http://smidgenpodcast.com/stock-options-stock-broth-curried-tomato-bisque-and-slab-grilled-cheese

- Learn more about Crohns and Colitis from the Crohns and Colitis Foundation: https://www.crohnscolitisfoundation.org/

Reach out to us on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter.

Hear all Smidgen episodes on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Pandora, or your browser, or your favorite podcast app. Smidgen is the podcast of Red Stick Spice Co.

S2E7 We're throwing it back here on the Season Two Finale of Smidgen to some vintage recipes that are making a comeback. Do you have memories from your young days of parents pulling out "fancy" china for entertaining and making certain dishes that are for special occasions only? Smidgen Host and Owner of Red Stick Spice Co. Anne Milneck speaks with Lili Courtney about some of these dishes, and our intrepid chefs give some makeovers to chicken tetrazzini, hummingbird cake (Southern Living Magazine's number one, most viewed recipe EVER!), 70's style cocktail meatballs (served in a crock pot, OF COURSE, with a sidecar of rainbow colored toothpicks), seven layer salad, and trifle.

Cooking Segment: Part trip down memory lane, part tasty food analysis, Anne and Lili update vintage tastes to our modern palette. Inspired by their conversation, Lili and Anne head over to the Red Stick Spice Co. Test Kitchen and update cocktail meatballs and whip up a hummingbird cake trifle. Tis the season to entertain, and both these dishes would be a delicious compliment to any gathering.

Mentioned on the show:

- RECIPE: Sweet and Sour Meatballs with Pine Nuts and Currents. Lili is sharing her meatball recipe for you to try and wow your friends and family

- RECIPE: Now's the time to get the trifle dish out of the back shelf for Hummingbird Cake Trifle OR serve in individual glasses (like a stemless wine glass or a martini glass)

- Shhh! Don't tell anyone it is store bought ice cream! Anne's Mother's Romanoff sauce is cool and delicious

- The original Southern Living Hummingbird Cake Recipe is on their website here

- Ooh la la, customer favorite Champagne Pear Chardonnay Vinegar makes a grand appearance in the cooking segment

- Capital Heights Spice is versatile, full of shallots, citrus, and nutritional yeast. Plus, it's salt-free

- We enhance all the flavors of the Hummingbird Cake with the Red Stick Spice Co. Pumpkin Pie Spice (banana loves cardamom!)

- Use discount code SMIDGEN15 to save 15% your entire order at Red Stick Spice Co.

Did this episode inspire you to update your own favorite vintage recipes? Also, this is the last episode of Season Two—we'll miss you while we're away, but we would love to know if there's anything you want to hear about on Season Three. Tell us on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter.

Hear all Smidgen episodes on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Pandora, or your browser, or your favorite podcast app. Smidgen is the podcast of Red Stick Spice Co.

S2E6 Lots of customers discover Red Stick Spice Company after being given the directive to reduce salt consumption. What better place than our shop to reduce salt without losing flavor? We also hear talk of the DASH Diet—a little bit "Baton Rouge famous" due to research and development at Pennington Biomedical Research Center. To learn more, we're joined by Renee Puyau, Registered Dietician at Pennington. Renee explains how DASH was originally developed for hypertension, but also supports other health benefits, too. Since DASH is fruit and veggie heavy, Renee gives lots of tips for how to get more servings into each day. (Friendly reminder: this episode is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice.)

Cooking Segment: Host and Owner of Red Stick Spice Company Anne Milneck takes what she learns from Renee into the Test Kitchen to make a flavorful chicken cutlet using Zahtar. The salt is scant but the taste is plentiful due to Zahtar's distinct zing—sumac, sesame seeds, and citrus zest come together for a bright flavor that will keep you from missing the salt. The Zahtar chicken is topped with a lush green parsley salad (get those veggies in!) making for a DASH-friendly, quick to prepare dinner.

Mentioned on the show:

- RECIPE: Make your own Zahtar Chicken with Parsley Salad for dinner tonight! Quick, delicious, DASH friendly

- Find out more about the DASH Diet on the Pennington Biomedical Research Center website

- Zahtar is where it's at for flavorful chicken or a bit of Middle Eastern flair for a variety of dishes

- We offer an abundance of salt-free spice blends to choose from. Anne gave a shout-out to our Red Bean Seasoning and Gumbo Seasoning. Also give a look to our Smoked Porcini, Shallot & Mustard - Salt Free blend. Don't forget the Alleppo Pepper!

- Cameron came in with our Red Stick Spice Company Oregano Olive Oil to bump up the flavor

- If you have a loved one who is watching their salt intake, we offer a Salt Free Zone gift box that would make a delicious and helpful present

- Join us for our Not My Mother's Chicken cooking class! This Milk Street Partner Location class highlights cooking skills as well as inspiring recipes. Zahtar Chicken with Parsley Salad is on the menu!

- Use discount code SMIDGEN15 to save 15% your entire order at Red Stick Spice Co.

Did we win you over with Zahtar? Did you already know about DASH? We want to know! Tell us about it on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter.

Hear all Smidgen episodes on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Pandora, or your browser, or your favorite podcast app. Smidgen is the podcast of Red Stick Spice Co.

S2E5 "Local food" is a term we hear more and more. It feels good to say, it seems to capture the spirit of an ideal we would like to uphold. Looking a bit closer, the issue of local food gains some depth and complexity. On this episode of Smidgen, host Anne Milneck starts off her local food journey by speaking with John Cotton Dean, Director of the Rural Prosperity Initiative for the Central Louisiana Economic Development Alliance (CLEDA.) John breaks down food deserts, identifies who are the stakeholders in local food production, and explains how each of us can have a major impact on local food in our own communities (hint: only $5 per week!) Anne is currently working to be a Louisiana Food Fellow through CLEDA.

Next, we talk to a real-life urban farmer—Allison Guidroz of Fullness Farm. Allison and her husband farm in Baton Rouge, growing fresh produce for local restaurants, farmers markets, and for their CSA subscription program. Allison shares the reality of local food and some of the joy involved in working with the seasons, producing fresh veggies year-round. We are confident you will come away from these interviews informed, but also inspired about what is being produced in your own communities (and maybe even your own garden!)

Cooking Segment: Taking a tip from Allison, we head to the Red Stick Spice Test Kitchen to make Eggplant Parm Burgers. Wowza! If you are going meatless or want a dish that uses a bumper crop of eggplant, this dish is sure to please (it even converts cooking assistant Cameron into an eggplant eater!) Made with our savory Farmstand Veggie Blend, these burgers are quick to prepare and delicious to eat. (We also have a version of the recipe to make meatless eggplant meatballs.)

Mentioned on the show:

- RECIPE: Lemme at 'em! Eggplant Parm Burgers are sure to become a go-to dish for you. Cameron whipped up Slow Roasted Cherry Tomatoes to serve as a condiment for the burgers (also a perfect solution to the moment when your home garden produces more cherry tomatoes than you know what to do with.)

- John referred us to The Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future to learn more about sustainable food systems and the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition to understand food policy as laypeople

- Allison and her husband were inspired by Eliot Coleman and his farm in Maine

- Join us for a Red Stick Spice Company Farm, Food, & Cooking Tour! A day-long tour filled with farming and food, and ends with a fabulous cooking session. One of the many stops is a fun and informative tour of Fullness Farm. Connect with local food in a real way on this tour.

- Our Farmstand Veggie Blend is great on the eggplant, but it also can perk up veggie dishes that have become a bit same ol' same ol'

- Use our Premium 18 Year Aged Balsamic Vinegar to make the Slow Roasted Cherry Tomatoes

- We offer an array of beautiful Avocado Oils that are perfect for roasting a variety of vegetable dishes

- Use discount code SMIDGEN15 to save 15% your entire order at Red Stick Spice Co.

Did this change your thinking on local food? Tell us about it on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter.

Hear all Smidgen episodes on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Pandora, or your browser, or your favorite podcast app. Smidgen is the podcast of Red Stick Spice Co.

S2E4 A large pot, the smell of sugar and fruit (and maybe some peppers) filling the air, plus stirring—lots and lots of stirring. Homemade jams, jellies and preserves are all the rage. Our friend Ashley Andermann of Grinning Jupiter Jammery joins host Anne Milneck to talk about confidently making jams and jellies at home.

In the Smidgen cooking segment: Ashley and Anne head to the Red Stick Spice Company Test Kitchen to make a batch of must-have blackberry pepper jelly.

Ashley shares how most people already have the necessary equipment in their kitchens to start jamming, and gives tips for getting a good batch (without worrying about food borne illness or spoilage.) By the end of the episode, we hope you will have the know-how and facts that will set you up for water bath canning success.

Jams and jellies from scratch make fabulous gifts and are the perfect solution to a bumper crop in your garden (or in your neighbor's garden as Anne illustrates from her confession of fruit theft.) Ashley forages for much of her ingredients, showing how canning can be a sustainability effort, tracing the history of this activity that has become popular again.

Mentioned on the show:

- RECIPE: You can do it! Make your own Blackberry Pepper Jelly for a fun afternoon with family or friends.

- Ashley frequently uses Red Stick Spice Balsamic Vinegars. Strawberry Balsamic and Fig Balsamic are fabulous compliments; our Champagne Pear Balsamic has legions of raving fans.

- After you get hooked on canning, try your hand at pickling. Our Red Stick Signature Pickling Spice will get you started.

- You can get one of Ashley's Grinning Jupiter Jammery products at Red Stick Spice Company—we can ship them as gifts! Ashley also offers her products through her Etsy Shop.

- In the Baton Rouge area, attend one of our upcoming Jam and Jellies classes hosted right at Red Stick Spice Company.

- Use discount code SMIDGEN15 to save 15% your entire order at Red Stick Spice Co.

If you take the plunge into jamming, we'd love to hear about your sweet adventures on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter. We wish you all the delightful pop of a sealed canning jar.

Hear all Smidgen episodes on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Pandora, or your browser, or your favorite podcast app. Smidgen is the podcast of Red Stick Spice Co.

S2E3 Happy Thanksgiving! Food, memories, family—on this episode of Smidgen, host Anne Milneck explores each of these elements as she tries to get to the bottom of a childhood Thanksgiving memory she has about a turkey being dropped and the chaos that ensued. As often happens with family memories, it is hard to get one consistent version of events (despite Anne asking several key family members.) After this venture into "turkey true crime," Anne talks with her son-in-law Ben about a five-alarm event from last Thanksgiving to illustrate that even disasters don't have to derail a happy holiday.

Next, Anne takes some questions from listeners (recorded at our recent Smidgen podcast live recording) about some real-world Thanksgiving issues. Stuffing or dressing; cooking for two; gravy; non-turkey main dishes; and the dreaded clean-up are some of the topics covered.

Cooking Segment: Anne and Lili Courtney hit the kitchen to prove that when it comes to Thanksgiving, sides are where it is at with Cast Iron Brussels Sprouts with Bacon. (Can you smell the bacon already?)

Mentioned on the show:

- RECIPE: Cast Iron Brussels Sprouts with Bacon. Celebrate peak Brussels sprout with this divine side that goes from stovetop to oven to table in your cast iron.

- Smoky and delicious, these Brussels are made with Cranberry Balsamic and our available-year-round Cranberry Maple Rub.

- Try a new stuffing recipe that is similar to a savory bread pudding. Our Wild Mushroom and Sourdough Stuffing is ready to become your new obsession.

- Anne can recommend these turkey stocks (to be used in a pinch) or if you are deep frying your turkey. Kitchen Basics and Swanson.

- Need a little color on your Thanksgiving table? Make a Quick Pickled Red Onion to bring zing and a splash of red to the buffet or table.

- Brine turkey easily, wet or dry; breasts only or whole bird. Try the Red Stick Spice Turkey Brine if going wet. Try Anne's signature combination Dry Brine.

- If you want to try something different as your Thanksgiving main dish, consider Crawfish Stuffed Pork Tenderloin with Tasso Cream Sauce or a ham baked up with the Red Stick Spice Ham Glaze.

- Embrace Autumn with our seasonal blends here. Anne's go to favorites are Autumn Spice Blend and Pumpkin Pie Spice.

- Use discount code SMIDGEN15 to save 15% your entire order at Red Stick Spice Co, special for you, our Smidgen listener.

We send you and yours all the best for this Thanksgiving, and tidings for un-dropped turkeys and no dishes engulfed in flames. Tell us about your holiday on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter.

Traveling over the river and through the woods this season? Hear all Smidgen episodes on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Pandora, or your browser, or your favorite podcast app. Smidgen is the podcast of Red Stick Spice Co.