Smidgen

S2E2 We are getting to the bottom of a question heard daily at Red Stick Spice Company: How do I use spices? Last week, Smidgen hosted Rosemary Gill from Milk Street for her take on using spices. In this episode, Smidgen host Anne Milneck speaks with producer Catherine O'Brien for Anne's take on the how, when, and why of spices. The cooking segment brings it all home with a recipe that uses a surprising spice (well, surprising for a cookie) and utilizes a technique that will transform your baking.

Cooking Segment: Anne and Lili Courtney prepare Molasses Cookies with Garam Masala in the Red Stick Spice Co. Test Kitchen. Mentioned on the show:

• Now Available: We've created The Essential Spice Starter Set to establish or refresh a pantry. This kit makes a perfect gift.
• RECIPE: Beautiful browned butter and Garam Masala create magic for Molasses Cookies in the cooking segment with Anne and Lili.
• Red Stick Spice Company is now a Milk Street Partner Location! Experience the Milk Street way at Red Stick Spice Company through one of our many classes.
• Make sure you listen to Anne's conversation with Rosemary Gill in the premiere episode of Smidgen, Season 2.
• Catherine quizzed Anne on some basics including Smoked Paprika, Roasted Granulated Onion and Roasted Granulated Garlic.
• Get into some of the blends offered by Red Stick Spice Co. like our Autumn Spice Blend; get adventuresome with our Chai Spice Blend.
• The ladies of Smidgen talked salt and Anne shouted out Smoked Porcini Shallot Mustard blend as a full flavor blend that keeps an eye on the salt.
• If you're in Baton Rouge, don't miss our 60 Minute Spice Master class. Try your hand at blending spices—in 60 minutes you'll be a pro!
• Use discount code SMIDGEN15 to save 15% your entire order at Red Stick Spice Co.

Do you now know how to use spices? Whether a novice or a spice pro, what were your takeaways? Let us know on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter.

As we kick off Season 2, you can always go back and revisit all of Season 1 on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Pandora, or your favorite podcast app. Smidgen is the podcast of Red Stick Spice Co.

S2E1 We are back with Smidgen, Season 2, ready to bring you fabulous food and in-depth interviews plus several items of exciting news. Up first, Red Stick Spice Company recently certified as a Milk Street Cooking Classes Partner Location. Milk Street is a media company founded by Christopher Kimball, focusing on cooking fundamentals and developing delicious flavor profiles.

To share the Milk Street way, we are joined on Smidgen by Milk Street Education Director Rosemary Gill. Rosie is a wealth of information on how to use spices, bringing maximum flavor to your cooking, the difference between being a recipe-follower and an improv cook. Rosie explains some tips and techniques for using spices that you can try today. (Cue the cooking segment!)

Cooking Segment: After the interview, Anne heads to the kitchen with Lili Courtney to cook up Crispy Chickpeas, Two Ways, using the very approach discussed by Anne and Rosie. Smidgen is a finalist in not one but two categories in the Discover Pods Awards! Please vote Smidgen today for Best New Podcast 2019 and Best Arts Podcast. Voting closes November 18, 2019, 6PM EST.

Mentioned in the podcast:

• Now Available: The Essential Spice Starter Set. We took Rosie's list of essential spices (with Anne's addition of onion and garlic) and created The Essential Spice Starter Kit. Start or refresh your spice rack; makes an excellent gift.
• RECIPE: Crispy Chickpeas, Two Ways.
• Serving suggestions for the chickpeas include being served as a crisp salad topping; an elegant garnish for hummus; an accompaniment to a cheese board; enjoy a handful as a quick snack!
• Try Red Stick Spice Company's All Natural Avocado Oil. Neutral flavor, high smoke point, great for cast iron cooking; a kitchen staple.
• The spice blends we used on the chickpeas: Garlic Maple Rub (Lili's choice) and Berbere Spice (Anne's spicy and flavorful choice.) Experience the flavor of fenugreek in this blend. You'll love the Berbere blend in a pot of lentils or on our Berbere Chicken. It does wonders for a pan of spiced Pecans!
• Learn more about Milk Street here. If you're traveling to Boston, check out a Milk Street Cooking Class. Browse all of Milk Street's partner locations so that you can enjoy a Milk Street class no matter where your travels take you.
• If you're spice-curious and in the Baton Rouge area, our 60 Minute Spice Master class is a must for you. Just one hour to full spice transformation!
• Use discount code SMIDGEN15 to save 15% your entire order at Red Stick Spice Co.

Be sure to reach out to Red Stick Spice Company on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter.

Final item of exciting news: Smidgen is now available on Pandora! As we kick off Season 2, you can always go back and revisit all of Season 1 on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, or your favorite podcast app. Smidgen is the podcast of Red Stick Spice Co.

S2E0 Smidgen, the podcast of Red Stick Spice Company will be back with Season 2 very soon! We have some wonderful guest interviews to share with you and some amazing food you can prepare at home.

We are excited to announce that Smidgen is now available on Pandora!

Smidgen is a finalist for not one but two categories of Discover Pods Awards! For your consideration, Smidgen is up for Best New Podcast of 2019 and Best Arts Podcast. Please vote for Smidgen! (Voting closes November 18, 2019, 6PM EST.)

Listen to all of Smidgen, Season 1 on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, or your favorite podcast app. Subscribe now so you don't miss an episode of Season 2. Smidgen is the podcast of Red Stick Spice Co.

S1E7 Now we gather. This simple motto carries a deeper meaning beyond the first glance, its significance can be experienced by preparing a meal and enjoying it with family and friends. Licensed Clinical Social Worker Leslie Todd joins us on Smidgen to talk loneliness, isolation and how those factors affect mental health, plus what actions we can all take to counteract the negative results.

Host Anne Milneck and Leslie dive deep into how we form close, interpersonal connections and identify some of the barriers that prevent us from connecting (hint: some of these barriers buzz and beep all day and night, and might be in your hand right now.)

The conversation turns to food, of course, and how the nourishment of food mirrors our most primal relationships. It is not a coincidence that eating together has the potential to bond and connect us. Whether you are an introvert or extrovert, Leslie offers ideas for reconnecting (including experiences like a cooking class at Red Stick Spice Co.)

Cooking Segment: To bring home the idea of sharing a meal with others, Anne heads off to the kitchen with Red Stick Spice Co. store staffer Sara to prepare Roasted Cauliflower with Capers, Walnuts and Yogurt, a dish perfect for sharing with family and friends.

Mentioned on the show:

• RECIPE: Completely delicious Roasted Cauliflower with Capers, Walnuts and Yogurt—be sure to have naan on hand, and expect a clean platter after serving up this dish. The lemony yogurt in this recipe: game changer!
• Leslie Todd is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. Learn more about Leslie and her practice, Strategies for Change at LeslieTodd.com.
• The gorgeous color of the dish comes from our Harissa Extra Virgin Olive Oil. We also used a sprinkling of Zhug. Our All Natural Avocado Oil and White Balsamic Vinegar provide the tang in the sauce drizzled over the cauliflower.
• This is not the first time Anne has thought about gathering. Read more about Anne's take on the importance of gathering—she's built her entire business around this one simple act that pays dividends in health and happiness.
• Leslie also recommended reaching out to a trusted loved one, mentor, school or church leader if you're concerned with feelings of isolation or loneliness. You can connect with mental health professionals in your area via the Psychology Today website.
• Use discount code SMIDGEN15 to save 15% your entire order at Red Stick Spice Co.

Be sure to reach out to us on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter. We'd love to hear about how you gather with family and friends, or even what you'd like to hear on Season 2 of Smidgen (coming soon!!)

Listen to Smidgen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, or your favorite podcast app. Smidgen is the podcast of Red Stick Spice Co.

S1E6 There are a couple kitchen skills that are worth learning (and some that can have a huge impact on your home cooking), and Smidgen host Anne Milneck is here to tell you that making stock and broth at home can be a game changer. Our own tireless champion of the home cook Anne is interviewed by podcast producer Catherine O'Brien to learn why stock and broth are fundamentals of cooking, why we're hearing about bone broth all the time, and how easy and doable it is to make stock and broth at home. By the end of the episode, we're confident you'll be setting up a veggie cuttings freezer bag and planning your first batch of homemade broth.

Cooking Segment: After the stock talk, Anne and store staffer Madeline are in the Red Stick Spice test kitchen making the classic pairing of Curried Tomato Bisque and Slab Grilled Cheese. This is a real crossover meal—the soup is made with homemade stock and for fans of the sheet pan, that's the tool that brings the crunch to our slab grilled cheese.

Several of our own spice blends bring this meal to the next level of crowd-pleasing goodness—explore Vindaloo Curry, Madras Curry, and for garlic lovers, the Garlic Curry is a must.

Mentioned on the episode:

• RECIPE: Feed-a-crowd Curried Tomato Bisque made with homemade vegetable stock is the perfect dish to practice your stock making skills. Serve with Slab Grilled Cheese.
• What is the difference between stock and broth? What is bone broth and why is it so popular? Anne explains all (and gives practical tips for making stock, storing stock, and using stock) in this ep.
• Put your own spin on the bisque with any of the Red Stick Spice Co.'s curry powders such as Garlic Curry, spicy-spicy Vindaloo Curry, or the savory Madras Curry.
• While you are making the Slab Grilled Cheese, take a listen to our Sheet Pan Suppers episode (one of our most popular shows to date!)
• Poaching chicken is a great way to make a quick chicken broth. We use this technique to make our Curried Chicken Salad. We poach the chicken with a big handful of spices including Tellicherry Peppercorns and Cardamom. Turn the poaching liquid into a great broth for sipping or for the base of soups, stews or curries!
• As promised: shrimp stock-- Sweet Corn and Shrimp Soup with Smoky Bacon. A show stopper with tons of flavor from our Salt Free BBQ Shrimp Seasoning.
• Use discount code SMIDGEN15 to save 15% your entire order at Red Stick Spice Co.

Do you have a veggie stock bag in your freezer? We'd love to take a peek at your stock makings on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter! We can hear the crockpot lids now in anticipation of folks making their own stock.

Listen to Smidgen Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, or your favorite podcast app. Smidgen is the podcast of Red Stick Spice Co.

S1E5 If you want to be a better cook, we have a free resource for you that is enriching, abundant, and may have been as-of-yet overlooked. Your public library is a wealth of information—sure, they have cook books, but you also may find magazines, historical cooking records, classes, and more! Mary Stein, Assistant Director of East Baton Rouge Parish Libraries (and irrepressible enthusiast for learning) bursts onto Smidgen to share the vast array of cooking tools that can be found at most every public library.

To put a finer point on things, you'll hear Anne discuss one of her new favorite cook books, Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat by Samin Nosrat. You'll also hear about the balance between going by the book, and confidently freestyling it in the kitchen. A different spin on "cooking the books."

Cooking Segment: In the kitchen, Red Stick Spice Co. store staffer (and avid baker) Cameron takes the lead with (non-baker) Anne to prepare a sumptuous Salted Dark Chocolate Cake. In the headiness of the cacao swirling in the air, Anne forgets the salt and goes for fancy sprinkles instead. No matter—the cake is a dream.

Mentioned on the episode:

• RECIPE: Salted Dark Chocolate Cake Need some chocolate intensity in your life? This is the cake for you.
• We recommend the Cyprus Flake Salt for this cake (or we totally understand if you fall under the sway of delightful sprinkles as we did!)
• Get thee to your local public library to discover all the cooking resources available to you for free
• Listening locally? Any East Baton Rouge Parish Library can help you become a card holder
• Find Mary Stein on Twitter
• The book Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat is required reading; makes an excellent gift to someone setting up home or starting their own home cooking journey
• Use discount code SMIDGEN15 to save 15% your entire order at Red Stick Spice Co.

Do you love your local library as much as we do? Please let us know on on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter!

Listen to Smidgen Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, or your favorite podcast app. Smidgen is the podcast of Red Stick Spice Co.

S1E4 Maybe you got it as a gift, maybe you bought it on a whim, but if you have an Instant Pot electric pressure cooker that is still in the box, this is the episode of Smidgen for you! (If you are an Instant Pot enthusiast, we bet you will doubly appreciate our guest and the cooking segment.)

Bruce Weinstein is the author of The Instant Pot Bible, The Great Big Pressure Cooker Book and the forthcoming (and potentially game changing) From Freezer to Instant Pot. We talk specifically about the Instant Pot brand of pressure cookers and get Bruce's latest and greatest in what he has been preparing in his pressure cooker.

Host Anne Milneck walks Bruce through an Instant Pot disaster (now only referred to in whispers as The Barley Incident) in order to learn more about how we all can set up Instant Pot meals for success, save them (if necessary), and avoid the dreaded "Burn" message.

Cooking Segment: After talking with Bruce, Anne heads to the Red Stick Spice test kitchen with store staffer Cameron where they make a big pot of Smoky Instant Pot Red Beans & Rice.

Here's a list of the links we mentioned in the podcast:

• RECIPE: Anne and Cameron cook up Smoky (and vegan!) Instant Pot Red Beans & Rice.
• Big takeaway: read YOUR electric pressure cookers' owners manual. Tossed yours out? Never fear, the internet is here.
• There are many electric pressure cookers on the market; we use the 6 and 8 quart Instant Pot brand pressure cookers.
• Among Bruce's many books, he covers pressure cooking in The Instant Pot Bible, The Great Big Pressure Cooker Book and From Freezer to Instant Pot. We turn to them all regularly. We're also in love with Bruce's book Sheet Cakes & Slab Pies. Yum!
• Bruce and his partner Mark host a lively cooking podcast called Cooking with Bruce & Mark. Their blog is equally as informative.
• Try the Red Stick Spice Company Smoked Extra Virign Olive Oil.
• Get your flavor on with Red Bean Seasoning and Smoked Sweet Paprika.
• Use discount code SMIDGEN15 to save 15% your entire order at Red Stick Spice Co.

If this episode got you to pull out your own electric pressure cooker, please let us know on on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter! We have a feeling this episode will inspire a lot of Instant Pot owners to get pressure cooking.

Listen to Smidgen Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, or your favorite podcast app. Smidgen is the podcast of Red Stick Spice Co.

S1E3 Culture and food are deliciously intertwined, especially in South Louisiana. Chef Marcelle Bienvenu of the John Folse Culinary Institute at Nicholls State University has a lengthy and illustrious resume—and she's Anne Milneck's favorite teacher. Chef Marcelle and Anne dive into the roots of Cajun cuisine as well as reflect on Chef Marcelle's experience as a Times Picayune food writer, a cookbook author, and as a colleague of food greats such as Paul Prudhomme and Emeril Lagasse. Prepare to be inspired by Chef Marcelle to think about your own food, friends, and family traditions.

Cooking Segment: After the interview, Anne is joined by Red Stick Store staffer Sara in the Red Stick Spice Test Kitchen to prepare Chef Marcelle's Cast Iron Skillet Corn Creole. GBD fans—golden brown and delicious—this dish is especially for you. Made with Red Stick Spice Company's own The Stuff.

Mentioned on the episode:

• RECIPE: Get out your seasoned skillet for Cast Iron Skillet Corn Creole made with The Stuff, comfort food in a pan
• Emeril Lagasse's 1996 cookbook Louisiana Real & Rustic
• Check out all of Marcelle's books on Amazon. Anne's favorite: the Who's Your Mama cookbook series
• The cookbook after Hurricane Katrina created to preserve some of the lost recipes of South Louisiana Cooking Up a Storm cookbook; a must for fans of the Times Picayune food section
• A history of Cajun cuisine and a curriculum text at the John Folse Culinary Institute, Stir the Pot
• Considering culinary schools? Be sure to look into the John Folse Culinary Institute at Nicholls State University, host Anne Milneck's alma mater
• Use discount code SMIDGEN15 to save 15% your entire order (good for purchases at Red Stick Spice Company, not the John Folse Culinary Institute… not yet, that is.)

Listen to Smidgen Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, or your favorite podcast app. Find Red Stick Spice Co. on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Thanks for listening to Smidgen!

S1E2 It started innocently enough on foodie social media. Smidgen host and owner of Red Stick Spice Company Anne Milneck noticed pretty pictures posted of baked dinners, but now this classic method of preparing dinner bore a new, modern name: Sheet Pan Suppers. The "new" and "trending" adoration lofted on these meals made Anne a bit bemused, and (with tongue in cheek) cranky.

On this episode of Smidgen, Anne tries to get to the bottom of where this trend started and why it holds sway over much of social media. First up is Molly Gilbert, author of Sheet Pan Suppers, who gives her thoughts about why sheet pan suppers are so popular, and shares her tips on how to pull off an amazing sheet pan meal. Next Anne draws upon Lili Courtney, cooking instructor, who has led a dozen Skillet & Sheet Pan classes at Red Stick Spice Company. Lili explains some of the techniques for sheet pan suppers and offers her thoughts as to why we're all talking about them. To deepen her "investigation" Anne turns to social media expert Chelsey Blankenship and Erin Bowling (of the @eatbatonrouge Instagram account) to explore how trends ebb and flow, and the role of "influencers." (Spoiler alert: we're being influenced.)

Cooking Segment: To cap it all off, Anne heads over to the Red Stick Spice Company Test Kitchen with store staffer Sara to actually make a sheet pan supper! Carrot tacos emerge from the oven on sheet pans, totally photo-worthy, and delicious (a fabulous use of Red Stick Spice Company's Taco Tuesday seasoning.)

Mentioned on the episode:

• RECIPE: Make your own trending dinner with our recipe for Sheet Pan Carrot Tacos.
• The tacos were baked with Taco Tuesday Blend and Garlic Jalapeno Extra Virgin Olive Oil.
• RECIPE: Don't forget the Restaurant Style Big Batch Salsa!
• Molly Gilbert's book, Sheet Pan Suppers. Find Molly's website is Dunk & Crumble and be sure to listen to her podcast, And Eat It Too.
• Check out Lili's Tarragon Mustard Sheet Pan Chicken Thighs. Be sure to keep an eye on our cooking classes and grab a seat in Lili's next Skillets & Sheet Pans class.
• Social media manager Chelsey's boutique is Sosis.
• Erin Bowling is the person behind the Instagram account, @eatbatonrouge.
• Use discount code SMIDGEN15 to save 15% your entire order at Red Stick Spice Co.

Listen to Smidgen Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, or your favorite podcast app. Find Red Stick Spice Co. on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Thanks for listening to Smidgen!

Bonus: Smidgen launched last week and we've been amazed with the response! Thank you to everyone who is listening, sharing, and reviewing the show. You can hear Episode 1 of Season 1 on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, or your favorite podcast app.

We have a little bonus for you as a thank you for all the support. Host Anne Milneck, owner of Red Stick Spice Co. and podcast producer Catherine O'Brien do a short lightning round on the topic of Scratch vs. Store Bought—some of Anne's opinions might surprise you!

Don't forget: all the recipes featured on Smidgen can be found at Red Stick Spice.com. The next episode of Smidgen will be out in a few days, so enjoy this bonus until then!

Use discount code SMIDGEN15 to save 15% your entire order at Red Stick Spice Co. Thanks for listening to Smidgen!

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.