Rory Brown owns Allspice Culinarium in the East Village and Coralville. (Photo: Wini Moranville)
By Wini Moranville
A sprinkle here, a drizzle there — I’m often amazed at just how effortlessly the vinegars, olive oils, spice blends and condiments from Allspice have enhanced my cooking over the years. But if you’re less familiar with this East Village “culinarium,” it can be hard to know where to start.
To help, I teamed up with owner Rory Brown to come up with the ultimate $100 (-ish) upgrade for your kitchen cabinet. Think of it as our own personal collection of culinary “secret weapons.” Bonus: One, two or a few of these would make great stocking stuffers for your favorite cook.
Dark Chocolate Balsamic Vinegar ($17 for 12 ounces): I love using this in the braising liquid for a beefy braise, like my pot roast. It adds both depth, from the chocolate, and a touch of brightness, from the vinegar. Brown uses it to macerate fresh fruit or to drizzle over cheese.
Colonel Pabst Worcestershire Sauce ($20 for 16 ounces): Brown uses this to flavor steaks, burgers, roasts and sauteed mushrooms for an extra touch of umami.
New York Steak and Burger Seasoning ($7 for 1/2 cup): Brown keeps this in his kitchen, often swapping it for pepper. “It’s mostly pepper with Worcestershire powder and thyme,” he said, noting how it “bumps up” any dish needing pepper.
Seared Salmon Seasoning ($7 for 1/2 cup): This blend of spices stars fennel, anise, cumin and coriander, plus some brown sugar, and makes salmon taste like something you’d spend top dollar for at a high-end restaurant. I’ve been using it for years.
Paella Seasoning ($7 for 1/4 cup): Never mind if you never make paella — I use this blend of garlic, chiles, turmeric, paprika and saffron on any kind of firm white fish, like rockfish, before grilling to enrich and exotify the flavor.
Herbes de Provence Olive Oil ($19 for 12 ounces): Brown has captured the earthy-woodsy flavors of Provence in a bottle, and he uses this oil when roasting root vegetables or Brussels sprouts. He says it’s also a great flavor-enhancer for potatoes and roast chicken.
Vanilla Paste ($28 for 5 ounces): “Serious bakers are hooked on this paste,” Brown said. It brings intense vanilla flavor with those enticing little flecks of vanilla seeds. Anyone who’s ever wrestled with vanilla beans to extract those clingy seeds will know what a boon this jar can be.
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