Restocking the Spice Cabinet This Week
I needed cumin and paprika, but once I got to the bulk bins I kept spotting other things that looked useful. The cabinet has been looking pretty bare since the last big cooking spree back in May. Ren came along because he wanted to check the coffee selection anyway. The store always smells like a mix of toasted seeds and faint wood from the bins, and the scoops clink against the metal when you’re trying to get just the right amount without spilling. I stood there longer than planned, reading the little handwritten cards above each one.
The drive over was fine until we hit the usual slowdown near the exit for Halverston. They have been widening that road for months now. Orange cones lined both shoulders and a backhoe sat idle on the median, its bucket still caked with dried mud. Someone ahead had their windows down and music drifting out, something with a heavy bass line that carried even through our closed car. I grabbed a small bag of dried thyme, some smoked paprika, and a jar of the house blend they keep by the register. Ren added a pound of the Ethiopian roast he likes. We also picked up a few dried chilies because the recipe I had in mind called for extra heat. The chilies were a deep brick red and felt brittle between my fingers when I dropped them into the bag.
Back at home I pulled out the old recipe card from my grandmother and started measuring. The chicken went into a quick marinade with the new paprika and a little oil. The paprika had a sweet, almost campfire smell once it hit the bowl. I roasted some potatoes on the side and tossed the chilies in with them. The whole thing came together faster than I expected. While the oven warmed up I wiped down the counters and found a stray coffee bean that must have rolled out of Ren’s bag earlier. Ren set the table while I finished the greens. We ate outside because the evening was still mild. The table wobbled a little on the uneven patio stones so Ren slid a folded napkin under one leg. The potatoes came out with little charred edges from the chilies and the thyme I’d sprinkled over everything released a sharper scent once it hit the heat.
After dinner we cleaned up and put on a show about Teddy Roosevelt’s third term. It was the one that came out last year, and we had been meaning to watch it. The opening credits had that old-newsreel look with sepia tones and scratchy audio. Ren made tea while the credits rolled. I wrote down a couple adjustments to the spice amounts so I would remember them next time. The tea was the good kind he buys in loose leaf, and the steam fogged the inside of my glasses for a second when I leaned over the cup.
Tuesday I used the leftover chicken in a quick wrap for lunch. The house blend worked better than I thought it would on its own. I still have most of the chilies left, so I might try them in eggs this weekend. The bulk store had a new brand of sea salt that I almost bought but decided to wait. Their prices on the basics are still better than the regular grocery anyway. I ended up eating the wrap standing at the kitchen counter because the mail arrived right as I finished putting it together and I wanted to flip through the catalog that came with the bills.
Work stayed steady. One client wants to swap out all the cabinet hardware in the kitchen, which means another trip to the hardware store soon. I have been putting that off because the last time the traffic was worse than usual. Ren keeps saying we should go early on a Saturday before the lots fill up. I spent part of Wednesday afternoon sorting through a box of old hinges and pulls I’d saved from previous jobs, just in case any of them matched what the client described.
The weather stayed dry most of the week, which helped with the laundry. I got the towels folded and put away before the weekend. Nothing major broke or needed fixing, so the evenings stayed pretty quiet. I think the spice chicken is going on the regular rotation.