Easy Spice

Kimber provides a quick tip.

I am a huge fan of cooking, especially the educational and experimental kind. However, at the end of a long day, sometimes you just want to eat quickly. If frozen dinners and pre-packaged food aren't your thing, and you can get to a Trader Joe's at least once a year, then this at-home fast food doesn't have to be tasteless.

I am a huge fan of the Trader Joe's spice mixes. I started out with their 21 Seasoning Salute, a saltless flavoring that adds interest to any dish, but that seems to go especially well with beef and pork. I like to add a tablespoon or so to a meatloaf to make it more flavorful and satisfying.

The Trader Joe's Lemon Pepper grinder is heaven sent. Most lemon pepper mixes quickly go stale or are bland to start with. This mix comes in a little spice jar with its own grinder, so you're always getting a toothsome mix of freshly-ground peppercorns, lemon peel, and sea salt. One taste, and you won't want to use any other kind of lemon pepper again.

My last recommendation, and most recent discovery, is the Trader Joe's Everyday Seasoning. Like the lemon pepper, it comes with its own grinder, so it always tastes fresh, and it offers a more uncoventional mix of spices that are novel, intriguinging, and incredibly delicious. I know that many people are very familiar with the tastes of these spices, but for one coming from a bland repetoire of unimaginative food, this spice mix was a god-send. It includes coriander, paprika, and chile pepper, so it can be a bit spicy, but I can't stop putting it on all of my food.

If you are reading this post and are baffled because you don't know what a Trader Joe's is, google them, find their website, and request that they establish a location near you. Trust me, it's worth it.