If there is anything I have too much of it’s probably spices and seasonings. See, I have a 2 foot deep by 1.5 foot wide shelf dedicated entirely to spices and seasoning, this doesn’t include sauces and marinade which go with the canned goods. There’s a three tier rack in the back of that shelf, and the cans and bags fill it in entirely from there. Most of them are from Penzey’s Spices, a company dedicated to you guessed it. Spices. which used to be across the street from where we live. However, Penzey’s is very small in comparison to a recent find: Kalustyan’s, “A Landmark in Fine Specialty Foods”.
Located in New York City on Lexington Ave Kalustyan’s is three expansive floors of international and multicultural cooking ingredients including but not limited to: sauces, spices, breads, bean mixes, bulk ingredients, flours, olive oils, canned goods, seasonings, and teas. It probably has anything you could ever ask for, seriously, and for me it was like food geek heaven. Almost everything is packaged on site, and many gluten free items are offered.
However, being the curious Celiac that I am I spoke with one of the employees who clarified what is truly safe for a Celiac or someone with a wheat allergy. According to this employee there are two sets of employees who package different items at different times. Bulk items (beans, seeds, chocolates, etc.) and flours are all packaged at the same time by one set of employees. This includes the gluten free items, for which they take precautions but, since they are done at the same time, cannot fully guarantee no cross contamination. Spices and Seasonings are packaged separately by a different set of employees at a different time. So, Spices and Seasonings are a go, but be cautious if your looking to use their bulk or flour products. Obviously, prepackaged goods not made or packaged by them require the same usual diligence.
Despite the massive content that can be overwhelming to the first comer, the lay out keeps things clean and simple. Check out these photos for an idea.
