Hand-crafted spices with a personal touch from Juliet Mae

Last week, I was wandering through the lively Marin Farmers Market at the Marin Civic Center, snapping photos of unusual vegetables, sampling here and there when a jovial looking gent said “hey, give our spices a try!”

I’m an unaplogetic spice junkie, having been a Penzey’s customer for years, but I also love to browse through ethic grocery shops and open markets on my travels looking for that something new and different. My spice cabinet was a must-have deal breaker when I re-modeled the kitchen and a sizable section of my freezer is devoted to herbs and spices.

Anyway, I had to stop and take a look at the Juliet Mae spice stand.

The gentleman who enticed me over is Bill, the husband of the Juliet Mae team.  Kathy FitzHenry is his better half. They must be an awesome team. Bill is Mr. Enthusiasm, telling my friend and I all about how they craft each spice and spice blend - even toasting the individual spices in a facility in San Francisco’s Presidio. He is thoroughly engaging.

But the spices speak for themselves. So far, I’ve just tried the Tunisian Five Spice blend - I’m all in love with the North African flavor palette - with cinnamon, clove, nutmeg and grains of paradise. Whoa! That’s gotta be good, right? Grains of Paradise are a peppery member of the ginger family. It’s very well balanced and perfect for meats like lamb or chicken. Just use it as you will a ‘rub’ and expect delicious results.

They have a nicely put together website:

 

When I told Bill that I’d like to blog about their product, he seemed intrigued. But then I made the usual disclaimer, that if he didn’t like the Progressive “Big L” Liberal politics, no never mind … just keep going to the non-partisan food page. Bill piped right up that “Big L” politics suited him just fine.

The guy had me right there.

Try Juliet Mae spices. I think you will pleasantly surprised. They are very reasonably priced, and I was happy to note that their shipping prices are really reasonable unlike so many online vendors. The Juliet Mae line is also available at many retail locations, including Whole Foods.