Show me your rack!

It’s a Meme! And it’s a ridiculous play on words, as I am sure my search stats will go crazy now with weirdos looking for photos of racks. Come on…..you KNOW what I mean!

Dave from Rattling the Kettle has started a meme for showing off your spice rack. I think it’s more an effort on his part to brag about his huge undertaking in his kitchen to organize his spices. His rack would make Pamela jealous. If only she cooked.

I am far less organized, but like any collected ‘chaos’ in my kitchen, if you asked me for a spice and I had it, I also would be able, without nary a hesitation, to reach into my chaos and procure it for you. I know where it’s all at, and although it’s a lot, it speaks of my love for experimenting with a wide variety of cooking cuisines. Not to mention I am blessed with a fabulous store near us with an enormous bulk spice aisle.

This is the most organized of my spice areas. This spot is right next to the stove, and from where I grab for the most necessary of cooking needs; salt of many kinds, the pestle and mortar, pepper grinder, oil bottle and the garlic bin. Those colored cups hold the salts, and one is full of chopped almonds.

Then it gets interesting: I have an entire shelf in a cupboard directly above this that is loaded with spices.

Here’s the right side of the shelf:

There’s a few good store bought mixes, whole nutmeg, and a few bulk jars. There is a BIG bottle of pure vanilla extract. Note the bulk jars (with the silver lids) are LABELED. This shows at least a small modicum of organization.

Now here’s the center:

More bulk jars (LABELED), a few more store-boughts. And finally, the left end of the shelf; the true chaos.

Here, I might (might) fail to procure something, if I think it’s here but it’s been used up; the extra bulk bags rest here, and sometimes get buried. But, I do have a nice container of real Hungarian paprika, (that big red container) along with three tubes of something Hungarian that my Dad and his wife brought back from their russian river cruise in September. I am not proficient in speaking Hungarian, and as tempting as these foodstuffs are, the usage for them in is a foreign language, and with the exception of the paprika, I am uncertain of what to do with Eros paprika krem (EROS? paprika??….that oughta be interesting!) and gulyas krem (its goulash creme, but still….) and I think the Fokhagyma krem is garlic, as the photo clearly looks like a garlic head. Anyone fluent in Hungarian?? Fokhagyma?? Yeah, that sounds like garlic, doesn’t it!

Dave also asks a two-part question: What’s the most obscure spice you have and why do you have it? Hands down its that fokhagyma krem (and i enjoy saying it too!! fokhagyma!! Ask me for garlic, please, go on!) but I also have fenugreek seeds and cardamom pods for the Indian cooking I do. Cardamom pods for the Chai tea I make from scratch and fenugreek…..well, for something with fenugreek. But back in the outer sanctum of my spice cupboard lay two unopened bags, one of spinach powder and one of tomato powder that I bought ages ago thinking I was going to make scratch flavored pastas with them.

Hey! It could happen!

As memes go, there needs to be participation. I’ll call out a few, but feel free to participate if you wish to show off your rack. The following, impressive cooks that they all are, must have great racks.

Jonathan from ‘We Are Never Full‘ He and his wife are such gourmet cooks, their rack has to be impressive.

Scott from ‘Sugar and Lard‘ Show me your rack and some true southern hospitality.

‘Yummy Mummy‘ Kim . What’s in your rack that Edie (or Lucy) hasn’t gotten into yet??

Marce from ‘Pip in the City‘ Being from Argentina, she might have some great stuff in her rack.