Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Too often we confuse noise with substance. too often we confuse setbacks with defeat.

I’d hate to be the candidate who lost to this guy.

You don’t get rid of your umbrella while it’s still raining.

Fuck these fucking interesting times.

Shallow, uninformed, and lacking identity

Only Democrats have agency, apparently.

In my day, never was longer.

Why is it so hard for them to condemn hate?

So it was an October Surprise A Day, like an Advent calendar but for crime.

Is it negotiation when the other party actually wants to shoot the hostage?

I’ve spoken to my cat about this, but it doesn’t seem to do any good.

The GOP is a fucking disgrace.

Conservatism: there are some people the law protects but does not bind and others who the law binds but does not protect.

Something needs to be done about our bogus SCOTUS.

Seems like a complicated subject, have you tried yelling at it?

Russian mouthpiece, go fuck yourself.

Give the craziest people you know everything they want and hope they don’t ask for more? Great plan.

Despite his magical powers, I don’t think Trump is thinking this through, to be honest.

Battle won, war still ongoing.

I’m sure you banged some questionable people yourself.

Let there be snark.

Not all heroes wear capes.

“Can i answer the question? No you can not!”

if you can’t see it, then you are useless in the fight to stop it.

You are here: Home / Food & Recipes / Cooking / Open Thread: Need A Gift, or A Pick-Me-Up? Try Penzey’s Spices!

Open Thread: Need A Gift, or A Pick-Me-Up? Try Penzey’s Spices!

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I think it was someone here who turned me on to Penzey’s in the first place. Their spices have a deservedly good reputation, even for people like me whose culinary ambitions seldom rise above boiling water for pasta or heating stuff in the microwave. (Garden Salad Seasoning, IMO, goes on any dish that is not dessert.) The latest Penzey’s email also included a message that some of you may want to share with some of your relatives/acquaintances this Thanksgiving:

… At Penzeys we believe it’s not the use of tools that set us on a different path from the rest of the animal world; what has set humanity in motion is cooking. In our nearly a million years gathered together around the fire, cooking shaped our bodies and transformed our minds. Cooking unlocked our potential and gave birth to reason, to religion, and to politics and government. The kindness of tens of thousands of generations of cooks created our humanity, but racism, sexism, and homophobia can all very quickly unravel all the goodness cooking puts out into the world. As the voice of cooks, we will never sit idly by while that happens.

You may have read Tuesday Night’s email. In it I said: “The open embrace of racism by the Republican Party in this election is now unleashing a wave of ugliness unseen in this country for decades. The American people are taking notice. Let’s commit to giving the people a better choice. Our kindness really is our strength.”

Since I ask you to read my emails, I feel it’s only right that I read each of your replies. In sifting through those replies it was clear that, though not intended, a good number of people seemed to sincerely believe that in my statement I was calling all Republicans racists. In the emails of those Republicans who voted for someone other than the party’s nominee, I sensed genuine pain at having the strength of character to not go along with what was happening, but nonetheless be grouped in with those who were. I apologize for writing something that caused you pain; that is not the person I want to be. You are your party’s future, and you deserve my admiration and respect, and your country’s as well.

For the rest of you, you just voted for an openly racist candidate for the presidency of the United States of America. In your defense, most of you did so without thinking of the consequences of your candidate’s racism, because for most of you the heartbreaking destruction racism causes has never been anything you or your loved ones have had to experience. But the thing is elections have their consequences. This is no longer sixty years ago. Whether any of us like it or not, for the next four years the 80% of this country who did not just vote for an openly racist candidate are going to treat you like you are the kind of person who would vote for an openly racist candidate.

You can get angry at everyone else for treating you like you just did the thing you just did, or you can take responsibility for your actions and begin to make amends. If you are lucky and younger family members are still coming over for Thanksgiving, before it’s too late, take a moment and honestly think about how your actions must look through their eyes. Simply saying “I never thought he’d win” might be enough. But if you have the means, leaving a receipt from a sizable donation to the ACLU or the SPLC accidentally laying around where you carve the turkey, might go over even better.

Or, just do what you do best and volunteer. Through our customers’ support, we’ve given away a lot of our Penzeys Pepper, the Pepper with heart. More often than not, those we meet cooking and serving food to feed those in need are Republicans. You really are a good bunch, but you just committed the biggest act of racism in American history since Wallace stood in the schoolhouse doorway 53 years ago. Make this right. Take ownership for what you have done and begin the pathway forward…

P.S. There’s even a special right now on their ‘Love People’ gift boxes, the contents of which will be useful even to those who, like me, can’t or chose not to cook.

Reader Interactions

73Comments

  1. 1.

    mainsailset

    I’ve used Penzey’s for more years than I can count and always look forward to Bill’s personal notes about the people he meets when he’s sourcing the spices, some people and villages that he’s been returning to for many years. I’m not surprised, given his respect for peoples around the globe, that he wrote such a straight forward and heartwarming piece, it took courage and integrity. His spices are the best and his catalog always full of fun ideas and great people.

  2. 2.

    Mnemosyne

    If anyone is in the market for a messenger bag or backpack, I’m assuming that Tom Bihn will continue to be on the side of the angels since they were strongly against Bush. I first heard of them because they had a small tag inside their bags during the Bush years where they apologized (in French) for Bush.

    Also, if you’re looking for someplace to spend your tourist dollars, come to beautiful California, where 70 percent of us voted for Hillary! We have every climate you could possibly want, from deserts and mountains to sandy beaches.

  3. 3.

    jacy

    I cook lots, and the boys love to cook — so happy to find this. I’ll be ordering a ton from them. The prices are really good too, which is just lagniappe. On facebook, thier post and 163 angry emojis. BUT 1,600 hearts and 6300 likes. I hope their stance brings them lots more business than they might lose. And hopefully, there’s going to be a lot of more thoughtfull consumerism everywhere going forward. (Typing on phone while watchibg hockey, so ignore the typoes….)

  6. 6.

    beth

    Someone gave me a Kind Heart Gift Box of spice mixes and I was hooked on Penzeys. Their Tuscan Sunset is a great all around Italian seasoning. Sign up for their email and they’re always running specials where you get free spices with your purchase. I just bought a few extra spice mix boxes when they ran a $10 sale last week to give as office holiday gifts – I’ll be especially happy to gift them to my more conservative coworkers.

  8. 8.

    Omnes Omnibus

    Two things: 1. Please take a look at this gofundme. She is a longtime but infrequent commenter. I have seen a lot of photos and videos that she has done; she works at my undergrad. She is very talented. Please consider supporting her. (AL, a front page? She’d offered to buy me a drink the next time I made it into my college’s town. Long before this. How decent is that? I am working against my own interests here. If she is gone for a while, my free drink is less likely.) 2. Tomorrow afternoon, I am leaving work early and going to a local mosque. I just want to show up and say, “I welcome you in my community. I will try to the best of my ability to have your back.”

  9. 9.

    schrodinger's cat

    Since this a spice related post, I am going to leave this delightful melody here from the 2009 movie Delhi 6. Women in the family get together to make spices for the entire year.
    Genda Phool
    Better than Penzy’s!
    Premise of the Movie: Grandson returns with his Grandma to his ancestral home in Old Delhi’s Chandni Chowk area, the center of old Delhi, from the United States. Delhi 6 is also home to one Delhi’s biggest mosques built by Shah Jahan, who also built the Taj.
    ETA: Delete the first comment if it shows up.

  12. 12.

    Dog Dawg Damn

    Asking for a friend, but suppose Russia hacking and interference is as real as it looks….what would the US government do? Any realistic recourse? Do we just admit we lost and give up?

  19. 19.

    Origuy

    If you find yourself in Menlo Park, CA, stop in at Penzey’s shop downtown. I was there the other day to pick up some Aleppo pepper (which came from Turkey, not Syria.)

  23. 23.

    Laura on Kaua'i

    @rikyrah: I love their spice mixes, especially the Bangkok and Turkish spice blends. Also like their taco seasoning, and the smoked Spanish paprika. Their sandwich sprinkle has become a huge favorite as well.

    Everything they sell is superb.

  24. 24.

    NotMax

    All the talk of spices today sparked the urge to whip up some kraeuterbutter. Maybe sometime over the weekend.

    Many variations – use herbs you prefer (some versions call for tarragon or even for using roasted garlic). One basic version.

  26. 26.

    Martha

    I love Penzeys! Their products are superior and the people are great. My current favorites are Shallot-Pepper Seasoning, Lemon Pepper, Pork Chop spice, Vietnamese Cinnamon, and Salsa Mix, but I use all of their herbs and spices, including their wonderful peppercorns. Made roasted delicata squash with turmeric and garlic powder last night…yum!

    Ok it was nice to think about something positive for 2 minutes.

  32. 32.

    MisterForkbeard

    @Dog Dawg Damn: In regards to THIS election, unless the FBI discovers something like Trump literally coordinating with Russia and then announces it before the Electoral College votes, it’s basically a wash.

    If Hillary had won, Russia would probably get some kind of reprisal for this. But since Trump benefitted from it, he’s not going to lift a finger against them.

  33. 33.

    MisterForkbeard

    @Origuy: I love their Menlo Park shop. Used to go there all the time – now I have to hit up their North Bay site, and it’s not quite the same.

  40. 40.

    Laura on Kaua'i

    @Mnemosyne: Rick Steves is another who spoke out forcefully before the election about supporting Hillary. I follow him on Facebook and he got quite a bit of blowback from some of his followers who thought he should stay out of politics and just stick to giving tours, but he never backed down. He did the same when Bush was president. He also strongly advocated for marijuana legalization.

  45. 45.

    Tyler Forrest

    I’ve used penzeys for 18 years, they’re best. Really glad to know they are such good people too.

  48. 48.

    philpm

    If you are a baker, make sure you get the Vietnamese Cinnamon. It is the best smelling and tasting cinnamon you’ll ever use.

    I’m lucky to have one of their stores locally. The only thing that hasn’t worked for us was the Turkish seasoning, and not because it tasted bad, but there was something in there (I suspect the sumac) that I was quite allergic to without knowing it. Ruined a week of vacation on that one.

  52. 52.

    Dog Dawg Damn

    @MisterForkbeard: What about Congressional investigations after Congress creating a cloud of suspicion over the administration and hobbling it.

    That’s a possible outcome, no?

  54. 54.

    Philbert

    Do Congressional investigations have to have both parties?, or can the Dems proceed on their own?

  57. 57.

    Major Major Major Major

    “Donald?”
    “Yes, General Flynn?”
    “Donald, have you ever seen a Muslim drink a glass of water?”
    “Well, I can’t say I have, General.”
    “Coffee, that’s what they drink, isn’t it? Never water?”
    “Well, I-I believe that’s what they drink, General, yes.”
    “On no account will a Muslim ever drink water, and not without good reason. Donald, water is the source of all life. Seven-tenths of this Earth’s surface is water. Why, do you realize that 70 percent of you is water?”
    “Good Lord!”
    “And as human beings, you and I need fresh, pure water to replenish our precious bodily fluids. Are you beginning to understand? Donald. Donald, have you never wondered why I drink only distilled water, or rainwater, and only pure-grain alcohol?”
    “Well, it did occur to me, General, yes.”
    “Have you ever heard of a thing called fluoridation. Fluoridation of water?”
    “Yes, I-I have heard of that, General, yes. Yes.”
    “Well, do you know what it is?”
    “No, no I don’t know what it is, no.”
    “Do you realize that fluoridation is the most monstrously conceived and dangerous Islamist plot we have ever had to face?”

  60. 60.

    MisterForkbeard

    @Dog Dawg Damn: No. Basically, the Republicans are going to back the hell out of Trump. So long as they remain in power, you’re not getting a congressional investigation.

    Wait, I take it back: There MIGHT be some token investigation that ‘clears’ Trump of all wrongdoing.

  62. 62.

    RaflW

    The Penzey’s email drove Rod Dreher, the self-described crunchy con, insane with anger today. I had quite some time ago stopped following him, he had seemed sort of interesting maybe 2 or 3 years ago but turned out to be much more predictable than whatever the fvk ‘crunchy’ is supposed to mean.

    But in googling to find the full Penzey’s statement a few hours ago I ended up at Dreher’s blog and man was he just fuming over this.

    Nothing apparently makes a conservative more pissed than being told that they have to take personal responsibility for something, particularly something as odious as the Trumpfenshart. Ohhhh, telling others to ‘take responsibility’ is great for the poors and the blacks. But special snowflake bloggy conservatives? It’s unconscionable!

    I’ll go back to firmly ignoring him now.

    BF and I will be giving Penzey’s as gifts this Xmas!

  64. 64.

    BillinGlendaleCA

    I’m thinking of riding the rails tomorrow, though in the opposite direction of Mnemosyne. I’m thinking of heading down to San Juan Capistrano and see the oldest building* in California.

    *It’s California, so it’s not that old.

  66. 66.

    Another Holocene Human

    @rikyrah: I love their sage. Much better than grocery store. As for blends, their savory Sate seasoning is good on everything.

  67. 67.

    Another Holocene Human

    @RaflW: Rod Dreher HATES trans women. H H H HAAAATES them. To the point where you start wondering if he is covering up for something.

    And he’s predictable as fuck.

    Oh yeah, and he keeps switching religions because they aren’t extreme enough for him.

  68. 68.

    Another Holocene Human

    @Laura on Kaua’i: Now that surprises me given Rick Steves was rattling off racist tropes about Northern and Southern Italy on his program one day and his guest had to gently correct him. I guess Trump is too racist for him.

  69. 69.

    Sondra

    I think this is the first time I have ever heard of a company doing something like this. It is admirable and very brave under the circumstances.

    I’d like to think that this sort of thing could work, but I’m not too sure anymore. I used to have more faith in my fellow Americans that they had a conscience. I doubt that very many of them are feeling bad about what they did or can be made to feel like they just did something shameful. If they could feel shame they wouldn’t have voted the way they did. The only way to repudiate such a person is not to vote for him. Anyway it’s a lovely gesture so pass this story on.

  72. 72.

    Suzan

    I just read this post as I’ve been too depressed to read the intertubes much but I love the note the company sent and just finished my Christmas shopping. Goodbye Garden Gate toffee for everyone on my list and hello politically correct (and god damn proud of it!) spices. Also love the Tom Bihn tag from the Bush years (and in French is hysterical) so I’m thinking of uses for what he sells. We travel often but are pretty geared up.

    More politically correct shopping hints people! Remember Costco is 100% blue, has never given a dime to a republican.

  73. 73.

    reality-based (the original, not the troll)

    well, i just placed my Penzy’s order order – and then I called their 800 number and told the lady that I was ordering BECAUSE of their founder’s email. She seemed extremely happy to hear it, i think the nutjobs are calling them in full force – so order today, send a friendly note, give them a call – reward good deeds!

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