Almost every household has its pepper-mill, recognized as part of the kitchen’s essential equipment. Sadly, many of these wonderful grinders are stuck in the cupboard.
There really is good reason to liberate them – peppercorns, like other whole spices, retain more of the oils that give them the delicious aromas we love.
Most fun are the ceramic-mechanism grinders with the glass reservoirs (a jar with a screw-thread). They’re safe from corrosion, easily washed and re-assembled and can be used for so much more…
- Grind red pepper flakes onto pizza
- Liven up rice with a grind of allspice berries
- Grind a bit of fennel seed onto apple pie
- Grind cinnamon or sesame seeds onto peanut butter and jelly sandwiches
- Fresh-grind dried mint into plain yogurt
- Top off hamburgers with fresh ground mustard seeds
- Zest up tomato juice with fresh ground celery seeds
- Grind dried minced garlic onto pasta dishes
- Top off humble applesauce with a little grind of cardamom seeds
Once you’ve got the hang of it there’s no end to the variety… and no going back to a world without the savour of spices.