Well, at the beginning of this school year, I got me a combination salt-shaker/peppergrinder. And it’s cool and see-through. (And flimsy. I bought it at Wal-mart for like 9 dollars, but I wasn’t planning on it lasting through the rest of this academic year.
Anyway, I’m getting low on pepper. I know Wal-mart sells peppercorns in the spice aisle, but does anyone here have any others that they feel I should go buy instead of that?
(I <3 pepper.)
A quick spin on Google came up with this site: http://www.bulkpeppercorns.com/. I’m not sure if that will be of any help, but it might give you some ideas about what your options are.
I agree, Penzey’s is worth the extra cash. Unless you can get Malabar black peppercorns cheaper in your neighborhood (I can).
Malabar is Penzey’s second-string pepper; their best is the Tellicherry. But I can’t really tell the difference.
Yet another reason to hate you, Ike. 
Hmm… 2.99 for a 4-oz bag? It’s on my favorites for when I get closer to running out. Thanks, guys.
Hee hee hee. The Park Slope Food Coop, three blocks north of chez Ukulele. Want me to tell you about the fresh-picked orange cauliflower I had for din-din tonight?
Thanks for the recommendation. I drive by a Penzey’s all the time and never quite had the nerve to go in – I thought it was more of a restaurant supply place. I think I’ll go and poke around with all of the spices!
McCormicks (the spice manufacturers) have out two products of interest: coarse ground black pepper (not as good as fresh ground, but for me an acceptable substitute), and a small, disposable bottle that includes peppercorns and a peppermill top. One or both should be available in most supermarkets on the spice rack – as well as bottles of peppercorns. We regularly buy the coarse ground pepper as our table pepper.
Sarawak peppercorns are rather more expensive, but you can taste the difference. They have a light, almost fruity overtone to them that it’s almost impossible to describe without sounding like a complete wanker.
For the true pepper-phile, Tellicherry is the only way to go.
And I should know, for me, food is hardly food without fresh pepper. My husband jokes that I would eat black pepper ice cream. That’s silly, but pepper is serious. Go with the Tellicherry, you won’t be sorry.
You really should. The home office and store is about three miles from me and its wonderful. When you walk in the store the smell hits you. This waft of scents from the world hits your imagination. I think I have done the last three wedding presants I had to do there, and I have a lesson plan covering the age of discovery that starts with spices from there.
Prove him right and serve it up.
You can make terrific desserts with the right proportions of bitter fruits (cherries, apricots, strawberries, kiwifruit…whatever), pepper (or chili) and icecream.
Just grab some fruit, pepper it and mix in to vanilla ice cream. You may be pleasantly surprised.
Yeah, well, I can get fresh pasties anytime I want. Try THAT in NYC!
crawls back down into her plain ol’ white machine-picked industrial cauliflower hell
C’mon over! We’ll walk five blocks up to Flatbush Avenue, and I’ll treat you to a Jamaican beef patty from Christie’s. Spicy enough to blow a Cornishman’s head right off his shoulders.
[sub]And quit flirting; Eve’s gonna be all jealous.[/sub]