Gunpowder Rub, Mesa Masala and Crust Dust are just a few of Ginger and Baker’s aromatic new house spice blends, created in partnership with Sean Godbey of Old Town Spice Shop. The small jars pack a big punch, offering rich combinations of herbs and spices perfect for grilling, cooking and baking. Sean also worked with us to develop four scrumptious hot chocolate mixes, which are available in the Market alongside the spices.
Sean worked on the spice and cocoa blends with Culinary Director Deb Traylor and Head Baker Rachel Magaña. “It was fun to collaborate,” said Sean, “Deb and Rachel provided the recipes and then we fine-tuned them for larger scale production and packaged them up.”
Chef Deb was equally enthusiastic, “Sean is really committed to beautiful, responsibly sourced products,” she said. “He exposed me to spices I didn’t even know existed!”
Sean and Chef Deb are both big fans of the Jack of All Spices blend, a combo of Aleppo peppers, cumin, cardamom, coriander and citrus. “I use it on everything – chicken, vegetables, vinaigrettes, with olive oil for dipping bread or to rim Bloody Mary glasses. It has a lovely spice with a taste all it’s own,” said Chef Deb.
For baking summer fruit pies, Rachel swears by our Crust Dust, a special combination of flour, sugar and spice that adds brightness and acidity to complement seasonal fruit. “We use it on the bottom of baked or unbaked pie shells to make a barrier between crust and filling and help thicken the berries,” Rachel said.
Sean and his family opened Old Town Spice in 2010, with a goal of creating a spice shop that was uniquely Fort Collins. “We wanted a place where locals could come in and get what they need, in the quantity they need and know we did the whole process,” Sean said. “We buy directly from spice importers and then break the spices down fresh, grinding them in house.”
The store, at 130A South College Avenue, is like an Aladdin’s cave of sparkling jars and the heady smells of spices from all over the world. “Sometimes it actually does feels like making magic potions,” Sean said, “We have hundreds of spices and I know them really, really well, but I learn new things every day. There are always new fun things to blend together, new ideas to come up with, and new collaborations to build.”
