Some of the most useful kitchen knowledge is quiet knowledge—the kind that doesn’t show up in flashy recipes but makes all the difference once you know it. This version of wonton soup is built exactly that way: minimal ingredients, a clean technique, and a result that tastes far more involved than it is. Introduction: What This Blog Is (and Isn’t) This is not a restaurant copycat recipe. It’s not a deep dive into regional variations. And it’s not a complicated, equipment-heav

Inspired by a 1970s family recipe, finished with Wiggly Piggly Why This Ham Exists Some recipes don’t come from cookbooks—they come from kitchens that smelled like holidays. This ham is rooted in my mother’s 1970s recipe: yellow mustard, brown sugar, cloves, and Coca-Cola, baked low and slow until the outside turns glossy and the inside stays tender. This version keeps her method intact, with one small upgrade from the Spicekeeper’s Cottage: Wiggly Piggly, which brings warmth

There is a long and comforting history behind root-vegetable casseroles. Long before canned marshmallows and Thanksgiving ovens, sweet carrots and tubers were simmered, mashed, and enriched with eggs, spices, and dairy across countless medieval kitchens. Recipes from the Eastern Mediterranean to Renaissance Europe often blended vegetable purees with warm spices and honey, creating dishes that walked the line between savory and sweet. This modern recipe follows in that traditi

Featuring Oak City Spice Blends: Peruvian Sun & Wilde Garlek Servings: 4 Prep Time: 10 minutes Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes Total Time: 1 hour 40 minutes Ingredients 1–1.25 lbs beef steak, cut into small chunks 2 tbsp oil 2 tbsp Peruvian Sun seasoning (divided: 1 tbsp for steak, 1 tsp for sour cream, remaining for pot if needed) 1 (15 oz) can red kidney beans, drained 1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained 1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes (with juices) ½ cup sour cream Mexican-styl

Featuring La Spezia from Oak City Spice Blends Easy. Elegant. Weeknight gourmet. The La Spezia blend adds layered herbaceous depth — basil, rosemary, oregano, thyme — while garlic and onion notes make the sauce taste slow-simmered even though it comes together in minutes. Serves: 4 Prep Time: 10 minutes Cook Time: 20 minutes Total: 30 minutes Ingredients 1 lb shelf-stable or refrigerated gnocchi 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped 3–4 cloves garlic, m

Featuring Oak City Spice Blends: Saxon Silk Description A deeply comforting, richly seasoned chicken and rice soup made extraordinary with tender, cloud-soft dumplings infused with Saxon Silk . This blend’s warm notes of cardamom, ginger, nutmeg, and herbs bring an old-world elegance to a classic Southern-style dish. Perfect for cold nights, healing meals, or anyone in need of a bowl of pure comfort. Ingredients For the Soup 1–1.5 lbs chicken thighs, chopped 4–5 large carrots

The Cohort Crispy Chicken Bites Ingredients (Serves 4) 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces ½ cup flour 1 egg, beaten 1 cup panko breadcrumbs 2 tablespoons The Cohort seasoning Olive oil spray or light drizzle for baking Instructions Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place flour in one bowl, beaten egg in another, and panko mixed with The Cohort in a third. Dredge chicken pieces in flour, dip in egg, then co

Ingredients (Serves 4) 4 large russet potatoes, cut into wedges 3 tablespoons olive oil 2 tablespoons The Cohort seasoning ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese ¼ cup sour cream 2 green onions, sliced 2 strips bacon, cooked and crumbled (not optional LOL) Instructions Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Toss potato wedges with olive oil and spread evenly on the pan. Roast for 30–35 minutes, turning once, until golden and crisp. Sprinkle hot fries

By Oak City Spice Blends Crispy chicken glazed with honey, fragrant Lu Bao–infused rice, and a colorful mix of vegetables, all tied together with teriyaki and soy sauce. Sweet, savory, and just the right amount of spice. Ingredients For the Rice: 1 cup white rice ½ cup chicken broth ½ cup water 1 tsp Oak City Spice Blends Lu Bao Seasoning For the Chicken: 1 lb boneless chicken breast or thighs, cut into bite-size pieces 2 Tbsp soy sauce (for marinade) 2 Tbsp cornstarch 2 tsp

By Oak City Spice Blends September 7, 2025 Fusion Skillet Chicken Pot Pie with Uppity Chicken and French Countryside Seasonings A Pie That Holds History Few dishes speak to both survival and comfort quite like chicken pot pie. Its ancestry reaches back to medieval Europe, where meat-filled pastries such as pyes  and pasties  kept food preserved and portable. French cooks refined these traditions into savory pies brimming with poultry, herbs, and root vegetables, while English

Featuring Oak City Spice Blends’ Wild Garlek Seasoning Ingredients (Serves 2–3) 2 chicken breasts 1 tsp Wild Garlek Seasoning (plus extra to taste) ½ cup all-purpose flour ½ tsp salt ¼ tsp black pepper 2 Tbsp butter 1 Tbsp olive oil ½ cup shredded carrots 2 scallions, diced 1 cup chicken broth ½ cup heavy cream ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese Instructions Prepare Chicken In a shallow dish, combine flour, salt, and pepper. Lightly dredge chicken breasts in flour mixture, shaking

Ingredients (Serves 6) 3 cups cooked chicken, shredded 1 tablespoon Oak City Taco Tuesday Seasoning 1 medium onion, finely chopped 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 can (4 oz) diced green chiles 2 cups enchilada sauce (red or green) 8 flour or corn tortillas (6-inch) 2 cups shredded cheese (Cheddar/Jack blend or Oaxaca) ½ cup sour cream or Mexican crema ¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped Optional garnish: avocado, pickled jalapeños, lime wedges Instructions Make the filling In a skillet,

Servings: 4 Seasonings: Michel’s Meatball Seasoning + Wilde Garlek Seasoning (1 tsp of each per serving) Ingredients For the Meatballs: • 1 lb ground beef (or beef/pork mix) • 1 large egg • ½ cup breadcrumbs (or gluten-free substitute) • ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese • ¼ cup milk • 2 cloves garlic, minced • 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped • 4 tsp Michel’s Meatball Seasoning • Salt & pepper, to taste • Olive oil, for browning For the Wilde Garlek Sauce: • 2 tbsp olive oil • 1 med

If quinoa ever had its own competitive league (like baseball but with more protein and fewer peanuts), I’d be a champion. 🏆 The only problem? I’ve never heard of a quinoa cook-off anywhere in America. Which, frankly, feels like a missed opportunity. So until the Quinoa Olympics are established, I’ll just share my winning entry right here. Its tasty, it’s fluffy, and it’s powered up with my Oak City Spice Blends’ Wilde Garlek seasoning. Consider this the quinoa dish that cou

Four ingredients. Forty minutes. A lifetime of “Wow, you made these?!” Sweet brown sugar + warm Chai Pie Wallah spice tucked into buttery puff pastry… trust me, the smell alone will have people following you into the kitchen. 🥐 Chai Pie Wallah Puff Pastry Swirls Sweet, spiced, and perfectly golden — a quick pastry treat that’s as beautiful as it is delicious. Servings: 4 rolls Prep Time: 10 minutes Cook Time: 30 minutes Total Time: 40 minutes Ingredients 1 sheet puff pa

“Every sprinkle of Fluffy Za’atar is a taste of history — gluten-free and brimming with ancient flavor.” 🌿 Fluffy Za’atar: A Journey Through Time (Gluten-Free, Flavor-Full) Ancient Times (1000 BCE – 1st c. CE) Biblical herb  — Mentioned as “hyssop” in Hebrew texts, used in purification rituals and cooking. Ancient Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans prized related herbs for flavor and medicine. Sesame seeds already valued as an energy-rich staple. Medieval Era (7th – 15th c.) In t

Servings: 4 slices | Prep Time: 5 min | Cook Time: 5 min | Total Time: 10 min Ingredients: 4 slices sourdough bread 1 cup shredded cheese (cheddar, Colby, or a mix) 1 teaspoon Oak City Spice Blends Cowboy Crunch seasoning 1 tablespoon tomato sauce Butter (optional, for spreading) Instructions: Toast the Bread – Lightly toast sourdough slices in a toaster or under the broiler. Mix the Cheese – In a bowl, combine shredded cheese, Cowboy Crunch seasoning, and tomato sauce

A crispy, savory, bacon-kissed side dish with bold flavor from Oak City’s Cowboy Crunch. Ingredients 1 medium potato, parboiled and diced 2–3 strips bacon, chopped ½ cup shredded cheese (cheddar & Colby blend) 1 tsp Cowboy Crunch seasoning (from Oak City Spice Blends) Instructions Prep the Potato Parboil the potato until just tender (about 10 minutes), then dice into small cubes. Fry the Bacon In a skillet over medium heat, cook chopped bacon until crispy. Leave the bacon in

Serves: 4 Cook Time: 2.5 hours Prep Time: 20 minutes Ingredients 1 whole chicken (about 3.5–4 lbs), spatchcocked or cut into 8 pieces 2 tbsp Uppity Chicken seasoning 1 tbsp olive oil 1 tbsp lemon juice 1 yellow onion, sliced 3 cloves garlic, minced 3 carrots, cut into chunks 2 parsnips, cut into chunks 1 large sweet potato or 2 Yukon gold potatoes, cubed 1 turnip (optional), cubed 1 cup chicken broth or water 1 tbsp tomato paste (optional for a richer broth) Fresh thyme o

Today I made a dish that took me straight to Italy — and it only took 15 minutes. I started with the classic comfort of pastina, but gave it an Oak City twist. Instead of the usual parmesan, I used shredded mozzarella, added one egg for creaminess, and finished it with a full teaspoon of our La Spezia  seasoning blend. The result? Cozy, savory, and rich with herbal depth — the kind of food that feels like a warm hug from a wise Italian grandmother. Creamy La Spezia Pastina Se