Spice World!
Posted by Aarti on August 31st, 2010 . Filed under: Uncategorized .A few of you may have read about the ceiling-to-floor spice rack my husband and his Uncle Dan built for me, whilst I was doing my victory lap in New York a couple of weeks ago.
See, I have tons and tons of spices, all crammed into one shelf of my tiny cabinet. They are constantly falling out onto the countertop causing much palava. When my parents came to visit last year, sweet things that they are, they bought me even more spices!
When I went looking for spice racks, I could only find the ones that sit on your counter — counter space is at a premium in my tiny kitchen, so that wasn’t going to work. Besides, those ones only have enough holders to cover half of my spices! Between the Indian ones and the non-Indian ones, I have quite a collection.
And so, voila… the masterpiece.
Sweet, sweet Uncle Dan went to a steel shop in the neighborhood, and using the wall measurements Bren secured without my noticing, asked them to cut a sheet to size. Then, he drilled it to the wall, and bought me a bunch of spice containers (arranged in a heart). He even installed a pretty switchplate!
I love that I can also stick up ideas and images to inspire future recipes. Isn’t that brilliant?
Bren had told me he wasn’t sure what he could give me as a birthday present this year, since God had kinda outdone Himself. But kudos to Bren and Uncle Dan; they outdid THEMselves!
-x-
aarti
August 31st, 2010 at 9:17 pm
Wow that is a really great idea… and it has a nice urban look
Aarti I really like all your songs you play with your ukulele, I hope we can see some of it on your new show! Don’t change, luv your personality.
September 1st, 2010 at 12:15 am
Love the show, Aarti, and were pulling for you throughout the competition!
Is there any chance that the Indian spice container that you use in your show will ever be offered for sale? My wife loves it!
Keep on cookin’, kiddo!
September 1st, 2010 at 12:20 am
Aarti,
You are a complete natural! I LOVE your show, it is set to record every new episode. I am beyond delighted that you one and look forward to many years watching you. I think you will be as big as Rachel Ray!!!
Great idea for the spice rack! I buy my spices from the farmers market in my town. Two ladies, The Spice Ladies, make up their own blends. I will be asking for some cardamon. I love their fresh spices.
Well keep it up, you are a WINNER!
September 1st, 2010 at 2:39 am
Aarti,
An idea for your show/spice rack.
Introduce people how to make clarified butter and to use for a saute instead of using vegetable oil. It would fit into your culinary POV as a ghee substitute.
Best wishes from a preFN AP fan!
+
September 1st, 2010 at 3:56 am
SO so sweet!
September 1st, 2010 at 4:26 am
LOVE the spice rack. What a fantastic idea!!
September 1st, 2010 at 4:38 am
So glad to see the new wall! And you have room for hundreds more. Are they labeled or do you just know what they are by sight? And I agree it would be a great idea for FN to let you market your own indian spice box that comes complete with everything you need to make your delicious recipes. I’m always reluctant to buy a new spice I’m not sure I’ll ever use again.
September 1st, 2010 at 5:37 am
Neat idea! I live in a tiny Manhattan apartment with a galley-style kitchen, so I love the idea of using wall space instead of counter space – I have a huge spice collection.
September 1st, 2010 at 5:55 am
That is really cool. I was trying to picture it when you first mentioned it. I’m glad you posted a pic. What a great idea they came up with!
September 1st, 2010 at 6:35 am
Aarti, I love your outfits on your show. Is it possible that FN will share wardrobe info on the website for your show?
I have a magnetic spice rack in my kitchen. I love it. I find that I use spices more when they’re in plain sight.
September 1st, 2010 at 6:38 am
This idea is brilliant. I hate our counter top spice rack and would love to have something like this in my kitchen.
September 1st, 2010 at 6:39 am
Oh Aarti!!! That is simply the dream spice rack!!! I hoard Indian and non Indian spices alike so I can appreciate this in all it’s totallity!!!!! Brilliant.
I enjoy your show and look forward to more Indian dishes… do you have any plans of bringing in a few south indian dishes on your show? All the best! You are rocking!
September 1st, 2010 at 6:56 am
Cool! I have something similar in my kitchen, except we just velcroed the spice tins to the inside of a cabinet door. Do you buy the majority of your spices in bulk?
September 1st, 2010 at 7:47 am
What an awesome idea. My kitchen is tiny, but something like this would work perfectly. I wonder if I could try this out on my refrigerator?!
September 1st, 2010 at 10:06 am
Love this idea! So neat.
September 1st, 2010 at 10:29 am
love this idea! i have a few of those fabulous magnetic tins in my craft room but would love a space that big for spices in my tiny kitchen!
September 1st, 2010 at 10:48 am
So clever to cover such a large space like that. Wheels are turning…
: )
September 1st, 2010 at 11:14 am
I used to have my magnetic spice containers on the refrigerator door but all the movement made the tins occasionally fall off.—-moved them to the side of the fridge where they work better…..
Would also love to know where we can get the kind of masala dabba you used on the show—-spent days looking for something similar on the web but could only find the metal kind………
September 1st, 2010 at 11:14 am
What a GREAT idea!!
September 1st, 2010 at 11:33 am
That is absolutely brilliant! THey could probably win something on a designer show with that idea! I’m trying to figure out how I could use that in my place.
September 1st, 2010 at 12:47 pm
Those are so absolutely adorable. Someone should sell them, because i would totally buy!
Aarti, I am so thrilled you won this season. I loved watching from week to week, and have ventured into trying to cook a couple Indian dishes. I love them. Keep up the good work.
September 1st, 2010 at 1:41 pm
Very soon you will be ‘moving on up’ with the well deserved money you will be making and will have a fantastic kitchen of your dreams. Good luck to you & your thoughtful hubby.
September 1st, 2010 at 1:59 pm
This is such an awesome idea! I love it!
September 1st, 2010 at 3:30 pm
That is honestly the coolest thing I have ever seen I love it. Now could you please send Bren and Uncle Dan to Houston to make me one haha I also have a very tiny kitchen with limited space just kidding but it is very cool.
September 1st, 2010 at 3:49 pm
Great idea!
September 1st, 2010 at 3:57 pm
Wow! I love uncle Dan! He’s a genius along with your hubby. That is such a clever idea! I do, have been suffering with my spice collection. Since I am Armenian with Middle Eastern background, I have a huge collection as well. I even, make my own spices at times. In addition to all the collection I had, now making your recipes, I am introduced to additional spices that I have added to my pantry. This would be perfect and need to see how I can incorporate this idea into my kitchen.
September 1st, 2010 at 5:12 pm
I love both the story and the spice rack!
September 1st, 2010 at 7:06 pm
Love the spice rack! I was SO excited when you won NFNS and tho I love vacations, I’m bummed ours coincided withyour first few shows! SO wish they were available online. But have been following your blog on my cellphone (amazing!) & look foward to seeing your show once I’m home! Big congrats!
September 1st, 2010 at 11:36 pm
What a great gift! I have a feeling you’ll need more of those canisters…and that they’ll all be used.
September 2nd, 2010 at 3:09 pm
What a gorgeous spice arrangement! How sweet of them to make that for you. I bet they enjoyed a lovely, fragrant, tasty meal as a reward.
September 2nd, 2010 at 4:29 pm
That is an awesome idea. Why didn’t I think of that! lol I wish I did because tiny apartment kitchens with zero to none counter space is quite frustrating.
Thanks for sharing…now I know what I want for my birthday
September 2nd, 2010 at 5:14 pm
LOVE it! Will see if I can finagle something like that around here.
September 2nd, 2010 at 5:15 pm
LOVE it! Now to see if I can cajole my hubby into making one for me.
September 3rd, 2010 at 2:18 pm
I love this!! I first saw you on Food Network (and pegged you from the first episode….. ). We spent many years in England and I am looking forward to adding some Indian flavor to my home cooking (we do a lot, but I need easier stuff…).
I am going to make this spice rack for the inside of my pantry door this weekend. It is perfect. ( I have been hording those spice holders from IKEA for years, buying a few here and a few there….).
Can’t wait to follow your career. Good luck.
P.S. My verification word: bacon Head. No kidding.
September 6th, 2010 at 6:30 pm
Love the spice rack. My daughter and I have been looking for new ideas and this is the best! Where did you get magnetic cans? Love the new show on FN!! You are great.
September 7th, 2010 at 6:30 pm
So personal, so beautiful, so functional!! Love, love, love it!
September 7th, 2010 at 9:55 pm
I love your energy, Aarti! I was rooting for you from the first episode of your season of Next Food Network Star. You cook real food from your real family, and you cook from your heart. I LOVE your Uncle Dan and Bren’s response to your need for an unconventional spice rack–and who is the consumer that the standard 16 jar spice rack with perpetual spice supply is suited for? I have a little puzzle of my own to ask you to work with me: ancho chili powder is as strong a pepper as my GI tract will tolerate; I get ulcers from anything stronger. But I love Indian food and I want to try some of your recipes. Suggestions for substitutions?
September 7th, 2010 at 9:59 pm
Susan–Our local Bed, Bath and Beyond stores all carry the magnetic spice jars, both with and without the steel boards to stick them on (I think Claire Robinson had one of those for her 1st Food Network season of 5 Ingredient Fix). Could check out their website if no BBB near you.
September 10th, 2010 at 9:27 am
Love your show, and your food. I’ve made your Sloppy Bombay Joes, Cole Slaw, and Pulled Pork. Solid recipes, all.
One suggestion–Offer a “Hot & Spicy” version of each recipe.
Examples of how a recipe would read:
1 tsp Garam Masala (up to 2 tsp)
1 garlic clove (up to 3)
1/2 serrano (up to 3)
I love Vindaloo, Garam Masala, and hot peppers. Bring it, girl! I know you have it!
I notice that some of the reviews on Food Network are pretty brutal, not to mention unfair. People shouldn’t review your recipes, unless they’ve actually COOKED them. They should also some common sense, and TASTE as they Cook! Everybody’s buds are unique–what’s hot to me, is probably bland to you, right?
September 11th, 2010 at 8:08 am
I showed this to my husband because we have the same problem with spices. I think I might have convinced him to do something like this in our kitchen!! I’m so excited! Thank you for putting these pictures up here! We love your show and the ideas that you give. Can’t wait to make your apple and cabbage coleslaw. Even for a boy from Alabama and a girl from Texas (that is us) it will go over well.
September 11th, 2010 at 8:09 am
Oh, forgot to ask….where can we get good, fresh spices? We live in a rural area of Texas. Would we be better off to get the from someone online?
September 12th, 2010 at 7:53 pm
Wondering how you will mark the canisters and organize the spices on the wall?
September 13th, 2010 at 7:41 pm
How wonderful!!! I have two spice racks currently crammed on the only wall space available in my tiny kitchen and the extras are in the cupboard. Do you buy all of your spices in bulk? I window shopped an online spice store and threw things willynilly into my shopping cart for giggles… when I was done I had several hundred dollars worth of coveted spices and it took all of my willpower to click that little x in the corner of the screen to abort before I went through with it!
jennerspeaks.blogspot.com
September 17th, 2010 at 3:38 pm
I have a few of those spice containers and have had them for about 2 years. eventually they stopped opening. I mean I couldn’t get them to turn anymore. I hope you have better luck with them. but I recommend these ones instead: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000F7HVXM/ref=pd_lpo_k2_dp_sr_2?pf_rd_p=486539851&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B0002TVV34&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=1CEZQE8737H59FKCH8Q2