"Bulk Spices" or "Money in My Pocket"

Last night I made an Ethiopian chicken and lentil stew. It was good, but not blog worthy. I only share the truely exceptional recipes with y'all :)

This blog post is not about the stew. This blog post is about the stew RECIPE which called for "berbere"... and Ethiopian spice blend.

"OK..... I need to find berbere. I'm in Houston. Fourth largest city in the country. A metropolitan mesh of cultures. Surely I can find berbere here. It will probably cost me upwards of $16... but I will find it."

Whelp. Nope. Not at the PPK*. My ritzy little grocery store with it's extensive international section let me down.

"Ok. Fine." I say to myself. "If I can't buy berbere, I will MAKE berbere."

Here's how you make berbere: a couple of tablespoons of garam masala, hot paprika, salt, and fenugreek seeds.

"Oh Lord. Fenugreek seeds?"

Nope. The PPK doesn't have those, either.

I am frustrated, but not deterred. Off to Whole Foods I go, placing all my faith and hope in this over-priced hippie epicenter. If anyone has berbere or fenugreek seeds, it's got to be Whole Foods.

Upon my arrival, there is no berbere to be found.

"Really?! Uhhhhgggggg...."

However, after a close inspection of the sunset-colored spices in the bulk aisle, I came across a happy little pod of fenugreek seeds.

"Victory is mine."

I measure out the fenugreek in a bag, record the PLU number, and trip up to the express check-out counter where I proudly present my bounty to the clerk.

"$1.00" he says.

"................................... Wh-.... Ah-..... Are you kidding me? ..... For fenugreek seeds? Do you know how much mental and emotional energy I spent on finding these? Surely they are worth more than $1.00. They are obscure. And this is Whole Foods."

"$1.00" he repeats.

Hallelujah. The heavens shine down as if the Lord has returned. No longer will I spend my days explaining to Anthony why it was absolutely necessary for me to spend our life savings on spices with names I can't pronounce. No longer will huge containers of these exotic spices waste their potential by simply serving as ornamental frill on my spice shelf. No longer will I need to spend $16 on a huge jar of spices of which I only need a couple of teaspoons. Thank you, Jesus, for the bulk aisle at Whole Foods where poor girls like me can buy fenugreek seeds and be happy.


*PPK =  Pretty People Kroger. Named such because hot soccer moms, rico suave rich guys, and ballerinas frequent the premises.