Spice & Easy

Spice & Easy is a delightful culinary journey featured on the Food Network in 2010. The show is an exciting exploration of world flavors, focusing on diverse and exotic spices from all over the globe. Guided by the renowned chef and cookbook author, Janet Johnston, viewers are taken on a savory expedition that unveils the confounding world of spices that serve as the heartbeat of global cuisine.

Janet Johnston, the show's jovial host, possesses an infectious enthusiasm for experimenting with spices. Known as the Spice Goddess for her deep knowledge and understanding of spices, she introduces audiences to a plethora of flavors and fragrances that may be new even to the seasoned home cook. Over five illuminating episodes, Johnston transforms common ingredients into unique dishes laced with enchanting flavors from around the world.

Spice & Easy centers on educating the viewer about the world's different spices, their origin, benefits, use, and how they can be effortlessly incorporated into household cooking to elevate our everyday meals exponentially. Each episode follows a theme, like 'Mad about Saffron' or 'All About Allspice,' unfolding alongside Janet's narrative, revealing the history, cultivation, and culinary uses of each spice. Janet deftly navigates the art of mixing and matching various spices to strike the right balance and create the magic that good food is all about.

Each episode is a delightful showcase of several recipes. Janet begins each recipe segment by introducing the primary spice or blend of spices she'll be using. After familiarizing her viewers with the selected spice, she embarks on the cooking process that leads to the creation of mouth-watering dishes. She covers a wide range of culinary genres, from savory entrees to customize your party menu to delectable desserts that will leave your guests mightily impressed. Along with awe-inspiring global favorites, the show also reveals how these spices can be used innovatively to recreate classic American favorites with a twist.

Spice & Easy further separates itself from the average cooking show, thanks to its unique take on the whole family cooking experience. The show often engages multiple family members onscreen, providing viewers with a variety of viewpoints on the use of ingredients, creating a dynamic that is unique, informative, and highly entertaining. Johnston's endearing familiarity with the home kitchen setup makes the viewers feel as if they are cooking alongside her in their own kitchen.

The show also includes useful sections on storing spices, making your spice blends, understanding different types of salts and sweeteners, and many other essential aspects of maximizing flavor in your dishes. The way Janet shares snippets of the ancient lore associated with many spices adds an exotic element and expands the viewer's spice knowledge beyond just their kitchen usage.

In the episodes featuring spice markets, the vibrant colors, and the intoxicating fragrances emanating from the screen practically transport the viewer to the crowded and bustling lanes of the most exotic global culinary precincts. Here, Janet explains how to identify quality spices, the right way to purchase them, and provides helpful tips for incorporating these rich flavors into everyday cooking.

Another engaging area explored in Spice & Easy is the health benefits associated with various spices. Through each episode, viewers can learn about spices' health-promoting qualities and how they can incorporate them into their daily diet.

Janet Johnston's warm and accessible demeanor, coupled with her in-depth knowledge of spices, ensures that Spice & Easy provides an enriching, learning-filled culinary experience rather than just another cooking show. Her charisma and enthusiasm empower viewers to venture beyond their culinary comfort zones, experimenting and playing with new flavors. The show shines by adding a glamorous touch of exoticism to comfort cooking while demystifying the world of spices for global cuisine lovers.

In a nutshell, Spice & Easy is a flavorful voyage that empowers viewers to discover and unlock the power of spices. With its unique blend of entertainment and education, the show successfully makes the magical world of spices accessible to everyone, irrespective of their culinary skill level. Following Janet on this journey will provide you with the confidence and knowledge to experiment with flavors and make home cooking more exciting, dynamic, and of course, delicious. For culinary enthusiasts and novices alike, Spice & Easy is a delightful, flavor-packed source of inspiration.