Sage advice at Red Stick Spice Co.

Ahh, spices. Ships long ago were launched in pursuit of them, and chefs today can’t live without them. Their dense concentrations of flavor can push basic ingredients into unexpected directions, making diners pause and ask, “What’s in this?” An empty spice rack is unthinkable to both home cooks and chefs, especially in a region that prides itself on flavor, say Gloria and Lee Easterwood, founders of the Red Stick Spice Co. in Baton Rouge. The Jefferson Highway shop just celebrated its second anniversary. In those two short years it has developed a strong following among local spice hunters, pit masters, olive oil aficionados and an expanding saltfree crowd. The Easterwoods stock both common and obscure spices and sell them by the ounce, an appealing practice for cooks searching for small amounts of items like saffron threads or black truffle sea salt. They also sell private-label olive and avocado oils and flavored balsamic vinegars from California producers. Returning patrons can refill their olive oil bottles at a significant discount. Click here to read more.