SKORDO Kitchen

Sumac Deep Dive

There are numerous varieties of sumac, each with their own flavor and pigment profiles. The berry hue will change depending on the season, soil composition and varietal. Similarly, the taste of sumac is subject to environment influences and personal interpretation. Descriptions range from sour to floral. Lemon and vinegar are often used as substitutes, but both are far more acidic than the spice. Paprika may be used as a color substitute in dishes, but its base hue is orange while Sumac has a red or purple undertone.

February 01, 2022

Topics: Cinnamon

One of the top questions in the shop is: ‘What’s the difference between your cinnamons?”. We usually respond with a flavor driven response but buckle up – we’re going for a cinnamon deep dive today!

February 01, 2022

Mortar + Pestles Around The World

Mortar and Pestle: visibly two tools, technically one. The two pieces made of the same material work together by ways of pounding and grinding to create smooth pastes or fine powders. Since we're food people, I was most curious about how different cultures use Mortar and Pestles in their traditional dishes.

January 13, 2022

Edible Gift Guide

'Tis the season for gift giving! While it's joyous and generous and the most wonderful time of the year, it can also be stressful and expensive. Keeping things on hand for last minute gifts is a good prevention method. For these situations, I turn to edible or homemade items. BONUS- you are not only giving them something tasty, you could also be introducing them to new flavors which is the best gift you can give!

December 09, 2021

SKORDO on TV Series 'Baking It'

Well this is exciting! This holiday season, SKORDO ingredients will be used on Baking It, a baking competition show hosted by Maya Rudolph and Andy Samberg on Peacock TV.

November 22, 2021

Winter Pantry

We saw the first flakes of snow outside the shop windows this week. We're not ready for winter, (where are our winter boots?!). But, our pantries are warming up to the idea of slow & low cooking, holiday baking and cozy snow day drinks. Here are a few of our must-have items for winter warm ups.

November 22, 2021

SKORDO Turns Five!

That’s right. We’re celebrating our fifth anniversary this month and wanted to thank you, our customers, for all you’ve done in making our family business a reality.

November 01, 2021

The Lost Kitchen Experience

"Erin French creates experiences"... That's what my friend Emily said the other day when we were discussing The Lost Kitchen and their ever-expanding presence in the national food scene. The Lost Kitchen dining room may be closed for the season but I was lucky enough to get a glimpse of all the current ways Erin and her team of super-women are consistently creating exquisite experiences for us Mainers and beyond.

October 27, 2021

From Powder to Paste

So often we meet first time customers in the shops, perplexed by the world of curries and even more so confused that they've only ever used curry paste and wouldn't know how to use curry powder. Our team members love those questions and the opportunity to answer where they can, as well as guide you in the right direction to explore further-- trying something outside of your usual can be uncomfortable and discouraging!

October 19, 2021

Passport Stamps

Over the last few years (pre pandemic) my husband and I have taken two trips to Africa. The first was our honeymoon in South Africa and the second was a family trip to Morocco with my dad and his wife. This morning we were dreaming of another trip to Kenya or Tanzania or Senegal.

October 11, 2021

Blue Zone Dining: Food For a Long(er) Life

This month, team SKORDO is talking about the functions of food. Preparing, sharing, and enjoying a meal can be an expression of love. Or eating can make us break out in hives. It’s fuel. It’s tasty. It has the power to invigorate and the strength to humble. More recently, food and cooking have inspired countless docu-series discussions and motivated more than one of our vacation itineraries. Clearly, our team is obsessed with food, but we’re waking up to the fact that we rarely look to our plates for a longer life.

September 13, 2021

Healthy Home

While "Spring Cleaning" may be a more popular term, "Starting fresh in September" is just as important! This is the perfect time to catchup on all the chores that got skipped over while we were basking in the sun, and set intentions for the new season. Something were focusing on in September at SKORDO is healthy body, healthy home. When thinking through this concept, I knew my first local stop would be GoGo Refill in South Portland

September 07, 2021