Nearly a year ago I discovered Hurst’s spicy 15-bean “CAJUN soup.”
However, despite Hurst’s “CAJUN soup” being reasonably affordable (the 20-ounce bag of “beans plus flavor packet” currently costs $2.24 at my Wal-Mart Supercenter), I’d recently been seeking an even cheaper way to concoct a comparably tasty “chili” from scratch. The stumbling block had been my inability to discover any “seasoning” (mixture of spices) tasting remotely as good as Hurst’s proprietary (secret!) “flavor packet”. I’d experimented with mixing common “chili powder” with various common spices; but nothing had pleased my palate nearly as much–till now.
Thanks to a tip from a friend, I recently discovered this Tony Chachere’s Original Creole Seasoning. After checking out the Tony Chachere web site (tonychachere.com) and phoning them toll-free (1-800-551-9066), I was informed that their Original Creole Seasoning product was available right under my proverbial nose (at the same Wal-Mart Supercenter where I’d long been buying my beans). Indeed, I subsequently found it there in two sizes: eight ounces and 17 ounces. The latter size can–only $1.78–is scarcely more expensive than the smaller, and given that you only need use only a rather tiny amount of seasoning (powder) per recipe, it represents excellent value. On the other hand, the 17-ounce can (measuring six inches tall, with a diameter of three inches) is too large for the average person to carry in purse or handbag; hence the eight-ounce can is eminently handy in its own right.
Although I can’t honestly say that this Tony Chachere’s Original Creole Seasoning duplicates or fully equals the wonderful taste achieved via Hurst’s “Cajun flavor packet”, it does come more than “close enough” to satisfy me. Heck, it’s actually hard to say which of those two “spice blends” is absolutely superior. I suggest you try both the “Tony Chachere” and the “Hurst Cajun” approach and decide for yourself. But my decision is to spend less than 50% of the “Hurst” price by adding a tiny bit of “Tony Chachere” to each pot of my “Cajun”–or should I now say “Creole”?–chili (using my own mixture of cheaply available dried beans). You just can’t otherwise get so much scrumptious “chili” at so little cost!
Of course, Tony Chachere’s Original Creole Seasoning has reportedly long been a staple on tables throughout Louisiana (where it’s made) and the South, where it’s used to flavor just about any dish where a “salty” flavor is called for. Indeed, it’s pretty easy to figure out precisely how much Tony Chachere seasoning to use on a given dish; the directions (on the back of the can) say:
“Use it like salt. When it is salty enough, it’s seasoned to perfection. Keep container closed when not in use”.
The only “negative” that I feel compelled to stress is that each mere quarter of a teaspoon contains a whopping 310 milligrams of sodium (salt). “310 milligrams” amounts to 13% of the “recommended daily value”. Therefore, use common sense and be careful to measure and use only enough of this seasoning to do the job. For example, a pot of my aforementioned “Cajun bean soup/chili” concoction includes one sizable can of diced tomatoes; given that the latter “ingredient” itself contains more than a little sodium, it’s just not necessary to add more than a rather tiny amount of this Tony Chachere’s Creole Seasoning to produce a more than salty enough end result. Indeed, the first time I tried this seasoning, I erred slightly on the salty side. Therefore, I strongly suggest you add only a small fraction of a teaspoon at a time until you discover precisely how “salty” you want your food to become.
Moreover, if you suffer from high blood pressure, perhaps you’d better get your doctor’s advice regarding how much sodium you can safely ingest per meal/day [HEALTH TIP: reportedly, salt doesn’t necessarily raise everybody’s blood pressure very significantly or dangerously; some individuals are more “salt-sensitive” than others. I suggest you obtain an affordable, electronic/automatic blood-pressure monitor (arm cuff) and periodically check yourself when you’re calm and resting at home.]
The “ingredients” list for Tony Chachere’s Original Creole Seasoning reads as follows:
“Salt, red pepper and other spices, garlic, silicon dioxide (to prevent caking).
Obviously, the telling phrase is “and other spices”. But even if I knew Tony Chachere’s “secret” in that regard, I could scarcely concoct an equivalent seasoning that would be any cheaper than this remarkably affordable product. I highly recommend you try it on various foods.
If you can’t find Tony Chachere’s Original Creole Seasoning in your region, it can be ordered directly from “tonychachere.com” (albeit not quite as cheaply as via Wal-Mart Supercenter). Here’s the web page for that:
http://www.tonychachere.com/seasoning/index.cfm
Enjoy, and bon appetit!
