It’s time to stop thinking about the difference between sweet and savory spices. Many cooks around the world don’t make such a distinction.
In Greece and Turkey, for example, tomato sauce comes spiked with cinnamon, and in Mexico, fruit salad is sprinkled with cayenne pepper. In both cases, the spice is subtle but adds just enough contrast to make each bite more interesting.
We kept that in mind while searching for an easy way to enliven a simple summer berry compote. In this recipe from our book “COOKish,” which limits recipes to just six ingredients without sacrificing flavor, we tried black pepper and chili powder, a blend that can include not only spicy cayenne but also cumin, garlic and onion powder. The combination of sweet strawberries and savory spices was a hit, the perfect topping for vanilla ice cream or yogurt.
A single teaspoon sufficed for a pound of sweet
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