“You came.” I took Maddie’s hands in mine. Seeing her wearing lipstick again almost made me cry.
“I wouldn’t have missed it,” she replied. “Life’s too short to let anything stand in the way of friendship, as I have just been reminded.”
I led her to the nook where she could sit while her family got snacks and explored the shop. “So what’s next?”
“Rehab, PT. And I’ve got a construction project to oversee, though my project manager will be stepping up his role in the company. In fact, we started demolition earlier this week, and I wanted you to see what we found.” She held out her phone and showed me a picture of the side of the insurance agency building, the name “GREGORIAN & SON, GROCERS” visible in faint white paint.
“A ghost sign,” I said.
“I asked my architect to see if we can reconfigure the building plans to show it off. She thinks we can create a rooftop deck below the sign, so it will be visible from the deck and the street. My gift to the neighborhood.”
“That’s a terrific idea. See, I told you—you always find a way to do what you want.”
“No more pedestals, Pepper. Please. It’s lonely up there.”
“I promise,” I said, and drew an X across my heart.
“And I’d like to spend more time with you and Kristen. Go antiquing, catch a movie.”
I nodded. Maybe, now that Laurel’s suspicions had been allayed, we could invite Maddie to join Flick Chicks.
“Bay leaves?” I heard a customer say. “I didn’t think anyone used them anymore.”
“The soup cook’s best friend,” Sandra replied.
Between the friends and the customers, old and new, I almost didn’t notice the arrival of three Seattle police officers—two detectives and a uniformed bicycle cop.
“Quite a shindig,” Detective Tracy said, surveying the scene.
“My second anniversary as the Mistress of Spice,” I said. “Worth celebrating. Care for a cookie?”
“In a minute,” he said. “First, I have a bit of official business to conduct. Well, semi-official.”
For half a second, I panicked. When a cop says he’s got business to conduct and he’s staring right at you, panic seems like a reasonable response. Especially when he turns down a cookie.
And then I saw the grin on Tag’s face, and another on Armstrong’s.
Tracy drew a flat, faux leather box out of his sport coat pocket and held it out.
Inside, on a blue velvet bed, lay a shiny gold shield. “Seattle Police Department,” it read. “Honorary Member.”
My badge. Honorary, maybe; but a badge.
I pinned it on my apron, just above the saltshaker logo. Heaven knows, I’d earned it.
Recipes and Spice Notes
The Seattle Spice Shop Recommends . . .
The Spice Shop stop on the Market Food Tour includes a few favorites from the Spice Shop collection, featured in earlier books:
Spiced Glazed Nuts and Pretzel Mix— Assault and Pepper
Lemon Thyme Cookies and Pepper’s Gingersnaps— Killing Thyme
Edgar’s Baked Paprika Cheese— Chai Another Day
Grape, Prosciutto, and Mozzarella Skewers— Chai Another Day, using Pepper’s Italian Herb Blend from Assault and Pepper
And you’ll find recipes for chai for baking and sipping in Chai Another Day.
LAVENDER-BAY SALT
While Pepper can’t tell you every ingredient in the blend she created for Edgar, she loves encouraging customers to try an herbed salt or two. Herbed salts are an easy way to add flavor without spending a lot of time in the kitchen. Lavender-bay is particularly tasty with eggs, potatoes, and sautéed veggies. Remember, bay needs a little heat to release its full flavor.
1½ teaspoon dried bay leaves, dried lavender buds, or a 50/50 mix
2 tablespoons kosher salt
Strip 8 to 10 bay leaves into a spice grinder. (Tip: Fold the dried leaf in half along the spine and break off each half; discard the spine.) Pulse until finely ground. If you’re using lavender, coarsely grind the buds.
The crystal structure of kosher salt makes a great base for flavored salts. Coarse, flaky salts like Maldon are a better choice if you’re using the salt on top, as a finishing salt, rather than as an ingredient.
Keep in mind Pepper’s advice that blends are best after they’ve had a few hours to meld, marry, or mellow, as the case may be.
A Classic Cookie from Ripe
ALMOND BISCOTTI
Biscotti have a reputation for being a major kitchen project, but Laurel’s version of the classic Italian dipping cookie is as easy as it is tasty, crunchy on the outside and chewy inside. For an extra treat, dip a few in melted chocolate, or paint chocolate on one side.
2 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour, plus more for the work surface
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon sea salt
1 cup slivered almonds, lightly toasted (see below)
3 large eggs (one separated)
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Heat the oven to 350 degrees.
Toast the nuts on a rimmed baking sheet for 7 to 10 minutes, or until they just begin to change color. Remember that nuts continue to cook as they cool. Cool completely before using.
Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicon sheet.
In the bowl of your mixer, combine the flour, 1 cup sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add the almonds and beat on low to blend well. Add 2 whole eggs, the yolk of the third egg, and the extracts. Beat on medium until a sticky dough forms. (If your flour is quite dry, you may need to add a teaspoon of milk.)
Lightly flour a cutting board. Turn the dough onto the board and shape it into a disk. Cut the disk into four equal quarters. Lightly moisten your hands, then roll each quarter into a log, about 1 1/2 inches wide and 9 inches long. Place logs on the baking sheet, at
