World Spice's Allspice Mushroom Medley and a special #holidayrecipe offer!

LESLIE BUDEWITZ: I'm delighted to welcome back to the Kitchen my friends from World Spice in Seattle, one of the shops that continues to inspire me and my Spice Shop mysteries. 

With all the emphasis on sweet treats this time of year, it's nice to serve up a vegetable dish -- and I can assure you this is a tasty one! I made it for our Thanksgiving table, so some of the photos are mine. It's super easy and quick -- always a plus when you're trying to get several dishes ready at the same time. 

And you may already have allspice in your cabinet -- if you don't, use the special code below to order some, because this is a dish you'll want to put on repeat!

How do you use allpsice? What new-to-you herbs and spices are you planning to try in the new year?

AUBREY AT WORLD SPICE: As winter settles over Seattle, Pike Place Market takes on a different rhythm. The days are shorter, the air sharper, and the scents drifting through the stalls grow warmer and deeper. It’s the perfect season for lingering over a good book and a comforting meal, especially when both offer a little surprise.

In honor of the cozy mystery world created by Leslie Budewitz, where nothing is ever quite as simple as it first appears, we’re turning the spotlight on a spice that’s often underestimated: Allspice. Despite its name, allspice isn’t a blend at all, but a single berry with remarkable range. Many people associate it with cookies, cakes, and mulled drinks, but its savory side is every bit as compelling.

At World Spice, our Seattle spice shop tucked behind Pike Place Market — and one of the real-life inspirations for the shop in Budewitz’s cozy mystery series — we love showcasing spices that challenge expectations. Allspice carries warm, familiar notes of cinnamon and nutmeg, with hints of clove and ginger that feel tailor-made for the holiday table. When paired with mushrooms, its sweet, aromatic qualities take on new depth, enhancing the mushrooms’ woodsy, earthy flavors rather than competing with them.

This Allspice Mushroom Medley makes an ideal holiday side dish. It’s rich and aromatic, cooks up in a blink, and is versatile enough to sit comfortably alongside a roast, spoon over a steak, or appear as an elegant appetizer piled on crostini. Using a mix of mushrooms adds contrast in both texture and flavor, but the recipe is forgiving — use what looks best at your local market and let the allspice do the rest.

Like a well-crafted mystery, this dish rewards a closer look. What begins as a familiar holiday flavor unfolds into something layered and surprising, proving that allspice has far more to offer than its usual sweet-only reputation suggests. Serve it at a festive gathering or enjoy it quietly with a good book and a glass of wine. 

Are spices on your wishlist? We’ve got beautiful new tins to keep them extra fresh and looking great on your shelf. Use code MYSTERY at checkout on worldspice.com for 15% off all spices, herbs, and teas.

Allspice Mushroom Medley 

1 ½ pounds mixed mushrooms, roughly chopped

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 ½ tablespoons butter, divided

1 ½ teaspoons ground Allspice 

½ teaspoon ground Black Peppercorn 

1 teaspoon Kosher Salt 

1 small shallot, minced 

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 tablespoons dry white wine

Chopped Parsley to garnish (optional)

Preheat a medium sauté pan on medium-high heat. Add the olive oil and 1 tablespoon of butter. Heat until the butter is melted then add the mushrooms. 

Cook 2-4 minutes, stirring only occasionally, so they become lightly golden brown. 

Next add the shallot, garlic and spices. Sauté until the shallot is soft and fragrant, 2-4 minutes more.

When the mushrooms are tender and cooked through, deglaze the pan with the white wine and finish with chopped parsley and an additional dab of butter. 

Serve hot as a side or on toast.

LESLIE: World Spice, located below Pike Place Market on Western Avenue in Seattle -- just up the street from Pepper's fictional loft -- is a treasure trove of herbs, spices, teas, cookbooks, and accessories. The online shop is almost as tasty! I hope you'll visit one or the other, and enjoy a a fabulous -- and delicious -- holiday season!