Spices

Warmth, bite and the smell of the pantry — pepper, clove, cinnamon, cardamom braided into one glowing accent.

A catch-all for the kitchen-spice materials that lend heat and texture rather than a single ingredient. Dry and prickly or sweet and resinous depending on the blend, spices animate orientals, gourmands and woody scents — the flicker of warmth that keeps a composition from going flat.