SPICES, your best friend in the kitchen

SPICES, they really are your best friend in the kitchen! I keep more spices in my kitchen that most professional kitchens do. This is not a point to be scared by or in Awe of other than by the fact that I use all of them. Believe me when say you do not have to have 50 different spices to be a good cook. The only reason I have so many is that I cover many styles of cooking and only about half of them are used regularly. You can do just about anything with two dozen different spices. Please only buy the quantity of herbs and spices you will use within 6 months Going through different cuisines there are a lot of common herbs and spices. Salt and Pepper are just necessary. SALT: I personally prefer Kosher salt, the lack of iodine, larger crystals and better flavor just make me happier. If you should decide to experiment with the different sea salts, a lot of them have a very heavy flavor and others I find to be no different than table salt. I would never discourage experimentation, but this is one of the last things I would encourage it with. PEPPER: For most people all you need is ground black pepper. Even though I have white pepper and mixed peppers, they are more for a subtle difference than actual necessity. The basic "Italian" herbs, used in a lot of different regions, I can't imagine cooking without them. Most of these spices are used in multiple cultures cuisine. The two exceptions would be Rosemary, which is definitely Mediterranean and Fennel which is distinctly Italian. ROSEMARY: This is great for all meats and poultry, soups, stews, vegetables, and many sauces. SAGE: Great on poultry, pork and good with both acidic (tomato) and creamy sauces. OREGANO: Good with acidic foods but go lightly otherwise you get that burnt taste. THYME: Gentle and subtle in flavor mixes well for most purposes. ONION: I will use this when I can't afford the moisture of a fresh onion or the quantities just don't warrant it. GARLIC: I use dried when I am lazy. Fresh is always best. Use real garlic that is minced, chopped or powdered. DO NOT use garlic salt or granulate as these have been modified. BASIL: Has a wonderful warm flavor that goes great with tomato, cream, and chicken. DILL: This is great for chicken or fish. FENNEL: This is what gives Italian food it's distinct punch of bright flavor. If your spaghetti sauce or lasagna falls flat, try a little fennel seed. You won't be disappointed. Peppers are a wonderful thing that can be a blessing or a curse. You normally only need a few, and that is mostly if like spicy food. CHIPOTLE: This is just a smoked jalapeño pepper. I am a big fan of Chipotle for its flavor and heat level. Even if you don't like it spicy, putting half a chipotle in a pot of stew, much like a bay leaf, will give extra flavor you never imagined. CRUSHED RED: This is great for a topper on the table. I like to use it in my Italian cooking and there are other regional foods that call for it. It is nice, but not necessary. CAYANNE: If you like it hot, this combined with Chipotle will be your winning combination. SMOKED PAPRIKA: Regular Paprika is flavorless. Smoked paprika gives a rich smokiness to meats and soups that helps bring the favor to fullness. LEMON PEPPER: This adds a bright citrus flavor that livens up just about anything. MISC: There are a lot of different peppers out there, and unless you are doing something that calls for them I usually consider them superfluous. Curry or Southwestern Spices can add richness to your dishes. CHILI POWDER: A blend of several spices, it has a distinct full flavor and heat that is great for Chili, meats and poultry. MUSTARD POWDER: This adds a subtle spice. I like to use it in with meat, in macaroni and cheese and a variety of other things. Cookie Cutter Spices, as my husband likes to call them. These are all commonly used in sweets but their roots lie with meats. Try it, you may be surprised. CINNAMON: This makes everything taste sweeter. CLOVE: Strong and sharp, clove has a distinct flavor that used in small quantities gives a gentle bite. NUTMEG: Not just for cookies. Nutmeg is great in cream sauces as well. Use in place of Mace. ALLSPICE: I can't really tell you what it tastes like. Perhaps I use it out of habit, but I always used it with Cinnamon, Clove and Nutmeg. GINGER: This adds a sweet, spicy bite. I use it in most everything. Honorable mentions: Herb and spices that I really enjoy, but am not convinced that most people would know what to do with them. TUMERIC: Is often paired with cumin in Southwestern and Curries, use in moderation. CUMIN: This is a standard is Mexican and Southwestern Cuisine. It has a distinct spicy flavor. CELERY SEED: This is great for any dish containing chicken. OLD BAY: for all of your seafood needs, just boil up some Old Bay Seasoning with lemon and add your shrimp or crab. Use it for crab cakes. DIShonorable Mentions: Herbs and spices I consider a waste of money. MACE: This is expensive and as far as I can tell hardly necessary. Mace is the outer mantle of the nutmeg. I just substitute nutmeg when a recipe calls for mace. PARSLEY: This is a common herb in many recipes and houses. I find it lacks flavor and it's only purpose is to add color. I would not, and do not bother cluttering my spice rack with this pretty bottle of green. Most SPICE MIXES: The reality is if all you ever want to turn out is mediocre food then keep those bottles of Italian mix, seasoning salt, and all those other mixes of unknown ingredient and quality in your kitchen. If you want to turn out good, great or exceptional food then get rid of them. I will tell you that other than the Old Bay the only mixes we keep in the house are ones we make ourselves. The difference between mediocre and good could be the proportions of your spices, or adding or leaving out a particular spice. So, why would you let laziness get in the way of culinary excellence? Why let someone else tell you what is supposed to be in a dish rather than using your own judgment and taste? Why not take control of your food? Possible Herb and Spice Mixes to make you happy SALT, PEPPER, GARLIC, ROSEMARY-great on meat or vegetables with a bit of butter SALT, PEPPER, ROSEMARY, GARLIC, THYME, CHIPOTLE OR SMOKED PAPRIKA-this would be great on any meat or poultry PEPPER, GARLIC, SMOKED PAPRIKA, SALT, CAYANNE, GINGER, CINNAMIN, CUMIN, TUMERIC, GROUND MUSTARD POWDER, CLOVE-fabulous for beef PAPRIKA, GARLIC, ONION, PEPPER, MUSTARD POWDER, CHILI POWDER, CUMIN, DILL, SALT-great for chicken and pork CINNAMON, CLOVE, GINGER, LEMON PEPPER-try this on a variety of meats If you want to cure your meat start with equal parts of RAW SUGAR, PEPPER, & SALT. This will make it so you can make hams at home. Ideas to spice up different dishes… Macaroni and Cheese-add ginger, mustard powder, pepper, salt and a touch of nutmeg Use honey, vinegar grapefruit or orange juice and cayenne for a meat marinade Experiment and have fun. Find combinations that make your taste buds sing.