Spice it Up!

As I mentioned in my last post, I believe in spices. Majorly. They make food taste good while remaining good for you. Instead of piling on the fat, sugar or cheese for flavor, throw in some curry or oregano or cumin. Plus flavorful food is just yummy. There was a reason all those Europeans years ago put so much effort into finding different trade routes to the East for spices.

I must admit upfront, I have a bit of a salt addiction. I don't ever make things too salty, I just use it a lot. Salt is technically a "flavor enhancer" spice that brings out the flavor of whatever it is you put it on. That's why it's so good. (And why it is always in cookie recipes.)

In looking at my spice rack, I have chosen 15 spices/herbs I think belong in EVERYONE'S kitchen. I know, 15 sounds like a lot. The thing is there are about 7 I use all the time, another 4 I use most of the time, and the rest I use some of the time. They are all spice staples in their own right and prove to be crucial flavor points in the meals I do use them in. Then there are the other 10+ I have in my cabinet for special uses...but we're not there yet.

If spices are new to you or you are poor (like me right now), and/or the idea of spending $5 a pop for a little plastic or class container of a new spice you may or may not use more than once makes you a little indignant, PLEASE don't give up on the spice idea. Instead, discover the joys of BULK SPICES. These days any health food store and many regular grocery stores sell spices in bulk. If you aren't

convinced the spice belongs on your shelf,go spend $.75 on a couple tablespoons of garam masala, oregano, cumin, etc and try it out. Then keep buying them that way. I find it to be a much cheaper and more realistic way to support my spice habit. Plus it makes experimenting easier.

Enough about that. Here is the spice list. I would guess most kitchens already have at least 4-6 of these, or maybe all of them. Whatever. Just be prepared to see them in many of my recipes.

Salt-I prefer Sea Salt, both the fine ground (but unbleached) and the coarse stuff. It is a more natural form of salt than the bleached, iodized Morton Salt I grew up with.

Pepper-Both peppercorns and pre-ground are useful. Fresh ground pepper often has more flavor.

Garlic-MMMmmm. Granulated garlic, garlic salt, garlic powder, any one of the three, just something with the garlic flavor. Fresh garlic is also a plus, but is also sometimes a bit of a pain.

Cumin-Ahh, cumin how I love thee. I didn't even know what cumin was 1 1/2 years ago, now we are best friends. Ground cumin works great. We also use cumin seeds sometimes. If you are going to choose one, start with the ground stuff.

Curry Powder-There are so many varieties, any kind will do.

Oregano-Simple as that, dried oregano.

Basil-Dried and ready to use. Fresh basil is also amazing, but not always as easy to have on hand.

Rosemary-Same as the basil, dried is easiest. Fresh is always more flavorful. I find that fresh rosemary will last longer in my fridge than fresh basil.

Cinnamon-We have a big Sam's Club sized bottle of ground cinnamon.

Tumeric-The yellow spice! It makes anything it touches yellow, but is great for promoting digestion and has it's own unique and subtle flavor.

Garam Masala-Once again, so many varieties, any one will do. I always think it smells a little bit sweet even though it is a savory spice.

Ground Coriander-I rarely use whole coriander seeds, ground is the way to go on this one. (Did you know that what most American's call cilantro is the same thing as coriander? One is the leaves, the other the seeds...at least here. When we were in Australia is was all coriander. That threw me for a loop, I always thought of them as two very distinct substances.)

Ginger-Ground. Fresh ginger has more flavor but can be intimidating to some, plus I use the two differently.

Nutmeg-One of the only-used-sometimes but gotta-have-it-when-I-need it spices. Ground.

Clove-In the same boat as Nutmeg. You can buy whole cloves or ground cloves, if choosing one, go for ground. I primarily use the whole cloves when making tea.

And there you have it! The spice rack is beginning to fill up. Really, spices are so much fun, I hope you can fall in love with them too (if you aren't already in love!)