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In this Discussion
- Cherry_Pie September 2012
- Dr_William_Hayward September 2012
- flossy_log_lady September 2012
- freddy September 2012
- joey September 2012
- kdawg September 2012
- Leland September 2012
- lolo September 2012
- Loose_Thread September 2012
- Lucy September 2012
- Matthew September 2012
- MirandaJuly September 2012
- Nick September 2012
- swamp_knobbler_mahan September 2012
- the_owls September 2012
- ThickeningAgent September 2012
- YoursTruly September 2012
spices
hello. i have found myself living in a home with a kitchen that has no spices. in the past i've lived with people who seemed to do spices pretty well and got by mooching off of them. but now i have nothing, and i don't really even know what spices are 'must haves.' should i just get some All Spice and call it good?
Comments
turmeric
cumin
coriander
chili powder
nutritional yeast
curry powder
red chili flakes
=
the basics
Also though pretty staple are BASIL AND OREGANO
I feel like if you get lots of teeny plastic baggies and buy in bulk it's much, much cheaper. I just have all my age-old spice jars and I keep refilling them.
A fully stocked spice drawer would cost like a million dollars. Start small and work your way up as needed. I'd say the ultra basics are:
basil
oregano
chili powder
curry powder
S&P (cheap)
nutritional yeast (is this really a spice? More of an ingredient)
red pepper flakes
these are in almost everything I make. The other stuff is more recipe-specific
different kind of spice concept
wait I used it once to make pickles
berbere?
rosemary!
dill!
bay leaves!
Rosemary is always growing fresh. It's fun to grab a sprig at the edge of a parking lot. Or nip from a neighbor's yard.
I think the big cheap containers of "italian seasoning" are ok for most kitchens, just make sure there's no MSG listed when looking at the ingredients.
I like to have Herbs de-Provence around and Balsamic vinegar, which is a sauce, maybe?
Maybe we are really talking seasonings here.
Tarragon is really cool and pickle-y.
I think Sriracha is essential, also soy sauce or whatmacalit: tamari.
Fish Sauce, Plum Sauce, and rice vinegar, all nice to have around to make anything savory and delicious.
Mint, basil, rosemary, thyme(!) and chives are easy to grow in a little pot in a window sill. Just keep them watered and voila, a self-stocking spice rack...!
You don't need much of it. Just adds a little umami kick.
Garlic (TJ minced fresh in jar), basil, thyme, onion powder, rosemary, sage
Coriander, turmeric, mustard
Ground cayenne, pepper flakes, black pepper
Cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, ginger, vanilla, 5 spice
Orange oil, lemon oil - you can get non-official food grade cheaper at essential oil shops
And for special occasion$, saffron
Chef Paul Prudhomme's blackening spice is pricy and useful, working on duplicating that and berbere.
Coop stores you can bring your jars and weigh them before filling, much cheaper and eco. Sheridan Fruit on MLK is also good. Most taste is smell, and the smelling is free at places that sell bulk spices. If you want a price calibration, check Frontier Coop.
White, cider, balsamic, Japanese rice vinegar, more. Worcestershire sauce, oyster sauce, black bean garlic sauce (make your own Chinese green beans, also good on broccoli) Anchovy paste.
Also digging the TJ grinder spice bottles (salt pepper), totally reusable.
Speaking of smoke, La Dalia smoked paprika is a great way to get that smoky charcoal flavor into sauces and soups.
the foundation of my reality is crumbling.
for example when I said I used it to make pickles, I meant I used whole allspice. Little hard turd berries of allspice.
I don't know why it's called allspice
I think it's kind of nasty, but to each thine own!
BLACKENING SPICE MIX
SEA SALT
SMOKED PAPRIKA
CURRY POWDER
CAYENNE
BAY LEAVES
CINNAMON
REAL VANILLA EXTRACT
So many "spices" are much better fresh- dill, oregano, sage, basil! Grow your own or buy fresh when needed.
I personally don't cook with a ton of spices and prefer to just accent great ingredients with HQ oils, lemon, fresh herbs, salt, etc. I'm a minimalist, tho.
basil from my garden
ridic simple pizza sauce (28 oz can of drained toms, two cloves garlic, 1 T olive oil, 1 t red wine vinegar, dried oregano, s&p, put in food processor!!! Only had to purchase the toms, already had the other stuff.)
flour, yeast, honey = pennies on the dollar, already had flour & honey
$3.50 thing of fancy mozz blobs
splurged on $5 thing of garlic olives
whizz bang
pizza wine leftover from long ago TJs trip
but i am making progress- got me some Cayenne, some Garlic Powder, some Curry, some Oregano, and some salt and pepper. BABY STEPS. next on my list is Cinnemon.
thank you UHX from saving me the cost and embarrassment of purchasing a big tub of ALLSPICE and dousing my next meal with it.
cinnamon is good. I've been getting more into it.
Putting it in oatmeal, making cinnamon toast, also putting it in weird shit like scrambled eggs or enchilada sauce. It's good and good for you apparently
THEY ARE STRONG.
I am not a fan. But I do use them once a year or so to make pumpkin pie. So I buy them in infinitely small quantities and keep them in a special container.
I don't think you need garlic powder, use the real thing! Much nicer!
I don't use a ton of spices and herbs either, but I am slowly discovering what certain things work for. Like thyme is great in a hearty barley soup. Same for marjoram.
I like sage in an onion pie.
I love the yard herbs that just grow and dry out on their own. I have two rosemary bushes and they make food taste different in an exciting way. I also love chives in an omelet with fried tomatoes.
I am a big fan of "Cook's Illustrated" the magazine. A million tips on how to cook things right, what kitchen tools work best for your money and an almost scientific yet easy to understand approach to food.
I used to think Fudge only could steam kale and cook brown rice, but now he is an expert at fancy meals with sauces, herbs, broths! And he makes an insane sweet dark cherry pie, too. All from scratch! All because of our subscription to this fine magazine!
Some of the most dramatic times I have LOVED something I've been served at a friends' house have resulted in them saying "I got it out of Cook's Illustrated."
I'm beginning to think I should subscribe too!
I could have tailored my answer, Bill!
Possibilities for sweet-potato pasta: dried basil, garlic powder/salt, cinnamon (if you want a different spin), oregano, red chili flakes, s&p
Possibilities for mexican glop/burritos: green chili, red chili (what else?)
Possibilities for bean-glop: pretty much the same as sweet-potato pasta, but no cinnamon
Doesn't this pretty much cover what you'll be cooking for the next few months? :)
Big Mac, I recently made a bunch of Word docs about cooking for a friend of mine who is not a great cook and is trying to eat healthier--do you want them? Recipes and how to think about grocery shopping and stuff? I can send
http://www.saveur.com/gallery2/Easy-Sandwiches/1
you can discard whatever advice/suggestions are obvious/not interesting. The recipes I believe are universally delightful
My staples are, roughly in this order: freshly-ground pepper, cumin, coriander, sweet hungarian paprika, bay leaves, brown mustard seeds [for South Indian cooking and very little else - but I make a lot of that, so it's a volume spice for me], chili powder, cinnamon (for baking), dried oregano, turmeric, and cayenne. Everything else I buy in seriously small quantities. I personally don't consider garlic or onion powder, dried basil, or dried rosemary worth buying. But YMMV depending on what kind of cuisines you like to cook.
(YT, Cook's is a brilliant technique publication, but they are bizarrely obsessed with MEATY MC MEATERSON. Deeply tiresome. If you ever have a specific recipe and you want to see their version, let me know and I'll email you a copy from their website, to which I subscribe.)
WOMP
WOMP