BS: What are your favourite cooking spices?

Subject: RE: BS: What are your favourite cooking spices?
From: Darowyn
Date: 03 Jun 11 - 04:02 AM

There seem to be very few mentions of Fennel, though there are two sorts. One type grows a large bulb which is excellent cooked or raw in a salad, and the other sort you grow for the seeds. Dill looks similar and makes a great sauce for fish. Chives add a mild onion flavour and perfume to a dish, again either raw or cooked. I can't eat onions or garlic because of an intolerance for foods containing sulphur compounds, and chives give the flavour without the pain.The flowers are edible too and look great in a salad- though we leave them for the bees.
I notice that some of you in the US are counting factory made sauces and condiments as spices, so I'll put a word in for Mango Chutney, which works with almost everything, and for Harissa paste, like a very concentrated hot salsa.
The king of spices is Saffron though.
We've never tried growing that, but I do think that the only way to get good herbs is to grow them near the kitchen door! We have Rosemary, Bay, Garden Mint, Chocolate Mint, Leaf Coriander, Parsley
(both flat and curly), Thyme, Chives, Basil and Oregano. We gave up on Sage because it's a bush and it grows too big for the herb bed.
Cheers
Dave

Subject: RE: BS: What are your favourite cooking spices?
From: gnu
Date: 02 Jun 11 - 09:09 PM

Neil... yer onto a new market! Hook up with a coffee company with your recipes.

Subject: RE: BS: What are your favourite cooking spices?
From: Neil D
Date: 02 Jun 11 - 08:04 PM

Patsy,
   I do use coffee as a seasoning. I'm not talking about dry grounds, but already brewed coffee. I let it cool first because adding boiling hot coffee would start the cooking process early. It doesn't really add bitterness, but more of a musky savoriness. I got the idea from an article I read years ago about the Menches Brothers from nearby
Akron, Ohio who supposedly invented the hamburger(there are competing claims). As the story goes they were selling pork sandwiches at a county fair near Hamburg, NY and the fairground butcher ran out of pork and offered to grind some beef for them. One of the ingredients they used to flavor it with was coffee. Their descendants also claim they invented the ice cream cone at another fair when they ran out of paper bowls and rolled waffles into a cone shape. Personally, I think they just invented stories.

Subject: RE: BS: What are your favourite cooking spices?
From: gnu
Date: 02 Jun 11 - 04:23 PM

I just looked at the government website and there may be duty and there WILL be sales tax and who knows what else and how long it will take!! I can't believe there would be duty.

I'll just have to have it smuggled across the border. KENDALLLLL!

Subject: RE: BS: What are your favourite cooking spices?
From: gnu
Date: 02 Jun 11 - 03:48 PM

The lass just emailed me and said if she ships it (over half of the cost of the unit) by US mail "the customs fees are much less". ??? I asked her about the free trade agreement and she said "I think the trade agreement is between companies; not people."

WTF?

Subject: RE: BS: What are your favourite cooking spices?
From: GUEST,Paul Burke
Date: 02 Jun 11 - 03:04 PM

Vegetable and potato dishes (especially curries) are seldom marred by the addition of a little asafoetida (hing in Indian shops). Panch phoron/ punchpuron/ a dozen other spellings (a spice mixture, containing mustard seed, fenugreek, cumin, fennel and something else) is a great addition to veg curries too.

But the best spice of all is love.

Subject: RE: BS: What are your favourite cooking spices?
From: gnu
Date: 02 Jun 11 - 03:03 PM

Thanks for the info via PM SRS. Armed with the info which you also posted above, I found this nifty little rigginfriggin.

I emailed Weston and they said nope, can't buy it in Canada but call this 800 #. Nope, not in Canada so I emailed back and told the lass she should suggest they get a Canuck accessible #, especially if there was a bonus suggestion program and I hoped she would get a cut of the sales which, I expect, would be huge (and that I don't use plastic on the net so ordering from the website was out).

She emailed back and offered to call me and take the order. I emailed back "Now THAT is good ol' Yankee customer service! and it is truly appreciated!" Soooo... after she confirms shipping costs, I may just have me a new toy. Especially for things like canned tomatoes and strawberries which Mum can't eat because of the seeds.

Subject: RE: BS: What are your favourite cooking spices?
From: open mike
Date: 02 Jun 11 - 12:46 PM

parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme (one christmas i got about a pound of each for gifts) I also use a lot of SPIKE seasoning salt. this web site has several items from the maker of this. http://www.modernfearn.com/index_files/Page390.htm
SPIKE® ORIGINAL MAGIC!A delicious blend of 39 exotic herbs, vegetables and spices with the perfect amount of sea and earth salt crystals.

Subject: RE: BS: What are your favourite cooking spices?
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 02 Jun 11 - 12:39 PM

Actually the food mill shown (that is a Foley food mill, and I do have one) is not what I meant. I sent a response via PM, but I'll post it here as well. The Villaware (and it's offshoots) equipment is actually called a food strainer. It's aimed primarily at tomatoes, but I'm sure you could do lots of other foods in it. Cucina Pro, Weston, Victorio, they all seem to be names of the exact same thing. Here is one on eBay and here it is on Amazon.

I described the process in my Dirt Doctor blog. This link should take you to the last page, and scroll down to see the tomato process. I posted all of that so they'd know what I was talking about when I call in to his radio program sometimes.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: What are your favourite cooking spices?
From: GUEST,Hilo
Date: 02 Jun 11 - 12:19 PM

I grow and use loads of basil, parsley, rosematu, oregano,thyme, garlic, chives. I use a lot of curry, garum marsala, summer savoury, Bay leaves (Grow those in my kitchen) I love to cook and love this thread as it suggests some new ways to use flavours..thanks

Subject: RE: BS: What are your favourite cooking spices?
From: kendall
Date: 02 Jun 11 - 12:15 PM

Nut meg and cinnamon

Subject: RE: BS: What are your favourite cooking spices?
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 02 Jun 11 - 12:06 PM

Hi, bobad. We're kindred spirits. I bet I have fifty too. I have an entire box just to hold the C's.

caraway
cinnamon
celery seed
chili powder
cumin
curry powder
cardamon
mideast Cookie spice
Costa Rican Complete seasoning

Subject: RE: BS: What are your favourite cooking spices?
From: bobad
Date: 02 Jun 11 - 08:45 AM

Doing a quick inventory of my spices this morning I added up well over fifty.

Subject: RE: BS: What are your favourite cooking spices?
From: GUEST,Suibhne Astray
Date: 02 Jun 11 - 07:03 AM

My perfect porridge now includes carraway seeds; no sweeteners apart from a little dried fruit...

Subject: RE: BS: What are your favourite cooking spices?
From: kendall
Date: 02 Jun 11 - 06:46 AM

Black pepper.

Subject: RE: BS: What are your favourite cooking spices?
From: Megan L
Date: 02 Jun 11 - 04:27 AM

In the uk when i got married schwartz used to issue a usage chart i had one pinned to the kitchen door in our old house.

Thier site has some nice recipes to give some ideas (Dried herbs and spices) Schwartz uk

Subject: RE: BS: What are your favourite cooking spices?
From: GUEST,Patsy
Date: 02 Jun 11 - 03:23 AM

Neil D, you use coffee as a seasoning? I have been tempted to try it does it give the food a slightly bitter taste? I have tried adding plain chocolate to chilli which is really nice and gives a richness to the colour too. For my spagetti sauce I add a dessert spoonful of vinegar and a teaspoonful of sugar, smoked paprika and a small amount of cayenne again for the colour. As a rule I stick to mixed herbs it's easier I haven't the patience to stand there milling through all the herbs. I use the light soy sauce in lots of things not just in oriental cooking. The slight saltiness is all I need in stews and casseroles or omelettes.

Subject: RE: BS: What are your favourite cooking spices?
From: Janie
Date: 02 Jun 11 - 12:02 AM

Tarragon (or Mexican Mint Marigold if too far north.)

Subject: RE: BS: What are your favourite cooking spices?
From: Neil D
Date: 01 Jun 11 - 11:30 PM

Basil, sage, cayenne, garlic, herbs de Provence, ginger, mace, cloves, lemon thyme. A couple recent additions are star anise and Spanish smoked paprika, much more flavorful than regular paprika. I also use soy sauce in some unexpected dishes, like sloppy Joes and have been known to use coffee as a seasoning in frittatas and meat loaf.

Subject: RE: BS: What are your favourite cooking spices?
From: gnu
Date: 01 Jun 11 - 07:37 PM

michaelr... summery savory. I cook the best partridge stew you ever had... takes two days to be perfect but it has NO fat and tastes glorious. I cook other dishes with SS.. nothing else.

I come from, two genereations ago, poor Irish in the fly infested bog country of Kent County, New Brunswick, Canada... potatoes, carrots (not straight on accounta the rocks), turnip, onions, summery savory and whatever could be snared or shot. Nearly the same for my French forefathers.

Although some spices were used on the Acadian side as my Pa Pére was a master baker, I never really learned about anything but the basics.

Of course I have garlic powder and onion powder and a few things like that but they aren't really spices.

Yes, I am serious... I am spice deficient. Hence this thread.

Subject: RE: BS: What are your favourite cooking spices?
From: michaelr
Date: 01 Jun 11 - 07:14 PM

So tell us, gnu, what spices are in your kitchen? It kinda sounds like you got nothin'...

Subject: RE: BS: What are your favourite cooking spices?
From: Jeri
Date: 01 Jun 11 - 07:11 PM

I wrote a long post before Firefox crashed...
Bobad, thanks for the parsley info--I obviously didn't know that. Given a choice between smelling like I've been eating garlic and giving up garlic, I figure my smell isn't MY problem. ;-)

Gnu, the Moosewood Cookbook's Hungarian Mushroom Soup is out of this world. I rarely add flour, and you can probably substitute or elimate the butter for sauteeing and make it low calorie. I can't manage to avoid the sour cream, though, although it tastes pretty good without.

One time, I accidentally added curry powder instead of paprika, and it was STILL great.

Subject: RE: BS: What are your favourite cooking spices?
From: bobad
Date: 01 Jun 11 - 07:03 PM

"Star anise in curries."

Chindian cuisine?

Subject: RE: BS: What are your favourite cooking spices?
From: s&r
Date: 01 Jun 11 - 06:54 PM

Star anise in curries.

Stu

Subject: RE: BS: What are your favourite cooking spices?
From: gnu
Date: 01 Jun 11 - 06:39 PM

Windowsill growing is out here... this house was piss poorly designed and built from the get go. I would never have bought it if it wasn't for "other reasons"... it's next door to Mum. When she leaves me I dunno if I will stay here.

Subject: RE: BS: What are your favourite cooking spices?
From: GUEST,Jon
Date: 01 Jun 11 - 04:30 PM

I guess that means sort yourself out with a spice rack (or bit of space on a shelf) and start experimenting? Sounds good to me.

I'd assuming this will just sort you out with dry spices? If so, you may also like to think about growing some fresh herbs. Maybe some growing on the windowsill?

Subject: RE: BS: What are your favourite cooking spices?
From: gnu
Date: 01 Jun 11 - 04:13 PM

Sooo... it's becoming apparent that I can sort this all out by going to Sobeys and buying one of each on the shelf and then trying them all. I kinda knew that in the beginning but this thread certainly has taught me a lot. Thanks to all posters and future posters. I really do appreciate the effort and the knowledge.

Subject: RE: BS: What are your favourite cooking spices?
From: bobad
Date: 01 Jun 11 - 04:05 PM

Or else follow this advice from The Stinking Rose restaurant in San Francisco:

"When someone says "your breath stinks," at The Stinking Rose, take it as a compliment and say, "yes it does" with a big smile on your face!"

Subject: RE: BS: What are your favourite cooking spices?
From: gnu
Date: 01 Jun 11 - 03:53 PM

Have a Tic-tac?

Subject: RE: BS: What are your favourite cooking spices?
From: bobad
Date: 01 Jun 11 - 03:42 PM

Jeri, I had always heard that about parsley and garlic breath and believed it until recently hearing that it is a myth. I found this info on Wikipedia:

"This well-known phenomenon of "garlic breath" is alleged to be alleviated by eating fresh parsley.[72] The herb is, therefore, included in many garlic recipes, such as [[pistou]], persillade, and the garlic butter spread used in garlic bread. However, since the odour results mainly from digestive processes placing compounds such as AMS (allyl methyl sulfide) in the blood, and AMS is then released through the lungs over the course of many hours, eating parsley provides only a temporary masking."

Subject: RE: BS: What are your favourite cooking spices?
From: Jeri
Date: 01 Jun 11 - 02:08 PM

Mostly, the thread seems to be about flavoring ingredients, and not strictly spices.
Garlic, thyme, rosemary, sage, Bell's seasoning, while meant for turkey, is good on chicken and tuna salad too, parsley counter-acts garlic breath, celery seed (healthier than celery salt), bay leaves, paprika, smoked paprika, dill (dill & garlic mixed into equal parts mayo and sour cream, with maybe a little sherry makes a killer sauce for cold salmon or a salad dressing--only takes a little) black Tellicherry pepper.

I can probably think of more, but I'm hungry.

Subject: RE: BS: What are your favourite cooking spices?
From: bobad
Date: 01 Jun 11 - 01:08 PM

For those who like hot sauces I recommend Brother Bru Bru's. It is a great tasting African style pepper sauce with just the right amount of heat. You will also be supporting a worthy cause, musician Bruce Langhorne aka Brother Bru Bru.

Subject: RE: BS: What are your favourite cooking spices?
From: GUEST,999
Date: 01 Jun 11 - 12:47 PM

Meatballs with fresh mint in them and lotsa cumin to dip the meatballs in.

Cayenne: I use that lots.

Subject: RE: BS: What are your favourite cooking spices?
From: Musket
Date: 01 Jun 11 - 04:28 AM

Horses for courses.

Q. What would you sprinkle on Follyfoot & Chips I wonder?

We seem to get through lots of basil, and the plant in the kitchen has problems keeping up, (ditto the coriander plant but that's because it doesn't grow back as quick.)

Mint is used more than I used to, and as well as to help steam the spuds, we are using it as a sweet element in many sauces these days.

Regarding spices, as opposed to the fact I have only mentioned herbs... Cumin seeds are always needing replenishing and we use a fair amount of paprika. Cardamon pods and dried oregano seem to be always empty too.

Subject: RE: BS: What are your favourite cooking spices?
From: ChanteyLass
Date: 31 May 11 - 11:07 PM

Cayenne. I rarely use any other pepper.

Subject: RE: BS: What are your favourite cooking spices?
From: Rapparee
Date: 31 May 11 - 10:09 PM

There's this stuff that looks like oregano but you can smoke it or put it in brownies or...oops, recipes from my college days. Sorry.

Try some of the various blends -- we have a lime-pepper blend that's great. Just read the labels and check for salt (NaCl) content.

Also, try some Tiger Sauce from TryMe products. It's a different hot sauce in that you don't seem to be able to use it in anything where it won't work. Like all hot sauces, start small and work up.

Wanna impress the hell out of people? Makes up some little meatballs (if you use your hands you should wash them first) and put them in a crockpot (slow cooker). Pour in equal parts of cheap beer and tomato catsup (or ketchup -- either is fine). Let is cook for about eight hours while you do something else. Every so often skim off the grease and give it a stir. Serve as a whores d'over or over noodles or rice. Tell everyone it's a secret family recipe passed down through the generations and was brought to the New World centuries ago by Skarpi's ancestors, who left the recipe scrawled on a rock at Anse Aux Meadows or whatever the name of that place is.

Subject: RE: BS: What are your favourite cooking spices?
From: Bobert
Date: 31 May 11 - 09:58 PM

All depends on what yer cookin'...

Lotta good ones already mentioned...

Here's one that ain't been mentioned...Mesquite is real nice... You can buy it in small packs in the dressings isle and they say it is fir chicken and that's fine... It's good on chicken... But it is a killer on either grilled swordfish or tuna... I mean, killer!!!

B~

Subject: RE: BS: What are your favourite cooking spices?
From: maire-aine
Date: 31 May 11 - 09:50 PM

Oh, I forgot to mention horseradish.

M

Subject: RE: BS: What are your favourite cooking spices?
From: maire-aine
Date: 31 May 11 - 09:46 PM

My favorites: 1) chives, 2) basil (esp. cinnamon basil with fruit), 3) rosemary. I'm also growing several varieties of mint. One herb that's not too common, but which I use a lot, is summer savory. I grow both summer & winter savory, but the summer variety isn't hardy in Michigan.

Maryanne

Subject: RE: BS: What are your favourite cooking spices?
From: GUEST,mark-s(on the road)
Date: 31 May 11 - 09:25 PM

Having once worked for a company outside Baltimore, I have learned how to worship at the altar of "Old Bay"
I swear, Baltimore people put Old Bay on their cornflakes.
For any type of seafood however, it cannot be beat.
Mark

Subject: RE: BS: What are your favourite cooking spices?
From: gnu
Date: 31 May 11 - 08:32 PM

Well, son of a pup! I never heard of that. Thanks!

Subject: RE: BS: What are your favourite cooking spices?
From: michaelr
Date: 31 May 11 - 08:28 PM

Food mill. Great for tomato sauce and mashed potatoes.

Subject: RE: BS: What are your favourite cooking spices?
From: gnu
Date: 31 May 11 - 07:37 PM

I am loving this thread and it's only just begun.

SRS... "I also juice my tomatoes then grind them in a food mill that pours sauce out one side and skin and seeds out the other." I MUST know about these. I used to do some dishes that Mum enjoyed but she has sworn off tomatoe seeds. Can you supply some details?

Subject: RE: BS: What are your favourite cooking spices?
From: Joe Offer
Date: 31 May 11 - 06:41 PM

I think onions are underrated. I add fresh onions to just about everything I'm cooking. They seem to balance out the flavors very nicely. I'll never make an omelet without onions.

-Joe-

Subject: RE: BS: What are your favourite cooking spices?
From: bobad
Date: 31 May 11 - 06:37 PM

"Hard to find good garlic in the market, most is very mild"

Grow your own -- very easy and beats hell outta that imported Chinese garbage.

Subject: RE: BS: What are your favourite cooking spices?
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 31 May 11 - 06:32 PM

Oregano and cumin are a necessity with chili and bean stews. Often bay leaf, basil, rosemary, thyme, white pepper.

Pure vanilla extract gets a lot of use in our pies, cookies, etc. Also allspice, cloves, nutmeg,ginger.

I count garlic, onion, chili, as vegetables, not spices.

Hard to find good garlic in the market, most is very mild. I have resorted to the little jars.

Subject: RE: BS: What are your favourite cooking spices?
From: Arthur_itus
Date: 31 May 11 - 06:16 PM

The ones that makes your ass burn fire the next day. Feeling hot hot hot or ring of fire. :-)

Subject: RE: BS: What are your favourite cooking spices?
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 31 May 11 - 05:53 PM

I've planted a lot of herbs and vegetables in the yard. Here are some of my favorites (aside from fresh ground pepper and salt):

garlic
onion
oregano
basil
thyme
rosemary
bay leaf
coriander/cilantro
peppers (various flavors & heat)

I also juice my tomatoes then grind them in a food mill that pours sauce out one side and skin and seeds out the other. I take that skin and seeds and dry it in the sun or oven, depending on the time of year, and then grind it up very fine in the food processor. This is a good source of tomato flavor but it's also an excellent source of the vitamin Lycopene. It's what gives the tomato its red color. I keep it in bags in the freezer and from there I fill a small shaker.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: What are your favourite cooking spices?
From: gnu
Date: 31 May 11 - 05:33 PM

Wow... less than two hours and I am learning a lot! Thanks!

Subject: RE: BS: What are your favourite cooking spices?
From: GUEST,Jon
Date: 31 May 11 - 05:23 PM

Depends. I could follow Bobad with the cumin, coriander and turmeric and in my case, turn out some form of spicy rather than hot (none of us here would run to a vindaloo) vegatable curry thing. Always comes out well.

Maybe I could suggest bay and thyme with a pot roast beef meal.

Even maybe a bit of parsley just to brighten up and go on top of beans on toast.

Or ground nutmeg on bread sauce that's been cooked with an onion with cloves pushed in it.

Not sure what the cupboard contains atm but there will be cumin, corrianer and tumeric, celery salt, cardamon, paprika, cayenne pepper amongst the things there. Then there is bay, various mints, lemon balm, lemon verbena, bay, thyme, parsley, sage, rosemary, several basils, chives, etc. fresh from the garden. I don't know what Pip does with all the herbs and spices here...

Subject: RE: BS: What are your favourite cooking spices?
From: GUEST
Date: 31 May 11 - 05:03 PM

As it happens cumin is my favourite spice. I use it in chili and stews and stuff like that.

Subject: RE: BS: What are your favourite cooking spices?
From: Ed T
Date: 31 May 11 - 05:00 PM

I especially like hot and sweet dishes (for example chinese stir fry's and thai curry snd noodle dishes).Indian and Sri Lankin food is a real treat for me. (Cumin I believe, is an ingredient in Indian Curry).

My list:

Oyster sauce is my favourite. I use it widely in cooking.

Hoisin sauce is another favourite, and also hot Asian chili sauce.

Curry, Indian or red thai is also a favourite in my cooking.

I use plum sauce and Apricot jelly to sweeten up my stir frys, to offset the hot sauces.I use demara sugar and molassess in (from scratch) BBQ sauces.

I liberally use Ginger, black pepper, onion powder (differenrt than onions) and chicken powder.

I use Basil in tomato sauces, and soups/chowders.

Tobasco (green and red)has many uses, beyond Chicken Gumbo, which I like to cook. I also use Frank's hot sauce and Chinese hot chili sauce..

I use Sherry (the booze) for flavour in many dishes.

I am never out of Lea and perrins Worchester sauce, and use it alot.

Old Bay Powder is nice, especially in fish chowders.

Somertimes I also use chinese five spice powder, (but it tends to overpower other ingredients)

Subject: RE: BS: What are your favourite cooking spices?
From: bobad
Date: 31 May 11 - 04:59 PM

Cumin seed, both ground and whole, turmeric and ground coriander seed are the holy triumvirate of Indian cookery, most dishes incorporate them as well as other spices particular to various regions. Turmeric, BTW, is purported to have anti-cancer properties, we put it in our daily salad dressing. I am quite partial to Indian food and make it regularly. Many on-line sites with recipes -- I have two cookbooks which I use.

Subject: RE: BS: What are your favourite cooking spices?
From: michaelr
Date: 31 May 11 - 04:59 PM

If we leave aside the obvious salt and fresh-ground black pepper, Garlic - fresh or granulated - is by far my favorite. I put it in just about everything.

Cumin is very good friends with cabbage and beans. Curry powder goes well with cauliflower. Lately I've grown ford of smoked paprika from Spain (pimenton ahumado) which is great with meat dishes.

You should have rosemary in your garden. It's only good when fresh. Same goes for parsley, cilantro and oregano.

Subject: BS: What are your favourite cooking spices?
From: gnu
Date: 31 May 11 - 03:42 PM

In my search to maintain my recently acquired girlish figure (as per my diet thread) I have been researching various recipes such as in my canned tomatoe and other similiar threads. Of course, it's not just about dieting for weight loss insomuch as attempting to teach myself how to cook more than the basics, which I do well enough to have gotten quite fat in the past.

I wondered if asking this question in thie here Café might evoke responses which would educate me in a different manner and moreso than simply researching recipes on the internut.

Soooo... what are your fav spices AND why AND what types of dishes do you use them in? For instance. I have read that cumin has tremendous properties regarding throat health... does anyone use it?... in what types of dishes? Most importantly, should I really have rosemary in my kitchen?