Spices...

[coltle6920]

Not talking about salt and pepper.

I frequently watch cooking shows on TV. They keep using words like Tumeric, Marjoram, Nutmeg, Ginger and Cinnamon. I've heard of them but have no idea when or where to use them. I was also surprised to learn cinnamon isn't just for baking cakes and cookies. I tried ginger once and destroyed a beef stew.

Anything out there online that might list different spices and how they're used? Right now my pantry consists of mainly garlic salt. Has to be something else to use on a nice pork roast not that there's anything wrong with garlic salt.

 

[STCM(SW)]

How about carps? I tried it a tomato sauce I make and tonight in a meat loaf I made. Different for sure.....

 

[s&wchad]

There's a list of spices here...
Master List Of Herbs And Spices

I make a dry rub for pork roast and ribs. Liberally apply, wrap in plastic and let it sit for up to a day before cooking. You don't need to use all the ingredients. Limit your spice collection to the ones you enjoy and will frequently use. They have a limited shelf life and lose their potency over time.

Pepper (black and a pinch of cayenne)
Cumin
Garlic powder
Onion powder
Chili powder
Brown sugar
Salt
Cinnamon

 

[MetalMan]

Wife uses a ton of spices in her recipes.

These are purchased from local Penzey’s which seem to have largest and freshest varieties.

 

[soFlaNative]

Pretty much what chad uses with the addition of paprika.
Trying to figure whether to use hot, mild or smoked taxes my culinary skills.

 

[mike4sigs]

There's a list of spices here...
Master List Of Herbs And Spices

I make a dry rub for pork roast and ribs. Liberally apply, wrap in plastic and let it sit for up to a day before cooking. You don't need to use all the ingredients. Limit your spice collection to the ones you enjoy and will frequently use. They have a limited shelf life and lose their potency over time.

Pepper (black and a pinch of cayenne)
Cumin
Garlic powder
Onion powder
Chili powder
Brown sugar
Salt
Cinnamon

i use the same minus the Cinnamon i may try it next time.
i also use these spices on poultry.

 

[VaTom]

I use a little bit of Cinnamon in my chili. I used these two (see picture) in most of my cooking. Especially good in dried beans such as pintos, limas, etc. Also meats cooked in pressure cooker.

 

[LoboGunLeather]

Good spices can be pricey in small quantities for home use. Fortunately, in most cases a little bit goes a long way. Easier on the wallet to add a new one every trip to the grocery store, get stocked up over a few months instead of busting a paycheck all at once.

In addition to S&WChad's list I use quite a bit of Lawry's Seasoned Salt (good with just about any meat for the pan, oven, or grill), a blend of Italian seasonings (soup, sauces), and some things (red beans, gumbo) cry out for Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning. Living in southern Colorado where Mexican food is a staple, we consume plenty of chiles (fresh, roasted, dried, crushed, ground).

 

[Nevada Ed]

I just found out a few days ago that my wife finally told me, that she does not like the spice, Rosemary !!

Last night she pulls a pork menu off the internet and guess what........
it called for Rosemary.
I told her that I tossed it out and to try some Thyme or Oragano.

 

[robvious]

Spice is the variety of life... but tread lightly... probably best to start with pre-blended spices, bbq rubs, seasoned salts, Cajun, Italian, Greek, Indian etc... figure out what you like and experiment from that base.. I liked the buy one spice every grocery store visit idea.. I make my own rubs & spice blends, but it took a long time to figure out what works.. write down your attempt so you can repeat or avoid as necessary... enjoy the ride.. oh, my spice cabinet isn't big enough... it has spilled onto the counter

 

[zeke]

Next thing ya know you'll be making your own Cajun and Jamaican rubs, with Vietnamese fish sauce for dipping your egg/spring rolls.

As they say, variety is the spice of life.

 

[chief38]

I am by no means a gourmet cook, baker or chef! that said, I have recently discovered that spices DO make a big difference - in the brand that is. Over most of our married life together my wife and I just bought whatever brand was on sale or on the grocery store shelves at the time.

About 3 months ago when I was completely disappointed with Kirkland brand of Cinnamon and Black Pepper, we went back to buying McCormick's spices exclusively and in fact I posted a thread on that. Since losing 25 pounds over the last year, I pay more attention to the things I now eat.

So far we have replaced at least a dozen spices with McCormick's and I will be the first to admit we had been hoodwinked or asleep at the spice switch for many years. While there maybe a few smaller sized company's producing slightly better spices on a select spice by spice comparison, you simply can't go wrong with the old and established McCormick's Spices. No more Kirkland or Publix brand spice for us.

 

[El Juero]

Just talking cinnamon, there are a lot of variations. I prefer the Saigon Cinnamon, it is more pungent. As well, try the smoked paprika instead of normal paprika.

 

[Bib]

Freshly ground white peppercorns are way more flavorful than black

 

[Golddollar]

. . . . and some things (red beans, gumbo) cry out for Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning.

/QUOTE]

To me just about everything calls out for Tony Chachere's Original Creole Seasoning. The combination of ingredients seems to make an attachment to just about anything.

When I was on the chili cooking circuit I discovered that the quantity of spices listed in a recipe was often just a starting point. With experience the quantities of the individual spices can be adjusted on the fly to achieve a desired flavor combination.

And as an aside, spices can sometimes have a medicinal quality. One time up in Quebec on a family fishing trip I cut my left pinky rather badly. We were out in the wilds at 45 minutes from the nearest town that might have some medical facilities. Luckily my Uncle Gene brought along a bottle of medicinal turpentine and I had a bottle of cayenne pepper for making chili. Gene poured the turpentine on my hand to disinfect the cut and I poured the cayenne pepper on my hand to stop the bleeding. I had read somewhere that the Indians in South America used cayenne pepper as an astringent to heal cuts. We bandaged my hand, the cut crusted over and I didn't have to go find a medical facility at all. The next week when I told this story to my doctor he said, "You guys did alright with your backwoods medicine."

 

[mtgianni]

My holy trinity for cooking is Johnny's seasoning salt, garlic POWDER, and lemon pepper.

Really good French toast that my grandkids like, has me using cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. It taste like Christmas smells.

 

[LoboGunLeather]

Next thing ya know you'll be making your own Cajun and Jamaican rubs, with Vietnamese fish sauce for dipping your egg/spring rolls.

As they say, variety is the spice of life.

"Vietnamese fish sauce" can have only one meaning for me after serving in Vietnam. A very popular condiment called 'nuoc mam' made from inedible portions of fish (fish heads, entrails, etc) combined with herbs and spices, then buried for 30 days or more to ferment into a mushy pasty mess that the locals served with just about anything else they ate.

The smell could easily knock a strong man down at 50 yards or more. There really is not a strong enough word to describe nuoc mam sauce, but putrid comes pretty close.

I found Vietnamese people to be quite courteous and having good hygienic standards. I was fortunate to be a guest in homes on a few occasions. I was probably seen as an uncultured heathen with picky eating habits. Mostly I smiled a lot, patted my belly, gave a good belch to compliment the chef, and made sure there was something left in my bowl to keep the host from refilling it (the women and children seldom ate anything until the guest was taken care of).

Sorry for the thread drift. My old memories keep leaking out.

 

[lihpster]

[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hYN7yih6oXw[/ame]

 

[zeke]

"Vietnamese fish sauce" can have only one meaning for me after serving in Vietnam. A very popular condiment called 'nuoc mam' made from inedible portions of fish (fish heads, entrails, etc) combined with herbs and spices, then buried for 30 days or more to ferment into a mushy pasty mess that the locals served with just about anything else they ate.

The smell could easily knock a strong man down at 50 yards or more. There really is not a strong enough word to describe nuoc mam sauce, but putrid comes pretty close.

I found Vietnamese people to be quite courteous and having good hygienic standards. I was fortunate to be a guest in homes on a few occasions. I was probably seen as an uncultured heathen with picky eating habits. Mostly I smiled a lot, patted my belly, gave a good belch to compliment the chef, and made sure there was something left in my bowl to keep the host from refilling it (the women and children seldom ate anything until the guest was taken care of).

Sorry for the thread drift. My old memories keep leaking out.

am settling for mix of anchovy extract labeled as premium fish sauce (Nuoc Mam), chili garlic sauce (Tuong ot toi Vietnam), white vinegar and little sugar. It is a room clearer, quite pungent and an acquired taste.

 

[coltle6920]

I'm a garlic salt addict. Freezers full of a couple different hot roasted chilis. Sometimes I'll opt for fresh jalapenos from the market. Cumin and chili powder are also a must for whatever. Dill is a must for fish.

The problem with spice blends is when I find one I really like it isn't available when I want it again. I'd like to wring the store buyers neck. Trial and error can get expensive and I'm not going to throw it out.