Question about spices/seasonings?

Question

So I asked a question a few weeks ago about wanting to start expanding my use of spices and seasonings, and got some great answers of which ones people use most often. But now what? How do I actually start cooking with them? Do you have any fairly simple recipes that can help get me started? I cook often, but mostly classic, easy dinners... I'd like to start branching out. Thanks~

Thanks Ginger- I like any cuisine, really. I have the classic red Betty Crocker cookbook, and have cooked most of the recipes in it. They are yummy, but a little more basic than I'm looking for. :)

Answer 1

A good way to start branching out is to watch the Food Network and get ideas from some of their shows. You can get the recipes for what each star makes on their website. http://www.foodnetwork.com - on the right side of the page, there is a tab under "What's on TV" that says - Full Schedule. That's where you find the recipes. At the very bottom of the page is a calendar, so you can go forward or back and get recipes you missed, or recipes you may want that they haven't shown yet.

Or, you can go to a website like allrecipes http://www.allrecipes.com join the site and set up your page to display "latest recipe pictures" and check out the pictures of food that are submitted daily. If something looks appealing, click on the picture, which will give you the title of the dish, and click on the title to go to the recipe. Be sure to check out the feedback for changes that are made from people who have tried the recipe.

This is how I started branching out, and I've gone way out of my cooking comfort zone for the past few years. I found out that I am a fantastic cook! lol Good luck.

Answer 2

A good thing to do is to actually smell and taste the spices/herbs. It'll let you know what flavor will be passed into your food and that should give you ideas right away. Some things work better with certain foods than others. For instance, sage is really good with fish, tarragon is really good with chicken, rosemary is really good with beef... The more delicate flavored herbs work better with fish and the heartier herbs work better with red meat.

If you find spices you like, try mixing them up as a previous poster stated, and taste the mixture. You can add more of whatever you prefer and you end up with a great spice rub/seasoning blend.

There are spices indigenous to certain cuisines, like cumin or ginger, so you can do some web research on different spices to find out their original uses. That'll give you a jumping off point for expanding their uses and mixing flavors.

Answer 3

Sarah,

It would help if we had the type of cuisine you prefer. You can pick up a copy of Betty Crocker's red cookbook for many ideas or specialize in Italian or Chinese...that all depends on you.

I would recommend going online to: penzeys.com to discover some of the best and economical herbs and spices in the world. They also have recipes and links to their cooking magazine.

Answer 4

First, let us understand the distinction between HERBS and SPICES. They are not the same
Herbs are or were green and leafy (therefor, oregano, tarragon, basil, sage, rosemary, etc are herbs)
Spices are seeds, bark and other woody substance, (therefor cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, allspice, mace, mustard, coriander SEEDS, poppy, etc are spices)
The best way to understand how to use herbs and spices is to taste them. And start adding them where you think youd like the addition of that taste.
As a rule of thumb, herbs (green things) do not go into desserts. (Spices do, instead)
Get yourself a simple herb and spice cookbook and pay a little attention to where they add what. As you make those dishes, stop and taste the herb or spice so you will understand what taste you are adding
Good luck!
Your taste buds and palette will thank you!

Answer 5

Check out the wonderful recipes available on Williams Sonoma's website. There are all sorts of fun things to cook - from complicated to very simple recipes. The recipes also change throughout the year. I've not found one I did not like - from entrees to desserts.

Answer 6

You can get lots of home made recipes from this site as well as download a free chicken cookbook with 300 recipes

Answer 7

Look for a new cookbook, one that focuses on vegetables. Maybe even a vegetarian cookbook. Check Amazon, they may have a used copy really cheap.

Answer 8

if you like Italian You can always use
oregano , basil, parsley , rosemary , garlic and , red pepper flakes.
in Mexican you can use ,
cumin, chili powder, garlic, pepper (any kind)
in Chinese or oriental
you can use garlic , ginger, spring onions cumin , red pepper, soy sauce, star anise
in Indian
curry , cinnamon, cumin, star anise, cloves, pepper, nutmeg etc
try buying or looking up books on the kind of food you want to cook.

Answer 9

The best collections come from the best companies and McCormick is my favorite source of information. Enjoy the links. They will add some ideas to your email inbox on a regular basis, if you ask.

Answer 10

Hey Sarah! I like to play around with my spices and mix them up together. If I find a combo that I like, I make plenty of it and save it in an empty film canister so I can use it again and again. Just pick a food you like (chicken, pork chops, ribs, steak) and play around.