Herbs and Spices.

What's cooking?
User avatar
worth1
Reactions:
Posts: 14282
Joined: Tue Dec 10, 2019 12:32 pm
Location: 25 miles southeast of Waterloo Texas

Herbs and Spices.

#1

Post: # 4886Unread post worth1
Fri Jan 03, 2020 4:16 pm

A brief introduction.
I thought I would start a thread for herbs and spices.
I love herbs and spices.
As a child I used to be able to pick out my mothers day gift and it was always an herb and spice rack including the herbs and spices.
That or kitchen utensils.
I hope everyone will participate, by telling folks what their most used herbs and spices are and what they use them for.
Or any other off the wall comments that may come to mind.
I myself will do the best I can to talk not only about my uses of the said items but the history of them and how they shaped our world we live in.
To me and to me only an herb is the leaf or stem portion of plant a spice is more or less the seed portion or soon to become a seed as in cloves or even bark such as cinnamon.
The clove is the unopened flower of the clove tree.
Feel free to add hot peppers and any type of liqueur, wine or alcohol to this section too.
Pretty much open to anything. :)
Worth
25 miles southeast of Waterloo Texas.

You can't argue with a closed mind.
You might as well be arguing with a cat.

User avatar
Shule
Reactions:
Posts: 2733
Joined: Thu Dec 12, 2019 3:29 pm
Location: SW Idaho, USA

Re: Herbs and Spices.

#2

Post: # 4897Unread post Shule
Fri Jan 03, 2020 5:32 pm

[mention]worth1[/mention]
I love cardamom in pepper pickles.

I love bay leaves in tomato sauce. Remember that thread on TV I started about spaghetti sauce? Bay leaves were what was missing from my modern sauce. I didn't realize they did so much.

I love summer savory, but I still need to learn more dishes it goes well in. I like it with a baked gourd and tomato recipe.

I love tarragon and rue with baked chicken (baked in a cast-iron pan with frozen vegetables on it). Warning: Most people don't cook with rue, due to the taste, if not possible dangers! Rue is a citrus; so, I wonder if leaves of kaffir lime would be a good substitute.

Speaking of kaffir lime, you're supposed to use the leaves on it. Never tried them knowingly, but they sound awesome! Citrus trees make good houseplants (I have a grapefruit tree). I'd love to grow a kaffir lime, if I could manage to fit it somewhere sunny conveniently.

This might sound weird, but I like to use garden and alpine strawberries as a spice! Strawberries are a good, albeit different, alternative to vanilla.

Pepper is pretty great in just about everything, and it can add a lot of flavor all on its own. I remember I ate with a Korean friend of a relative once, and the food tasted totally awesome. I asked him what was in it, expecting a list of herbs and spices. Nope. Just salt and pepper! I was so confused. There's pepper and there's pepper, though (I didn't realize that at the time). He probably had good quality pepper.

Hot chile pepper powder is nice in lots of stuff.

Paprika is great on deviled eggs and sometimes tuna.

I like to use nutmeg and cinnamon in conjunction with brown sugar and citric acid to make things taste like apple pie or flavored applesauce (especially Citron watermelon or zucchini sauce).

Cinnamon is great in applesauce, cookies, desserts, teriyaki-type stuff, etc.

Ginger is great in lots of stuff, of course. I like it in a cheesy pasta with brown sugar and Maggi.

Oregano is great in spaghetti/pizza sauce and chili.

Basil is great on pizza. It makes Hawaiian pizza taste more Hawaiian to me, too. When the Canadian bacon is too thick, it (along with some Tajin seasoning) seems to help.

Fenugreek is good mixed in with plenty of things. It makes things taste cleaner, IMO. I think I made a salad dressing using it once, which I enjoyed.

I love lots of chives cooked in spaghetti sauce. Maybe not for everyone, but if you don't have meat, it makes the sauce taste more like it has meat in it.

Oranges make a great flavoring for some Asian-style dishes, similar to teriyaki. I forgot what I used to use them in that I loved so much. I would use the whole orange (sans the peel, although I know the peels have great uses).

Raisins can be used like a spice to flavor stuff (and of course they sweeten it), if you blend them up or something (they don't blend up terribly easily, however). I like them in spaghetti sauce when I don't want to use regular sugar.

Sesame seeds are great in lots of things. Not sure if they have to be ground to count as a spice. They add flavor to a salad dressing that I used to make.

I had more stuff to say, but I forgot, and this is getting long.
Location: SW Idaho, USA
Climate: BSk
USDA hardiness zone: 6
Elevation: 2,260 feet

User avatar
Nan6b
Reactions:
Posts: 1545
Joined: Tue Dec 10, 2019 2:58 pm
Location: Pittsburgh, PA

Re: Herbs and Spices.

#3

Post: # 4976Unread post Nan6b
Fri Jan 03, 2020 11:19 pm

Stuff I use all the time:
Onions or onion powder- almost every savory dish will start with frying onions, or the addition of onion powder if I'm lazy.
Celery- gets put in with the onions.
Garlic salt with parsley flakes- again, in every savory dish.
Montreal steak seasoning from Grill Mates- beef, chicken & pork very often get this. Use it a little more sparingly that salt. It contains salt & peppers among other things.
Chicken, or less often beef, boullion- added to broth & meat juice to add flavor.

Stuff I use in some things:
Basil- anything Italian. There's a lot of it in my homemade lasagna sauce (what I do with my tomatoes)
Oregano- ditto.
Pepper- not always, but a little in savory dishes if not using other hot stuff

Stuff I use on occasion:

Vanilla- in my sweet cooking.
Cinnamon- often when making a fruit recipe.
Sugar or splenda- In sweet cooking or eating. Very little sugar goes into my lasagna sauce if needed.
Ginger- I don't like the taste of ginger, so I use it sparingly, with cinnamon.
Grated Parmesan/Romano cheese- Used in any dish requiring tomato sauce. Also, if a savory dish isn't good enough, it can be helped with this. Makes a good mix with corn meal, to cook fish.

Use very seldom or only in one recipe:
lemon juice very sparingly in some fruit recipes.
Paprika-in paprikash and on deviled eggs
Taco seasoning- only on tacos.
Rosemary- in Walnut Chicken, a heavenly dish.
Cloves- in Zydeco soup
Thyme- in Zydeco soup
Cumin- in Zydeco soup
Tarragon-poor man's saffron
Bee Balm leaves- occasionally on chicken
Staghorn Sumac red berries to flavor tea; citrusy.
Caramel flavor- occasionally, in tea or coffee
Hazelnut flavor- Occasionally in coffee.

User avatar
peebee
Reactions:
Posts: 608
Joined: Tue Dec 10, 2019 6:48 pm
Location: So. Calif zone 10

Re: Herbs and Spices.

#4

Post: # 4986Unread post peebee
Sat Jan 04, 2020 1:09 am

I use cinnamon in both sweet & savory dishes. In curries & in the beef soup for pho.
Fresh ginger is a staple in my fridge.
And I don't know if it can be considered a spice (more like a seasoning perhaps) but I love salted lemons often used in Mediterranean cooking. I make a jar every winter when we have fresh lemons & it keeps for a year in the fridge. We use the liquid like you would salt except it has the flavor & fragrance of the citrus. Good for salad dressings, seafood dishes, grilled foods etc. Ok it's been hours since dinner & I think I'm hungry now... :)
Zone 10, Southern California
Will eat anything once before I judge.
Anything meaning any foods of course.

User avatar
worth1
Reactions:
Posts: 14282
Joined: Tue Dec 10, 2019 12:32 pm
Location: 25 miles southeast of Waterloo Texas

Re: Herbs and Spices.

#5

Post: # 4994Unread post worth1
Sat Jan 04, 2020 5:58 am

peebee wrote: Sat Jan 04, 2020 1:09 am I use cinnamon in both sweet & savory dishes. In curries & in the beef soup for pho.
Fresh ginger is a staple in my fridge.
And I don't know if it can be considered a spice (more like a seasoning perhaps) but I love salted lemons often used in Mediterranean cooking. I make a jar every winter when we have fresh lemons & it keeps for a year in the fridge. We use the liquid like you would salt except it has the flavor & fragrance of the citrus. Good for salad dressings, seafood dishes, grilled foods etc. Ok it's been hours since dinner & I think I'm hungry now... :)
If you like salted lemon you would love salted limes.
This is how they stored limes on ships to keep from getting scurvy on the long voyages around the Cape of Good Hope and on to the spice trades beyond.
Vasco de Gama from Portugal being the first European to sail into Calicut in India.
This was (AFTER) Columbus sailed to the Americas.
At that time they had no idea about scurvy and practically all the crew had came down with it by the time they got back with ship loads of spices.

Keeping with tradition I use hot red pepper on deviled eggs, not sweet paprika, hence the term deviled from the heat of the pepper.
Worth
25 miles southeast of Waterloo Texas.

You can't argue with a closed mind.
You might as well be arguing with a cat.

User avatar
peebee
Reactions:
Posts: 608
Joined: Tue Dec 10, 2019 6:48 pm
Location: So. Calif zone 10

Re: Herbs and Spices.

#6

Post: # 5081Unread post peebee
Sat Jan 04, 2020 12:05 pm

Oh I would love salted limes too but I don't have a tree so I use what I have, 2 varieties. I also have my prized Yuzu tree, I salt those also when I have a surplus.
Zone 10, Southern California
Will eat anything once before I judge.
Anything meaning any foods of course.

User avatar
worth1
Reactions:
Posts: 14282
Joined: Tue Dec 10, 2019 12:32 pm
Location: 25 miles southeast of Waterloo Texas

Re: Herbs and Spices.

#7

Post: # 5414Unread post worth1
Mon Jan 06, 2020 12:15 pm

Who all uses mace and nutmeg in savory dishes?
I do with meats and other vegetables.
Worth
25 miles southeast of Waterloo Texas.

You can't argue with a closed mind.
You might as well be arguing with a cat.

User avatar
peebee
Reactions:
Posts: 608
Joined: Tue Dec 10, 2019 6:48 pm
Location: So. Calif zone 10

Re: Herbs and Spices.

#8

Post: # 5416Unread post peebee
Mon Jan 06, 2020 12:22 pm

I use nutmeg in beef dishes but never tried mace. What types of dishes would you use mace for?
Zone 10, Southern California
Will eat anything once before I judge.
Anything meaning any foods of course.

User avatar
worth1
Reactions:
Posts: 14282
Joined: Tue Dec 10, 2019 12:32 pm
Location: 25 miles southeast of Waterloo Texas

Re: Herbs and Spices.

#9

Post: # 5419Unread post worth1
Mon Jan 06, 2020 12:30 pm

About the same thing but way less.
Mace is the outside web like coating of the nutmeg seed.
Worth
25 miles southeast of Waterloo Texas.

You can't argue with a closed mind.
You might as well be arguing with a cat.

User avatar
worth1
Reactions:
Posts: 14282
Joined: Tue Dec 10, 2019 12:32 pm
Location: 25 miles southeast of Waterloo Texas

Re: Herbs and Spices.

#10

Post: # 5422Unread post worth1
Mon Jan 06, 2020 12:36 pm

Nutmeg with mace seed.
images-6.jpeg
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
Worth
25 miles southeast of Waterloo Texas.

You can't argue with a closed mind.
You might as well be arguing with a cat.

User avatar
Nan6b
Reactions:
Posts: 1545
Joined: Tue Dec 10, 2019 2:58 pm
Location: Pittsburgh, PA

Re: Herbs and Spices.

#11

Post: # 5455Unread post Nan6b
Mon Jan 06, 2020 3:31 pm

Oh I forgot- I also use Tony Cashere's.

User avatar
Growing Coastal
Reactions:
Posts: 1092
Joined: Tue Dec 10, 2019 4:49 pm
Location: Vancouver Island Canada

Re: Herbs and Spices.

#12

Post: # 5473Unread post Growing Coastal
Mon Jan 06, 2020 4:15 pm

Rosemary is blooming here, now. Later on I use the growing tips freshly chopped on new potatoes along with garlic scapes.
Lemon balm is good with fish, too.
I don't know how many shriveled bits of ginger went into the compost before I learned that it keeps really well in the freezer. I shave whatever I need from the frozen piece.
Last week I started some holy basil to test the seeds and it came up. Such tiny seeds.

User avatar
worth1
Reactions:
Posts: 14282
Joined: Tue Dec 10, 2019 12:32 pm
Location: 25 miles southeast of Waterloo Texas

Re: Herbs and Spices.

#13

Post: # 5480Unread post worth1
Mon Jan 06, 2020 4:30 pm

My rosemary is blooming too.
The bees love it.
I like to put a broom of it in hot or warm olive oil with black pepper and brush roasting meat with it.
The bigger stems are good for a little extra smoke on grilled meats of all kinds.
Tuscan blue seems to like my place and soil the best.
Worth
25 miles southeast of Waterloo Texas.

You can't argue with a closed mind.
You might as well be arguing with a cat.

User avatar
Shule
Reactions:
Posts: 2733
Joined: Thu Dec 12, 2019 3:29 pm
Location: SW Idaho, USA

Re: Herbs and Spices.

#14

Post: # 5488Unread post Shule
Mon Jan 06, 2020 4:53 pm

[mention]worth1[/mention]
I've never tried nutmeg in a savory dish, but I do know nutmeg can be used to make things less bitter, if used properly. I think they used nutmeg in just about everything in medieval times, perhaps.

What herbs or spices do you use along with nutmeg in savory dishes?
Location: SW Idaho, USA
Climate: BSk
USDA hardiness zone: 6
Elevation: 2,260 feet

User avatar
Shule
Reactions:
Posts: 2733
Joined: Thu Dec 12, 2019 3:29 pm
Location: SW Idaho, USA

Re: Herbs and Spices.

#15

Post: # 5489Unread post Shule
Mon Jan 06, 2020 4:55 pm

I've been wanting to try these: https://nuts.com/cookingbaking/herbsspi ... rries.html

Just in case you're tempted to try wild junipers, realize that not all juniper species have edible berries. I'm not sure how to tell if they're safe offhand.
Location: SW Idaho, USA
Climate: BSk
USDA hardiness zone: 6
Elevation: 2,260 feet

User avatar
worth1
Reactions:
Posts: 14282
Joined: Tue Dec 10, 2019 12:32 pm
Location: 25 miles southeast of Waterloo Texas

Re: Herbs and Spices.

#16

Post: # 5499Unread post worth1
Mon Jan 06, 2020 5:26 pm

I use nutmeg, mace ,white or black pepper and salt as my main ingredients in a fresh bratwurst I make.
The stuff kind of stands on its own.
I like the medieval cooking before the Columbus exchange.
I have to pick some ash juniper I saw that had berries on it along the road and let them dry.
I haven't died yet.
Just thinking of it today.
Worth
25 miles southeast of Waterloo Texas.

You can't argue with a closed mind.
You might as well be arguing with a cat.

User avatar
Growing Coastal
Reactions:
Posts: 1092
Joined: Tue Dec 10, 2019 4:49 pm
Location: Vancouver Island Canada

Re: Herbs and Spices.

#17

Post: # 5538Unread post Growing Coastal
Mon Jan 06, 2020 9:26 pm

worth1 wrote: Mon Jan 06, 2020 4:30 pm My rosemary is blooming too.
The bees love it.
I like to put a broom of it in hot or warm olive oil with black pepper and brush roasting meat with it.
The bigger stems are good for a little extra smoke on grilled meats of all kinds.
Tuscan blue seems to like my place and soil the best.
I was told that in the south of France rosemary is often planted in hedges where it is (was?) thought to be an air purifier. A dry twig will burn almost like sweet grass and does give off a powerful, not unpleasant smelling smoke in the air.

User avatar
Shule
Reactions:
Posts: 2733
Joined: Thu Dec 12, 2019 3:29 pm
Location: SW Idaho, USA

Re: Herbs and Spices.

#18

Post: # 5548Unread post Shule
Mon Jan 06, 2020 10:05 pm

Does anyone here use allspice? I've been thinking about it, too, these days.
Location: SW Idaho, USA
Climate: BSk
USDA hardiness zone: 6
Elevation: 2,260 feet

User avatar
MissS
Reactions:
Posts: 5599
Joined: Fri Dec 13, 2019 4:55 am
Location: SE Wisconsin Zone 5b

Re: Herbs and Spices.

#19

Post: # 5551Unread post MissS
Mon Jan 06, 2020 10:12 pm

Yes I do. It's good in Jamaican curries and patties. Great in sauces especially on hot turkey sandwiches. Pumpkin pie would not be the same without allspice in it.
~ Patti ~

User avatar
Nan6b
Reactions:
Posts: 1545
Joined: Tue Dec 10, 2019 2:58 pm
Location: Pittsburgh, PA

Re: Herbs and Spices.

#20

Post: # 5557Unread post Nan6b
Mon Jan 06, 2020 10:26 pm

If you don't have one of the spices necessary for Pumpkin Pie, substitute Allspice for it.

Post Reply

Return to “Recipes”