Herbs & Spices

[XeF4]

Novice cook here.

What herbs and spices should be in every cabinet? Are the cheap ones good enough or should I buy all those $6 McCormick ones?

 

[unjung]

I got one of these f*ckers from Costco. BAM!

I do have real cloves lying around but I find the flavour on this stuff is still very good.

 

[XeF4]

Also, does:

Garlic powder + Salt = Garlic Salt

 

[unjung]

Originally Posted by XeF4

Also, does:

Garlic powder + Salt = Garlic Salt

Not even close.

 

[Milhouse]

I guess it depends on the types of food you like.

Personally, I use a lot of cumin, allspice, black pepper, white pepper, dill, oregano, coriander, basil (fresh is so much better), rosemary, sage, thyme, and cinnamon.

I occasionally use saffron, turmeric, nutmeg, chervil, and fennel seed. Even more rarely, I use vanilla.

 

[Milhouse]

Also, I like cardamom, so I keep that around too.

 

[Ahab]

Of course Salt and Pepper.
A really good vinegar.

 

[Kas]

Basil
Black pepper
Cayenne pepper
Chili pepper, dried
Cilantro/Coriander seeds
Cinnamon, ground
Cloves
Cumin seeds
Dill
Ginger
Mustard seeds
Oregano
Parsley
Peppermint
Rosemary
Sage
Thyme
Turmeric

For starters..

 

[Douglas]

Kas's list is solid. Some good suggestions here overall. I note paprika is a glaring ommission from all of these lists though.

I am a little less inclined to go with most of the herbs. I find most dried parsley, oregano, coriander, sage, etc. pretty disgusting and I'd much rather go with the fresh herb, unless I'm doing some kind of BBQ rub. Especially dried parsley. Ugh. I have no idea what I'd use that for.

Saffron is an awesome one - I find that it can be used almost by itself to flavor milder meats like chicken and fish. Because most people don't think to cook with it, and its flavor is deep and complex, people will think you're some kind of chef without you having to do much.

Oh, and, invest in a good pepper grinder with a ceramic grinding element and always use whole peppercorns. That pre-ground stuff is unconscionable.

 

[Kas]

Yup, fresh is always better. And you also have to consider how you cook, if you often make stews - cloves and bay leaves will do you much more good than chili pepper.

 

[kwilkinson]

Originally Posted by Douglas

Oh, and, invest in a good pepper grinder with a ceramic grinding element and always use whole peppercorns. That pre-ground stuff is unconscionable.

Even better is to buy just the whole peppercorns. When you're going to use them, toss 5 or 6 peppercorns onto the stove in a dry pan. Let them cook for a minute or so until they start to crackle and the smell is really strong. This gets all the oils released better than just cracking them. Then chop them up.
It's not convenient, but you get a really beautiful, strong, peppery flavor from them that way. It's insane. I bet I use 50% less pepper now beacuse this is so strong.

 

[Douglas]

Originally Posted by kwilkinson

Even better is to buy just the whole peppercorns. When you're going to use them, toss 5 or 6 peppercorns onto the stove in a dry pan. Let them cook for a minute or so until they start to crackle and the smell is really strong. This gets all the oils released better than just cracking them. Then chop them up.
It's not convenient, but you get a really beautiful, strong, peppery flavor from them that way. It's insane. I bet I use 50% less pepper now beacuse this is so strong.

Sounds interesting, but... chop them up? Can I just crush them with the back of a pan? Seems like trying to chop them they'd be squirting all over the kitchen.

 

[kwilkinson]

Originally Posted by Douglas

Sounds interesting, but... chop them up? Can I just crush them with the back of a pan? Seems like trying to chop them they'd be squirting all over the kitchen.

Chop em, squish em, grind em. Whatever it takes to get them into regular flake size.

 

[Kas]

Originally Posted by Douglas

Sounds interesting, but... chop them up? Can I just crush them with the back of a pan? Seems like trying to chop them they'd be squirting all over the kitchen.

Use the knife's grind; instead of holding it vertically to cut, use it horizontally to crush the pepper. You'll need a decent sized chef's knife for it.

 

[edinatlanta]

Parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme.