From Flu Wiki 2

Forum: Spices

26 May 2006

jon c – at 19:53

As I see we have a lot of great cooks contributing recipes at this site. What cooking spices are you stocking up , how much and why. I made sure I have a lot of Tabasco, salt, black pepper and soy sauce. Of course I have other spices, but I use these a lot. What about you?

jon c – at 19:53
DennisCat 20:00

dried onions, chicken bouillon, Basil (I like it), lemon and pepper, cloves (for the canned ham), Molly butter,sugar and cinnimon. I have mint and chives growing. I also have “planted” some onions/leaks in the neighboring forest.

jon c – at 20:01

whats molly butter?

Melanie – at 20:05

I’m growing three kinds of basil, two kinds of mint, chives, rosemary (fabulous on canned ham and chicken), chervil and GARLIC.

DennisCat 20:06

It is that fake powder “butter flavored flakes” - Like most things, I just get what ever is on sale.

Melanie – at 20:06

Oooh, don’t forget the nam pla.

EnoughAlreadyat 20:07

Cajun/creole seasonings… because I’m married to a cajun! Tabasco, hot sauce, hot pepper flakes… because my family (not me) loves them, and because they clear your head when it is stuffy! S & P, iodized salt, rock salt. Grocery store had sale on spices about a month and 1/2 ago… big clearance sale… I stocked up. I have a herb garden that I generally cook from… basil, chives, thyme, sage, rosemary, oregano, dill, cilantra, lavender, and 2 small camphor trees that I am hoping to be able to figure out how to harvest from soon. Yesterday I purchased seeds for my fall garden in case I couldn’t do it when needed to have them… bf & hurricane season. I purchased extra herb seeds & I am looking to expand my herbal garden. I also plan on dehydrating peppers, onions and garlic this summer.

jon c – at 20:08

Ooooo I also bought a ton of garlic powder.

DennisCat 20:15

Melanie – at 20:05

I am in the middle of a forest, so I have got little “natural patches” of some items. I don’t really “garden” the sites, just let them go natural. I have basil, mint (4 kinds growing along my stream and I dry the leaves), chives, leaks, rubarb, ….. and so on. Through the years, I just get what ever is on sale after the stores “close out” some of their items. I just take them along as I hike and plant them out in the “back yard” (20 acres next to the Nat’l Forest) I even have a few Mushroom stumps that I have “seeded”- but you have to get them in the right time of the year.

3 kinds of Basil- I didn’t know they had them. I will have to look that up. I love it in my Ravioli soup and most “italian” type dishes. I have some elephant garlic as well. But again I don’t really garden- just stick them in the ground here and there. (I have no “lawn” like in the traditional big city yard.

EnoughAlreadyat 20:25

DennisC – at 20:15

3 kinds of basil… I have sweet basil, dwarf fineleaf, lemon, & dark opal. My daughter has these, plus cinnamon basil. I don’t like cinnamon basil!

EnoughAlreadyat 20:26

Basil I have--- dark opal, lemon, dwarf fineleaf, and sweet. My daughter also grows cinnamon basil. I do NOT like cinnamon basil!

EnoughAlreadyat 20:27

sorry about the double post, thought I hit reset… didn’t show post on my screen until the second post. I also can’t seem to get the hang of links! Can I edit/remove posts I make?

Woodstock – at 20:28

Garlic! Us italians love our garlic. jars and jars of the stuff. Will have no trouble keeping people away from us i reckon ;)

Urdar-No – at 20:31

rucola, even if its considered a salat it gives a fresh taste, can be grown in your window in only 3 weeks.. I have different currypastas in small cans, and indian Mixed Picles, it turns the most boring food into indian fiest. just add rice and beans :) Soysaus is a healthy and good source of the taste the japanese call “god”, it is the fift and not so well known taste (mostly named glutamat in junkfood).. most students i know survive on this and rice ;)

vinegar is essential,, preferably a good italian balsamico, keeps you happy forewer :D

Melanie – at 20:32

Thai basil (not a true basil) and holy basil are growing along with the Italian stuff.

Cinda – at 20:49

Don’t forget chile powder!! I am growing garlic, jalepeno, cayenne, basil, parsley, marjoram, sage, rosemary, tarragon, oregano and have a few good sized clove patches, mixed in with a patch of apple mint.

bgw in MT – at 21:00

My favorite all-purpose seasoning for savory dishes is Cavender’s Greek Seasoning. It’s a wonderful blend that is great on meat or in vegies, soup, salads, beans….just about anything.

Tony Chachere’s or Zatarain’s Creole seasoning adds some zip to many too bland dishes.

I buy the McCormick’s Cinnamon in the big plastic shaker-bottles with the green tops at Costco. I put a good amount in my coffee and my husband and son use it in their oatmeal. It is supposed to help stabilize blood sugars besides tasting good. One half teaspoon is supposed to be the medicinal dose. The kind in the sage-green-topped bottles just tastes a lot better than the kind in the big red top shaker-bottles.

corrientempe – at 21:05

I have loads of Costco cinnamon too. I’m thinking about baking bread and pies etc. and using as barter items with neighbors who have fruit trees or other things we might need. I’ve tried to think of what people might crave when the stores are empty. On the other hand, Ive married an engineer and we are looking into building a still (yes, that kind of still) for the other things folks might be craving.

Corrie (cheers, on Margarita #2)

Snowhound1 – at 21:19

I have pounds of garlic powder, onion powder, onion flakes, basil, oregano, lemon pepper, parsley, bouillions, both beef and chicken and smaller amounts of cumin, coriander, chile powder, cajun seasoning, nutmeg, cinnamon, etc. Growing in the garden I have chives, onions, rosemary, garlic, thyme, greek oregano, peppers (green and hot), jalapenoes and more basil. I also have stores of balsamic vinegar, white vinegar, red wine vinegar, rice wine vinegar and apple cider vinegar. Plus pickle seasonings, salt, pepper, gelatin, Molly McButter, Just Whites (a white egg substitute), powdered sugar, brown sugar, cane sugar, Tabasco, and quite a few other flavor enhancers. Can’t have too many spices, in my opionion. :)Can we list the oils that we have? ;)Just a few…Olive oil, sesame oil, peanut oil, canola oil, vegetable oil, not to mention lard and bacon fat..

27 May 2006

Gold Dust – at 00:25

Bumping

BroncoBillat 01:17

Bump

AlabamaPrepperat 03:36

bgw in MT — Hey, I was about to say the same thing! Cavenders is great, and like you, I use it on everything. Love it on rice, any meat or fish, eggs, all kinds of ways to use it.

Also found “Soul Seasoning” at the Dollar Tree. Closeout of spices from Canada, Colonial Kitchens. Took a chance and bought a jar. Tried it and it is delicious on beans. Went back and bought several more.

I’ve got lots of different spices, no reason for food to be dull.

Melanie – at 05:06

Herbs de Provence rocks.

DebPat 06:18

I am stocking up on spices I can’t grow. For some reason I was reading the ingredients in my chili powder, the third ingredient is salt. I have always used spices instead of salt in my cooking. Has anyone ever seen a low salt chili powder?

Aziraphale – at 07:09

I’ve got two absolutely enormous rosemary bushes, a bay tree, large clump of onions, two large oregano plants and have just planted coriander - it grows better in winter here.

Bluebonnet – at 07:58

Don’t forget your seasonings for Thanksgiving and Christmas - poultry seasoning, sage, pumpkin pie spice.

I also have dried celery, dried onions, dried parsley, etc.

I agree about the Herbs de Provence and don’t forget italian seasoning!

lauraB – at 08:02

Some of the stores sell frozen cubes of fresh herbs - basil, garlic, ginger, etc. basics. They are slightly larger than a die (probably one tablespoon is my guess) I think there are 12 cubes/pack. They take up no space in the freezer. I have lots of dried herbs but the fresh would be nice for certain recipes.

birdie74 – at 08:10

I found this EXCELLENT dried Pinto Bean Seasoning in Texas (sold at HEB). I bought one bottle of it but will be going back for more, next time I’m in Texas. It really adds flavor to your dried pinto beans. The brand is ‘Fiesta’ and is made in San Antonio. Below is their website (I’m not affiliated) http://www.fiestaspices.com/

You can order online and their prices are very reasonable ($2.47 for 4.5oz bottle). They also make great fajita seasoning (beef and chicken) which I use on a regular basis. I highly recommend, especially if you like Mexican and/or Cajun seasoning.

shadddup – at 08:10

I tend to prep the same things in different ways, i.e., I have containers of ground pepper and then I have alot of containers of pepper corns, to be ground up later. I have cinnamon powder, and then I have cinnamon sticks I can turn into powder with a microplane at a later date. I have dried basil, oregano, thyme, rosemary, etc., and then I have a garden where I grow all that fresh too.

Dry spices lose their flavor and intensity over time, so trying to keep some in a natural state (cinnamon sticks, pepper corns, etc) helps to insure that the freshness in my spices is preserved.

Shad.

Urdar-Norge – at 08:12

since this is such a gardening flock of people I have to tell you about this wonderfull plant! Jerusalem artichoke,-Topinambour “Helianthus tuberosus” first time I heard about it I thought it was a native european plant, since it was the “potato” before the potato arrriwed from amerika.. But on the web it states that its from N Amerika. actualy its a big flower, related to the sunflower (maybe thats why it came her first?) The knolls are like a sweet potato, good for chips and other recipies with potato. just put some of them in the ground, and in the years to come you will have a exelent backup potato that is also a nice tall flower.. In crises i heard it was the saviour food when everything else went wrong. (but you may know it better than we do. Does it grow freely in the US?

shadddup – at 08:24

Jerusalem Artichokes are better grown in the northern 2/3 of the United States, although they can be coaxed down here in the deep south. They grow well in soils that are supportive to crops like potatoes and corn. They’re usually planted in the spring and the tubulars begin to form around August. They are usually harvested after the first frost (which is not something we experience here in South Florida) and tend to be sweeter when dug up later in the season.

I’ve never tried to grow them myself, although I have a girlfriend that grows them successfully in Southern California.

Shad.

Urdar-Norge – at 08:48

the nice thing is you dont need to care for it, just let it grow. Its a back up. I will start it this summer, it there is one arriving. its Sh**t cold here yet.. :D

bgw in MT – at 13:53

Oops! The McCormick cinnamon I was talking about does not have a sage green top. Their small bottles of spice have that color top. The cinnamon I am referring to at Costco has a black top and green label. It is called Saigon Cinnamon and is from their Gourmet Collection. This bottle only has 7 ounces in it and costs in the same range as the huge red topped bottles, but trust me, it’s worth it. I’m going to try more in their Gourmet Collection. Maybe they are all that much better.

Felicia – at 14:27

Vietnamese cinnamon is so much better then the regular cinnamon. My favorite spices are Janes Crazy Mixed up Salt, garlic powder, thyme and bay leaves (for soups), tarragon for salad dressings, chile and curry powders, and of course basil and oregano for anything Italian. And garlic goes in almost everything! Not to brag, but I’m a really good cook and if I had to, I could get by on just those spices. Salt and course ground pepper too.

Felicia – at 14:28

Oh, and Obi, Stella, Pickadilly and Lola just told me not to forget the catnip.

Habanero – at 14:35

‘’‘lauraB – at 08:02 Some of the stores sell frozen cubes of fresh herbs - basil, garlic, ginger, etc. basics. They are slightly larger than a die (probably one tablespoon is my guess) I think there are 12 cubes/pack. They take up no space in the freezer. I have lots of dried herbs but the fresh would be nice for certain recipes. ‘’‘

Ice cube trays are PERFECT for this. just run your fresh herbs through the food processor and fill compartments in and ice cube tray….water or oil can be added. After they are frozen pop them out of the tray and put into labelled freezeer bags or containers. My ice cube tray hold about 2 tablespoons per section.

flourbug – at 15:19

Gotta put something on all that rice and beans!

My daughter just picked up some nice glass jars of peppercorns and flaked pepper spices and blends at TJ Maxx. They were very inexpensive - I would have paid the price just to get the cute jars! She also loads up on whole spices whenever she’s in Mexico - but I get almost the same thing at the local ethnic markets, hehe. Penzey’s is my favorite. They have awesome cinnamon, and their new blends are yummy.

I guess the better question is, what spices DON’T I have in my three good sized cabinets full of jars and bags? I have about the same amount of space devoted to oils and vinegars, then a whole rack of cooking wine, and a counter full of liquors and spirits. Fresh, I have several big pots of rosemary, basil, parsley, baby spinach and lettuce on my kitchen counter, and even bigger pots outside that have bolted and are going to be saved for seed. My preps contain owdered soup and salad dressing mixes (and the canned stuff too) which can give a big boost, the standard condiments like mayo mustard and ketchup, barbecue sauce, tabasco, I have a ton of chinese bottled stuff and thai sauces and japanese cooking wines, and mexican chilis and sofrito and such, greek spices from tarpon, and italian roasted red peppers… oh, and the Garlic Mix from Costco… awesome on all sorts of Italian dishes and makes a great garlic bread. Almond, Rum, Vanilla, Orange extract, etc… but additions to baked goods is a whole nother subject. lol

I want a three week whistle before things grind to a halt so I can order in huge bags of my most loved spices. :p

flourbug – at 15:30

Oh, Habanero, you reminded me. In the produce section of many upscale stores you’ll find toothpaste like tubes of various spices - lemongrass, rosemary, basil, etc. They are INTENSE, and wonderful for flavoring soups and other slow cooking moist dishes. They last for months in your refrigerator. Also, look for tomato paste in tubes in the canned tomato section. Instead of opening and wasting a full can, just squeeze out what you need and refrigerate the rest.

Lily – at 15:48

You can grow lemongrass from what you buy at the grocery, stick a side shoot into a glass of water. Also grow your own ginger from grocery bought. I had Jeruselem artichokes growing wild at one portion of my property, never ate them, then they disapeared. Ditto Joe Pye weed, jewel weed and a handsome clump of grass that is expensive. Things grew, then vanished the third or fourth year. Same on compost heap, something will suddenly come up and if the deer don’t finish it off it vanishes by itself. I have also bought wasabi (Japenese horseradish, and am accumulating all kinds of seeds for exotic things to grow. I like to be suprised in nature, not too much in life itself. We all need that little extra to give life color, flavor and zestfullness.

STH – at 16:12

Don’t forget the ginger root. You can store it in the freezer and hack off a little piece to grate up into Asian dishes. Need lots of Asian seasonings: oyster sauce, Thai fish sauce, teriyaki sauce, rice vinegar, lots of soy sauce . . . .

LA Escapee – at 21:27

Deb P at 6:18 -

Yes, there is chili powder with no salt at all. Check the different brands. McCormick seems to have a lot of unnecessary salt in some spice combinations, so try some other brands. There are also “Mexican spice” and other “hot” combinations with no salt. “The Spice Hunter” makes a whole line with no salt, and I believe McCormick does too, but it’s hard to find. Try some of the more upscale supermarkets, Vons or Whole Foods, or sometimes even Sam’s Club or Walmart has them. Look at the labels.

DennisCat 21:41

LA Escapee – at 21:27 - chili powder around here you just buy it from the roaster beside the road and grind your own. (this is NM).

Melanie – at 21:46

To store ginger while you have elec, put the root in an airtight plastic container, cover it with sherry, and then pour a thin film of oil over the top. It will keep darn near forever.

28 May 2006

anonymous – at 00:12

Just a tip — I store my herbs and spices in small mason jars. Keeps the air and humidity out. If you’re not going to use your herbs and spices within a few months, keep them in a dark place, or plan on replacing them when they lose potency.

Leva

Felicia – at 00:51

Lily, have you tried wasabi covered dried peas? They’re at the nature food store. Incredible.

bgw in MT – at 18:10

bump

DebPat 19:42

Thanks LA Escapee, I thought there had to be some out there, I just wasn’t seeing any. DennisC, I wish I was there, I would love to try that. Felicia- have you tried wasabi covered peanuts or cashews? I get some for my son’s Christmas stocking every year, as a special treat.

birdie74 – at 19:55

DebP, check out the Fiesta website, link listed above. They have a pretty large selection of ‘salt free’ spices.

Prepping Gal – at 20:54

Recently I bought a huge box of cinnamon sticks and yesterday thought hmmm what will I do with these. Then I looked at our wine rack (my husbands italian friends make wine the old fashioned way and each year we get about 70 bottles). We drink very little alcohol but the wine is great for company, going to parties, and cooking. So I remembered years ago making mulled wine but I couldn’t find the old recipe. So I came up with a mulled wine with cinnamon sticks, nutmeg, cloves and brown sugar simmered for an hour. It was so so good. What a great way to warm up a chilly evening last night.

Kathy in OR – at 21:12

A Penzeys Spice Store opened up some months ago close to my home. I’ve enjoyed trying different spices from there. Two of my favorites are the smoked paprika and the candied ginger which I can eat straight out of the bag when I want a burst of flavor in my mouth. I understand that you can mail order from them. I got some curry powder the other day but haven’t used it yet. It sure smells good.

29 May 2006

Felicia – at 00:31

DebP - no, didn’t know about wasabit covered nut! I’ll have to find them. I was actually a bit scared to try the wasabi covered peas - thought, “This is too weird”, but they’re delicious! And I have to think they’re good for you.

30 May 2006

EnoughAlreadyat 03:04

Under the fluwikie main page, Pandemic Prepardness → scroll down to Personal & Family Preparedness → alternative medicine: there is an excellent reference to herbal remedies. One specifically is curry/turmeric. Although self-dosing is one thing, using it to cook with is certainly another alternative. Sound studies have shown that yellow Curry/turmeric are beneficial in neuroprotective activity (i.e., Alzheimer’s Disease), helping maintain healthy cardiovascula system, have antioxidant and antiinflammatory activity (i.e., fight skin & breast cancer, & possibly prostrate cancer, plus liver disorders, also, *tend to reduce oxidative stress/stress proteins… cytokine storm.)

There is a review article, Seven herbs every pediatrician should know, which includes professional literature sources. This article can be obtained by internet search. It lists the herbs, use and precaustions.

Where food is “fuel” for our bodies and should be eaten in balance and variety, “spices” may also be considered as such… not just that they enhance taste. Many/most spices are herbs. IMHO, utilizing “spices/herbs” in our cooking and kitchen is beneficial to us in ways we don’t fully appreciate. I personally think it is prudent to have some understanding of this. While we may not know what is helpful now, or even “later”, it may well be helpful to have a variety of these herbs on hand & in our food preparations. I will quantify this by stating that anybody can claim to be a “nutritional” expert, much like claiming to be a “therapist”, however, it is “credintionals” that a consumer needs to look for in buying into a product. For example, peppermint tea has healing qualities (i.e., indigestion, head colds, headachers, bronchitis, and fever). But, do those OTC peppermint teas on the grocery shelf hold the necessary ingredients? How would one know? I hold a masters degree in Nutrition and Dietetics, have taken an alternative medicine/therapeutic use of phytomedicinals course in grad school, yet still I am confused about dosage and purity.

It use to be people didn’t rely on pharmacies. People knew how to take care of themselves with home remedies much more so than we do today. I am concerned about a day arising that we may not have the benefit of store bought medicine. Even in a short term scenario, that could be problematic. I can remember my grandmother having a “home remedy” for most everything. It’s a lost art. The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM), has a list of studies and various alternative remedies. There is also a search engine on the site. Fluwikie also has an impressive, well documented link (like I mentioned above). In all our preparations, I think this is a area we need to at least mull over.

I would also like to mention a few things a little more in the traditional venue of this thread:

Some seasonings or flavors are so compatable that they enhance one another, or blend so well that they cry out to be used together! For example, almond extract will enhance most any dessert dish made with peaches, apricots or cherries. Try adding 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of almont extract to a pie made with one of these. Orange extract will make most chocolate dishes taster chocolatier. Add a little orange extract to chocolate pudding, or cake, or pie, or ice cream. A bit of maple or pecan flavoring will perk up the flavor of blueberry muffins. Try about 1/4 teaspoon. Dill weed can make a tossed green salad taster fresh garden picked. Rub a little between your fingers and sprinkle over the salad before mixing. Do not add too much! Cinnamon and orange flavors are highly compatable. Try the combo on cinnamon toast.

Finally, I believe it was on this thread somebody mentioned having difficulty getting herb seeds to be productive. One key I have found is not putting too much dirt on top of them. Usually the seed package calls for 1/4 inch of dirt. Think of it like “dusting” the top of a cake with powdered sugar. If seeds are buried, they just don’t do right.

Best of luck to all of you, and I hope this helps at least one somebody!!

lauraB – at 06:34

Habenero - yes, I usually do this at the end of the season with all the bushes of basil I grow ( LOVE perso in our house!). But I readily admit to laziness and some of the herbs avaible I either don’t grow or don’t use that often. So I figured this is a great easy way to have some others around.

kgb – at 08:14

As for me, I’m making sure I have a good supply of onion and garlic powder, thyme, wine vinegar, and lemon juice. I’m growing basil, oregano, dill and parsley this summer.

kgb – at 08:20

Ooh… I forgot capers - how could I do that?!

05 July 2006

Closed - Bronco Bill – at 23:17

Old thread - Closed to increase Forum speed.

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