What are you favorite most used spices when cooking?

[mikeofaustin]

I like to use Fennel seed to dress up meats and spaghetti sauce. Leaves a distinctive sweetness. Of course fresh garlic is always there. Celery seed is probably my second favorite. Oh, and red-pepper of course. I think cilantro is best when it's not going to be fried (like a salad), but cumin is also good when creating a 'earthy' taste (Indian food, etc).

 

[ohioaxeman]

fresh garlic, or minced garlic!

 

[Bum Luck]

Garlic and pepper are really staples, so do they count?

Tarragon really lends a nice taste to fish and seafood, as well as a key ingredient in Bearnaise sauce for steak.

 

[Bubba707]

I like to use Chinese five spice on pork.

 

[Dano Sverige]

Whatever it says is in there on the tin or packet!

 

[spartacus53]

I've found a little arsenic always spices up a dish.

 

[RGINN]

Pretty much just salt and pepper, cause that's all we had growin up. I do have a tendency to use any type of chili pepper to the extreme, though.

 

[ashleen]

celery seed

 

[dpitt8]

costco's organic no salt seasoning when i'm in a hurry.....otherwise its whatever i feel like and have on hand....but love that no salt seasoning from costco

 

[mikeofaustin]

costco's organic no salt seasoning when i'm in a hurry.....otherwise its whatever i feel like and have on hand....but love that no salt seasoning from costco

Have you every tried 'sea salt' (next to the table salt in your grocery story? There's a subtle difference in it and I use it sometimes when creating things from scratch. Perhaps it's a mental thing but I think it gives a more 'rich' flavor. Also, it's not meant as a 'sprinkle on food', but more of an 'additive' while your cooking.

 

[mrs.oroblanco]

Seasalt does have a slightly different flavor - not too good on meats, imo - but great in a lemon-butter sauce for fish. But, I can also taste the difference between iodized and non-iodized salt, too, so it might just be me.

My main seasoning is "seasoning salt", the one that is reddish color (there are at least 5 different kinds of seasoning salt).

Garlic, onion - always a staple. Cannot live without it. And I always like to have on hand basil, oregano and pepper (fresh).

Beth

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

I have come to love the various seasoning you put on meats before you cook them, especially love the Weber Kansas City seasoning. I now put it on all my food, soups, veggies, I use it instead of salt.....

 

[mrs.oroblanco]

I don't think I've ever seen Weber Kansas City seasoning. What is it?

Beth

 

[SeaninNH]

I'm Sicilian so I'd have to say ALL of them lol.

 

[mrs.oroblanco]

I'm Sicilian so I'd have to say ALL of them lol.


My grandmother would LOVE you!

I spent Sundays watching my grandmother pour 10 pounds (or more) of flour on the old wooden table, make a hole in it, crack eggs into the
hole, make dough, and all kinds of pastas, then spent the rest of the day ducking pasta hanging and drying in the house.

Of course, there was a huge pot of sauce simmering on the stove, and Sunday dinner was always hand-made ravioli (huge things), complete with salad, italian bread and that darned gallon of wine. (all persons young and old must drink - "its good for da blood" said my grandfather).

Ah................memories.

Beth

But I hate that kind of wine

 

[mikeofaustin]

I have come to love the various seasoning you put on meats before you cook them, especially love the Weber Kansas City seasoning. I now put it on all my food, soups, veggies, I use it instead of salt.....

This reminded me of something that people often do (not you, but some people). it's important to know exactly when to add the spices, because too soon, and they'll just burn off during the cooking. For example, I wait until ground beef is about 3/4's cooked before I start adding garlic and other's... They'll just burn if you put them in too soon.

 

[mikeofaustin]

I'm Sicilian so I'd have to say ALL of them lol.


My grandmother would LOVE you!

I spent Sundays watching my grandmother pour 10 pounds (or more) of flour on the old wooden table, make a hole in it, crack eggs into the
hole, make dough, and all kinds of pastas, then spent the rest of the day ducking pasta hanging and drying in the house.

Of course, there was a huge pot of sauce simmering on the stove, and Sunday dinner was always hand-made ravioli (huge things), complete with salad, italian bread and that darned gallon of wine. (all persons young and old must drink - "its good for da blood" said my grandfather).

Ah................memories.

Beth
But I hate that kind of wine

I actually make my own pasta from time to time, and you'd be surprised at the reactions I get from friends that taste the difference between fresh and packaged (I guess that goes with all food's though). One of my favorites, is to make my own pasta AND homemade Alfredo sauce. It's to die for. You simply can't create that same taste inside a jar.

 

[mikeofaustin]

You know what? I think that the good people of t-net, that have followed this link so far, are entitled to a little secret I have. It's a secret recipe from a very acclaimed restaurant, and they make quite a lot of money from this recipe alone. It's a sauce that's added to mostly breakfast tacos, but it also goes very well with other foods as a sauce. My friends... Here we go.... (Please treat these as a secret and don't spread).

EDIT: I actually came to my senses and removed the recipes from public view. If you would like these two recipes, please PM me. This stuff should not be made public. But please, understand that you should not show this stuff to the general public. It's not a legal issue, but more of a moral issue. Just like your recipe for your garden potting soul that grows the greatest tomatoes should be made public. It's not trademarked, but instead, it takes a person that appreicates the arts and would use this to bring family members back to grandma's house for christmas, because they absolutely love the breakfast tacos. I guess, in other words, lets not make this into a recipe that some big corporation can get a hold of.

 

[ThTx]

"Slap Ya Mama" when I'm in a hurry. My own mix when I have time.

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

"Slap Ya Mama" when I'm in a hurry. My own mix when I have time.

I use to have a couple "special" ingredients I used, 2 for my brownies and a different one for my sauces, but I haven't been able to use them for years due to work restrictions....