NationStates Jolt Archive

What is your favourite herb/spice/flavouring?

I'm partial to crushed red pepper. Next on my list woud probably be cinnamon.

What is your favourite herb/spice/flavouring?

I'm partial to crushed red pepper. Next on my list woud probably be cinnamon.
I'm not sure it qualifies as an herb or a spice, but I love Louisiana Hot Sauce! YUM! :)

hmmm... for cooking I generally use
1) Shoyu (soy sause)
2) Salt
3) Pepper
4) Onion Powder
5) Garlic (salt, powder etc.)
6) Lemons
7) Chives

after that it's all minimal.

Spike Seasoning.

Can't decide what herbs and spices you want? Spike Seasoning has them all!

rosemary. YUM.

Garlic. Nothing like it in the world. Crushed red pepper runs a strong second though.

Callander's Greek Seasoning.

Cinnamon's one of the few i've used, so ya.

sugar!
bananas are the largest herb plants in the world, so i'll go with them.

Oregano!

This is much friendlier thread for me to talk to you in.

Cilantro, I love it.

its true, i put weed as a seasoning on my food. makes stuff taste strangely better :D

nobody has said weed yet?

Weed

Definitely rosemary

try hemlock as a seasoning, its great!
For the Record in case anyone didnt know this and can manage to get Hemlock/HensBane/WolfsBane whatever--it is a deadly poison.

(no order) garlic, corriander, cardamon, basil, oregano, err... many others

but i hate chive :mad:


its true, i put weed as a seasoning on my food. makes stuff taste strangely better
oh no way... gross :p

To say that I had a favorite spice would imply that I use it on everything, which is simply not the case. After all, I really think that saffron is a cool spice, just because one has to know what they're doing in order to be able to use it properly, but if I had to decide on a favorite based on frequency of use, that would be:

salt (iodized)

Garlic!

Cajun

Oregano.

Cilantro

Basil

Pepper.

Salt

more, but these six rock my world

Couldnt pick a favourite but taragon is actually disgusting

Garlic, garlic! - the tender leaves and scapes are excellent fresh or sauteed, too.
Black pepper
Salt
Pepper - paprika, chili, cayenne
Oregano
Basil
Rosemary
Parlsey
Chives
Tarragon
Dill

Most herbs are much milder fresh than when dried, and some, such as tarragon, have a completely different flavor.

I just harvested about 30 pounds of basil from the garden, I just took a break from making pesto (to be frozen for later use) to post. We'll have enough for the winter.

Odd, the basil smells great for a few minutes, but after continued exposure to it it smells like cat piss or skunk. Leave the room for a few minutes, come back, and it smells good again. Glad I don't chop basil for a living.

salt (iodized)

Iodized salt? Iodized salt? I'll give you salt , but please tell me that you don't cook with iodized salt!

I don't really have a favorite; it's far too difficult to sort them into one flavor I like best; I use kosher salt and black or white pepper in pretty much everything. The herb I most often use would have to be cilantro, so if I were forced to pick an herb, I guess it would be that.

The only herb I've tasted that I don't like is tarragon -- and I know I'm in the minority on that one.

Iodized salt? Iodized salt? I'll give you salt , but please tell me that you don't cook with iodized salt!

I don't really have a favorite; it's far too difficult to sort them into one flavor I like best; I use kosher salt and black or white pepper in pretty much everything. The herb I most often use would have to be cilantro, so if I were forced to pick an herb, I guess it would be that.

The only herb I've tasted that I don't like is tarragon -- and I know I'm in the minority on that one.

When it comes to cooking, the amount of salt is usually negligible, unless you are pickling something, so I don't worry about it too much. TBH, I haven't been able to tell the difference.

As far as other spices go, powdered cumin seed is definitely good stuff for making something spicy without making it unbearably hot.

Butter. Salt. Pepper. Beef fat. Pork drippins. Chicken grease.

Iodized salt? Iodized salt? I'll give you salt , but please tell me that you don't cook with iodized salt!

I don't really have a favorite; it's far too difficult to sort them into one flavor I like best; I use kosher salt and black or white pepper in pretty much everything. The herb I most often use would have to be cilantro, so if I were forced to pick an herb, I guess it would be that.

The only herb I've tasted that I don't like is tarragon -- and I know I'm in the minority on that one.

I agree about the iodized salt. I use sea salt, and there's actually a difference in flavor between salt from France, Maine, Hawaii, and other places.

The reason for the iodized salt is to prevent goiters - this was a common malady among people that lived inland. Kosher salt may not have enough, but I don't think it's a problem anymore considering the varied diet we are fortunate to have.

What is your favourite herb/spice/flavouring?

I'm partial to crushed red pepper. Next on my list woud probably be cinnamon.

Curry, which is a combination of herbs and spices. Louisiana Hot Sauce is also good in gumbo, on pork, and in black eye beans.

Curry, which is a combination of herbs and spices. Louisiana Hot Sauce is also good in gumbo, on pork, and in black eye beans.
Ugh. Curry. Hate the stuff.

Oregano!

Oregano, basil, and a little parsley mixed in some olive oil. Use for a dip for a bagett (crusty french bread also known in Spain as pan.) :)

Definitely rosemary

Rosemary, thyme, and cumin rubbed on lamb before roasting. Oh, don't forget to cut some slits in the meat and insert slivers of garlic after rubbing with the spices. Yum, yum.

By the way, I do love to eat many different foods. Bland cooking is not my cup of tea, and neither is American Liptons tea. :D

try hemlock as a seasoning, its great!

Once you try it, you will never enjoy it a second time, so you might as well eat the meal and have hemlock tea for a drink. It would be an absolute killer meal.:D

(no order) garlic, corriander, cardamon, basil, oregano, err... many others

but i hate chive :mad:



oh no way... gross :p

Chive, lemon zest, and a little lemon juice mixed with sour cream. Dollop on cucumbers, tomatoes, and baked trout. Yummy.

I just harvested about 30 pounds of basil from the garden, I just took a break from making pesto (to be frozen for later use) to post. We'll have enough for the winter.

Care to share your recipe for pesto?

Wormwood. :p

Oh, and peppermint.

Oregano, basil, and a little parsley mixed in some olive oil. Use for a dip for a bagett (crusty french bread also known in Spain as pan.) :)

I like that, but I like to add chopped garlic and bits of sun-dried tomatoes - also some fresh-ground black pepper.

I use basil, oregano, garlic, rosemary, salt, black pepper. thats bout it.

Hmm, well, if I had to choose only a few to cook with for the rest of my life, they would be:

Salt (not an herb, properly, but...)
Black Pepper
Garlic
Oregano
Rosemary
Thyme
Fennel Seed
Cinnamon

and it's not an herb, but extra virgin olive oil.


With those things, you could could a WIDE variety of tasty meals!

just gotta love what we call french fry salt. its a mixture of salt, red pepper, onions, and a lot more i don't know about.
and any sort of pepper's great.

Emeril Lagasse's essence (which is a mixture of many different spices and ingredients.. I have a can of it. You can put that on anything and it will taste good (as Emeril say's.. everything except ice-cream lol).

We just made a gallon of pesto sauce using fresh extra-virgin olive oil, basil, parsley, mint leaves, walnuts, and garlic. All but the oil and nuts came from our garden.

Anybody else grow their own herbs? Even apartment dwellers can grow their own in window boxes.

I love mary jane (weed, you nerds :p ) on spaghetti and all sorts of italian foods and lets not forget brownies :D

Favorite spices? Sheesh, how's about an easy question? ;)
Depends on what I'm cooking, but a few general-use spices are garlic and pepper. Cinnamon's good in drinks, and is surprisingly good in Middle Eastern-style bean or lentil soups (one stick dropped into a pot'll do the trick). I'm also fond of ginger and mint, partly for their medicinal properties, but also because I like how they taste.
Rosemary, coriander, and cumin seed are also very useful, and quite aromatic. (I love how rosemary smells, and had a sprig in my car for a while to keep it fresh-smelling.)
Gosh, I'm getting hungry now. Excuse me, won't you?

Care to share your recipe for pesto?


5 cups basil leaves, packed
1 cup mint leaves, packed (optionally replaced with basil)
1 cup parsley, chopped
1 cup pine nuts, roasted
1.25 cups grated parmesan
1 cup olive oil
10 large cloves garlic

Destroy the ingredients in blender or food processor. Store excess in freezer.

The only one I couldn't live without is salt.

Right now, curry is making it's varied appearance in many home dishes. I love the fact that you can call curry a spice, singular, even though it is a blend of a variety of spices :)

Salt. Dill is a close second.

I like basil. We have a load of fresh basil in the garden. I like it in sauce, we make pesto too. I also like it on toasted italian bread- the whole leaves, along with roasted red peppers, garlic and tomatoes.

we use a lot of garlic too. Several heads a week, roasted and in sauce.
I dont know how to grow it though.

We also have mint growing-it was here when we bought the house and comes back every year. It has a wintergreen taste-very rich-the kids eat it all the time.

we use a lot of garlic too. Several heads a week, roasted and in sauce.
I dont know how to grow it though.



Anyone can grow garlic:

Purchase good stiff-neck garlic from seed companies. I recommend this:
http://www.johnnyseeds.com/catalog/resultdetails.html?source=&edit_id=176&name=German%20Extra-Hardy&cat_id=25&topcatid=1&subcatid=25&subcatid2=0&subcatid3=0&search_keywords=garlic&ct=hg&pagename=resultdetails.html

About Columbus day to end of October is when to plant in northern US.

Break the cloves out of the head
Make a trench 4 inches deep in good soil
Place a modest amount of 10-10-10 in the bottom, or make it white with bonemeal and woodash (if you have it)
Cover fertilizer/bonemeal with 1 inch of soil
Plant garlic cloves POINTY SIDE UP, just press root end lightly into soil, space 6-8" apart
Cover with remaining soil, they should now be 2-3" underground
In the spring, as soon as the leaves are a few inches high, side-dress with a light application of garden fertilizer (like 10-10-10) or a heavy application of bloodmeal - this is critical for production of large heads
Keep well-weeded
Withhold water after July 1
Pull out of ground when half the leaves are dead, early August

Store in a cool place, save the best heads for re-planting. You will become sel-sufficient from the seed company in a few years if you build up your seed stock.

Anyone can grow garlic:

Purchase good stiff-neck garlic from seed companies. I recommend this:
http://www.johnnyseeds.com/catalog/resultdetails.html?source=&edit_id=176&name=German%20Extra-Hardy&cat_id=25&topcatid=1&subcatid=25&subcatid2=0&subcatid3=0&search_keywords=garlic&ct=hg&pagename=resultdetails.html

About Columbus day to end of October is when to plant in northern US.

Break the cloves out of the head
Make a trench 4 inches deep in good soil
Place a modest amount of 10-10-10 in the bottom, or make it white with bonemeal and woodash (if you have it)
Cover fertilizer/bonemeal with 1 inch of soil
Plant garlic cloves POINTY SIDE UP, just press root end lightly into soil, space 6-8" apart
Cover with remaining soil, they should now be 2-3" underground
In the spring, as soon as the leaves are a few inches high, side-dress with a light application of garden fertilizer (like 10-10-10) or a heavy application of bloodmeal - this is critical for production of large heads
Keep well-weeded
Withhold water after July 1
Pull out of ground when half the leaves are dead, early August

Store in a cool place, save the best heads for re-planting. You will become sel-sufficient from the seed company in a few years if you build up your seed stock.

Cool!! Thank you! I never saw garlic in the usual seed selections. I didnt give it a second thought over the years. I also get "Tomato Growers Supply Co" catalog-they have a huge variety of tomato, squash, pepper and eggplants.
I'd save $10.00 or more a month if I grew my own.
I will try this.

Thanks again!

Anyone can grow garlic:

Purchase good stiff-neck garlic from seed companies. I recommend this:
http://www.johnnyseeds.com/catalog/resultdetails.html?source=&edit_id=176&name=German%20Extra-Hardy&cat_id=25&topcatid=1&subcatid=25&subcatid2=0&subcatid3=0&search_keywords=garlic&ct=hg&pagename=resultdetails.html

About Columbus day to end of October is when to plant in northern US.

Break the cloves out of the head
Make a trench 4 inches deep in good soil
Place a modest amount of 10-10-10 in the bottom, or make it white with bonemeal and woodash (if you have it)
Cover fertilizer/bonemeal with 1 inch of soil
Plant garlic cloves POINTY SIDE UP, just press root end lightly into soil, space 6-8" apart
Cover with remaining soil, they should now be 2-3" underground
In the spring, as soon as the leaves are a few inches high, side-dress with a light application of garden fertilizer (like 10-10-10) or a heavy application of bloodmeal - this is critical for production of large heads
Keep well-weeded
Withhold water after July 1
Pull out of ground when half the leaves are dead, early August

Store in a cool place, save the best heads for re-planting. You will become sel-sufficient from the seed company in a few years if you build up your seed stock.

I ordered the catalog online

I ordered the catalog online

Glad I could help.

Just to clarify a point: there are 9-11 leaves on a plant, and they start dying from the bottom of the plant upwards in July. Harvest when there are on average 5 green leaves left on the plant.

Also, the spring side-dressing is critical, but do not fertilize after June 1. It makes big tops and small heads if you do.

Glad I could help.

Just to clarify a point: there are 9-11 leaves on a plant, and they start dying from the bottom of the plant upwards in July. Harvest when there are on average 5 green leaves left on the plant.

Also, the spring side-dressing is critical, but do not fertilize after June 1. It makes big tops and small heads if you do.

Good tips-I am printing this page.

Good tips-I am printing this page.

Good luck growing! Check your TG please.