Spices, Spices, Care To Share?

[mamacatsbaby]

What spices do you like to cook with? On hand we've usually got curry, rosemary, paprika, oregano, dill, cajun seasoning, lemon pepper, cinnamon, garlic, cumin, mint and ginger. What else could I use? And what do you like to do with them? :

[texaspeach]

those sound like the basics. I'd add thyme, sage, bay leaf (you probably have those on hand) and herbs de provence and italian seasoning.

[mamacatsbaby]

Thanks mama! I do have those on hand. I'm slowly but surely getting my meal planning rear in gear.

[nursemom2bee]

I also have turmeric, cardamon, cloves, 3 types of curry (Indian, Chinese, Thai), juniper berries, mace, allspice, anise, several types of dried asian peppers, several types of dried wild mushroom, basil (thai and regular), curry leaves, and some homemade mixes for special dishes like pastes for Indian and Thai dishes. I like to make Thai, Indian, Chinese, Cuban, Irish, and Scandanavian dishes, or just whatever my husband and I get a taste for.

[Malva]

On top of everything that has been mentioned:

Nutmeg (bonus: you get to buy a fancy little grater to go with it): When making homemade mac and cheese, add to your cheese sauce before combining with pasta : a tablespoon of Dijon mustard, some salt, pepper (about ½ teaspoon each I guess) and about ¼ or ½ a teaspoon of freshly grated nutmeg. Yummy!

Spice blends: Mrs Dash is great in soups, just put a generous amount over the veggies when sautéing them before adding your broth. Also Montreal steak spice is fantastic on anything grilled but I use it as a dry rub when cooking roast beef. Makes for a spicy crust, delicious!

[cellarstella]

Nutritional yeast! I only recently started using it because people seem to love it, so I've only used it in squasharoni. DP actually said, "we have cheese?" when he tasted it. Not a lick of cheese in it at all. And he's not big on substitutes at all. I'm looking forward to putting it in more things.

Tarragon is an oft-looked over herb that is really delicious and unique. Goes great on poultry. In the summer I use nasturtium leaves a lot because I have so many! They're spicy and good in salads and as a garnish on soups.