Image via Wikipedia

. . . go on, be a devil

We’ve all got them, but do we all use them? You know what I’m talking about, jars of spices lurking at the back of the kitchen cabinets or gathering dust in specially designed spice racks (often bought as wedding gifts for people who don’t know the difference between coriander and bicarbonate of soda, and only ever use the black pepper).  What about that jar of tarragon which you bought 3 years ago last Christmas to make a rather special party dish, which didn’t quite work out as well as you’d hoped and you’ve never been tempted to use it since. In fact, many people have jars of spices but don’t even remember where they came from, maybe they were left in the cupboard by a previous occupant?

Banish Bland . . . Add a Bit of Spice

The one’s who know (like me!) will tell you that just a teaspoon of this or a sprinkle of that can really add flavor to some otherwise boring and bland dishes. If you don’t know where to start don’t worry about it, I’m here to help and give you a few tips of which spices are better dried, which are better fresh and what goes with what.

Health Warning – do check that any spice jars lurking at the back of the kitchen cabinets are still in date . . . best before July 1993 kind of gives the game away a little, don’t you think?

Popular Spices & What To Do With Them

Remember that the majority of spices do need cooking, you can’t simply sprinkle a little in at the end of cooking time but add them early doors to give them time to cook and release their flavors properly.

• Cinnamon – is great in apple pies, you can really taste the difference, but it’s also great for cakes, cookies, ice cream, rice pudding, toasts, stews, soups and sauces. You can even infuse it into tea if you fancy.
• Coriander seeds – grind up fresh or buy it in a jar, it’s so easy and adds great flavor particularly to fish and poultry.
• Chili – needs no introduction, but do not be afraid of it, use it to spice up everything and anything. Remember that chili gets hotter each time you re-heat it, so if you fancy some left overs it might be a little hotter than you remembered from the night before.
• Cloves – are brilliant for sticking in hams before baking, rub a little honey on and you’ve got a taste sensation. They can also be added to mulled drinks, some oriental chicken dishes and even fruit salads. They always remind me of Christmas (must be all that mulled wine – hic!)
• Ginger – is terrific and so good for you.  A teaspoon of dried ginger can wake up even the most bland of dishes. Add it to ice cream, cookies, tea . . . carrot and ginger soup is absolutely delicious . . . don’t go overboard, just a subtle hint is all that it takes.
• Paprika – can be added to tons of stuff but works particularly well with rice and chicken.
• Tarragon – is great when used with fish, chicken, lamb or mayonnaise.

So you see, lots of spices can make a difference to almost any meal. The more you practice and experiment the better you’ll become, and pretty soon you’ll be able to cook your very own tasty dishes, even exotic ones!