Culinary use of spices, defined as the edible but non-leafy parts of certain plants.
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5answers
566 views
Where do you buy Indian spices online?
I want to learn to cook some Indian dishes. It would be preferable to know that the spices are from sustainable agriculture.
Sedona, Arizona. I did some googling and didn't find any local spice ...
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vote
2answers
95 views
How long does ginger root last?
I bought ginger root months ago, and I didn't use all of it. I've kept it in the fridge and it still seems good. How long will it last?
3
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1answer
205 views
How to know how many tablespoons of seeds correspond to 1 table spoon of its ground form? [duplicate]
Please point out a conversion method or the Google keywords which would result in a trusted measuring chart for converting seeds to powder or paste form or vice versa.
Example:
1 tablespoon of ...
0
votes
1answer
115 views
Using kalpasi (which is also known as Black Stone Flower) in a biriyani?
Can we ground kalpasi (also known as Black stone flower) be added to a masala for marinating chicken/mutton for making Hyderabadi Biriyani?
Will it taste really good; does this spice add good ...
3
votes
3answers
6k views
How does dried cilantro relate to fresh?
Is coriander dried cilantro seed? Has anyone used dried cilantro, and if so how does it compare to fresh cilantro. I assume fresh is better but please describe the difference (less pungent, etc...)
2
votes
1answer
88 views
Chili and bell pepper substitute due to allergies?
I recently learned that I am allergic to ALL forms of pepper except black pepper. Bell peppers, chili peppers, etc. I am allergic to and it makes my throat swell up. I have several recipes using ...
5
votes
5answers
725 views
Balsamic reduction, and the spicing thereof [closed]
Basic balsamic reduction is simple (add heat), but I'm looking for additives. Herbs, spices, sugar, other alcohol, whatever that would elevate my favorite tomato topping. Anyone have any favorites?
10
votes
5answers
10k views
What herbs and spices are in “Italian Seasoning”?
I'm beginning to grow my own herbs and would like to put together something similar to the "Italian Seasoning" found in the grocery store spice section. (It's an easy way to add more flavor to pasta ...
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vote
1answer
384 views
Spice combination(s) excluding salt, oil/butter, sugar, msg, vinegar, onion/garlic/alliums? [closed]
What spice combination(s) work well for someone who (for health reasons) can't have salt, oil/butter, sugar, msg, vinegar, or alliums (onions, garlic, etc)? This person is additionally (for religions ...
2
votes
2answers
194 views
Will paprika taste good in my soup?
I've been making a soup that has an onion + garlic + carrot + celery + flour base, and then chunks of sweet potato and potato as well as barley added. I've been spicing it with salt, pepper, garlic ...
2
votes
3answers
144 views
Pepper mill - which color and length?
I've decided to get myself a pepper mill and it'll be a manual Zassenhaus but I'm not sure about the length and color. I'm thinking about 18 or 24 cm but I guess it simply comes down to what you feel ...
19
votes
12answers
61k views
How can you make a sauce less spicy/hot?
Sometimes when I'm making a sauce or soup that needs to be a bit spicy, I have no troubles spicing how I want to.
But if the dinner party is a bit late, or I made the sauce in advance to really draw ...
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vote
3answers
189 views
Matching herbs with meats [closed]
I'm well aware of how well rosemary and lamb goes together, but apart from that I'm a bit clueless. Is there a web page or something out there which can tell me what meat goes well with what ...
11
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7answers
10k views
How do I keep soup from being bland?
I've been experimenting with soups recently and trying different recipes, and I've found that I often come out with a good soup that's a bit too bland in taste. And yes, salt and pepper makes a huge ...
3
votes
2answers
115 views
How can I prevent spices from lumping together?
I notice that sometimes, some of my spices become one hard block. I have this especially with my garlic powder, in a smaller degree with my chili powder (that contains the same garlic powder). I'm ...
3
votes
1answer
169 views
How to increase spiciness without abusing hot spices?
It's easy to make food more spicy by dumping a bag of ground hot pepper in it, or adding a pound of sambal, or pick one of the capsaicin concentrates and add a few drops.
I'm interested though in ...
0
votes
1answer
183 views
Do you know of any good rectangular spice storage solutions?
Currently I'm storing most of my spices in a cabinet next to the stove. That's the best place for them. However, because of the way the shelves are spaced, I generally need to stack containers, ...
3
votes
1answer
109 views
pieces of wood in cinnamon
I recently bought some organic cinnamon (not ground, broken pieces for a hand mill) and saw what looks like pieces of wood in the mix (they don't have the same color as the rest of the pieces). Is ...
4
votes
3answers
8k views
Herbs and spices that complement cream of mushroom soup [closed]
On Monday I will be making cream of mushroom Soup at school and I would like to make it the best possible. I will be making a mushroom stock as its base. Are there any specific herbs and spices that ...
7
votes
2answers
185 views
Seasoning Chili for Young Children
We have a 3 year old toddler who is not a fan of spicy foods. She doesn't like heat of any type, and doesn't like strong flavors. How can we season a turkey chili to keep her happy, and still make it ...
4
votes
2answers
320 views
How to store tamarind paste?
I bought some tamarind paste the other day, and I am wondering how should I store it once opened, as the package does not say anything special. Should I put it in the fridge? Store it in an airtight ...
4
votes
2answers
597 views
What are the possible substitutions for Cumin in Indian cuisine?
I've always been interested in trying to make some type of dahl or other Indian cuisine but I'm severely allergic to Cumin. This typically strikes me out for recipes with curry or chili powder. Does ...
16
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6answers
2k views
What is this fungus/lichen in my Garam Masala? (“Trifle”/truffle?)
I just bought a lovely bag of Garam Masala, and was all ready to grind some when I got home! But when I opened it, I found something I didn’t recognise — at first I thought something had gone mouldy, ...
16
votes
13answers
701 views
Recommendations for spice organization strategies
Spices have always been the hardest thing for me to keep track of in the kitchen. I'm interested in specific recommendations for
hardware (containers, labeling, shelving, etc.) and
organization ...
7
votes
2answers
284 views
Oil separating from fried onion/spice mixture, why does it happen?
I was always taught when cooking Indian dishes to fry spices in a chopped/pureed onion and garlic mixture to release their flavour and essential oils.
I was also taught that when the oil separates ...
5
votes
1answer
243 views
Why do cinnamon sticks taste sweet?
I often nibble on a cinnamon stick because first of all I like the taste and the smell and secondly it seems to help in weight loss. How comes that cinnamon sticks seem to taste sweet, even though ...
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vote
2answers
188 views
Why do vegetables cooked with freshly ground spices taste better than those cooked with powdered spices available in the market?
I used to use powdered spices (purchased from market) for all my vegetables. Lately I have started grinding the spice seeds myself to use in the vegetables.
I have noticed a remarkable "taste" ...
2
votes
2answers
811 views
Getting flavor powders to stick to nuts
I've just checked for some recipes online on how to make flavored (in particular, hot and spicy) peanuts. It seems that in every one of these recipes, there has to be some kind of roasting procedure ...
8
votes
10answers
493 views
In which kind of food items can Asafoetida be used? [closed]
I have heard about the medical benefits of Asafoetida.
I used it once in Brinjals (which while cooking contained only Ginger powder, Fennel powder, salt and red chilli powder). The addition of ...
12
votes
7answers
3k views
Which spice gives brown colour to Indian curry?
Many of the premixed curry pastes and curry dishes I have eaten have a brownish / reddish colour to them.
I have a nice collection of spices that I cook with, but my curries seem to always look and ...
4
votes
1answer
251 views
Which other spices besides cloves will react with plastic?
I am reading that cloves can cloud the plastic in my grinder at Cooking for engineers
Does this happen with any other spices?
2
votes
3answers
6k views
Anise Seed vs. Fennel Seed with Taste as No.1 factor
I've noticed that in some recipes Anise seeds can be used interchangeably with Fennel seeds. I understand their taxonomical differences but in regards to taste, can they be used interchangeably ...
4
votes
2answers
653 views
How can I use white pepper without having the odor dominate the food flavour?
I received several different pepper (spice) for christmas. One of them is a white pepper. Whenever I use (very) little of this white pepper in my dishes, the odor/flavor is very dominant cutting out ...
3
votes
3answers
211 views
Why do we boil whole spices when making masala tea?
I've heard that people prepare chai masala by boiling whole spices instead of using a ground masala spice mix. After preparing it with whole spices, I doubt that 10 minutes of boiling will release ...
4
votes
3answers
670 views
Why is garam masala in many curry paste/powder recipes?
Garam masala, of course, is a blend of warming spices. However, many of those spices are listed individually in recipes for curry pastes and powders that also call for garam masala.
Since most garam ...
4
votes
2answers
166 views
How can I prevent cross-contamination when applying a dry or wet rub to meat?
In either wet or dry rub prep, if you use both hands, you will have likely contaminated the rub by the end. How can I prevent this from occurring?
4
votes
4answers
9k views
What are appropriate spices/herbs for spinach?
Tonight, my mom prepared spinach and we were discussing what spices go well with spinach.
I google'd a bit and I found 'nutmeg' on some sites, but it seems like a strange combo to me.
Honestly, I ...
7
votes
13answers
20k views
What can I add to frozen peas for more flavor? [closed]
I want to serve plain cooked frozen peas. However, whenever I try it, they taste kind of bland... What's a simple spice or ingredient that I can add to spice it up a bit, but still pretty much stick ...
3
votes
3answers
477 views
Is wasabi considered to be spicy or to be a spice?
I was just talking to a friend about what to eat for dinner and he said he didn't want anything spicy.
He then mentioned that Japanese food doesn't have anything spicy and I said "Wasabi".
...
10
votes
3answers
1k views
Is curry ketchup just ketchup with curry powder?
We use both tomato ketchup and curry ketchup as condiments in Belgium. On the curry ketchup label, amongst other ingredients is "curry (1%)".
So I tried adding curry powder to regular ketchup to see ...
1
vote
1answer
229 views
How is it that (temperature) heat makes some seasonings and foods (spicy) hotter, but mellows others?
Toasting many spices,and heating some peppers increases and brings out the spice and heat. Other foods, such as onions, shallots and garlic (yes, I know they're from the same family; just can't think ...
3
votes
2answers
352 views
Toasting spices with and without oil
After heading to my trusty Indian market yesterday I was speaking with the owner about how awful fenugreek seeds are uncooked. He suggested (with black mustard seeds and cumin seeds) to throw them in ...
5
votes
4answers
652 views
Does vanilla really bring out the flavour of other foods?
I can't count the times I have heard that vanilla brings out the flavour of other foods. For example it "makes chocolate taste more chocolatey," etc... I have also heard that it's the only spice that ...
7
votes
4answers
376 views
What is the correct temperature when extracting saffron flavour?
I have several recipes that call for saffron. Obviously, they all say to put the saffron in some water to extract the flavour so it spreads more evenly in the dish. However, there is no mention of the ...
5
votes
3answers
2k views
Döner Kebab Spices?
I'm trying to replicate the spice mix used for Döner Kebab. I am interested in spice combinations from any area. However, I am most interested in which spices are used to prepare it around western ...
5
votes
2answers
577 views
Doner kebab aroma
Doner kebab is a kind of food which draws every person who is passing by just with the aroma coming from the place where they make them. In a place where I live they make doner kebabs using pork or ...
5
votes
4answers
2k views
How to spice up a carrot cake
I have made a carrot cake several times, and I like the way the cake turns out but I want it to have more spice flavors. The recipe only calls for 1 tsp of cinnamon, but since I want it to have more ...
6
votes
3answers
3k views
Can an American substitute for garam masala be made?
I love Indian food and have been experimenting with curry recipes, and many of them ask for 'garam masala'. I know it's a spice mix but I can't find it for sale anywhere around me. I've also read ...
3
votes
2answers
226 views
Recreating a Mexican spice blend I have bought
I previous bought a pre-made spice blend from a health food store which I absolutely loved however its $5 per 30g which is pretty expensive so I was thinking I would try and recreate it.
The ...
6
votes
6answers
2k views
What is sumac used for?
A friend of mine told me she uses sumac (I am not sure she was teasing me, or what).
Is sumac used in cuisine? If it is used, what is it used for?
