Culinary use of spices, defined as the edible but non-leafy parts of certain plants.
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7answers
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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 ...
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 ...
6
votes
6answers
1k views
What herbs and spices should a beginner cook have?
What herbs and spices should a new cook purchase?
These should be versatile herbs and spices that are used in many dishes.
23
votes
5answers
595 views
Shelf life of spices
The common wisdom I've heard is that dried herbs and spices:
have a shelf-life of about a year or 2
keep best in a cool dark place
will release more flavor when crushed
That's fine but some spices ...
12
votes
6answers
9k views
How do I remove turmeric stains from metal/plastic cookware?
As much as I value tumeric for its rumoured cancer-battling qualities, I find its tendency to stain anything it comes into contact with (including 'stainless' steel) discouraging to the point that I ...
8
votes
6answers
2k views
How much salt should I add to a dish?
I find it hard to figure out how much salt to add to dishes. I'm always afraid I'll make it too salty. Recipes always call for salt to taste, but what does that mean? Is there a good rule of thumb?
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votes
2answers
10k views
Convert seed based measurements to pre-ground?
I want to use a recipe that gives ingredient measurements based on the spice seeds. My local grocery store does not have at least half of the ingredients in seed form. But the store does have them ...
1
vote
1answer
365 views
What should I know to store my chili powder?
I am planning on making some chili powder this weekend using ancho, pasilla, and guajillo peppers. I got a nice big bag of each recently and have some questions about chili powder. The second part of ...
20
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 ...
6
votes
2answers
258 views
Best online source for spices
I'm looking or good online sources for spices. Good selection and good prices.
13
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5answers
3k views
What are the differences between various types of paprika, and which have the most flavor?
I've tried various different brands of paprika but none seem to have any flavor.
Can anyone recommend a kind or brand of paprika that is less bland? For example, I've seen certain "special" ...
5
votes
11answers
693 views
Extraordinary spices [closed]
What rare spices do you know and like?
How do you use them to create uniquely tasting dishes?
14
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4answers
19k views
What good substitutes for saffron exist?
I am a big fan of paella, amongst other uses for saffron. However, it can be a very difficult and/or expensive spice to obtain.
What good substitutes exist?
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votes
7answers
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White pepper vs. black pepper
Other than color, what is the difference between white pepper and black pepper? I thought it was purely a color thing so that black pepper wouldn't ruin the color of, say, a white sauce. We tried ...
7
votes
2answers
2k views
Chili powder substitutions
I'm having trouble converting the chili recipes I find to use something other than of-the-shelf chili-powder. Thanks to a simply wonderful local spice shop, we have several different kind of ...
15
votes
3answers
350 views
How to treat your saffron right?
Similar to this question, but not the same (by the way, I like Hobodave's answer).
What's the correct way to treat saffron to get most of the flavor?
I've seen the following methods:
Let the ...
12
votes
6answers
3k views
How to dry oregano?
I have oregano in my garden. But I only use it fresh.
How should I properly dry the oregano so I can get something similar to oregano found in the stores?
8
votes
2answers
798 views
Pimenton ahumado vs. Pimenton de la vera
Besides the noticeable cost difference between these two, what is the difference between pimenton ahumado and pimenton de la vera? Both are purported to be Spanish smoked paprika.
6
votes
4answers
385 views
Why does salt taste different in different dishes?
If I salt tomato, potato and pasta, their tastes change in completely different ways to me. Why is this? Had I put oregano on them, they'd all taste like oregano.
Update: The question is not "is it ...
4
votes
3answers
603 views
What's the best way to learn what each seasoning is?
For example, Iike cayenne pepper is spicy and marjorum has a smoky flavor. I just want to learn the different flavors of each seasoning, so I can know exactly what seasonings to use for the different ...
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 ...
1
vote
4answers
2k views
What should I do with too-dry vanilla beans?
A few weeks ago, I bought a few vanilla beans to make mint ice cream. I only needed one, so I put the other bean back into the glass container it came in. Today, I was having a hard time using the ...
1
vote
1answer
159 views
What tweaks can be made when preparing chili powder?
I am planning on making some chili powder this weekend using ancho, pasilla, and guajillo peppers. This is a follow-up to the question about storage-lifetime that is to do with the powder itself.
The ...
