If you've ever stood in the seasoning aisle at your local grocery store and gasped at all the selections, you're not alone. There are so many spices and varieties of herbs it's hard to decide what you need to keep on hand at home. Even if you decide on what you need, should you get the whole or ground version or maybe this is a herb you need to grow at home. Don't fret, there really are just a few vital items you need. The good thing is, as you try new recipes you can pick up the spices you need for that and then know you have them on hand for future dishes. Build your kitchen spice rack one recipe at a time.
Salt comes in many different forms and varieties. The finest ground salt is often used for seasoning popcorn and is usually found in this section of the grocery store. You can cut down on your sodium intake by adding your salt at the table rather then when the food is cooking. This leaves the salt on the outside of the food and gives you an immediate burst of flavor when you take a bite. I like using the fine salt for this type of seasoning as it covers more evenly with less being used. Of course, the other end of the spectrum (other than rock salt) is course or kosher salt. This is what you'll typically find used on pretzels or other breads. It gives periodic spikes of flavor without overpowering the entire dish. The next time you go to grab the salt, ask yourself what you're trying to accomplish and use the right variety.
Just like salt, pepper can be used in a course ground or a very fine powder, depending on what type of 'texture' or feel you're trying to accomplish with that dish. If you've ever eaten at a fancy restaurant, the wait person will usually offer fresh ground pepper from a very large, overly burdensome pepper mill. You don't need one of these at home to get the same effect, but you will want to use fresh ground pepper for the best flavor. Look through the spice section at your grocery store and find the pepper corns that come in the jar with the mill built right in. These work just as well, but may not impress your important guest. If you're making an Asian dish, you'll most likely want to use white pepper. The really is an important difference between white and black pepper when it comes to flavor. White pepper is a little milder and less punch and comes from fully ripened peppers that have had their outer skin removed.
If you think of oregano and immediately picture Italian foods, you're not alone, but, this very popular herb is also used frequently in Mexican as well as Greek dishes. If you're cooking beef or chicken, you probably won't go wrong adding some oregano to the recipe. It also works very well with most stews and soups. When it comes to squash, I can't imagine eating it without some oregano sprinkled on before serving. It's a wonderful light flavor that works very well when added at the very end. Oregano grows well indoors or outside if you're living in an area with a very mild climate.
Thyme is often described as having a mint like flavor with a slight hint of lemon. Both of these flavors are very subtle and barely noticeable. Another great herb to grown in your kitchen garden, it can be used fresh and dries very well for storing. Fish and most poultry are complimented very nicely with thyme. Almost all of your tomato based dishes will be enhanced nicely with a little dash of thyme either at the end or during the cooking process. Just like oregano, thyme is use often in stews and soups.
Rosemary can grow to be a very large bush made up of many very long stems with little needles on them. Usually you'll pull the rosemary needles off of the stem when using this herb. This is best done by holding the top of the stem and rubbing down against the grain. The rosemary will pull right off this way. One of my favorite ways to use rosemary is to keep the stems intact and pierce a long strip of chicken as you would with a bamboo skewer. Throw these on the grill and the wonderful rosemary flavors will infuse the chicken and make a very nice presentation at the table.
Cilantro is found most often in Mexican and Asian dishes. If you're planning on making some homemade fresh salsa, it won't taste the same without, at least, a touch of cilantro. I know of several people who dislike cilantro and won't touch your salsa if you use it, but I say that's their loss. Cilantro can be grown successfully by just about anyone. Keep it on your window sill or in your outdoor herb garden. Just be careful to not let it 'bolt'. That's when the flowers will shoot up from the middle of your plan and start to bloom. If this happens, your entire cilantro plant will go bad. But, not all is lost. The small seeds at the top are what cooks call coriander. Thai food is complimented very well with cilantro and can be added to your stir fry foods as a flavorful garnish. If you're like most people, you'll be a little confused in the produce section between the Italian parsley and the cilantro. One quick whiff of cilantro and you'll know you have the right one. If in doubt, ask your produce person for some guidance. Italian parsley will leave your dishes a little lacking of expected flavor.
These aren't the only herbs you're going to need in the kitchen but rather the ones I think are vital to making meals that will impress your taste buds as well as your friends and family. If you're not growing your own herbs at home, consider trying out the fresh herbs usually kept in the produce section of your grocery store. It's well worth the extra expense and the prep time needed to chop them. Enjoy your new found kitchen friends and remember, a little goes a long way. - 16650
Salt comes in many different forms and varieties. The finest ground salt is often used for seasoning popcorn and is usually found in this section of the grocery store. You can cut down on your sodium intake by adding your salt at the table rather then when the food is cooking. This leaves the salt on the outside of the food and gives you an immediate burst of flavor when you take a bite. I like using the fine salt for this type of seasoning as it covers more evenly with less being used. Of course, the other end of the spectrum (other than rock salt) is course or kosher salt. This is what you'll typically find used on pretzels or other breads. It gives periodic spikes of flavor without overpowering the entire dish. The next time you go to grab the salt, ask yourself what you're trying to accomplish and use the right variety.
Just like salt, pepper can be used in a course ground or a very fine powder, depending on what type of 'texture' or feel you're trying to accomplish with that dish. If you've ever eaten at a fancy restaurant, the wait person will usually offer fresh ground pepper from a very large, overly burdensome pepper mill. You don't need one of these at home to get the same effect, but you will want to use fresh ground pepper for the best flavor. Look through the spice section at your grocery store and find the pepper corns that come in the jar with the mill built right in. These work just as well, but may not impress your important guest. If you're making an Asian dish, you'll most likely want to use white pepper. The really is an important difference between white and black pepper when it comes to flavor. White pepper is a little milder and less punch and comes from fully ripened peppers that have had their outer skin removed.
If you think of oregano and immediately picture Italian foods, you're not alone, but, this very popular herb is also used frequently in Mexican as well as Greek dishes. If you're cooking beef or chicken, you probably won't go wrong adding some oregano to the recipe. It also works very well with most stews and soups. When it comes to squash, I can't imagine eating it without some oregano sprinkled on before serving. It's a wonderful light flavor that works very well when added at the very end. Oregano grows well indoors or outside if you're living in an area with a very mild climate.
Thyme is often described as having a mint like flavor with a slight hint of lemon. Both of these flavors are very subtle and barely noticeable. Another great herb to grown in your kitchen garden, it can be used fresh and dries very well for storing. Fish and most poultry are complimented very nicely with thyme. Almost all of your tomato based dishes will be enhanced nicely with a little dash of thyme either at the end or during the cooking process. Just like oregano, thyme is use often in stews and soups.
Rosemary can grow to be a very large bush made up of many very long stems with little needles on them. Usually you'll pull the rosemary needles off of the stem when using this herb. This is best done by holding the top of the stem and rubbing down against the grain. The rosemary will pull right off this way. One of my favorite ways to use rosemary is to keep the stems intact and pierce a long strip of chicken as you would with a bamboo skewer. Throw these on the grill and the wonderful rosemary flavors will infuse the chicken and make a very nice presentation at the table.
Cilantro is found most often in Mexican and Asian dishes. If you're planning on making some homemade fresh salsa, it won't taste the same without, at least, a touch of cilantro. I know of several people who dislike cilantro and won't touch your salsa if you use it, but I say that's their loss. Cilantro can be grown successfully by just about anyone. Keep it on your window sill or in your outdoor herb garden. Just be careful to not let it 'bolt'. That's when the flowers will shoot up from the middle of your plan and start to bloom. If this happens, your entire cilantro plant will go bad. But, not all is lost. The small seeds at the top are what cooks call coriander. Thai food is complimented very well with cilantro and can be added to your stir fry foods as a flavorful garnish. If you're like most people, you'll be a little confused in the produce section between the Italian parsley and the cilantro. One quick whiff of cilantro and you'll know you have the right one. If in doubt, ask your produce person for some guidance. Italian parsley will leave your dishes a little lacking of expected flavor.
These aren't the only herbs you're going to need in the kitchen but rather the ones I think are vital to making meals that will impress your taste buds as well as your friends and family. If you're not growing your own herbs at home, consider trying out the fresh herbs usually kept in the produce section of your grocery store. It's well worth the extra expense and the prep time needed to chop them. Enjoy your new found kitchen friends and remember, a little goes a long way. - 16650
About the Author:
Chef Pablo has been cooking his favorite authentic Mexican dishes since his days growing up in San Diego. He also enjoys recreating top secret restaurant recipes. He maintains recipes from your favorite famous restaurants including The Cheesecake Factory, The Olive Garden, Outback Steakhouse and even your favorite KFC recipe.
