Dried Spices are essential ingredients to keep in the pantry; they help round out any dish to give it more flavor and depth. When I was growing up, my mother mostly stuck with Italian spices: oregano, parsley, and rosemary so I didn't know of the existence of curry (Southeast Asia) or thyme (which I tender to consider French) until I was much older. I think it is a good idea to keep a handful of different dried spices in your kitchen at any one time. My favorites are:
Oregano leaves / Rosemary leaves / Thyme leaves / Ground Curry / Ground Cinnamon / Ground Cloves / Parsley Flakes / Black Peppercorns (to be ground in a pepper mill) / Red Pepper Flakes
I like to concoct interesting spices blend recipe and when one emerges that's quite tasty, I create a large batch and give some away. Little spice blend pouches are fantastic gifts and they last about 6 months, but I have certainly used my spices beyond that date!
Below I have given you a few ideas to get started:
Spiced Cider Mix
1 cup Sugar
1 tablespoon Ground Cinnamon
1 teaspoon Ground Cloves
1 teaspoonGround Allspice
1 cup Sugar
1 tablespoon Ground Cinnamon
1 teaspoon Ground Cloves
1 teaspoonGround Allspice
Chicken Rub
1 tablespoon Coarse Salt
1 teaspoon Oregano
1 teaspoon Paprika
1 pinch Ground black pepper
1 tablespoon Coarse Salt
1 teaspoon Oregano
1 teaspoon Paprika
1 pinch Ground black pepper
Meat Seasoning
1 tablespoon Coarse Salt
1 teaspoon Thyme
1 teaspoon Dried Garlic Flakes
1 tablespoon Coarse Salt
1 teaspoon Thyme
1 teaspoon Dried Garlic Flakes
