Amador Foodie's Herb and Spice Cupboard
Okay, well in order to create culinary masterpieces that are good for you, nutritionally complete, and also tasty (the key to preparing meals that people will actually eat!), you need to have some basic 'raw materials' in the form of herbs and spices. There are so many choices in this area, and we cannot possibly provide a complete list, so we will simply offer a list of our own basics plus some of the 'specialty' items we seem to use a lot.
Stay tuned.... this page is a work in progress!
Stay tuned.... this page is a work in progress!
Herbs - Some tips and insights from the Amador Foodie
As with many things you will use to create your culinary delights, herbs and spices come in serveral forms. Fresh herbs can be - but are not necessarily - the best way to season things, although I'm certain a part of this opinion is just that I haven't figured out how to put the right amount of fresh herbs in a cooking dish. As a 'topper', they're very good indeed; but when it comes to seasoning marinades or while cooking, 'packaged' seasonings can work just as well. We grow our own fresh herbs, including both Sweet and Thai Basil, Dill, Chives, Cilantro and Oregano. We also purchase (in 'bulk' quantities) the following:
- Sweet Basil
- Oregano
- Tarragon
- Cilantro
- Dill
- Red Pepper Flakes
NOTE: Most of the above are avaiable from Marshall's Spices on Amazon
and the following 'prepared' spices are always in the cupboard:
- Chinese 5-spice
- Garlic Powder
- Onion Powder
- Chili Powder
- Cumin
- Curry Powder
- Ground Paprika
These are some of the other seasonings we find in our cupboard, used when we want a little something 'special'
- Tone's Chipotle seasoning (Amazon)
- McCormick Taco seasoning (Amazon)
- Aloha Organics BBQ, Seafood, Chicken&Pork, and Beef seasonings and rubs (Amazon)
- Ground Turmeric (Various suppliers, Amazon)
- Johnnies Garlic Bread spice (Doe's all-time favorite seasoning!)
As with many things you will use to create your culinary delights, herbs and spices come in serveral forms. Fresh herbs can be - but are not necessarily - the best way to season things, although I'm certain a part of this opinion is just that I haven't figured out how to put the right amount of fresh herbs in a cooking dish. As a 'topper', they're very good indeed; but when it comes to seasoning marinades or while cooking, 'packaged' seasonings can work just as well. We grow our own fresh herbs, including both Sweet and Thai Basil, Dill, Chives, Cilantro and Oregano. We also purchase (in 'bulk' quantities) the following:
- Sweet Basil
- Oregano
- Tarragon
- Cilantro
- Dill
- Red Pepper Flakes
NOTE: Most of the above are avaiable from Marshall's Spices on Amazon
and the following 'prepared' spices are always in the cupboard:
- Chinese 5-spice
- Garlic Powder
- Onion Powder
- Chili Powder
- Cumin
- Curry Powder
- Ground Paprika
These are some of the other seasonings we find in our cupboard, used when we want a little something 'special'
- Tone's Chipotle seasoning (Amazon)
- McCormick Taco seasoning (Amazon)
- Aloha Organics BBQ, Seafood, Chicken&Pork, and Beef seasonings and rubs (Amazon)
- Ground Turmeric (Various suppliers, Amazon)
- Johnnies Garlic Bread spice (Doe's all-time favorite seasoning!)