The Spice Cupboard - what's used, what's neglected?

Parent Cafe
21

I actually had to figure this out since my new spice shelves don’t give me as much room as the old ones. Unfortunately I use a lot of spices.

I’ve been doing a lot of middle eastern cooking lately and always cooked Indian so cumin (ground and seeds), cinnamon, cardomom, cloves, cayenne, coriander, sumac, tumeric and zahtar get used all the time. I use saffron a fair amount too. There’s a cauliflower dish in Plenty, I think, which calls for it. I have dried ginger, but usually use fresh which I chop up fine and put in a jar in the fridge filled with vodka. I have some Indian spice mixtures like panch phoran which come in big bags so they hide away in drawers and I forget I have them unless a recipe specifically calls for it.

The regular Italian/French spices get regular use too: Oregano, Bay leaf, thyme, rosemary, basil. In the summer I grow all of these.

Apple pie, cauliflower and spinach get improved with nutmeg.

I like both the smoky and regular paprika. I often just sprinkle it on pork chops and “verbesser” the pan juices with sour cream. (Love that German word!)

We have various BBQ and Carribean mixtures none of which I like that much. I now barbecue over real charcoal with wood chips and use very little extra spicing. Also neglected is Bay Seasoning for mystery reasons I have three cans of the stuff. I haven’t used Five Spice Powder in years.

22

Powdered Garlic on nearly everything that I roast (use the real stuff, too). Hungarian sweet paprika and rosemary on roast chicken. Black peppercorns. Cayenne. Powdered Ginger. Spices that I have a lot of because I rarely use them; cumin, jamaican curry, ground mustard, cardamom.

23

@mathmom, sounds a lot like my spice cabinet. I have a huge amount of stuff that I use regularly: Indian and other Asian (black mustard seed, fenugreek seed, cumin seed, dried red Thai peppers, cardamom seed and both white and black pods, amchur powder, garam, bottle, and Balti masalas I make myself, coriander seed, tamarind paste, star anise, cloves, tellicherry pepper, cinnamon sticks, kokum, turmeric, saffron, various colors of poppy seeds, curry leaves in the freezer and so on. Standbys like sage, thyme, savory (people, try it in things like stuffing), tarragon, bay leaves, whole nutmegs, mace, crushed red pepper, ground chipotle, ancho and cayenne peppers. I love Spanish smoked paprika. I use Greek dried oregano that comes on the dried branches, so much more flavorful. I also would put in a plug for Vietnamese Cinnamon: SO much more aromatic. Then I’ve got things like dill seed, celery seed, yellow mustard seed (making pickles), dried mustard, homemade chili powder, a bunch of Penzey’s blends (Sunny Paris, Mural of Flavor, Tsardust Memories, Greek, Southwest and Turkish Seasoning, Bangkok Blend, Barbecue of the Americas. And a whole lot more stuff.

I always have fresh ginger in the fridge I use it so fast that it rarely goes bad. I also have an array of bottled Chinese things, homemade Thai red curry paste in the freezer…

I, too, have a can of Bay Seasoning that I haven’t touched in 15 years, and I never use Five Spice powder anymore. I think I’ll get rid of them, and move some of the items I use less frequently to another location. I was just talking to my sister about the need to reorganize the spices…

BTW, Cream of tartar is commonly used when beating egg whites, especially in a copper bowl. Like arrowroot, which I also have, it is commonly found in the spice cabinet but it isn’t actually a spice.

24

I have turmeric, I don’t know why I used it. I do use a lot of spices, but I also grow basil and parsley. I freeze the basil in a little olive oil and have it year round. You name it I have it, I just wish it was more organized, it’s in a lazy susan in a cabinet and I spend more time hunting down spices than cooking some days.

25

Celery salt is great when cooking any kind of beans or legumes. I always put in my pinto beans and black eyed peas.

I’ve never heard of smoky paprika, but it sounds great.

I use the Old Bay seasoning every time I steam fresh shrimp.

The rest of my staples have already been named, as well as many of those also mentioned ones which end up getting thrown out.

26

Most used spices: chili powder, cumin, oregano, cinnamon, Lawry’s seasoned salt, cayenne pepper, Slap Yo Mama Cajun spice
Only for pumpkin pie/bread: ground ginger, cloves
In the freezer: chopped basil, garlic, coriander (cilantro), parsley

27

I use Old Bay occasionally on fish, too. H also bought some cajun blackening seasoning for fish. I prefer to just make fish with a little lemon, butter & white wine - even if grilling (I wrap it in tin foil and throw it on.) H is also into making his own dry rubs and the spices he uses are always changing but have a lot of the typical basic spices in them.

I also use Montreal steak seasoning. I marinate the steak in balsamic vinegar, EVOO, red wine and then sprinkle the Montreal seasoning over the meat.

28

Most used: sea salt, cumin, cinnamon, chili powder (all kept on a hanging shelf so that they are handy).

I keep peeled ginger in the freezer and use a zester when it is called for in a recipe – works like a charm!

I don’t know if this method keeps fresh parsley and cilantro fresh longer, but I do trim the bottoms and put the bunch in a glass with water (not too much as I don’t want the greenery to get slimy), changing out the water as needed.

29

Never tried smoked paprika. Sounds like something I would like. Also have never been in a Penzey but some of the blends sound interesting.
My most used dry spice is probably oregano. I rarely use dried basil since I gave up pasta. I also use a lot of thyme but that I grow. I also grow oregano and rosemary. The rosemary plant is indestructible so I never use the bottle of dry so I bet it is over 5 years old.
My most use mix is one I make myself. Garlic powder, onion powder, lots of dried oregano, ancho chili powder, cayenne powder. If I am making mexican I add cumin to that mix. I mix it with a bit of sunflower oil and rub it on beef and chicken before grilling.
Sumac and zaatar are additions to my cabinet in the last few years. I like middle eastern cooking.
Also like cinnamon and love nutmeg.
Least used- sesame seeds, chinese five spice
I have a can of celery salt so I must have bought it for a specific recipe. I sometimes add it to egg salad.
Absolutely love cilantro. I put it in salsa and in salads. Always fresh. I wouldn’t use the tube because I want it chopped.
Not a spice but I use lime a lot as a flavoring. I prefer lemon in some cases but I have lime trees.

30

If you like cilantro and it is “out of season”, I started using Goya Sofrito’s cilantro.

31

Lemon pepper, Kosher Salt, garlic powder, freshly ground pepper, cumin, chili powder and Rosemary are on the A-list of spices. Just tried to make an Indian dish, so now I have a good amount of curry powder to use up.

In the fridge I have a ton of ingredients which tend to get used once or twice and then they linger…Asian fish sauce, and Worcestersire sauce are the main suspects, but half used bottles of barbecue sauce and Teriyaki sauce end up cluttering the cramped shelves in the door. I use them in such small quantities that they just end up rattling around and knocking over in the door, but I am too cheap to toss them. One time I used up all the half bottles in a crockpot pork dish. Family loved it, but I could not recreate…it was just a happy accident that it was edible and tasty :slight_smile:

32

I use old bay in butter for corn on the cob, along with fresh lime juice.
I put Chinese five spice on vanilla ice cream ( when I could have dairy), and when making toasted pecans.
I love cardamom.
It’s good in peach or blueberry cobbler along with clove, cinnamon & ginger.
Turmeric is used in curries, and in tea. I like it on buttered rice.

33

I have a plant called Vietnamese coriander and the leaves have a similar flavor to cilantro. A bit milder though. I like it because it’s always there in it’s pot when I need cilantro and it’s a perennial that never bolts!

34

In addition to the abovementioned common spices, I always keep a jar of freeze-dried dill:

http://www.litehousefoods.com/content/herbs#menu/herbs

35

As I make meringues for Christmas, the cream of tartar comes out of the back of the spice shelf at that time of year.
It helps the egg whites hold their peaks.

Another fan here of cilantro in water in the fridge to keep it lasting longer.

I use many spices, but my go to is Mexican oregano, sold in the packaged Mexican section of grocery stores. Less bitter than Italian, it enhances many things.

My latest find at Penzy’s is half hot Paprika. Adds some heat and deepens flavor.

Turmeric, while I don’t tend to use unless making curry from scratch, has been found to have significant health benefits as a natural anti inflammatory. Googling, I found this: http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=78

Reflecting on our bounty, appreciate how we have such a wealth of flavor available. The new world was found looking for rare spices, and here we are, able to keep them all in a kitchen cupboard.

36

I have 35 spices. I order in bulk from mountainroseherbs.com, and keep the large packages in the freezer, refilling my small spice jars as needed. The ones I go through like crazy: cinnamon, cumin, turmeric, curry powder, white pepper, black pepper. I put cardamom in a lot of things, I consider it my signature. The reason I have so many spices is that S2 is a vegetarian/vegan, so I’ve gradually increased the number of spices that I cook with. I don’t have any blends, except for curry powder and a chili powder that has turned out to be way too hot. I bought small glass jars a couple of years ago, labeled them, and filled them with spices and herbs. It was getting too expensive to keep buying the small jars in the supermarket. I found that not only are the bulk spices less expensive, they are so fresh that you have to use less.

I also buy a vanilla powder from Williams-Sonoma, that is pulverized vanilla beans. I use it in recipes that call for vanilla, along with vanilla extract.

greatlakesmom, I sprinkle turmeric on a lot of things. It doesn’t have a strong taste.

I do have a very old jar of cream of tartar that I don’t remember ever using.

Trader Joe’s used to carry frozen small cubes of chopped cilantro, very convenient. They still have basil and garlic, but stopped carrying cilantro.

http://www.dorot.co.il/?CategoryID=27&ArticleID=38

37

I use my cream of tartar for my son’s favorite angel food cake. My “stiff peaks” were a little lacking this weekend, and I wondered if it loses its strength, or I bought cheap cream of tartar last time, or if I just can’t cook.

38

@shellz - I think curry powder is great in squash or pumpkin soups.

39

Greatlakesmom thanks for the link for turmeric.
I just finished Grain Brain, Dr Perlmutters book, and he suggests - turmeric 350 mg twice day.

40

shellz - I love that idea! I too have barbecue sauce that is half used and probably cost less then $2.00. It’s going in the next pork crock recipe, along with that tablespoon of dijon mustard and whatever else I can find!

I have a ton of spices. I have two full spice rack and a dozen loose bottles. My most used ones that are a little different are Penzey’s Apple Pie Spice, crushed red pepper, Aw Shucks corn seasoning, bay leaves, Old Bay, and lots of different crushed and flaked peppers that I mixed and crushed myself. My cupboards are full of herbs and spices and my fridge is full of condiments!