Help me build up a spice collection. . .

Cafe Society
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. . . and without breaking the bank, please. :smiley:

For a while now, I’ve been getting more into cooking and all the while using my lil grocery store bottles of spices. I know this is not only one of the more expensive means of accumulating spices (considering the amounts involved and quality), but the spices are also not as good of quality as I can get. So, here I am. Make me a grown up, please!

I would say that the spices I use most often are:
Basil
Oregano
Parsley
Fresh black pepper
Onion Powder
Garlic Powder
Kosher salt
Tony’s Creole Seasoning

Then, I use a little ground mustard, a little cumin, a little cayenne, a little red pepper flake, etc. I love fresh cilantro, too.

So, my questions are:

Where should I get these spices? I’m from Bakersfield, so short of ethnic stores (which I’ve heard are actually a good resource!) like Indian and Asian markets, we do not have spice stores. I’d love if you guys could point me in the direction of some splendid online spice stores with good pices.

What else do you think I should try? I like spicy food (in the sense of: a lot of spices! But also I do enjoy heat, so long as it’s heat with flavor and not just hot for the sake of hot). I cook a lot of Italian food, but lately, what I make is all over the place. The only thing I don’t eat is seafood. Basically, if you look at the above list and say, “If you like X, you should try Y” that’d be awesome!

What are the best cheap storage containers? I have a wall cupboard I keep my spices in, but I’m open to options now that I wont be bound to grocery store containers.

What’s a good pepper grinder? I love, love, love pepper! I currently use one of these by McCormick, but am open to other kinds of peppery goodness. My problem with my current pepper “grinder” is that only a little pepper comes out at once, so I’m left grinding and grinding and grinding and grinding. Are there actual pepper grinders that produce more pepper per twist?
Should I try different salts? Self explanatory :).

Thanks, Dopers!

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I’ve never bought from them but Penzey’s has an excellent reputation.

While it will bend the bank a bit-saffron.
You only use a very little and it keeps well.

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I love love love that saffron rice that comes in the little yellow packets. . .this! I’ve never had other saffron things. Are the equally as delicious as that rice?

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Yes!

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The two online spice sources I use are The Spice House and Penzey’s. One thing you might try is aleppo pepper; I put it on just about everything these days. It’s not hot at all, but it’s very tasty.

If you like spicy food, you might order an assortment of dried chiles and learn to use them.

As for pepper grinders, the Unicorn is the Cadillac, and someday I’m going to break down and invest in one. Meanwhile, I’ve used an Oxo like this one for ten years now, and while it’s not perfect–in particular, it’s not great at really fine grinding–it’s hard to beat for the price and ease of use.

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I especially love the Sicilian seasoning from http://victoriagourmet.com I first tried it after getting it at TJMaxx–I’ve since ordered it from the company. Super good stuff!

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That’s a really nice start. Just to be nit-picky, basil, oregano, and parsley are herbs not spices. Kosher salt is what you need for all of your general baking and cooking. Having a little sea salt to add at the end is good, but don’t go crazy on something really expensive.

I’d add bay leaves, rosemary, whole nutmeg, curry powder (some will scoff at buying it pre-made), and a good quality Hungarian paprika. I’d pick a style that you like to cook (Mexican, Indian, French, Italian) and stock up on the things you will use all the time. You just can’t have everything you need for every cuisine without spending a fortune and have it going stale.

As for storage, keep things in the dark in airtight containers and away from heat. Do not leave them out to ogle.

There are lots of pepper grinder options. The Unicorn Magnum and Keytop are two really good choices.

I’ll PM you a suggestion for an online store.

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Penzeys.

Just about every major grocery store has cheap spices in the “Ethnic” aisle. There’s got to be a Vons in Bakersfield.

Good info here.

Salt is salt is salt. Just stock kosher and leave it at that.

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Of course we have grocery stores here, I just had always been told that the spices from dedicated spice retailers are noticeably more delicious than their grocery store counter parts. If I can go to the Mexican spice aisle at the store and that’s the same, I’m down for that, too!

Oh, worth noting to everyone else: I’m actually out of basil, oregano, and parsley (just ran out tonight), so I’m looking to replace those with perhaps tastier versions if such things exist!

Also: noted the herb/spice differentiation. Oops :p.

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I love those little ethnic groceries for herbs and spices! Cheap as can be, and their turnover is so fast, they’re pretty fresh.

If you like oregano and Italian food, I’d first suggest getting some marjoram. It’s a variety of oregano with its own flavor profile: sweet, citrusy and slightly minty. Unlike oregano, it works really well used fresh as well as dried, and since it has a more delicate flavor, it’s best added near the end of cooking, whereas oregano needs a good long heating to release its flavors.*

I’m going through a tarragon phase at the moment. I love it in tuna salad, chicken salad, roasted chicken, roast pork…

Rosemary is another winner, and a common herb in Mediterranean cooking. Wonderful with pork and chicken.

One of my favorite herby dishes is “Scarborough Chicken”. Just sing the tune to yourself: “Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme!” and add a generous pinch of each to some melted butter with salt. Brush on a whole chicken or chicken pieces and roast. Just divine!

Ok, I’ll stop now. Don’t want to overwhelm you all at once! :smiley:

*ETA: I wouldn’t *replace *oregano in my kitchen with marjoram. I like both of them for different dishes. But they are similar enough to sub in for one another if I’m out of one.

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Fresh basil is the way to go. Grow your own and pick it fresh. As for cheap spices: there is no freaking difference between the glassine packets of chili powder and McCormick’s chili powder except price. The cheap packets are 99 cents at Vons. Go nuts.

Penzeys has great stuff, but there is no need to spend the coin for stuff that you can get locally. If it is a specialty spice the grocery won’t have it and you’ll have to order it. But Mexican spices are everywhere. Try Ranch Market out on South H. Or Pro’s on Niles Point.

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I’ve got little zip baggies of fresh basil frozen with a little olive oil in my freezer as we speak. I can’t keep a damned thing alive with the heat here (and my total lack of green thumb), but whenever anybody gives me fresh from their garden, I freeze so I can use it any time I want. Definitely the best trick I’ve picked up, especially when you want some yummy fresh basil for a sandwich.

I go to Ranch Market, Vallarta, and the other Mexican grocers all the time (cheap meat!), but I was just under the impression there was a world out there I’m missing out on via fancy spices. I wonder if there are certain things that are more or less the same everywhere and certain things that you are better off ordering? Or maybe it’s all about the Ranch Market bulk spices (right next to the Ranch Market home made tamales. . . om nom nom). :smiley:

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Turmeric, Cardamom, fenugreek, cumin, anise, cloves, whole nutmeg, mustard seed, mustard flake, and stick cinnamon are some of the ones we use quite often. I find spices cheaper at the Indian grocery store or at stores with large sections dedicated to a specific Ethnic group who evidently use large amounts of spices in their cooking, which Ethnic group depends on the suburb or particular store. There are what look to be pint or quart jars of spices for less than the price of a small jar of McCormick’s spices, and the turnover seems to be faster so the spices are fresher.

Costco has saffron at the moment. I bought a five gram jar and it is the freshest most flavorful saffron I have found ever, and at a good price too.

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With herbs and spices, your best tool is your nose. Does it smell? Then it will taste.

Of course, you can’t go ripping into packages at the store, so first look at the dust. Is there dust on the package? Pass, it’s undoubtedly stale. Then look at the herb. Is it green? Unless it’s sage, it should be (sage is dusty pale green or even grey). Spices vary in color, but generally, the more vivid the color, the fresher the spice. Is it all one color, more or less, or is the front part bleached from light exposure? Again, if it is, pass.

Your absolute best bet with spices is to buy whole when you can and grind them yourself. That releases the essential oils right before it goes into the food, and the essential oils are where the flavor is.

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I have been wanting to get a mortar and pestle for guacamole purposes. . .

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Check out Penzeys and Spice Market online. Just browse and see what strikes your fancy. I especially recommend Penzeys spice blends. Their Arizona Dreaming is marvelous. We also seem to use a lot of the Pasta Sprinkle and Chili 3000.

The wife just chimed in to suggest Herbes de Provence as well.

Get yourself a microplane and grate your own nutmeg.

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Get a can of Old Bay seasoning, and use it creatively. Also, nobody mentioned dill or coriander. Smoked salt can add a twist to traditional recipes, and it’s long lasting.

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Old Bay is a pretty freaking classic American flavor. I just got through with some Old Bay breaded fried chicken and . . . nice. Of course, countless Americans just finished off Labor Day festivities with Old Bay seafood/crab boils.

Going East: no one’s mentioned garam masala. Indian spice mixes are notoriously good (and notoriously cook-dependent – every Indian I’ve ever talked to has mentioned “the hand,” which is the mystical influence of the grandma cook picking and combining spices with no specific measure), but I’ve had luck here: http://spicebarn.com/garam_masala.htm

Or, better, if you know first-generation Indians – ask them for spice source recommendations. Some lady in their family will have a (strong) opinion.

[ETA: This lady has gotten some good distribution for her pre-packaged spice blends: http://sukhis.com/products/home-chef/spice-mix-home.php]

Having lived in arid climates, I hear the OP on the difficult-to-grow point but – herbs and spices (especially those from the Mediterranean) are mostly pretty sprouty/hardy and grow up volunteer – just find/create a shady place and water regularly, the heat should not be a deal-breaker. On things like basil and rosemary and sage, fresh makes a huge difference.

Good luck.

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Ahh GD I screwed up the link:

http://sukhis.com/products/home-chef/spice-mix-home.php

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I love adding a dash of Lawry’s Seasoned Salt to almost any dish.

Also, IME basil tastes best when it’s fresh. If you keep a basil plant you can pluck off a few leaves any time you need.