I agree with Fish, for what it’s worth. Get 'em using something, and then they might feel like using something else even better.
And remember, good food isn’t all about taste. (Yeah! I said it!) Good food is also about looks - that’s why plating is so prized as a skill, and even a home cook can really jazz up a plate and bring smiles to the table with the *look *of a meal. Something may taste great, but add a little dried parsley (which, I agree, imparts little to no flavor) and suddenly it LOOKS even better. What’s wrong with that? Sometimes I get the taste of something just right, and I don’t want parsley flavor, I just want the look of green herby goodness. Dried parsley is perfect for that!
Fresh cilantro is great! It tastes green and sassy and fresh and like life itself. But what if that’s not the taste I want in my dish? What if I want a light green but muted note? Dried cilantro is perfectly good for that.
IMHO, anyone who turns up their nose at dried herbs forever and for final isn’t really thinking it through. Yes, there are some dishes where you have to use fresh - I wouldn’t dream of attempting a chimichurri sauce with dried herbs! But there are also applications for the dried stuff, even if you do have money to burn on fresh.
When I make sun-dried tomato hummus, I use a combination of fresh and dried basil. Fresh basil has a nice bracing taste, but the dried basil has a muted sweetness that the fresh lacks. Using both gives me a nice complex basil flavor.
For the same reason I use both vanilla bean and vanilla extract in my vanilla ice cream.
Dried herbs are serviceable in soups as well, because they cook for a long time, and there’s lots of liquid for them to soak up.
But there’s no substitute for fresh basil in, say, homemade pesto.
For what it’s worth, I usually buy spices because I’m about to make something that uses them. Going to make some jambalaya? Stock up on cayenne and thyme. Going to make egg salad? Get some dill weed. Many people will say your spice rack should reflect the kinds of things you have for what you do cook, not the kinds of things you think you should have.
Still, there’s some joy in getting a spice you’ve never tried and figuring out what to do with it.
5-4 Fighting, I don’t mind if you want to discuss anything here. It’s not up to me where you post. I just didn’t want to go to resurrect older threads just to put my two cents in. (Besides, I thought that a List Of Spices should also include Why You Use Them.)
Absolutely. I might add that because we’ve talked about every subject under the sun on the Straight Dope, it’s tempting to point at previous threads — after all, if a previous thread was helpful and informative, why cover the same ground twice? But sometimes there’s a fine line between redirecting to an old discussion and seeming to stifle new discussion. It would be shame if every new thread had “go discuss it here, we did this already” two posts in. Not that I’m saying you did that, just that it’s a tricky balance to maintain.
Thanks for all of the great information! Not sure how I missed 5-4-Fighting’s thread last month. I usually keep my eye out for those type of discussions…
I can also see both sides of the fresh vs. dried argument. My mom keeps a small herb garden in the corner of her vegetable garden. I love the idea, but can you grow them indoors as well? I’d like to have a fresh supply year round, and I can’t imagaine they would require any more effort than all my other houseplants.
They (tend to) require a little more sunlight than most common houseplants, but a south-facing windowsill is usually fine. Rosemary bushes are often sold as tabletop Christmas trees - I’ve had 'em last 3-4 years with regular pruning.
Yes. The flavor it lends is fairly subtle–at least my mother didn’t put so many berries that the flavor would be obvious. I guess it’s akin to studding your onions with two or three cloves before putting it in the stock. The allspice is more forward in something like the Swedish stew recipe I linked to.
I should have been clear about not doing that. I think an appropriately new thread can definitely cover new territory and I hate when discussion is stifled by an “It’s already been done” post. Actually just wanted to, uhmmm, spice up this discussion and am glad SylverOne can now participate here and refer back.
To lobotomyboy63 and Fish: In addition to the the basics I already had (salt, pepper, powdered ginger, Sylvia’s Seasoned Salt*) I haven’t had a chance to add much but I did print out the compilation list from my thead. Job hunting and moving into new culinary territory slowly (including ethnic stores) has so far kept me limited but I will expand. I’ve added:
Cheaper sources: Whole Oregano, Chili Powder, Paprika. This was from local store selections and I will go back.
Generally: Mrs. Dash Tomato Basil Garlic, Old Bay Seasoning, and* McCormick’s Garlic-&-Herb** and All-Purpose.*
Contains Salt, Sugar, Paprika, Garlic, Onion, Black & Red Pepper, Herbs & Spices.
** Both contain Garlic, Oregano, Rosemary, Basil, Red Pepper, Orange Peel, Onion, Parsley, Paprika & Celery.
A lot of what I listed repeats ingredients in the mixes but that’s why I originally posted 'cause I do want to expand my horizons. I plan to move away from the expensive McCormick’s and once I make it to Penzey’s, I will have a whole array in one place to inform my spice mix, mix-and-match and expansion choices.
I also buy fresh herbs when I can find them locally (farmers’ markets) in smaller quantities so I can use them quickly. Ramoulade and Sofrito are good flavor enhancers for me and I bought another meat injector to really add deep-flavor marinading to my meats. I going to see how growing fresh herbs works out also.
My husband and I have recently been experimenting with Indian cooking and some of their basic spices - toasted and ground cumin seed and coriander seed, cayenne, fenugreek, turmeric, mustard seed, cardomom, etc. I feel like a whole new world has emerged in the kitchen.
Since I can grow Basil, I do. And I freeze the excess. It does not, of course, have the texture of fresh Basil, but it has the taste and is fine in pesto, soups, etc. Simply put the leaves between 2 pieces of plastic wrap and into a freezer bag or container.
Alternatively, make the pesto when Basil is fresh, cheap, and plentiful. Pesto with a little olive oil on top will keep for a long time in the refrigerator.
eta: making your own masala is so worth the trouble! I have several terrific recipes, ranging from slightly and sweetly hot to scorching and delicious. It’s the sort of thing that looks harder than it is.
While it takes “money to waste on fresh herbs” to a whole 'nother level, I have to admit I adore my Aerogarden. They also have an adorable little mini Aerogarden now. When I win the lottery (I might have better chances if I ever bought a ticket), I’m totally getting the 3 Shelf Wall Aerogarden set up!
Another option with this and cilantro is to chop it up, put some in each compartment of an ice cube tray, cover with some water, and freeze. Then pop the cubes out and store in freezer bags. It doesn’t have the same texture as fresh but retains much of the taste.
