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Hello wise people of the information superhighway. I've been trying to get a nice spice collection going, here's what I have currently. Any suggestions on other things worth adding? I like experimenting with different spices on various thing.
Chili powder
Paprika ground
Cumin ground
Mixed herbs
Curry powder
Cayenne pepper ground
Star Anise
Oregano leaves
Bay leaves
Sesame seeds white
Cardamom ground
Mustard powder
Onion powder
OXO chicken stock cubes
Thyme leaves
All purpose seasoning
SaltI'm going to buy some pepper and cinnamon today. I did have pepper, but naturally it was stolen and I forgot to buy any in my last shop
NB: I have zero clue wtf star anise is, so if anybody knows what I'm meant to do with it, it'd be much appreciated.
Garlic powder
Dill
Sechuan peppercorn (mouth numbing and spicy)
MSG - it's not bad for you, but will elevate your dishes
Rosemary, oregano, sage and thyme are good for meats and stews
I've never understood the hate for MSG. But I think I post date the MSG and fat freakouts, so maybe I'm just too young to get it. Thanks for the reccos. Not gonna buy seschaun though, that sounds way too spicy!
Warning, spice habit can get out of control.
What is going on in your life?
My spice cupboard contents are my commodities.
Far too much empty space. Double stack!
There is a very good reason why I don't. My daughter sometimes uses my spices and I hear my spices being dropped which hurts me.
What I am gonna do one day is make extra shelving. One day.
Oh dear. I’m a klutz too, but it’s different if somebody else ruins stuff
I love her and everything and I'll keep feeding her but I don't like hearing clink clink clink boof oops don't worry.
Ha. I have one of those things, but I ended up using it to hold masterfood recipe base sachet things. I have a small cupboard dedicated to spices! Will send pics when I get home
Don’t buy anymore. A year from now, you will end up with half a dozen oregano’s and multiple same spices because you’re at the market and can’t remember what you have. So you buy yet another smoked paprika to add to the collection. I know I’m not alone on this.
Hello, are you me? Wtf I do this too. I have so much of everything 😭
I have 3 cinnamons and 5 paprikas at home too.....
Haha, I reckon I will anyway :)
At the moment, I only have double ups of a couple of things. I took a reverse shopping list (a list of what I currently have) to go do a big stock up shop today. A lot of my spices and cupboard stuff went walkies while I was away, and now needs to be replaced. But I don't actually remember exactly what I had, so I figured it's easier to treat it like a shop from scratch with a list of what I do have
That's a serious list there. I'd get some oxo beef cubes.
Others you might consider but not necessary: cinnamon sticks, tarragon, chives, smoked paprika, garam masala, basil, Italian mix, parsley, garlic powder.
If you can source Australian pepper berry I highly recommend it
Good list. I would add whole cloves to that list, and whole cumin seeds rather than ground. I would also use whole cardamom pods in preference to ground, but that's just me. One is usually enough to get that citrussy/eucalyptussy taste & fragrance. Buy the greenest ones you can find. You can also take off the outer husk and just use the seeds for a milder flavour. I would also add sumac to that list - middle eastern spice that adds tang and is very yummy with fish, vegetables and anything with cheese in it. I would also invest in a rosemary bush in a pot, so that you can use a few leaves here are there for meat dishes. Very yummy with lamb but also goes good with beef, but it's easy to use too much so a few leaves is much better than a whole sprig. Dried rosemary from the shop is a pale shadow of the real thing. Smoked paprika is versatile, goes on practically any meat/fish and is also good with vegetables - sprinkle on potato or cauliflower for a delicious flavour.
Star anise is nice in asian dishes, but I find the flavour very strong so I usually just break off one of the spikes of the star and just use that.
One of my fab faves is to grate a couple of big carrots, and put in a frypan with 3 cardamom pods and 1 clove and teaspoon of whole toasted cumin seeds, then fill up the pan to juuuussst cover the carrot with milk. Simmer on a VERY low heat stirring frequently until all the milk evaporates and the carrot goes mushy. Add about 1/3 cup of sugar or to taste (varies with the sweetness of the carrots) and stir in. You may not need any sugar at all if the carrots are very sweet. Enjoy as a dessert with icecream or smear thickly on a biscuit of your choice.
What are whole cloves? Like cloves of garlic? Do whole cumin seeds taste different to ground? I'm not a huge fan of cumin, it smells and tastes like a packed peak hour train in summer to me. Thanks for the sumac suggestion! Never tried it, but I have heard of it. Can it be bought at a standard supermarket, or is that a speciality grocer spice?
I always forget about rosemary. I don't eat lamb very often, so I've never needed it before. The jungle box (herb planter box) in the backyard has some space after some of it died off, might look at chucking some in there. At the very least, the next person to move in might like to take some!
Thanks for the recipe as well!
Yes whole cumin is different to ground - smells nicer imo. Good basic spice that goes with everything (nearly). The whole seeds are usually dry roasted in a dry pan until they change smell to delicious. The change is unmistakable. Sumac is available at most colesworths, and sometimes at Aldi, and is probably included in most middle eastern spice blends. Rosemary is fine on potatoes too - I like a bit on roasted potatoes, not so much on mash - but its natural partner is pumpkin.
A whole clove looks a bit like a lawn bindie. A small spike with a round thing ing a flower shape. The smell is unmistakable. There are some old traditions about covering lemons with them, one as a wardrobe moth detersnt, the other as a kissing game.
I use star anise with my marmalade. After my make the marmalade before I put the lid on I put a star anise on top of the jam. It imparts a lovely flavour.
Thanks Goonsy. I've never made Marmalade before, in fact I don't even think I've eaten marmalade before
Star anise has an aniseed taste. Kind of like liquorice but not that strong. Used in middle eastern and Asian stews and soups. It gives an added boost when used with other spices like cinnamon and cloves.
Ooh, thank you. I tried little choc coated aniseed balls (as well as choc coated coffee beans) while I was in Canberra (the place we went for lunch had a surprisingly large chocolate range). I don't mind the taste. Might give it a go in something soon
@CEOofmyhouse56 @Baku it also interacts interestingly with compounds in onions. A small amount, like one of the individual seed pods with the onions for a stew can add an interesting depth of flavour
Cajun is basically my go to. Yes you can make it yourself but the big jars of it last ages and honestly probably go in 1/2 the stuff I make anyway. Same goes with Pizza topper.
Thanks!
Whole spices keep better than ground ones generally. Asian grocers will be much cheaper than the supermarket, but you’ll be buying big quantities. Do consider the Australian natives; lemon myrtle and bush tomato especially.
Thanks! I keep hearing about this lemon myrtle stuff. Gonna see if I can track some down
My fav thing to do with star anise is a braised beef stew thing.
Cubed cow. Brown the fuck out of it. Onion, garlic, ginger, star anise, dried orange rind, honey, soy, stock. Chilli if desired. Simmer until sticky. Rice of course.
Omg this sounds super good! Could I bother you for a full recipe? I'd like to try it. It sounds delish
I kind of don’t do exactness in cooking. I’m a pinch, handful, shake sort of Cook.
Ginger
galangal
mild madras curry powder
turmeric
big pepper grinder with a blend of different peppercorns
spaghetti herb and spice mix from Mediterranean Wholesalers
mace
mustard seeds
mustard powder
mushroom stock cubes
whole nutmegs
dried fenugreek leaves
fresh ground lemon grass in a tube
Thanks for the suggestions. I haven't heard of a few of these! What's galangal, mace, and fenugreek leaf?
Galangal is almost ginger,harder to cut milder flavour. Mace is nutmeg skin, milder, more expensive. Fenugreek is … great for Indian food. Dunno how to describe it. Background thing that is good?
I like to use Mild Moroccan spices from Hoyt’s
Cloves and bay leaves for speghetti bolognaise sauce.
I have chicken salt. General seasoning and Italian herb mixes as well.
OMG Chicken salt! That's been a whole fucking thing. The drongo stole my damn chicken salt, and I forgot to replace it
It was actually hell at the air BNB, cause I bought chips but just assumed the house came with chicken salt, or at least normal salt. There was neither. I didn't want to waste them, so I just had chips with pepper and tomato sauce. It was damn depressing.
@Baku a bay tree in a pot is a good option if you can (with housing arrangements and climate)
What's that?
@Baku the tree you get bay leaves from. They're much better fresh
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laurus_nobilis
Bay tree at -approx 30 Commrrcail Rd Foots
@Baku@aussie.zone star anise is this one which I usually use in making masala’s for meat dishes like curries and Briyani. It kind of adds ooomph to the masalas. Without it masala’s taste light. This kicks up the taste to feel more heavy, if that makes sense.
Usage personally is a broken one (like half) for a masala that goes with 1/2kg of meat (or a meal for 2-3 people), it could be one full one if not ground up and used as is in things like briyani.
I always feel its flavour is wasted when not ground up. But in a briyani it could make sense if you need the extra heat, but don’t want to consume the spice (like a first time user).
Sorry for the data dump. Got a bit excited 😜
It’s easy to go overboard on getting spices and they go stale/lose flavour quickly, so maybe build a collection up by starting with a few basics and then adding as you need them?
Or look up spice mixes you’re most likely to use (ie taco seasoning if you like tacos) and buy the stuff for those.
It all depends on what you cook!
You might not need star anise or sesame oil unless you’re cooking Chinese food that specifically asks for it, and the sesame seeds are a luxury sprinkle. I see bay leaves used in soup or maybe rice dishes.
The list looks pretty solid though.
I used to use ground coriander seed with cumin and onion in a rice dish but it’s not an essential.
Paprika comes in a few kinds so pick your favourite. There’s the plain sweet paprika which adds a lot of colour but just a little bit of a capsicum taste, smoked paprika which is stronger in a good way, and also a hot paprika I haven’t tried.
Some things you might like to have as well are soy sauce, fresh or jarred garlic, or white vinegar. Also lemon juice, honey, tomato paste… it depends
Also if you do anything sweet you might like to have some vanilla essence. It’s good even just in a microwave mug cake.
Ps. Don’t feel you have to force yourself to cook meals every day! And don’t be afraid to cook very simple food.
If you live alone it is a heavy expectation to manage, especially with work and study. A lot of people struggle to do it because historically there was an extra person at home handling all that.
Good point. I've had this spice collection going for about a year (although most of its come from the last few months). But I despise not having a single ingredient I need for a recipe, and I like putting random shit on chips or in chicken flour coatings just to get a sense of the flavour (I make these knockoff popcorn chicken things and basically put random amounts of most of my spices in there).
I do also have some seasonings and spice mixes from various meal kit box things I've tried, and the old LT gave me some of his containers full of stuff from them. I think I've got a ton of "Mexican spice seasoning).
To be honest, cooking decent meals is something I really struggle with. If left to my own devices, I'll just buy and eat pre crumbed chicken schnitzels from my butcher every night. I try to make at least one decent, well rounded meal a week, and try something completely new once a fortnight. But I primarily eat chicken, I'm not a huge fan of beef or lamb, although I do occasionally eat those too for a bit of variety.
I always have white vinegar, but often end up using it as a cleaning product more than a cooking one lmao. I do keep white wine vinegar on hand as a replacement for sake and Mirin in Japanese dishes (ie teriyaki chicken). Seems to be the closest substitute I can actually buy. (It'll probably stay that way until I move out, as we're forbidden from having alcohol on the property)
I've never tried coriander, but I have one of those mutated tongues, so absolutely despise coriander. I can't remember if I have sweet or smokey paprika, I think it's sweet though. Might look for a smokey one
I usually keep some vanilla essence on hand, but that too was stolen. It was only cheap imitation stuff, so I might buy a proper extract
Thanks for the help and info!
Corriander leaf and ground are totally different things. If you have the gene that makes the leaf taste like soap the seeds are still fine
No probs!
Yeah back when I cooked I used to just batch cook once or twice a week. As I got more tired it was usually something one pot with frozen veg thrown in so I didn’t have to chop or have greens go slimy in the fridge.
Cooking decent meals is a struggle.
I have the soap gene and the coriander seed was ok but it was only added because it was called for.