My Spice Rack

Do you have favorite spices that you use almost daily in your cooking? Spices are not only useful for adding flavor and depth to food, but are also used in promoting good health. Some of my favorites and how I use them are below. What are your favorites?

Allspice- Sold whole or ground. Strong flavor-therefore better combined with other spices in fruit, cakes, pies, pickles, etc.

Cardamom Seeds- These have a spicy smell and aromatic taste. Used in baked fruit, cakes, breads, soups, cheese and sauerkraut.

Cardamom- especially good in honey combinations. Use for some baked goods.

Cayenne Pepper- Usually obtained from small fruited varieties of capsicum. It should be of dull red color. May be used in very small amounts in vegetables and in some salad dressing and in cheese dishes. It must be used with care, however, and paprika, a milder form of red pepper, is successfully substituted.

Cloves- Should be dark brown in color and is usually used in combination with other spices, which gives a better flavor than used alone. Too much gives an undesirable color as well as a bitter flavor.

Curry Powder- This is a number of spices combined in proper proportion to give a distinct flavor to such savory dishes as meat, poultry, fish and vegetables.

Mace- This spice is the inner envelope of nutmegs. It may be used in "blade" or ground in various dishes.

Mustard- Sold whole or ground. I use this alone or in small amounts in various soups, meat dishes, pastry and in such dough mixtures as fancy breads, dumplings and in some puddings; also in combination with other spices for pickles.

Nutmeg- Useful in many dishes and adds a nice touch to: eggnog, apple Pie, green beans, creamed onions, sweet potatoes, creamed fish and chicken dishes, pork chops, and in stuffings. You can also use in fruit compotes, custards and ice creams cookies etc! Try buying your nutmegs whole and using a nutmeg grater for the best flavor.

Paprika- A Hungarian sweet pepper. Bright red in color and used in meat, salads, and soups, both cream and stock. As a garnish for potatoes, cream cheese, fruit salads and eggs.

Pepper (Black)- Used in all meat and vegetable dishes where the color does not affect the product.

Peppercorn- The whole berry of the pepper plant.

And my favorite of all:
Cinnamon- Enhancing both sweet and savory foods, this ancient spice has been used for millennia. It adds distinctive flavor and depth to many dishes, both familiar and exotic. Almost endless possibilities exist to add this versatile spice to the daily menu.