Can anyone recommend spices that are good to stock in your cabinet? I'm a newbie to spices and don't know much beyond pumpkin pie spices and salt. I see coriander and just ran across celery salt? Are these versatile herbs?
For example: cumin. I see that alot, but what does it taste like and what is a good use for it? Spices are expensive so I'm trying to be careful in my purchases. Thanks for all the good info!

Quoted from Sunny

Can anyone recommend spices that are good to stock in your cabinet? I'm a newbie to spices and don't know much beyond pumpkin pie spices and salt. I see coriander and just ran across celery salt? Are these versatile herbs?
For example: cumin. I see that alot, but what does it taste like and what is a good use for it? Spices are expensive so I'm trying to be careful in my purchases. Thanks for all the good info!

with the spice list, would you also mind telling for what foods they could be used. thanks  

Hi Sunny and Pat,
coriander , fennel, turmeric, cumin, cloves, cinnamom, pepper, cardamom are the best spices in my opinion, together with fresh ginger.
this mix with much turmeric is already a basic curry mix, good on carrots, lentils, rice, poultry, cod and shrimps.
In fish I like fennel and coriander, with cumin or fresh parsley; if you like it hot, try ginger.
for a rice pudding or a oat porridge clove, cardamom and cinnamom (avoid for some blood group) eventually also organic lemon or orange peel alone can be a nice addition. German people use this kind of spices also for traditionally home made Christmas biscuits
As veggie side dish fresh parsley is good on carrots, fennels, mushrooms, zucchini and artichokes.
Clove, cinnamom can spice carots and keep far every bacteria,l mold or fungal contamination from your food, as for other recipes thyme, oregano, garlic; especially wild oregano not older than six months form harvest. Orange peel isvery good with carrot, celery and onion on poultry and veal.
Hope this helps.
Enjoy your food Maria Giovanna

Sunny & Italy Bound:

Grab your avoid list and go shopping.  Find a gourmet spice store, for example, Penzey's will let you sniff your way through the store and you can find their locations here:  http://www.penzeys.com/cgi-bin/penzeys/penzeysstores.html?id=f6jeXTfq

Or if you are in the Seattle area: http://www.worldspice.com

Your nose will tell you what works, you list will tell you what is good for you (or not) and anything not on the avoid list is fair game if you are relatively healthy.  I like to close my eyes and sniff, see if anything pops out at me.  I often make "sausage" using turkey and seasonings - various ones - or flavor rice exotically when I'm feeling blue with my meal, or even scrambled eggs.

BTW: Cumin will automatically make you think of mexican food and will make your mouth water.  (It's not spicy)  Add it to some onion and olive oil heat and pour in your favorite black beans and a little sea salt.  You will die and go straight to heaven!

there are blends that come already mixed or you can mix your own. Mediterranean spices (I should say herbs) such as rosemary, oregano, thyme, savory, come in blends such as "Italian seasoning" or "herbes de provence" (which contains lavendar among other things, like thyme.)
Indian mixes could be curry powder, garam masala, etc. (coriander, cardamon, ginger, cinnamon, black pepper, fennel , etc) or mexican, cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, cayenne(very hot)...oh, and chinese five spice is yummy...star anise, this that and the other thing......
this thread is wonderful.....

Great replies everyone!
I must experiment with cumin, coriander, and cardamom as I have no idea what these are having never purchased them. Thanks for all the ideas!

coriander is cilantro

and the yummiest of all is fresh cut gingerslices in all kinds of tea

Fresh ginger sliced or grated in stir fry, soup, casseroles - almost anything savoury, in fact. As well as having a great flavour, it is very good for the digestion.

I pretty much stick with what DrD says in his book on aging.  If you aren't in the aging group, then maybe this doesn't apply for A's.
I am very liberal in the usage of ginger, tumeric, garlic and onion.  I LOVE IT IN ALL MY STIR FRY.
nanaste
ruthie

Coriander is cilantro? Wow, I eat that all the time and love it! Who knew?!!

try the chelating pesto recipe, too!