So I just mentioned in another thread something about reading an article on eastern type food (like India) and how they used spices by the handful and were (paraphrasing) generally healthier than we are.

So now I want to try to use more spices.

What are your favorite spices and in what type of food do you use them?

I would say cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves are my favorite spices although I do like mace and cardamon.

I would say that I'm pretty traditional when it comes to using spices (unless I'm cooking Greek) by putting them in baked goods -- this time of year something with apples or pumpkins.

Martha

I read your dinner post and you're talking about herbs as well. Well, herbs I use all the time -- have a big herb garden out back and there are very few dishes that come to the table that aren't enhanced by herbs.

I even bake with them -- lavender poundcake, cupcakes and shortbread, orange rosemary madelines or poundcake, lemon thyme cookies . . .a basil syrup for fresh fruit.

There is at least one dish a meal that has some sort of herb in it -- usually. And some meals everything has an herb in it.

Whenever I bake a chicken breast to use in a casserole, I always sprinkle with thyme or rosemary or herbes de provence. It adds to the flavor of the final dish.

When I roast beef, there's herbs sprinkled on.

Herbs add so much flavor to anything.

They're good for you as well and add great flavor without calories. A plain chicken breast can be boring -- one sprinkled with thyme, rosemary or herbes de provence is very tasty and flavorful -- not boring at all!

Martha

I use quite a few herbs and spices in my cooking. I don't have a large herb garden but I do have a large pot and a large strawberry pot on my back deck with a variety of herbs - rosemary, flat leaf parsley, marjoram, thyme, oregano, chives, etc. I use a wide variety of spices when cooking stews, roast chicken and meats. Herbs and spices add such a depth of flavor to stews that they taste flat to me without them. The only herbs I skip are anything anise flavored and sage. Never liked sage and to me a great way to ruin a chicken dish or sausage.

From Rachel Ray's early shows I tend to use fresh grated nutmeg more often, especially in savory dishes than I did in the past.

I made potato soup last night and to it I added some red banana peppers (I'm guessing because DH picked them at the Jimmy Carter home place and had no idea what kind they were) fresh marjoram and thyme along with some fresh chives just before serving.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Charming,

I don't use many spices, but I love using fresh herbs. My favorites are rosemary, thyme, dill, chives and basil.

I use a variety of spices and herbs. And the best place to purchase them is at
www.penzeys.com

Best price and freshest quality! Unless you grow your own herbs.

Our go-to spices (the ones we use the most) are probably these: paprika, cinnamon (sticks and ground), nutmeg, cloves, different salts and peppers, and Chinese 5 spice.
For herbs (Italian heritage here ) we use: basil, rosemary, parsley, tarragon, bay leaf, thyme.

For roasts and most soups I always throw in bay leaves.
Cumin always goes in beans of any kind (except limas).
Basil in anything with tomatoes.
Cayenne pepper in a lot of things..sometimes just the tiniest pinch.
Cinnamon in baked goods.
My husband loves Lawreys seasoning on burgers and thick pork chops.
I use chili powder, adobo and more for chili and Mexican dishes..cilantro too.
I have curry powder and other Indian spices but my husband doesn't like them so I rarely use them.

Most everything from Penzeys!

Pulled open step-Ss spice drawer...now FULL of Penzey's products. He asked me if I knew that there was a store in Dallas...yep and one in Houston. He's planning on a trip to the Dallas store...hmmmm maybe I need to go visit when he's got that planned.

He had a jar of McCormick's sage in the freezer...I pulled that out and put some in the dressing along with McC's poultry seasoning. Just wasn't doing the job. THEN I opened the spice drawer to see what else he and DIL had and saw Penzey's sage. OH MY GOODNESS the difference in the fragrance was amazing. Added a bit of that. Had step-S taste then DH came in the kitchen to get his taste. I just needed to add some Penzey's fresh ground pepper. Perfection.

I'm telling ya...Penzey's spices are the best and freshest you can get. Even straight from the grocery store...those spices are already several months old. Open a jar of Penzey's cinnamon and you can smell it all over the house!

Our Penzy's is an hour away so sometimes I have to fall back on grocery store spices . . . but I go several times a year -- buy bigger quantities of what I use most and yes, their spices are wonderful and the prices IMO are not that much more than the supermarket ones!

Martha

I have ton of spices in my cupboard, but am always on the lookout for ones I don't have.

When I saw that Penzey's carries annato seeds, which are almost impossible to find around here, I ordered their catalog immediately. Thanks for the tip,ladies.

I order online. But I did buy one small jar of McC something awhile back...just don't remember what. And I've started ordering whole nutmeg and grating it.

There's a Penzey's store here in Iowa that I've been to before, but didn't buy a lot because I'm stocked at home. I use a wide variety of spices, but grew up with salt and pepper as the only ones used.

I've never heard of that Penzey's brand before. Can you order from them online?

Yes! That's how I get mine...
www.penzeys.com

Tumeric - good for colds..flu. 1/2 tsp Mix with honey and a glass of warm milk.

DS1 brought my Penzey's order home for me today. It included a bag of beautiful whole Star Anise!
I also love their soup/broth bases.