Spice Up Your Life

Salt & pepper

Cyanide.

Smoked paprika. I especially love it with sauteed potatoes, garlic, and rosemary.

I’m quite adventurous, and I’m lucky to have a wide variety of every kind of European, East and South Asian, South American and African shops nearby. I’ll have a go at any cuisine.

I am pretty good at Korean dishes and make my own kimchi.

If you are just starting out, cook something that is familiar to you. Get some good cookery books. I started with The Silver Spoon, which is apparently a popular gift for newlyweds in Italy. I grew up with Italian food as we have a large diaspora community here in Scotland, and wonderful Italian restaurants. Do what feels right, and good luck.

Jamaican curry powder. Great on popcorn.

Za'atar. From Google: Even though it varies greatly depending on where you are in the Middle East (specific recipes are sometimes closely-guarded secrets!), za'atar is generally a combination of dried oregano, thyme, and/or marjoram (woodsy and floral), with sumac (tangy and acidic) and toasted sesame seeds (nutty and rich).J

R6 I had that in a hello fresh recipe once and it was to die for.

Do you have access to moldy hog liver, OP?

I just went on a Penzeys splurge and bought a few spice blends that they offer. Some of my favorites are: Fox point, apple pie, ancho chili pepper, dill weed, shallot pepper, and French thyme. I usually only order the small jars of spices. A quarter cup jar is usually not as pricey as grocery store spices but is much better quality.

R8 is that a joke about my alcoholism?

Good for you for looking to branch out! Cumin and coriander pop up in a lot of Mediterranean and Middle Eastern recipes. Ras el Hanout is a blend of 20-30 spices and is used in Moroccan recipes. I got a very bright, fresh curry powder from a local farmer's market vendor. She moved away but sells on the internet now.

Sounds good r11. Thanks!

I like to put the green goddess dressing spices from Penzeys spices on white rice & add a little bit of butter. It is so good!

Here’s some good info on za’atar:

Fuck off, Defacto, you trash.

This recipe from Hello Fresh was amazing.

I bought a jar of Ajika Georgian seasoning blend from Trader Joe, but haven't opened it yet - anyone used this stuff?

(crushed chili pepper, coriander, fenugreek, dried minced garlic, salt, marigold)

Cumin powder; roasted cumin powder Coriander seeds and powder Fresh ginger

Aleppo pepper is very nice. About half as hot as typical red pepper flakes. Background flavors remind me of smoked sundried tomatoes, raisins, citrus, and cumin. Great in soups, stews, hummus, meats, eggs.

R9, Northwoods with panko-breaded chicken, Pasta Sprinkle with sautéed spinach (spread on pizza crust and top with broccoli and mozzarella)

I'm going to make chili today with these spices from Penzeys: ground ancho chili, cumin, chipotle, and garlic powder. I use ground round Angus beef, plus onions, green peppers, beans, and tomatoes. And salt.

R16 has balls fit for a bowling alley posting a link to a "veggies" item!

R20 i’ve been meaning to try Northwoods seasoning. It sounds wonderful! Same with pasta sprinkle. Maybe next time I go on a spice bender.

Tonight I’m making pork chops using the pork chop seasoning blend from Penzeys. I’ve never had it before. I hope it’s good!

R23 here. I’m also R9.

Wow, I clicked specifically to recommend Za'atar. It's wonderful on roasted squash.

I'll go with my old handy standby, herbs de provence, which is great on chicken, fish and pork. Some people dislike the lavender but it doesn't stand out to me. You can also get it without the lavender.

For rice I love the Goya Sazon with cilantro and achiote. It's salt, cumin, garlic and coriander, and adds a rich flavor.

I just got some Peruvian spice for chicken. It's good but not as good as my local spot (mostly because I can't get the green sauce right).

I’m having trouble finding Hungarian paprika these days.

Spike (the original version)

Curry powder is hard to find as well, except for the cheap Badia brand.

I'm a big Penzey's fan, if I had the coin I'd get one of everything they offer. I like their Foxpoint Seasoning, although it's VERY salty. You can get a lot of the same flavors, minus the salt, if you buy their Justice spice blend. Both are great with eggs, potatoes, tomatoes and Summer squash.

Purchased their Smoked Spanish Paprika, which I used in to make shakshuka. Highly recommended.

Aleppo Pepper is another fave, good in and on hummus(with pumpkin seeds and olive oil on top as a garnish)

I wish there was a blend that had all the traditional flavors of Basil Pesto, would be very handy for so many things. If you're lazy and want a good commercial pesto, Buitoni is excellent.

Harissa paste and homemade chilli oil are our 2 favs.

Discuss with OP at link about Tajikistan flavors.

I found green peppercorns in liquid and use them in sauces. They’re nice for heat and texture. I’m very plain, but do have different salts for softer flavor, both course and fine kosher salt.

I use a lot of fresh thyme and tarragon, which I know are herbs, not spices. But I like that flavor profile, also dill, sage.

In Paris my barber gave me a hot liquid spiced with cardamon, and it tasted amazing. I found a small chocolate bar flavored with cardamon at Pret a Manger in NYC and it was delicious.

Mrs. Dash

Supermarket had a jar of Unami seasoning…goes on anything and everything

R33 You bland old whore.

Recently I discovered truffle salt. Liking it a lot on many foods.

The jar I have is from Italy but I found this website.

Pumpkin spice season is nearly upon us!

Nearly???

Maggi sauce. Learned about that while living in Indonesia, but it is great for Western soups and stews.

Love za'atar! I made a double batch yesterday and used it in rice vermicelli pilaf. As others have noted, recipes vary from region to region. This is the recipe I use.

Sept Epices mix

tinned harissa. I love the flavor, I love the homey colorful tins.