Spice Up Your Life With Herbs And Spices

By Robert Catherine
The secret to great tasting food is spicing it up and adding your own flavors.To give your food that WOW taste, add additional spices and herbs to your recipe.Spices will change how your food tastes. Here are some simple facts and tips about spices, herbs, condiments and salt and how to use them.Spices are usually found in the baking section of the grocery store. Spices are dried aromatic parts of plants such as roots, bark, flower buds, fruits and seeds.The most well know spice is pepper.Here are some spices I like to use; cayenne will add heat to your dish. Great in chili, soups and stews. Cumin is one of my favorite and it is most commonly used in Mexican dishes but is also great in soups, vegetables and really good in pan fried mushrooms. Cinnamon adds a nice flavor to beef or pork stews. Add a pinch of allspice and clove to your meat sauce for pasta to give a rich and full taste.
Herbs are soft stemmed aromatic plants that are now available fresh at any quality grocery store. There is no need to buy dried herbs any more. Storing fresh herbs is as easy as taking the herbs out of the container and placing them in vase of cold water. Put them in your fridge and change the water daily. The herbs will last for at least week.Most recipes refer to dried herbs, so when using fresh herbs double the amount you are using to get the correct flavors.Always add one third of the fresh herbs at the beginning of the cooking process. This helps flavor the food you are cooking. Then add the remaining herbs about five minutes before serving. This will allow the taste of the fresh herbs to give your dish a signature taste. Use rosemary in pork dishes, oregano in mushrooms, chop fresh basil into your salads, and use both opal (purple basil) and green sweet basil. Chop cilantro into your tomato dishes, use chives to add zip to your omelets. Use fresh chopped parsley to add color and flavor to beans and vegetables.
I call Tabasco, Worcestershire great food pick me uppers. They are great in stews, sauces and soups. Add just before serving to allow their flavors to accent your dishes. Use in small amounts and taste after each addition until you that wow taste.
Salt is very important in adding flavor to dishes. Add small amounts at the beginning of the cooking process and finish with salt just before serving. Always add small amounts and taste. Salt helps to bring all the flavors of your dish together.
The secret to great tasting food is spicing it up.
Chef Robert and Barb Catherine are authors of Chef Robert Presents Romantic Dinners For Two and relationship experts on the television show Get Married.
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