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How To Mix Spices From The Grocer To Get TheCookbook

by Hugh Dessereau

These Spice-Herb Blends Make A Great One-Stop Go-To When Using Cookbook Recipes.

Why buy expensive blends at the store when you can make your own for a lot less money.There are several advantages to this approach; not the least of which is the cost. Spice blendsmore closely match our pallet’s desires.When we start to decidewhat’s for dinner , do we ever think, ‘Gee, I’d like something with salt,pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme in it?’ I think not.More likely, our thoughts resemble, ‘Hmm, I think I’ll make some thick chicken noodle soup,’ or ‘Ithink I’m in the mood for barbeque chicken, tonight.” First we paint the picture of the meal in our minds based on what we have a taste for. Then we figure out how to make it (or if we can).I often ponder whether I have a taste for Chinese, Spanish, Jamaican, Mexican, Cajon – that’sit; I want some Gumbo over a nice bed of saffron rice. This is a good-news bad-news approach,because I may not have all the main ingredients like the sausage, chicken, or shrimp. In fact,the ingredient I am usually lacking from this off-the-hip decision is the shrimp.By the way, when it is -5°F outside, I am likely not going to make a special trip to my local grocer for the shrimp. That’s okay. I can still get my fix because I have my Cajun spice mix alreadyblended, and I can do everything but the shrimp. I’m just going to make it, anyway, without theshrimp.I keep my spice blends close at hand and keep most of my individual spices in the pantry out of the way. When I reach for a spice seasoning, I don’t have to worry about whether I forgot therosemary or basil or cumin. It really does make my life in the kitchen easier.It may be helpful to try to think of what flavors come to mind when you think of a regionalcuisine. This approach may guide you to recreating your spice mixture when no recipe isavailable. In the following guidelines, I use the word “part” because you can use a tablespoon or a cup. And, they can be adjusted to your taste. Below, my top spice seasoning mix blends fromaround the world follows some handy conversions:

Conversion Table

3 teaspoons (tsp) = 1 tablespoon (Tbs)2Tbs =

Cup (C) = 1 Coffee Measure4Tbs = ¼ C

Some Favorite Spice Blends

Spice Blend Foundation

I call this my “

House Blend

.”This mixture can stand on it’s own or be thefoundation for all the spice ingredients thatfollow.1 part salt1 part black pepper 1 part garlic powder 2 parts onion powder

European – English Blend

This is a mild blend great for stews and soups1 part salt1 part black pepper 1 part garlic powder 2 parts onion powder 1 part parsley1 part sage1 part rosemary1 part thyme

French Blend

(Southern France-NorthernItaly)1 part salt1 part black pepper 1 part garlic powder 2 parts onion powder 1 part parsley1 part lavender 1 part rosemary1 part thyme¼ part nutmeg

Italian Blend

1 part salt1 part black pepper 1 part garlic powder 2 parts onion powder 1 part oregano1 part basil¼ part nutmeg¼ part ground cayenne (red pepper)

Chinese

1 part salt1 part lemon pepper 1 part garlic powder 2 parts onion powder 1 part Chinese five-spice¼ part ginger 1 part allspice1 part ground cloves

Cajun

1 part salt1 part black pepper 2 parts garlic powder 2 parts onion powder 2 parts paprika (smoky, mild, or hot)2 part ground red pepper (cayenne)1 part dried oregano1 part dried thyme

Jamaica “Jerk”

1 part salt1 part black pepper 1 part garlic powder 2 parts onion powder

⅓

part ground red pepper (cayenne)

⅓

part ground cloves

⅓

part ground thyme

⅓

part ground allspice

⅓

part ground cinnamon

My Texas Chili Spices

(not my recipe for chili)1 part House Blend +2 parts chili powder 1-2 parts ground cumin

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How To Mix Recipe Spice Blends For The Cookbook Flavors Of The World

Report contains several spice mix recipes. Save money and time on cooking with your-own-mix spice blends. Pick the recipe spice ingredients and mix. The cookbook recipes will c... (More)

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Category:	Recipes/Menus
Rating:	(4 Ratings)
Upload Date:	02/05/2009
Copyright:	Attribution Non-commercial
Tags:	baking cooking on cooking cooking kitchen cooking guide Desserts & Pastries baking cooking on cooking cooking kitchen cooking guide Desserts & Pastries (fewer)