Herbs and Spices Part 1


To put it in the simplest terms, a "spice" or an "herb" is used to change the taste of food. They have been around for a long time. Herbs were used early in history in the aide of illness and preservation of food. The easiest way I learned the difference, was to think about the origin of the product. Anything that had green leaves was an herb. Things that had fragrance, bark, root or seeds were a spice. This made it really simple in the beginning of using herbs and spices to enhance my culinary creations.
Here are some examples:

Parsley:            Herb
Sage:                 Herb
Basil:                Herb

Does it matter if you use fresh or dried?
For me it is a matter of preference and what I am preparing.
For example: if I am preparing Pesto I would not want to use dried basil, I would defiantly want fresh basil.


If had access to some fresh cilantro and was going to prepare a Pica de Gallo or Salsa, fresh would be the better choice.

If I was preparing a roasted chicken I might use a combination of fresh parsley, dried sage, rosemary and thyme.


For each person it is a personal choice combined with their knowledge of spices and herbs that will ultimately determine what they use. So let's take at look at the basic cooking spices and herbs even the novice cook should be armed with before attempting to enter the kitchen.

They are:

Onions: dried, fresh, powdered or onion salt

Garlic: fresh chopped in oil, powder or garlic salt

Paprika

Black Pepper

Red Pepper Flakes

Italian Seasoning

Thyme

Parsley

Sage

Rosemary

Salt

Oil: Sesame, Olive, Vegetable


Remember these are basics and you will build on them as you start cooking more. Start with small bottles of things and go from there.
The average shelf life of dried spices is about 6 months. This is provided they are kept out of direct sunlight and in a cool place. I find it is helpful to write the purchase date on the bottle somewhere on the label.


*Even though it may appear to be a value, buying one of those super size containers of Basil in one of those bulk warehouse clubs, it may not pay off in the long run. How long is it really going to take you to use up a pound of Basil? If it is a good buy, split it with a friend.
Spices don't "go bad" per say, they tend to lose their flavor and some might even tend to get bitter with age.
Join me later this week for a basic guideline of which spices go with which types of foods.