!: Comment Bakers Racks With Drawers: November 2011

!: What Spices To Use Instead of Salt

Believe it or not I very seldom add salt to anything. The only time I think it is necessary is when I'm making a stew. Since I use fresh carrots, potatoes or other vegetables I can easily avoid the salt often used in canned equivalents. It also allows me to salt to my own particular needs and tastes. If you do use canned items like beans, try to buy the salt free or reduced salt versions. Remember that most of us need a teaspoon of salt (2400 milligrams) every day.

If you are totally new to the world of spices, don't be discouraged. Just rummage around your spice rack or drawer and see what you have. Many bakers keep cinnamon, ginger, cloves and nutmeg at their disposal. These are not just for sweets. I like to use a few shakes of cloves in my crock-pot stew or a teaspoon of nutmeg for a large pot of gumbo.

Many people ask whether the spices that have been tucked away in your drawer are still all right to use. The way to find out is to grind a little of the spice with a spoon and cutting board or, better yet, a mortar and pestle, if you have it. This solves two concerns. Take a sniff. If the spice has an aroma after grinding it, then you can still use it to flavor your food. It is still good.

Secondly, the smell can help you determine if you actually like the spice. If it smells good to you, then chances are you will enjoy the flavor of it as well. If you don't like the smell, then put it aside for now and pick up the next spice until you find three or four that smell appealing. Now you are ready to cook.

The great thing about spices is that they contain a lot of vitamins and minerals that are good for you. But that does not mean that more is necessarily better. As a beginner start small. Try using ¼ teaspoon of one to two spices for every two-person helping or for each pound. If you feel the flavor is still too bland, go up to ½ teaspoon. It is normal for folks over the age of forty-five to need a little more to boost the declining number of taste buds as we age.

So far we have spoken of spices and often that includes herbs or the leaf part of a plant. However, herbs should be treated a little differently. First of all decide whether you want to use fresh or dried. That will help you figure out how much to use. The ratio is four times as much fresh as dried. Cut the fresh leaves of the herbs to help release the flavor and add them at the very end of the cooking cycle. Herbs are more delicate and should not be cooked at length. If using dry, begin as you did with the spices and use ¼ teaspoon for every pound.

If you are familiar with a spice and its flavor than be as generous with it as you like. But if you are a beginner and don't know that basil has a more potent flavor than marjoram, then once again start small and work your way up to your own particular level of enjoyment.

Assuming you have been cooking long enough to have a few favorite recipes, you can now add different spices to your old favorites. In other words, you don't have to reinvent the wheel or change your grocery buying habits. Buy the same meat, starches or vegetables and surprise your family with something old and something new!