Spice It Up!

As I’m trying to get more comfortable in the kitchen, I found this great list of spices, with suggested vegetable pairings, that is creating the illusion that I know Smith and Truslowwhat I’m doing with all these great summer veggies.

  • Basil – beans, peas, squash, potatoes, tomatoes
  • Bay leaf – beets, carrots, potatoes, stewed tomatoes
  • Dill Weed – beets, cabbage, carrots, parsnips, potatoes
  • Marjoram – Brussels sprouts, carrots, green beans, peas, spinach
  • Oregano – broccoli, cabbage, mushrooms, tomatoes
  • Rosemary – cauliflower, peas, potatoes, spinach
  • Tarragon – cauliflower, green beans, potatoes, spinach, tomatoes
  • Thyme – asparagus, beans, carrots, zucchini

Not only do spices add flavour to your food, they are also good for your health. Smith and Truslow  provide a comprehensive list of spices and their health benefits such as using Chinese 5 Spice to improve digestion and Spice Rackpromote intestinal health; antioxidant and antibacterial; stimulates the breakdown of fat cells; relieves congestion, headaches; balances blood sugar. WOW!

Locally, check out Penzeys Spices for their incredible selection of spices and Tubular Spice Company, Zevro, and Fox Run for fabulous spice racks.

Categorizing Your Cuisine

Okay, I admit it. I have an insecurity about cooking that I’m slowly working through but it’s so much easier to grab one of those Groupons and head out to dinner. However,  I’ve taken a few steps recently that have helped me work through all my “saved recipes” and has actually led to a few successful meals. I wouldn’t say that I love cooking yet but I don’t hate it either. Enough to possibly publish my own cookbook? Keep reading.

For ripped out recipes, I had a friend come over and she discarded any that looked too complicated for me (no offense taken), were too similar to another recipe and kept no more than 5 in each category. She directed me to try these recipes (that seemed so great that I had to rip out of a magazine or print offline) over the next few months and either toss or save. To save these, I’ve found that the best way is to use photo album pages in a binder. It protects them and is relatively easy to organize.

To save online, I really like recipezaar and allrecipes. Both allow you to join for free, search recipes and save your favorites in an online cookbook or recipe box. Members can rate and comment on recipes and for me, learning about the level of difficulty and time needed is key. However, my most recent favorite site is Tastebook. Read the rest of this entry