When I was making the Curry Chicken and Rice, I knew I had to go and buy some fresh curry powder as the curry powder I had was over a year old, and I wanted something fresh. I do want to say here, that if I made curry dishes on a regular basis, I would just make up my own mixture as needed, and not buy a pre-mix. That way you can tailor the curry (English invention, by the way), to your tastes. However, I digress, oh heck with it, I got sidetracked there.
I was also looking in the drawer I keep the spices in, and realized that without meaning to, I'd somehow accumulated a tremendous amount of spices. -insert a giggle here- And I still don't have every spice I think I should have, however, there's still time. Most of the spices are ones that I use on a regular basis, with a few that are earmarked for special dishes, like my curry powder. And I've gotten pretty ruthless about chucking out my old spices, after a few months. I like to write down the date I opened each jar on the label. And I write down the name on the top of the jar or bottle with my Sharpie as well.
And you get what you pay for in spices, usually. Buying some of the major brands does lend itself to having fresher spices, but also a higher price tag. I've actually been buying a lot of spices that come from a company called Badia, and have been very happy with both the quality and the price. Especially when I can buy and try the spices for only a couple of bucks or less. Money talks, and I like to try to get as much value for my dollar as I can. I've also learned to buy smaller quantities of spices I only use occasionally, and there is a brand named Tone who have begun to sell smaller sizes, and for reasonable prices as well. And unless you use parsley every day or so, you don't need the economy size, buy a smaller jar or better yet, grow a pot. They taste so much better when they're fresh.
And that brings up another topic entirely, that of growing a few fresh herbs to use in cooking. I currently have a rosemary plant (which is struggling), a large pot of parsley, the flat leaf variety, and a pot of chives. I'll be planting some more basil this year and am going to put in some thyme as well. I'm not sure just what I did right last year, but boy, did my basil take off. (I was too busy enjoying it to take any pictures) I was giving it away and finally just ended up giving the pots of basil away. It was more than I needed, and there were others who appreciated having some lovely fresh basil. I think I'll also keep my eye open for a marjoram plant and see what other herbs are offered for sale around here.
Some of my other herbs are growing quite well also. Despite being mowed down by a bear, they are coming up from the roots. I'm talking Banana's here. Did you know they are classified as an herb? Yup, they are. And despite the fact the bear managed to walk over or knock over several plants this spring, I'm still hopeful we'll get some fruit stalks out of them this year. I'll keep you updated on those.
I was also looking in the drawer I keep the spices in, and realized that without meaning to, I'd somehow accumulated a tremendous amount of spices. -insert a giggle here- And I still don't have every spice I think I should have, however, there's still time. Most of the spices are ones that I use on a regular basis, with a few that are earmarked for special dishes, like my curry powder. And I've gotten pretty ruthless about chucking out my old spices, after a few months. I like to write down the date I opened each jar on the label. And I write down the name on the top of the jar or bottle with my Sharpie as well. And you get what you pay for in spices, usually. Buying some of the major brands does lend itself to having fresher spices, but also a higher price tag. I've actually been buying a lot of spices that come from a company called Badia, and have been very happy with both the quality and the price. Especially when I can buy and try the spices for only a couple of bucks or less. Money talks, and I like to try to get as much value for my dollar as I can. I've also learned to buy smaller quantities of spices I only use occasionally, and there is a brand named Tone who have begun to sell smaller sizes, and for reasonable prices as well. And unless you use parsley every day or so, you don't need the economy size, buy a smaller jar or better yet, grow a pot. They taste so much better when they're fresh.
And that brings up another topic entirely, that of growing a few fresh herbs to use in cooking. I currently have a rosemary plant (which is struggling), a large pot of parsley, the flat leaf variety, and a pot of chives. I'll be planting some more basil this year and am going to put in some thyme as well. I'm not sure just what I did right last year, but boy, did my basil take off. (I was too busy enjoying it to take any pictures) I was giving it away and finally just ended up giving the pots of basil away. It was more than I needed, and there were others who appreciated having some lovely fresh basil. I think I'll also keep my eye open for a marjoram plant and see what other herbs are offered for sale around here.
For more recipes please check out http://sidsseapalmcooking.blogspot.com/
All about food. *giggle*
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