Blog.EmealsForYou

A Pinch Will Do It – A Semi-rant

February 12, 2009 at 11:32 am 1 comment

I just bought some dried wild mushrooms this weekend; thought I would make some cream of wild mushroom soup. Got them at Herbs & Spices in  historic Findlay Market in Cincinnati; check out their new Spice University project, just click on their link.  Anyway, this got me thinking about one of my pet peeves, too many spices added to food in an attempt to make the food seem more sophisticated.  Look, I am not opposed to the use of spices but wish most people would add just enough to get the flavor they are looking for without over-powering the meal by loading it up.  If you think about it spices are sold in small containers; the vendors are trying to tell you something.

Many of my recipes recommend “a pinch of salt and pepper to taste”.  This means only add as much salt and pepper that your taste buds need to accent the meal.  My wish is that people who are learning how to cook add just a little of the spices they think they need in their cooking.  More is not better in most cases.  Dry spices and herbs are usually more pronounced then fresh.  Fresh should be added just before finishing the meal.  Most “herb-crusted” recipes have the herb as a secondary ingredients, bread crumbs are usually the main ingredient.

So to put an end to this semi-rant I strongly suggest you go timidly with the spices and herbs in your cooking; at least until you get a good feel for what you like and dislike.  Remember you should be cooking to your taste and not the recipe’s.

Entry filed under: Rants, Semi-Rants and Non-Rants. Tags: cooking with herbs, cooking with spices, herb-crusted, herbs, herbs & spices, spices, using moderation in your cooking.