What are some of your favorite spices and herbs that you use and types of cooking you like to do?

Chemical free beef and herb sausages:

1 kg fatty beef mince
1 teaspoon rosemary dried and powdered
1 teaspoon sage dried and powdered
1 teaspoon salt
optional breadcrumbs several handfulls

mix well or re mince, and roll into fat squarish sausages.

Slowly Fry each side and eat.


A simple herb rule I use when experimenting:
never more than three combined, unless you know what you are doing, or 'YUK'.
Sniff the herb's aroma, then sniff your food, and see if the smells combine well, before putting anything in your food.

I picked up a new seasoning yesterday.
My local grocer stocks new items regularly, problem is, when they run out, they are out for a long time.
Anyhoo, I see a white shaker on the shelf with big black letters that just says BAIT
So I read the back and find out its a variation of a spicy Cajun seasoning.
I use Cajun and blackened seasonings in a lot of stuff (even on bacon).
So I buy it.
I get it home and it has a wonderful taste with a sharp bite.
I'm thinkin its time to do a pot of gator chili.

I've collected seasonings and spices nearly all my life.
I probably should have bought stock in McCormick.
I also dry my own herbs and use my mortar and pestle to make my own blends.

My favorite spice is cracked black peppercorn.
I also like Old Bay seasoning.
At last count I had 233 different spices and seasonings not counting my homemade mixes.

Just a note; don't store your seasonings over the stove. Keep them in a cool dry place and make sure they are tightly sealed, they do lose flavor over time.

NOW we're talking! Though I agree (in most circumstance) with less being more, even the song says parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme. Those unadulterated sausage recipes (with the bread crumbs) are so simple but newly exciting.

....As are cajun anything. I have a feeling my palette is going to fall for BAIT...hook, line, and sinker.

I have BAIT in my hand, here's what is on the label.
(internet search yields no results)

Specialty Stuft Meats
895 Division Street
Biloxi, MS 39530
(228) 863-1000

"Best Kept Secret In The South"
"Once You Try It, You're Hooked"

Its close to the flavor of "Slap Ya Mama"



Its milder than the bite of "Magic Swamp Dust: Fire Department Blend"



Both of which are also fantastic seasonings.

HaHAH! Why am I not surprised that the "good stuff" comes from the Delta?

There's a lil Mexican grocery store that has Ghost Peppers.
I've bought them and dried them and added them to some of my homemade "Hot" blends.

I think it matters to the animal about to be eaten.

I mean for instance, if I was a chicken. I’d like to think my death wasn’t totally in vain and that the human who cooked me did so with a few fine herbs or fresh spice.

Plato.



Personally, if I had to name one favourite, it would be black peppercorns.

Being from a Mexican border town I am incredibly in tune with the Scoville scale. I love the flavors and truly love the heat.

Other than the obvious (salt), I agree with Joe in the very basic table component of peppercorns....the first acceptable heat.

I know! Going way out on a spicy sprig here.


I've recently been revisiting (dried) hatch peppers as a table component. ..not hot just to be hot...but a smokey additive.

I always have Montreal Steak seasoning available for my tri-top roasts and potatoes.

Also can't live without a bottle of Lemon Herb.

Hey Beach. Too many, All of the above, I will add ginger because I use it when I drink tea and only for that purpose, crashed pepper, fresh, salt the original one, cinnamon.,.etc, etc.

Cumin is one of my favorite spices. I like a lot of southwestern cooking and eating but really try to do different types of food.

Seeing as you’re from the potato State, there is nothing better than boiled potatoes with butter and a sprinkle of sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Simple but delicious.

Yeah, I eat all kinds of potatoes. Like mashed potatoes, mixed with a lot of cheese and baked in the oven like a casserole. Love cheese.

I've been experimenting with Curry, Ginger and Tumeric....very Bollywood with chicken.. Anyone for Chutney??
yalalalalalalalalalalalalal! Jihad on food!!!

Trying to add turmeric to a lot of things when I can. Good for arthritis.

Going to have to give you Title of the Year :-)

(Can't you just see Gilda Radner getting the topic
'Does Age Matter' and going off on it then at the end
someone says..Roseanne Roseannadanna, the subject was
'Does Sage Matter' and she would be like, 'Oh, never mind.')

OMG! too funny!

Yes it’s beautiful with mushrooms or chicken. Can be nice with fish too, sea bass especially.