10 Spices You Can't Live Without

I was perusing one of my new favorite foodie websites today - www.seriouseats.com - when I came across this interesting article: The 10 Spices That Should Be In Your Pantry Right Now. An interesting thought, right? Especially for those of us who depend on the power of these spices to make healthy food, in order to nix the fat, sugar, or salt content.

And given that my spice drawer looks like this, needless to say I'd have a hard time picking only 10. (I love the writer describing this as "trying to decide which child to abandon". I feel the same way.)

Reading this article helped me see just how different people's culinary personalities are. The writer listed several spices I'd never even heard of - a feat, considering the size of the spice drawer. I mean, I'll go out of my way to try something new any day of the week. (Grains of Paradise are used for something other than beer? Who knew?) But to say those exotic, unknown powders are your all-time favorite top ten??

Maybe this list says a little about MY culinary personality.... A little basic, maybe a little boring.. But enough spice and pizzazz to make something tasty, homey, and comforting. :)

It's a good thing the article differentiates between "spices" and "herbs". Because that gives me a teensy bit of wiggle room and a whole other list. :)

My Top 10 Herbs:

This list was easier, and therefore a little more basic. I think it points to my European cooking background. :)

1. Parsley (what do I cook that this doesn't go on?)
2. Thyme
3. Basil
4. Cilantro
5. Sage
6. Oregano
7. Rosemary
8. Dill
9. Bay Leaves
10. Mint

My Top 10 Spices:

Way, way, way harder.

1. Crushed red pepper.
LOVE it. how it can heat up anything just enough. Whenever what I'm eating is just missing *something*, I throw a little of this on there.

2. Cumin.
I go through this like water.

3. Fleur de Sel.
Generally I think salt is so basic, that like it's counterpart whole black peppercorn, it doesn't belong here. But the crunch of fleur de sel on pasta, on potatoes, on.. pretty much anything - that's something special.

4. Curry powder.
Yeah, yeah, I know there's really no such thing in real Indian cooking as "curry powder" and it was created by/ mass produced for the British, blah, blah, blah. I don't care. It makes things YUM.

5. Whole Cardamom.
Cardamom is one of those really cool things you can do almost anything with, sweet or savory. Throw a pod in a curry dish. Bake pear bread. No Norwegian baked good is complete without it. (Apparently the India and Scandinavia are the world's largest consumers of cardamom. Random tidbit.) I happen to especially love cardamom because a really cool friend of mine taught me how to make homemade chai tea using cardamom pods. Before her divine intervention, I had no idea that you had to peel the cardamom pod to get to the piece you actually grind and use. (Sorry to the coworkers who ate that pear cardamom cake and probably found it a little chewy in spots....)

6. Vanilla bean.
The real stuff, not the extract. Pure goodness. Perfect just in vanilla sugar. Or vanilla Splenda, depending on your personal pancreatic workings.

7. Vietnamese cinnamon.
I know what you're thinking. Now I'm really getting snobby. First with the salt, now with cinnamon? Believe me, I would have thought cinnamon was all the same too - until that same nice friend dragged me into a Penzey's and forced me to try the Vietnamese cinnamon. I promise you there is a big difference.

8. Chili powder.
Ahh, back to earth. I don't care which kind of chili powder I have. Basic, smoky, whatever. As long as it makes a pot of meat, beans, and veggies delectable, I'm in.

9. Ginger.
Another one of those multidimensional spices. I use it fresh and powdered. Cakes, my favorite Christmas time ginger cookies, Thai dishes, Indian dishes, drinks, even pickled or candied. Nothing is quite so refreshing.

10. Asafoetida.
This one is a relatively new one to my list. Also known as hing, it's another addition to my list from my wise friend. (She has apparently had a great impact on my spice leanings..) I use this spice in Indian food, and it's really hard to describe. I always think of it as the kind of extra punch in food you wouldn't realize was there until it was missing. I think it's a really deep and savory flavor, kind of like garlic and onion powder.


So, on that note, happy eating, kids!