Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with spices

What recipes feature rarely-used spices, or spices used outside of their standard contexts?

kitcat — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 20:02:17 -0800

Recipes that feature a rarely-used spice? Or a spice out of its normal context? I was just thinking about how much I liked the paprikash I made a while back with caraway seeds in it. What other dishes use an oft-forgotten, back of the cupboard (to the North American palate, at least) spice? Or a spice used in an unexpected way? Herbs too.

Help! My steak seasoning is a rock!

kgreerRN — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 09:53:51 -0800

How do I "de-solidify" my steak seasoning? How do I prevent it in the future? I have a bottle of prime rib rub that has hardened into chunks instead of powder? Family will be here tonight for a steak dinner, how do I turn it back to powder and prevent it from happening again?

Light Metal Indian Dishware?

watercarrier — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 03:11:17 -0800

Indian Cooking - I want those authentic tin plates and bowls - where? I'm all for traveling light. I like those tin/aluminium bowls, plates and containers I've seen the cooks in India using. What are they called? What is the spice container (with all the small tin bowls fitting inside) called? Looking for an online supplier that's cool to work with and is reasonably priced. Nothing fancy - just what the locals use. Thanks.

Can I order prepared black recado online?

anazgnos — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 10:12:55 -0800

Is there someplace I can order prepared black recado (aka recado negro aka chilmole) online? Asking for my wife. I don't actually know anything about the spice blend in question.

I like sugar and spice, but which ones are nice?

filthy light thief — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 12:10:31 -0800

I like cooking, and I have a variety of spices, but I have never learned how to really use them. How should I learn to use them? What are some tips for trying things out? Do you have any any good recipes that highlight particular spice blends in traditional or unusual ways? There are some good dish-specific spice posts from the past, but it seems most folks have some understanding of what the spices will do to the dish. I am mostly clueless, relying on recipes without understanding what each ingredient adds to the end product, and as such, I am hesitant to toss in a pinch of this and that and see what happens. To date, I usually use salt, pepper, plus onion and garlic powder. I'd love to make my own spice blends instead of relying on store-bought mixes. Thanks!

The Intoxicated Aesthete

The Whelk — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 15:22:18 -0800

Help Me Give The Gift Of Drunkeness: What can I infuse in these little jars? I got a case of them as a gift and I want to turn it around into another gift, little jars of infused vodka, but I have some questions, mostly about making them pretty. 1) I've washed them out and scrubbed off the labels and kept the tops so I can re-seal them with wax later. Anything else I should know?

2) Are they large enough to successfully infuse in the jar or should I make a big batch and then re-fill all of them? I'd to have some whole fruit/spice/whatever floating in them to make em all pretty. What could I fit in them that would look good (raspberries, for example, just turn white and weird looking) and also infuse the vodka? Cinnamon sticks? Vanilla? Mint sprigs? What's in season now (Eastern US) that infuses well/is totally tasty/unusual?

3) How long should I let them sit, considering the size? Do I have to keep them out of sunlight?

4) Anything else I could do to make them super-attractive little art objects you can also consume? Do they make edible glitter?

I love you, fresh egg

chalbe — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 08:34:01 -0800

What cooking secrets take your food to the almost-pro level? I love food; making it, reading about it, eating it. I already do a few basics, like shopping the NYC Union Square farmers' market, using fresh leafy herbs and garlic, squeezing lemon juice, cooking meat the right temperature, adding enough salt + pepper, grating Parmigiano-Reggiano, etc. Even so, my cooking still tastes a little flat and two-dimensional.

What practices or ingredients do you use to elevate your cooking? Spice mixes? Marinades? I prefer answers that skew towards the complex-but-tasty and avoid processed goods. Bonus points if you are a professional cook or culinary school student.

To get us started, here are some ideas I've been wanting to try:
- Making brown veal stock and remoullage, for braising and sauces
- Making yogurt from scratch milk + starter
- Making herbed butter and herb-infused oils

Delicious date-based falafel seasoning

hattifattener — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 11:14:47 -0800

Help me find a date! Powdered dates, that is, in Seattle. Some falafel and gyros places season their food with a coarse, reddish powder which I find delicious. I've been told (by one falafel-counter guy) that it's made from toasted, ground dates. I'd like to use it in my own cooking. So my questions are: what names does this stuff go by? And where might I be likely to buy some in or near Seattle?

Parsley, Sage, Rosemary & Thyme in NYC?

webhund — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 20:54:32 -0800

What are some good New York City (and environs) culinary herb and spice shops? Midwestern Foodie looking for culinary herb and spice shops to visit in NYC during an upcoming trip. Places along the lines of The Spice House in Chicago are what I'm searching for. I'm aware of Penzey's (yes, I know there's a family connection with The Spice House) in Grand Central station. Particularly looking for places that grind, process, and mix their own herbs, spices, pepper, salt, etc.. on site. Google-fu turns up a lot of noise, including grocery stores and other places that don't really focus on herbs and spices as their specialty. NOT looking for holistic/new age/herbalist shops.

More abstract recipes please

bigmusic — Mon, 25 May 2009 20:44:35 -0800

I'm looking for more abstract recipes like this. Some people would call these base recipes: recipes that are created from what what is on hand with common spices and ingredients, a theory of a dish - not the specifics in every ingredient. What I really enjoy about the linked recipes is he gives reasons for each ingredient so that you can vary things based on judgement.

What foods are best to spice up bland whole grains?

ragtimepiano — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 20:21:59 -0800

Multi-part query: Which foodstuff has the strongest flavor, in your experience? Garlic, onions, peppers, spices? Which spices? Cheeses? Which category---meat, grains, dairy, fruit, veggies, spices? Which category has the least flavor? We have been trying new whole grains---quinoa and couscous. We find them to be bland, but upon discussion, we had to conclude that all whole grains (oatmeal, popcorn, wheat, rye, millet etc) are bland and need embellishments from the spice cabinet, butter, or cheeses. So we're looking for the strongest flavors to blend with them.

Zazzle My Fishy Fish

rokusan — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 13:08:57 -0800

I've inherited some fresh cubed salmon (left by roommate who is gone for the week). I'm thinking of grilling it. But salmon is sort of boring. What sort of spice, rub, marinade or other goodness can I use to add some zing? It's fresh but for some reason cut into 1.5-inch cubes. I figure grilling it on skewers would work, but would like to add some extra flavor.

I'll take other ideas too. It's about... I dunno, a pound? About 20 cubes.

Spice me up!

cestmoi15 — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 19:21:23 -0800

How do you deal with cooking while traveling? I specifically want to cut down on buying spices/condiments we've already bought at home. By bringing them with us. How? Going on vacation soon (two people) and our hotel room will have a mini-kitchen. We plan on doing a fair amount of cooking to cut expenses. We'll be there for a week and we've done similar travel before; I find I always spend too much on spices/condiments we have at home, so I'd like to figure out a way to bring basics with us rather than buy when there.

Any recs on how to do this? I'm thinking maybe putting spices/salt/pepper in pill boxes or other travel size things? What about ketchup and mustard?

You're a creative bunch, so I'd love your input!

Will my spice mix get confiscated by Japanese customs?

teem — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 04:43:49 -0800

Will I have trouble with customs bringing homemade Indian food spice mixes (made in Australia) into Japan? In a week I'm visiting my girlfriend who's over there, and I was planning to bring her some of the homemade spice mixes I use to make Indian food. They're your typical mixture of spices (cumin, coriander, etc) assembled in Australia from spices bought in Australia.

It'd be a shame to go to the effort only to have them confiscated, so for those who have travelled into Japan, how likely is it that they'll get taken away? Is there anything I can do to minimise the chances of this?

Where can I buy odd-shaped boxes?

beerbajay — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 02:52:59 -0800

Where can I buy small plastic boxes which have one square (or mostly square) side, but a very shallow depth? As depicted in this drawing. I want them for holding spices. ... instead of having unwieldy round jars. I'm interested in anything that roughly fits these requirements; it doesn't have to be perfect.

Chili When It's Chilly

netbros — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 21:19:44 -0800

I'm going to make a pot of chili tomorrow. Besides the usual kidney beans, tomato schtuff, burger and trinity, what do you like to put in yours to liven things up? I'm going to the grocery before I start, so please help me out with some favorite ingredients and recipes. Thanks in advance for your assistance.

What's wrong with my Szechuan peppercorns?

motherly corn — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 14:18:26 -0800

What's wrong with my Szechuan peppercorns? I'm not a terribly experienced cook, and my experience making Asian dishes is virtually nil. But a few nights ago I followed a pretty straightforward recipe that called for some Szechuan peppers. I had a jar in the pantry that was maybe 2 months old, and I ground them myself.

Somehing about the flavor seemed...off. I was expecting a tingly heat, what I got was a muddy floral taste that I can't get out of my mind (and not in a good way). I've had dishes with Szechuan pepper in Chinese restaurants and loved the taste.

What's the problem here? Did they go bad? Is this really what Szechwan peppers taste like?

What else can I grind in a pepper mill?

Lizc — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 12:21:38 -0800

What else can I grind in a pepper mill? I have an extra Olde Thompson Pepper mill with nothing to grind in it. The product description says "Carbon Steel grinding mechanism is fully adjustable from a coarse to a fine grind." - so I'm wondering what else I can use in this mill. I'm guessing seeds of some kind - what would YOU use this for?

Chai - why so bitter?

joshnunn — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 01:07:58 -0800

I thought I'd make my pregnant wife a nice cup of home brewed chai from a pregnancy recipe book. But it's awfully bitter and difficult to drink. What is causing the bitterness? The caffeine free recipe calls for:
1 teaspoon of ginger (which we didn't have so I left out)
2 teaspoons of cloves
2 tablespoons of cardamom pods (although thinking back, I may have used 2 teaspoons...)
2 cinnamon sticks
1 bay leaf
4 tablespoons of brown sugar

Can the obvious deficiencies in my direction following explain the extreme bitterness? That is, would more cardamom and some ginger counteract the awful taste in my mouth? I need guidance before I try again, as I don't want to drink it if it's going to be much the same. I ended up putting more sugar in my first batch to counteract it, and it made it barely drinkable, but I need more than that if I'm going to try again.

I realise there are a few questions here about chai already, but I want to understand my chai before I try again.

Thank you!

Indian spice store in Mexico?

dhruva — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 23:48:00 -0800

Is it possible to buy Indian (from India) spices in Mexico? Preferably Mexico City or Xalapa. Or is the only option online? I've googled with no luck and the whole Indian/indigena misnomer is driving me nuts.

Help me win this spicy proposal

boyinmiami — Sun, 06 Apr 2008 17:52:51 -0800

Need the hive mind to help me win this bet(if this is indeed possible)!! Made a bet with a buddy of mine that will make me a pretty penny if I can pull it off. The wager: I have to eat 30 slices of jalapeños in three minutes and then go an whole hour without eating or drinking anything but a can of Sprite. I just ate 12 jalapeños slices and lasted about 1 minute before I had to start eating and drinking to kill the burn. Have any of you tried this? What can I do to prepare? Can I actually win this? Thanks in advance for your help!

No, not Caledonian headgear...

ramix — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 16:11:42 -0800

Where can I find Scotch Bonnet peppers (not habaneros) to buy in the Puget Sound area; or alternatively online? Preferably fresh and not dried. Thanks.

Does basil taste like pot for anyone else?

Anonymous — Sat, 15 Dec 2007 04:50:37 -0800

Does basil fried rice taste like marijuana to anyone else, or is it just me? Am I tasting the spice wrong? I just had basil fried rice at a Chinese/Thai restaurant called Fusion's, in Ashland MA. As far as I know, I've never had anything else with basil before, and to me the food tasted strongly like marijuana. Like, very, very "I just took a hit and I'm holding the smoke in my mouth" strongly. Meanwhile, the beef fried rice I ordered tasted just fine. My friends were dining with me and ate the remainder of the dish after I realized how bad it tasted, and they all think it tasted fine and not at all like pot. I came home and asked more friends, and they all agree that I'm nuts.

I'm thinking I vaguely remember a post about certain people mis-tasting certain foods, particularly spices, but I can only find posts on Miraculin. Any ideas? Does anyone agree?

Cancelling out spicy odors?

knave — Mon, 22 Oct 2007 01:36:18 -0800

Is it possible to make Indian food without smelling up the joint? Last time I cooked up a spicy chicken curry, my apartment smelled for 3 weeks. I've seen this thread, which seemed to be about a more permanent odor. In my case, I can't steam-clean the carpets and degrease the house every time I cook.

I'm sure this happens with other types of meals, but I specifically notice it with the curry spices the most. As much as I enjoy them, I don't enjoy the smell on a daily basis. Any chefs out there with tips on neutralizing odor after meal, or preventing the odor from occurring in the first place?

Help me find my daily grind

B-squared — Mon, 03 Sep 2007 14:43:23 -0800

I am looking for a new pepper mill, but an Amazon search produces an overwhelming 800 results and very few customer reviews. So I turn to you, my Metafilter test market. I use the mill often enough that Target's selection just isn't cutting it anymore, but I don't know which models and brands offer the most bang for my buck. And, aren't Peugeots cars? It should be manual (not electric), it should have a variable grind, a heft in the hand, and a steel or red finish (though I prefer function over form). Tell me if you've got a great grinder. Thanks in advance everybody!