Spices/Sauces - season yo food white boy

[WhatInTheActualFuck]

My usual go-to is a large can of San Marzanos, discard the nasty juice it comes in, and crush by hand, leaving it chunky. Then I add some garlic, EVOO, maybe an onion, basil and/or oregano. I usually don't add sugar but if I do, it's very little (like a quarter teaspoon in a batch), and after I've tasted it.

If it's for pizza, I don't cook it at all. For pasta, I may do the long simmer, but I'll still sometimes just do it fresh after simply heating it up.

I might or might not take out the onion. If I plan on taking it out I chop it really coarsely.

Also I forgot. A touch of anchovy paste is a great finisher.

A splash or two of fish sauce is a pretty solid substitute for anchovies/anchovy paste as well.

As for other stuff - I may have missed it earlier upthread but I didn't see any mention of cumin, which is almost mandatory in a lot of Mexican and Asian foods. I have a problem similar to many of the other posters in that there's a million jars and bags of stuff I picked up on a whim and spent a bunch of time experimenting with.

Behold (most of) my problem



Also a big fan of warming spices (allspice, anise/fennel, clove, cardamon, etc.) in general.

 

[teriyakiburns]

I've been using a lot of long pepper recently. Much more complex flavour than peppercorns, and stronger as well. It's odd that it gets so little use these days, but I suppose that's because peppercorns are easier to grow and grind.

 

[Wuhan Wet Market]

A splash or two of fish sauce is a pretty solid substitute for anchovies/anchovy paste as well.

As for other stuff - I may have missed it earlier upthread but I didn't see any mention of cumin, which is almost mandatory in a lot of Mexican and Asian foods. I have a problem similar to many of the other posters in that there's a million jars and bags of stuff I picked up on a whim and spent a bunch of time experimenting with.

Behold (most of) my problem

View attachment 8355373

Also a big fan of warming spices (allspice, anise/fennel, clove, cardamon, etc.) in general.

Lao gan ma spotted. Very nice.

 

[KiwiFuzz2]

One thing that's important to have in the array is a good variety of oils and vinegars.

If you cook something savory like a pot roast and it tastes mid, a splash of truffle oil and a splash of champagne vinegar will absolutely elevate it. I'm talking a tablespoon each for a giant pot.

White, balsamic, apple cider, rice, malt, and champagne vinegars are good ingredients for the cupboard.

Canola, peanut, and olive oils are the cooking go-tos here, with truffle and sesame used to round out the flavor.

Seconding fish sauce as a secret ingredient for some surprising foods, like steak.

 

[MazonLabs Recruitment Rep]

Being a mad scientist and experimenting with blends is fun and it's actually yielded some good results occasionally. I got a specific rub from this little hobby, it's absolute heaven slow cooked on pork and beef.

 

[Stoneheart]

I've been using a lot of long pepper recently. Much more complex flavour than peppercorns, and stronger as well. It's odd that it gets so little use these days, but I suppose that's because peppercorns are easier to grow and grind.

getting good quality long pepper for a decent price is hard.

but yeah its much better than normal pepper.



also goose fat is still the best fat and/or sauce.

 

[pooterino]

Not really a spice but just searched the thread for "honey mustard" or even just "honey." No hits?

Honey mustard. Or honey. For your tendies. Or even a salad dressing.

 

[ChompChomp]

also goose fat is still the best fat

You misspelled "pig" like a typical Pleb.

How's the mud shoveling business going?

 

[souschef]

Not really a spice but just searched the thread for "honey mustard" or even just "honey." No hits?

Honey mustard. Or honey. For your tendies. Or even a salad dressing.

View attachment 8492681

I did this week. French mustard, raw honey and a little bit of vinegar. Most recipes i see call for mayo, but i don't like heating sauces with mayo. I think greek yogurt would be better

 

[pooterino]

Nice. I use honey mustard all the time but that pic ^^ is a honey mustard vinaigrette for salad which is really delicious. Plus I like a lot of black pepper in mine. No mayo.

 

[Postal Dude]

I have my fish sauce, soy sauce, and Worcestershire sauce on lock for soups and stews. Legit cheat code for flavor

 

[AfpelApple]

Make your own spice blend. Assume everything listed is obtained whole if possible, then put in a spice grinder or grated. Experiment with different kinds of a listed herb.

Spoiler: Spices

2 tablespoons of white peppercorns
1 1/2 tablespoon sage
1 teaspoon cardamom seeds
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon cordiander seeds
1/2 teaspoon cloves
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 red pepper flakes

I keep this on hand for poultry and pork. Mix with salt, celery salt and MSG. Goes well with garlic or onion powder too, but that doesn't fit in every dish.

every time i tried to make something like this it would always clump together with the same consistency as wet sand

 

[sodaboard]

i have made a very special alfredo sauce by mixing in slight amounts of nutmeg, lemon juice and soy sauce at the end. it gives it a nice savory flavor.

 

[AnOminous]

I have my fish sauce, soy sauce, and Worcestershire sauce on lock for soups and stews. Legit cheat code for flavor

I also keep around Vegemite/Marmite, nutritional yeast, dried shiitake shrooms, dashi soup powder, etc.

 

[WhatInTheActualFuck]

every time i tried to make something like this it would always clump together with the same consistency as wet sand

Yeah, that's sorta part of the deal. Make it in batches that you'll use inside of a couple of months (1-2 cups total) and store it in something like a mason jar so you can just shake the shit out of it to break it up before use.

 

[AnOminous]

Yeah, that's sorta part of the deal. Make it in batches that you'll use inside of a couple of months (1-2 cups total) and store it in something like a mason jar so you can just shake the shit out of it to break it up before use.

Grind it in a coffee grinder. Also you can revive spices by dry roasting them in a skillet until you can smell them again.

 

[WhatInTheActualFuck]

Grind it in a coffee grinder. Also you can revive spices by dry roasting them in a skillet until you can smell them again.

Definitely for actual spices. That said, I'm talking about something more akin to a barbecue rub or "seasoning salt" that I like to keep on hand - the base is brown sugar and kosher salt with a bunch of other stuff added in and I use it a lot so I make sizeable batches. If it clumps up, keeping it in a sealed mason jar lets me just shake the crap out of it and it flows (and sprinkles) freely again.

Comically, I have multiple blade grinders on hand just for spice grinding - this is the one I use for everything but black pepper since you can remove the cup and clean it quickly.

 

[OrionBalls]

McCormick's flavor of the year is black currant. As such, they made a black currant finishing sugar
and a black currant spice blend
I love black currant. It is an unpopular flavor in the US because there once was a pine blight caused by the bushes. So it is mostly still illegal to grow here. I cant wait to roast a chicken with this spice blend!

 

[RollerGator]

Hungarian paprika is my new favorite.