Friday, October 03, 2014

31 Days - Spice it Up!

Um, yes...I'm writing these off the top of my head on my lunch hour (it shows in the writing, I'm sure) and scheduling them for the next day. So, no graphic unless I remember to put it in after my dinner date tonight. If you don't see a graphic, I probably had a glass of wine with dinner.


Now that you've an idea what constitutes a pantry "staple" in my mind, we'll move on to the spice cabinet.


In my case, the "cabinet" is actually one of the cabinets above the sink. On the first shelf is a two tier lazy susan, on the second a big open plastic container with duplicates.


The revolving platform is full, both top and bottom, with small and medium size jars of ....various herbs and spices. Along the side, in a double row and stacked two high, are larger containers of the most often used stuff, the bottle of liquid smoke, the Tabasco sauce and a few other things.


It's more than time to clean it all out again, especially as they say these things really only have a shelf life of a few months, if that.


Then again, that may be just a marketing ploy by the spice sellers.


Most commonly used around my place, in no particular order:


Basil
Oregano
Rosemary
Marjoram
Garlic powder
Chili powder
Cumin
Lemon pepper
Thyme
Celery seed
Onion powder
Bay leaves
Nutmeg
Mushroom powder (er, not magic mushrooms)
Cayenne pepper
Red pepper flakes
Rubbed sage
Whole cloves
Ground cloves
Ground ginger
Dry mustard
Italian seasoning


There's quite a bit more, though I can't recall exactly what off the top of my head.


It's time to do to the spice cabinet what they recommend for a clothes closet. For the next month, as I use something, I'll put it in a box on the counter. Anything not used during the month (or possibly two, as I don't cook every day - and less the things I have on hand for just one specific recipe) will be trashed, on the basis that if I'm not using them now, I probably haven't been using them, and most likely won't be using them. Make sense? We'll see how much makes the cut.

1 comment:

melissa said...

Just saying. You should get some Summer Savory. I think Kroger and Target sell it. A light savory spice that's so delicious on so many things.