Does my family use enough seasoning?
It's not a question of quality (we do that very well), but QUANTITY
The most consistent thing you will see in almost every single one of my family recipes is butter, salt, pepper, and cinnamon.
Kousa? Butter. Salt. Pepper. Cinnamon.
Kibbeh? Butter. Salt. Pepper. Cinnamon.
Meat Pies? Butter. Salt. Pepper. Cinnamon.
Chicken and Rice? Butter. Salt. Pepper. Cinnamon.
Need I go on?
It’s simple and delicious. Again, cinnamon is always a curveball for a lot of home cooks. Especially in the states where it’s primarily only seen in sweet recipes. There’s something beautiful in the simplicity of my family’s recipes, but would they be elevated if they had more “oomph”? If they had more flavors going on? Or would more ingredients become a distraction, and make the dish too busy?
One of my recent discoveries in Lebanese cooking (thank you TikTok) is “Lebanese 7-spice”. I feel like I’ve been living under a rock.
I have never heard of this until recently.
Many cultures, especially in the Eastern hemisphere have specific blends (i.e. Chinese 5 spice, 10 spice, etc.), but we have one too? Crazy.
I used this blend for the kefta I made a while back and it was so so good. I just believe in the season I’m in right now when it comes to different spices: the more the merrier.
on another note! here’s a list of spices/aromatics/herbs I’ve been using, and you should too.
None of these are original, I’ll have you know, just what I’ve really enjoyed recently!
Dill
Dill is one of those herbs you either love or hate. I never have my hands on fresh dill, but I reach for my dried dill quite often.
I rarely ever use it for actual cooking. I treat it more as a finishing touch to whatever I make, typically some kind of vegetable, or a good piece of toast.
I love the combination of dill in chickpea or tuna salad. Using it in anything mayo-based with any kind of acid gives your dish life you didn’t know it had. Plus it’s fun and green!
I also will always use dill if I’m pickling anything, you have to! My most recent obsession: pickled carrots, so so good.
Ginger
With allergy season mixed with burnout, my intake of ginger has increased a bit. It’s also just a bright, punchy root, who couldn’t love it? I’ll usually store mine in the freezer and use it whenever I feel. The recent go-to’s are homemade ginger shots, curry, and tea.
Whether their health benefits are real or it’s just the placebo in my mind, I’m a fan!
Parmesan Rinds
Okay, this one isn’t a spice. But if you’re someone who buys a block of parm….SAVE THE RINDS. Adding rinds to your soups or sauces umps up the flavor depth and creaminess of whatever you’re making. Plus, you can give yourself a pat on the back for using something you would’ve thrown away.
Sustainability in the kitchen is always a win in my book!
HEB’s Bagel Not Included Spice Blend - Everything + Citrus Sriracha
This is a mouthful of a name and matches it in flavor.
At the shop I work at, we use this to season our avocado toast (no gatekeeping here) and it’s actually really good!
So good, in fact, we have to buy a bottle per week at the shop, and my wonderful roommate (and funnily enough coworker) keeps it in our pantry because of it.
You can put this on anything, and it’ll probably work.
Pink Peppercorns
I always thought different color peppercorns were gimmicky and just another capitalistic scheme. But truthfully, these are delicious!
They add bright, fruity notes along with their peppery finish that’s fun and unexpected. Plus, what a good color to be.
If you’ve gotten this far, I’d like to say thank you for reading. The last writings have been few and far between, so I appreciate you being here!
With love,
Cara