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For newlyweds or college students, single women or bachelors, a good start for stocking first kitchens is knowing what herbs and spices to buy. Because these ingredients can change a dish from tasteless to delicious, determining which flavor enhancers to buy can turn grimaces to grins at meal time. Using these five additives can get a cook started on traditional American food and take him/her through a variety of ethnic dishes, such as Italian or Chinese. What are these five basic herbs and spices?
Italian-style dishes cannot be prepared with adding OREGANO and/or SWEET BASIL. You can grow either of these herbs in your garden or in pots on your window sill, but if you don’t have the time or inclination to do that, buy these two herbs any grocery store--dried and in jars. Add both to spaghetti sauce or sprinkle them onto pizza. Basil is the main ingredient in pesto, so to get that fresh pesto flavor in Italian-style chops or roasts, sprinkle the meat well with it before cooking.
DRIED GINGER ROOT is a spice many cooks use in both desserts and main course dishes. You can’t bake ginger bread or ginger snap cookies without it. And many Chinese-style dishes use the flavoring to enhance the meal. Try it in sweet-and-sour stir-fry dishes, like Chicken and Broccoli. Or sprinkle it over fresh rice pudding instead of the usual cinnamon. You can flavor your tea with it, too.
Buy fresh ginger root in the produce department of most grocery stores (it looks like a gnarled, wrinkled human fist) and mince or chop if for your recipe. Or you can buy powdered, dry ginger in the baking section of your supermarket.
Swedish Meatballs would lack if you didn’t add PAPRIKA to the recipe. So would Pork Paprikash. So, paprika is a definite necessity for your international kitchen. Many cooks sprinkle it over deviled eggs and potato salad, not only to dress the dishes up with its rich reddish-brown
color, but to add a subtle flavor to them, as well. Add paprika to hash-browned potatoes to add flavor and color, too. Remember, aesthetics count in cooking. Attractive dishes seem to taste better that dull-looking ones.
Finally, BELL’S SEASONING should be on a new cook’s list of must-have spices and herbs. Maybe it’s cheating a little to add this one, since it’s a conglomeration of several herbs and spices and commercially marketed under this brand name. But it’s been around for so many years, its
name has become almost a generic term. Turkey Stuffing flavored with Bell’s Seasoning screams of American Thanksgiving. And added to meatball or meat loaf recipes, it will have your guests asking for seconds. Soups and salads taste better with a dash of Bell’s, too.
Seasonings can make or break a recipe, and any of the above herbs or spices can start a new cook on his or her way to success in the kitchen. Anyone can cook a wide variety of tasty dinners using these basic flavor enhancers. All it takes is a little experimentation for a new cook to spice things up.
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