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Spices Every Home Cook Should Have - Advice From a Chef
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items As a professional chef, I get asked about spices constantly: what to buy, what to skip, where to start. This is the list I'd hand every new cook: the spices that actually get used, actually make a difference, and won't sit in your cabinet for five ye...
One of those background players that makes everything taste more complete. You won't taste bay leaf; you'll taste the absence of it if you forget to add one. Just don't forget to pull it out of the dish before serving; nobody wants to eat it.
Amazon Grocery Whole Bay Leaves 0.25 Oz
Pre-ground pepper is basically dust. Buy whole peppercorns and grind them fresh. It's a small change that makes a noticeable difference in everything you cook.
Amazon Grocery Tellicherry Black Peppercorns 3.5oz
A hardworking blend that does the heavy lifting on proteins, potatoes and rice. One jar covers a lot of ground: blackened chicken, seasoned fries, shrimp boils. Ilove this blend, and the tin is just too cute! Made in the USA!
Taste of Cajun | Gourmet Seasoning
Not just for heat — cayenne adds a back-of-the-throat warmth that wakes up a dish. A little goes a long way, and it plays well with almost everything savory. A pinch of this will wake up creamy soups, sauces, and anywhere you want straight-up heat! C...
Amazon Grocery, Ground Cayenne Red Pepper, 2.75 Oz
Smoky, earthy and spicy all at once. This is what separates an interesting chili from a boring one. Also incredible on roasted sweet potatoes. I use this in anything Tex-Mex, including my own spice blends. Try it on my Sweet & Spicy Pineapple! ht...
Frontier Co-op Ground Chipotle Pepper 2.15oz
Morton & Basset make solid spices. Good quality without being bougie. Don't pay a fortune for cinnamon, because you'll want to replace it each fall. Fresh cinnamon makes all the difference! Don't relegate this to baking. Chefs use cinnamon in sav...
https://cookwhatyoulove.com/creamy-pumpkin-soup-with-canned-pumpkin/
and
cookwhatyoulove.com/salted-caramel-brown-butter-snickerdoodle-cookies
https://cookwhatyoulove.com/creamy-pumpkin-soup-with-canned-pumpkin/
and
cookwhatyoulove.com/salted-caramel-brown-butter-snickerdoodle-cookies
Morton & Bassett Ground Cinnamon
Cumin is another you want to buy good quality. It goes stale within a year, so replace it.
It's one of the most used spices in professional kitchens worldwide. Essential for Mexican, Middle Eastern and Indian cooking. Try it in my Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili or Carne Molida.
https://cookwhatyoulove.com/slow-cooker-white-chicken-chili/
or
cookwhatyoulove.com/carne-molida-mexican-ground-beef
It's one of the most used spices in professional kitchens worldwide. Essential for Mexican, Middle Eastern and Indian cooking. Try it in my Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili or Carne Molida.
https://cookwhatyoulove.com/slow-cooker-white-chicken-chili/
or
cookwhatyoulove.com/carne-molida-mexican-ground-beef
Morton & Bassett Ground Cumin
Not a shortcut — a tool. When you want onion flavor distributed evenly through a dish without texture, flakes are the right call. I often reach for these instead of onion when I don't want to bite into chunks of onions or don't want to bother with ch...
https://cookwhatyoulove.com/smoked-meatloaf-with-bacon/
and
cookwhatyoulove.com/smoked-meatballs
https://cookwhatyoulove.com/smoked-meatloaf-with-bacon/
and
cookwhatyoulove.com/smoked-meatballs
McCormick Minced Onions
Garlic powder, also called granulated garlic, doesn't need to be from a bougie brand. Fresh garlic and garlic powder do different things; powder gives you a deeper, more evenly distributed garlic hit. You need both. Try it in my Smoked Chicken Leg Qu...
https://cookwhatyoulove.com/smoked-chicken-leg-quarters/
and
cookwhatyoulove.com/blackstone-smash-burgers
https://cookwhatyoulove.com/smoked-chicken-leg-quarters/
and
cookwhatyoulove.com/blackstone-smash-burgers
Amazon Grocery, Garlic Powder, 3.9 Oz
I'm a little more picky about my Italian seasoning; it shouldn't have sugar in it. You'd be surprised how many brands have sugar in it! It's a reliable workhorse blend for pasta sauces, roasted vegetables, chicken and pizza. Try it in my Baked Feta P...
cookwhatyoulove.com/baked-feta-pasta
cookwhatyoulove.com/baked-feta-pasta
McCormick Gourmet Collection Italian Seasoning
Kosher salt is purer. Iodized salt have a minerality taste to them that can matter in some dishes. This is the salt chefs use. The flake size gives you control; it's harder to oversalt because it doesn't pack as dense as table salt. I use it in every...
cookwhatyoulove.com/air-fryer-wings-with-alabama-white-wing-sauce
cookwhatyoulove.com/air-fryer-wings-with-alabama-white-wing-sauce
Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt
The secret ingredient you didn't know you were missing. A few drops adds a savory depth to soups, sauces and marinades that's hard to put your finger on but impossible to ignore. I wrote a whole guide: What is Maggi Seasoning? cookwhatyoulove.com/what-is-maggi-seasoning
Maggi Liquid Seasoning, 4.40 Ounce
Classic for seafood but wildly underused everywhere else. I use it in my Seafood Stuffed Salmon and Lobster Chowder — try it on roasted potatoes and you'll wonder why you only ever put it on shrimp.
Seafood Stuffed Salmon: https://cookwhatyoulove.com/seafood-stuffed-salmon/
Lobster chowder: cookwhatyoulove.com/lobster-chowder
Seafood Stuffed Salmon: https://cookwhatyoulove.com/seafood-stuffed-salmon/
Lobster chowder: cookwhatyoulove.com/lobster-chowder
OLD BAY Seasoning, 2.62 oz
Another spice where brand doesn't matter too much. Like garlic powder, this does something different than fresh onion. Smooth, even flavor throughout; it's essential in spice rubs. See it in action in my Best Pork Rub https://cookwhatyoulove.com/best-pork-rub/
or Traeger Smoked Turkey cookwhatyoulove.com/traeger-smoked-turkey
or Traeger Smoked Turkey cookwhatyoulove.com/traeger-smoked-turkey
Onion Powder, 2.85 Oz
Oregano is one of the few herbs that's actually better dried than fresh in most applications, and quality matters. Essential in tomato-based sauces, Greek cooking and any kind of spice rub. One thing worth knowing: Mexican oregano and Mediterranean o...https://cookwhatyoulove.com/grilled-lemon-herb-chicken/ or Mediterranean Orzo & Shrimp Salad cookwhatyoulove.com/mediterranean-orzo-shrimp-salad
Spice Islands, Oregano, 0.60 oz
A pinch in the pan when you're heating oil is a chef move that adds background heat to everything from pasta to roasted vegetables. Keep it within arm's reach of your stove. I use them in my Grilled Feta with Fresh Herbs: https://cookwhatyoulove.com/grilled-feta-with-herbs/
simple and impactful. Buy crushed red pepper flakes, so that they're in smaller pieces and are easier to use.
simple and impactful. Buy crushed red pepper flakes, so that they're in smaller pieces and are easier to use.
Frontier Co-op Crushed Chili Pepper
If you only add one spice to your pantry today, make it this one. Smoked paprika is made from red peppers that have been dried over oak wood before grinding — that smoking process is what gives it that deep, slightly sweet, almost meaty flavor that r...
It adds color, smokiness and depth to everything from chicken to roasted vegetables to deviled eggs, without you ever firing up a smoker. Use it in rubs, stir it into soups and stews, add it to aioli, sprinkle it on eggs. A little goes a long way.
One important rule: never add paprika directly to hot oil — it burns fast and turns bitter. Always add it to liquid or at the end of cooking. Store it in a cool, dark spot and replace it every 6 months or so; paprika loses its punch faster than most ...https://cookwhatyoulove.com/what-is-smoked-paprika/
Then try it in my Fried Cabbage and Potatoes with Bacon cookwhatyoulove.com/potatoes-cabbage-not-colcannon
It adds color, smokiness and depth to everything from chicken to roasted vegetables to deviled eggs, without you ever firing up a smoker. Use it in rubs, stir it into soups and stews, add it to aioli, sprinkle it on eggs. A little goes a long way.
One important rule: never add paprika directly to hot oil — it burns fast and turns bitter. Always add it to liquid or at the end of cooking. Store it in a cool, dark spot and replace it every 6 months or so; paprika loses its punch faster than most ...https://cookwhatyoulove.com/what-is-smoked-paprika/
Then try it in my Fried Cabbage and Potatoes with Bacon cookwhatyoulove.com/potatoes-cabbage-not-colcannon
Morton & Bassett Smoked Paprika
Everything smoked paprika does, but with heat. I specifically call for it in my Spinach and Sweet Potato Hash. cookwhatyoulove.com/spinach-and-sweet-potato-hash
Pons. Hot Smoked Paprika
One of the most versatile herbs in the kitchen. It works in almost every savory application: roasted chicken, soups, sauces, braised dishes.
When in doubt, add thyme.
One thing to watch: buy dried thyme leaves, not ground thyme. Ground thyme is over-processed and has a dusty, almost medicinal flavor that's nothing like the real thing. Dried leaf thyme still has the oils intact and releases flavor properly when it ... https://cookwhatyoulove.com/grilled-lemon-herb-chicken/ or Cream of Onion Soup cookwhatyoulove.com/cream-of-onion-soup
When in doubt, add thyme.
One thing to watch: buy dried thyme leaves, not ground thyme. Ground thyme is over-processed and has a dusty, almost medicinal flavor that's nothing like the real thing. Dried leaf thyme still has the oils intact and releases flavor properly when it ... https://cookwhatyoulove.com/grilled-lemon-herb-chicken/ or Cream of Onion Soup cookwhatyoulove.com/cream-of-onion-soup
Morton & Bassett Thyme 1 oz - Non-GMO, Salt-Free