Essential: refined salt, white sugar, some tasty fat (see notes), garlic, black and red peppers, limes, smoked paprika, cinnamon, vanilla extract
Important: ginger, brown sugar, soy sauce, red wine vinegar, parsley, basil, thyme, oregano, cilantro seeds, MSG, cloves, EVOO, lard, butter, some chicken stock
Nice to have: allspice, juniper, coarse salt, sage, rosemary, cumin, sesame oil, fish stock, nutmeg, dill, aniseed, bay leaves, curry powder (I think it’s garam masala?)
Typically not bothering with: onion and garlic powder (I like them, but they clump too much), store-bought spice mixes (I like making those at home).
Notes:
by “refined” and “coarse” salt I mean solely the texture. Both are typically sea salt where I live.
the white sugar in question is cane sugar.
what I call “tasty fat” means EVOO, a yellower lard, or butter. I want at least one, in addition to the soy oil I use as an ingredient (not as seasoning — stuff has no taste, that’s the point).
I’m fairly specific on red wine vinegar. I’m not really a fan of apple vinegar, and what’s locally sold as “alcohol vinegar” (it’s 4% acetic acid, 96% water, and nothing else) is for me a cleaning agent, I almost never use it for cooking.
“chicken stock” usually means bouillons for practical reasons, but I do prefer homemade stock. Same deal with fish stock, I usually buy Japanese dried dashi.
Dunno if this has to do with the local weather, but for me it’s every time I buy them — a week later and they become soft rocks. Even if I use dry spoons and avoid steam from the pots.
Eventually I simply gave up: if a recipe requests either I swap it with the fresh stuff. Except for my fried chicken mix, but then I try to use the whole package ASAP.
I’m this way too. I could break down the whole spice rack I have, but I quit with the onion/garlic powders. I don’t have garlic powder in the house, but the onion powder is a rock. For onion, I use fresh. For garlic I use fresh or I do have dried minced garlic I get in small batches from the co op. Just something about starting a meal with sauteed onions idk . I feel you here
Essential: refined salt, white sugar, some tasty fat (see notes), garlic, black and red peppers, limes, smoked paprika, cinnamon, vanilla extract
Important: ginger, brown sugar, soy sauce, red wine vinegar, parsley, basil, thyme, oregano, cilantro seeds, MSG, cloves, EVOO, lard, butter, some chicken stock
Nice to have: allspice, juniper, coarse salt, sage, rosemary, cumin, sesame oil, fish stock, nutmeg, dill, aniseed, bay leaves, curry powder (I think it’s garam masala?)
Typically not bothering with: onion and garlic powder (I like them, but they clump too much), store-bought spice mixes (I like making those at home).
Notes:
Wait what, I use them all the time and have never seen them clump before, I didn’t even think they could lol
Dunno if this has to do with the local weather, but for me it’s every time I buy them — a week later and they become soft rocks. Even if I use dry spoons and avoid steam from the pots.
Eventually I simply gave up: if a recipe requests either I swap it with the fresh stuff. Except for my fried chicken mix, but then I try to use the whole package ASAP.
I’m this way too. I could break down the whole spice rack I have, but I quit with the onion/garlic powders. I don’t have garlic powder in the house, but the onion powder is a rock. For onion, I use fresh. For garlic I use fresh or I do have dried minced garlic I get in small batches from the co op. Just something about starting a meal with sauteed onions idk . I feel you here