Controllers of the Universe
Posted by Valdus on Oct 12, 2010 · Member since Oct 2010 · 25 posts
"He who controls the Spice, controls the Universe." -Dune
There is one thing that always impressed me about Vegetarians before I actually took a swim in this green culinary world, you (we) all have a serious obsession, skill and imagination with spices. I noticed that the more serious a person was about plant-based dieting, the deeper the knowledge and resources of spice. A Vegetarian's Spice rack is like a mini-vacation of flavors, and I find my own stash swelling with olfactory pride.
So by all means, share and discuss your favorites on the RACK!
garlic powder, onion powder, pepper, parsley = vegan ranch!!!
i also use cumin and oregano a ton too when making recipes outta Viva Vegan <3 Fave cookbook!
aml, vegan ranch? queee???
my faves are salt, pepper, and cinnamon. and curry. agh! just all of them hahaha
garlic powder, basil, cumin. Chili powder, cayenne, Tajin seasoning.......those are my faves. If I start getting low on one of those, i freak.
My favourite spice is cardamom, but like criticism, a little goes a long way and you can't just throw it around indiscriminately without spoiling some things.
That said, I adore its smell.
Absolute must-haves, can't live withouts: paprika (sweet and spicey), garlic, cumin, celery powder, oregano, bay leaf, cinnamon, ginger and whole black peppercorns. And white pepper.
Nice to haves: turmeric, coriander powder, clove, basil, thyme.
Tahineh isn't a spice but I use an awful lot of it. Ditto fresh lemons. I can't live without at least a kilo in the house at all times. I buy them three kilos at a time.
oh and i love creole!!! it is the bomb on roasted veggies! and VH yezzzzz vegan ranch! http://veganluvies.blogspot.com/2010/03/thick-and-creamy-vegan-ranch.html
I buy cumin and coriander seeds in bulk. Other faves: cinnamon, oregano, basil, pepper, chili flakes, szechuan pepper, nutmeg, rosemary, bay leaf. And I make my own garam masala and berbere and such.
I strongly prefer to buy whole spices and use a spice grinder or mortar and pestle, rather than buying powdered spices (although I have some of the sweet spices in both forms...cinnamon, cloves, and allspice. It's a little too inconvenient to grind a pinch of cinnamon for my oatmeal). Freshly grated nutmeg is AMAZING. I also strongly prefer to use fresh garlic, chili, and ginger in most things, but I keep dried versions on hand as well. I want to try sumac and za'atar(sp?) but I can only find them in HUGE bags, and I'm not sure if I'll like them enough to want that much.
I don't like caraway. And DH doesn't like thyme. Thought I'd add that for some reason.
When I read this thread I immediately thought of the film "Mistress of Spices." ;)b
I think that was the idea!
curry powder, marjoram, sage, and cardamom are my favorites of the kind of unusual spices/herbs.
Guess I should put in the two cents.
Louisiana spices rock my world, I am Cuban sowhole we have great spicy music our spices are quite bland. So I pour on the Cayenne, white pepper, black pepper and red
Spanish heritage brings me cumin to death and not sure if garlic is a spice but I can say that "This has too much garlic" has never been spoken in Spanish.
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Except by my hubby...he is Sevillano born and bred but he has very bland tastes! I have finally got him turned on to chillis etc in a small way but garlic he does not like!
cinnamon, cardamom, rosemary and cayenne are my favorites. when i vacation these are the few that i always bring with me.
on the subject of cumin, i used to hate it, even as a vegan, but i'm becoming more acclimated towards it.
Top in my list would be cinnamon which is a normal ingredient in Indian cuisine. You guys should try it. It has medicinal uses as well.