(no subject)

[coraa]

Silly quiz time (but this time not an LJ poll, because it doesn't lend itself to that):

I need to rebuild my herb and spice collection. I had a fairly good one, but moving a couple times messed that up -- plus, in the last move, the last thing I wanted was an extended determining of 'which spices did you buy and which did I?', so I left most of them; all but the ones I knew she hadn't bought because they still had a label from a little Indian grocery in LA. But it's time to rebuild the collection.

What herbs and spices do you consider to be essentials? What do you make sure you keep on hand -- fresh or dried, whole or ground?

(Right now, I have: whole mace, whole cardamom, whole cloves, wasabi powder [yes, I know it's not the real thing, but the real thing is $50/lb at Uwajimaya, outside my price range if I just want some kick in a stir fry], whole cumin seeds, black peppercorns, dried whole chiles, and fennel seeds; in my window is a miniature herb garden of basil, flat-leaf parsley, rosemary, tarragon, sage, and thyme, although the sage is sadly withering and I can't figure out why.)

Comments

Only listing things you didn't

[sithjawa.livejournal.com]

Oregano, or if you like it sweeter, marjoram. Cinnamon. Nutmeg. Whole bay leaves (the only spice I absolutely demand be in the particular form I want). I'm a cilantro lover but YMMV. Whole (I prefer yellow) mustard seeds, for the texture as well as the taste. I love me some toasted ground fenugreek seeds in Indian cooking. I buy them pre-toasted as toasting them yourself is a pain and a half. I like celery seed, but again, YMMV. Coriander's useful but I wouldn't die without it.