Tabasco, Jalapeno, Habanero, Hot Pepper, Red Pepper, Cayenne; these are all probably words that come to mind when you consider "spice". And right you are, because they are all "spicy". Sure, splash or shake some on your favorite omelet in the morning or your steak for dinner, or whatever else you enjoy it on. The spicy condiments are all complex and complementary in their own distinct ways, but that's not what I want to talk about.
There is a whole world of taste out there that is revolving around dried spices and herbs. Understand that they have an incredible dedication to the ever-so-common tastelessness, or "Void" in every day food.
There are hundreds of dried herbs and spices out there, but how do we come up with a formula for mixing, seasoning, marinating, or anything else without a cookbook? Simple; there isn't a cookbook out there with the right answers, and there definitely isn't a secret formula. There are, however, simple steps to take in that direction.
Grab one of your favorite cookbooks off the shelf, one that you know has recipes full of weird seasonings. My personal favorite is any of Chef Paul Prudhomme's books. Now skim through a good chunk of the book reading only the seasoning mix combinations. Pay attention to the quantities of each spice in relation to each other and the names of the spices. You will begin to see a trend and may notice that in many of the recipes the seasonings are the same. You're already done with step 1.
Start to pay attention to flavors as you eat. That's step 2. Buy a new spice on occasion and taste it. The only way you will develop taste and true understanding for flavor is if you think about the flavors. Is sweet, bitter, mild, bland, floral, sour, and so on. You might taste sweet and then spicy a few seconds later. There are many different personal interpretations of how a particular spice tastes. Generally, these would be in the form of a memory or association in the person's past, for instance allspice and pumpkin pie. Taste what you have in your mouth and make a comment about what you taste. Even if it's only to yourself, you are forcing your brain to tell your tongue to taste instead of just shove the food down your throat. Begin to understand the levels of flavor. Application is step 3.
Step 4. Begin knowing what flavors you like and realize that a little salt will always bring out flavor. Try using Kosher or another non-Iodized salt for a better flavor. Practice with some more common combinations, and try new ones. Season before you cook, during cooking, and even sometimes after cooking, but be careful not to overdo it. The thinking behind this is that seasonings will take on different characteristics at different points in the cooking process. They say that the last ingredient added while cooking will be the first one you taste.
If you like sweet and spicy hot, try mixing a little salt, hot pepper, regular pepper, and some sugar and sprinkling it on a piece of meat before cooking or on a salad. You'll probably be surprised.
Step 5. Have fun and be creative, but remember that you want to accent the food and nothing more. If you have questions, or want to try our Original Fire & Spice Seasoning and Rub, please click here to visit our web site.