This is the third of five skills needed for developing an intuitive ability to cook. If you missed the reason why these skills are necessary for becoming an intuitive cook, you may want to READ THIS first.
Are you a meat and potatoes person? Do you love a spicy challenge? Are you a sucker for sushi?
We love Mediterranean food as well as Mexican and East Asian foods… so, if you were to look in my pantry, you’re always going to find garlic, onions, and these spices & herbs:
- Cumin
- Oregano
- Cinnamon
- Curry
- Thyme
Of course, you’ll find lots of other seasonings too, but these are my favorites.
Trying out a few simple recipes for foods you already love is the best way to discover what spices, herbs, and flavorings you’ll want to have on hand.
For instance, if you love Mexican food, you’ll notice cumin, chili powder, cinnamon, and Mexican oregano are commonly called for in recipes. You’ll also see lots of different kinds of chiles, garlic, onions, and peppers, as well as fresh cilantro in ingredient lists.
A Blurb About Herbs
There’s really nothing tastier than cooking with fresh herbs. There are several kitchen herb gardens available for purchase (with built-in grow lights, seeds, and, I think, a tiny farmer included)… but it really only takes about 4 square feet of porch, patio, or balcony space to grow a decent little herb garden during the warmer months. I try to keep mine full of parsley, cilantro, basil (these three need to be planted each year), oregano, thyme, and some chives (these come back each year on their own!).
If you compare the flavor of fresh basil with dried basil, you’d almost never know they were the same herb. Though dried basil is handy in the winter months, and good in soups and sauces, it really doesn’t hold a candle to fresh basil.
Crash Course in Flavors
If you want a crash course in spices and dried herbs, I suggest heading to a store that carries spices in their bulk foods section. Bag up as many little samples of spices and dried herbs as you’d like to try (and pay just pennies for them). Then, take them home and sprinkle a little bit of each on a saltine cracker, a bite of mashed potato, or even on some unseasoned cooked chicken. You might even take notes on what flavors you like best, and what foods you thought of as you tasted them. Learning to recognize these flavors is where becoming an intuitive cook starts.
A Word On Salt
“Salt is what makes things taste bad when it isn’t in them.”
~Anonymous
When you’re experimenting with other spices and herbs, don’t forget to add a little salt to the mix. Salt simply makes any flavor more flavorful… think of salt on a salted chocolate caramel. Try eating a bite of scrambled egg without salt, then with a sprinkle of salt. It’s like a completely different food. Even a light sprinkle of salt on an apple slice makes the apple more… appley?
Did you know wars have been fought over salt, and that salt was a major factor in the development of civilization? Well, clearly it’s very important.
Salt is also one of the main reasons restaurant foods taste so good… they don’t skimp.
If you’ve been following along with the 5 Skillz, you know you need to identify your diet, gather your tools, and know your flavors.
Now it’s time to really get your hands dirty (though, don’t actually make them dirty. It’s really better to wash them before cooking). Right. On to actual food preparation!
