Updating Your Spice Cabinet Makes Cooking a Breeze
This is your spice cabinet update, friends. There’s a lot of tastes you’ve had at your favorite restaurants that are hard to put a name to. But, the more familiar you are with a cuisine the better you can point out their flavors. Then from there comes a whole new level of customizing just what you want to eat at home. Saving your hard earned money and getting just the taste you want.
Start with takeout, there’s a way to make those familiar tastes work at home. Seasonings are like the cheat code to making cooking at home something that’s relaxing and always comes out just the way you want it. This is exactly why there are some people in the world who, in fact, prefer their home cooking over eating out somewhere.
The act of cooking really gets you in touch with your feminine energy because besides dedicating this time to getting what you want to eat. You take your sweet time doing it. Training your body and mind to know that you get what you want, even if it means waiting for it. Getting what you want, how you want it, is always worth the wait.
Get to Know Asian Spices
Asian spices and sauces for adding a depth of umami. The savory tastes of Asian spices are perfect for stepping up your vegetables game! Asian spices are balanced beautifully with white rice, and vegetables as well as your protein. Asian seasoned veggies are some of the best ways to get in those vitamins and minerals!
Some spices and sauces to try include soy sauce, rice vinegar, and sesame oil! Using these spices since trying them, there’s a literal dance party in the mouth. With ginger, honey and chili oil? Couldn’t ask for better!
These spices really give meals a full bodied taste and make even veggies and rice feel more hearty. Asian cuisine uses actual heat, in the sense of spice, very deliberately. Something is going to be spicy or it’s not. It’s not as common to find an Asian dish that is only kind of spicy. This is especially true with Korean spicy, tread very lightly because Korean heat hits very quickly!
Get to Know Spanish Spices
What makes Spanish flavor special is warmth. Having spices like Adobo and Sazon not only give color to your meals but there’s something super warm and cozy about sitting down to a Spanish seasoned meal.
Some spices and sauces to try are, hands down, Adobo and Sofrito. Being naturally biased, Sofrito is best homemade. Sazon is another staple to have in spanish cuisine that really adds that extra something.
Spanish flavors are all about color, heat, and warmth. They give a comfort food feel regardless of how many times you have similar proteins! Spanish spices are great for adding color to your meals. You eat with your eyes first and with some Sazon in your dish will always be a treat to the eyes. In terms of heat, not just spice, Spanish flavors are pretty mild with the exception of Spanish cuisine that includes fresh peppers. Any dish that includes fresh peppers could increase the heat level. When in doubt, always take out the seeds!
Get to Know American Spices
American spices are just classic. Bringing familiar flavors to our burgers and steaks makes meal time fulfilling. It’s absolutely okay to start the spice journey here! A safe bet on American tastes will always be about savoriness. Adding that taste that will linger and make you come in for that second, third, and fourth bite.
Some American spices and sauces to try are BBQ sauce first and foremost. Although garlic is a close second! Tastes of garlic, cumin and pepper also really add to the overall satisfaction of a meal. American spices tend not to focus on actual heat, in terms of spice. It’s actually a perfect place to start for introducing your palate to different types of salts and taste combinations without too much worry in regards to your dish coming out too spicy for enjoyment.
Seasoning with American spices is like giving yourself a big bear hug. A lot of recipes of American comfort food are not only delicious. But, to the last bite they set out to make you feel that the meal was well worth the wait. This goes double for southern food! Some of the best American food comes from the south!
A Note on Organizing your Seasonings
You will always use the seasonings that you see. An organized spice cabinet dramatically changes your cooking journey and overall kitchen aesthetic. If you want to cook more. I promise you, the secret is in the organization. When every seasoning is in its place you’ll be more motivated to get started because there won’t be a need to scramble for something. Bonus: it is so satisfying to look at.
Add to this an investment in seasoning dishes and you can have the kitchen set up and ready to go without getting immediately turned off by those extra few minutes caught up in finding the seasoning that is going to be the star of the meal. Cooking at home becomes more satisfying when we start to inspire ourselves. For now, using a spare cereal bowl or snacking bowl. Avoid bigger bowls to lessen the chance of over doing it with seasoning. It happens quicker than you’d think!
When everything is organized it tempts you. To experiment with mixing and matching different elements. Organize your seasonings by cuisine and from a glance it’s easy to see what’ll satisfy the palate. Mix things in your seasoning dishes and try a bit in your hand. Have fun with it! Because if the mix doesn’t work, the whole meal isn’t at steak (wink wink).
Make sure to share this with your favorite people. What’s in your spice cabinet? How have you been organizing it? Leave me a comment below.
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