Average households will have the following: salt, pepper, parsley, garlic powder, onion powder, celery salt, paprika and a seasoning salt of their preference. Dried herbs are usually italian seasoning, oregano, parsley, dill, thyme and basil. If you like to cook mexican food add cumin, chili powder and cilantro. A good one to have on hand is herbes de provence, this can be used in french inspired dishes as well as italian. Rosemary is another one I seem to use a lot of, as well as tarragon and sage. It depends on your cookng preferences. Experiment and you'll find the ones that appeal to your tastes. Good luck and have fun experimenting!
This will sound like I'm taking the "easy way out", but there are only two things that I believe should ABSOLUTELY be in every cupboard: salt and pepper. And in fact, If I could only keep one of those around, it would be salt.
The rest---well, it depends on the type of cooking you usually do. If you do a lot of Mexican cooking, then you can't be without cumin, and probably some cilantro (preferably fresh). If your favorite is Italian, then you'd want to keep oregano and basil on hand at all times...although, if you wanted to, you could add some cumin to your Bolognese, to give it some addtional flavor and aroma. That's far from traditional, but it doesn't break any laws. If you're into Indian or Middle Eastern food, then you'd want to have things like turmeric, anise, coriander, and cardamom (and many more).
The list could go on forever. And even if you had the time and money to purchase every herb/spice you think you could possibly use, it's not likely you'd be able to use it all up before it became too old and stale to use!
My advice (if you're trying to start and build your herb and spice arsenal): buy some jars of good-quality dried herbs...the standard things, like basil, oregano, and thyme (others, too, if you have favorites). They'll stay "usable" long enough, because they're pretty common among recipes.
Then, as you move along, add different things to your collection, as your taste dictates. But when you're buying less-frequently-used herbs, try to purchase the smallest amount possible. It will cost more "per pound" that way, but you'll have far less waste.
Finally, if you're able to grow your own fresh herbs, then do so. Even if you have only a tiny amount of space to grow things (like a windowsill, or the railing on your back porch), you can grow parsley with great success, as well as various mints---mints grow so well, you'll probably have to give them away. Oregano and basil grow well, too, if you have a very sunny spot. Try your hand growing whatever you like. The best thing about having an herb garden, even a small one, is that you always have the herbs on hand, and you only use just as much as you need.
Rosemary, cilantro, chives, oregano, paprika, red pepper, crushed red pepper, parsley, crushed mint, celery salt, seasoning salt, black pepper, lemon pepper, garlic salt or powder, onion salt or powder, old bay, french blend, oriental blend, mexican blend, spanish blend, bay leaves, Mrs. Dash, and that's all I've got right now.
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Average households will have the following: salt, pepper, parsley, garlic powder, onion powder, celery salt, paprika and a seasoning salt of their preference. Dried herbs are usually italian seasoning, oregano, parsley, dill, thyme and basil. If you like to cook mexican food add cumin, chili powder and cilantro. A good one to have on hand is herbes de provence, this can be used in french inspired dishes as well as italian. Rosemary is another one I seem to use a lot of, as well as tarragon and sage. It depends on your cookng preferences. Experiment and you'll find the ones that appeal to your tastes. Good luck and have fun experimenting!
This will sound like I'm taking the "easy way out", but there are only two things that I believe should ABSOLUTELY be in every cupboard: salt and pepper. And in fact, If I could only keep one of those around, it would be salt.
The rest---well, it depends on the type of cooking you usually do. If you do a lot of Mexican cooking, then you can't be without cumin, and probably some cilantro (preferably fresh). If your favorite is Italian, then you'd want to keep oregano and basil on hand at all times...although, if you wanted to, you could add some cumin to your Bolognese, to give it some addtional flavor and aroma. That's far from traditional, but it doesn't break any laws. If you're into Indian or Middle Eastern food, then you'd want to have things like turmeric, anise, coriander, and cardamom (and many more).
The list could go on forever. And even if you had the time and money to purchase every herb/spice you think you could possibly use, it's not likely you'd be able to use it all up before it became too old and stale to use!
My advice (if you're trying to start and build your herb and spice arsenal): buy some jars of good-quality dried herbs...the standard things, like basil, oregano, and thyme (others, too, if you have favorites). They'll stay "usable" long enough, because they're pretty common among recipes.
Then, as you move along, add different things to your collection, as your taste dictates. But when you're buying less-frequently-used herbs, try to purchase the smallest amount possible. It will cost more "per pound" that way, but you'll have far less waste.
Finally, if you're able to grow your own fresh herbs, then do so. Even if you have only a tiny amount of space to grow things (like a windowsill, or the railing on your back porch), you can grow parsley with great success, as well as various mints---mints grow so well, you'll probably have to give them away. Oregano and basil grow well, too, if you have a very sunny spot. Try your hand growing whatever you like. The best thing about having an herb garden, even a small one, is that you always have the herbs on hand, and you only use just as much as you need.
Rosemary, cilantro, chives, oregano, paprika, red pepper, crushed red pepper, parsley, crushed mint, celery salt, seasoning salt, black pepper, lemon pepper, garlic salt or powder, onion salt or powder, old bay, french blend, oriental blend, mexican blend, spanish blend, bay leaves, Mrs. Dash, and that's all I've got right now.