Smell Those Spices!

When I was a little girl my Dad had (still has) this cabinet that was filled (still is) with spices.  So much so, that when you opened it up this giant wave of aromatic herbs would permeate the air - almost as if to say "welcome little one, what would you like to make today".  My Dad would stand there, proud as a peacock with his arms outstretched and cabinet doors open and say out loud (even if nobody was around I'm sure) "SMELL THOSE SPICES"! It always made him smile. It still makes me smile.

Strangely enough, even though this rather large cabinet was overflowing with oregano, cumin, parsley and thyme (among other oddities I was unfamiliar with at the time), it wasn't overwhelming - not to me.  To me it was amazing. It was like I was superhuman - a superhuman spice sniffer whose powers were derived from strands of saffron and leaves of bay (ok, it's a bay leaf but it sounded better this way - go with it).  Does this mean I have become a spice snob? No (yes). Does this mean I don't buy plain Morton's table salt to cook with? No (yes).  Ok, I'm a culinary snob - but it makes a difference.  It really does. There is something magical about a spice cabinet.  The origins of the spices and what the combinations create is like . . . well, magic. You can take cumin, oregano, and chili powder and you have a base for pretty much any Mexican, Southwestern or Latin dish.  You can take oregano, parsley, bay leaves, and basil and you are Mediterranean bound!  And what would Thanksgiving be without Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme (you're singing this in your head aren't you - don't lie). Yes, a spice cabinet can take you to places you never dreamed of going and you don't need a passport to get there - just a sense of adventure.

I have some key essential spices I always keep in my cabinet.

Basil
Bay Leaves
Black Pepper (Ground and Whole Peppercorns - seriously, buy both)
Cayenne
Chili Powder (Ancho, Chipotle, etc.)
Cinnamon--Ground and Stick
Cumin
Dill Weed
Marjoram
Nutmeg--Ground
Oregano
Paprika
Parsley
Red Pepper Flakes
Rosemary
Sage
Sea Salt
Tarragon
Thyme
Vanilla--Extract (Madagascar)

Yes, I love fresh herbs - I buy them often and if you use them wisely and store them properly when they dry you can use those as well (you will learn I hate to waste anything). However, you MUST have the above spices in your cabinet at all times or you might as well just be living on an island with a coconut tree and a ball named Wilson because you will be stranded without them.  Variety is indeed the spice of life!