Spice blends: favorites, and expanding my palate in December.

[oak]

Friends, I know spice blends have precious little to do with mental health, but I hope you'll indulge me.

Open to recommendations
A Wikipedia wormhole to easily get lost in
Current favorites
Least-favorite individual notes
December: all dollar store spice blends, many Walmart
A happy conclusion

Open to recommendations

If you have any recommendations, friends, by all means please share.

A Wikipedia wormhole to easily get lost in

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spice_mix

Current favorites

In daily rotation:
Lawry's Season Salt. I love this more than all the others combined.
Old Bay. Celery goodness.
Montreal steak seasoning.

A nice change of pace, sometimes:
Za'atar.
Tony Chachere's cajun seasoning.
Berbere.
Garam masala.

Least-favorite individual notes

Anise.
Cinnamon.
Smoky-flavor.
Cumin.

December: all dollar store spice blends, many from Walmart

In addition to any suggestions you all offer, I pledge to try all of the spice blends at the dollar store, and many from Walmart.

The "most wanted" are tajin, jerk, and adobo.

I am notionally open to lemon pepper and pumpkin pie spice.

A happy conclusion

Since I am, happily, done with my hated GERD, I can re-expand my palate. Thank goodness.

[manuel_moe_g]

yum!

your spice choices are all first rate!

i also love

https://kikkomanusa.com/homecooks/products/ponzu-lime/

https://shoppingwithdave.com/trader-joes-salsa-verde-review/

https://www.jonesbbqkc.com/shop/p/sweet-tangy-sauce

https://gringobanditostore.com/collections/sauces --- the original red hot sauce

https://bonesuckin.com/product/bone-suckin-sauce-mustard-12-oz-4

my sister gave me:

https://www.fallot.com/en/nos-produits/ --- the dijon mustard --- very strong, i like it

Since I am, happily, done with my hated GERD, I can re-expand my palate. Thank goodness.

this is outstanding!

[Mental Fairy]

Hi friends

I have ordered some fresh ras el hanout I think it’s called to make some oat meat ball things I found in a book. Very simple and will cook in air fryer so if any good I will post recipe.

Thank you oak for sparking my interest again in spices.

[Beany Boo]

Friends, I know spice blends have precious little to do with mental health, but I hope you'll indulge me.

I’ve been taking ashwaganda and brahmi, two Ayurvedic (Indian medicine) herbs purely for my mental health. Other Ayurvedic herbs and spices like Cardamom, Licorice Root and Turmeric are regular ingredients in chai. Turmeric is the yellow color in curry.

The (subjective) benefits I get are a minimization of general joint aches, skin irritation and stomach discomfort. Also I am less prone to rumination; that is, it’s easier to let things go.

(Not a recommendation, use supplements at your own risk)

[snoringdog]

Cardamom on carrots is good.

And Curry, mmm!

[Mental Fairy]

Hi Oak

I made these mince ball things i wanted to share with you.

450g of chicken mince
250g pork mince
1 tablespoon ras el hanout (mediterranean spice blend)
2 teaspoons of salt
50g oats
1 egg
Toasted sesame seeds.

Mix all the ingredients together well.

Forms tablespoon sized balls and pop in airfryer or oven for as long as needed to cook through. 10min in airfryer.


I got a bowl of sour cream 200g
2 pinches of salt and some lemon juice and mixed together and made a dipping sauce.

Matt added a teaspoon of pomegranate molasses to it and wow, it was nice.

[oak]

Mental Fairy, thank you for the recipe! I’ll try it over Christmas, and let you know how it goes

Beany Boo: thank you for your mention of the Ayurvedic: for reasons of brevity, suffice it to say that I am increasingly open to these ideas. I may give this it’s own post, but for now please know that I hear what you are saying.

Friends!

I am happy to report that I experience considerable gratitude for finding my niche with peppers and spices.

Just today I enjoyed some homemade tacos with serranos and seasoned with my beloved Old Bay.

I mention not because peppers and spices are good (though they are), but because at age 46 I’ve finally found my place.

Something that fits.

Shishitos, celery, and Old Bay: very prosaic, but they offered me a way out of obesity, GERD, and sleep apnea.

Something unexpected and humble and workaday could be new and fresh and inspire hope and change.