Well, the New Year is beckoning and it's time to go back to the kitchen. And when I say "get back to the kitchen," I really mean get back to basics. Real cooking, not holiday cooking. Stuff to feed yourself and your family right — especially if you inadvertently put on a few holiday pounds!
To do that, you're going to want to take inventory first. I can't think of a better place to get back to basics than your spice cupboard. I am going to bet you that some of those spices in your cabinet have lasted longer than some of your marriages! Those old icky spices are about as useful for flavor as grass clippings. Toss 'em!
Fresh dried herbs and spices have become surprisingly inexpensive. Good sources for $1 per jar spices or even 2 for $1 are dollar-type stores, Wal-Mart and drugstores. Health food stores are also great resources. They sell the spices and herbs in bulk jars. They are a quality product, very fresh and quite inexpensive, too. To spice up your cooking (and your life, too), you need good ingredients. Inferior ingredients will give you a lackluster product every time.
If you've never learned how to use the mountain of spices available, copy this list and stick it to your fridge. This spice primer is guaranteed to get you cooking in a more flavorful way in no time!
1. Bay leaf — Used in stews, soups and great with pot roast. Go easy. Bay leaves are strong, especially California bay leaves, which are the kind most grocery stores stock. I use half a leaf in my stews.
2. Basil — Ah, the taste of summer. Who can resist fresh basil and tomatoes from the garden tossed with olive oil and garlic on a plate full of pasta? Dried, it's wonderful in soups, pasta dishes and chicken.
3. Dill — It's not just for pickles. Try some dill sprinkled on fish, chicken or even in a light cream soup.
4. Garlic — Nectar of the gods, well, bulb of the gods, anyway. Garlic has a way of making the most ordinary food gourmet. Try sprinkling garlic powder (not garlic salt) into a prepared box of white cheddar macaroni and cheese. Surprise! It's pretty good. Fresh, though, is best. Squeeze it from a press into almost anything.
5. Ginger — Sprinkle it in your stir-fry, try it on baked chicken breasts with a little soy sauce and garlic. For fun, get it fresh (it's that alien-looking root mass in the produce department) and freeze it. It will keep almost indefinitely when frozen. To use, hack off a piece, peel it and grate into your recipe.
6. Nutmeg — I love nutmeg. If you can find nutmeg nuts and the itty, bitty grater that comes with it, buy it. Once you've had freshly grated nutmeg, the powdered stuff in the jar is beneath you. Obviously an ingredient in baking, it's also good grated on sauteed squash, green beans and carrots.
7. Oregano — A staple in Italian cooking, it's also good in stews and salad dressings.
8. Rosemary — This beautiful plant grows wild in my garden and provides an intoxicating aroma to meats, stews and root veggies. Try some crumbled in your carrots.
9. Tarragon — An almost licorice flavor, this delicate herb takes front and center in vinaigrettes, as a delicious sprinkle on the top of baked or poached poultry and fish.
10.Thyme — Make time for thyme! It's strong and adds a hint of character to an otherwise pretty standard dish. Use it with chicken, soups and beef.
True, this is an abbreviated list of spices, but it's a good start. I've skipped a lot of them because they are used so infrequently or just take up room on the Lazy Susan. Besides, who cares what turmeric is used for? I can't even pronounce it. (That's a little joke. No need to e-mail me about the healthful qualities of turmeric — I already know!)
Leanne Ely, a k a Dinner Diva, is the author of the best-selling "Saving Dinner" and "Saving Dinner the Low Carb Way" (Ballantine). What's for dinner? Go to www.savingdinner.com and find the solution!