In the Russell Crowe movie "A Good Year" his character inherits a lovely old French chateau & vineyard. His cook/housekeeper places lavender sprigs in every window sill to ward off scorpions. (By the way- a wonderful little love-story that any Francophile would adore!)
In work kitchens I typically mixed blends similar to those offered by CanMan.
At home I buy same-sized shakers of kosher salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper, granulated garlic, and celery salt. I empty all into a large bowl and mix well, then refill each empty shaker with the newly prepared blend. This is pretty much my go-to generic seasoning-salt for everything from roasted chicken and steaks to grilled fish, pork, etc.
At home I buy same-sized shakers of kosher salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper, granulated garlic, and celery salt. I empty all into a large bowl and mix well, then refill each empty shaker with the newly prepared blend. This is pretty much my go-to generic seasoning-salt for everything from roasted chicken and steaks to grilled fish, pork, etc.
Chubby, I make something similar as a basic seasoning salt. I posted it with Janie's discussion about smoking. But here it is again:
Seasoning Salt
1 container (1 lb 10 oz) table salt
1 tbls onion salt
2 tbls celery salt
1 tbls garlic salt
2 tbls paprika
4 tbls white pepper
2 tbls dill salt
4 tbls white sugar
Thoroughly blend all ingredients and store in an air-tight container.
For a Morrocan flavor, but without getting as complex as Ras-el-Hanout (which can have as many as 20 herbs and spices), Jessica Harris gives this Moroccan Spice Mixture in her The Africa Cookbook:
1 1/2 tsp coriander seeds
1 tbls cumin seeds
1/2 tbls caraway seeds
3 tbls dried mint leaves
3 inch stick cinnamon
Place all the ingredients together in a spice mill or a mortar and pulverize until coarsely ground. This mixture will keep for several weeks in a tightly closed container.
Emeril is always dousing everything with his "Essence," which is nothing more nor less than a Cajun Spice Mix. Here's a better version:
1/4 cup salt
2 tbls cayenne pepper
2 tbls paprika
1 1/2 tbls onion powder
1tbls black pepper
1 tbls white pepper
1 tbls garlic powder
2 tsp basil
1 tsp chili owder
1/4 tsp thyme
1/4 tsp ground mustard
1/8 tsp ground cloves
Combine all ingredients. Store in a small jar. Makes about 3/4 cup.
There are probably 2-million versions of Texas Dry Rub for barbecue. This one was developed for brisket, but works just as well on ribs:
Texas Style Dry Rub
4 tbls salt
1 tbls celery salt
2 tbls black pepper
2 tbls chili powder
1/2 tbls cayenne powder
1/2 tbls while pepper
3 tbls paprika
1/2 tbls garlic powder
1/2 tbls dried lemon peel
1 tbls dry mustard
Mix together and place in a closed container. Sprinkle generously on meat before smoking or slow grilling.
Garam Masala is the Indian version of Herbes du Provence, and there are just as many versions. Suvir Saran, who runs the only non-Japanese Michelin-starred Asian restaurant in New York, gave me this formula:
Garam Masala Devi Restaurant
1 tbls dried miniature rosebuds
1 tbls green cardamom pods
1 tbls whole black pepercorns
A 1-0inch piece cinnamon stick, broken into pieces
2 tsp whole cloves
2 bay leaves
1 dried red chili
1/4 tsp grated nutmeg
1/8 tsp mace
1/4 cup cumin seeds
1/3 cup coriander seeds
If the roses have stems, break them off and discard. Heat the roses with the cinnamon, bay leaves, cumin seeds, coriander seeds, cardamom pods, whole peppercorns, cloves, and chile in a medium skillet over medium-high heat, stirring often, until the cumin becomes bvrown, 2 1/2-3 minutes. Transfer to a spice grinder, add the nutmeg and mace, and grind until powder fine. Store in an airtight container for up to 4 months.
Seasoning Salt
1 container (1 lb 10 oz) table salt
1 tbls onion salt
2 tbls celery salt
1 tbls garlic salt
2 tbls paprika
4 tbls white pepper
2 tbls dill salt
4 tbls white sugar
Thoroughly blend all ingredients and store in an air-tight container.
For a Morrocan flavor, but without getting as complex as Ras-el-Hanout (which can have as many as 20 herbs and spices), Jessica Harris gives this Moroccan Spice Mixture in her The Africa Cookbook:
1 1/2 tsp coriander seeds
1 tbls cumin seeds
1/2 tbls caraway seeds
3 tbls dried mint leaves
3 inch stick cinnamon
Place all the ingredients together in a spice mill or a mortar and pulverize until coarsely ground. This mixture will keep for several weeks in a tightly closed container.
Emeril is always dousing everything with his "Essence," which is nothing more nor less than a Cajun Spice Mix. Here's a better version:
1/4 cup salt
2 tbls cayenne pepper
2 tbls paprika
1 1/2 tbls onion powder
1tbls black pepper
1 tbls white pepper
1 tbls garlic powder
2 tsp basil
1 tsp chili owder
1/4 tsp thyme
1/4 tsp ground mustard
1/8 tsp ground cloves
Combine all ingredients. Store in a small jar. Makes about 3/4 cup.
There are probably 2-million versions of Texas Dry Rub for barbecue. This one was developed for brisket, but works just as well on ribs:
Texas Style Dry Rub
4 tbls salt
1 tbls celery salt
2 tbls black pepper
2 tbls chili powder
1/2 tbls cayenne powder
1/2 tbls while pepper
3 tbls paprika
1/2 tbls garlic powder
1/2 tbls dried lemon peel
1 tbls dry mustard
Mix together and place in a closed container. Sprinkle generously on meat before smoking or slow grilling.
Garam Masala is the Indian version of Herbes du Provence, and there are just as many versions. Suvir Saran, who runs the only non-Japanese Michelin-starred Asian restaurant in New York, gave me this formula:
Garam Masala Devi Restaurant
1 tbls dried miniature rosebuds
1 tbls green cardamom pods
1 tbls whole black pepercorns
A 1-0inch piece cinnamon stick, broken into pieces
2 tsp whole cloves
2 bay leaves
1 dried red chili
1/4 tsp grated nutmeg
1/8 tsp mace
1/4 cup cumin seeds
1/3 cup coriander seeds
If the roses have stems, break them off and discard. Heat the roses with the cinnamon, bay leaves, cumin seeds, coriander seeds, cardamom pods, whole peppercorns, cloves, and chile in a medium skillet over medium-high heat, stirring often, until the cumin becomes bvrown, 2 1/2-3 minutes. Transfer to a spice grinder, add the nutmeg and mace, and grind until powder fine. Store in an airtight container for up to 4 months.
No problem, Cathy.
I left out my recipe for Baharat, which is as essential to Mid-Eastern cookery as Za'taar. Here it is:
Baharat
2 tbls black peppercorns
1 tbls coriander seeds
1 tbls broken cinnamon stick
1 tbls cumin seeds
1/2 tbls cloves
1/2 tbls cardamom seeds
1 tsp ground nutmeg
2 tbls paprika
Grind the first six ingredients in a spice mill until reaching a powder. Mix in the nutmeg and paprika. Store in an airtight container.
Speaking of za'taar, I buy it pre-mixed. Been trying to find a recipe that gives the proportions of sumac, sesame seed, and thyme, but haven't, yet. My best guess would be about a quarter cup of the thyme to two tablespoons each of sumac and sesame, all ground together.
A word about the "thyme" used in za'taar. It is a wild thyme, similar to oregano, that grows all over the Meditarranean basin. In Arabic that wild thyme is za'taar. So the word applies to both the herb and the the spice mixture.
However, za'taar has been mistranslated as "hyssop." In fact, the hyssop of the bible (such as the bunches of hyssop used by the Hebrews to mark their doorposts with lamb's blood) is actually wild thyme, not the plant we know as hyssop.
I left out my recipe for Baharat, which is as essential to Mid-Eastern cookery as Za'taar. Here it is:
Baharat
2 tbls black peppercorns
1 tbls coriander seeds
1 tbls broken cinnamon stick
1 tbls cumin seeds
1/2 tbls cloves
1/2 tbls cardamom seeds
1 tsp ground nutmeg
2 tbls paprika
Grind the first six ingredients in a spice mill until reaching a powder. Mix in the nutmeg and paprika. Store in an airtight container.
Speaking of za'taar, I buy it pre-mixed. Been trying to find a recipe that gives the proportions of sumac, sesame seed, and thyme, but haven't, yet. My best guess would be about a quarter cup of the thyme to two tablespoons each of sumac and sesame, all ground together.
A word about the "thyme" used in za'taar. It is a wild thyme, similar to oregano, that grows all over the Meditarranean basin. In Arabic that wild thyme is za'taar. So the word applies to both the herb and the the spice mixture.
However, za'taar has been mistranslated as "hyssop." In fact, the hyssop of the bible (such as the bunches of hyssop used by the Hebrews to mark their doorposts with lamb's blood) is actually wild thyme, not the plant we know as hyssop.