Book helps spice up cooking
Use various seasonings to enhance the flavors in your everyday foods
Book helps spice up cooking

The art of seasoning is simple if you think of adding herbs and spices as an opportunity to get acquainted with their flavors.

A sprinkle or a pinch of a particular seasoning can completely change a dish. Just think how a change in spices can transform a pound of hamburger; chili powder, cumin, garlic, oregano and thyme with some tomato sauce result in something quite different when the chili and cumin are left out. You have a dramatic change from the base for chili to Italian spaghetti sauce.

Seasoning with herbs and spices brings a variety of flavors to winter cooking. There is plenty of inspiration in McCormick's cookbook, "Cooking With Flavor” (2007), to spice up everyday meals. The spice company test kitchens compiled a collection of recipes to get those spices off the shelf and onto your table. If you are reluctant to season, this cookbook is sure to help you get started.

The book includes a handy Enspicelopedia to acquaint readers with characteristics of the most frequently used spices through descriptions, common uses, flavor and aroma profiles, and a sprinkling of folklore associated with the spices.

Even though I grow sage in my garden year-round and use it for cooking, I did not realize that most sage is sold in the rubbed form. McCormick has three kinds on the market: ground, chopped and rubbed. The rubbed form of sage is actually put through minimum grinding, resulting in a "fluffy almost cotton-like product unique among herbs.”

Manufacturers have begun to make smaller packaging of herbs and spices available so these products do not lose their potency before we can use them. The limited shelf life of spices makes it more practical to keep a supply of the basics on hand and add others according to your needs for specific dishes.

We all try to keep salt and pepper on hand and probably garlic salt. Other basics you might wish to have in your spice collection are garlic salt, chili powder, oregano and thyme, or a blend called Italian seasoning. Add cumin if you enjoy Southwest or Mexican cuisine. I like to create my own spice blends, but a McCormick blend called Montreal steak seasoning is quick and easy to use for steaks, chops and chicken either on or off the grill.

Get the most out of spices by using a mortar and pestle to apply heat and friction. This releases the natural oils in the spice. I encourage you to try an experiment with a teaspoon of oregano flakes: Place a half-teaspoon of oregano right from the spice container into a coffee cup. Place another half-teaspoon into a mortar and pestle. Rub the spice thoroughly then place it in another coffee cup just like the first one. Take a sniff test with each cup. You will experience dramatic proof of the difference a little heat and friction make in the spice.

I found paperback versions of the book, priced at $9.95, in several local grocery stores. Recipes for roasted and grilled vegetables, homemade dipping oil for bread and chili-roasted potato wedges are easy ways to spice up your winter menus. It is a good season for getting better acquainted with herbs and spices.

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