Today, I've mostly been thinking about Michael McIntyre's Spices sketch...
...as I've been tidying my kitchen cupboards! (Do watch it- it's so true!)
Is it only in my household that herbs and spices breed in the cupboards and drawers? This is what lay before me once I'd got them all out...
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| Actually, there was even more to the right of the shot! |
There was enough ginger to provide the whole of Jamaica with a slice of Ginger Cake, adequate mixed spice for hot cross buns for every Easter I'm likely to see (and probably a few more besides), and sufficient peppercorns for a whole herd of steaks au poivre...I could go on!
I amalgamated and sorted, then put them in roughly alphabetical order. Sounds mad, but now at least I can easily see what there is, to avoid doubling up when I try a recipe that requires some more obscure spice that I think I haven't got. I was amazed how many of the jars have contents beginning with 'c'!
So now I have a drawer and an overflow shelf of quite well-organised jars and I am making two resolutions:
a) to check very carefully before buying any herbs or spices
and
b) to find recipes to try out in order to make better use of all these different flavours!
Anyone got any ideas for asafoetida?
i did the same a while ago and even though they last forever loads were two or more YEARS out of date!!!! i am a useless cook, so have no ideas at! xx
ReplyDeleteThanks for this Alix is so made me smile and yes I have a spice cupboard exactly the same as yours ...was.
ReplyDeleteI am ALLSPICE!
ReplyDeleteBlimey - I think it's probably best to throw out stuff like that asafoetida stuff and just accept you're never going to use it all. There may be others that are the same. I'm sure we've got plenty in the cupboard at home but I'm not there to check. What I have found is my local health food store lets you buy really small quantities of spices that they weigh out so you can just buy enough for a recipe and not the quantities that you'd need when stocking a moderate sized curry house! x
ReplyDeleteGlad to hear I'm not the only one! Lucky Mr Lakota! Lovelygrey - you're probably right about the asofoetida, given that it is called Devil's Dung in Germany - what ever did I put it in? And that's a great tip about the small quantities in future!
ReplyDeleteThat's the best post I've read for a long time.
ReplyDeleteSat all by myself giggling at the video and then nodding in agreement with your writing.
Don't you feel good when you buy spices, you feel all professional and think of all the things you are going to do with them and then DON'T.......
Briony
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I looked up asafoetida to find out what it was....egad...it sounds disgusting....throw it out:)
ReplyDeleteThe video was hilarious! I could hear all my spices giggling. My husband put most of them on a turn table a couple of years ago so most of them get to see the light of day occasionally.
ReplyDeleteBrilliant sketch ! I did this a while back with cupboard & fridge & got Jess to read the teeny sell by date. Now there isn't a lot left in there !!!
ReplyDeleteoh man this happens to me all the time, I just cleared out the 'spice' cupboard, I was in exactly the same situation as you and anything I didn't use I threw out!
ReplyDeleteOh come and sort my cupboard out please.......I think I can match you on the ginger quantity!!
ReplyDeletex