Variety of Herbs and Spices Makes it Easy to Cook from Scratch

Keeping your pantry stocked with a broad range of herbs and spices is essential to make the shift from buying processed packaged foods and take-out to cooking from scratch. We have a "magic drawer" in our kitchen filled with spices so we can cook many of our favorites at home.

Fresh herbs are always better than dried but they can sometimes be expensive. As the owners of a licensed home bakery, we use large quantities of herbs and spices year-round and buy large bottles of many of our most-used items. For normal home cooks, smaller containers of herbs are better as they tend to lose their potency over time. When substituting dried herbs for fresh, the rule of thumb is one-third the amount of dried herb than the recipe calls for fresh.

Herbs and Spices for Italian cooking
The essential herbs for our Italian dishes include oregano, basil, parsley and thyme. For earthiness, I will often add ground sage or paprika and I always add a bit of crushed red pepper. All of these spices are useful in other cuisines such as Cajun or Mexican.

Herbs and Spices for Mexican and Southwest Cooking
We haven't bought a commercial chili powder in several years. I keep ground cumin, cayenne pepper and ground oregano on hand and mix up my own with a few other ingredients. When I think a dish needs an earthier flavor, I add a bit of cumin.

We make a variety of rolled tortilla dishes and Tex-Mex inspired casseroles using these basic ingredients.

Herbs and Spices for Asian Cooking
Ground ginger isn't just for cookies and pumpkin pie. In addition to varying oils and vinegars, I keep ginger, lemongrass and sesame seeds on hand for our Asian nights.

Herbs and Spices for Rubs
There's no reason to buy overpriced pre-mixed rubs in the spice aisle. Blending your own gives you the exact flavor you are looking for. I use ground sage on practically any meat and often blend it with salt and pepper, paprika and granulated garlic.

Herbs and Spices for Homemade Salad Dressings & Marinades
A well-stocked pantry eliminates the need for commercial versions of these necessities. I keep dried and ground rosemary on hand as well as dried dill weed to add to other herbs and spices.

Herbs and Spices for Convenience
I prefer fresh, minced garlic or diced onions but sometimes I run out. I always keep jars of granulated garlic and granulated onion on hand just in case. Parsley is a versatile herb and dried chives turn last night's mashed potatoes into tonight's cheesy potato cakes.

It isn't necessary to run out and buy every herb and spice imaginable. As you expand your cooking-from-scratch chops, you'll soon have a well-stocked "magic drawer" of your own.