CHEF MICHAEL'S CULINARY GUIDE
I am frequently asked if there are certain spices that I recommend for different types of food. The following is a list of herbs and spices that are listed by food groups and types – as always feel free to experiment!
CHEF MICHAEL RECOMMENDS
FOOD TYPES |
RECOMMENDED SPICES |
Beans |
cumin, cayenne, chili, parsley, pepper, sage, thyme |
Beef |
basil, bay, chile, cilantro, curry, cumin, garlic, marjoram, mustard, oregano, parsley, pepper, rosemary, sage, thyme |
Bread |
anise, basil, caraway, cardamom, cinnamon, coriander, cumin, dill, garlic, lemon peel, orange peel, oregano, poppy seeds, rosemary, saffron, sage, thyme |
Cheese |
basil, caraway, celery seed, chile, chives, coriander, cumin, dill, garlic, lemon peel, marjoram, mint, mustard, nutmeg, paprika, parsley, pepper, sage, tarragon, thyme |
Corn |
chile, curry, dill, marjoram, parsley, thyme |
Eggs |
basil, chile, chives, curry, dill, fennel, ginger, lemon peel, marjoram, oregano, paprika, parsley, pepper, sage, tarragon, thyme |
Fish |
anise, basil, bay, cayenne, celery seed, chives, curry, dill, fennel, garlic, ginger, lemon peel, marjoram, mustard, oregano, parsley, rosemary, thyme, saffron, sage, tarragon |
Fruits |
allspice, anise, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, coriander, ginger, mint |
Lamb |
basil, bay, cinnamon, coriander, cumin, curry, dill, garlic, marjoram, mint, mustard, oregano, parsley, rosemary, tarragon, thyme |
Potatoes |
basil, caraway, celery seed, chives, coriander, dill, marjoram, oregano, paprika, parsley, poppy seed, rosemary, tarragon, thyme |
Poultry |
allspice, basil, bay, cinnamon, curry, dill, fennel, garlic, ginger, lemongrass, mustard, paprika, rosemary, saffron, sage, tarragon, thyme |
Salad Dressings |
basil, celery seed, chives, dill, fennel, garlic, marjoram, mustard, oregano, paprika, parsley, pepper, rosemary, saffron, tarragon, thyme |
Soups |
basil, bay, chile, chives, cumin, dill, fennel, garlic, marjoram, parsley, pepper, rosemary, sage, thyme |
Sweets |
allspice, anise, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, fennel, ginger, lemon peel, mace, mint, nutmeg, orange peel, rosemary |
Tomatoes |
basil, bay, celery seed, chili, curry, dill, fennel, garlic, ginger, gumbo file, lemongrass, marjoram, oregano, parsley, rosemary, tarragon, thyme |
USEFUL TIPS
- Use a light hand when seasoning with herbs and spices. Your goal is to complement your dish without overpowering the flavor of the food.
- To release the flavor of dried herbs and spices, crumble them in your palm or grind with a mortar and pestle before adding them to your favorite dish.
- Lightly toasting spices in a dry skillet over a medium heat, before grinding, will bring out even more flavor.
- For long-cooking dishes, add whole spices during cooking to permeate the food and add ground or cut herbs and spices an hour or less before serving. After measuring, finely crush dried herbs before adding to your dish.
- Black pepper, granulated garlic, salt and cayenne (red pepper) are excellent “finishing” seasonings – add them after cooking is complete.
NOTE: This is only a quick guide. I will be posting a more thorough guide soon.