I am a chronic over spicer. If I ordered a glass of salt water I'd add some kosher salt for taste.
I add sugar to my chili, hot sauce to my spaghetti.
I add everything on the spice rack to my Bloodies.
I can't help it.
When I go to steak houses I am disappointed 75% of the time because my meat has "no flavor" to it.
And when I make steaks at home they marinate in just about every sauce and spice I can put my hands on before I put a spice rub on them.
I worry that my taste palate is dead.
But I have been told before that this is "over spicing" problem is common to Americans.
We simply can't let things stay pat, it doesn't taste right unless we add salty or sweet or smoky or whatever to give the meal and edge. I think that's why Bobby Flay is the greatest living American Chef. I kid, but it is true that everything he cooks is spiced up to the max and looks delicious because of it.
So today talk about your personal spicing stylings.
Do you think you overspice, or are you one of the rare breed who believe less is more?
What is your go-to spice when cooking?
What spice or flavoring can save an underspiced meal for you?
Are Americans overspiced in general?
And what is your favorite Spice Girls song? (Say You'll Be There)
Let these questions marinate in your brain a bit and then share your opinions with us.
And please don't forget to tell us, WFL?
72 comments:
Garlic, garlic, garlic. Garlic will improve anything. Except desserts. I don't know that I agree that Americans in particular overspice stuff. Except for sushi, I can't really think of a food type that isn't heavily spiced. German wurst? Check. Indian food? Check. Mexican? Check. Spanish? Check. Italian? Check. No, I think the naysayers are jealous of our advanced spicing skeelz.
For lunch: 1/2 stuffed chicken breast + remainder of leftover chicken & rice soup. And maybe I'll finally get around to eating that pomegranite I've had sitting here for a week.
LT, don't forget the Czech. Check.
I'm also a major garlic spicer. In terms of meat, I don't think you do too much garlic. I'm a big purchaser of the pre-minced garlic. Just add a tablespoon to whatever you're doing, and viola!
After that its, pepper. All meats need generous peppering.
Then its lime time. Squeeze it, rub it, and its all good.
Yeah, I'm a big fan of the preminced garlic, too. Especially b/c by the time I get around to using my fresh garlic, it's sprouted. Don't buy the Trader Joe's minced garlic, though. It's kind of sweet. It's weird, I'm not a big fan. I need to buy some other stuff.
Ha ha. Czech check.
For years (when I was in like elementary school) I thought I hated steak & when we had it I would drown it in A1. Then one day we didn't have A1 & I had to eat it plain. I found out that day, it was A1 I hated & not steak. I like a nice dry rub on my steak. Wow, does that sound dirty.
I like spice, but I'm probably an under spicer. I love to actually taste the things I put in my mouth (LT isn't the only one who can sound dirty) and so I don't like to muddle up the taste of my steak with a bunch of crap. Sometimes.
Other times, I rub that bitch up with a Montreal steak seasoning, drench it in butter, mushrooms and bleu cheese and dive in.
For other things, I find that I tend to be that person at the table who thinks the salsa is hot, when no one else does. Doesn't mean I won't eat, just means I'm sweating. Of course, I sweat eating pickles.
As for my favorite spice girls song, I can only think of 1, and I don't like. (tell me what you want what you yadda yadda yadda i wanna wanna yaddaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa)
Though posh is hot, and her girlfriend is very pretty for a soccer player
Yeah, that's the only Spice Grrrlz song I can think of, too. Although they had that ballad, which I can't think of how it goes now. Oh well. However, the czar has put a fake song in my head: Yoooouuuu . . . spice up my liiiiiiife . . . you give me hoooope . . . la da de dah, you spice up my liiiiiiife . . . . Yeah, those are all the words I know. Argh! Damn you, czar!
Unspiced chicken is just gross. Might as well poach that shit. Oooh, ooh! Name that reference: "I call it hot ham water."
notwitty, I will indulge your "weird" comment since you are under the weather today, and since you will be joining us for the 2007 OWFL Spring Conference in Pittsburgh.
On any other day you would receive a czar lashing.
I think I am going to wendy's for lunch.
Spicy Chicken sandwich.
It seems appropriate.
Notwitty, you might be my hero. I may have to start doing that.
In Germany once my dad took me & my brother out for pizza & he smuggled in oregano. I guess the German's didn't put out those fat shaker jars of oregano. He was so funny - looking around, pulling it out all surreptitiously from his inside jacket pocket. Ha ha!
I'm kind of schizophrenic in this area. It took me a decade or two to realize that my mother never cooked with much salt. I think it was a dual reaction to: a) her mother cooking with an unreasonably great amount of salt in everything, and b) a burgeoning popular sense of dietary health-consciousness beginning in the early 80s. She would always say, "and I didn't put any salt in it so go ahead and add what you want." I just never added any.
Then, one day I found out that adding salt really changes things. The lengthy early absence of salt resulted in my not really ever craving it, but when I discovered pepper (which I'm pretty sure happened with a hangover bowl of Waffle House grits some time in my early college career), my horizons exploded. That led me down a path that has resulted in my remarkably well-endowed spice rack and an attendant tendency to just grab jars and put weird spices in things for the sake of finding out whether or not I like it. (Imagine my surprise at how much I like my home fries with herbes de provence!)
That said, I never really got in to sauces all that much. My marinades tend to be some combination of Italian dressing, beer, bourbon, or - lately - bloody mary mixin's.
I fucking love garlic. The first day I speared a pork loin with slivers of whole garlic was a watershed moment for me on the magnitude of that pepper-on-the-grits day.
For lunch today, I'm having "leftover" combination fried rice. It's not really leftover because I added it to my order last night with the explicit intention of leaving it untouched next to my General Tso's and bringing it for lunch today.
And two fortune cookies.
lt: Don't forget "the night two become one." You said it would always be our song!
[sniff]
I should also mention a recent tendency to put wasabi in everything I whip up in my kitchen.
Good topic,
Garlic saves any starchy food.
Pepper saves anything that used to be bloody.
Salt saves vegetables (better to use lemon and butter I have found).
Sugar saves everything else.
My mother was a genius in the kitchen. She taught me these basic rules. However, they are just a basis for what became a search for the perfect way to experiment with food. As long as you understand HOW you spices taste (Basil is bitter with a minty aftertaste .. combine with olive oil or butter and you have something nice).
That is enough of my diatribe. I will have to say this, "most American food is not fresh enough to leave plain." If you want to accuse Americans of over-spicing you will have to accuse our grocery stores of over-freezing and under-shipping.
The only thing that I do when I get a piece of fish or meat is to decide how good it is (and of course LT is right about chicken never being any good .. chicken stock is helpful though). Once I do that I decide what I can do to make it better or just not screw it up. If a piece of steak is thick, red, aged, and gorgeous (more dirty talk) then why in the hell would you EFF it up with a rub or sauce, a little butter or a dab of pesto might make it perfect.
My opinions are strong though.
Aw, quake, I didn't forget! I think that's the ballad I was talking about! I just . . . temporarily misplace the memory.
I'm not a big fan of pepper. A little is fine, but unless it's pepper steak, I can do without. Too much pepper, I guess, just smacks of low-fat & low-salt cooking to me. I have a shit-ton of spices in my spice rack. Too many, really. Probably half of them are old. My favorite 'special' spice? Saffron. I'm just mad about saffron. I have some in my freezer. I've been using it very judiciously. Hm, maybe I'll make some saffron risotto tonight. Hum. Ooh, I'm a sucker for those flavoured salts, too. Right now I have a jar of truffle salt at home ($23!!!). So good. Snarf.
wow, i thought for a second that notwitty was saying she added crushed red pepper to her purse because she was such an over spicer.
I garlic salt my shoes!!
Get better!!
what's up with truffles? I don't think I've ever tried it. Wegman's has it located in the mushroom section in a locked case. They sell it for $499.99 a pound. That's kinda scared me off from that shit.
Oh notwitty, you must really be ill today.
I just heard the song "Chicken Noodle Soup" for the first time.
I'm also on the garlic train. I also put red pepper flakes way too many things.
I don't think Americans over-spice their food, I think the rest of the world under-spices (Musical cue: "Proud to be an American").
Today for lunch: a not nearly spicy-enough sandwhich from the cafeteria. Their mustard is so dull.
While I was raised in a home where spicing things up was encouraged (i.e. Jo’s salt in water), I tend to go for the less is more approach with my cooking. A little salt, pepper (or Nature’s Seasoning) and always garlic. Oh, and if you need a dipping sauce, ketchup can make anything better. Mmmm.
However, last night I was more adventurous than usual. I decided to bake some chicken and vegetables but was running out of Italian dressing for my standard Italian chicken. Thankfully, my kitchen is stocked with an endless supply of dressings and marinades (collected by roommates). They were all too tempting and Teriyaki sauce, Thai red pepper with ginger, fresh lemon juice and a little Italian dressing all made it onto the chicken. It was amazing!
Today’s lunch will be something lame and under $3 like a cup of soup or salad. Man, I Can’t wait for leftovers tonight.
Jo, how 'bout this
take on the Chicken Noodle song?
I love Harolds..with salt and pepper!
I have three cabinet shelves, a two tier lazy susan and a spice rack that I made out of an old vintagey coca-cola tray devoted to my love of spices.
Essentially the holy trinity consists of salt, pepper and garlic in my book. But I love me some cumin, hot paprika, adobo, red pepper, ginger, chinese five spice powder and "the greens".
My boss brought me some gumbo that her hubby made last night...he evens boils the shrimp shells for extra flava in the broth. Lookin forward to it!
And Watchdog "the greens" is a shout out to ya!
harleyq!
watch your login!
peep that was some good youtube, with a pop on the side!
over spicing up here too. my weakness is chili powder. It goes in everything possible. Especially cornbread and steak.
I also have a relatively severe salt addiction that i believe coupled with my love of cloud candy and distilled beverages will lead to a rather massive coronary early in my short life.
mmm chili powder.
lunch was labeled "twice cooked pork" but it really wasn't all that tender so i believe that they were lying to me.
i hate lying communists.
This has nothing to do with anything, but I now have an air mouse, and the rest of you don't. I just wanted to brag. It's freakin' awesome. (or it's gonna' be when I go home and hook it up)
HT if your "air mouse" if it's anything like the "air sandwiches" my mom used to give me you just got taken.
No, for the un-nerdy among you: an air mouse is like a regular mouse, except not only is it wireless, it doesn't require being on a surface to work. So it's like a remote control for my computer. In addition, it has three programmable buttons (supplementary to the two regular mouse buttons) so I can in fact "mute" and "change the channel" on my computer. I am way too giddy about this.
i have an airmouse for my pvr. i love it (and it gets all the girls)
M, which do you have? I'm actually kind of afraid of the set up on this thing - it looks complicated and scary... I may need help... .
oh lord, HT is it the kind you wave in the air or the silly one with the fans built in to keep your hands "cool"?
So I never got a straight answer. Who wants to work on the looks of the website? Make a stand now or I'm putting it out there all default and all.
The new website that is
i have this one:
http://www.amazon.com/Air-Mouse-Compact-Kybd-Suit/dp/B0009Y8A8G
all i had to do was plug in the bluetooth dongle and it worked after a reboot (in windows).
i would like to work on the looks (of the website)
Air waving, Diz. Air waving.
Off blog PeeP asked if it vibrated though.
Sadly, it does not.
Oh, M - that's what mine is!! Good, I was afraid I'd get bored halfway through the set up and it would forever live in the box. Awesome.
watchdog - truffles are amazing. I hate to use one of the most overused words in the english language these days, but they are really incredible. You say they have them at Wegman's?? I may have to make a trek out there & buy me, uh . . . 1 oz. (= $32). Is this the Sterling or the Fairfax Wegman's? Just don't let your pet pig get near them - it's like pignip! And poof! There goes your $500/lb. fungal magic!
Be careful of the waving mouse ... it is like the Nintendo Wii ... very dangerous device if it falls into the wrong hands (of the spastic) so don't let LC use it.
Good to know, Diz. I'll keep her far, far away from it.
HT .. the mouse is made by a company called Gyration .... hehehheheh.
has anyone here made buffalo wings with their deep fryer? I attempted the night before last and was only moderately pleased with the results. I dredged the wings in a cornmeal/chilipepper/salt dry mix and then deepfried. (i then finished them with Dinosaur BBQ Wango Tango mmmmmm...)
anyway... they were pretty good but texture of the skin just didnt seem right. any ideas?
{all heads swivel to look at Lady A}
Less is more.
Emeril’s original spice mix is good in egg salad.
Good steaks should be seasoned with s & p, period. Worcestershire is appropriate on the side for moderate dipping. (If you got a skirt steak or maybe a flank, then go nuts with the spices.)
I hate Americans.
Garlic is not a spice, it is a way of life.
Who's the toothless old fogie in your avatar, Dipso?
I'll tell you later, LT, but I'll buy lunch for the first person to come up with it, not including peeP.
Diz, I like your mom's basic advice. I'm going to remember and proselytize that.
Oh dear god, is that Eddie Money?? He has not aged well!
I'll take a Boston Market 1/4 dark with caesar side salad & creamed spinach. Thanks, Dipso!
Send me the bill, LT.
I hereby nominate Eddie Money as the official OWFL pet celebrity. He seems to pop up in the strangest places, but with alarming frequency.
Sweet!
You know it's ironic - with his lack of teeth, he probably can't even eat at Boston Market - except for the creamed spinach.
I second that emotion HT.
Eddie Money? Hmm...what about Jeff "Skunk" Baxter?
You know, Jo, according to Wikipedia, Jeff is now chairing some Congressional Advisory Committee on Missile Defense. Not sure what to think about that.
I'm stickin' with Eddie.
M - did you let the wings set with the coating for a little bit in the fridge before frying? Usually when I fry anything I'll coat it with the breading or flour and then let it sit in the fridge for at LEAST an hour.
no sitting for the wings. i microwaved them for a minute or so to make sure they weren't raw inside after a bit of deep frying
then i patted them dry and dredged. they were in the fryer within 2 minutes of dredging
My lunch was exactly as expected. Not off the charts, but it did at least what it needed to do.
I just checked my music catalog, and I'm a little disappointed to report I have only one Eddie Money tune at my fingertips.
Shoot.
"Skunk" is a big conservative icon now, which I thought would appeal to you.
I prefer to remember his Doobie and Steely days and how much fun would it be to ask the question, WWJ"S"BD?
And I think he's local so we may have a shot of getting him out to an OWFL HH.
M - yeah, try letting those little guys sit for a wee bit next time, and make sure the oil is the right temperature or else it'll get soggy fried instead of crispy fried.
Been working all day since I have to finish up all my stupid ass Temp tasks before my transition to full time employee can get off the ground. So all the shit I've been putting off is now worth doing.
I haven't bothered to check the comments since I've been laminating and coalating and editing and doing all sorts of dumb office shit.
However on the topic at hand,
I feel the need to do something to all food I eat. I can't even eat my TV dinner without throwing down some adobo at the very least.
I like Adobo, obviously. I also like Cajun seasoning, crushed red peppers, Cumin, fresh ground pepper, and Jerk Spice.
Spice is essential to space travel because of how it effects the navigators. How can something that is essential to space travel, not be important to me?
thanks lady a!
you sound like a femme fatal from g.i. joe.
Well, if we're talking about conservative icons, where's the love for Ted Nugent?
Quake, is your sole Eddie Money tune '2 Tickets to Paradise' or 'Take Me Home Tonight'? Answer carefully, my friend . . . .
F Ted Nugent.
And helio: It is by will alone I put my mind in motion, it is by the juice of sapho that the thoughts acquire speed, the lips acquire stain, the stains becomes a warning, it is by will alone I put my mind in motion.
The Spice must flow.
I actually started to try to recruit him to be my job's pet celebrity.
Then he showed up at Rick Perry's inauguration in cut offs and a confederate flag t shirt and screamed things about Mexicans go home.
However, we could have him here at OWFL. He's a Michigander, too.
'F Ted Nugent'?? No thank you, Jo!
Hey, whatever happened to his 14-year-old cambodian wife/sex-slave? What was up with that?
Woah, that's not very lady like
Yeah that'll do Lady A. That WILL do.
blah blah blah bravo bravo blah blah.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!
Oh, Lady A, if I were drinking milk right now it would be shooting out my nose!
I actually would submit to fucking Ted Nugent with Jo's dick and PeeP pushing. I would go so far as to watch a fifteen-second trailer of the webcast. I would not, however, use that as fodder for self-relief.
Take Me Home Tonight, LT. I loves me some Ronnie Spector.
That said, I am 87% certain I have Two Tickets to Paradise on CD at home.
Was it Two Tix to Paradise that busted in on my Christmas party mix? Or was it Life is a Highway? Why do I always get those 2 confused?
Life is a Highway is by Tom Cochran; it was none of those, it was one of the Money Man's lesser hits.
So it was Take Me Home Tonight? I don't think I can even name another Eddie Money tune. I'd better get on that so I can sing along when he comes to play for us. What with him being our celebrity pet & all.
No, it was neither of those. That's why it was so horrifying that HT could name the artist.
Horrifying.
By the way, LC, don't feel alone: my fried rice made me gassy, too.
I think it was "I Wanna Go Back," and uh, Quake, I won't call you out here, but uh, I believe I merely played the role of "confirmer" in that exchange.
Eddie Money-lover
Oh yeah! What a great song! Is that Eddie Money, too? I remember singing that song at the top of my lungs in 8th grade. B/c I wanted to 'go back' b/c I peaked in like 6th grade.
Oooooh, burn, quake.
Helocentric wins the prize for the nerdiest and most esoteric movie reference today.
Do it again and I will accuse you of looking like Sting in a leather jumpsuit.
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