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Spice Guide

Always have these spices handy to use in your favorite dishes (recipes included)

Gone are the days when a dash of salt and pepper was all you needed to spice up a dish. Today, even the most exotic spice is showing up on supermarket shelves, just waiting for you to add a pinch of it to your morning eggs or afternoon yogurt snack. The only rule of thumb when adding spice to a dish is to start small, and use your tastebuds as the ultimate guide. Below, we've compiled a list of spices you should have on hand in your kitchen and included some recipes to help you experiment with various flavors. Just remember: Have fun!

	Allspice: This berry of the allspice tree is a spice unto itself, not a mixture of spices, as the name might suggest. The flavor resembles a combination of cloves, cinnamon and nutmeg. Use with caution—it’s quite strong. Whole: Add one or two to a cup of hot tea. Stir into slow-cooking meat and poultry stews and seafood dishes. Crush and add to marinades. Ground: Add to spice cakes. Stir into creamed spinach. Add a pinch to cherry-pie filling. Use to flavor tomato sauce. Add to mulled cider or red wine. Allspice Recipes
	Cardamom: Expensive, but a little goes a long way. Seeds (bleached white pods): Chew after a spicy or rich meal. Add to soups, stews and curries (the pod will disintegrate during cooking). Ground: Add to spice cakes, sweet pastries and cookies. Mix with sugar and sprinkle on fruit compotes. Cardamom Recipes
	Cayenne (ground red pepper): Often added to savory dishes to give them a spicy boost. Go easy, because this is a hot one. Add to chili, barbecue sauce and salsa for some extra heat. l Stir into bland egg dishes to add kick. Mix into cream-cheese spreads and guacamole.Add to cornbread batter. Stir into creamy chowders and sauces. Cayenne Recipes
	Celery Seed: The flavor of celery and then some, but it doesn’t wilt or need chopping. Seeds: Add to soups, stews and pickling brine. Stir into salad dressings. Add to relishes. Ground: Add to creamy coleslaw and potato salad. Stir into egg salad. Sprinkle on split-pea soup or fish chowder just before serving. Add to tomato juice. Celery Seed Recipes
	Cinnamon: One of the oldest known spices, it comes from the bark of a tree. Stick: Add to fruited beef or lamb stew. Add a stick or two to pancake syrup when heating. Use as a stirrer and to season hot spiced drinks (ground cinnamon makes clear beverages cloudy). Ground: Use in Greek and Turkish dishes. Sprinkle over hot chocolate. Mix with sugar to sprinkle on baked goods. Stir into softened chocolate or vanilla ice cream. Cinnamon Recipes