Spice up my life

[BroccoliSpears]

I've noticed when watching friends or family cook, that people tend to develop their 'comfort zone' of herbs and spices. The stuff you bung in to any old dish.

My mum puts oregano and basil in lots of things.

I tend to reach for fenugreek, cumin and corriander a lot.

If I'm doing something beany I like bay leaf, cumin, oregano and paprika.

It's made me think that I'd like to branch out more and learn more. I have a big drawer of herbs and spices, and I follow recipes and get ideas from those, but I don't instinctively know what goes well together outside my comfort zone.

I thought how useful it would be to have a book that said X goes really well with Y when you're cooking Z.

Then I thought, I know! I'll ask mumsnet what they all use.

So please indulge me, tell me what herb and spice combinations you love and use.

(So I can copy you and claim the glory when people compliment my cooking... mwahahaha )

Ahh g'wan.

Nice n spicey...

A pinch of mixed spice (or fresh cinnamon, nutmeg and star anise) work quite well in both marinades and cakes/bicuits/drinks ect.

Smoked paprika is great, and this goes really well with cumin as you know! Try coriander seeds as well as fresh, mustard seeds, and turmeric for a really smokey, heady smell. On the same note, have you tried just weeny touch of saffron in rissotoes or mash?

Rosemary and sage are great together and also thyme for a really lemony kick.

I suppose it depend on your individual tastes. What work for one person won't for another, so you need to do lots of experimenting.

i can't cook with a lot of salt because of my hypertension, but thankfully i love hot chillis of all sorts.

it depends on the meal, but it's either going to have green or red chilli in it.

i vary the heat by adding or deleting seeds.