P----'s Spice Blends--a cheat sheet

rvb

Well-known member
Someone just got a huge annual replace/restock order from somebody and was updating/replacing my (i can't tell you but it starts with P and that means pool and that means trouble trouble trouble) Formula List that I keep with my spices and I thought some others might be interested in having this.I used to order some of their blends until I finally realized that I already had all the ingredients on hand, and that I was already spending enough with them without buying duplicates.So I print this out and keep it with my spices and replace it from time to time when it gets too glopped or ragged. It's actually quite handy to refer to when improvising in the kitchen without a recipe.Not sure what this is going to look like since I'm just pasting in a formatted Word document, but here goes.

Spice and Herb Blends Adobo: garlic, onion, black pepper, oregano, cumin, cayenne pepper. Use: Mexican spice, rubs, guacamole.Bangkok: sweet peppers, garlic, ginger, black pepper, galangal, hot peppers, lemon grass, basil, cilantro. Use: Thai-style stir fries, noodles.Barbecue: flake salt, paprika, allspice, cayenne pepper, nutmeg, black pepper, thyme, ginger, white pepper, cinnamon. Use: barbecue sauce, rubs.

Bavarian: crushed brown mustard seed, rosemary, garlic, thyme, bay leaf, sage. Use: Oven roasts, grill rub.

Bicentennial Rub: flake salt, black pepper, sugar, turmeric, orange peel, coriander. Use: poultry and pork rub for roasts or grill.

Bouquet Garni: savory, rosemary, thyme, oregano, basil, dill weed, marjoram, sage, tarragon. Use: baked meats.

Cajun: paprika, salt, celery, sugar, garlic, black pepper, onion, oregano, red pepper, caraway, dill, turmeric, cumin, bay, mace, cardamom, basil, marjoram, rosemary, thyme. Grilled or blackened meats, mixed in burgers, jambalaya, gumbo.

Chesapeake Bay: salt, paprika, mustard, ancho chili, celery, black and red pepper, dill, caraway, allspice, ginger, cardamom, thyme, bay, mace, cinnamon, savory, cloves. Use: Seafood and meats, soups, stews, meat loaf, burgers.

Chili Con Carne: Ancho chili, tomato powder, cumin, oregano, garlic, coriander, onions, red and green bell peppers, black pepper, allspice, cilantro, cloves. Use: grilled meats and vegetables, tex-mex dishes.

Chip Dip: onion, bell peppers, salt, horseradish powder, sugar, garlic, parsley, black pepper, paprika, turmeric, lemon peel. Use: mix with sour cream for dip, baked potatoes.

Corned Beef: brown and yellow mustard seed, coriander, allspice, cassia, dill seed, bay leaves, ginger, cloves, black peppercorns, star anise, juniper berries, mace, cardamom, cayenne pepper.

Fajita: salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper, oregano, garlic, basil, celery, marjoram, rosemary, thyme, nutmeg, cumin. Use: Mexican marinades.

Fines Herbes: chervil, parsley, chives, tarragon. Use: Baked fish or chicken, stews, eggs, salads, vegetables.

Garam Masala: coriander, black pepper, cardamom, cinnamon, kalonji, caraway, cloves, ginger, nutmeg. Use: Indian curry.Greek: salt, oregano, garlic, lemon, black pepper, marjoram. Use: salads, grilled meat marinade, fish, chicken.

Herbes de Provence: rosemary, fennel, thyme, savory, basil, tarragon, dill weed, oregano, lavender, chervil, marjoram. Use: roasting meats.

Jerk: ginger, brown sugar, sweet chili, garlic, paprika, allspice, lemon grass, thyme, nutmeg, black pepper, cumin, cayenne pepper, jalapeno. Use: mix with lemon juice and olive oil for Jamaican grill marinade.

Mulling Spice: cracked china and korinte cassia, cloves, allspice, cardamom, mace. Use: simmer with water, add red wine.Old World: paprika, salt, sugar, celery, garlic, onion, black pepper, parsley, dill seed, caraway, turmeric, dill weed, bay leaf, marjoram, thyme, savory, basil, rosemary. Use: baked meats, sautéed or roasted vegetables.Ozark: salt, black pepper, garlic, paprika, thyme, rosemary, savory. Use: fried chicken/meat seasoning.Poultry: sage, white pepper, bell pepper, lemon peel, savory, rosemary, dill weed, allspice, thyme, marjoram, ginger.

Saté: salt, brown sugar, garlic, onion, coriander, shallots, ginger, turmeric, paprika, ancho pepper, galangal, cayenne, lemon grass. Use: grilled skewers.

Shrimp Boil: yellow and brown mustard seed, allspice, coriander, cloves, bay leaf, ginger, black pepper corns, chili pepper, dill seed, caraway seed.Singapore: black pepper, lemon peel, citric acid, garlic, onion, turmeric, coriander, cumin, ginger, nutmeg, fennel, cinnamon, fenugreek, white pepper, cardamom, cloves, and cayenne pepper. Use: salt free cooking spice, fish and chicken, noodles.

Southwestern: salt, ancho pepper, onion, garlic, oregano, black pepper, red pepper, cumin, paprika, chipotle pepper, cilantro. Use: Salas, beans, fajitas, grilled meats (brush with lemon juice then rub or sprinkle).

Sunny Paris: shallots, chives, green peppercorn, dill weed, basil, tarragon, chervil, bay leaf. Use: salt free seasoning for meats, vegetables, rice, eggs, salads, baked potatoes, dressings, dips, etc.

Sunny Spain: black pepper, citric acid, lemon peel, garlic, onion. Use: salt free seasoning for fish, chicken, vegetables, salads, eggs, etc.Taco, bold: salt, onion, paprika, masa harina, tomato powder, crushed re pepper, garlic, cumin, oregano, cilantro, black pepper, cocoa.

Taco, chicken: salt, garlic, ancho chili, onion, paprika, cumin, cilantro, black pepper, oregano, jalapeno powder.

Trinidad: Salt, lemon peel, garlic, clove, ginger. Use: grilled or broiled poultry, fish, chops (brush with oil, sprinkle with Trinidad, grill or broil.

Turkish: salt, cumin, garlic, sharp paprika, black pepper, oregano, sumac, cilantro. Use: seasoning for grilled meats, mix in yogurt for dip and marinade

Salad BlendsButtermilk

Ranch: salt, bell peppers, garlic, onion, sugar, black pepper, parsley, thyme, basil. Use: mix with buttermilk and mayonnaise for salad dressing.

Country French Vinaigrette: sugar, brown mustard, salt, garlic, black pepper, lemon, onion, tarragon, white pepper, chives, thyme, rosemary. Use: mix with wine vinegar and olive oil for vinaigrette and marinade.

Green Goddess: green onion, sugar, basil, celery flakes, garlic, dill weed. Use: mix with mayonnaise and a little vinegar for salad dressing.

Rocky Mountain: bell peppers, parmesan, salt, sesame, poppy, shallots, arrowroot, white pepper. Use: salads, dressings, dips, garlic bread, vegetables.Sicilian Salad: romano cheese, salt, toasted onion, red bell pepper, tomato, paprika, onion, black pepper, basil, thyme, rosemary, cayenne pepper. Use: salads, antipasto, dips, vegetables, garlic bread.

Sausage Blends

Bratwurst: salt, white pepper, mustard, nutmeg, onion.Breakfast: salt, sugar, paprika, black pepper, sage, nutmeg, cayenne pepper, thyme.

Italian: salt, fennel, black pepper, sugar, oregano. Add crushed red pepper for hot.Polish: salt, black and white pepper, sugar, coriander, garlic, mustard, marjoram, mace, savory.

Russian: salt, garlic, cinnamon, pepper, nutmeg, mace, marjoram.Venison: salt, black pepper, nutmeg, coriander, paprika, cayenne pepper

 
This is great but how do you know how much of each to use? I'm obviously>>>

not as confident and as seasoned a cook as you all. Is there a rule of thumb you go by?

 
the only thing you know for sure is that more of the top ingreadient...

than any single other ingredient. the rest come in order of weight.

experiment and you'll prolly cime up with something you loke better then the commercial blend.

good luck!

 
start with a small equal amount of each ingredient...

then from the top down, add a bit more - of each one ingredient at a time -and take notes whether or not you liked the change and if you think more after this step is in order.

one thing for sure is that you'll learn a lot about how herbs and spices work together.

 
also some creative googling can get you things like

[Marilyn's note: hgtv link no longer valid]
http://www.hgtv.com/hgtv/ah_recipes_marinades_rubs/article/0,1801,HGTV_3185_1379098,00.html

which is to say:
Homemade Spice Blends
Today at Home : Episode TAH-551 -- More Projects »

Save money by creating homemade spices. It's easy. See the accompanying recipes.


Home-craft expert Kathi Cardinalli demonstrates how to create homemade international spice blends, including herbes de Provence*, Italian seasoning, Mexican seasoning, Greek seasoning and a Caribbean rub.

herbes de Provence (EHRB duh proh-VAWN, S) An assortment of dried herbs said to reflect those most commonly used in southern France. The blend can be found packed in tiny clay crocks in the spice section of large supermarkets. The mixture commonly contains basil, fennel seed, lavender, marjoram, rosemary, sage, summer savory and thyme. The blend can be used to season dishes of meat, poultry and vegetables.

Herbes de Provence

Though this spice blend can be found in some supermarkets, it's more fun to make your own.

Ingredients:

dried thyme
bay leaves
rosemary
summer savory
lavender
cloves
orange zest

Preparation:

Combine one part each of the above ingredients. Mix well, and store in an airtight container away from heat and light (as you should do with all spices). If you use whole spices, place these in a cheesecloth bag, tie, and simply drop into soups and stews. Remove when the recipe is done.

Another method is to grind them up using a coffee grinder. Coffee grinders are great for grinding spices. Of course it should be washed out well before using it for your coffee beans. Some people even keep a grinder specifically for grinding spices.

Be careful when removing the lid of the grinder. There is usually some residual spice dust, and it can be very irritating to the nasal passages, especially if the spice mixture has hot pepper in it.

Mexican Chili Seasonings

Chili seasoning mix is really a small recipe that includes the actual chili powder plus cumin and other flavorings. Of course it can be made as hot and as flavorful as you like.

Ingredients:

3 Tbs. ground roasted chili powder (Whole dried chili peppers can be ground in a coffee grinder.)
1 Tbs. cumin
1 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. coriander
1 tsp. garlic
1 tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. cayenne pepper (depending on how hot you like it!)
1/2 tsp. ground cloves

Preparation:

Combine ingredients to taste.

Italian Seasoning

Many recipes call for "Italian seasonings," and again, this is a blend of ingredients, not just a single spice. As always, experiment and create the mixture that you like.

Ingredients:

1 Tbs. dried rosemary
1 Tbs. dried basil
1 Tbs. dried oregano
2 tsp. dried sage
2 tsp. thyme
2 tsp. marjoram
1 tsp. ground garlic

Preparation:

Crush the rosemary in a coffee grinder until fine. Add the remaining ingredients, and blend to mix.

Greek Spice Mixture

Try this mixture on chicken, fish or vegetables.

Ingredients:

1 Tbs. dried oregano
1 Tbs. dried rosemary
1 Tbs. dried dill
1 Tbs. dried mint
2 Tbs. kosher salt
2 tsp. pepper
2 tsp. ground garlic
2 tsp. lemon zest
2 bay leaves

Preparation:

Grind all ingredients well in a coffee grinder. Keep in sealed container.

Caribbean Spice Rub

Ingredients:

1/2 Tbs. cumin seeds
1/2 Tbs. black pepper
1/2 Tbs. brown sugar
1 tsp. coriander seeds
1 tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. salt
3/4 tsp. whole cloves
3/4 tsp. hot pepper powder (red pepper, habanero pepper, etc.)

Preparation:

Combine ingredients to taste.

Notes:

If you have a commercial spice blend that you like, try to create it by looking at the spices that are listed in the ingredients. Ingredients are usually listed in order of the amounts, starting with the greater measure. If a spicy ingredient is added, start with a small amount and gradually increase it, so as not to ruin the mixture.


Dried and fresh herbs can be used interchangeably in most recipes, but dried herbs have a stronger taste. When substituting, remember that three units of fresh herbs equal about one unit of dried herbs.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
good pointers rick,

seasoning is such a personal matter anyway. I laugh at the measurements in most recipe for things like herbs and spices since I normally start at doubling and go from there.

But just remember what rvb said earlier, the ingrients are listed in the order of most to least.

Another idea is, if it's a blend you think you'll use, you could always mix some up in a big batch and not have to worry about measuring each time (just wing a big spoonful in of the already mixed up herbs). And again, use the proportional top to bottom percentages approach. With most of these blends, you really wouldn't go wrong even if you mixed equal parts (although some of them might taste a little funny).

 
I wonder if P' adds some sort of "easy flow/non-clumping" element in....

I had run out of Old World Seasoning (our absolute favorite for roasted chickens). So I grabbed the catalog and--based on the ingredient list--mixed up a batch.

I mixed up mine version and added it to the remaining 1/4 in the P' bottle. The taste was very, very close--but after a few days my experiment ended up clumping, while the P version never had. All of my spices are from McCormick's, Spice Islands or P, so what could cause the difference?

 
Marilyn,

yes, they do add an anti-caking ingredient, and list it, in their catalog. Since I originally typed this up for my own use, and since I only referred to it as a reference when cooking, didn't mix up batches of anything, and had no intent on using "anti-caking" agents, I left them off the list. I should mention that I subtly changed a few other things to my taste, but not much since as I said, it's just a staring point for me anyway.

Oh, everyone, it wasn't Penzeys that expressed concern. Hope no one is mad at them about all this.

Thanks.

 
Back
Top