Spice Recipes and Cooking Information

There are substitutes for saffron, but avoid the poisonous one. Learn more about saffron.

Find out why harvesting makes saffron so expensive yet still affordable.

Sesame Seed Varieties and Information.

All recipes and articles listed alphabetically to make your search easier when looking for a specific food, recipe, or cooking method. Simply click on the letter of your search term at the top of the page to find the listings.

Find out how to make your own spice blends and mixes at home with many recipes. These also make great gifts for special occasions.

Ever wonder what's in your favorite commercial spice mix? This handy chart gives basic ingredients for some widely-used spice blends.

If you are just setting up house, you'll need to keep some basic herbs and spices on hand to be prepared for any recipe. You'll also find links to other pantry basics such as condiments, various food staples, and refrigerator/freezer items to keep stocked in your kitchen.

Whether you've run out of a spice or just don't care for the one that's called for in the recipe, this chart will help you find a suitable substitution.

Did you know that most commercial cinnamon sold is actually cassia? Learn about cinnamon and cassia history, selection, storage, usage, and plenty of recipes to try.

Coriander is the seeds of the cilantro plant which taste completely different than the herb. Sometimes both the plant and the seeds are referred to as coriander. Learn about cilantro, how to store it, and get some cooking tips.

Ginger can add a wonderful zing to all types of dishes, from salads to entrees. Put a little zest into your life with ginger by learning its history and some innovative uses shown in the featured recipes.

Spices and herbs go hand in hand. Herb recipes and cooking information, including edible flowers, thyme, rosemary, thyme, basil, oregano, chives, and more.

Most of us are used to standard yellow prepared mustard, but there are many wonderful varieties of seeds and prepared mustards to experiment with. Mustard is the second most-used spice in the USA. Find out why and how to make your own at home.

Two spices from one seed, but can be toxic. Learn the history of nutmeg and mace, selection, storage, and delve into the treasure trove of recipes.

If you've been hiding paprika in your cabinet simply to add last minute color to dishes, you're missing a lot! Paprika in large amounts lends not only color, but fabulous flavor to many different foods including meats, vegetables, and sauces. Many recipes to try.

We take it for granted, but the vast majority of savory recipes include some form of black pepper as an ingredient. Learn about the history of peppercorns, varieties, and check out the many recipes.

The tiniest amount of saffron goes a long way. So in spite of it being the world's most expensive spice, it is still within the budget of the home cook. Learn about how to cook with saffron and try some new recipes.

Common and not so common. Find out about the many different types of salt and cooking applications such as encrusted meats, pickling, curing and more. Many recipes.

Turmeric is often confused with and substituted for the more expensive saffron, because not only does it have a very strong flavor, it also turns foods a golden yellow color. Turmeric is frequently misspelled as tumeric, omitting the first letter r. Learn about this pungent spice and how to use it in a variety of recipes.