According to The Joy of Cooking, spices are the cornerstone of any chef's kitchen. Understanding how seasonings create complexity and individuality in any dish - even those that are the most simple - can help to turn a simple supper into a culinary experience. And the tremendous role spices play in the kitchen is just one lesson that culinary arts courses provide.
The importance of spices and herbs cannot be overstated, and in a chef's kitchen they are as indispensable as a knife, bowl, or mixer, and are therefore chosen carefully and thoughtfully. Culinary arts schools provide training in the various uses of spices and herbs as well as their selection and storage.
Become a Seasoned Chef
For many of us, however, a spice rack is relegated to a dark corner and is designated for "fancy dinners." But spices and herbs can easily make ordinary dishes extraordinary.
Here are just a few examples of some items you probably have in your cupboards, along with some useful suggestions for elevating the everyday. It's just a small taste of what cooking classes will teach you about making full use of that spice rack.
Coriander: These small, dried seeds, used whole or ground, come from the same plant as cilantro, although they taste nothing alike. It's thought by many to be one of the first spices ever used; it's even mentioned in the Old Testament.
Coriander's sweet, warm, citrusy flavor adds something special to gingerbread or apple pies. Try baked ham rubbed with coriander and orange rinds, or toss a handful of coriander into your favorite chili recipe. Or rub chicken or fish with coriander seeds and grill, for a slightly Mediterranean flavor. Use this mild spice liberally.
Parsley: The most widely used culinary herb in the U.S., parsley is often thought by many as merely a green garnish to be pushed aside on restaurant plates. But this aromatic herb is remarkably useful.
There are several varieties of parsley, including curly and flat-leafed (or Italian) parsley. Its crisp, clean flavor improves almost any dish. The leaves of curly parsley, the most common type found in the grocery store's produce section, can be chopped and sprinkled on a sizzling steak, whipped into mashed potatoes, mixed into butter for bread, or added by the handful to a pot of spaghetti sauce. Or use dried parsley flakes, marjoram, and thyme as a handy salt substitute.
Chives: This slightly sweet, mild variety of onion with notes of garlic was once believed by Romanian gypsies to drive away evil influences and disease. Recent research suggests that chives are somewhat beneficial to the circulatory, respiratory, and digestive systems.
Its delicate flavor is a nice substitute when onions or garlic are too overpowering. Try chopped chives tossed into a tuna or chicken salad, scrambled in eggs, or mixed into salad dressings or dips, for a gentle oniony flavor.
Lemon: Although not truly a spice or herb, lemon's culinary uses are, like spices, too numerous to list. Loaded with vitamin C, lemon juice is known to be a useful diuretic and astringent. It has been used to relieve bowel or digestive discomfort, and when mixed with honey symptoms of the common cold.
Squeeze fresh lemon juice into freshly prepared tuna salad to cut the "fishy" taste, and to add flavor while cutting back on the mayo. Or try it with green beans to preserve crispness and enliven the flavor. Lemon pepper, made of dried lemon rinds and black pepper, is delicious when sprinkled onto sautéed vegetables like broccoli or squash.
Cocoa: It's our favorite comfort food, and luckily for us, it's recently been show to provide needed antioxidants, improve circulation, lessen pain, and (no surprise here) improve our sense of well-being.
Introduced originally by the Spaniards, cocoa is an unexpected and delicious addition to many Spanish dishes; Cocoa powder is a primary ingredient in mole sauce. Try it mixed into your favorite barbecue rub or stirred into chili for a rich, complex flavor that's not at all dessert-like.
Hungry for More?
If this whets your appetite to spice up everyday meals or to pursue a culinary career, check into culinary arts courses. Culinary arts school will teach you about the subtleties of seasoning, how to create great flavor combinations, how to creatively prepare and present a dish, and how to appreciate and adopt cultural traditions in the kitchen. These culinary courses will teach you what being a seasoned chef is really all about.