Spicylicious
I don’t think you’re ready for this spicy
I don’t think you’re ready for this spicy
I don’t think you’re ready for this spicy
‘Cause my sauce is too spicylicious for you, babe.
What? Those aren’t the lyrics? We could have sworn…
Well, even if those aren’t the real lyrics, we feel like Beyonce, Michelle, and Kelly would be supportive of the fact that we’d like to match our cooking to our spicy personalities. So, we came up with our top 10 must haves to start your journey as a Spice Queen. These babies are go-tos: easy, versatile spices that’ll work in your favorite savory and sweet dishes. We’ve paired each must-have spice with a recipe to get you going.
Ladies, can you handle this? Fellas, can you handle this?
Dried Oregano
This guy also goes by the street name “wild marjoram” and is best used dried, so you don’t have to feel like a slacker that it’s not fresh. It’s yummy paired with anything tomato-ey or cheesy, which is like our favorite category of food (hello, pizza).
Recipe: Goat Cheese Tart
Italian Seasoning
This might seem like a no-brainer, because it’s a total classic. But keep it in your kitchen, and you can take your pasta sauce from bland to BAM.
Recipe: Classic Spaghetti and Meatballs
Cumin
Hailing from China, Egypt, the Mediterranean, and like a thousand other places, cumin is pretty cosmopolitan. It’s a bit spicy, but not as spicy as chili powder or cayenne pepper and is a great addition to chili, meats or veggies.
Recipe: Cumin Spiced Brown Rice, Beans, and Roasted Red Peppers
Ground Cinnamon
Okay, you know what this tastes like. But did you know that cinnamon is majorly good for you? Doctors have known this since 2000 B.C. but for some reason it’s still sort of on the DL. It’s believed to help with a bagillion conditions from the common cold to lowering the effects of fatty foods, to erectile dysfunction. So, yeah. Put it in your food.
Recipe: Caramel Apple Crumble Ice Cream
Nutmeg
Nutmeg just sounds appealing. That said, for a very long time, we’d see it at the coffee sugar station and be like: Whaa? Nutmeg is spicy and sweet (just like us) and is used in everything from sausages and stews to pudding and eggnog.
Recipe: Middle Eastern Spicy Roasted Cauliflower
Ok. Want to kick your game up a notch? Here are some more exotic, but still easy to find, spices that pack a little more punch. They will make your meals more dynamic and up your Spice Queen level to 1 billion.
Garam Masala
Super intimidating because it has two words in the title, this guy is actually a blend of spices that differs a bit according to who makes it. Usually it contains cumin, coriander, cardamom, black pepper, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg in some variation. It can really kick up lentils or a baked potato and, duh, it’s like essential for Indian food.
Recipe: Chicken Tikka Masala
Paprika
Paprika can add some color to your food, as well as some kick. It’s pretty and red, and a dust of it on top of a dish can really turn it into a stunner. While you’ll often see it dusted over deviled eggs, paprika really releases its flavor when it’s cooked. So if you want the spicy peppery taste, and not just the color, you’ll want to heat it up.
Recipe: Smoky, Sweet, and Spicy Marcona Almonds
Ground Chipotle Chili Powder
Chipotle has a smoky taste and demands to be said using a super-low voice. We didn’t make the rules. You know it from Mexican food and barbecue sauces, but we find that including it in our braises has some pretty bodacious results.
Recipe: Braised Chipotle Pulled Pork
Cardamom
Another prized ingredient in many Indian dishes, cardamom is also a digestive aid and helps prevent bad breath. Rock on. It’s typically found in curries, but we like to use it in our Sweet and Spicy roasted carrots.
Recipe: Sweetly Spiced Roasted Carrots over Greens
Ground Ginger
Ginger is warming, fragrant, energizing, and zesty and probably makes a cameo in many of your favorite Asian dishes. It’s also used in everything from pastries to tea to add a little bit of pep. We could all use a little pep in our step, no?
Recipe: Ginger-Herb Roasted Asparagus and Shrooms
See? We knew you could handle this. Now that you’re ready to be the Spice Queen that you are, here are some of our fave places for spice-retrieval.
Go forth, and be spicy.
La Boite
724 11th Ave. New York, NY 10019
(212) 247-4407
www.laboiteny.com
Spices and Tease
75 9th Avenue New York, NY 10011 (Chelsea Market)
www.spicesandtease.com
Kalustyan’s
123 Lexington Ave. New York, NY 10016
(212) 685-3451
www.kalustyans.com
Spice Corner
135 Lexington Ave. New York, NY 10016
(212) 689-5182
Sahadi’s in Brooklyn
www.sahadis.com
Parrot Coffee
www.parrotcoffee.com
My Spice Sage
www.myspicesage.com
