Egypt4u

I looked on it as a starting point, Horus. I will add herbs and spices in the future because we like spicy food, but it was a good recipe to adapt to ones own personal taste.

I suppose if you like spicey food then it could seem a little on the bland side.

I have followed this thread but not contributed because my kitchen experiences extend no further than washing up, making the morning coffee, and making my breakfast porridge and toast.

As you have got to talking about flavouring food I can come in and comment. Without at least seasoning, I find most vegetable bland. Meats definitely benefit from herbs or spices depending on the dish. I have a discerning palete and can detect most herbs. I prefer food with a bit of spiciness and often have a bottle of hot pepper sauce on the table to add my own 'heat' because Mrs G likes herbs but is not keen on spicy food.

As Horus intimated, it is all a matter of personal taste.

I love turmeric, tend to overuse garlic. I tend to throw a full handful of parsley into most soups and depending always use lots of oregano, basil, thyme, rosemary. Cumin & paprika for specific recipes.

Usually if I'm using turmeric and/or cumin I tend to throw in red pepper too.

I don't like food burning hot but I do like to taste spices and herbs in lots of what I make.

Yes I like all of the above LLL plus a few more like, Coriander, Sage, and used carefully, Mint. And, although it is a spice, nutmeg has its place in flavouring both sweet and savoury dishes. And lemon grass so often present in Asian dishes.
Many bring back memories of places visited.

I use all of the above except salt, but love Cinnamon, especially with egg dishes.

I was making an omelette in Luxor one day when there was a power cut - I reached for the pepper ( all the spices were in similar tubs) accidentally got cinnamon and have used it with eggs ever since.

I had to give up salt completely about 30 years ago when I was having a problem with very high blood pressure. Even when I was more or less OK again I had got used to not having it and much prefer not to use it now. It makes seasoning dishes that will be eaten by others a bit random, but after all most people add salt anyway, many before they taste it.

You mentioned Cinnamon MD and I was reminded during a holiday in Sri Lanka we visited a spice farm and saw this chap stripping Cinnamon bark from small branches of one of the 'Genus Cinnamomum' plants, all of which produce Cinnamon spice bark.


Just posted this because not everyone knows where Cinnamon comes from particularly if they only ever use the ground version.

I mostly use the ground stuff as I find the bark version you sometimes get is not as strong in flavour.
Nice picture by the way

Lovely photo Grandad. I too use the ground version in cooking but I do have some cinnamon bark sticks around here that I was going to get the Grandkids to decorate hence making their own version of Christmas ornaments!

Very easy to buy packages of sticks of cinnamon bark here and lots of this IS used to either adorn packages, turn into ornaments or stir a drink with.