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Toast the cumin seeds until aromatic, a couple of minutes, in a hot, dry skillet while stirring or shaking continuously or in a toaster oven. Allow to cool before grinding.

In a spice grinder, whirl all of the spices until finely ground. Allow the spice grinder to sit for a minute before removing the cover to avoid the discomfort of cayenne dust in your eyes and nose. Store Curry Powder in a tightly covered jar in the cupboard.

moroccan spice mix

We use this aromatic spice mix to flavor roasted vegetables and baked or grilled shrimp or fish.

YIELDS ⅓ CUP

TIME: 5 MINUTES

2 tablespoons ground cumin

2 teaspoons ground ginger or cinnamon

2 teaspoons paprika

2 teaspoons turmeric

½ teaspoon cayenne or black pepper

1 teaspoon salt

Stir together all of the ingredients. Store in a well-sealed container in the cupboard.

serving ideas

Sprinkle Moroccan Spice Mix on Roasted Sweet Potatoes before putting them in the oven. Make a variation of Old Bay Roasted Fish & Vegetables by using Moroccan in place of Old Bay seasonings. Stir ½ teaspoon of Moroccan Spice Mix into ½ cup of yogurt for a flavorful little sauce.

salt & pepper

Salt and pepper are sometimes the only seasonings you need to bring out the flavor of simple dishes and fresh ingredients.

SALT may be the single most important ingredient in the kitchen because it enhances the flavors of all other foods, even sweets. The kinds of salt commonly available differ in taste, texture, and makeup.

TABLE SALT, mined from the earth, can be so highly refined that it loses character. Processing removes the iodine naturally present in salt and added anticaking agents can leave an aftertaste.

IODIZED SALT contains iodine, added to replace what was lost in the refining process.

SEA SALT has a brighter, more complex flavor and retains beneficial minerals, including iodine. It is available either coarse or fine-grained.

KOSHER SALT, which has no additives, is less intensely flavored than sea salt or table salt, and it dissolves quickly. Its coarse crystals don’t fit through the holes of a standard salt shaker, so keep it in a small covered dish next to the stove and on the table.

If you have the opportunity, sample the unusual salts found in many natural foods stores and gourmet specialty shops, such as crystalline, mild fleur de sel—a large-grained gray salt from France’s northern coast—black lava and red clay salts from Hawaii, Peruvian pink salt, English Maldon sea salt, and smoked Danish salt.

PEPPER is the other seasoning we take for granted but would dearly miss if we had to do without. Because their volatile oils are released after being crushed or ground, peppercorns quickly lose flavor and aroma. So instead of packaged ground pepper, we prefer to use whole peppercorns and grind them with a peppermill, spice grinder, or mortar and pestle. The flavor of freshly ground pepper is warm, intense, and complex.

Green, black, and white pepper look and taste quite different from one another. They all come from berries of the same tropical plant, but they’re harvested at different stages.

GREEN PEPPERCORNS are harvested when they’re unripe, soft, and aromatic. Green pepper can be sprinkled directly onto food or first mashed into a paste.

BLACK PEPPERCORNS are picked green and then turn black when dried. Black pepper has a more complex, hotter, sweeter taste than green.

WHITE PEPPERCORNS are picked when fully ripened, soaked to remove their red outer skins, and then dried. White pepper has a mild flavor and is used in creamed soups and sauces where its color is preferable.

cumin salt

Cumin salt is a handy seasoning for all sorts of dishes. Crisp crudités are delicious dipped into it, or you can use it to season as you would plain salt. Sprinkle into scrambled eggs or on plain rice, potatoes, fish, corn on the cob, or sliced fresh vegetables, such as tomatoes and cucumbers.

YIELDS ¼ CUP

TIME: 5 MINUTES

2 tablespoons cumin seeds

2 tablespoons salt

Toast the cumin seeds until aromatic, a couple of minutes,