What's in your Drawers?

A Gourmet menu starts with the spices. Any cuisine can include a vegetable or meat used in another ethnic food; but the spices are what set that dish apart.

The complex flavor in every meal is enhanced by the combination of flavors provided by your spice drawer. Lucky for you, as a college student who is pinching pennies, you can stock your spice drawer with simple basics that can be cross combined to make everything from Mexican Fajitas, Greek Souvlaki, Italian Lasagna, or American Cheese Burgers.

So open your drawers:

The Table Kind

Coarse Ground Black Pepper

Red Pepper Flakes

Seasoned Salt

Powdered Garlic

Italian Spice Blend
Includes: Oregano, Basil, Thyme, Rosemary, Sage.

Chili Powder

Ancho Chili Powder

Ground Cumin

Ground Cinnamon

These will get your through a variety of cuisines.

You can also utilize more spice blends. I definitely love the McCormick blends. If you are wanting a specialty spice, then you can also check out your gourmet grocer, or Sur La Table.