It’s easy to go overboard on getting spices and they go stale/lose flavour quickly, so maybe build a collection up by starting with a few basics and then adding as you need them?
Or look up spice mixes you’re most likely to use (ie taco seasoning if you like tacos) and buy the stuff for those.
It all depends on what you cook!
You might not need star anise or sesame oil unless you’re cooking Chinese food that specifically asks for it, and the sesame seeds are a luxury sprinkle. I see bay leaves used in soup or maybe rice dishes.
The list looks pretty solid though.
I used to use ground coriander seed with cumin and onion in a rice dish but it’s not an essential.
Paprika comes in a few kinds so pick your favourite. There’s the plain sweet paprika which adds a lot of colour but just a little bit of a capsicum taste, smoked paprika which is stronger in a good way, and also a hot paprika I haven’t tried.
Some things you might like to have as well are soy sauce, fresh or jarred garlic, or white vinegar. Also lemon juice, honey, tomato paste… it depends
Also if you do anything sweet you might like to have some vanilla essence. It’s good even just in a microwave mug cake.
Ps. Don’t feel you have to force yourself to cook meals every day! And don’t be afraid to cook very simple food.
If you live alone it is a heavy expectation to manage, especially with work and study. A lot of people struggle to do it because historically there was an extra person at home handling all that.
Good point. I’ve had this spice collection going for about a year (although most of its come from the last few months). But I despise not having a single ingredient I need for a recipe, and I like putting random shit on chips or in chicken flour coatings just to get a sense of the flavour (I make these knockoff popcorn chicken things and basically put random amounts of most of my spices in there).
I do also have some seasonings and spice mixes from various meal kit box things I’ve tried, and the old LT gave me some of his containers full of stuff from them. I think I’ve got a ton of "Mexican spice seasoning).
To be honest, cooking decent meals is something I really struggle with. If left to my own devices, I’ll just buy and eat pre crumbed chicken schnitzels from my butcher every night. I try to make at least one decent, well rounded meal a week, and try something completely new once a fortnight. But I primarily eat chicken, I’m not a huge fan of beef or lamb, although I do occasionally eat those too for a bit of variety.
I always have white vinegar, but often end up using it as a cleaning product more than a cooking one lmao. I do keep white wine vinegar on hand as a replacement for sake and Mirin in Japanese dishes (ie teriyaki chicken). Seems to be the closest substitute I can actually buy. (It’ll probably stay that way until I move out, as we’re forbidden from having alcohol on the property)
I’ve never tried coriander, but I have one of those mutated tongues, so absolutely despise coriander. I can’t remember if I have sweet or smokey paprika, I think it’s sweet though. Might look for a smokey one
I usually keep some vanilla essence on hand, but that too was stolen. It was only cheap imitation stuff, so I might buy a proper extract
Yeah back when I cooked I used to just batch cook once or twice a week. As I got more tired it was usually something one pot with frozen veg thrown in so I didn’t have to chop or have greens go slimy in the fridge.
Cooking decent meals is a struggle.
I have the soap gene and the coriander seed was ok but it was only added because it was called for.
It’s easy to go overboard on getting spices and they go stale/lose flavour quickly, so maybe build a collection up by starting with a few basics and then adding as you need them?
Or look up spice mixes you’re most likely to use (ie taco seasoning if you like tacos) and buy the stuff for those.
It all depends on what you cook!
You might not need star anise or sesame oil unless you’re cooking Chinese food that specifically asks for it, and the sesame seeds are a luxury sprinkle. I see bay leaves used in soup or maybe rice dishes.
The list looks pretty solid though.
I used to use ground coriander seed with cumin and onion in a rice dish but it’s not an essential.
Paprika comes in a few kinds so pick your favourite. There’s the plain sweet paprika which adds a lot of colour but just a little bit of a capsicum taste, smoked paprika which is stronger in a good way, and also a hot paprika I haven’t tried.
Some things you might like to have as well are soy sauce, fresh or jarred garlic, or white vinegar. Also lemon juice, honey, tomato paste… it depends
Also if you do anything sweet you might like to have some vanilla essence. It’s good even just in a microwave mug cake.
Ps. Don’t feel you have to force yourself to cook meals every day! And don’t be afraid to cook very simple food.
If you live alone it is a heavy expectation to manage, especially with work and study. A lot of people struggle to do it because historically there was an extra person at home handling all that.
Good point. I’ve had this spice collection going for about a year (although most of its come from the last few months). But I despise not having a single ingredient I need for a recipe, and I like putting random shit on chips or in chicken flour coatings just to get a sense of the flavour (I make these knockoff popcorn chicken things and basically put random amounts of most of my spices in there).
I do also have some seasonings and spice mixes from various meal kit box things I’ve tried, and the old LT gave me some of his containers full of stuff from them. I think I’ve got a ton of "Mexican spice seasoning).
To be honest, cooking decent meals is something I really struggle with. If left to my own devices, I’ll just buy and eat pre crumbed chicken schnitzels from my butcher every night. I try to make at least one decent, well rounded meal a week, and try something completely new once a fortnight. But I primarily eat chicken, I’m not a huge fan of beef or lamb, although I do occasionally eat those too for a bit of variety.
I always have white vinegar, but often end up using it as a cleaning product more than a cooking one lmao. I do keep white wine vinegar on hand as a replacement for sake and Mirin in Japanese dishes (ie teriyaki chicken). Seems to be the closest substitute I can actually buy. (It’ll probably stay that way until I move out, as we’re forbidden from having alcohol on the property)
I’ve never tried coriander, but I have one of those mutated tongues, so absolutely despise coriander. I can’t remember if I have sweet or smokey paprika, I think it’s sweet though. Might look for a smokey one
I usually keep some vanilla essence on hand, but that too was stolen. It was only cheap imitation stuff, so I might buy a proper extract
Thanks for the help and info!
Corriander leaf and ground are totally different things. If you have the gene that makes the leaf taste like soap the seeds are still fine
No probs!
Yeah back when I cooked I used to just batch cook once or twice a week. As I got more tired it was usually something one pot with frozen veg thrown in so I didn’t have to chop or have greens go slimy in the fridge.
Cooking decent meals is a struggle.
I have the soap gene and the coriander seed was ok but it was only added because it was called for.