New and inexperienced Asheville NC home cooks are often intimidated when it comes to using spices and herbs. These simple ingredients can send your kitchen confidence flying out the window. While there is no right or wrong way to use Spices and Herbs in Asheville NC, you can stick to a few rules of thumb to have you cooking with confidence in no time.
Dried Herbs Are Powerful
Dried herbs have a much stronger flavor than fresh herbs of the same variety. Keep this in mind when you substitute for fresh and use much less dried. The typical ratio is three to one, which means if a recipe calls for a tablespoon of fresh basil, you would only use a teaspoon of dried basil.
Start Right
It takes a little more to get the flavors to come out of dried herbs, so add them at the beginning unless the recipe recommends differently. For example, add dried oregano to tomato sauce in the beginning for the most flavorful sauce every time.
You Can Only Add Spice
Spices and herbs are most intimidating to new cooks because they have the power to completely ruin a dish if too much is used. It is a good rule of thumb when you first begin using spices to start off small and add more according to your taste. You can always add more spice, but you can never take it away.
Stick to these few simple tips and you will be a kitchen master before you know it!
