| The Cost Of It!!!
Posted: 8/31/2009 1:13:19 PM | Ok just venting a little My daughter and I love to cook we try new recipes at least two to three times a week always FUN, But the cost of all of the spices, oils..ect stuff that you may never use again is CRAZY ... Why can't you just get the amount you need! I paid $8 for a spice (cant even rember the name) that I only needed 1 1/2 tbl.. Now I have the bottle that I don't think I will ever use again! We love to cook and try new flavors but man! There needs to be a place where you can get just the amount you need for the recipe!
Ok here is a really great reciepe my daughter loved it easy and fast we just had a salad with it
Ravioli with Balsamic Brown Butter
Ingredients
18 to 20 ounces store-bought ravioli (cheese, mushroom, or squash)
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup toasted, chopped walnuts
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
Directions
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the ravioli and cook 4 to 5 minutes, until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally. Drain ravioli onto a large serving platter.
Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan cook the butter over medium heat, stirring occasionally. When the foam subsides, and the butter begins to turn a golden brown, about 3 minutes, turn off the heat. Let cool for about 1 minute. Stir in the balsamic vinegar, salt, and pepper.
Transfer the ravioli to the pan saucepan with the balsamic brown butter. Sprinkle walnuts and Parmesan over the top. Serve immediately. | |
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| The Cost Of It!!!
Posted: 8/31/2009 1:51:22 PM | | Spices and herbs have a fairly long shelf life. If you've got spices wasting, you might want to do an internet search for recipes using that particular spice. You can go to www.recipes.com for one and just type your spice in. Experimenting is half the fun of cooking. I've been in grocery stores where you can buy some herbs by weight, but it is actually more expensive than buying the whole bottle. You can also place them in a zip lock bag and put them in the freezer for up to 6 months. You can also infuse your spices with oil and bottle them for storage. | |
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| The Cost Of It!!!
Posted: 8/31/2009 4:34:04 PM | | I always thought most spices last almost indefinitely. I know some are not as flavorful over time, but they don't really go bad, as in mold or rot. How do you tell how long to keep them? Doesn't it vary by type? 6 months in the freezer sounds a little arbitrary. | |
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| The Cost Of It!!!
Posted: 8/31/2009 4:52:14 PM | If you have bought an expensive spice and have leftover the answer is simple...
Find another dish, or two, or three that highlights that spice and make it.
Make the dish you made a second and a third time, or every few weeks until the spice is used.
If you do not like the dish you made enough to make it again, and you don't want to cook anything else new with it, then ask around and give it to a friend or family member that uses it.
What kinds of foods do you like? What is the spice? I bet we can help.
Check out this thread on here, you will get a kick out of it.
http://forums.plentyoffish.com/datingPosts9604901.aspx | |
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| The Cost Of It!!!
Posted: 8/31/2009 6:50:22 PM | | i like to go to amish country to get spices. i get a really good size container for a much more reasonable price. also get great prices on chocolate (and it is sooo much better than the store bought chocolate) and real vanilla for my baking. so if you have any amish in your area go check them out! | |
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| The Cost Of It!!!
Posted: 8/31/2009 8:42:13 PM | We have a specialty shop in town that sells nothing but spices. As for me, I prefer to buy the most expensive spices, and when buying spice blends, I will only purchase salt free blends. I grow my own herbs, which I use as much as possible.
I've paid some pretty hefty prices for real vanilla and high quality cinnamon.
As for shelf life, I use mine up. I love cooking with lots of spice and I love experimenting. I suppose they will last longer than 6 months, but they don't last that long at my house. When I open a spice jar I want to be blown away by the fragrance. If I'm not, I don't use it.
I will only use a coarse ground peppercorn medley instead of plain black pepper and I only use coarse sea salt as well. | |
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| The Cost Of It!!!
Posted: 9/1/2009 9:40:17 AM | | I don't know what type of shopping you have in your neck of the woods - we have a store up here called "Bulk Barn" - you can get everything from pasta to candy to chips and yes even spices in bulk - | |
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| The Cost Of It!!!
Posted: 9/1/2009 5:15:53 PM | Simple solution: make the recipe again or find another that uses it.
There are some spices any cook should have around. Others are more exotic and you have to decide for yourself if it's worth it to you.
I'm making a dessert tonight that called for 3 Tablespoons of a particular liqueur that I don't have and don't have anything similar. I got a friendly bartender to sell me what I needed and snuck it out. You could always ask a friend if they have those spices and then give them some of what you made, or pass the spices on to someone who cooks a lot. Or leave it out if it isn't essential. Or substitute something similar.
Think of this: that one bottle of spice costs less than a meal out. Cook more and use it up!
It's cool that you & your daughter like to cook together & try new things. That's great! | |
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| The Cost Of It!!!
Posted: 9/1/2009 5:54:40 PM | | Spices won't go bad as in spoiling, but they will lose strength over time. Don't store your spices over the stove. Heat accelerates the process. | |
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ndulj
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Joined: 5/27/2007
Msg: 10 | |
| The Cost Of It!!!
Posted: 9/3/2009 1:15:08 PM | | Most health food stores like Whole Foods have bulk spices. You can buy just a tiny bit of an amazing array of spices for next to nothing. | |
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| The Cost Of It!!!
Posted: 9/3/2009 3:11:54 PM | | Depending on the ingredient needed, there are several options to save some money. CVS,Ocean State Job Lot, and/or many discount stores sell spices for a smaller amount of money. I personally do not buy too many spices at the grocery store unless it is those stores in the Portuguese food section. The ethnic aisle will have small amount in small bags some times. You can buy small fresh pepper grinders in the spice aisle and then re-use them if you pry off the grinder part. You can buy 2 small bags of peppercorns in that section to refill them. That will cost around a dollar. Also find other recipes to use those spices or have a good neighbor or friend to share with. Good Luck. | |
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| The Cost Of It!!!
Posted: 9/3/2009 4:49:44 PM | | I plant a spice garden in the yard. Mostly spices I use frequently. I dry them and place them in jars. | |
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