I actually know very little about herbs and spices because I seldom did my
own cooking until I was diagnosed T2. I hate to admit it, but my "meals"
were primarily takeout and frozen meals. Now I am using almost all fresh
foods and eat out only when it is a genuine "eating out" meal with friends.
The problem is, I *do not* like "hot" or "spicy" foods, and they often leave
an unpleasant (sometimes painful) burning sensation in my mouth and throat.
I would like to try a few herbs and spices for cooking at home, but I don't
want to waste a lot of time and money by using spices when I have absolutely
no idea what they will do. Many recipes have a whole list of spices!

Can anyone give me some direction here? Other than the obvious ones like
chili powder, which spices would be considered "hot"? And which ones would
be "safe"? I realize that you can't list every spice for me, but how about
a few of the more commonly used ones?

Thanks,
MaryL

I'll try this again - I'm sorry, I can't get the right butten clicked - I
think I sometimes do a reply to sender rather than a reply to newsgroup. Oh
well, I'm new at this so bare with me.

I wanted to tell you there is a great online store - A1 Spiceworld ....

http://www.a1spiceworld.com/

Check out their cajun spices and maybe the indian spices. They have very
good information about every spice so you learn as you go. Good resource.
Good luck - Barbara


"MaryL" -OUT-THE-LITTER> wrote in message
news:7HYGg.4808$W01.4558@dukeread08...
>I actually know very little about herbs and spices because I seldom did my
>own cooking until I was diagnosed T2. I hate to admit it, but my "meals"
>were primarily takeout and frozen meals. Now I am using almost all fresh
>foods and eat out only when it is a genuine "eating out" meal with friends.
>The problem is, I *do not* like "hot" or "spicy" foods, and they often
>leave an unpleasant (sometimes painful) burning sensation in my mouth and
>throat. I would like to try a few herbs and spices for cooking at home, but
>I don't want to waste a lot of time and money by using spices when I have
>absolutely no idea what they will do. Many recipes have a whole list of
>spices!
>
> Can anyone give me some direction here? Other than the obvious ones like
> chili powder, which spices would be considered "hot"? And which ones
> would be "safe"? I realize that you can't list every spice for me, but
> how about a few of the more commonly used ones?
>
> Thanks,
> MaryL
>

"MaryL" -OUT-THE-LITTER> wrote in message
news:7HYGg.4808$W01.4558@dukeread08...
> I actually know very little about herbs and spices because I seldom did my
> own cooking until I was diagnosed T2. I hate to admit it, but my "meals"
> were primarily takeout and frozen meals. Now I am using almost all fresh
> foods and eat out only when it is a genuine "eating out" meal with
friends.
> The problem is, I *do not* like "hot" or "spicy" foods, and they often
leave
> an unpleasant (sometimes painful) burning sensation in my mouth and
throat.
> I would like to try a few herbs and spices for cooking at home, but I
don't
> want to waste a lot of time and money by using spices when I have
absolutely
> no idea what they will do. Many recipes have a whole list of spices!
>
> Can anyone give me some direction here? Other than the obvious ones like
> chili powder, which spices would be considered "hot"? And which ones
would
> be "safe"? I realize that you can't list every spice for me, but how
about
> a few of the more commonly used ones?
>
> Thanks,
> MaryL
>
You'll want to avoid all kinds of pepper and mixtures containing pepper.

MaryL wrote:
> I actually know very little about herbs and spices because I seldom did my
> own cooking until I was diagnosed T2. I hate to admit it, but my "meals"
> were primarily takeout and frozen meals. Now I am using almost all fresh
> foods and eat out only when it is a genuine "eating out" meal with friends.
> The problem is, I *do not* like "hot" or "spicy" foods, and they often leave
> an unpleasant (sometimes painful) burning sensation in my mouth and throat.
> I would like to try a few herbs and spices for cooking at home, but I don't
> want to waste a lot of time and money by using spices when I have absolutely
> no idea what they will do. Many recipes have a whole list of spices!
>
> Can anyone give me some direction here? Other than the obvious ones like
> chili powder, which spices would be considered "hot"? And which ones would
> be "safe"? I realize that you can't list every spice for me, but how about
> a few of the more commonly used ones?
>
> Thanks,
> MaryL

Here's a few resources to learn about spices and seasonings:

http://www.exploratorium.edu/cooking...ing/index.html
http://dmoz.org/Home/Cooking/Herbs_and_Spices/
http://www.frontiercoop.com/learn/spicedirectory.html

Spices often taste different to different people so you need to try a
few and find what is pleasing to you.

Some "hot" spices you'll probably want to avoid:

Peppers - white, black, green, or red. The active ingredient is a
chemical called capsacin and it's present in varying amounts in all of
these spices. Just for your reference if you see those self defense
"pepper sprays" you note they are rated from 3 - 10. The number is the
percentage of Olium Capsicum (OC) which is essentially pure capsacin.

MaryL wrote:

> Can anyone give me some direction here? Other than the obvious ones like
> chili powder, which spices would be considered "hot"? And which ones would
> be "safe"? I realize that you can't list every spice for me, but how about
> a few of the more commonly used ones?

I'll try to help but please remember that every individual's taste buds
are different. Cinnemon can have a slight burning effect. Ginder can be
sharp. Cumin is on the warm side. Bay leaf, sweet basil, thyme,
rosemary, a little paprika will not hurt and will add lots of flavor. I
like to make a dry rub for chicken with granulated garlic or garlic
powder NEVER garlic salt, onion powder (not salt) some ground sage and
some paprika. This is great to rub inside and outside of the bird.

Most leafy herbs won't be sharp with the exception of cilantro, which
some people find sharp.

A very nice seasoning mix is Old Bay. Works on fish and sea food and
will give an interesting kick to a broiled chicken breast.

Hope this helped. If you need some specific recipes, don't hesitate to ask.

Janet

--
Janet Wilder
Bad spelling. Bad punctuation
Good Friends. Good Life

Hi Mary,

Sweet pepper are a little spicy for certain (but I love 'em!).

But no-one has yet mentioned salt.

Strictly speaking I suppose it's not a spice, but it can be very hot if not used carefully and sparingly - and only when necessary.

Chilli peppers, even when mild, are very spicy and at least "hottish".
Ground pepper, again used sparingly, is still a bit spicy - and can be hot.
Some herbs can be hot, typically both mustard and cress.

I use tarragon and thyme as well as basil, oregano and others.
All can be spicy to varying degrees if overused but otherwise they all contribute greatly to flavour.

The trick (for everybody) is to start very sparingly, raising the 'dosage' until it tastes best - or you decide you don't like it!

Take care,
Phil.

"Time wounds all heels."

Diagnosed Type 2 December 2005
Metformin, 3 × 500 mg
Gliclazide, 2 × 80 mg
Simvastatin, 1 × 40 mg
Aspirin, 1 × 75 mg
Perindopril, 1 × 4 mg
Bendroflumethazide, 1 × 2.5 mg
(and a whole bunch of other stuff for other problems!)
71 kg (fairly) stable

http://uk.geocities.com/philadkinsp/diabetes.html
http://uk.geocities.com/philadkinsp/index.html

"MaryL" -OUT-THE-LITTER> wrote in message
news:7HYGg.4808$W01.4558@dukeread08...
>I actually know very little about herbs and spices because I seldom did my
>own cooking until I was diagnosed T2. I hate to admit it, but my "meals"
>were primarily takeout and frozen meals. Now I am using almost all fresh
>foods and eat out only when it is a genuine "eating out" meal with friends.
>The problem is, I *do not* like "hot" or "spicy" foods, and they often
>leave an unpleasant (sometimes painful) burning sensation in my mouth and
>throat. I would like to try a few herbs and spices for cooking at home, but
>I don't want to waste a lot of time and money by using spices when I have
>absolutely no idea what they will do. Many recipes have a whole list of
>spices!
>
> Can anyone give me some direction here? Other than the obvious ones like
> chili powder, which spices would be considered "hot"? And which ones
> would be "safe"? I realize that you can't list every spice for me, but
> how about a few of the more commonly used ones?
>
> Thanks,
> MaryL
>

Thanks, everyone. You have given me some good ideas and sites to search. I
already knew to avoid all forms of pepper, and I am allergic to ginger --
but that is about as far as my knowledge extended.

MaryL