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March 3, 2019

7 Disasters Waiting to Happen When Cooking With Herbs and Spices

Knowing what to avoid is sometimes more useful than knowing what to do. The ‘7 disasters waiting to happen’ you’ll learn about here can also be viewed as guiding principles whenever you add herbs and/or spices to your dishes.

Disaster #1: Too Scared to Dare

The saying goes “If you don’t try, you’ll never know”. Well, the same is true of your culinary adventures with herbs and spices.

When we use the word “dare” in this context, we don’t mean you should be experimenting without any heed. We certainly don’t believe in large-scale experimenting if you are a beginner. One must first be familiar with all the different ingredients, before you can try some useful experiments. Rather leave the experimenting for a little later.

What we mean by the word ‘dare’ is that you should have the courage to try new herbs and spices. Your courage in this regard is in direct proportion to your success. The more you risk, the more you stand to gain.

Luckily for you, you have already shown enough courage to make a success of cooking with herbs and spices. How do we know this? Well, you have dared to enroll in this class!

Disaster #2:  Herbs and Spices That Dominate

This is probably the biggest disaster of them all… and also the easiest to correct.

Your aim with herbs and spices is to highlight certain flavours and to create new ones. As with anything, there are some exceptions. But generally speaking, the herbs and spices are meant to compliment a dish, not overwhelm it.

That being said, be careful of using too small amounts of herbs and spices in your cooking. If you can’t taste the difference, you’re just wasting your time, money and effort.

You need to find just the right amount to use, i.e. the right balance.

To achieve this, we suggest you learn to use the ‘Salt Principle’. From your own experience you will know that once you have added salt to a dish, you can’t remove it. The same goes for herbs and especially spices.

Rather add just a touch of herbs/spices and allow the flavours to develop. Taste and add more herbs/spices if needed.

If it is your first attempt at cooking with a specific herb/spice, rather halve the amounts asked for in the recipe and apply the ‘Salt Principle’. It is preferable to err on the side of caution rather than overdoing it.

Remember that it is much easier to spoil a dish when using too much dried herbs and when using spices. However, when you make the switch from dried herbs to fresh herbs, keep the ‘Salt Principle’ in mind.

Tip: If you want to replace the fresh herbs in a recipe with dried herbs, use the following guideline:

1 tablespoon chopped fresh herbs =
1 teaspoon crushed dried herbs =
¼ teaspoon powdered dried herbs.

Disaster #3:  Using the Wrong Combinations

It is logical that not all herbs and spices go together well. For some reason, though, many people (including some recipe writers) seem to believe that you can add them willy-nilly to any dish and expect a good result.  They seem to believe that ‘what doesn’t kill you must be good for you!’

The only solution to this common error is to learn which herbs and spices complement each other and which herbs suit which type of dishes.  But that is just the start.  You will also need to learn the ratios of your herbs, if you want to ensure a balanced dish.

How will you learn all this?

Use the cheat sheets you’ll get in Module 2 of this class. Then let your own palate guide you.

Disaster #4: Poor Team Management

This disaster usually occurs with the previous one (disaster #3).  But where the previous refers to the combinations of herbs and spices you can use, this one refers to how and when you use your herbs/spices in the cooking process.

It’s not enough to simply know that dill goes well with beetroot. You also need to know how much dill to use and when to add it.

Example: Listen to the experience of my good friend Anton.  He makes a really top class Oxtail Potjie (A traditional South African stew).  Two of the ingredients he adds at the start are parsley and sweet basil.  I explained to him (very diplomatically) that both herbs lose their flavours if they are cooked for long periods and suggested that he should try Italian Parsley – which can handle the longer cooking times – and that he should add even more of both just before serving, to add some impact.  What a gastronomical result! Achieved just by using the different ‘players’ more effectively.

Fortunately information on when to add herbs to a recipe is readily available. (And you have to look no further than Cheat Seven.)  The most common mistake people make is to ignore the information.

If you are unsure about when to add a specific herb or spice, rather add it towards the end of the cooking process, than at the beginning.

Disaster #5: Forgetting That Tastes Differ

The success of your cooking should be measured by the compliments your guests pay you – not a fixed set of rules. This is simply because tastes differ, so it is impossible that only one set of rules would satisfy everyone.

If you have never used herbs in your cooking, expect a little grumbling from some family members. It is only natural that the sudden barrage of new tastes and flavours, not to mention all the twigs and leaves floating around, will result in some commentary.

Don’t let this deter you. Be patient and adapt your cooking to suit the preferences and tastes of your family. In the long run, you will be able to surpass even their wildest dreams.

Start slowly. Try to improve just one dish at a time, instead of the whole meal.

Disaster #6: Thinking Herbs and Spices are Everything

If you thought that herbs and spices would compensate for poor preparation, ingredients and presentation, you are in for a big shock. If you are a poor cook, no herb will be able to save your dish.

No herbs can save a burnt pot of rice or liven up a salad made of wilted greens.

Also, don’t think that a useful herb, like parsley, is so healthy that it can be added to absolutely everything you make. Your food will be just as boring as it was before your herb adventure. And, the fact that your cooking is suddenly ‘green’ can’t make up for your lack of imagination.

Start with a proven recipe, get the freshest ingredients possible and prepare your dish correctly. Only then can you expect your herbs and spices to turn your dish into something special.

Disaster #7: Clinging to Old Guidelines

Because this common mistake is so contrary to all the previous, it is commonly the mistake most easily and unknowingly made by most people.

It makes sense to have guidelines to help you cook wisely with herbs and spices. These guidelines will make your life easier, by helping you to learn more quickly and to avoid making the most common mistakes.

The disadvantage is that you can quite easily end up in a rut. Try to look at any rule as a mere guideline.  Adapt the ‘rules’ to suit your tastes and needs and don’t be afraid of changing them.

The easiest way to prevent this disaster is to make “If my Diners Smile – There are No Rules!” your cooking motto.

Pause and Reflect

Which of the above mistakes have you made? Share your thoughts in a Reply below.

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Article by 29 Comments

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  1. cliffton moses says

    January 12, 2021 at 5:30 pm

    I have made both of these mistakes.
    #5 Forgetting That Tastes Differ
    #4 Poor Team Management
    I learned a valuable lesson about cooking. My sister told me once “always cook for you because, people are eating your creation not theirs”. I found this thought process has served me well.

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  2. Darleen says

    December 30, 2020 at 12:15 am

    Biggest mistake is not using spices enough. Since I have been on WW, I am using a lot more spices and herbs in the WW recipes and they are great.

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  3. Nikki Presley says

    October 2, 2020 at 3:00 am

    I have clung to old guidelines. Gumbo in the bayou ALWAYS was made that way. Haha! Once I let go of that I started making some really amazing gumbo.

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  4. debbieadedeji says

    September 7, 2020 at 8:38 pm

    I have made mistakes with Disaster 5 Forgetting that Taste differs.
    I always love to cut my a Onions in Rings and cook it half done to enjoy the taste and the crunch. But my husband prefers Onion blended in his food, he does not like to see or chew it. Not I Know better and will act better to get compliments from him.

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  5. Charlize Kruger says

    August 18, 2020 at 9:47 am

    ONE OF THE MISTAKES I HAVE MADE IS DISASTER #4 POOR TEAM MANAGEMENT. TOOK ME A WHILE TO FIX.
    FOR NOW I WILL SAY TASTE DIFFERS.

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  6. Ilyn Steyn says

    July 29, 2020 at 12:33 pm

    Herbs and Spices That Dominate

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  7. Joy Hoskin says

    May 10, 2020 at 1:47 am

    My downfall was usually too much of a given spice. I am learning that just because it tastes good doesn’t mean more will be better.

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  8. Amy Barnett says

    April 28, 2020 at 4:54 pm

    The mistake I am guilty of is forgetting everyone has different tastes lol. I like my seasonings to pack a wallup of a punch. I do not skimp haha. But I’m also a great cook and even if strong, it is delicious!

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  9. Abby Milligan says

    April 21, 2020 at 11:40 am

    My biggest mistake is forgetting that tastes differ. I like experimenting in the kitchen and i forget that some people prefer to stick with what they are used to and are not really up to trying out new things.

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  10. Motlogelwa Gaboutloeloe says

    April 20, 2020 at 7:08 pm

    I have a tendency to just add whatever is in the drawer, to whatever dish I am cooking. I have been lucky thus far as there has not been any mqjor disasters, but this has raised my awareness that you can’t just add stuff.

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  11. Dawn Stevens says

    April 10, 2020 at 4:59 pm

    I am not used to using fresh herbs, I always add spices to fry with onions etc in the beginning of cooking. I am making the same mistake as ‘Potjie guy’, so I have to change. I must say my mom always put fresh dhanya/ coriander on top of her curry when she was finish, I can never get my curries to taste like hers,… I know why now….

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  12. Fatima Seedat says

    April 4, 2020 at 12:30 pm

    Disaster 2 and 5 are my downfall.

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  13. Juanitha Gouws says

    March 31, 2020 at 9:43 am

    Mostly all of the above.

    Trying my best to make a tasteful dish and ending up with a tasteless one. Putting in herbs and spices to early or overdoing it.

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  14. Michelle Walter says

    March 27, 2020 at 1:48 pm

    When trying other formats of cooking for example indian or mauritian creole dishes by either playing it safe and sticking to old guideelines of safety or using too little or too much. Both of which have had disastrous outcomes either bland or too hot to eat. Or when using incorrect spices so food tastes the same or nothing special like i experienced at a Moroccan restuarant recently. And that is really offputting.

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  15. kgopolo lelaka says

    January 6, 2020 at 12:06 pm

    Herbs and Spices That Dominate

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  16. Austin Wiggin says

    January 4, 2020 at 6:16 am

    I had no idea some herbs lost their flavor over time due to heat, while others were more resilient

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  17. Cathy Zeigler says

    October 11, 2019 at 3:17 pm

    #7 Clinging to Old Guidelines

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  18. Eimear Duffy says

    September 13, 2019 at 8:39 pm

    Disaster #2 using too much dried herbs.

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  19. Shani Moushon says

    September 13, 2019 at 2:36 am

    Disaster #3 & 5

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  20. Carun Bornman says

    May 30, 2019 at 2:28 pm

    Wrong combinations quickly taught me to play safe and boring. Now, I want different tastes

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  21. Nandi McCormick says

    May 9, 2019 at 2:23 pm

    #5, I had to learn I can’t please everyone. So now I take a majority rules approach to gage my cooking.

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  22. Trixie van Niekerk says

    May 8, 2019 at 6:32 pm

    Sometimes I make the mistake of not adding enough herbs and spices and the food ends up quite bland. Or sometimes the food is bland, simply because I do not know which spice will work well with the dish.

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  23. nfventer says

    April 6, 2019 at 10:53 pm

    Disaster #3

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  24. silverocean22 says

    April 6, 2019 at 6:30 pm

    Nr 4 I would say. Never knowing when to add which herb. Pairing and such im fine with but when for what gets me.

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  25. Hester Whitehouse says

    March 29, 2019 at 10:44 am

    I think mine is #1. I am afraid to dare.

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  26. justchanel3 says

    March 14, 2019 at 11:31 pm

    #3

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  27. stbrigidfarm says

    March 13, 2019 at 10:46 pm

    I’m really bad about adding the full recommended size to of the herb to the recipe. I will add half from now on and go from there!

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  28. brijahfarm says

    March 11, 2019 at 4:13 am

    Disaster #6.

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  29. Alta Pretorius says

    March 6, 2019 at 4:00 pm

    Definitely no. 3. Pairing of herbs with each other as well as with dishes. I could never understand this.

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Course Progress

Cooking with Herbs and Spices - Mini Masterclass (and Cheat Sheets)
Module 1 Tips and Tricks for Seasoning with Herbs and Spices-
Unit 1 Introduction  - Preview
Unit 2 Benefits of Seasoning with Herbs and Spices  - Preview
Unit 3 7 Disasters Waiting to Happen When Cooking With Herbs and Spices  - Preview
Unit 4 A Stew of Words: Herbs and Spices Defined
Unit 5 Preparing Herbs for Maximum Flavour
Unit 6 Preparing Spices for Maximum Flavour
Unit 7 How to Read a Recipe
Unit 8 How to Review a New Recipe
Unit 9 The Standard Cooking Workstation
Unit 10 Please Rate Your Experience
Module 2 Seven Flavour Building Cheat Sheets-
Unit 1 3 Handy Flavour Building Cheat Sheets
Unit 2 21 Flavour Combinations to Avoid (Cheat Sheet 4)  - Preview
Unit 3 33 Holy Grail Pairings (Cheat Sheet 5)
Unit 4 Matches Made in Heaven (Cheat Sheet 6)
Unit 5 Using Fresh Herbs Cheat Sheet (Cheat Sheet 7)
Unit 6 Your Certificate of Completion

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