Good cooking is an art, as well as a form of intense pleasure… A recipe is only a theme, which an intelligent cook can play each time with a variation. – Madame Jehane Benoit, chef
The first and most obvious reason for cooking with herbs and spices is that they can transform your ordinary recipes into exciting culinary experiences. But there are even more good reasons to master the magic of cooking with herbs and spices:
- They will stretch your budget. By using herbs and spices in your everyday cooking, you can turn cheap staple ingredients into tasty dishes.
- They offer you variety and gastronomic delight for every individual in the family.
- You can easily make your own connoisseur pantry products like herb oils, vinegars, and mustards, which make great gifts. You can even turn this hobby into a part-time or full-time business venture.
- It is always a pleasure to receive compliments for our culinary creations. Herbs and spices will certainly earn you compliments when entertaining friends and family. Used skilfully they really are the ‘cherry on the cake’ for all your dishes.
Then for the more health conscious amongst us, there are many more advantages:
- Fresh herbs especially are wonderful sources of concentrated micro-nutrients, like antioxidants, vitamins and minerals. All of these are in an unadulterated natural form.
- In these times of ‘instant’ vegetables – in tins and frozen packs – it is clear that herbs and spices can do much to improve the taste and nutritional value of our veggies.
- Certain herbs and spices will stimulate your appetite and improve your digestion and general health and well-being.
- They are vital in low salt and low fat diets.
One can truly say that herbs and spices give your cooking that ‘something special’!
Pause and Reflect
Which of the above benefits resonates the most with you? Share your thoughts in a Reply below.
Nutritional aspect of the herbs. and I love the smell of fresh herbs
Touching, smelling and harvesting your own herbs, and then go and create a meal with it…nothing more inspiring.
I grow my own vegetables and always have a couple of herbs in my veggie garden. I have found that you don’t need a special “Herb Garden”.
So nice to pick some veggies and fresh herbs! But I am taking this course to learn more about flavour combinations and getting the most out of herbs and spices. Adding herbs and spices can really change a meal and lift cooking to another level! I am looking forward to see which combinations work the best.
Adding flavour to food and experiencing new tastes and flavours is what this is all about for. Can’t wait to improve on my dull cooking.
I would love to say it’s just for health reasons but I can’t. My husband and I are foodies and we love to cook together. Things always seem to taste better when we do. We make an awesome cold bruschetta, with fresh cut basil, lemon juice, olive oil, crushed garlic, and balsamic vinegar. place on a fresh slice of crispy bread. It’s to die for. Seem to attract our adult children to the house.
I like the health benefits of using fresh herbs in my cooking, but I also enjoy all the flavours. I also grow various herbs in my garden and find that it is a great money saver to simply grow your own, plus you have the extra benefit of KNOWING that it is really organic.
Health benefits and experience with herbs and spices
The budget and health benefits are just perdect for me
The health benefits definitely resonate the most with me!
I love experimenting with flavours and trying out new ways to cook with herbs so looking very forward to new ideas
I love trying out new things especially recipes, can’t wait to learn more.
I grow all my own herbs and medicines so I truly understand the value of having herbs around to make that nasty processed foods taste and smell better with the added health benefit to each herb used. I love mixing and matching to see which flavors blend well. Nutmeg is one of my absolute fav to use even though I dont grow it, I just love it in food.
I love food, I am not very good at cooking, but I am I will learn new thing to change that.
I enjoy using herbs/spices and making herbal oils and vinegars.
We don’t have a big budget for food every month and depend a lot on spices in our food. I tend to use Mexican food spices the most, so end up eating a lot of it! I am looking forward to learning a variety of spices to add so that I can actually cook other things as well and my family will enjoy them!
I am a terrible cook. I am always looking for ways to enhance my meals and health.
I love cooking and experimenting. Can’t wait to start with new flavours and combinations. That being said, I am very health conscious.