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Ready to start using herbs and spices more adventurously, or just at all? <\/span>Yesterday\u2019s post<\/a> talked about how this isn\u2019t hard or difficult. <\/span>More than anything, it just takes a little courage and gumption. <\/span>In other words, you just gotta take the plunge. <\/span>Start by finding a spark of herb and spice inspiration. <\/span>Once you\u2019ve settled on a couple herbs or spices, find a recipe or two and you\u2019re off and running. <\/span>Here are a few refinements on this basic formula: <\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n Six Tricks and Tips for a Successful Spice Adventure<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n 1. <\/span>Avoid Taste Bud Overload<\/span><\/strong> <\/span>When searching for recipes, look for ones where all (or at least most) of the other ingredients are familiar. <\/span>In particular, experiment with just one new herb at a time. <\/span>No need to overwhelm your taste buds with new information\u2014plus you really want to be able to separate out the taste of the new herb or spice. <\/span><\/p>\n 2. <\/span>Give \u2018Em Time\u2014But Not Too Much<\/span> <\/strong> <\/span>Herbs and spices are generally added early enough in the cooking process so their flavors can permeate the entire dish and meld nicely with all the other ingredients. <\/span>But you don\u2019t want to cook them too long. <\/span>After 20 minutes or so, they begin to lose flavor. <\/span>So if you\u2019re making, e.g., a long-simmering stew or soup, wait until the last 20 minutes to add the herbs and spices, or add a little more if added at the beginning. <\/span><\/p>\n 3. <\/span>Test and Taste<\/span><\/strong> <\/span>The soup\/stew approach is a good one to follow even for quicker-cooking dishes when using a new herb or spice. <\/span>Wait until the dish is fairly well assembled and cooked (especially ones with meat). <\/span>Then test a little of the herb or spice in a small portion of the dish before seasoning the entire thing. <\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n 4. <\/span>Take It Slow<\/span><\/strong> <\/span>When you\u2019re ready to add a new herb or spice to an entire dish, add just a little bit, stir, taste, then gradually add more as needed. <\/span>Seasoning a dish is all about finding the right balance between too little (leaving the dish bland) and too much (overpowering all the other flavors.) <\/span>The cardinal rule: <\/span>\u201cYou can always add more, but you can\u2019t take away.\u201d <\/span>By the same token, however, don\u2019t be so bashful that you cheat yourself of the full flavor of an herb or spice. <\/span><\/p>\n 5. Danger Zones<\/span> <\/span><\/strong> <\/span>While it pays to go slow with all new herbs and spices a few deserve even more caution, cayenne pepper, for instance. <\/span>Rosso\u2019s stew recipe (mentioned in yesterday\u2019s post<\/a>) called for a half teaspoon . <\/span>I would have died with that much heat! <\/span>I measure cayenne in shakes<\/em> rather than teaspoons. <\/span>A few other spices that can be complete deal breakers: <\/span>chili flakes, chili powder, curry powder, cloves and ginger. <\/span><\/p>\n <\/span>6. <\/span>Oops!<\/span><\/strong> <\/span> <\/span>If you do end up over seasoning a dish, all is not always lost: <\/span>Too much salt? <\/span>Add a peeled potato and simmer for 15-20 minutes to absorb the excess. <\/span>Too much hot spice? <\/span>Add a little butter, cheese or cream to the dish. <\/span>Too much herb flavor? <\/span>Add more of the other ingredients in the recipe.<\/p>\n