212 S. Commercial St. · Branson, MO

417-527-3220

What goes with what?

Start with what you're cooking. Pick two or three seasonings off the list, smell them together, and dinner usually sorts itself out from there.

Find what you're cooking I already own it, now what?
Ten ceramic bowls of herbs and spices arranged in a circle on a worn wood counter
Pick two or three. Smell. Taste. Add.
  1. 1Pick two or three

    Twenty seasonings may work. Dinner doesn't need all twenty.

  2. 2Smell them together

    Open the jars and hold them close. Your nose gets a vote.

  3. 3Taste, then add

    Start small. You can put more in. Getting it back out is harder.

Start with dinner

This is the shortlist off the printed charts. Each food opens with three seasonings that get along, then the rest of what belongs on the list. Nine times out of ten the first three are enough.

Soup

Long simmer

Start with

  • Bay leaf
  • Garlic
  • Black pepper

Bay leaf takes the whole simmer to give anything up. In early, out before you serve.

Also good

  • Basil
  • Caraway
  • Celery seed
  • Dill
  • Ginger
  • Leek
  • Marjoram
  • Oregano
  • Paprika
  • Parsley
  • Rosemary
  • Savory
  • Thyme

Pasta

Herb forward

Start with

  • Basil
  • Oregano
  • Garlic

Dried oregano wants the sauce. Fresh basil wants the bowl. Tear it in after the heat is off.

Also good

  • Bay leaf
  • Chervil
  • Chile flake
  • Chives
  • Fennel
  • Lemon peel
  • Nutmeg
  • Parsley
  • Rosemary
  • Sage
  • Savory
  • Thyme

Breads

Warm and seedy

Start with

  • Caraway
  • Fennel
  • Sesame

Rye and caraway is the one everybody knows. Cardamom in a sweet dough is the one I'd try next.

Also good

  • Allspice
  • Anise
  • Cardamom
  • Chives
  • Cinnamon
  • Dill
  • Nigella
  • Poppy seed
  • Rosemary
  • Sage
  • Star anise
  • Thyme

Poultry

Takes almost anything

Start with

  • Paprika
  • Garlic
  • Thyme

Salt the bird the day before if you can remember. Every seasoning after that works better.

Also good

  • Allspice
  • Basil
  • Bay leaf
  • Celery seed
  • Chili powder
  • Coriander
  • Cumin
  • Ginger
  • Lemon peel
  • Mustard
  • Oregano
  • Rosemary
  • Sage
  • Tarragon

Eggs

Start with

  • Chives
  • Black pepper
  • Paprika

Also good

  • Basil
  • Cumin
  • Dill
  • Fennel
  • Marjoram
  • Nutmeg
  • Oregano
  • Parsley
  • Tarragon
  • Thyme
  • Turmeric

Fish

Bright and light

Start with

  • Dill
  • Lemon peel
  • Parsley

Delicate fish gets buried fast. Two seasonings and a squeeze of something sour is usually the whole job.

Also good

  • Allspice
  • Basil
  • Bay leaf
  • Chervil
  • Chives
  • Coriander
  • Fennel
  • Ginger
  • Marjoram
  • Mustard
  • Saffron
  • Tarragon

Vegetables

Start with

  • Garlic
  • Rosemary
  • Paprika

Also good

  • Allspice
  • Basil
  • Bay leaf
  • Cardamom
  • Celery seed
  • Chili powder
  • Coriander
  • Cumin
  • Dill
  • Ginger
  • Lemongrass
  • Mint
  • Mustard
  • Sumac
  • Thyme

Beef

Start with

  • Black pepper
  • Garlic
  • Mustard

Cumin and chili powder pull it toward chili. Rosemary and garlic pull it toward a roast. I'd pick the direction before opening anything.

Also good

  • Basil
  • Bay leaf
  • Chili powder
  • Cilantro
  • Coriander
  • Cumin
  • Ginger
  • Marjoram
  • Oregano
  • Paprika
  • Rosemary
  • Thyme

Pork

Sweet or smoky

Start with

  • Sage
  • Fennel
  • Black pepper

Pork will take sweet, warm, or properly smoky. It won't take all three at once.

Also good

  • Basil
  • Caraway
  • Chili powder
  • Cilantro
  • Cloves
  • Coriander
  • Cumin
  • Garlic
  • Ginger
  • Mustard
  • Onion
  • Paprika
  • Thyme

Lamb

Start with

  • Rosemary
  • Garlic
  • Mint

Also good

  • Basil
  • Bay leaf
  • Caraway
  • Chives
  • Cumin
  • Dill
  • Fennel
  • Marjoram
  • Mustard
  • Oregano
  • Sage
  • Sumac
  • Tarragon
  • Thyme

You already own it

The chart the other way round. Find the jar that's been in the cabinet since last winter and see where it can go tonight.

Garlic lands on seven of the ten lists, which is either useful information or a description of my cooking.

When to put it in

Same seasoning, different moment, different dinner. This is the part that separates a pot that tastes like something from a pot that tastes like a pot.

  1. First, in hot oil

    Whole spices

    Cumin seed, coriander, mustard seed, fennel. Thirty seconds in the oil until they smell like something and start to pop. It's the step most people skip and the one you'd notice.

  2. After the onions

    Ground spices

    Paprika, chili powder, turmeric, cinnamon. They scorch in under a minute. Stir them around for thirty seconds, then get liquid in the pan.

  3. With the liquid

    Dried herbs

    Oregano, thyme, rosemary, bay leaf. They need time and moisture to open up. Into the pot with the tomatoes, not onto the plate.

  4. Heat off

    Fresh herbs

    Parsley, cilantro, basil, dill, chives. Heat flattens them out. Last thing, every time, and more than you think.

Swapping dried for fresh? Dried runs about three times stronger by volume. Where a recipe asks for a tablespoon of fresh oregano, a teaspoon of dried gets you there.

Still staring at the shelf?

Call me at 417-527-3220 and tell me what you're cooking. That's usually enough to get somewhere. Or come to 212 S. Commercial St. in Branson and open a few jars.

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