Momentary Gods

It isn't as if there isn't
a break in every cloud
and outside are the things beyond
the things beyond
the sky -
all that fell over the edge when the world was still flat;
and corners are for catching things
and puddles are for gathering souls
that leak from their eyes when the windows are left open.
I do not need to know you
because I am already there
and you are me already.

You are where you are meant to be.

Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.

Maryland Crab Soup, also known as "the only crab soup Alix'll eat".

2 qt. cold water (or just use broth and omit the bouillon)
3/4 c. diced celery
3/4 c. barley (mmmm, barley)
5 cubes beef bouillon (I have used chicken and vegetable bouillons with no problem)
1 lb. lump crabmeat
1 lb. frozen mixed vegetables (or do what I do and just use frozen peas and corn, or frozen green beans and carrots)
1 20-oz. can stewed tomatoes
1 T. vegetable or olive oil
1 t. seafood seasoning, or to taste (I like Old Bay)

Combine water, celery, barley, and bouillon in a large pot and boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 5-7 minutes, then add everything else and bring to a boil again, then reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Fantastic with some nice, crusty bread, or with oyster crackers.

It's the only season here in northern Virginia that's actually decent. Summer is way too hot and way too humid; winter is bloody freezing. Spring is schizoid: one week summer-hot, the next day snowing. No thanks. (I spend more time indoors in the spring than in any other season.)

But fall, fall is lovely. It's in-between in the way I always hope spring'll be: not too hot, not too cold, and not humid. And we get lovely winds, and still get the occasional thunderstorm (which is the only good thing about VA summers).

And the leaves turn gorgeous. This year's shaping up already to be a spectacular color show, red and gold and even pink. (No joke. Mom and I just passed a bush that had bright pink leaves while out at the library today.)

And all the good food's coming in, and the farmer's market is a riot. The bourbon peaches are back, and cider's back on sale, and life's good.

Dust, then sweep.

Why are the titans never considered gods?

I wonder this about a lot of cultures, where the pantheon of gods supplants an older pantheon (or several). Why are the older ones never acknowledged as deities? Where's the line?

Is "god" a political term, then, and not a term for a type of being?

Strawberries Romanoff.

1 qt. strawberries, washed and stems removed
1/3 c. + 2 T. sugar
1/3 c. Grand Marnier or Cointreau
peel of 1 orange, shredded
3/4 c. heavy cream

Place strawberries in a bowl with 1/3 c. sugar, the Grand Marnier, and the orange peel; fold gently and refrigerate until ready to serve. Whip the cream and flavor it with the remaining sugar; serve over the berries.

Alternately: Beat the Grand Marnier into the heavy cream along with as much sugar as you like; serve over raw berries.

For Mom.

1 c. chopped frozen spinach, thawed
1 1/2 c. chopped frozen artichoke hearts, thawed
6 oz. cream cheese
1/4 c. sour cream
1/4 c. mayonnaise
1/3 c. grated parmesan
spices to taste (pick some): red pepper, black pepper, salt, garlic powder, onion powder

Boil spinach and artichoke hearts in 1 cup of water until tender and drain. Heat cream cheese in microwave for a minute or so until hot and soft, then stir in everything else and serve hot.

This is my basic recipe, and it's way easy to customize.

1 8-oz package cream cheese, softened
~1 c. shredded, crumbled, or grated cheese
spices, chopped green onions, or chopped herbs, as you like
~1/2 c. chopped slivered almonds or other nuts, or ~1/2 c. chopped fresh herbs

Beat all ingredients except the last in a medium bowl with an electric mixer on low speed until blended. Beat on medium speed, scraping the bowl down frequently, until it's as fluffy as you like. Cover and refrigerate for about 2 hours, until firm enough to shape, then roll into a ball or log and roll in the chopped nuts or herbs.

Good cheeses for this are feta, goat cheese, havarti, cheddar, blue cheese, and, really, anything. Don't be afraid to use a combination, either.

Good spices to use are taco seasoning, ranch dressing mix, plain old salt and pepper, or, again, anything you like.

If you want a meat-cheese ball, drop the cheese to ~1/2 c. and add ~1/2 c. shredded cooked meat, like lump crabmeat, smoked salmon, bacon, or whatever you like, and follow the directions above.

This is a yogurt drink originally from northern India. Traditionally, it's unsweetened and has some salt and spices in, but I prefer this sweetened recipe.

1 1/2 c. plain yogurt - I find the thicker the better, but experiment
1/2-1 c. chopped fruit, any kind you like
5-6 T. sugar
~10 ice cubes
optional: 3 T. cream
optional: 1 T. rosewater

Put all ingredients except the ice in a blender and blend until smooth. One by one, add the ice cubes and blend further until they are broken down into slush.

Good fruits for this are mango, papaya, strawberry, and melons, but you can also substitute some lemon or lime juice. You can add some ground cardamom, saffron strands, or chopped mint if you like.

To make a more traditional plain lassi, eliminate the sugar, fruit, and rosewater, and add a pinch of salt and some toasted cumin seeds.

This is a really nice, easily customizable fresh-fruit drink from Mexico.

3 c. coarsely chopped fresh fruit, any kind you like
6-8 c. water
1/2-3/4 c. sugar
optional: 1/4 c. lime juice

Put the fruit and 2-3 c. water in a blender and puree until smooth. Strain through a sieve into a large pitcher, then add the rest of the water, 1/2 c. sugar, and lime juice and stir. Add more water and sugar as needed, and serve chilled.

Popular fruits are strawberries, cantaloupe, watermelon, other melons, papaya, and cucumber. The lime juice goes especially well with the papaya and the cucumber.

Or, Italian pasta salad.

This is another cold pasta salad, and it's a fun one.

1 lb. spaghetti
a little olive oil
1 stick pepperoni or salami (we usually use pepperoni)
1/4-1/2 lb. sliced deli meat (salami, sweet bologna, etc.; we usually get hard salami)
grated parmesan
1 can pitted black olives, drained OR 1/2-1 lb. pitted olives from the deli counter
1 pack or around 1/2 lb. cherry or grape tomatoes
a couple cloves garlic, sliced OR a tablespoon or so minced garlic
Italian seasoning to taste

Cook pasta according to package directions; drain and toss with olive oil, then refrigerate. Cut the pepperoni into bite-size chunks; you want somewhat hefty pieces, not slices. Cut the salami into thin ribbons. Mix everything (meats, olives, tomatoes, cheese, garlic, and seasoning) into your pasta. Serve cold.

Variations: Just about anything. You could omit the meats and add more vegetables - marinated artichokes, chunks of avocado or roast eggplant, green peas, etc. - to make it vegetarian. A tablespoon or so of capers is a nice addition, as is an anchovy or two. Experiment with the deli meats. Consider adding bits or chunks of other cheeses - brie bits are nice, as are chunks of swiss. Add a little lemon juice or a little prepared mustard. Have fun with it.

Today's recipe: crab cakes. These are broiled, 'cause I suck at frying, but you can fry them - just remember to only turn once, and be gentle when you do it.

1 lb. lump crabmeat
1 1/2 T. dry bread crumbs (we really like panko; in a pinch, crumble stale - not moldy - bread and toast in the oven until dry)
2 t. chopped fresh parsley
1 T. or so chopped green onion (they ain't proper crab cakes if they don't have green onion in)
1 egg
1 1/2 T. mayonnaise
optional: a dash of hot sauce, some salt and pepper, some mustard seed or mustard powder, some ground red pepper

Preheat the broiler. Mix together the crabmeat, bread crumbs, parsley, and green onions. In a separate bowl, beat together the egg, mayo, and any spices you like, then add to the crab mixture and mix well. Form into patties, place on a lightly greased baking sheet, and broil for 10-15 minutes, or until brown.

If you like, after you form the patties, you can press more bread crumbs into the top and bottom to form more of a crust.

Variations: Substitute cooked flaked salmon (canned works really well) or white fish (cod and trout are popular) for the lump crabmeat. Watch when you broil these - they may well take less time to cook.

Serving suggestion: Fantastic with some fresh lemon squeezed over them, and excellent served with potatoes or a light green salad.

I love popcorn. It's healthy, it's fast (yes, even if you aren't using the microwaveable stuff), and it's a perfectly legitimate excuse to explode things in the kitchen.

I also love it 'cause you can season it literally any way you want to. Popcorn itself, as you've probably noticed, is incredibly bland, but it absorbs stuff and it has all these little nooks and crannies - the perfect blank canvas for throwing on flavorings.

First, how to pop popcorn on the stove.

It's really easy: coat the bottom of a large pot or pan with a couple tablespoons (about 4, usually) vegetable oil, then add 1/2 c. popcorn kernels. Cover the pan (but leave the lid askew) and turn the burner to medium or medium-high heat and cook, shaking the pan to keep the stuff from burning. When the popping slows to 3-5 seconds between pops (just like with microwaved popcorn), remove pan from heat and let cool for a minute or two.

Your popcorn is now done!

The classic way to season popcorn is with salt and butter. To make movie-style popcorn at home, take your popcorn and drizzle 3 tablespoons clarified butter over it, then sprinkle with 1 teaspoon powdered salt. (You can make powdered salt by running normal table salt through a coffee grinder; normal salt is too big to stick well to popcorn.) Toss gently like you would a salad.

There are also commercial popcorn seasonings you could use, and there are a huge variety: we currently have movie-style butter seasoning, caramel seasoning, and white cheddar seasoning hanging around our house, and I've seen plenty others. All of those can be done without the commercial seasonings, though.

The other classic is kettle corn. To do this, you add 1/4 c. sugar to the pan with the unpopped kernels, and pop the corn in the sugar, following the basic directions above. Some people add anywhere from 1/2 teaspoon on up of salt; you can if you like.

The quickest, easiest way to season popcorn is to throw in any of the hundreds of spice or dip mixes available - and you get some of the strangest, most awesome flavors doing it this way. Just take a packet of whatever seasoning or dip and throw it on the cooked popcorn, and stir! If it's not sticking, or if you just want to, add a couple tablespoons melted butter or a little oil to the popcorn and toss. Some dip and seasoning mixes that work fantastically well:
-taco seasoning mix
-curry mixes
-ranch dip mix
-Italian dressing/dip mix
-powdered/dried french onion soup mix
-cajun or creole seasoning
Try other dip mixes, dried soups, and seasoning packets and see what you like!

My other fast favorite is pb&j popcorn. It's just like it says on the label: take your popped corn and add creamy peanut butter and your favorite jelly. (My favorite is grape jelly, but it works well with strawberry and blackberry jams, too.) You can experiment with other nut butters, jams/jellies, and even fruit butters: I can't think of any that would taste bad.

Caramel corn is another huge favorite, and it's easier than you think: melt 4 tablespoons butter over medium heat, and add 3 tablespoons water and 3/4 c. sugar. Increase the heat and boil for 3-4 minutes (the sugar should melt, and lo, caramel!). Remove from heat, and pour half over your popped corn, toss, then add the rest and toss. You can also add chopped peanuts, ground cinnamon, or chocolate sauce to the caramel corn for more fun.

Another favorite around this area is cheese popcorn, and it's also way easy to make: melt 4 tablespoons butter over low heat and add in 1/2 c. grated (or shredded, if you must, but grated melts better) cheese and cook 2-3 minutes or so until it all melts together. Pour over popcorn and toss. You can use any kind of cheese or combination of cheeses: cheddar is popular, but feta, smoked gouda, and parmesan are also very good. (If you want super-fast cheese popcorn, just sprinkle some grated parmesan and maybe some Italian seasoning straight over the popped corn, maybe with butter to make it stick better.) You can also add cayenne pepper, chili powder, or other spices to kick it up some more.

On that note, you can make nacho corn, a fantastically messy popcorn that can pretty much constitute a meal on its own: first, make cheesy corn above, using cheddar or a Mexican cheese blend. Sprinkle with taco seasoning or chili powder, and toss with diced jalapeno (I prefer using pickled jalapeno for this), some chopped or diced tomato and/or salsa, and whatever else you like; when I'm making it a meal, I usually throw some refried beans and/or cooked ground beef or chicken in there somewhere.

Another cheesy popcorn meal is crab corn: make cheesy corn with mozzarella, fontina, or your favorite mild white cheese, and toss with creole seasoning and lump crabmeat.

There are dozens of ways to use popcorn as a base for a meal, like above; experiment with it.

Some spices that are fantastic on popcorn (alone, like the dip mixes, or with cheese or somesuch) are:
-salt & pepper
-chili powder
-cayenne or red pepper
-curry powder
-onion powder or salt
-garlic powder or salt (minced garlic is good, too)
-celery salt
-Italian seasoning
-taco seasoning
-herbes de provence
-cinnamon and/or nutmeg and/or allspice

And, last but not least, a fun candied popcorn, and the only one to require baking: red-hot popcorn.

Preheat oven to 300°F. In a pot, melt 1/3 c. (5 T. + 1 t.) butter and 1 package red-hot candies over low heat until candy completely dissolves. Cook, stirring constantly, until everything's well and completely mixed; it should look sort of like lava, which should tell you how much caution you need dealing with it. (Any melted sugar - caramel, candy, whatever - is extremely hot and burns like nobody's business.) In a large bowl using two spoons, lightly toss the red-hot mixture with the popped corn (like you're tossing a salad) - do NOT touch popcorn with your fingers! The mixture won't evenly coat the corn and will clump; that's ok.

Place popcorn on two jelly-roll or baking pans and bake for 7 minutes, then take out and lightly toss to re-coat with the candy mixture, then cook for another 7-8 minutes. Cool well before removing from pans, and enjoy!

I figured it was time for me to post this; it doesn't include spices and herbs or any fresh, perishable stuff. It's just a couple lists of things I (try to) keep on hand, that let me make mostly any recipe I want when combined with fresh stuff or a fast meal on their own.

As an added bonus, many of these things can serve as emergency food. If you keep a little camp stove in the house too (I have one around 'cause I camp a lot), everything in your pantry becomes usable emergency food.

Like always, keep what you like and will use.

The last list is some frozen stuff that we usually throw in the freezer and leave for months; it's not technically pantry stuff, but it fills the same niche.

Grains and Cereals
-oatmeal (I like instant stuff; Mom likes real oatmeal)
-cornmeal
-rice
-dried pasta (spaghetti's a good basic one, as is penne, and Mom likes to keep egg noodles on hand; somen is also good, comes in small bundles, and cooks up in 3 minutes)
-corn flakes (Mom actually eats them for breakfast; I crush them and use them as crunchy breading)
-flour tortillas
-tortilla chips
-crackers (Mom likes Ritz, I like Triscuits, we both keep oyster crackers on hand)
-popcorn (you can keep the microwaveable stuff on hand, but the real stuff you get to season as you like it, and popcorn makes a surprisingly tasty - and healthy! - snack; you can flavor it with everything from the standard butter to cheese to ranch dip mix to peanut butter & jelly)
-flour, generally all-purpose

Canned Stuff
Meats
-tuna (makes a fantastic meal when dumped in mac & cheese)
-corned beef hash (a good way to serve this is fried up with fruit)
-canned chicken
-Mom keeps spam on hand, but the less we talk about the spam, the better
-I have friends who keep canned salmon, those canned sausages, canned ham, canned roast beef, canned crabmeat, canned shrimp, and other canned meats; keep what you'll eat!
Fruits
-applesauce
-cranberry sauce (I'm picky; it must be jellied)
-peaches (whatever type you like)
-pears (whatever type you like)
-mandarin orange segments
-other canned fruits: Mom likes fruit cocktail and pineapple chunks, I like to try to keep spiced apple rings or crab apples on hand when we remember to get them
Veggies
-canned peas (my favorite comfort food)
-green beans or wax beans
-whole new potatoes
-yams/sweet potatoes
-a variety of canned tomatoes (we usually keep on hand crushed, diced, stewed, sauce, and paste)
-corn and creamed corn (Mom uses the latter to make corn pancakes)
-beans (black, kidney, baked)
-chipotle in adobo
-black olives
-other canned veggies
Soups
-broth (I keep chicken on hand; Mom usually keeps a can or two of beef broth)
-beef stew (Mom's comfort food of choice)
-chili (I keep Hormel for chili dogs - nothing else works as well, in my opinion - and one or two other kinds for eating)
-chicken noodle and/or chicken & rice soup (our "Help! I'm sick!" food)
-other clear-broth soups (I like spicy ones and beef & potato; Mom likes anything)
-cream of... soups (mushroom, chicken, broccoli, etc; we usually keep the first two on hand for Mom)
-tomato soup
-other soups, as you like
Other
There are a lot of canned foods out there: I have more luck in international-foods aisles than anything. Poke around and try stuff.

Prepackaged Stuff
-mac & cheese (I have a real problem, oddly, with homemade mac & cheese, so I keep this on hand anyway)
-ramen (makes a good fast noodle soup base)
-dehydrated soup (we have a chicken noodle and a wild mushroom on hand right now)
-instant (just add water!) meals (we currently have some Thai noodle dinners around; there are tons of these out there)
-Rice-a-Roni, Zatarain's rice mixes, or similar (check international-food aisles; they have some neat ones)
-Jello and pudding mixes (good for a fast dessert)
-graham crackers or Nilla wafers (also good for a fast dessert)
-granola bars, cereal bars, Nutrigrain bars, or the like
-muffin and cornbread mixes
-cake mix

Dried Stuff
-dried fruit: we keep raisins and, usually, currants on hand, and occasionally dried coconut, but there are so many dried fruits available now - pineapple, mango, papaya, apples, bananas, cranberries, blueberries, and that's just what I can recall seeing
-nuts: we usually keep almonds and maybe pistachios on hand, but there are tons out there
-nori (a tasty snack if you aren't making sushi)
-sun-dried tomatoes
-jerky, for the hell of it
-dried mushrooms, sometimes, for Mom
-dried beans or lentils

Drink Mixes, etc.
-tea (I like green tea and chai, Mom likes anything)
-hot cocoa mix/powdered chocolate (we make our own cocoa mix and keep it on hand)
-instant cider mix
-powdered lemonade or similar (we like the CountryTime stuff, but there are a lot of good ones)
-other drink mixes (instant coffee, iced tea mix, Kool-Aid, etc.)
-club soda

Vegetables and Fruits that store long-term out of the fridge
-potatoes
-onions
-carrots
-apples (if you pay attention)
-pears (ditto)
-some mushrooms
-garlic
-ginger (you can also get candied ginger, which is also very fun)
-peppers

Condiments, etc.
-peanut butter (creamy!)
-jam
-maple syrup and/or honey (both are good ways to add flavor and sweetness to your food; I like syrup on my hash, for example)
-raw sugar, or other sugar
-soy sauce
-miso paste
-chutneys
-bouillon cubes (or powdered bouillon; we like to keep chicken, beef, and vegetable bouillon on hand)
-vinegar (we keep rice, cider, malt, and usually one other on hand; cider or fruit vinegars can be added to water to make a tasty drink)
-cooking oil (olive is what we keep on hand, but others work too; use 'em to make a fast vinaigrette)
-powdered ranch dip, dried french onion soup, taco seasoning, and other powdered soup/dip/seasoning packs (if you don't have sour cream or mayonnaise on hand, you can add these to a vinaigrette for an interesting dressing, or add them straight into other foods, like ground beef, for flavor)
-powdered dehydrated milk (we use it in a lot of baking, and for making hot cocoa mix, but in an emergency it can make, surprise, milk, if you have water)
-coconut milk
-salsa
-prepared mustard (Mom likes the plain yellow stuff, I prefer spicy or grainy mustards)
-prepared horseradish (I like the non-creamy stuff)
-ketchup
-pickles
-chili sauce
-other condiments as you like: Mom tries to keep relish on hand; I try to keep pickled jalapeno slices and hummus around

Frozen
-juice concentrates (if the freezer breaks down/electricity goes off, these can be eaten straight; they make good slushies; our favorites are orange juice, apple juice, and lemonade)
-frozen vegetables: peas, corn, mixed stir-fry, spinach, carrots, other
-frozen fruits: mixed berries, other
-you can and probably should keep at least a few frozen meats on hand (chicken and ground beef are our perennial "throw it in the freezer for later" choices), but if the electricity goes out and you have a camp stove (or your stove is still on), you need to cook all of it up asap. This is why I recommend not keeping more than 2-3 meals' worth of meat in your freezer; you might end up throwing all that meat away.

I really despise onions in my curry sauce, and as far as I'm concerned, it's not a proper curry sauce if you don't use coconut milk in it.

Now that I've gotten that out of the way, here's the recipe for curry paste I use. (Curry paste is the basis for curry sauce.) This is a very definitely Thai-based curry, but you can very easily alter it to taste.

Whether you end up with a red, green, or yellow curry depends on what color chili you choose (basically): red, green, or yellow. All are good, but I use red chilies most often as they tend to be more readily available here. Be forewarned: Thai chilies (Thai peppers, bird's eye peppers) are really small, but really hot.

5 or so garlic cloves
2 chilies (or a couple dried chilies of a kind you like; remove seeds for a milder heat and adjust to taste)
a nub of fresh ginger, peeled and sliced
1-2 stalks lemongrass, sliced, outer leaves and bulb removed (I usually just use a bit of lemongrass paste)
2-3 T. curry powder (see previous post for a recipe)
~1/2 can coconut milk

Blend everything in a food processor, and have at it until it makes a nice, thick paste. (Don't use too much liquid; it's ok to have some left over.) You can store this in the fridge in a tightly-sealed container for about 2 weeks. (If you want a paste that'll last longer, you can omit the coconut milk and use vinegar as your liquid; that's not half bad when diluted into a sauce.)

Optional ingredients:
-some shallots or (if you must) onions
-a couple kaffir lime leaves (usually available at Asian or international-foods stores) or lime zest
-lime juice
-a couple tablespoons fish sauce (yum) - there are vegetarian fish sauces available
-a teaspoon of shrimp paste (never tried this, actually)
-more nutmeg
-peanut oil or roasted peanuts
-cilantro or Thai basil
-a couple tablespoons tomato paste
-a tablespoon or so of soy sauce (dark works best, in my opinion)
-a teaspoon or so of prepared mustard

To make paste into a curry sauce: Add more coconut milk. If you want, you can use some broth (chicken is popular) instead of or in addition to the coconut milk; it takes about 2-3 cans of coconut milk to make a nice smooth sauce, depending on how thick you want it. You can also add some butter for flavor if you like.

So I'm posting my list of spice blends.

See, I hate using store-bought spice blends 'cause I don't know what's in 'em, so I just make 'em myself. There are 14 different blends below; if anyone has any others, please add in comments!

For all blends, unless otherwise noted: combine ingredients and grind to your preferred texture, if at all. Feel free to play with proportions. All spices are dried.

All blends except the mulling spice make approximately 1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) of mix.

Grilling Seasoning
A good basic seasoning for meats, especially beef.

1 1/2 T. coarse ground black pepper
1/2 T. kosher salt
1/2 T. onion powder
1/2 T. garlic powder
1/2 T. ground coriander
1/2 T. red pepper flakes

Blackened Seasoning
Good for fish, steak, or chicken; this gives the meat a nice blackened look when cooked. It's very similar to the grill seasoning above.

1 1/2 t. paprika
3 t. salt
1 1/2 t. garlic powder
1 1/2 t. onion powder
3/4 t. cayenne pepper
3 t. ground black pepper
3/4 t. thyme
3/4 t. oregano

Poultry Seasoning
A sage-based seasoning that works fantastically on poultry, but I've used it mostly for my rosemary potatoes.

1 1/2 T. ground sage
1 T. ground thyme
1 T. marjoram (ground if you want, but any works)
3/4 t. ground pepper (white pepper works best, but any will do)

Seasoned Salt
I love this stuff, especially sprinkled on french fries or other potato dishes. It has some surprising spices in it, but it's very good.

3 T. salt
1/4 t. thyme
1/4 t. marjoram
1/4 t. garlic powder
1 1/8 t. paprika
1/8 t. curry powder
1/2 t. mustard powder
1/8 t. onion powder
1/16 t. dill weed (about a hefty pinch)
1/4 t. celery salt

Taco Seasoning
This is a good basic taco seasoning, and is also good in burgers.

2 2/3 t. paprika
1 T. + 1/2 t. ground cumin
1 t. onion powder
1 t. + a pinch cayenne pepper
1 T. garlic powder

Italian Seasoning
A good basic seasoning blend; fantastic for a quick spaghetti sauce.

4 t. basil
4 t. marjoram
4 t. oregano
2 t. sage

Creole Seasoning
There are as many creole seasonings as there are people making it; this recipe, unlike many, doesn't contain salt. Fantastic on fish.

1 1/2 t. onion powder
1 1/2 t. garlic powder
1 1/2 t. oregano
1 1/2 t. basil
3/4 t. thyme
3/4 t. ground black pepper
3/4 t. ground white pepper
3/4 t. cayenne pepper
3/4 t. celery seed
3 3/4 t. sweet paprika

Chili Powder
Good for making chili and for anything where you want a mild heat; I use it from time to time on fish, myself. It's fairly similar to the taco seasoning, but more intense.

2 t. paprika
4 t. ground cumin
2 t. cayenne pepper
2 t. oregano (ground or not, as you will)
4 t. garlic powder

Curry Powder
There are many variants; this is a good spicy basic one. Other recipes have fewer ingredients, others include things like fenugreek or dried chilies, so play around with this one.

2 2/3 t. coriander seed
2 t. cumin seed
1/3 t. mustard seed
1/3 t. fennel seed
1 1/3 t. ground cinnamon
2 2/3 t. peppercorns
1/3 t. ground nutmeg
1/3 t. whole cloves
2/3 t. ground cardamom
2/3 t. turmeric
2/3 t. ground ginger
1/3 t. cayenne pepper

Toast the seeds on medium-high heat until half have popped; add spices and stir around for a minute or so, then grind the whole lot.

Herbes de Provence
A traditional French spice blend that's fantastic on poultry, fish, or veggies, among other things. Recipes do vary somewhat; I like this one.

1 T. marjoram
1 T. thyme
1 T. savory (can find online if you're having trouble)
1/3 t. basil
1/3 t. rosemary
1/6 t. sage (about 1 hefty pinch)
1/6 t. fennel seeds (about 1 hefty pinch)

This one is generally not ground.

Five-Spice Powder
This is pretty much the basic, or at least the most well-known, Chinese spice blend. It covers all five flavors: sweet, sour, bitter, pungent, and salty. It does have some harder-to-find ingredients, but you can get them in international-foods stores or online.

1 T. szechuan peppercorns
4 star anise
1/4 t. ground cloves
1/2 T. ground cinnamon
1/2 T. ground fennel seeds (you can grind your own in a coffee grinder)

Roast the peppercorns in a dry skillet over medium heat for about 3 minutes, then grind with the anise and strain, and mix with the other spices.

Garam Masala
This is the basic Indian spice blend, and like most basic spice blends, has many recipes; this is a good basic one. It does have some harder-to-find ingredients, but you can get them in international-foods stores or online.

2 T. coriander seeds
1/2 T. cumin seeds
1/2 T. black peppercorns
3/4 t. black cumin seeds
3/4 t. ground ginger
3/8 t. black cardamom
3/8 t. ground cinnamon
3/8 t. crushed bay leaves

Toast everything except the ginger over medium heat (leave the cardamom in its pods) until they turn a few shades darker, then let cool, remove the cardamom skins and add the naked cardamom seeds and ginger back in, and grind.

Pumpkin Pie Spice
The must-have blend for making pumpkin pies, but it's also fantastic for sweet potato dishes, apple dishes, and custards, among other things.

2 T. ground cinnamon
1 T. ground ginger
1/2 T. ground nutmeg
1/2 T. allspice
1/2 T. ground cloves

Mulling Spices
For mulled cider or wine. There are ground variants, but I prefer this whole-spice version.

3 oz. whole cinnamon sticks
6 whole nutmegs (1 oz.)
8 or so star anise (1 oz.)
1/3 c. chopped dried orange peel
1/3 c. chopped dried pomegranate or lemon peel
1/4 c. allspice berries
1/4 c. whole cloves
2 T. chopped crystallized ginger (1 oz.)

Mix but don't grind.

One of my favorite shrimp dishes.

1 lb. shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 T. olive oil
2 T. minced garlic
1 1/2 c. white wine (remember: don't use what you won't drink!)
juice of 1/2 lemon (~1 T.)
1 T. italian seasoning (I use a mix of parsley, oregano, and basil)
1/2 c. softened butter
1 T. chopped fresh parsley
salt and pepper to taste
grated parmesan for garnish, if you like

Heat oil in large skillet; add shrimp and cook until done. Remove shrimp from pan; add garlic to pan and cook for 2-3 minutes, then add the wine and juice, and cook until reduced by half. Then add the italian seasoning and reduce heat to low; slowly add the butter, a tablespoon at a time, mixing into the sauce to create a nice creamy texture. Add shrimp back in when the butter is fully incorporated, then add the parsley and salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with parmesan if you like.

We tend to think of soups as hot foods, but they aren't necessarily. This is one of my favorite cold soups, and incidentally, one of my favorite cherry recipes.

1 16-oz. can pitted sour red pie cherries
1 1/2 t. cornstarch
1/2 c. cold water
1 T. sugar
2 T. lemon juice
1 c. sour cream

Drain the cherry liquid into a medium pot; set the cherries aside. In a small bowl, combine the cornstarch and water and mix well; pour into the pot and heat to boiling. Boil for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Stir in sugar and lemon juice, then remove from heat and pop in the fridge. When it's all cool, whisk in the sour cream and add the drained cherries. (Sometimes I puree the cherries before adding, for a smoother texture.)

Serve well-chilled.