5 Spice Powder

Five spice powder is a commonly used spice in Asian cooking. It encompasses the five different tastes of sweet, sour, bitter, salty and pungent. It helps to liven up food and is used commonly in cooking of pork, duck and other fatty meats. It is also used often in fried rice dishes.

3 tablespoons cinnamon
6 star anise or 2 teaspoons anise seeds
1 1/2 teaspoons fennel seeds
1 1/2 teaspoons whole black peppercorns
3/4 teaspoon ground cloves

Place all spices in a blender, spice mill, or coffee grinder until of powdery consistency. Use as you would 5 spice powder in your recipes. The freshness of home blended spice mixes is superior to store bought mixes.

I always enjoy making my mixes fresh.  Another spice mix I use a lot is my curry blend.

Photo by Blackberrylaw (Troy Pickard) [CC-BY-SA-2.5 (www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.5)], via Wikimedia Commons

Italian Spice Blend

Here's a spicey Italian blend of herbs and spices for all your Italian dishes. Typical herbs and spices in Italian blends are oregano, garlic, basil, rosemary, thyme, and marjoram. The red pepper flakes turn up the heat in this recipe but can be adjusted to taste. All these flavors blend to make up the complex, delicious taste of Italian food.

Ingredients
2 tablespoons dried basil
2 tablespoons dried marjoram
2 tablespoons dried parsley (optional)
1 tablespoon flaked onion (optional)
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon oregano
1 tablespoon thyme
1 tablespoon rosemary
1 tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
¼ teaspoon black pepper (optional)

Blend well and place in a sealed container (preferably glass), store in a cool area. Do not store above or near the stove or the flavor will be negatively affected and will not last as long. I use this recipe which is a blend of many that I have seen and adjusted to my taste. Like any spice blend the maker can and should adjust to their own tastes, however, I would suggest trying new things that you normally would not. It has opened the vast possibilities that is what makes cooking and eating fun.