What's for dinner tonight: the World Spice Rack Tour

Do you have a well stocked spice rack? Do you know how to use it? Are you afraid to try some of the things in there?

Like anything else in life, the key to success with herbs and spices is experience. A lot of guides to common spices and their use try to describe the taste the spice imparts to food. Watch a cooking show: cumin is always "smoky". Not to me. But I would have no idea how to put the taste of cumin into words. Except for one way, the only way in my mind. Mexican! Southwestern! Spanish! Those are the foods in which you've tasted cumin and would recognize it. Maybe you can't describe a taste, but we've all had a bowl of chili at one time or another and if there wasn't a good dose of cumin in yours I'll eat my hat (properly seasoned of course).

You know what oregano tastes like if you've ever had pizza. Some of the herbs are a little tougher. Thyme figures in almost all Mediterranean food. It blends in well so it's hard to pick out. Rosemary is instantly recognizable. A little experience is all you need to figured it out.

In the meantime, let's talk about spices by the cuisines that use them. Most regional cuisines are based on peasant food. Peasant food, rustic food, is not a put down. The average person, the not-so-rich (you rich? I'm not!) took what was available to them locally and over generations figured out the best ways to prepare those foods to be delicious and nutritious. Rustic food emphasizes local and fresh. Why? Because local means you didn't have to pay to get it to you, and fresh means you're buying from the person that grew it. No middlemen.

Instead of trying to describe herbs and spice, let's talk about how to cook like folks from other regions, and how they get their food tasting like they do. If you ask me, that's a much more useful way to look at herbs and spices. You don't stand there looking in the spice rack thinking, "I think I'll do something with tarragon in it tonight." No, you say, "I think I'll make Chinese tonight, or I would if I knew what spices to use." Well here you go.

Italian

Classic rustic peasant food is Italian, so let's start there. It's said the Italians taught the French to cook, and the French perfected it. Personally I think Italian is perfect enough, and easy to make.

Classic Italian flavors are garlic, oregano, and basil. I'm including garlic here because most of us have garlic powder in the

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