Welcome!

Welcome to the first issue of Pinch and Sprig (not to be confused with Cinch and Prigg)! My hope is to give you a better understanding of herbs and spices, and to supply some easy ways to incorporate more zip into your food experience. I know you have jars of powders and potions in the back of your cabinet that have been there since before Great Aunt Lizzie passed away five years ago.

First thing? Throw the contents OUT. Herbs and spices are sensitive to time and light (just like we humans) and lose much of their flavor (by way of losing chemical compounds and oils over time). Save the bottles. You can fill them with new herbs from bulk bins, or use them to store beads, or bath salts, anything. Use them again. Please. If you must be rid of them, please recycle.

Second thing? Don't skimp on prices. I know herbs seem like a tiny portion of any recipe. But, the truth is that although small they are one of the powerhouses of any dish, and if you spend more for quality ingredients in smaller sizes, you will have much, much better results. Your tongue can tell the difference. Really. It can.

Third thing? Don't be intimidated. Try new things. Add more of something, or less, at a different time in the cooking process. Experiment. Go ahead...PLAY WITH YOUR FOOD!

Herbs 101:
Here is a little movie to watch!



Herb Knowledge Resources:

CNN Health Indepth:Food
Culinary Cafe
Wikipedia List of Herbs and Spices
Low Fat Lifestyle


Come and Get it!
A small list of herb and spice purveyors I recommend...

San Francisco Herb Co.
Mountain Rose Herbs
Watkins Online
Penzeys
Spice Hunter
Nirmala's Kitchen
Botanical.com

Our next installment will dive right into specifics. If you have any requests or questions, please comment and I will get right back to you. Thanks for stopping by for our maiden voyage!!