I used to pooh-pooh spice blends. Yes, I was that stupid.
My reasoning was three-fold. When I was growing up:
- Most “spice blends” were just with some seasonings tossed in to bump up the price.
- I never knew what was in a pre-packaged “spice blend.”
- They were pretty awful.
In addition, nothing bugs me more than a recipe that tells me to go out and buy something I can make at home. Like all those chicken noodle soup recipes that say “add 16 ounce can of chicken broth.” Come on! I want to cook, not assemble! And so, swathed in my righteous purism, I eschewed any and all “spice blends,” casting them out into the wilderness where the lesser creatures could partake of them.
Then I went to live overseas, and my world changed.
(Hint: There’s a recipe after the jump.) (more…)