Question
DAVID EICHENBERGER
I'm noticing many of my whole food plant based recipes turn out flat, lacking flavor. Any thoughts on how to perk up my meals?
Answer
I'm gonna just, you know, emphasize for you, David, uh, to start to explore, uh, and, and, uh, deepen your, uh, understanding and usage of, uh, spices. Um, you know, usually in combination with other spices, uh, you know, in the form of a, a blend, uh, or it could just be singularly, um, maybe you're just adding one or two in a whole form, so it's something rather, rather simple. Um, and then there's fresh herbs as well. And, um, so in terms of spices, um, uh, you know, take your cue again from the global, uh, world of, of, uh, of, of recipes and, and ingredients. Uh, many of the spices that we work with originate in South Asia, uh, in India. Uh, also, uh, if we take a, uh, a, a swing around to the east, uh, into parts of Southeast Asia and Indonesia, um, that really, uh, uh, provides the focus, uh, of the, the spice regions. And so, take a look at those recipes and, uh, not that you have to continue making Indian recipes from here on out, but, uh, just learn to, uh, to, to combine those spices. Also, consider going down to a South Asian or an Indian grocery store and experimenting with some of the spice blends that are available. There are, uh, dozens, uh, to choose from. Uh, some of them are labeled as being specific, uh, for particular dishes or preparations, but that's not to say you can't use that blend for something else, uh, you know, which I find myself doing, uh, from time to time here at home. So, uh, check out that beautiful, uh, aromatic and flavor for world of spices. On the note of, uh, fresh herbs, um, if you're able to grow your herbs, uh, even in a very simple, you know, potted garden arrangement, uh, that's a wonderful, uh, way to have access to fresh herbs. Uh, not to mention economical too. Um, you know, I, I find small packets of, uh, organically grown, you know, certified organic herbs around here, uh, you know, to be a few dollars, uh, you know, for a single pack, whereas you can just, uh, step out onto your veranda or your porch and, um, you know, enjoy the, the bounty of your harvest, especially during this time of the year.
