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I have a problem. Well, actually, I have several, but they combine to one rather large conundrum.
1) I like ethnic foods. Jamaican Jerk fires up my life, Indian gives me a bit of spice, and Thai makes me sweet and sassy with a kick.
2) I am not Jamaican. Nor Indian. Nor Thai. In fact, I would say that my native dish is probably a hotdog. But honestly, Hebrew National in a microwave just isn’t cutting it anymore.
3) I don’t have the funds to get my foreign food fix in a restaurant every night. One day maybe, but not when I’m a broke college student.
4) I am very aware that there are thousands of recipes for tikka masala and pho and gumbo. However, I am incorrigibly lazy, and most nights I don’t have time for 17 steps and 30 ingredients. Some nights all I have is a boneless, skinless chicken breast.
But, hark! There is a bright side to my peril—I’m easily pleased and my palate is quickly blinded into thinking I’m eating gourmet. And thus, I firmly believe anyone can whip up a dish reminiscent of a cuisine of their choosing simply by getting the primary flavors right. Therefore, I bequeath to you, a spice cheat sheet. All the essential components for a variety of cuisines in one simple list. They may not be restaurant worthy entrees but with a little imagination they’ll transfer you from Boston to Beijing on a random Wednesday night.
North African Food
Inspiration: pastilla (a pigeon meat pie), harissa (a garlicky chili pepper hot sauce), tajine (a slow-cooked stew). Sometimes seen as a fusion of Mediterranean and Arabic cuisines, the flavors of native Moroccan, Algerian or Tunisian dishes are unique and tantalizing blends of the sweet and savory. For authentic preparation, simple ingredients of couscous, chickpeas and meat are cooked long and slow allowing the blended spices of cinnamon, saffron, coriander, etc. to fully infuse the foods (and perfume the kitchen). For a quick foodie facsimile, try tossing some reliable Ras-el-Hanout into the pan.
Spice Mix: Ras-el-Hanout
• 1 tablespoon allspice berries
• 1 tablespoon black peppercorns
• 1 tablespoon mace blades
• 1 tablespoon cardamom seeds (removed from their pods)
• 1 teaspoon saffron
• 2 crushed sticks of cinnamon (or cassia)
• 1 crushed nutmeg
• 1 tablespoon ground ginger
• 2 teaspoons turmeric
Combine allspice berries, black peppercorns, mace blades, cardamom seeds, saffron, cinnamon (or cassia), and crushed nutmeg. Toast in a dry skillet, shaking often, until the spices are fragrant and lightly browned. Cool and grind, then mix in ground ginger and turmeric.
Cantonese Food
Inspiration: congee, Cantonese fried rice, lo mein. Perhaps the most famous varietal of regional Chinese cooking (and the most palatable to Westerners), Cantonese cuisine derives from Guangdong of South China. It relies on mild spices and flavoring to accent rather than overpower the fresh flavor of the main ingredients. Traditional five-spice powder corresponds to Chinese ethos: it is appreciated for incorporating the five basic flavors of sweet, sour, bitter, salty and pungent in a balanced yin and yang combination.
Spice Mix: Five Spice Powder
• 2 tablespoons ground star anise
• 2 tablespoons ground fennel seeds
• 2 teaspoons crushed cassia, (a spice related to, and similar to, cinnamon)
• 2 teaspoons crushed Szechuan peppercorns
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
Combine!
Thai Food
Inspiration: pad Thai, tom yum soup, red and green curry. Like Chinese cuisine, Thai food is famous for producing a balance of spicy, sour, sweet, salty and even bitter in their dishes, but it tends to rely on more intense flavoring. Unlike the dry curry powders of Indian fare, traditional Thai curries are prepared with pastes that are added to meats and vegetables and served over rice. Traditional accompaniments to dishes (so that everyone can tweak the final product to their liking) include chili peppers, rice wine vinegar and nam prik (a spicy chili sauce).
 Spice Mix: Thai Curry Paste
• 1/4 cup chopped scallion
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro or basil or Thai basil
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic
• 2 tablespoons grated fresh gingerroot
• 1 tablespoon freshly grated lemon, rind of or lime peel or minced tender inner stalk fresh lemongrass
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1-2 fresh red chilies or green chilies, minced
• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice or lime juice
• 1 tablespoon ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
Combine in a blender or food processer until smooth.
*Note: This recipe will only last one week after preparation, and should be refrigerated.
Indian Food
Inspiration: tandoori chicken, curry, biriyani. The regional disparity of native Indian food is striking but the western world has mostly combined the myriad flavors. A popular sweet and savory spice mix is garam masala, which can be spiced according to preference with chili powder. Throw some microwaveable basmati rice and naan on the plate and though you won’t be in Delhi, Brick Lane won’t seem too far off.
Spice Mix: Garam Masala
• 2 crushed cinnamon sticks
• 3 crushed Indian bay leaves (or substitute bay laurel)
• 1 tablespoon fennel seeds
• 1 tablespoon green cardamom pods
• 1 tablespoon black peppercorns
• 2 teaspoons coriander seeds
• 1 teaspoon whole cloves
• 1 teaspoon ground mace or nutmeg
In a dry skillet, toast crushed cinnamon sticks, Indian bay leaves, fennel seeds, green cardamom pods, black peppercorns, coriander seeds, and whole cloves until the spices are fragrant and lightly smoking. Cool and then crush. Stir in ground mace or nutmeg.
French Food
Inspiration: butter. (Just kidding. Sort of.) It’s almost counter-intuitive to attempt a shortcut version of French food. French cuisine, especially as defined by the legendary Escoffier, is universally appreciated for its richness and its attention to perfect detail: that carefully added touch of sage or parsley which seems minute but adds a whole extra layer of flavor. Basic cooking procedures are usually performed in complex and precise manners. However, if you do wish to attempt a little “Presto Paris”, have plenty of onion, flour and garlic on hand as you cook, and rely primarily on “les quatres épices.”
Spice Mix: Les Quatres Epices
• 2 tablespoons ground white pepper
• 1 tablespoon ground nutmeg
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground allspice or 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
Stir to combine!
Jamaican Jerk Food
Inspiration: Jamaican jerk chicken, Jamaican jerk pork, Jamaican jerk steak (okay, so my list is a little repetitive.) So many immigrants arrived in waves to Jamaica that the island’s cuisine is hard to describe narrowly. However, Jamaican jerk is a popular and distinct method of food preparation from the island and consists of a very hot spice mix (with a subtle sweetness) that is rubbed onto meats prior to cooking or used as a marinade. There are hundreds of variations on the recipe but the essential components are allspice, scotch bonnet chiles and thyme. Don’t forget some rice or beans to cool the mouth down between bites!
 Spice Mix: Jerk Seasoning Paste
• 4 large garlic cloves, peeled
• 4 scallions (white and tender green parts), cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
• 1 Scotch bonnet chile, seeded
• One 1-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and coarsely chopped
• 2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1 tablespoon firmly packed dark brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• Salt (to taste)
Combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor until smooth. Remember, a little bit can go a long way!
*Note: the paste will only last a short time and can only be stored in the refrigerator for up to one week. Though the paste is the more traditional method, the following dry rub provides a far less perishable approximation of the flavors.
Spice Mix 2: Jerk Seasoning
• 1 tablespoon onion flakes
• 2 teaspoons ground thyme
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley
• 1 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon hot pepper flakes
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 2 teaspoons dried chives
Stir to combine.
Mexican Food
Inspiration: chiles en nogada, guacamole, street food such as burritos, quesadillas and tacos. Mexican food is often colorful, versatile and flavorful. Staple ingredients such as rice, beans, cheese and tortillas are used for many dishes so the flavor profile and cooking style are essential components of different meals. Don’t forget to accompany with some fresh salsa to taste.
Spice Mix: All-Purpose Mexican Seasoning
• 1/4 cup dried oregano
• 3 tablespoons dried chile powder
• 2 teaspoons cumin
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 pinch ground cloves
• 1 pinch ground cinnamon
Stir to combine!
Middle Eastern Food
Inspiration: falafel, baba ghanoush, musahkan (a casserole of chicken, vegetables and bread, similar to Greek moussaka). Middle Eastern cuisine is similar to that of India or North Africa in that it relies on deeply flavorful and aromatic herbs to intensify its dishes. Za’atar is an incredibly versatile spice mix used for, well, spicing up the simplest of foods. While it can be used to flavor meats or vegetables, it is equally delicious, and perhaps more impressive, when sprinkled onto plain dishes of pita bread, hummus or salad.
Spice Mix: Za’atar
• 2 tablespoons dried crushed za’atar leaves
• 2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
• 1 tablespoon ground sumac
Combine dried crushed za’atar leaves (may substitute crushed thyme, summer savory, oregano, marjoram, or a mixture if necessary), toasted sesame seeds, and ground sumac. Grind to a chunky paste and season with salt to taste.
As you make your mixes, remember that spices will be at their most intense and flavorful if you toast whole seeds and grind them yourself. In the event that you are caught without whole seeds, (or catch a bout of laziness) already ground spices are perfectly acceptable substitutions. Finally, do you know what the best thing about these spices are? That you can make a whole bunch of it all at once and then have Thai/Mexican/Jamaican/Indian food whenever you feel like it! The above spice mixes can be stored in a cool, dark place in an airtight container to be used as needed during weeks of relative slothdom. (Or, at least six to eight weeks of it. I don’t know how much longer than that I would keep them.)
Images courtesy of organicvirtues.com, pixieate, and jamaicawritings.com, Recipes courtesy of chowhound.com and recipezaar.com
-Lauren Smith
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