Best herb, spices & seasoning gifts according to redditors

It sounds like you are still using your baby taste buds. As children, we use condiments to make things more palatable to our developing taste buds. This is why kids don't like vegetables, their taste buds are still developing and broccoli actually tastes super bitter to them. Is it possible you haven't given unsauced food a solid shot? Experience the flavors of the food itself.

That being said, I'm a BBQ sauce addict. I can't eat french fries or chicken nuggets without using half a bottle of Sweet Baby Ray's. It's just so good. So instead of cutting back on my sauce, in order to keep my meals lower calorie and all around better for me, I cut back on how often I eat french fries and chicken nuggets. Most ready made food isn't good on it's own, and they are loaded with unnecessary calories. Topping your hot pockets with ranch is just adding to the fattening factors of your meal.

So all that included, here are my suggestions for snacks. Vegetables dipped in hummus (a little goes a long way). Looking for something sweet? Fruit. There is fat free caramel sauce you can dip apples into, sprinkle a bit of sugar on some berries, etc. If you need something more filling, make some pasta. Learn to make a basic cheese sauce and a basic marinara sauce. Buy yourself a set of spices like these and start trying different combinations. Find what tastes good to you.

Sainsbury's Basics for 25p and then add half a teaspoon of Vegeta. Exact same thing as Super Noodles for a fraction of the price.

Mine is kind of similar!

I usually have frozen rice on hand, so I'll nuke a portion of it in the microwave for 2 min with an egg cracked in. Sprinkle some katsuo fumi furikake and green onion, drizzle some sesame oil, and drip a small amount of soy sauce (the furikake has some saltiness to it) on the rice. If I'm feeling naughty, I'll put a pat of butter on the hot rice to add some extra unctuous-ness. Stir it all up and eat with a side of kimchi!

Oh dear, I'm making myself drool...

Note: these seasonings are also great in a bowl of steel cut oats for a savory Asian-inspired breakfast!

Furikake is rice topping, there are many types.

I really like red shiso furikake but it's a bit different. The one in the picture looks like katsuobushi furikake.

eg:
http://www.amazon.com/Katsuo-Fumi-Furikake-Rice-Seasoning/dp/B0001RIS5G

/u/buck54321 's Cold Ramen

Ingredients

• 1 - 3.5 oz. package Sapparo Ichiban ramen, original flavor (Other brands may work, but this is the one I use)
  
  
• Soy sauce
  
  
• 1 T. white vinegar
  
  
• Ice
  
  
• 1/2 t. sesame oil
  
  
• 4 to 6 leaves of cabbage, Napa cabbage or bok choi
  
  
• 1 small turnip
  
  
• 1 large egg
  
  
• Rice seasoning
  
  
• 1/2 a medium sized tomato
  
  
• a couple inches of a standard cucumber, a little more if using the thin seedless kind
  
  
• a radish, preferably a milder variety if available in your area or garden
  
  
• (optional) Ground cayenne pepper
  
  
• (optional) ham, steak, or chicken
  
  
• (optional) 1 hot pepper
  
  Start about 3 1/2 cups of water in a medium sauce pot.
  
  Grab a large bowl. Add vinegar, 1/2 T. soy sauce, and seasoning packet from ramen noodles. Set aside. This will be your broth.
  
  While waiting for the water to boil, grab another medium sauce pot or small frying pan and add sesame oil and up to a tablespoon of soy sauce. Cut up cabbage and turnips into reasonably sized strips for a single bite. If using Napa or bok choi, separate the more delicate green leaves and add these later in the frying process. If you desire some heat, cut and de-seed a hot pepper. Add to pan and cover. Fry over medium low heat for about 5 minutes. Remove cover and increase heat to medium. Fry until all liquid is evaporated and you have just started to form a brown layer on the bottom of the pan. It should begin to give off a nutty aroma. Remove veggies from pan and stick them in the freezer to cool. Add a dash of water to the hot pan and add the deglaze to the broth bowl.
  
  Begin heating frying pan over medium heat. Allow it to get good and hot. Scramble egg with 1/2 t. soy sauce and a few dashes of rice seasoning. Do not scramble too hard. The eggs are better if they are a little flat. Add egg all at once to frying pan and fry into an egg patty. Once eggs have solidified, smash them down with the spatula to flatten them by squeezing out the air. Fry to a nice golden brown on each side. Remove from pan and stick in the freezer.
  
  Around this time, I will usually have a good boil going in the water. Remove 2/3 cup of boiling water and add to the broth bowl. Add noodles to remaining boiling water and set a timer for 4 minutes (not 3 minutes as the package calls for). Stir noodles a couple times during cooking. Add a good amount of ice to the hot broth and stir to cool. Leave ice in until just before assembling all ingredients. Side note: I have asked myself many times why I boil the water just to cool it back down. Why don't I just add cold water. While I still do debate this sometimes, I have come up with the following. Boiling the water removes any chlorination or other off flavors that might be in my municipal water supply. It also ensure quick and complete dissolving of the seasoning.
  
  While your noodles cook, cut up the tomato, removing any excess seeds (the texture of the seedy goo is not great in the ramen). Cut up the cucumber, removing the skin and seeds. Cut up the radish into small slivers or strips.
  
  If using ham or other meat, it should be pre-cooked, cold, and ready to cut. Do that now.
  
  Once your timer goes off, remove noodles and cool under cold water using a strainer.
  
  Assemble all things. Add some cayenne if you'd like. Enjoy.

duuuude, i know or i knew of a west African store over on Grand river and lasher. i don't know if they are still open or not. But i think there are plenty of African people that shop at the asian market near me so i can ask there. Amazon has this. Pinch Spice Market, Ethiopian Berbere, 16 Ingredient Organic African Spice https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01I3TRZPM/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_.KKWAbH0YFTXG

>I noticed an item close to $70 is being G sold on the official website for $43.99

>This is the product
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0153WEOFG/ref=cm_sw_r_other_apa_doHPyb76NMXA4

>I bought this for my dad for Christmas. Found out the pricing error. Bought it from the official website and got my refund from Amazon. Why does Amazon allow this?

It's not a pricing error, that's how retail works. Buy, then sell for more. That's how Amazon makes money.

It might just be a Vietnamese thing https://www.amazon.com/Tanisa-Shrimp-dipping-fruits-seasoning/dp/B07PYXZCC4/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8

No thyme used in this blend: https://www.amazon.com/Spice-Way-Traditional-substitute-Perservatives/dp/B078NKQRXB/ref=sr_1_5?keywords=zatar&qid=1571413437&sr=8-5

This might come in handy. You can find it in most larger grocery stores (in the US, anyway).

Meat rub and spices

Grow your own chilli's

Amazon has it.

Big macaroni salad. Make a bag of elbow macaroni, chop up some tomatoes, green onions, peppers, cucumbers, boiled egg, cheddar cheese. Mix in some Miracle Whip and some sort of seasoning (something like this is good: Garlic & Bell Pepper )

Matt Franko's act debunked:

Though he had a simple act, the delivery was stellar. Here's how it went down.

1. The carton contained water and only water in it.
   
2. The cups had the powdered forms of the different drinks he made. If you look carefully, every time he lifted a cup, he made sure to cover the bottom portion of the cup. Probably because they had the powders in them.
   
3. Franko just added water and they changed color. After they sat for a little, they fully saturated and became the drinks.
   
   Links to the powdered products:
   
   First he did milk: https://www.amazon.com/Peak-Whole-Milk-Powder-900-Grams/dp/B004K0862K
   
   Then orange juice: https://www.amazon.com/Orange-Juice-Powder-LBS-907/dp/B006JSPE9O
   
   Then red wine: https://www.nutricargo.com/red-wine-powder?language=en&currency=USD
   
   Then plain water.
   
   Then beer: https://www.amazon.com/Chef-Cheries-Powder-Pound-Plastic/dp/B00BBX6CPC
   
   And finally, lemonade: https://www.amazon.com/Country-Time-Flavored-Lemonade-Canister/dp/B00FN6HK9U

I bought this one I was trying to recreate a lentil recipe from my local Ethiopian restaurant. Mine tasted similar, but mine was just much more spicey.

Rouxbe is an online cooking school and GREAT. My high school paid for everyone in cooking class to have one and they are highly educational and you could learn literally anything you need or want to know. I looked it up and it's a bit pricey ($299 initial fee and $5 every month after wards) However the better you can cook yourself the more inclined you'll probably be to eat at home. Get more comfortable in the kitchen, watch foodnetwork so you can see the techniques people are using. If you have no idea what to cook, find a few ingredients in your kitchen and look up a recipe with those ingredients.
I also feel like having a good spice cabinet is ESSENTIAL lol. You can get a beginner spice set from amazon that has most of the spices you will need in day to day cooking example
Get a cook book and aim to make one thing from the book a week. Any of Rachel ray's 30 minute cook books are easy and fast. Good luck with your new lifestyle!

I'd just hit the spice aisles at my local markets and buy the things on sale as they come up. But if you want a bunch at once, Amazon has some. http://www.amazon.com/Ultimate-Organic-Starter-Spice-Gift/dp/B00JLS221C/ref=sr_1_2_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1464041127&sr=8-2&keywords=spices

I used this spice mix https://www.amazon.in/Keya-Piri-80g/dp/B00LN86NE0 and it turns out better than any Maggi I've ever had. (Boil oats in minimal water + Add spice mix towards end)

Optionals : Saute Onion Garlic in oil before; Dash of honey towards the end

You could always just buy powders or flakes and add them Mrs. Renfro's.

amazon gift pack

sonoran spice company

that ghost pepper grinder from Trader Joe's

If he drinks, there are some nice handmade decanters for under your budget. If he loves to cook, what about some gourmet spices/salts?

something like This

I'm on a similar track. I eat a lot of eggs now, and yeah those have a decent amount of fat, but they're super filling. My other biggest protein sources are beans, lentils, whey powder, greek yogurt, all of which are virtually fat-free.

A couple meal options:

"Bean mash huevos taco salad":

• 5 oz bean mash (i make it with nonfat refried beans, black beans, onion, tomato, spices. sizzle the diced onion and tomato; add beans to heat 'em up and mix spices in. 5 minutes, i always have some around)
  
  
• salsa, hot sauce
  
• 2 fried eggs (spray on oil will keep the fat down)
  -1 oz cheddar, shredded
  
• crunchy greens
  
  Misir Wot
  
  

• 2tbsp berbere seasoning (this one is fine on amazon)
  
• a whole bag of dried lentils (soaking overnight makes them less gassy; or just go for it by boiling them on the spot)
  
  
• diced onion
  
  
• 1 can diced tomatoes
  
  Boil the lentils till they're soft. In a big saucepan, saute onion then add tomato, cook down a bit, then add all the cooked lentils, mix in the berbere seasoning, then blend it all together. It's spicy, delicious, filling, and ridiculously healthy. Salt to taste.
  
  My other advice-- if you're not overshooting your calories, just embrace the fat if you need to get that protein! Probably better than carbs.

I made misir wot today, which is an Ethiopian red lentils dish.

• med onion, diced
  
• 2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
  
• 1-2 tablespoons berbere
  
• 2 - 2 1/2 cups of water
  
• 1/2 can of tomato paste
  
  Saute the onions in oil (or you can water saute them as I did) til translucent. Add the garlic and saute for a couple of minutes. Add the tomato paste and the berbere and cook for two or three minutes. If it is too thick, add a little water. Salt as needed.
  
  Clean the red lentils and add to the onion/garlic/berbere mix with 2 cups of water. Stirring occasionally, simmer for 15-20 minutes or till lentils are cooked. You may need to add water if it cooks away too quickly.
  
  Since I didn't have injera (and don't know how to make it yet), I ate it with brown rice on the side.
  
  I've eaten misir wot many times, but only at restaurants. Today was my first time to make it, and I'm happy with it!

I have mixed feelings about the Costco tri-tips. For one, they are blade tenderized, which I generally avoid. There is increased risk of food contamination with blade tenderization, however I consider it an acceptable risk (similarly, I am willing to cook burgers medium to medium rare). Your mileage may vary, and I would not recommend it if cooking for young children, the elderly, or immunocompromised.

I also had to trim a decent amount of silverskin from one of them.

That said, these did reinforce Costco's reputation for selling Choice beef that approaches Prime quality. These were well-marbled, silky tender, and tasted great.

Next time for the Santa Maria seasoning I will ditch the onion flakes and parsley, as I don't think they did anything of note. Instead I will incorporate a small amount of onion powder, switch to granulated garlic, and finish with fresh chopped parsley after I slice up the meat. I also ordered up some Siberian Porcini Mushroom Powder which I will add for an even deeper umami profile.

The Cindy Lou's Black Label Dry Rub was actually recommended to me for pork chops by John Fuelling at Corner Butcher Shop in La Verne, CA. Not only is it a great butcher shop and grilling depot, but they have a BBQ joint that cooks up good stuff and an exceptionally well-stocked beer fridge. If you're ever in the area, stop by and have some brisket and an IPA.

I tried the Black Label on the tri-tip on a hunch, and it is phenomenal. The only thing I will change next time is to use more rub. I was worried about over salting, but the salt content is low enough that I left a lot of headroom on the table.

Mo's Smoking Pouches are the best thing to happen to gas grills in a long time. The level of versatility you gain with these things will elevate your grill game massively. I am still working on fine tuning the smoke output - They tend to put out a thicker, whiter smoke rather than that thin blue stuff "real" smokers put out when you get them dialed in. Oddly, the flavor is more in line with the real deal than the acrid, bitter notes I expect from whiter smoke. I am not sure why this is, it may be a function of the lean fuel/air mix you get in the bags. More experiments are needed. Long burning, thin blue smoke IS possible with these, I have achieved it a few times. Once I get all the variables figured out you can expect a follow up post with a guide. At this point it's my white whale.

I source all my smoking woods from J.C.'s Smoking Wood Products. He has an excellent selection and the wood is always high quality, consistently sized, and properly dried. I have also had some above and beyond customer service from Jay. He is a good dude and backs his products up. I especially recommend trying out the Wild Black Cherry wood. If you've never messed around with cherrywood the flavor from this stuff is mind blowing.

I think that about sums it up. My hope is that there's enough info here to get folks cooking with woodsmoke on their gasser with nothing more than this guide. Please let me know if you have any questions or comments, and happy grilling!

Flatiron Pepper Co, Premium Chile Flake Blends Gift Set. Four Pepper Red, Hatch Valley Green, Dark and Smoky Chipotle https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07H23NTVG/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_MNoNDb3PCKYDS

I love African spices, since going vegan I've got quite the spice addiction.

Berbere I get a lot of them from Amazon.

There is also this place: https://dualspices.com/spices/ they have everything under the sun.

Happy Cake Day!

Imma hook you up! First off, meeting people is not hard, but I'm gonna roll with the idea that you just aren't comfortable striking up a conversation with strangers. That's ok, but i find that people are generally friendlier than you expect.

Anyway, first things first, head over to Amazon and buy THIS I have the same one. If you reseal the bags well, they will last FOREVER. Open the box, smell them all (waft, DON'T stick your nose directly over an open bag of fine powder! ;-) As you use the various spices, you can get a feel for what you like and what you don't and restock on the stuff you like.

Once you have the spices, head out to your favorite cooking website like allrecipies.com or food.com and look for something that looks good to you, and is highly rated. Here's a good starter curry that will use some of the spices from your magic box. Also you can search subreddits like /r/FoodPorn/ /r/Cooking/ or /r/IndianFood/

Lastly you can check you local community collage or institution of learning to see if weekend cooking courses are offered. These are super fun, you meet people, and come away with new ideas.

THEN, when YOU are the one making things smell awesome, you can knock on the door of your neighbors and ask them if they can spare a teaspoon of turmeric! Boom, introduction succeeded, segue into a discussion of favorite curries!

Anyone can cook!