Perhaps. But I don’t fucking care.
What are the herbs and spices you use all the time? You know, the go-to-can’t-cook-without-them ones. Your desert island selection.
Besides the obvious kosher salt and fresh black pepper, I think the two straight spices I use ALL the time are freshly grated nutmeg and thyme. But there are three others that I have come to realize I cannot cook without.
And, no, I am not on their payroll. Although Himself is always after me to monetize my blog (yeah, right, with all three people who read it…)
But seriously – I use Sunny Paris with eggs, scrambled or poached/en cocotte. It is exquisite: échalotes et fines herbes. Yum.
And the Buttermilk – besides the obvious (our dairy-free chipotle ranch dressing for taco salads), it is the secret ingredient in my cauli mash, which is our new Bill-friendly version of mashed potatoes that we eat at least twice a week.
But the star, the star of this little triology of corporate happiness is the Tuscan Sunset. It turns ground turkey and tomatoes in to an absolutely fantastic sauce. Every time. Brown the meat and some onion. Deglaze with a little wine. Add the TS and some San Marzano tomatoes. Twenty minutes and you’re in heaven. Promise.
Are these a little spendy – yeah. But they last a ways. And, to have all the ingredients in Tuscany on hand would be more expensive than just getting the jar.
One of these days I’ll post the how to for the mash and the sauce. In the meantime, ya’ll know I’m a huge proponent of cook it yourself, but we all need a little helper. And these three are mine.
