Herb and Spice WC 440

Herb and Spice
WC
440

I love using herbs and spices in my cooking. Flavors are enhanced, and the body benefits from ingesting them. The list goes on and on of the benefits, but that’s not why I’m here. I am here to share a day in the life…

My husband, Sam, pushed his plate away, food untouched.

I resisted the urge to dump the plate of spaghetti on his head. I had worked so hard to make the meal tasty without the benefits of culinary enhancements.

"Aren't you hungry, dear?" I said instead.

"Starved. But that spaghetti is so tasteless."

"The magic comes from two things you won't let me add, herbs and spices."

"Sounds like a song and dance act. "

My husband is a laugh and a half; he knows nothing about cooking but constantly mocks my attempts to delight his palate.

I folded my arms and just stood there waiting for the humor to subside.

"Okay, I'll bite,” Sam said, brow furrowed. “Educate me, Carol. What would you have added to make this spaghetti sauce taste better?"

I hadn't cooked with herbs and spices in so long that I had trouble remembering what I used to add to spaghetti sauce.

"My mother's recipe had oregano, basil, thyme, red pepper flakes, and garlic, lots of garlic. Oh, and just a pinch of sugar to cut the acid."

I could remember the heavenly aroma as the sauce simmered. The memory made my mouth water.

“Sugar is not a spice, Carol.”

I picked up my phone and looked it up.

“This is right off the Internet not out of my mind,” I said, and then proceeded to read from the article on sugar.

“Sugar was first considered a spice in the early 9th Century when it was used as a way to add sweetness and flavor to foods. Sugar began to be used more widely in the 12th Century when Crusaders brought it back from the Holy Land. It became increasingly popular in Europe over the next few centuries, and by the 16th century, sugar was an important part of many European diets—"

“Okay, okay.”

"These herbs and spices are what make foods tasty," I said as I touched his hand. "Do you want me to add some herbs and spices and simmer the sauce overnight? We can have it tomorrow for dinner."

"What will we eat tonight?"

"Oatmeal."

“Talk about boring, Carol."

" Not once I add cinnamon, nutmeg, and a dash of cardamom, Sam," I said as I poured the organic oatmeal into a measuring cup and started the water boiling.

“Okay, I get it, Carol. Herbs and spices rule.”

“Yes, Sam, herbs and spices rule."