Spice Up Your Life!

But combine knowledge of standard gustatory pairings with creativity and your own taste. Some stodgy nineteenth century Frenchman's opinion is not etched in stone.

Herbs and spices are a wonderful way to bypass unwanted salt, butter or oil on foods. Steam your asparagus and then add lemon juice and chopped chervil.

Braise your carrots in low fat chicken broth and then sprinkle them with fresh mint, parsley or cinnamon. Chicken breasts go great with rosemary, paprika, or sage.

For those of you who are less calorie conscious, here is one of my favorites: herbed goat cheese. Take a package of plain goat cheese and mix in three or four tablespoons of fresh chopped herbs.

I like a combination of parsley, rosemary and thyme but use whatever combo you prefer. Then add some chopped red bell pepper, salt and pepper. This spread is delicious on crackers or vegetables.

For a scrumptious hors d'oeuvre, take well buttered sheets of phyllo dough, place a dollop of the herbed goat cheese in the center, fold into a packet, butter the crease, and then bake at 350 degrees until golden brown.

My favorite way of employing spices is in rubs for meat. A rub is basically a dry marinade. For example, brush both sides of a steak or pork chop with olive oil.

Then liberally apply a mixture of salt, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, thyme, paprika, and cayenne powder. Push in the rub with your fingers or a fork, allow it to rest for 10 minutes, and then sauté, broil, or grill the meat.

For the freshest herbs possible, nothing beats planting your own herb garden. It is also convenient and cost effective. I like to plant parsley, cilantro, thyme, basil, and rosemary but many more are available at most garden centers.

Thyme and rosemary I plant in pots instead of the ground. They will last through the winter on your sunny windowsill for a year long supply.

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