Topic: All spices matter!

[Robbo141]

I recently cooked the fool-proof Instant Pot electric pressure cooker Butter Chicken curry I’ve done a number of times. When I came to add the spices I found the missis had helpfully stolen the turmeric and cumin jars to make sure they fit the new spice rack we’re putting in the new house.  I pressed on, unperturbed- it’s just a teaspoon of each, how bad can it be if they’re missing?
Answer: bad.
Even just missing those 2 spices made a huge difference. I tried rescuing a little by adding a good tablespoon of some Nam Pla Prik I had in the fridge (heresy and know, mixing Thai and Indian) and while it added good heat, it was in vain.  I ate the lot of course, but grudgingly to say the least.
We are in the new house now and converting a downstairs bathroom into a walk in pantry so will be fully up and running spice-wise in the next week or so and making my first batch of Taz base in the frozen north of Illinois (where we are getting 7” snow overnight).

Robbo

[Peripatetic Phil]

See my other post on recipes with explanations — if only recipe books stated why one needs to add each ingredient, why it needs to be added at a particular stage, why it needs to be cooked for the stated period of time and at the stated temperature, think how much better informed (and potentially better cooks) we might be ...
--
** Phil.

[Secret Santa]

think how much better informed (and potentially better cooks) we might be ...

On the other hand, think how bloated each book would be if they all had to explain every recipe's motives.

[Robbo141]

I’d read a bloated cookbook if it’d get me to BIR results! 

Robbo

[Peripatetic Phil]

I’d read a bloated cookbook if it’d get me to BIR results! 

That was also my thinking !