Additions II: Spice it Up

There are some basic spices that I keep on hand because they have so many uses.

Note: McCormick’s is fairly expensive, but it’s also the most widely available. Buy the in-store brand if possible, since it’s just as good and a lot cheaper. Note that all of these are on my spice shelf; all of my recipes are college-tested .

Red Pepper Flakes

I mentioned this previously, but they deserve another mention. They make pretty much anything spicy, from pizza (Tabasco sauce works well here as well) to pasta sauce to meat. Any flavor is good flavor, right?

Salt and Pepper

Yes, these are obvious. But a lot of people don’t take advantage of the little salt and pepper packets, which can add flavor to everything from pasta to sandwiches to salads.

Minced Garlic

You can buy small jars of minced garlic at most supermarkets for about $3. They will last for a very long time because raw minced garlic can perk up a lot of things, but you really don’t need (or want) all that much. I recommend using it in salads (about a 1/4 tsp, well-distributed) for that extra kick.

Oregano

Pizza. That’s where this spice shines, as its sweet/savory flavor adds flavors that other students can only dream of.

Additions I

This is the first post in what will probably be a series, in which I tell you some easy additions to campus food that make them a lot better. Ingredients that you can buy at the C-Store (Brandeis’s on-campus store – yours probably has a similar sort of deal) are marked with *.

*Tabasco sauce makes pizza so much better
Tomato paste makes the tomato sauce in the dining hall much denser, instead of its usual soupy consistency
Oregano or red pepper flakes impart actual flavor to the dining hall tomato sauce

N.B. If possible, get a tube of tomato paste instead of a can so you can reuse it later.