Spice It Up!

EUROPEAN HERB & SPICE MIXES

Greek Seasoning
2 teaspoons salt, 2 teaspoons dried oregano, 1 1/2 teaspoons onion powder, 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder, 1 teaspoon cornstarch, 1 teaspoon pepper, 1 teaspoon beef-flavored bouillon granules, 1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes, 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Italian Seasoning 
Equal parts basil, marjoram, oregano, rosemary, sage, and thyme

Herbes de Provence
Combine four parts thyme plus four parts summer savory, two parts lavender, and one part rosemary

ASIAN HERB & SPICE MIXES

Chinese Five-Spice Powder
Combine equal parts Szechwan (or black) pepper, star anise (or anise), cinnamon, cloves, and fennel, all ground


Hunan Blended Spices
2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds, 1 tablespoon ground Szechwan peppercorns or lemon pepper, 1 tablespoon garlic powder, 1 tablespoon ground ginger, 1 tablespoon dried cilantro, 1/2 tablespoon cayenne pepper, 1/2 tablespoon mustard seed

Gomashio (sesame salt)
Toast 1 cup sesame seeds, grind with a mortar and pestle, then add 1/4 cup salt

Shichimi Togarashi
Combine equal parts szechuan peppercorns, sesame seed, hemp seed, poppy seed, dried orange peel, crushed roasted nori, and crushed dried hot chile peppers

INDIAN HERB & SPICE MIXES

Garam Masala (Indian sweet spice mix)
2 parts ground cardamom + 5 parts ground coriander + 4 parts ground cumin + 2 parts ground black pepper + 1 part ground cloves + 1 part ground cinnamon + 1 part ground nutmeg

Curry Powder
Combine equal parts ground coriander, ground cumin, ground pepper, turmeric, and ground ginger OR
4 parts ground coriander + 2 parts ground cumin + 2 parts ground tumeric + 1 part ground ginger

Chat Masala
Roast in a pan one tablespoon coriander seeds and two tablespoons cumin seeds, then grind them along with two tablespoons black peppercorns, one tablespoon crushed dried red chile peppers, one tablespoon amchoor powder, and one tablespoon salt

HISPANIC HERB & SPICE MIXES

Taco Seasoning
To make enough for 1 pound of beef, combine 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon chili powder, 1/4 teaspoon each pepper, cumin, and oregano, and a pinch of crushed red pepper

Menudo Spices
Combine two parts oregano, two parts onion flakes, one part coriander seed, one part cumin, and one part crushed red chili pepper.

MIDDLE EASTERN HERB & SPICE MIXES

Hawaij
5 teaspoons ground black pepper, 5 tablespoons ground cumin, 2 tablespoons ground cardamom seeds,
3 teaspoons ground tumeric, 2 teaspoons ground coriander seeds

Zaatar
1 cup sumac, 2 cups roasted ground sesame seeds, 1/2 cup dried ground thyme, 2 tablespoons dried leaf oregano, 2 tablespoons dried leaf marjoram, 2 tablespoons dried leaf savory, 1 tablespoon salt, or to taste (optional)

From The Cook's Thesaurus: http://www.foodsubs.com/Spicemix.html