Spices and Sweeteners

When looking for culinary inspiration, open the doors of the spice cabinet and glance over your selection of dried herbs, sweeteners, extracts and salts. Use your imagination as to how you might use that coconut extract, thistle honey, smoked sea salt or star anise. Then, stretch beyond your own creativity and search the millions of recipes on the Web that include that exotic spice or hard-to-find sweetener. A well stocked spice cabinet should offer alternatives that can help you turn a dish from ordinary to extraordinary. Venture beyond the familiar iodized salt and squeezable honey and open up adventures in taste with just a sprinkle, a pinch or a dab of something exciting.