I have discovered that you need a lot of spices in your spice rack to make a large variety of foods. Cooking new dishes at our house also means attempting new cuisines from different regions. I am finding that each new exploration is also making a dent in my wallet to get the new kinds of spices that tend to go with that regions cuisine.

The nice thing about spices is that they tend to last a very long time, so I am hoping a financial investment in a really good spice cupboard will pay off in the long hall (and trying new spices really stretches my culinary limits). Pepper, garlic and salt seem to be the main ingredients in everything we cooked, but it seems Thai food tends to require a few more items.

Soon I think I will start growing the spice rack with some tasty curries!.