Before I began on this culinary journey, I was never a fan on the spice shop. I would take my mum and chill in the car as she shopped. I found that I was being over powered by all the spice smells and its just gave me a headache.

I dabbled a bit a in trying out recipes before I really took to cooking and well it took me almost 12 hours to cook a pot of curry because I had no idea what the Indian spice names were compared to the names I have heard my mum use around me…. never again.

Then when I learnt to cook I learnt to smell spices and not just throw spices into a pot, but to feel your spices, measure with your instincts… use your judgement, if it feels like you should add more, you should. Otherwise if you just follow the recipe by throwing the spices in, without allowing the spices to infuse with each other and the aromas to fill the air and tickle your nose, then the food won’t come to life.

Salt is always tricky, but I have found that if I put the salt in just before I put the meat or the veg in then the food has more taste. Putting salt in while I saute the onions just kills the salt flavour.

Now I love visiting the local spice store, to see spices, I actually have an impressive spice collection, from curry powders to tumeric to western spices to even making my own pastes.

Who would have thought.

I mean before I learnt to cook I thought mustard seeds was the Indian version of poppy seeds… now I know the different lol.

I hope to see you roaming the isles of the spice shop soon.