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Spices & Seasonings/Questions Answered by Expert Alan Vogel
| Subject | Date Asked |
| Beef Flavor | 1/30/2012 |
| Q: I have a lot of good recipes for Beef stew, Beef Vegetable Soup, etc. The problem is, they never ... A: Howdy Ken, Thank you for writing. I have found a lot of the canned beef products do have a ... | |
| Help | 7/14/2011 |
| Q: Why are spices added early in the cooking process? What is the difference between a seasoning and a ... A: OK, here we go...lol Spices are added early to allow those spices to blend with the rest of the ... | |
| rub concentration | 6/2/2011 |
| Q: I'm making a batch of venison jerky. In the past, I've always used marinades but want to try this ... A: Paul, You will have a concentration of flavor with a dry rub. That is not a bad thing. I think ... | |
| too much thyme..... | 5/3/2011 |
| Q: I have added too much thyme to my split pea & ham soup recipe. Other than telling me to wear my ... A: Libby, I am soo sorry about not getting back to you. there 2 ways to take care of the problem. no, ... | |
| To much salt | 4/17/2011 |
| Q: I added to much salt in my seafood salad what can I do to? A: Shari, well you picked the one thing that is very hard to correct. As seafood is salty then over ... | |
| Kalua Pork | 2/19/2011 |
| Q: I am looking to try make the Hawaiian recipe for their traditional Kalua Pork. In the UK i can not ... A: Howdy Laura, any type of course sea salt will work and you will not be sacrificing any flavor if ... | |
| Maya Maize | 1/27/2011 |
| Q: Several years ago someone asked you to duplicate this popcorn seasoning. I couldn't find your answer ... A: Linette, Here the answer That I gave to that question. I am afraid I was not very helpful then or ... | |
| BLESS YOU | 12/2/2010 |
| Q: I was wondering would you please explain to me: why whenever we sniff pepper it makes us sneeze? ... A: Pepper contains an alkaloid of pyridine called piperine. Piperine irritates the nerve endings inside ... | |
| sage | 11/25/2010 |
| Q: first time i have used the spice sage dried and in a glass jar.... it is not loose... a little ... A: Howdy Teri, Happy Thanksgiving! It sounds like that it is a little old or was kept close to heat. ... | |
| YOUR SO HOT | 11/19/2010 |
| Q: I was wondering would you please explain to me: whenever we eat food with chilli in it why does it ... A: Cameron, Howdy Mate! Chili by itself normally will not make you nose run. The word chili covers a ... | |
| Seasoning salt for potatoes? | 9/13/2010 |
| Q: I am planning on making some sort of seasoning mix/seasoning salt/spice mix/spice rub as gifts this ... A: J, Blending spices is one of the toughest things to do. Start with salt and pepper in equal parts ... | |
| Jerk Chicken Rub/Marinade | 8/27/2010 |
| Q: I've had it! I have been searching and searching for a wonderful and most delicious mix of herbs and ... A: Miss Caroline, you can marinade the chicken for up to 24 hrs. The longer it is in the marinade the ... | |
| Jerk Chicken Rub/Marinade | 8/24/2010 |
| Q: I've had it! I have been searching and searching for a wonderful and most delicious mix of herbs and ... A: Howdy from Texas, Thank you for writing Caroline, First let me say that Caribbean Jerk is like ... | |
| over spiceing | 6/3/2010 |
| Q: I primarily cook Italian dishes mostly spaghetti meat sauce and I started with 2 to 3 spices but ... A: to answer your question, yes you can over spice. using too many spices can completely hid the ... | |
| turkey leg brine | 5/23/2010 |
| Q: I am going to smoke turkey legs and have lost my recipe for brine. I would like to know if you can ... A: Here is my recipe This turkey brine gets a portion of its salt from vegetable stock. The ... | |
| McDonalds mexican shaker fries seasoning | 5/1/2010 |
| Q: Do you know what is in the seasoning? Or where to get it from or something similar to it. McDonalds ... A: Don, I am not familiar with that seasoning. I do have a seasoning on my web site that is great on ... | |
| lamb chops | 4/4/2010 |
| Q: I'm just cooking lamb chops for the first time and was just wondering what type of seasonings should ... A: Aaron, The traditional spices to use on Lamb chops is rosemary and thyme. Fresh herbs are best if ... | |
| Biryani | 3/26/2010 |
| Q: A: Sandra, Biryani is a Pakistani/Indian rice dish which is often reserved for very special occasions ... | |
| homemade corned beef | 3/25/2010 |
| Q: Am having a hard time finding 'pink salt' here in dallas. some say we can substitute salt peter for ... A: Macayla, I have made corned beef several times and have never used pink salt. I would use kosher ... | |
| pickling spices | 3/10/2010 |
| Q: how much pickeling spice for 3 lbs of cornbeef A: Wayne, here is a formula for amount of brine, this is only the brine you will need to decide what ... | |
| too much onion powder | 3/1/2010 |
| Q: My boyfriend put too much onion powder in a pot of soup he made. Is there anyway to fix it so we ... A: Barbara, I would try to add sugar first. Sugar cuts the taste of most spices. Ad a little at a time ... | |
| Hot Wing Sauce | 2/5/2010 |
| Q: I am overseas visiting family in Denmark. My family and I will be watching the superbowl this coming ... A: Jakob, Here is a recipe that is easy to make and you should be able to get all the ingredients ... | |
| over spiced with thyme | 1/31/2010 |
| Q: I put a little too much thyme in a jambalaya can i reduce it in any way? A: Steve, Depending on how you like your jambalaya, you can use one of three things. Black pepper, ... | |
| enough or not spice | 12/28/2009 |
| Q: I am cooking breakfast for 55 personel for Levee day (1st Jan)and am doing Scrambled eggs. I will be ... A: Howdy Bob, I am one of those cooks that cooks by taste not by measurement. I would say put a ... | |
| horseradish | 12/20/2009 |
| Q: We did add about 1 tbsp of vinegar to 1 cup of horseradish cubes to the processor which helped to ... A: for pure horseradish taste and hotness. you would need to add fresh horseradish not a processed ... | |
| spices | 12/7/2009 |
| Q: what is pickling spice? A: Michael, I am sorry for the delay, I have been away from a computer for the last few days. Now to ... | |
| Master of Spices? | 12/3/2009 |
| Q: What do you call an expert in spices? For example wine has a sommelier. Are there any schools that ... A: Terry, To my knowledge there is not a school or courses that are designed to teach you spices. My ... | |
| To much Seasoning | 9/25/2009 |
| Q: I made clam chowder with potatoes. I added Old Bay seasoning and added to much. I read that I could ... A: Howdy Traci, Adding cream would my first choice, Add 1/2 cup of cream with a tablespoon of sugar. ... | |
| different types of salt | 8/31/2009 |
| Q: Alan: Can you tell me the difference between table salt, kosher salt and pickeling salt. I made ... A: Darlene, The 3 are basically the same table salt is a fine grind where kosher and pickling are not ... | |
| spices | 8/17/2009 |
| Q: is there a difference between pickling spice and whole spice ? i have a recipe for pickles that ... A: Sandi, whole spices mean that they have not been crushed or cut. Pickling spices are normally ... | |
| scrambled eggs | 7/26/2009 |
| Q: what kinds of spices are you putting in your scrambled eggs? ... A: Howdy Gina, I love my "HELL FROM TEXAS RUB" it has sea salt, ground pepper, onion, garlic, and ... | |
| chillies | 6/7/2009 |
| Q: i have 1 big bag of red & green chillies in the freezer from last year crop what can i make with ... A: Alex, Not knowing what type of chillies and how big they are I will give you a couple of things ... | |
| marinade recipe | 5/8/2009 |
| Q: we plan on grilling shiskabobs on an upcoming camping trip. I am looking for an easy marinade ... A: Mollie, I am more of a dry rub advocate. You can use a mixture of salt ( sea salt if you have it ... | |
| Unsalted Rub | 5/3/2009 |
| Q: I am a chef who recently started working for a hospital. I am looking for a beef rub that doesn't ... A: Thomas, That is always the tough one. When you cannot use salt it just isn't the same. I have ... | |
| chili spices | 4/21/2009 |
| Q: Can the spices used in a chili recipe create a chemical reaction causing the chili to "bubble" after ... A: Tina, Sorry it took so long to answer. To answer your question...NO The spices in chili should ... | |
| Grilling with a oxygen-rich hydrogen flame -- good idea or not? | 3/19/2009 |
| Q: Is it practical to grill pork spare ribs using a hydrogen flame BBQ in which for every 1 molecule of ... A: Green, I will be honest with you. I have no idea. I think we live in a world that looks for new ... | |
| wild hog meat | 3/18/2009 |
| Q: Okay, I have to figure out what to do with the meat that my husband got from 2 wild hogs that they ... A: Kim, you lucky girl...LOL I am partial to my rubs at www.bigalstexasrubs.com or any dry rub that ... | |
| over seasoning | 1/24/2009 |
| Q: My daughter has become very interested in developing her own recipessometimes she ends up over ... A: Sue, First I think it is great that your daughter is trying her own thing as I am sure you feel ... | |
| corned beef | 12/30/2008 |
| Q: spices contained in corn beef. A: Richard, spices in corned beef vary as much as who is cooking it. beef is first put in a brine ... | |
| seasoning on market | 11/12/2008 |
| Q: Mr. Vogel, Thank you for responding to my question, and also for the information. I am ... A: Audra, to answer your question, no once you combine spices it is no longer their product. What I ... | |
| PUTTING A SEASONING ON THE MARKET | 10/30/2008 |
| Q: I HAVE DEVELOPED A SEASONING THAT NUMEROUS PEOPLE HAVE SAID I SHOULD PUT ON THE MARKET. HOW DO I GO ... A: Audra, I will not lie to you, it is hard. There are many pitfalls that you will encounter but it ... | |
| scrambled eggs | 10/28/2008 |
| Q: Alan, On Sundays we go to a little cafe & I order scrambled eggs with home fries. The eggs are so ... A: Not much to go on but since you did not mention black flakes, I would first say white pepper. Then ... | |
| dry smoke flavoring | 9/22/2008 |
| Q: I can purchase 'liquid smoke' for my chicken marinade/ basting sauce but I can't find JUST dry ... A: John, you can buy hickory and mesquite smoke flavor from Spice etc. out of Atlanta GA. They are a ... | |
| Popcorn seasoning | 9/16/2008 |
| Q: I am looking for a product that I can't seem to find anymore. It was a yeast-based product call ... A: CJ, Well that is a tough one. Maya Maize is made by Nile Foods out of Boulder Colorado. I found a ... | |
| SmokyCokeyJuJu BBQ Sauce | 8/25/2008 |
| Q: I have a BBQ sauce recipe I want to market locally in the Tallahassee, FL market. Can you provide ... A: Sorry it took so long to answer. The first thing I would say explore all possibilities in regards ... | |
| Course Salt - Pickling Salt | 8/16/2008 |
| Q: Can I substitute table salt for Course (Pickling) salt? A: Dixie, I am sorry it has taken so long to get back to you. The answer to your question is yes. ... | |
| coursesalt | 7/17/2008 |
| Q: where can I purchase kosher salt or the old fashioned course salt? A: Clara, I am so sorry I have not answered your question. You can find Kosher in any supermarket, it ... | |
| Proper Marination | 7/12/2008 |
| Q: I'd like to marinate cucumbers, onions, plus jalapeno, green, banana, & red peppers in some vinegar ... A: Hey Mike, I went to my mother-in-law for this question. She is the mother of all canning!! LOL ... | |
| pepper | 6/16/2008 |
| Q: Is there a way to grade peppercorns? How do I know if the pepper I am buying is good or not prior to ... A: Larry, There are three basic types of peppercorn which is produced from a berry that grows in ... | |
| unknown spice | 5/20/2008 |
| Q: I found a jar of a tan powdered material in my mom's spice cabinet that has a label on it that says: ... A: OK, the first line roughly translated is People of Brazil. The second line is the ingredient ... | |
| yerbanis | 4/14/2008 |
| Q: What is this herb and What can this herb be used for? A: Yerbanis (Tagetes lucida), or Mexican Marigold Mint, is primarily used as a medicinal tea to calm ... | |
| rubs and marinades | 3/21/2008 |
| Q: What is the best rubs/marinades for grilling steak? What is the best part of the cow to grill. I ... A: John, I am partial to my rubs, of course. But with any rubs or marinades make sure you are not ... | |
| Olive Oil Garlic Dressing | 3/11/2008 |
| Q: I would like to immerse some garlic into a bottle of olive oil. How long will it last before it ... A: The international Olive Oil Institute says that it will keep about six months if stored in a cool, ... | |
| Meat cure recipe | 3/3/2008 |
| Q: I need a meat cure & process directions for wild feral hog. I have looked on the web with little or ... A: Sherry, Your question has a wide range of answers as I do not know what condition the hogs are in. ... | |
| salt course vs kosher | 2/21/2008 |
| Q: In my recipe calls for both course and kosher salt. Are they the same? A: Jeanne, Thank you for your question. Kosher salt is course salt. The only difference is that Kosher ... | |
Alan Vogel
Top Expert on this page
Expertise
BBQ Rubs and Seasonning. Types of meats best for smoking, grilling even oven cooking, Suggested recipes for any occasion.
Experience
cooking and catering for 30 years. Native Texan and Licsened Food Manufacturer. Public Speaker on outdoor cooking, sports and education.
Owner of Big Al's Texas Rubs, BBQ Rubs and Seasonnings.www.BigAlsTexasRubs.com
Education/Credentials
My cooking education has been self taught by cooking and catering for over 30 yrs. Have spent extensive time in Mexico and different states that have strong ideas in regards to why their style of BBQ is best.
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