Spice of life (Thankful List Day 17)

The epicurean world would be a boring place without spices. These little buds, seeds and barks that impart an infinity of possibilities to our dinner table. What would curry be without cumin, coriander, turmeric and fennel? A grilled steak would fall flat without a healthy sprinkling of black pepper. Cinnamon rolls without cinnamon? I don't even want to imagine that *shudder*.

I'm barely scratching the surface here without my positively pathetic examples. Different spices and combination of spices have made themselves into every nook and cranny of this planet, thanks to the historical Spice Route, which emerged during the expansion of the Greco/Roman/Ottoman/Tomdickandharry's empires. At that time, merchants were carting cratefuls of these precious nuggets from the East back to the West, via India and the Middle East.

Okay, enough with the historical escapade. Personally, I'd have to shoot myself if I had to face bland food day in, day out. So in honour of today's little spicy lesson, I am going to share a series of recipes that depend completely on chosen spices to enhance the dishes. Perhaps it might inspire one to experiment a little with your own favourite foods.