275426 Wed Dec 15 12:19:54 -0800 2004 14 31 Home Cooking 0 1450834 I just saw a recipe in the December issue of Martha Stewart Living for a butternut squash and celery root soup. It sounds great, but the problem is that the only spice it calls for is fennel seed, which I hate. Can anyone suggest a substitution that would work with the celery root, squash and the usual other ingredients (onions, garlic etc). Wed Dec 15 12:19:54 -0800 2004 0 ruth arcone 1 1450839 Coriander seed? Wed Dec 15 12:35:37 -0800 2004 1450834 0 rudeboy 1 1450840 Would caraway seed work for your recipe? Wed Dec 15 12:45:03 -0800 2004 1450834 0 Deenso 1 1450842 Lawry's seasoned salt or Thai Spice blend by Spice Hunter Wed Dec 15 13:06:43 -0800 2004 1450834 0 kc girl 1 1450843 Toast some cumin seed in a skillet and then grind it up. That flavor should work with the squash Wed Dec 15 13:08:40 -0800 2004 1450834 0 Candy 2 1450847 That was actually my first thought......most people don't have cumin seed, so I said coriander. I've been doing the cumin seed toasting and grinding for the past year. I will never buy ground cumin again! Wed Dec 15 13:15:29 -0800 2004 1450843 0 rudeboy 3 1450851 What do you grind it in? I am planning to get a small coffee grinder to use just for spices, but I am afraid that the smell/flavor of some of the stronger spices will linger in the grinder. I like cumin alot, but I find it takes over everything around it. Wed Dec 15 13:28:03 -0800 2004 1450847 0 ruth arcone 4 1450855 I always rough grind my whole seed spices in my mortar & pestle... It's meditative, and i really enjoy it. If I want a finer grind, I add a bit of coarse salt to the mortar as well... then just adjust the seasoning in the dish accordingly. Wed Dec 15 13:35:41 -0800 2004 1450851 0 Fatemeh 4 1450858 a (separate) coffee grinder works fine for spices. after each use brush spices out with a dry pastry brush (or a little cheapo paintbrush from the hardware store) then wipe it with a slightly damp paper towel. Wed Dec 15 13:36:54 -0800 2004 1450851 0 petradish 5 1450864 I use the coffee grinder for dry spices, and the little $30 kitchenaid processor when adding garlic, herbs, or other things with moisture. I still haven't seasoned my mortar and pestle, and I bought it in mexico four years ago! Wed Dec 15 14:10:44 -0800 2004 1450858 0 rudeboy 4 1450878 I use a mortar and pestle for that sort of thing. And yes, toasting the cumin seed before grinding really brings out the best flavor Wed Dec 15 15:04:37 -0800 2004 1450851 0 Candy 1 1450846 nutmeg Wed Dec 15 13:14:13 -0800 2004 1450834 0 petradish 1 1450848 I'm thinking garam masala sounds good... Wed Dec 15 13:20:41 -0800 2004 1450834 0 suzannapilaf 1 1450854 Madras curry powder works great, with a pinch of cayenne too. Wed Dec 15 13:34:50 -0800 2004 1450834 0 Ellen 1 1450871 Just leave out the fennel. The soup will be fine without any seasoning, other than salt and pepper. Wed Dec 15 14:30:39 -0800 2004 1450834 0 PeteEats