13 Condiments I Always Have In The House

I'm a bit of a condiment addict. I love condiments that are concentrated foods especially high in nutrients or of herbal value. Some of them I make myself but for lack of time or space I get them at a health food store or Whole Foods.

Most friends and visitors who know me probably know by now that I am a fussy eater. No, I love lots of food but I am super fussy about how it's prepared, where it lived before it arrived at the table...and I don't eat a lot of food that most people in our culture are obsessed with...like starches.

As for condiments, I am using condiment as anything put on food after it is prepared.

More or less in order of preference:

1) Tamari. Organic wheat free tamari. I live off the stuff. On tofu, on brocoli. You know how some people are wine connoiseurs...I am kind of a snob when it comes to soy sauce. Tamari offers some nutrients like iron, magnesium, ribofalvin and niacin.

2) Mayonaise. Homemade, or organic pre-made...tricky to find a consistency I like that tastes fresh. In a pinch of course, Hellmans. Never Miracle Whip (which is probably made out of some edible petroleum oil?)

3) Maple syrup. If it wasn't enough that it is delicious the nutrients include niacin, vitamin A, folic acid, potasium, calcium and manganese.

4) Miso. I like a good rich miso...again like tasting wine or balsamic vinegar. I like the miso that is made from fermented soybeans.(some misos are made from rice or wheat...) I like to put a scoop in hot water in the afternoon for a "pick-me-up". Miso provides a source of Vitamin K which is difficult to find in many diets. Zinc, copper and maganese are also immune system strengthening nutrients and found in miso.

5) Mustard. I get totally stoked about mustard...I kind of go in phases...I like the crazy hot mustard and sometimes the honey mustards. Mustard is a surprisingly good source of fiber, selenium, iron and magnesium. I recommend a homemade or organic mustard rather than the prepared commercial brands because they have tons of salt.

6) Umeboshi Paste is a salty/sour pickled plums or apricot I love it on cucumber slices. It rocks brocoli or cauliflower too. Occassionally I add it to salad dressing. A good supplement of vitamin C, A and potassium. Cucumber slices with the peel are an amazing source of iron because the body finds it easy to assimilate.

7) Thai roasted red pepper paste.

8) Balsamic Vinegar. I could almost drink this straight from the bottle. Balsamic vinegar fascinates me like many other condiments by it's processing, helah benefits and how it's flavour is affected by it's aging methods. I pick up all kinds of balsamic vinegar but I also have a friend who produces and distributes a brand: here is what they say Our Balsamic Vinegar is produced in a very restricted area of the Modena territory of Italy from the wine vinegar and grape must of organic cultivations of Trebbiano, Lambrusco grapes. The mixture is then stored in roble barrels, a type of oak, and aged for three years through rigorous and methodical filtering, giving the vinegar its unique taste and fragrance."

9) Flax Seed Oil. Yep, I take this in a shot glass with my nose plugged and chase it with a glass of water. It's amazing how it makes your skin look and improves memory and brain function.

10) Tahini. Made from raw ground sesame seeds this is awesome with celery and cucumber. I always make humous and eat it dipping with celery as a tv snack. It's super easy to make with tons of garlic and olive oil and lemon and use a potato masher to smash garbonzo beans.

11) Salad dressing. A little honey, a little salt and pepper any old herbs into olive oil and balsamic vinegar. I love sald...one of my favourite foods. I load salad with salmon and avacado, cucumber and radishes.

12) I am crazy about horseradish. I love it burning hot. Just typing about it here right now I'd love some roast buffalo with a pile of hot horseradish.

13) Butter. I'm totally lying...this is like my #1 favourite condiment. I try really hard to eat it in moderation. I love cooking garlic and onions in butter...the only reason it is last here is because I confuse it with a food group and almost forgot about including it at all. I could eat it like a slice of cheese! I believe margerine is treason!

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