For me it has to be Bay leaves - I pride myself on herbs/ spices but I've tried ( grown even) Bay leaves and wouldn't miss them in a dish. As a flavour, I could also do without parsley - I only use it for decorative purposes, dried. I'm sure I'll recall more...
I would have to agree with you about parsley. I cannot stand the flavour of it. There was a trend at one time for restaurants to serve everything from soup to potatoes drowned in chopped parsley.The other thing I do not like is coriander.
I love parsley, cilantro, and bay leaves. Fresh parsley in spaghetti or pizza sauce is a must for me. I also love cilantro in guacamole. For some people the dislike for cilantro is genetic. Your taste buds either like it or find it to be bitter. One of the spices I use the least is rosemary. It doesn't come up very often.
I have a lot of herbs and spices that I couldn't live without. Cumin, garlic powder, ground peppercorns, turmeric, cinnamon, cilantro, and basil. I use them just about everyday or at least 5 times per week. I haven't used bay leaves. I should give them a try.
Hmmm.... I seriously could not live without garlic, garlic salt, onion and onion powder!!! I use them in pretty much everything I cook so I consider them an essential. I am Italian so I like that garlic taste in all of my meals and really think it adds a super flavor to meats and sauces. I have run out in the past and I drop everything and get to the market. Can't cook without them ! Danyel
