Kick it Up a Notch!

15 Points Per Correct Answer - No time limit  

1. I have a very special meal in front of me, and for the side dish I have some boiled crab. I made my own "Old Bay Seasoning" to put on my crab, using this spice. I also used this spice in my Chicago style hotdog on a sourdough bun. To drink I have a Bloody Mary. Well, mine is virgin, but this spice is used in many a Bloody Mary. What spice am I talking about? If you need another hint, I can tell you that the vegetable this spice comes from is part of the "Holy Trinity" of food. What could this delicious spice be? Carrot Seed Celery Seed Onion Seed Mustard Seed

2. I have just made myself a European potato dish. A certain dried seed has been used throughout the dish. I decide to get a special grater to grate some more of this fresh spice onto the top of the potato dish. Of course, I shouldn't grate too much, because too much of this spice can be very bitter! Two spices come from the same plant, but only one of them fits the description. Which is it? Mace Nutmeg Pepper Cinnamon

3. I use stevia as a substitute for something else. What could stevia be used for instead of the "real thing?" Pepper Salt Sugar Licorice

4. I have just added a spice to my dish to make it a deep, rich yellow color. I didn't add much, though, because I cannot afford a large quantity of this ridiculously priced spice. This spice comes from a common flower. What spice is this, what flower does it come from, and what part of the flower does it come from? Cloves, Crocus, Stamen Cloves, Iris, Stamen Saffron, Iris, Stigma Saffron, Crocus, Stigma

5. I just added a spice into a dish that smells like mustard, but tastes like bitter pepper. It is similar to saffron but it is much more economical to use because it is so much cheaper! Tarragon Turmeric Cumin Carroway

6. There is a spice used in Indonesia to make curry powder. I don't live in Indonesia, so, alas, I cannot add this to any of my meals. This spice was once used a lot in the US, until ginger came in and stole its thunder! Now, most Americans probably haven't even heard of the spice! What is this exotic root? Zedoary Turnip Gingetta Spricki

7. I have just added some alkanet to a curry dish to change the color to a deep red. Alkanet doesn't have much flavor, and its main use is as a dye. There is something very odd about the alkanet plant. What might that be? Color Leaves Smell Growth

8. Although the name might deceive you as to its origins, this herb is used to spice up dishes in Germany and Scandinavia. There are even liquors that are made with this herb, and others with a similar taste to it, like anise. I like to use it to make licorice candy. What herb is similar in taste to anise? Epazote Fennel Tarragon Cicely

9. We now come to another anise 'taste-alike.' I use this herb, however, to flavor black beans and other foods in Mexican dishes. Which of these anise-like spices is widely used in southern Mexico, and Central and South America? Fennel Cicely Epazote Tarragon

10. This spice is used widely in Mexico, the Caribbean, and all over Asia, but those in the US have probably never heard of it. The spice is often confused with the herb that comes from the coriander plant, but it is not the same thing. One look at the leaves and you can see they are different herbs. What is this herb I am referring to? Culantro Calantro Cilantro Celantro