Overall, my food preferences and likings are pretty simple. My family never had a cupboard with an array of various spices and seasonings – just the basics: salt, black pepper (which wasn’t used frequently since my family doesn’t like spicy food), garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, cinnamon, and some interesting beef seasoning to be added to the weekly Shabbos cholent once in a while. This may be just a family thing, or a cultural trend, how Ashkenazic Jews don’t necessarily have an inspired pallet for an assortment of seasoning.

But over the past few years, I’ve learned more about the assortment of seasonings that are out there in the cooking world and, I am a little overwhelmed by the variety. How do you know which spice is meant for the dish you’re trying enhance? I’m not saying I’m boring, have bland tastes, or that adding changes to my cooking is rarely done. In fact, I’m often on the look out for new recipes and to try new foods. Furthermore, I am interested to learn more about these culinary treasures. But I recently learned that more isn’t always necessary.

Two of my friends recently made the simplest dishes. One of them sautéed onions, potatoes, and sweet potatoes together with a little oil and salt. The flavors of these vegetables complemented one another, and it was so delicious that I replicated this dish and added zucchini.

The other friend baked apples in the oven without any additives since she doesn’t like cinnamon, which is customarily added. This reminded me how sometimes we think we need to spice up our lives with different flavors to keep it exciting. Yet, in reality there are times when we should just appreciate the little, straightforward things in life for their pleasant simplicity.