Longevity Spice Blend

This blend leads with warm, savory notes: toasted cumin and coriander up front, black pepper and a little clove behind them, turmeric rounding it out with earthiness and a deep yellow color. There is a low hum of dried garlic and onion, a touch of cinnamon, and enough dried oregano and thyme to keep it from reading as sweet. Rubbed between your fingers it smells resinous and a little citrusy. In a hot pan it smells like dinner. It carries no added salt, so you set the seasoning yourself.

It works hardest on things that roast or braise. Toss cauliflower florets, carrot coins, or thick potato wedges with oil and a generous spoonful before they hit the sheet pan. Rub it into chicken thighs or a pork shoulder the night before. Stir it into lentil soup, a pot of chickpeas, or a tomato-based stew about ten minutes before the end so the spices bloom without scorching. It also makes a quick marinade with yogurt and lemon, and a decent finishing sprinkle on fried eggs or buttered rice.

Start with about one teaspoon per pound of meat or vegetables, or one tablespoon in a six-serving pot of soup. Add more after tasting; the turmeric will tint anything it touches, so judge by flavor rather than color. Because it contains ground seeds and dried herbs, it fades faster than whole spices. Keep the jar closed, away from the stove, and out of direct light. A cupboard shelf beats the rack above the burners.

• 2.5 oz jar: enough for a handful of roasts and a few pots of soup, good if you are trying the blend for the first time
• 20 oz jar: the size for a household that cooks most nights and reaches for one jar out of habit
• 75 oz jar: for batch cooks, large households, and anyone refilling smaller shakers
• Decant from the 75 oz jar into a small container for daily use so the bulk stays sealed
• Works as a dry rub, a soup seasoning, and a roasting-pan toss
• Bloom in oil for thirty seconds to deepen the flavor