Why couldn't it be another pair of spices? Why don't most restaurants have little shakers of, say, cumin and turmeric on the table? The answer has to do with taste, the availability of spices ...

For the less adventuresome, the table below suggests individual seasonings for a variety of foods ... Herb butter One stick unsalted butter or margarine; 1 to 3 tablespoons dried herbs or 2 to 6 ...