I don't know about you, but I inevitably gain at least five pounds between now and New Year's Day. Succulent holiday meals and the requisite leftovers; gifted cookies and treats; parties and more parties; and wine, beer and champagne somehow never seem to be metabolized during the holidays like they are during other times of the year. So in an effort to keep the holiday cookie dough out of my mouth and off my hips, I'm turning to something a little different this year as gifts for family and friends: spices.

Many of us probably take for granted that if it weren't for the human love of spices, we would not be sitting comfortably in our American homes. Christopher Columbus left Spain in 1492 in search of a shorter trade route to East Asia, a trip financed by the nation's rulers in hopes that it would allow the nation to enter the spice trade, at the time dominated by the Arabians and Italians. However, a miscalculation of the Earth's circumference landed Columbus in the Caribbean, leading to his legacy of discovering the "New World" instead of new and rewarding spice trade routes.

So what is a spice? My favorite definition comes from the UCLA Louise M. Darling Biomedical Library Medicinal Spices Exhibit. While the name "spice" is derived from the word "species," "the word suggests an imported tropical herbal plant or some part of it that is valued for providing color and aromatic flavoring along with stimulating odor for use in cooking and in condiments, as well as in candies, cosmetics, fragrances and medications" (http://unitproj.library.ucla.edu/biomed/spice/). Spices include many seasonings, from leaves to roots and from rocks (salt) to seeds. We use fresh spice – herbs and garlic – and dried seasonings – peppercorns and chile peppers. Really, a spice is anything that you add to food to enhance, change or mask its natural flavor. One of the most satisfying attributes of using spices in cooking is that you are limited only by your imagination. However, the key to being successful in making the endless combinations is knowing the products. If you visit an ethnic restaurant, particularly those known for using amazing spices (Indian, Asian, South American, North African), make sure you ask the waiter or the chef what type of spices are in the dishes you eat. Try to recognize the different flavors. Can you tell the difference between green cardamom and black cardamom? Learning to cook with spices means eating and smelling spices. Then you can begin to create your own flavor profiles in your home kitchen.

To get you started, I've created some combinations that are versatile, fun and easily packaged in colorful tins or pretty glass jars for gift-giving. Tie a favorite, handwritten recipe to the jar with a fancy ribbon, and voila! You've created a fabulous homemade gift that won't go straight to the recipient's hips!

Lemony Chicken & Fish Seasoning
Created by Alyson Browett
Slather a whole roasting chicken with this mixture before cooking. Or mix about a teaspoon with two tablespoons whole grain mustard to make a crust for pan-fried or baked fish. This is a multipurpose spice combination with many uses!

1 lemon
2 teaspoons fennel seed
2 teaspoons dried dill
1 dried thyme
1 ¼ teaspoons kosher salt
15 grinds of fresh black pepper

Preheat the oven to 170°. Cut the lemon in half and squeeze out the juice and reserve for another use. Cut the lemon rind into strips or rounds. Lay them out on a rack set into a baking sheet. Place them in the oven and leave them for 4-5 hours to dehydrate. Break the dry and hard lemon rinds into small pieces and put them in a spice grinder along with the fennel, dill and thyme. Grind the spices until powdery. Add the salt and pepper. This mixture can be multiplied to give as a gift and will keep for up to six months in an airtight container.

Blackening Seasoning
Created by Alyson Browett
This combination has a lot of depth, and therefore a lot of versatility. Use it as a BBQ seasoning, a rub for steaks (a thick rib eye cut!), seasoning for chili, baked chicken, or blackened catfish. The uses really are endless. A favorite at my house was mixing two tablespoons of the spice mixture with one cup of cornmeal and using this as the final coating on fried chicken strips. This is a great party food! (Cut chicken breasts into strips, dredge in flour, then beaten egg, then the cornmeal spice mixture. Fry in a half an inch of oil. Serve it with your favorite dipping sauce, such as blue cheese dressing or a little hot pepper paste stirred into some mayo.)

¼ teaspoon black pepper
½ teaspoon oregano
½ teaspoon basil
½ teaspoon cilantro
½ teaspoon onion powder
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
2 teaspoons mild or hot paprika (not sweet)
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
½ teaspoon granulated sugar (preferably organic)
1 teaspoon instant coffee
1 ¼ teaspoon kosher salt

Combine all of the ingredients except the salt in a spice grinder (you might have to do this in steps). Grind until powdery. Add the salt. This mixture can be multiplied to give as a gift and will keep for up to six months in an airtight container.

Everything-But-The-Parsley Spiced Nuts
Created by Alyson Browett
Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme… Simon and Garfunkel were on to something! Combine the later three spices to create a truly memorable cocktail snack or hostess gift. And don't let your imagination stop you here. Use this method to create your own spiced nuts!

1 teaspoon ground dried sage
1 teaspoon dried whole thyme leaves
1 tablespoon dried whole rosemary leaves
¾ teaspoon kosher salt
2 cups walnuts, pecans, or mixed nuts (unsalted)
2 tablespoons peanut or vegetable oil

Preheat oven to 350°. Place the three herbs in a spice or coffee grinder and blend until powdery. Stir in the salt. Heat the oil in a pan over medium-low heat. Stir in the spices and cook for about 1 minute. Add the nuts and stir them to coat them well with the oil and spices. Spread the nuts on a parchment or wax paper lined baking sheet and bake for 5-8 minutes, stirring once. Allow to cool and serve. The nuts can be stored up to two weeks in an airtight container. Makes 2 cups.

Sweet, Spicy, Salty Nuts
Created by Alyson Browett
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
1 teaspoon chile powder (Ancho chile powder preferred)
¾ teaspoon kosher salt
2 cups pecans

Preheat oven to 350°. Melt the butter in a pan over medium-low heat. Add the sugar and stir until dissolved. Add the chile powder and salt and stir for 1-2 minutes until combined. Stir in the pecans and coat well with the buttery mixture. Spread the nuts onto a parchment or wax paper-lined baking sheet. Bake for 16 minutes, stirring the nuts every 4 minutes. Watch carefully so they do not burn. Cool completely and serve. The nuts can be stored for up to two weeks in an airtight container. Makes 2 cups.

Xocoatl – Aztec Hot Chocolate
Created by Alyson Browett
It's getting colder, and a steaming cup of hot chocolate is always a welcome snack or dessert. Cocoa beans were pounded into a thick paste and made into a bitter beverage in ancient Mexico and South America, where cacao trees are native. Eventually, the drink was flavored with cinnamon, vanilla and even hot chiles. The Aztec emperor Montezuma is fabled to have drunk up to 50 glasses of "xocoatl" daily.

2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
2 tablespoons granulated sugar (preferably organic)
Pinch of chile powder (optional)
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
Pinch of salt
Dash of vanilla extract

Mix all of the dry ingredients. If giving as a gift, you can multiply this recipe several times and include the following instructions: Place two heaping teaspoons in a mug and slowly pour in 8 oz. of hot milk or water. Add a dash of vanilla extract, if desired. Stir and enjoy! Serves one.

If you're still dying to make cookies, check out my article from last year's December issue at http://mbecc.com/archive/pdf/Eccentric_07_12.pdf. Click through to page 12.