A blend of my own devising, the Five Pillars of Greatness are like the Army in my war on the Allium menace; first in and last out. I use it in some form in over half of the main dishes I prepare. I don't keep it as a blend, I just reserve a section of the spice cabinet for the unground components, and mix and grind them on demand. I vary the relative quantities, but here is a general starting point:   Cardamon: 1 part (brightness and good cheer) Pink peppercorns: 6 parts (central aroma and top note) Cumin 4 parts (richness and breadth) Cubeb: 4 parts (depth and complexity) Pequin peppers: 5 parts (fire and brimstone) One recipe I'll post here because it is both simple and extremely specialized. This one is only good for Taco Bell tacos or similar fast food. Add 1 tbsp of Five Pillars to three packets of Taco Bell fire packets. The resulting napalm is tasty enough on tacos to make sure those grons never come back!

This is one of my favorite spices, and a cornerstone of my Five Pillars of Greatness blend. These berries from Java look like black peppercorns, but with a little tail. Their flavor is somewhere between black pepper and Juniper. Picture what a peppercorn would taste like if it grew on a pine tree, or were soaked in gin. I've found they are a nice addition to the pepper grinder because they seem to enhance the pepper flavor and add a little extra interest. They are less hard than black pepper, although I rarely add them whole, and chewing on one produces a cooling sensation, followed by a sudden bitterness in the center; a flavor which does not come through when they are used in a dish. I buy them in the big one pound package from blessac and I go through them quickly. A highly recommended spice. If you find yourself needing to substitute for Cubeb in one of my recipes, Use black pepper and a splash of Gin or a pinch of bay.