Spices I

Allspice; Anise; Aniseed; Basil; Bay leaf

Allspice: The not quite ripe Berry of the pimento tree; also known as Jamaican pepper.

This spice, when sun dried, resembles the peppercorn and the early Spanish thought that it was another source of pepper and gave the name of Jamaican pepper.
If processed when fully ripe they lose flavor and aroma.

The flavor of Allspice is what gives it it's name. At a quick thought you would think that due to the name it would be a combination  of spices. It is not. But the subtle flavor of Cinnamon, cloves and a hint of Nutmeg are present. Of course if you happen to be in the middle of preparing some food that calls for Allspice and you don't have any on hand, combine one part Cinnamon, one part Cloves and a bit of Nutmeg and though it won't be as flavorful the real thing, it will do.

An unique use of this spice in Jamaica, is that it is used for such ills as infant colic, diarrhea, bleeding from the lungs and in Women, PMS.

But it is truly an all around spice for foods and is used in Indian Chutney, vegetable dishes, Swedish meatballs, soups and desserts.

Anise/Aniseed: An herbaceous plant with leaves. The fruit of this plant is the Aniseed, this plant has a heavy licorice flavor.
                        Herbaceous: 1) Of a stem having little or no woody structure.
                                             2) Of or related to or having the characteristics of an herb.
                                             3) Having the texture, color, or appearance of a leaf
The fruit (seeds) of the plant when dried and ground or even used whole can be used to make tea--quite refreshing I'm told.

It is also used in  pastry and candy making and also the liquor Absinthe.

Basil:  Also called Sweet Basil, a Eurasian plant having small white flowers and aromatic leaves used as herbs for seasoning as in marinades and flavor in Soups and Stews and dressings.

The sweet basil is used in Italian dishes while lemon Basil is primarily used in Asian dishes...Thai cooking in particular.

Basil is best used fresh and if added to sauce being prepared or marinades.

Also except in the case of overnight marinating, when the cooking sauce, or soup, the leaves should be added at he nearly done part cooking cycle because heat quickly destroys the flavor.
Basil is high in Vitamins and Minerals; 13 vitamins and 8 minerals.

Bay Leaf: The dried leaf of the Laurel; The Laurel, also called Bay or Sweet Bay is a small European Evergreen tree of the Laurel Family which includes Cherry and Mountain Laurel. The leaves of these last two are poisonous. The Bay Laurel is not.

The Sweet Bay tree of Europe has small dark green and glossy leaves.

The Caribbean Bay is used to flavor some foods but it is also the main ingredient in the first known after shave lotion called Bay Rum.

The uses for the bay leaf are many; they flavor soups; stews; vegetables; meats, and Seafood and not forgetting marinades and other sauces. Always remembering to remove the leaves before eating any food in which they are used. The leaves even if cooked remain very stiff and sharp and if eaten will scratch the internal organs that it comes in contact with. in some cases surgery was needed.

More to come,
Dad



Spice

Definitions:
                  Spice: An aromatic or pungent vegetable substance used to flavor  or enhance the taste of foods.
                  Aromatic: 1) That which has a pleasing or 2) distinctive or pungent smell.
                  Distinctive: Characteristic of one person, place or thing that separates it out from other persons, places or things.
                  Pungent: A sharp or strong taste or smell.

An interesting subject, spice, but not at first glance.

In recent years the very word, spice/spicy has come to mean "Hot." Though it is my opinion that some foods should come with a warning label such as "this will burn a hole in your tongue".

All in all a very unfortunate use of the word spice. Especially when you consider that some spices, paprika for example, are barely noticeable to the taste buds.

And also consider that just about every meal we eat has at least one spice connected to it and gives the dish that distinctive flavor so that even blindfolded you know that you are eating something Italian or Indian (Chutney comes to mind) or whatever.

I decided on this Subject of Spices due to an experience I had a few years ago at a well known steak house that had on it's menu "Blackened Sirloin" and in parenthesis "Spicy". I thought that looked good and had in mind a steak that has been marinated, something like teriyaki or some other exotic flavoring. So I ordered that and when it came and I took that first bite I was nearly jolted out of my seat from the shock that was occurring in my mouth and getting worse by the minute.

It was soon obvious that the overwhelming heat had given me no chance to taste the beef flavor let alone try eating the damn thing. I set it aside and got started on the first of three glasses of ice water. That didn't help much as I found out later that water doesn't help. It didn't, much, but it was soothing to my psyche, and I was able to enjoy the company I was with. We had a good laugh over it and I chalked it up to experience.

There are some other oddities about spice, aside from the Spicy meaning hot; Salt for example is a mineral but "Seasoned Salt" is considered a spice--go figure.

Another interesting observation is the Spice Rack you see in some kitchens, your friends kitchens mostly, that most of the bottles are unused and a thin layer of dust on the lids is the hint. But then you look at the labels of these dust gatherers and some of the names are almost unpronounceable.

So, over the next few posts I will sort out these spices and hopefully, by the end we will all know what the H... to do with them.

Dad