Spices and Herbs III

Fennel

Here is another herb from the Carrot Family and with a flavor of Anise, but very mild.

It is one of the  spices used in the Chinese 5 spice powder.
Indigenous to the Mediterranean, it has migrated throughout Europe, India and China.

From that, you can surmise that it would have many uses in food, liquor, candies and in Italy it is found in some of their renown dishes but especially the Risotto.

The bulb of the plant resembles an onion and can be used as a vegetable, that is, sautéed, boiled, braised, and in a pinch can be eaten raw.

The fresh leaves are used as a garnish or as a flavoring for salads.

The seed also have unique uses, such as flavoring in organic toothpaste; but also candy coated individually and sold as candy in some parts of the Middle East. It is also used as a breath freshener.

This herb is heavy in the B and C vitamins.

Garlic Chives

Despite the name, the more common name of this plant is Chinese Leek. It is part of the Onion family.

Unlike other variants of the onion group, this plant produces tiny white flowers.

It is the aroma and subtle flavor of the leaves and flower petals used as flavoring in soups and salads that qualify this plant as a spice.

It is also used in making Chinese dumplings.

For me, it is more interesting to note that here in the U.S., usage of this plant is more toward being a decorative garden plant along with other garden type flowers and bushes, rather than grown and used as a food supplement. Too bad.

Ginger (Root)

Here we have another herb that is used almost equally as a spice and in medicine

Ginger usage comes from the root and that root is what is universally called Ginger

It is one of the spices that has been known and used for a very long time; so far back in time that we can only speculate on where or what country it originated from. India seems to be the consensus opinion at the moment. Suffice to say it made its way to Europe via the Silk road and the ancient Romans had a variety of ways to use it.

The most common uses are as a flavoring for such items as Ginger Bread, Ginger cookies; Ginger ale; specialty cakes and as a favorite during the holidays.

In medicine it is used to treat nausea, seasickness and in some cultures, morning sickness for the newly pregnant; although there has been evidence that using it for that problem may cause harm to the fetus (the stage of pregnancy where all of the parts of the body are recognizable; about 8 weeks into the process of creating a new body).

Also, using large quantities of this root can cause heartburn, gas, bloating and nausea.

This root is heavy in Vitamins, especially the B's, with B6 being the most and in Minerals with Magnesium being the leader.

Horseradish

From the family of foods that include Broccoli, Cabbage, Mustard and the Japanese tongue lasher, Wasabi and by that I mean that it is hot hot.

It qualifies as a spice due to the aroma and pungency.

The plant grows quite tall, about 4-5 feet and sports a beautiful white flower. When harvested the root looks like a long white carrot and it has no noticeable aroma to speak of....until you cut into it...then the cut cells produce a type of mustard oil and just a whiff of this will make you think "Oh. Yeah. This is going to leave a mark".

The primary use of the grated form, mixed with vinegar, is what we are most familiar with as a side dish for spreading small amounts onto a cut of prime rib, steaks and Roasted meats.

One of the side effects of using too much at a time is watering of the eyes and secondly a clearing of the sinuses.

The Japanese Wasabi is a different breed of the same family as noted earlier. In Japan it is one of the condiments served with Sushi.

Because the Wasabi plant is rare, it is not exported. What we see here and what is called Wasabi is not. It is regular horseradish with green food color added. But even so, it still packs a wallop.

On a trip I made to Japan I had the Wasabi and what I can say about it is that it should come with a warning label.

Another interesting development in Horseradish usage is the newly developed "creamed horseradish" It has ingredients added that tone down the hotness and is very easy on the mouth parts and it eliminates the above noted side effects. Just make sure to read the ingredient label to ensure that High Fructose Corn Syrup is not one of the items. There could be other added ingredients that you may be allergic to.

Dad

Spices II

Caper
The flower buds of the Caper Bush also known as Flinders Rose.

The edible buds as well as the caper berries are pickled and then used as a seasoning.

While there are also Medical uses, we are only concerned with it's role in foods.

The pickled bud/caper is often used as a garnish, sometimes just a few scattered over a salad.

In Italian cooking they are used in Salads as mentioned above, but also cooked in Pasta sauces and various meat dishes. Try the Chicken Piccata the next time you "go Italian" on date night.

You may also see one on the end of a toothpick in a Martini.

Because they are pickled and Salted, the taste of this herb is wonderfully salty and mustardy.

Caraway
This plant resembles the carrot and may be a part of the carrot family.  As well as Asia and Europe, Caraway is also native to North America.

The leaves of this plant resemble the carrot and in the ground they could be mistaken for one until you notice that they also grow quite high; up to 25 inches in some cases. The fruit of this plant are mistakenly called seeds but this is one of those mistakes that become the norm in talking about or in the handling of it.

This plant, including the "Seeds", have a strong Anise (licorice) flavor.

The primary use of the seeds are in the making of Rye Bread, but due to the age and abundance of the plant, it is also used in Casseroles, desserts (In the Muslim community, a Caraway seed pudding is a traditional treat during Ramada), and also in liquor; Akvavit comes to mind; (that spelling is correct but the generally used pronunciation is Aquavit).

Chives
A plant with long hollow, and when in bloom, a full purple flower.

Native to North America as well as Europe, the stems are dried, chopped fine, and used in as a flavoring herb. Mixed with sour cream is my fav.

Other uses are many; including a sprinkling in soups and salads and rubbed onto the sides of fish for baking and with cheese. A wonderful herb.

Cumin
A flowering plant where the seeds are dried and ground very fine, almost powder-like.

It appears that Cumin came to North America from Brazil and later from Mexico.

I mention this spice because I use it exclusively in the making of Chili Con Carne (beans and meat). I add small amounts at a time, tasting as I go and when the taste and smell are just right according to my own palate, It is ready for the bowl; accompanied by Texas Toast or Garlic Bread.

However, cumin is also used in soups and stews that are traditional in Mexico and South America.

Dill & Dill Seed
A member of the Celery Family. The leaves of this herb are aromatic and used to flavor such foods as Salmon and other fish dishes; soups, especially Borscht, and it's primary use in the making of pickles, which is the curing of cucumbers in a bath of brine and flavorings such a Dill which gives the end product we know as the Dill Pickle.

I also use a small handful and rub in onto a beef roast, along with garlic, and pepper. before baking it.

Dad

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

Introduction

When I wrote the first Cookbook for Single Fathers it was an immediate success. So much so that long after I'd sold as many as I ever thought I would, I still received requests for copies.

The purpose of this blog is to show that anyone can become a good cook. The problem with cook books in general, is that they assume that you already know how to cook and therefore are just a list of one recipe after another. I wanted to teach something. I hope I succeed.

Black Gold

Black Pepper

When you hear the term black gold you immediately think of oil. The truth is that it goes much farther back in time than the oil seeps scattered around the world and for which there was no use for.

Black Gold was used to describe Pepper and given the moniker due to the amount of money that peppercorn delivered to the London docks, from the far off spice islands of Indonesia, could be sold for.

Dad

AROMA



Definitions:

Aroma: Anything giving off a sweet smelling fragrance.
Fragrant: Pleasant smell.

If you have a cold and can't smell, it is also true that you can't taste either.
Occasionally when reading a book describing food or watching the food channel or perhaps a TV movie about the holidays and it's attending dinner, you find your mouth watering and especially the scene where someone takes a bite and says something like Wow! or Oh my God! or I can't believe this; all wonderful to hear or read about but I've yet to hear anyone mention the smells.

Here are a couple of examples:
Imagine again, the trail drive: It's the end of the days drive, the cattle are watering and beginning to graze, some already bedding down in the gathering dusk. A cowboy, the first to finish turning his horse out to the Remuda walks into the Chuck Wagon area and not looking at anything, immune to the strong smell of cattle and dust still hanging in the air, gets an image of the cooking fire now reduced to a long bed of glowing coals, he knows from the smell of coffee that there would be two large coffee pots beginning to boil, stomach growls; along with that the tang of fresh sourdough biscuits but not noticing "cookie" removing them from the still hot dutch oven he gets another slight odor of Beef and Beans and his stomach gives another flip and still he hasn't laid eyes on any of the food. Just those wonderful aromas.

Another:
Thanksgiving day, anywhere USA.
Something waking you up in the morning; Coffee aroma-strong; later in the day, something baking; Bread or rolls maybe and still later, the unmistakable smell of Roasting Turkey.
By this time it would be halftime at the game you are watching on TV...probably the Detroit Lions and whomever they playing this year.
But the overriding problem you are having is the accumulation of smells of the day about to drive you nutty.
And speaking of nuts; you eye the now empty nut bowl full of broken shells. and you take a last sip of slightly warm beer and realize that nothing else will do than to sit down to the magnificent feast called Thanksgiving Dinner.
The first, but not the only, thing I'm thankful for is that I don't have a cold.

Happy Thanksgiving day to all.
Dad.