| In any number of cookbooks and recipes
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| | just about anywhere and the peppercorns
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| you will find advice on which herbsgo
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| | are available in anysupermarket.
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| with what. I'm not going to take that
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| | Of course you can, if you wish, go to the
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| route.
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| | trouble of buying apestle and mortar,
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| While there certainly are marriages that
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| | tracking down the raw spices and then
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| are tried and tested,such as tomatoes and
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| | grindthem yourself.
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| basil or lamb and rosemary, the reality
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| | If you do this, you will be richly
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| isthat the use of herbs is every bit as
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| | rewarded with deep andpenetrating
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| much a matter of personaltaste as any
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| | flavors. You may also find that you get
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| other aspect of cooking.
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| | tired of doing itvery quickly. However I
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| Consequently, what I want you to do is to
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| | would highly recommend it for a
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| sample as many herbs asyou can and try to
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| | specialoccasion, or a wet weekend in
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| marry up the flavors with the foods you
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| | Bargo!
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| arefamiliar with. That's not as
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| | Generally speaking, though, the shop
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| difficult as it sounds. Just closeyour
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| | bought variety are fine,providing you
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| eyes and think about it.
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| | don't keep them hanging around in a
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| You will find, after a while, that you
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| | cupboard for toolong. They will lose
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| will instinctively knowwhich flavoring to
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| | their flavor.
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| use, when to use it and how much of it
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| | As with herbs, it's very important that
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| youneed.
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| | you learn the taste andsmell of each
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| Do this with both fresh and dried herbs.
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| | individual spice and, uniquely, its
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| Crush a little betweenfinger and thumb
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| | pungency. Thislast item is one that is
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| and smell it. This is much more
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| | frequently overlooked, even byexperienced
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| important thanyour sense of taste.
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| | cooks.
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| Something magical will happen. You will
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| | Just about everybody is aware that chili
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| come to realize thatfresh herbs are not
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| | needs to be usedcarefully for obvious
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| better than dried ones, they simply
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| | reasons. But for some reason they do not
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| impart adifferent flavor. There are two
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| | paythe same attention to turmeric - which
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| major exceptions to this.
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| | is quite delicate - and,say, star anise
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| One is mint, which has a strange musty
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| | which can strangle an incautious palate
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| flavor when dried, andthe other is
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| | at ahundred paces.
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| chives, which are so delicate that the
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| | Both give themselves away, however, if
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| flavor rarelysurvives cooking. Using
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| | you simply take the lidoff the jar and
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| dried chives is therefore
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| | sniff them.
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| prettypointless.
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| | Mixing spice
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| One other point to watch out for is that
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| | Generally speaking, it is a rare thing to
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| some dried herbs canremained inedible
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| | add more than a coupleof spices to the
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| even after thorough cooking. Rosemary is
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| | same dish. The obvious exceptions to
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| a verygood example of this and needs to
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| | this are
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| be filtered out of any liquidsin which it
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| | Asian and Indian dishes, where the
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| has been used as a flavoring.
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| | carefully blended mix offlavors will be
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| In any case, fresh or dried, it is better
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| | both traditional and subtle.
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| to chop up herbs suchas this before using
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| | You have a choice with these. You either
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| them.
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| | follow a recipe, oryou use one of the
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| Using herbs in cooking
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| | many excellent pre-prepared pastes that
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| Many herbs, such as basil and coriander
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| | are nowavailable. I tend towards the
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| (sometimes called
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| | latter choice, although I dostill mix my
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| Chinese parsley and cilantro in the USA)
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| | own spices from time to time.
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| are terrific simply torn upin salads.
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| | You should do the same. It's fun and you
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| Note that I said torn up and not cut;
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| | learn a great dealabout which spices mix
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| only cut herbsif you intend to cook them.
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| | well and which are best kept as
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| It's important to recognize that some
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| | anindividual flavoring.
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| herbs lose flavor withextended cooking,
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| | However you choose to cook with spice,
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| even in their dried state. Fortunately
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| | treat it with respect andalways add it a
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| it'sfairly easy to spot which those are.
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| | little at a time, tasting as you go.
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| Tough leaved herbs such as bay can be
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| | Remember also, that the flavor will
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| safely added at the startof cooking time
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| | change with the length ofcooking time.
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| and will maintain their flavor. In fact,
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| | It may deepen, or it may lessen in its
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| theymay need to be in the food for as
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| | effect.
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| long as possible in order fortheir flavor
| |
| | Only experience will teach you what each
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| to fully develop.
| |
| | individual spice does andhow quickly it
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| Herbs with light and delicate leaves,
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| | does it.
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| however, will lose theirflavor very
| |
| | One excellent way to test the effect of
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| quickly once in contact with heat. To
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| | adding spice, is to cookyour rice with
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| use basil in asoup, for example, you
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| | something like cardamom seeds. These
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| needed to add it, not to the hot liquidas
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| | come inlittle pods that needed to be
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| you might expect, but rather to the warm
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| | cracked open and the seeds extracted.
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| plate you intend toserve the soup in.
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| | Do this by placing them on a stable
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| Then pour the soup on top of it.
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| | surface, place the flat of acleaver blade
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| Alternatively, simply sprinkle it on top
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| | over them and apply a bit of pressure.
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| of the soup and leaveit there. It will
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| | They willopen easily. Use about two pods
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| make an attractive decoration and impart
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| | for one dish of rice.
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| awonderful aroma as you take the soup to
| |
| | You could also add some turmeric to the
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| the table.
| |
| | same rice dish. Thiswill turn it yellow
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| What's that? You want to use a tureen
| |
| | and also add a subtle flavor which
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| and server the soup atthe table? No
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| | complementsthe pungency of the cardamom.
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| problem. Sprinkle the herb in its raw
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| | Call it saffron rice if you like,very few
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| state on topof the soup anyway. The
| |
| | people will be able to tell the
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| effect, when you remove the lid, willbe
| |
| | difference.
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| the same. Just stir it in as you serve.
| |
| | Rice is a good way to test any number of
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| The spices of life
| |
| | flavorings. Personally
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| Most people, including most professional
| |
| | I find it a bit boring on its own, and I
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| chefs, use spices thathave already been
| |
| | frequently addsomething to it to jazz it
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| prepared.
| |
| | up a little. Experiment. You will
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| That is to say they have been ground up,
| |
| | bepleasantly surprised at what a
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| ready to use. The mainexception to this
| |
| | difference a new flavor can make.
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| is probably black pepper, which you
| |
| | You will also be pleasantly surprised at
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| shouldalways grind yourself. Not
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| | your growingreputation.
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| difficult. You can buy a peppergrinder
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| |
|
