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