SPICES AND TIPS FOR COOKING

GARLIC

Synonyms : Clown’s trade

Forms of use : Bulb, fresh, whole, or in the form of a paste, dried and ground.

Origin : Native to western Asia. It is grown in temperate and subtropical climate.

Aroma : slightly savory, slightly sweetish taste. It smells like sulfur and therefore it is peculiarly penetrating.

Use : Garlic plays a big role in Mediterranean and Asian cuisines. Very dominant in tapas, antipastos or mezzos. It goes well with meat and fish, soufflés, and soup. Its aroma contributes to some salad dressings and dips.

Hidden use : whether mixed into Italian pesto, Asian curry, pasta or Indian spice dishes, many cooks consider garlic an essential ingredient.

Buying/storing : available all year aroung. In spring, young garlic can be eaten whole as a vegetable. If it is stored in a dark, dry place, it will last for several months. Garlic paste, both in a jar and in a tube, should be store in a refrigerator once opened. Garlic powder as well as salt should be firmly closed and stored in a dark place.

Tips for cooking :

You can recognize fresh garlic by its hard white cloves covered with a dry peel. When buying garlic, push carefully on the bulb. Maybe you wonder why some bulbs are rose and others are white. The difference in taste is insignificant. Gourmet cooks usually prefer rose colored garlic. Garlic paste tastes very similar to bulbs. Use salt or powder only if you want to season something quickly.

Before you start peeling and cutting garlic, moisten your hands and the cutting board – they will release their smell faster.

Garlic develops its full aroma only when pressed through garlic press or sliced with a knife. When garlic is roasted in oil or cooked, it loses its piquancy.

HORSERADISH

Synonyms: red cole, cran, cranson, meredic, rabano picante

Form of use : root, fresh, whole and grated, as a paste, dried, as powder or in flakes, ground, in powder or pickled.

Origin : Grows in the steppes of eastern Russia and Ukraine. It is cultivated all over Europe, Asia, and North America.

Aroma : Sharp and acrid. Fresh-grated horse radish fills the eyes with tears.

Use : Essensial spice in Bavarian and Austrian cuisines. Horseradish is added to beef dishes and goes well with hearty stews and soups.

Buying/storing : Horseradish roots should be used fresh immediately after digging. Should remain whole if stored. The white flesh should not be grayish. The root cannot have more than two heads and should weight at least 6 oz. Fresh horseradish is available from Oktaober to March. You can store it in cold cellar or in the refridgerator. You should use bottled horseradish during the rest of the year. Horseradish powder and flakes are rarely available.

Tips for cooking

Horseradish powder and flakes must be mixed with water. The potency of horseradish roots peaks at harvest time in the fall and then gradually decreases. Pay attention to this fact when cooking with fresh horseradish.

CINNAMON

Synonyms : -

Form of use : dried bark, divided into pieces or ground

Origin : Srilanka (Ceylon). It is cultivated in Indonesia, Madagaskar, the Lesser Antilles and Central America as well.

Aroma : Highly aromatic, fine and sweet. However, its taste is sometimes bitter.

Use : It is used in sweet dishes, cakes, chocolate drinks, fruit juice, mulled wine, tea and honey, and is added to rice milk in some countries. In Asian cuisine, it is common to use cinnamon to season meat and fish dishes as well as pilafs and curry. Cola drinks, lemonades, and chewing gums often contain cinnamon oil.

Buying/storing : Cinnamon powder, ground from crushed sticks, is more precious than sticks. Both cinnamon sticks and powder should be stored in airproof containers in a dark, dry place.

Tips for cooking :

Cinnamon is the most important ingredient in gingerbread, which contains coriander, anis, Chinese anis, cloves, orange and lemon peel, cardamom, nutmeg, mace and pimento. Mulled wine spices include cinnamon sticks, Chinese anise, cloves and cardamon

Important warning : cinnamon oil, prepared from bark, can irritate skin. Therefore, mild oil prepared from cinnamon leaves is suitable for baths and massages because of its relaxing and antispasmodic properties. It is a good way to treat gastrointestinal disorders or strained muscles.

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