Desert_jackal
11-12-2007, 01:34 PM
Every cook needs a list of basic spices in their kitchen and I'm not just talking about salt and pepper.
White pepper - believe it or not white pepper tastes alot different than black pepper. White pepper is made from black peppercorns that have been fermented and then stripped of their outer hull. White peppercorns tend to have a more woody taste and the spiciness of the pepper is less subtle than black peppercorns. Use white peppercorns to add a stronger and more earthy flavor to a dish.
Tip: Never buy pepper that has already been ground. Buy whole peppercorns and grind them yourself.
Sage - (fresh or dry) sage is actually a member of the salvia family or otherwise known as the mint family. This seasoning works well with anything as long as you now how to use it. I prefer it fresh because it's flavor is more low key than when its dry. Chop up fresh sage and stir it into soft butter and serve it with bread or stuff it underneath the skin of a whole chicken. Incorporate some dry sage into ground beef with other herbs in sausage.
Basil - their are actually many, many, MANY different kinds of basil. It has become recently popular to hybrid basil with other plants and because of its unique flavor, it has the ability to mix well with anything. Their is lemon basil, cinnamon basil, purple ruffle basil, sweet basil, thai basil...the list goes on. But for now...we will just talk about the traditional green leaf basil. When fresh, basil can have an almost licorice taste and it actually smells faintly sweet. Basil is one of the many 'Herbes de Provence' which is a mixture of dried herbs typically containing: rosemary, basil, thyme, marjoram, and bay leaf. This mixture was invented in the 1970's in the France town of Provence where it got its name. 'Herbes de Provence' is popular in culinary schools where I pretty much first learned about it. Serve chopped basil with fresh, cubed mozzarella and diced tomatoes with olive oil for a classic Italian dish...or make basil pesto and mix it in with pasta or use it as a marinade for meat or vegetable dishes.
Bay leaves - bay leaves come from a laurel tree and it is also one of the members of the 'Herbes de Provence'. Bay leaves have a strong aroma and can be bitter so be careful how you use them. They are commonly used to flavor soups and stock. In the culinary world we make a bouquet garni or a sachet de epices. A standard sachet contains 1 bay leaf, 2 sprigs or thyme, and 4 to 5 black pepper corns. This is wrapped in a cheesecloth bundle and thrown into the pot to let simmer with the rest of the ingredients. Think about infusing milk with bay leaves before you make a cheese sauce because it enriches the flavor. To infuse milk with bay leaves just add a leaf to the milk and let that simmer on low heat for 40-45 minutes.
Tip: Don't buy ground bay leaves. They lose flavor quickly and can make a dish taste bitter.
I'm going to follow this up with a part two...:)
White pepper - believe it or not white pepper tastes alot different than black pepper. White pepper is made from black peppercorns that have been fermented and then stripped of their outer hull. White peppercorns tend to have a more woody taste and the spiciness of the pepper is less subtle than black peppercorns. Use white peppercorns to add a stronger and more earthy flavor to a dish.
Tip: Never buy pepper that has already been ground. Buy whole peppercorns and grind them yourself.
Sage - (fresh or dry) sage is actually a member of the salvia family or otherwise known as the mint family. This seasoning works well with anything as long as you now how to use it. I prefer it fresh because it's flavor is more low key than when its dry. Chop up fresh sage and stir it into soft butter and serve it with bread or stuff it underneath the skin of a whole chicken. Incorporate some dry sage into ground beef with other herbs in sausage.
Basil - their are actually many, many, MANY different kinds of basil. It has become recently popular to hybrid basil with other plants and because of its unique flavor, it has the ability to mix well with anything. Their is lemon basil, cinnamon basil, purple ruffle basil, sweet basil, thai basil...the list goes on. But for now...we will just talk about the traditional green leaf basil. When fresh, basil can have an almost licorice taste and it actually smells faintly sweet. Basil is one of the many 'Herbes de Provence' which is a mixture of dried herbs typically containing: rosemary, basil, thyme, marjoram, and bay leaf. This mixture was invented in the 1970's in the France town of Provence where it got its name. 'Herbes de Provence' is popular in culinary schools where I pretty much first learned about it. Serve chopped basil with fresh, cubed mozzarella and diced tomatoes with olive oil for a classic Italian dish...or make basil pesto and mix it in with pasta or use it as a marinade for meat or vegetable dishes.
Bay leaves - bay leaves come from a laurel tree and it is also one of the members of the 'Herbes de Provence'. Bay leaves have a strong aroma and can be bitter so be careful how you use them. They are commonly used to flavor soups and stock. In the culinary world we make a bouquet garni or a sachet de epices. A standard sachet contains 1 bay leaf, 2 sprigs or thyme, and 4 to 5 black pepper corns. This is wrapped in a cheesecloth bundle and thrown into the pot to let simmer with the rest of the ingredients. Think about infusing milk with bay leaves before you make a cheese sauce because it enriches the flavor. To infuse milk with bay leaves just add a leaf to the milk and let that simmer on low heat for 40-45 minutes.
Tip: Don't buy ground bay leaves. They lose flavor quickly and can make a dish taste bitter.
I'm going to follow this up with a part two...:)