I bought myself a Christmas present off of Woot and it finally came. A spice rack of 30 test tube like bottles of spices. I already have many of the spices, but It is a nice little set up I figure I can keep on my tiny counter and refill from the clunkier bottles which can get moved to the crappy cabinet over the fridge.
But some of them I havn’t gotten around to using before, or just havn’t had around in a bit and am looking forward to a little mad scientist action.
Who’s got a recipe for Bay leaf, Sichuan Peppercorn, chinese chive, Cardamom, sage, coriander, dill and five spice?
Those little Tone’s canisters of spices often tell you on the side what sort of dishes they’d be good in. I think cardamom is good in desserty foods. There are lots of sites on the internet that will give that info as well. Like here.
*Dill for potato salad, tuna salad, macaroni salad. Also for sauteed salmon.
*Cardamom for cookies.
*Five spice is good in Asian cooking, of course, but also works in cookies.
*As mentioned, bay leaf usually goes into stews or soups and is inedible in its dried state. I also use it in my au jus for prime rib.
*Sichuan is for Asian cooking and adds significant heat to dishes
*Coriander is just dried cilantro, and is pretty much unusable in that state. It ranks down there just above dried basil, IMO. You might add some to chili.
*Sage: I use this in stuffing, of course, but it’s great in sausage gravy, also. I’ve also had it in ravioli made with squash. Sage as part of a rub for poultry is a natural.
Fine. My load will be a mix of Aleppo pepper, home-grown basil, and a touch of garlic, all acting as a wad for the whole nutmeg that serves as my shot.
A note: for those of you who grow your own herbs and such - measure one tablespoon of chopped fresh herb into each bin of an ice cube tray. Fill with water and freeze. Bag and label. When you need some for a soup or stew, just toss in a cube.
“I would as soon destroy a stained-glass window as an artist such as yourself. But, as I can’t have you following me…”
So I will load by dry basil with grains of paradise and Urfa pepper as my wad with Black Mustard Seeds as my shot.
Best of luck to you Sir!
Meflin
ice cube tray tip not only works for fresh herbs but also wine, stock and just about any cooking liquid. I have a to small collection of wine-cubes and veal-stock cubes.
True enough. Cilantro (and other spellings) and coriander are generally interchangeable as terms for the same herb, however. Coriander seeds are a different animal, and the OP wasn’t specific as to what was in the bottle.
I stand by my assertion that dried basil as a substitute for fresh basil is tantamount to substituting the lighting of a candle stub to watching the sunrise. Many dried herbs work wonderously well (thyme and oregano come first to mind), but dried basil (or dried parsley) is not one of them. Of course, it all really comes down to what flavor one is striving for.
I inherited my mothers spices (and spice rack) after she unexpectedly passed away, 24 years ago. all those McCormick spice jars that I have no idea what to do with. but they remind me of Mom’s kitchen and throwing them away seems like I would be throwing away a memory.
Mom died over 24 yrs ago, and these spices have to go back further than that. There is a McCormick mustard spice jar that has a 45 cent price written on it. The one jar that is really fascinating is the vanilla bean jar. The beans look fossilized.
