The Spice of Life...Bay Leaves

The bay tree is native to the eastern Mediterranean, but has long been cultivated in northern Europe and the Americas.  It came to symbolize wisdom and glory to the Greeks and Roman, who crowned kings, poets, Olympic champions, and victorious generals with wreaths of its glossy, leathery leaves.  Although there are several varieties of bay, only L. nobilis is used in the kitchen.

Bay has a sweet, balsamic aroma with notes of nutmeg and camphor, and a cooling astringency.  Fresh leaves are slightly bitter, but the bitterness fades if you keep them for a day or two.  Fully dried leaves have a potent flavor and are best when dried only recently.

Fresh leaves can be used from a tree, but are less bitter if kept until wilted.  To dry completely, lay leaves flat in a dark, well-aired place and leave until brittle. If stored in an airtight container, dried leaves will keep their aroma and flavor for at least one year.

Bay leaves yield their flavor slowly, so they are useful in stocks, soups, stews, sauces, marinades, and pickles.  Bay is always used in a bouguet garni (tied bundle of bay, a few stems of thyme and parsley).  It goes well with beans, lentils, and tomatoes, especially to flavor tomato sauce.  Two or three bay leaves flavor a dish for four to six people.  Remember to remove the leaves before serving.

Bay leaves are good with beef, chicken, fish, lamb, citrus fruits, rice, tomatoes and white beans.  They also combine well with allspice, garlic, juniper, marjoram, oregano, parsley, sage, savory, and thyme.

Did You Know...Worth It's Salt

6 Types of Salt and How to Use Them

My good friend Karin once asked to me to post a blog entry about all the different kinds of salts and how one should use them.  So, Karin -- this one is for you!

Knowing the difference between all the different types of salt can make a world of difference in your dishes. Here, six easy-to-find varieties, with tips on when and where to use them. 

Kosher Salt

Use it for: All cooking. Kosher salt dissolves fast, and its flavor disperses quickly, so chefs recommend tossing it on everything from pork roast to popcorn.

Origin: Either the sea or the earth. Widely sold brands include Morton and Diamond Crystal, which are made using different methods. Kosher salt got its name because its craggy crystals make it perfect for curing meat―a step in the koshering process.

Texture: Coarse. Cooks prize crystals like these; their roughness makes it easy to pinch a perfect amount.

To buy: Look in your local supermarket. Kosher salts cost about $1 a pound. If you don't mind a few clumps, buy Diamond Crystal; it has no anticaking agents, which can leave a chemical aftertaste.

Crystalline Sea Salt

Use it for: Adding a pungent burst of flavor to just-cooked foods. These crystals will complement anything from a fresh salad to a salmon fillet. 

Origin: Coasts from Portugal to Maine, California to the Pacific Rim. 

Texture: Fine or coarse. The size of the irregular crystals affects how fast the salt dissolves. It varies in color, depending on the minerals it contains (iron-rich red clay, for example, gives Hawaiian sea salt a pinkish hue). These natural impurities can add subtly briny, sweet, or even bitter flavors to the salts.

To buy: Check gourmet shops or on-line. Expect to pay $2 to $15 or more a pound. Many markets sell La Baleine, a relatively inexpensive brand ($3 for 26.5 ounces).

Flaked Sea Salt

Use it for: Bringing a complex flavor to steamed vegetables or shellfish. Take a pinch, crush the crystals between your fingertips, and let them fall on freshly cooked food. This salt will add a hint of briny flavor. 

Origin: England's Essex coast is where the most popular brand, Maldon, is harvested. 

Texture: Soft, sheer, pyramid-like flakes. This is the fastest-dissolving of all of the salt grains. 

To buy: Search specialty-food stores and the Internet. You'll pay $6 for 8.5 ounce. 

Fleur de Sel

Use it for: A special-occasion table salt. Spoon it into a salt cellar to be pinched, then sprinkled over food just before eating. Delicately flavored, it adds a perfect hint of saltiness to freshly sliced tomato or melon. 

Origin: Coastal salt ponds in France. The caviar of sea salt, fleur de sel is hand harvested. Conditions have to be just right (lots of sun and wind) for it to "bloom" like a flower on the surface of the water. 

Texture: Crystalline, which means that fleur de sel melts slowly in the mouth. Its earthy, pleasing flavor lingers on the tongue. 

To buy: Search specialty-food stores and the Internet (try chefshop.com). From $11 for 4.4 ounces to $45 for 35 ounces. 

Rock Salt

Use it for: Making ice cream and deicing. Rock salt is paired with ice in old-fashioned hand-cranked ice cream makers to regulate the temperature. You can also use it to deice your sidewalks and driveway in the winter months. 

Origin: Mined from deposits in the earth, rock salt is not sold for use directly on food. It's usually packaged in an organic, unprocessed form. 

Texture: Large, chunky, nonuniform crystals. Minerals and other harmless impurities can give it a grayish color. 

To buy: It's sold in supermarkets and hardware and home stores for less than $1 a pound. 

Pickling Salt

Use it for: Brining pickles and sauerkraut. It will also brine a turkey, but beware: Pickling salt is far more concentrated than the more commonly used kosher salt, so you'll need to use less. 

Origin: Like table salt, pickling salt may come from the earth or the sea. But unlike table salt, it isn't fortified with iodine (a nutritional need for humans) and doesn't contain anticaking chemicals, both of which would turn pickles an unappetizing color. Virtually 100 percent sodium chloride, it's the purest of salts. 

Texture: This variety is fine grained, like table salt. 

To buy: Many supermarkets sell it in large boxes or bags, but it can be hard to find in cities. It costs less than $1 a pound.

The Spice of Life...Basil

Sweet basil has a complex, sweet, spicy aroma with notes of clove and anise.  The flavor is warm, peppery, and clove-like with underlying mint and anise tones.

Basil belongs to the mint family, as is clear from the minty, anise notes that accompany its sweetness.  Native to tropical Asia, where it has been cultivated for 3,000 years, it is now grown almost everywhere where the climate is warm enough.  The most common basil, Genoese basil, has large, bright green, silky leaves and small, white flowers.  Good for all Western cooking, it is the best basil for pesto, pistou, and tomato salads.  It combines very well with garlic.

In Western cooking, basil is the natural companion of tomatoes, whether in a salad, sauce, or soup.  It is a good flavoring for poultry too - combine softened butter with chopped basil, garlic, grated lemon rind, and a few bread crumbs, then work the mixture under the skin of a chicken or chicken pieces before baking.  Use basil with fish and seafood, especially lobster and scallops.  It also has an affinity with raspberries.  Basil also works well with corn, cream cheese, eggplant, eggs, lemon, mozzarella cheese, olives, pasta, peas, pizza, potatoes, rice, white beans, and zucchini.

Sweet basil turns black when cooked in a tomato sauce or other acid medium, but retains its flavor.  It quickly loses its aroma when cooked, so use it in a dish for depth of flavor, then stir in a little more to add fragrance when the cooking is finished.

Most basils are tender annuals.  Basil grows easily from seed, and needs a sheltered, sunny position in rich, well-drained soil.  In cooler climates it prefers a greenhouse or a windowsill.  Delay flowering and encourage bushiness by pinching out the tops.  Harvest until the first frost.

Basil leaves bruise and wilt easily, so avoid bunches with drooping or blackened leaves.  Store for 2-3 days in a damp paper towel or plastic bag in the refrigerator vegetable crisper.  One of the best ways to preserve basil is to puree the leaves with a little water or olive oil and freeze in ice-cube trays.

Some other common basils are Purple Basil best used with rice, grains, and salads.  Bush Basil, also called Greek Basil is a compact bush with small leaves and pepper aroma.  Cinnamon Basil is native to Mexico and has a pronounced, sweet scent with clear cinnamon notes and works well with bean and legume dishes along with spicy, stir-fried vegetables.  African Blue basil has leaves that are mottled green-purple with purple flowers.  It is strongly scented with peppery, clove, and mint notes.  Use it with rice, vegetables, and meats.  It is very good in potato salad and makes an outstanding pesto.  This basil is a perennial as long as it is kept frost-free.

The Spice of Life...Parsley

Parsley is probably the only herb considered to be indispensable by most Western cooks, parsley is a biennial (lasting two years).  Parsley is native to the eastern Mediterranean region.  Parsley root which is valued for its root rather than its leaves, was first grown in Germany in the 16th century.  Parsley root tastes like a combination of parsley and celery.

Parsley is known for its clean, fresh taste and it is rich in iron and vitamins A and C.  It is used in sauces, salads, stuffing, and omelette's in many parts of the world.  Adding chopped parsley to the end of the dish preparation will add a fresh flavor.

Parsley is a required herb for the French bouquet garnis, Italian gremolata, salsa verde, and tabbouleh.  The herb matches well with eggs, fish, lemon, lentils, rice, tomatoes, and most vegetables.

The herb pairs well with the following herbs:  basil, bay, capers, chervil, chili, chives, garlic, lemon balm, marjoram, mint, oregano, pepper, rosemary, sorrel, sumac, and tarragon.

Horseradish

My good friend and canning buddy, Linda used to live in the country on a few acres.  She was the one who taught me how to can and put up vegetables.  One summer we found wild horseradish around her property and decided we would put up a few dozen pints.  Out came the blender, vinegar, and salt and a few hours later we had some of the best horseradish I had ever had. Nothing beats fresh and homemade.

Well, Linda does not live on the property anymore and we do not have access to the wild horseradish but we still craved that fresh grated, robust flavor.  I am of Polish descent and Kevin is of German descent and we LOVE horseradish.  While at a market in Chicago a few weekends ago, I found a fairly large horseradish root and thought I would pick it up and put up a few pints.  

This morning I started grating the root on the regular side of a box grater and discovered why all of the European women in old photos were always grimacing.  It was because they were grating horseradish.  I got about 1/3 of the root grated by hand and could not handle anymore.  My nose was running and my eyes were watering so badly, I could not keep them open.  I remembered when Linda and I made it last time, we grated it in the blender as we were preparing it.  So, I got the blender out and finished the remaining root that way.  Ahhhh, no more tears.  While the blender produces a finer end result, the taste and potency of the horseradish is still the same.

In the end, a one pound horseradish root produced 2 pints of prepared horseradish. And, the tears stopped about 1/3 of the way into the process.  Horseradish could not be easier to prepare.

Prepared Horseradish

1 Horseradish root

Distilled white vinegar

Salt

Grate the horseradish root on the coarse grate side of a box grater.  For every 1 cup of grated horseradish, add 1/2 cup distilled white vinegar and 1 teaspoon salt.  Place in a clean 1 pint jar and seal tightly. 

or add chopped root with vinegar and salt to the blender and blend until finely grated.

If using the blender method, a one pound root will require about 1 1/4 cups of vinegar and 2 1/2 teaspoons salt. Chop the root into 1-inch pieces and place in the blender with the vinegar and salt.  Pulse or set the blender on the grate setting and process until desired consistency is achieved.

Store in the refrigerator for up to one year.  Note:  The longer the horseradish sits, the stronger the flavor will be.

The Spice of Life...Tarragon

Called the "king of herbs" by French cooks, tarragon is the main flavoring in many of the sauces that are basic to that country's classic cuisine. In ancient times, the Greeks used tarragon as a remedy for toothaches.

Tarragon is known for its anise-like aroma and taste, which can easily overshadow other flavors in a dish.  The narrow-leafed herb can be used fresh or dried.  It is also preserved in vinegar for a tasty condiment that perks up salad dressings and homemade mustard.

Tarragon's dark green leaves can be used fresh in salads and sauces or as a garnish.  The dried herb enhances fish, chicken, and egg dishes as well as a variety of vegetables such as potatoes, carrots, broccoli, and beets.

Adding tarragon toward the end of cooking brings out its maximum flavor and avoids its bitter side.

The Spice of Life.....Sage

I thought I would start a new feature on the blog.  I will research and share my findings on various spices.  Most cooks use these spices everyday but do not really know where they come from or what they should be used for in cooking.

I am hoping this new feature will demystify spices and there uses.

Sage

Sage sets the stage for some good cooking and eating.  Its pleasantly pungent, lemony flavor enhances many foods, including sausage, soups, breads, sauces, and poultry stuffing.

Sage is a hardy perennial in the mint family.  It has square, down-covered stems and grayish-green leaves with a pebbled, velvety texture.

The leaves can be used either fresh or dried.  The dried leaves are slightly less lemony in flavor.  Dried sage comes in crumbled leaves or crushed ground (rubbed sage).

Sage makes a great garden plant and is easy to grown and dry.  Put this herb to good used in your kitchen by trying many different recipes calling for this flavorful leaf.