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Post by Diremaker on Apr 28, 2008 11:46:12 GMT -5
Thought I would start a thread concerning spices, uses of spices and spice blends. If anyone has some suggestions or comments. feel free!
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Post by tnwaltz on Apr 28, 2008 12:37:24 GMT -5
cavenders greek seasoning: although this stuff is great on steaks and chops or in greek recipes, it is FANTASTIC when done on oven baked potatoes. 1. scrub your potatoes and stab them all around with a fork 2. lay out squares of foil for each potato 3. coat foil and potato skins with margarine (butter burns too easily) 4. sprinkle foil and potato skins liberally with cavenders seasoning 5. wrap potatoes as per normal 6. bake for an hour in a 500 degree oven use cavenders instead of salt and pepper when seasoning on your plate.
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Post by Diremaker on Apr 28, 2008 14:06:41 GMT -5
First off, let's start with the essential spices. This is my adapted and adopted list of spices that you can use up before they expire.
1. Salt ~ Preferably Kosher. Kosher has a cleaner flavor, and about 25% less sodium than table salt.
2. Pepper ~ Always, if possible, get whole peppercorns and use a grinder. A peppercorn can lose A LOT of flavor in a very short time after it is ground. The difference, if you haven't tried it, will surprise you.
3. Basil ~ Fresh basil is excellent in some applications, but dried basil, if properly stored, is the more common approach. There are also varieties of basils as well. By the way, if you're cooking Italian, basil is a must have.
4. Bay Leaves ~ Used in too many different types of cuisine to count. Grab 'em, you'll need 'em.
5. Chilies ~ Another one that's used practically everywhere. First off, get you a good mix of red and cayenne pepper flakes.
6. Chili powder. you can buy it if you like, but try this if you want some really great flavor:
AB's Chili Powder Recipe courtesy Alton Brown, 2004 Show: Good Eats Episode: The Big Chili 3 ancho chiles, stemmed, seeded and sliced 3 cascabel chiles, stemmed, seeded and sliced 3 dried arbol chiles, stemmed, seeded and sliced 2 tablespoons whole cumin seeds 2 tablespoons garlic powder 1 tablespoon dried oregano 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
Place all of the chilies and the cumin into a medium nonstick saute pan or cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Cook, moving the pan around constantly, until you begin to smell the cumin toasting, approximately 4 to 5 minutes. Set aside and cool completely.
Once cool, place the chilies and cumin into the carafe of a blender along with the garlic powder, oregano, and paprika. Process until a fine powder is formed. Allow the powder to settle for at least a minute before removing the lid of the carafe. Store in an airtight container for up to 6 months.
7. Cinnamon ~ Duh.
8. Cloves ~ Just be careful, these babies pack more punch than Mike Tyson at an all you can eat ear buffet.
9. Cumin ~ Going for Mexican? Go here or don't go at all.
10. Curry Powder ~ Probably not a "must have" but this will definitely add more punch to your lunch. Buy pre made, or.... Curry Powder Blend Recipe courtesy Alton Brown, 2003 Show: Good Eats Episode: Spice Capades 2 tablespoons whole cumin seeds, toasted 2 tablespoons whole cardamom seeds, toasted 2 tablespoons whole coriander seeds, toasted 1/4 cup ground turmeric 1 tablespoon dry mustard 1 teaspoon cayenne
Place all ingredients in a container with an airtight lid. Shake to combine. Store in a cool dry place for up to 6 months. When ready to use, grind and add to dishes according to taste.
11. Ginger ~ Used in several cuisine types but if you like Chinese, you got to have it. Also, when doing Chinese, don't forget Sesame Oil
12. Paprika ~ Another one used everywhere. I prefer the smoked version myself.
13. Nutmeg ~ Buy it whole. Rasp it yourself. DO NOT buy it ground already. Doing that would be like buying a BB gun to go elephant hunting with.
14. Marjoram / Oregano Buy it... you'll need it. If you like a little sweeter flavor that's not as heavy, use Marjoram.
15. Rosemary ~ Buy it fresh as you need it. It's better that way, unless the recipe says otherwise.
17 Thyme ~ Makes some mighty good fried chicken.
Some other "gotta have it" stuff.
Garlic ~ DO NOT buy garlic powder unless you buy the really good stuff. Grocery garlic powder is weak compared to garlic. Also, DO NOT buy already chopped garlic in a jar. (What do you think they do with all the garlic they can't sell whole?)
Olive Oil ~ Adds great flavor without sacrificing your blood vessels to do so.
Chives ~ They're not just for baked potatoes anymore.
Sage ~ Something else Colonel Sanders failed to mention.
Ground Mustard ~ Can't make good mayonaise without it.. (more on that later)
Next up, SPICE BLENDS
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Post by Fredo on Apr 28, 2008 15:46:03 GMT -5
I find that if I heat the whole peppercorn in a skillet on very low heat for around a half hour, I get a lot more flavor from them.
When you smell the pper in the next room, they're ready to go in the mill.
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Post by Diremaker on Apr 28, 2008 15:53:01 GMT -5
Very true that. As you're saying though.. LOW heat.
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Post by atticflea on Apr 28, 2008 22:56:22 GMT -5
Dire, can you describe what bay leaves do for food? To me they've always been nothing more than "a leaf in the beans".
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Post by Diremaker on Apr 28, 2008 23:50:10 GMT -5
there's really not a "descriptive" term. The easiest way I can tell you to figure out the flavor is to bring about a half cup of water to a boil and then steep the leaf in the water for about 5 minutes. You can both smell and taste it. It is a somewhat bitter but very aromatic spice.
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Post by Diremaker on May 13, 2008 8:36:56 GMT -5
cavenders greek seasoning: although this stuff is great on steaks and chops or in greek recipes, it is FANTASTIC when done on oven baked potatoes. 1. scrub your potatoes and stab them all around with a fork 2. lay out squares of foil for each potato 3. coat foil and potato skins with margarine (butter burns too easily) 4. sprinkle foil and potato skins liberally with cavenders seasoning 5. wrap potatoes as per normal 6. bake for an hour in a 500 degree oven use cavenders instead of salt and pepper when seasoning on your plate. Waltz, speaking of baked potatoes, try this. Preheat oven to 450 Clean each potato thoroughly and pat dry. Using a regular fork, poke holes in potato all around it. (6 or so times with a 4 tine fork) Place some canola oil in a small bowl and coat each potato with oil, draining excess. Then sprinle kosher salt liberally over the potato. Place your two oven racks in the center of the oven. Place the potatoes on the top rack UNWRAPPED with a pan on the bottom rack to catch the drippings. Bake for 1 hour to an an hour and a half, depending on the spud size. When the potatoes are done, make a line down the center of the potato with a fork and pop it open. Add your choice of condiments. Mine are unsalted butter, Cavender's, sour cream and fresh ground three pepper blend. This makes a great baked potato with a nice crispy skin. The salt on the exterior helps draw the excess moisture out during baking,
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Post by atticflea on May 13, 2008 9:02:55 GMT -5
Try that! You'll like what you get.
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Post by Diremaker on May 30, 2008 15:58:39 GMT -5
Speaking of spice mixes.. Waltz, you'll love some of these... check this place out. For you ppl here in the Chattanooga area, THEY'RE LOCAL! You can find them at the outdoor market every week as well... tell 'em I sent ya! www.alchemyspicecompany.com/
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Post by tnwaltz on May 30, 2008 19:30:04 GMT -5
thanks dire...
they've got some good-sounding recipes there too... have you tried any of them...?
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Post by Diremaker on May 30, 2008 23:04:27 GMT -5
The two spice blends I've gotten from them so far have been the Chive Jive, (and I did make the chicken tortilla soup, it was great!), and the Alchemy LP which is absolutely fantastic on green beans!
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