Lynn Smythe's Blog

Posted by Lynn Smythe

For the past few weeks, I have been on a Latin American cooking spree. I have been testing recipes, taking lots of photographs, and writing articles for various Mexican, Cuban and Spanish dishes.

Here are the links to some of the recipes, and even a review of a Mexican cookbook.

Latin American Inspired Recipes

Authentic Mexican Hot Chocolate. Recipe for a classic hot cocoa drink.

Black Bean and Corn Turkey Chili Recipe. How to Make a Variation of a Classic Chili Dish.

Mexican Green Chile Cornbread Casserole. Recipe for a Lightly Spicy Latin American Inspired Corn Side Dish.

Picadillo Recipe. How to Make a Classic Latin American Meat Sauce.

Quick and Easy Savory Corn Muffins. Traditional cornbread enhanced with corn, onion and cheese.

Quesadillas. Homemade Corn Turnovers. Learn how to make quesadillas filled with a spicy pork, with red chile sauce and top with a mild and creamy green chile cheese sauce.

Pozole. Pork & Hominy Stew.

If you are interested in more ideas for authentic Mexican food, check out my review of the Culinary Mexico Cookbook. The book was written by Daniel Hoyer, and features authentic recipes and traditions of Mexico.

Take care,

Lynn Smythe

Suite101 Herbs & Spices Feature Writer

Posted by Lynn Smythe

I first posted my Blueberry Muffin with Crumb Topping recipe to Suite101 back in July, 2008. I had someone make the following comment about the recipe:

"This recipe as written is thick like cookie dough and would probably be a disaster. Had to add more milk and oil, alternating, until logical consistency for muffin. Still awaiting turnout, but something wrong with this recipe."

I just tested the recipe this morning, to make sure I didn't make a mistake typing up the instructions. But just like I remembered, the recipe is perfect, although I did make a slight alteration to the crumb topping.

Here is my response to the previous comment:

"This recipe makes a really thick batter. No need to adjust the recipe, I've made these muffins many times. I've just added 5 photographs of the muffins being made, so you can see exactly how I make them. I did alter the crumb topping a bit, previous version called for too much butter. I'm eating a muffin as we speak - YUMMY"

Glad I had to test my blueberry muffin recipe this morning. I needed something to go along with my cup of coffee, and the regular bowl of oatmeal wasn't looking too appealing. The muffins are a much better choice.

Take care,

Lynn Smythe

Suite101 Herbs & Spices Feature Writer

Posted by Lynn Smythe

Hello everyone,

Lately I've been on a Mediterranean recipe theme, and have been posting up a few Greek inspired recipes to the Herbs & Spices section.

Mediterranean Inspired Recipes

Eggplant Moussaka Recipe; Classic Greek Style Lasagna Featuring Eggplant, Tomato and Parsley.

Tzatziki Yogurt Sauce Recipe; Classic Greek Style Condiment with Cucumber, Dill, Garlic & Lemon.

Taboule Salad Recipe; Middle Eastern Side Dish Featuring Fresh Herbs and Vegetables.

Greek Vegetable Salad Recipe; Hearty Side Dish Festooned with Olives, Cilantro and Feta Cheese.

Lemon Herb Pasta Toss Recipe; Spiral Noodles Mixed with Zucchini, Lemon, Herbs and Parmesan Cheese.

Local Connection for Greek Ingredients

I am fortunate to live near a year round farmer's market that offers a great selection of fresh produce along with many items that can be used in Greek style recipes.

I have found stuffed grape leaves, Greek style yogurt, hummus, pita bread and tons of fresh herbs and vegetables at the Woolbright Farmers Market.

• Woolbright Farmers Market
• 141 SW Woolbright Road
• Boynton Beach, FL 33435
• 561-732-2454
• farmersmarket@bellsouth.net
• www.woolbrightfarmersmarket.com

Take care,

Lynn Smythe

Suite101 Herbs & Spices Feature Writer

Posted by Lynn Smythe

I am a bit of a book nut and have many herb related books in my own personal library. I'm also fortunate that a few publishers have sent me media copies of their herbal cookbooks to review on the Herbs & Spices section of Suite101.

Here are the links to the cookbook reviews that I've written for Suite101

1. Cooking with Children; Five Great Kid Friendly Cookbooks.
2. Culinary Herb Book Review; Herbs - The Cook's Guide to Flavorful and Aromatic Ingredients.
3. The Ultimate Tea Diet by Mark "Dr. Tea" Ukra; Boost Metabolism, Shrink Appetite, Kick-Start Remarkable Weight Loss.
4. Field Guide to Herbs & Spices by Aliza Green; How to Identify, Select, and Use Every Seasoning at the Market.
5. 101 Recipes from the Herb Lady; Compilation of Recipes & Tips for the Novice to the Experienced Cook.
6. Flavor Bible by Karen Page & Andrew Dornenburg; Comprehensive Resource Guide of Compatible Taste Ingredients.
7. Book Review: Under the Sun Edited by Tina Sams; The First Five Years of the Essential Herbal Magazine.

I hope you enjoy reading the reviews and will want to check out one or more of these titles at the library or your local book store.

Is there a particular herb book or cookbook that you are interested in learning more about? Let me know the title, and if possible, the publisher and I will inquire about getting a copy of the book to review for Suite101.

Take care,

Lynn Smythe Suite101 Herbs & Spices Feature Writer

Posted by Lynn Smythe

I just wrote an article for Suite101 comparing three brands of stevia derived sweetener: Zero Calorie Stevia Sweeteners.

Since Suite101 only allows 2 external links per article, I was only able to link to two of the three product websites.

Here are the stevia sweeteners that were sampled for the article.

SweetLeaf distributed by Wisdom Natural Brands. The company also offers SteviaClear™, SteviaTabs™ and a wide variety of highly popular Liquid Stevia Flavors to consumers.

PureVia distributed by Whole Earth Sweetener Company. PureVia was jointly developed by Whole Earth and PepsiCo.

Truvia distributed by Cargill Incorporated. Truvia was jointly developed by Cargill and the Coca-Cola Co.

Take care,

Lynn Smythe

Suite101 Herbs & Spices Feature Writer

Posted by Lynn Smythe

Hello everyone,

I've been getting in lots of herb and spice goodies that I will be reviewing over the next few weeks for the Herbs & Spices section of Suite101. Here's a list of what I'm currently reading, testing and reviewing.

1. Field Guide to Herbs & Spices by Aliza Green
2. The Flavor Bible by Karen Page & Andrew Dornenburg
3. 101+ Recipes from The Herb Lady by Catherine Crowley
4. Box of Truvia natural sweetener - made from Stevia leaves
5. Cole & Mason King Pepper Jr. peppermill
6. Zyliss Smart Touch salad spinner

And I'm waiting for the following items to arrive.

1. The Ultimate Tea Diet by Dr. Tea AKA Mark Ukra
2. Samples of tea by Dr. Tea
3. Sample of Chileangourmet’s Merken spice
4. Samples of POM Wonderful pomegranate juice

Take care,

Lynn Smythe

Suite101 Herbs & Spices Feature Writer

Posted by Lynn Smythe

Attention Bloggers:

POM Wonderful Invites You To Share Your Pomegranate Recipes

Who is POM Wonderful?

POM Wonderful is the largest producer of California Wonderful pomegranates, which the company exclusively grows and sells. The company also juices its fresh pomegranates to make its delicious, all-natural, POM Wonderful 100% Pomegranate Juice. POM Wonderful 100% Pomegranate Juice and POM Tea are available year-round at retail and are found in the refrigerated section of supermarkets and grocery stores nationwide.

What are we asking?

We are inviting bloggers everywhere to submit their favorite original pomegranate recipes for a chance to be a featured blogger for POM Wonderful and enjoy the $5000 prize. To enter, visit www.pomfresh.com/recipe

What’s the Catch?

The recipe must be an original and include fresh pomegranates. The winner will submit twelve (12) monthly blog submissions as the POM Wonderful featured blogger.

What’s in it for you?

· $5,000 prize-enough said

· Exposure on the POM Wonderful blog for your existing blog

Who is Eligible to Participate?

This opportunity is open to everyone.

Please feel free to pass this invite along to your fellow bloggers, readers and friends who may be interested. Rules and guidelines will also be available here http://www.pomfresh.com/rules/.

When do we get started?

The POM Wonderful Recipe Contest begins at 12:01 AM Pacific Time on October 22, 2008 and ends at 11:59 PM Pacific Time on November 30, 2008

Who do I Contact if I have Questions?

My-lan Beauford at mylanb@fanscape.com

Posted by Lynn Smythe

My daughter and I have hosted a number of tea parties at our house over the years. Last year we held a tea party, called the Girl's Club Tea Party, for mom's and their daughters. I used the tea party as a way to raise funds for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Societies Team in Training program.

I am always looking for unique and delicious treats to serve at the tea party. These recipes could also be served at bridal showers, breakfast buffets, or even as part of a holiday dessert party.

1. Lemon Poppy Seed Teacakes; Recipe for a Cookie-Like Treat Enhanced with Citrus and Poppy Seeds.
2. Ham and Cheese Quiche; Recipe for a Hearty Egg Custard Pie.
3. Banana Bread and Banana French Toast; Two Recipes for Sweet and Delicious Recipe Dishes.
4. Walnut Chicken Salad with Herb Butter; Delicious Finger Food to Feature at a Tea Party or Bridal Shower.
5. Rosy Jellyroll Cake; Recipe for a Raspberry and Vanilla Cream Filled Dessert.
6. Blueberry Muffin Recipe; A Sweet Treat with a Cinnamon Enhanced Strudel Topping
7. Sage, Lavender and Mint Desserts; Shortcake, Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies and Lavender Custard Recipes.
8. Quick Bread Recipes; Chili Cheese Cornbread, Garlic Herb Bread and Parmesan Cheese Biscuits.
9. Gingersnap Cookie Recipe; How to Create a Soft and Chewy Ginger Flavored Dessert.

Try making one or more of these goodies for your next party.

Posted by Lynn Smythe

It's that time of year. School started a few weeks ago so now everyone in our household is running around like a chicken with no head! My daughter did quite well on the FCAT's last year, she is above her age group for both math and language arts, so she was given all honors classes this year.

She is already stressing out about all the homework that is required for each class. Last night, she came to me at around 9 PM, to let me know she had to choose a topic for her science fair project. I asked when did she have to get the outline in, and she said TOMORROW - of course! Nothing like waiting until the last minute.

The science fair project will be the entire curriculum during the next three months of her honors science class. So we spent quite a bit of time trying to decide on a topic. I was hoping to get her dad involved, and was originally looking at electronic and aviation projects, but he seemed less than thrilled to help out.

So we started looking at all the projects that had anything to do with gardening or cooking, as these are two of my main interests. We found a page on recycling coffee grinds to see how they affected plant growth. I had an EUREKA moment - I have been using used coffee grinds in my organic garden for years, with fantastic results.

So here is the outline and initial plan for the science fair project:

Miss Heather’s Science Fair Project

Topic:

Recycling Coffee Grinds in Organic Gardens

Question:

Can coffee grinds be used to fertilize plants?

Method:

Use individual container gardens to test various soil to coffee grind ratios and the effects each mixture has on seed germination and plant growth.

Test Subjects:

1 container - filled with plain soil

1 container - filled with plain soil with coffee grinds added to top layer

1 container - filled with mixture of 75% soil mixed with 25% coffee grinds

1 container - filled with mixture of 50% soil mixed with 50% coffee grinds

1 container - filled with mixture of 25% soil mixed with 75% coffee grinds

1 container - filled with coffee grinds

Plant Choice:

Established tomato seedlings and tomato seeds.

Source For Coffee Grinds:

Starbucks

I never got to participate in a science fair project when I was a kid, so I am kind of looking forward to helping my daughter out with this project. We live in SE Florida, our main growing season is from the end of September to the beginning of May, so we will be able to setup our container gardens on our outdoor patio.

I'll post up more details of the project when they become available.

Take care,

Lynn Smythe

Herbs & Spices Feature Writer

Posted by Lynn Smythe

What is a Green Witch?

A green witch is someone that utilizes a variety of herbs and plants in order to tap into their natural healing and magical properties.

Green witches are in tune with mother nature and feel a great affinity towards the four elements of earth, air, fire and water. The green witch can often be found puttering around in their garden, exploring a forest trail or creating their own lotions and potions which incorporate a variety of natural ingredients.

I enjoy growing my own herbs and vegetables and have been following the path of green witchcraft for a number of years.

Here are some articles that can be found on Suite101 that cover a variety of natural, magical herbal topics.

A Kitchen Herbal; Easy Herbalism From Your Own Kitchen!

Make Your Own Herbal Disinfectant; Go Green With Homemade Four Thieves Vinegar Antibacterial Spray

Farmer's Almanacs; Folklore or Authentic Gardening Methods?

Zodiac Gardening; Planting by the Signs of the Moon

Plant Spirits and Elementals; Magical Gardening Techniques for the Natural Witch

Hedge Witch; Witchcraft Practitioner or Natural Healer?

Further Information

If you would additional information on magical herbalism and green witchcraft, here are a few websites that may be of interest.

Herb Gardens

Herbal Apothecary

I Love Herbs

The Pagan Path

Take care,

Lynn Smythe

Herbs & Spices Feature Writer

Posted by Lynn Smythe

I absolutely LOVE desserts. My sweet tooth can get a bit out of control at times. Rather than purchasing store bought desserts, that are filled with all types of preservatives, I prefer to make my own homemade treats.

Since I am a herb and spice nut, many of my dessert recipes feature one or more herb or spice. Here are a few of my Suite101 articles for dessert recipes which feature either fresh herbs or zesty spices.

Rosy Jellyroll Cake; Recipe for a Raspberry and Vanilla Cream Filled Dessert.

Sage, Lavender and Mint Desserts; Shortcake, Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies and Lavender Custard Recipes

Tiramisu Dessert Recipe; A Classic Italian Dessert Enhanced with Cinnamon and Cocoa

Blueberry Muffin Recipe; A Sweet Treat with a Cinnamon Enhanced Strudel Topping

Lemon Basil French Toast; Herb Infused Breakfast Food Served with Lemon Syrup

Vanilla Bean Dessert Recipes; Vanilla Sugar, Vanilla Pudding and Vanilla Infused Hot Chocolate

Herb and Spice Infused Sugar; Using Aromatic Ingredients to Flavor Sugar

Valentine's Day Inspired Recipes; Cinnamon Sugar, Cinnamon Muffins and Cinnamon Almond Biscotti

I hope you enjoy making and eating these delectable desserts as much as I do!

Take care,

Lynn Smythe

Herbs & Spices Feature Writer

Posted by Lynn Smythe

Your Herbs & Spices feature writer is still here. I just realized I haven't been keeping up with my Suite101 article writing and blogging commitments.

A thousand apologies to all my readers. I’ve become a total bike addict, during the past few months, and have been spending all of my time racing bikes, riding bikes, attending spinning classes and mentoring new bikers.

This year, my husband is coaching, and I am mentoring the Palm Beach Team in Training cycle team. Team in Training is the main fund raising program for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. We are training our team for a 100 mile bike ride which takes place on October, 26th.

I’ve just added a couple of articles to the Herbs & Spices site, which feature some of the bountiful ingredients that are available during the summer months.

My blueberry muffin recipe features a delicious cinnamon laced, strudel topping. While my guacamole recipe is enhanced with the pungent flavors of cilantro, lime and garlic.

Try making one, or both of these recipes, the next time you are in the mood for homemade food.

Take care,

Lynn Smythe

Herbs & Spices Feature Writer

Posted by Lynn Smythe

Bread is one of my favorite comfort foods. There’s nothing like the aroma of a freshly baked loaf of bread permeating throughout your house.

In my opinion, the taste and texture of a homemade loaf of bread is far superior to a loaf of store bought bread. I love baking a variety of rolls, muffins and quick breads from scratch. Although making bread from scratch takes a bit of time, the results are well worth the effort.

Focaccia bread can be enjoyed on it’s own, sliced in half and made into a sandwich, or used as the basis for a delectable homemade pizza. See the article; Focaccia Bread Three Ways; for a basic focaccia bread recipe. By adding various seasonings and additional ingredients, the basic focaccia recipe can be turned into rosemary focaccia, garlic focaccia or even red onion focaccia.

The varieties of focaccia bread you can make with the basic recipe are truly endless. If you are short on time, the article; Quick Bread Recipes, has recipes for making three easy and delicious varieties of quick breads. Try serving chili cheese cornbread, garlic herb bread or parmesan cheese biscuits at your next lunch or dinner.

For a sweet and spicy treat, see the article Triple Gingerbread Recipe. For a decadent dessert, try serving a slice of the gingerbread on top of a bowl of vanilla ice cream and drizzle it with a bit of caramel sauce - yum!!!

Take care,

Lynn Smythe

Herbs & Spices Feature Writer

Posted by Lynn Smythe

Check out my latest article, Pepper Vine; King of Spices. It details how four spices; black pepper, white pepper, green pepper and pink pepper, can all be harvested from the same plant.

Although my husband is not a fan of pepper, my kids and I put pepper on just about anything. I used to be the only pepper fan in our household, but a few years ago my son, who just turned 17, started putting it on everything. He now uses pepper more often than salt, to the point where he almost never picks up the salt shaker any more.

His favorite spice blend is lemon pepper, which is a blend of black pepper, lemon peel, onion powder and garlic powder mixed in with a tiny bit of salt. My daughter, who is 12 1/2, just recently started putting pepper on her food. She now loves pepper more than salt on a variety of dishes such as potatoes, scrambled eggs and chicken.

I love that my kids are enjoying the taste of pepper on their food. It is certainly much healthier than sprinkling a pile of salt on top of all their food like they used to do. Now if I can just get my husband to make the conversion from salt to pepper. But he's 51, what's that about not being able to teach an old dog new tricks!?!

The articles Ethnic Spice Blends and Traditional Spice Blends both contain recipes for a variety of spice blends. Many of the spice blends include pepper as part of their ingredients.

Take care,

Lynn Smythe

Herbs & Spices Feature Writer

Posted by Lynn Smythe

Spring is in the air, and pretty soon you’ll be able to start gardening outdoors. If you have an over abundance of any particular herb, you may want to know how to process the herb for short-term or long-term storage.

Freezing herbs is one method of processing fresh herbs for long-term storage. Read my latest article: How to Freeze Herbs Using Ice Cube Trays for complete details.

Further Resources

To learn about additional methods to harvest and store herbs and spices, take a look at the following articles.

Harvesting and Storing Spices

Short Term Herb Storage; Preserving Fresh Produce in Salt, Oil or Water

How to Store Dried Herbs & Spices; Methods for Long Term Stockpiling

How To Dry Fresh Herbs; Using the Microwave, Air, Food Dehydrators and Ovens to Keep Herbs

Take care,

Lynn Smythe

Herbs & Spices Feature Writer

Posted by Lynn Smythe

"Speak not - whisper not;

Walter de la Mare, The Sunken Garden, 1917

I love creating my own unique herb and spice blends. If you happen to be an avid herb gardener, like I am, you can go outside and pick the ingredients fresh from your garden. I'm spoiled - I live in SE Florida so my herb garden grows year round. I very rarely have to use dried herbal ingredients in any of my seasoning mixes.

Sometimes you can't find the exact seasonings you need in your grocery store so you may want to try making your own seasoning blends. If you are using dried ingredients, you can make up small batches to have on hand whenever a recipe calls for a particular spice or herb blend.

Many grocery stores now sell packages of fresh herbs, on a year round basis, in the fresh produce section. I have even seen tubes of ground, fresh herbs displayed right next to the packages of fresh herbs. Some of my friends swear by these herbs in a tube, however, I have never found the tubes of herbs to be very appetizing. They are like some kind of weird astronaut food. I tried the tube of cilantro once - YUCK!!!! Nothing like fresh cilantro, I threw it right into the garbage. Just another reason to support local food producers and use seasonal ingredients whenever possible.

Spice Blend Articles

Classic French Herb Blends; Bouquet Garni, Fines Herbes and Herbs de Provence.

Traditional Spice Blends; Cinnamon Sugar, Lemon Pepper, Poultry Seasoning and More.

Ethnic Spice Blends; Harissa, Garam Masala, Curry Powder, Chinese Five Spice Powder and More.

Common Herbal Substitutes; Lemon, Basil and Savory - Replacing One Herb with Another.

Take care,

Lynn Smythe

Herbs & Spices Feature Writer

Posted by Lynn Smythe

I used to suffer from really bad attacks of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). I finally figured out that my main problem is that I am lactose intolerant. So I have to avoid all dairy products - cheese, ice cream, milk etc... I use vanilla flavored soy or rice milk when I want a bowl of cereal and non-dairy creamer in my coffee.

For awhile I thought I might have celiac disease and started eliminating all wheat and gluten products from my diet. There are really good non-wheat pastas, bread mixes etc. on the market that I was using. I even used to follow the recipes in an IBS cookbook, but I'm married with two children, so it was getting expensive and time consuming to purchase and cook food for me and food for them. So I'm back to eating wheat products in moderation and seem to be doing okay.

The best thing I found to take for my stomach aches/pains is peppermint oil. It helps to relieve the bloating and gas which is usually associated with IBS. I get enteric coated peppermint capsules from my local Vitamin Shoppe. I used to take immodium AD all the time but then ended up constipated a few days latter. So now I only take immodium when I get really bad attacks.

Cinnamon is also supposed to help prevent diarrhea. I take cinnamon daily in capsule form - it is also supposed to help lower cholesterol levels and help keep your blood sugar levels stable. For additional information on a few of the culinary herbs and spices that can help treat IBS, see my article: Herbal Remedies for IBS; Using Peppermint, Ginger, Cinnamon and Dill for Natural Healing.

Take care,

Lynn Smythe

Herbs & Spices Feature Writer

Posted by Lynn Smythe

Herb Glossaries

I just wrote a series of 6 glossaries for the Herbs & Spices topic. The article was originally one long article but when I did a word count it was approximately 3,000 words. I broke it down into 6 smaller articles so that I could upload the information to Suite101.

I was going to name my article series Herb & Spice Dictionaries, but I was running out of room in the article title so I switched to Herb Glossaries. Although the glossaries mainly concentrate on the culinary uses of each herb listed, I also included a few of the medicinal and decorative uses of these natural ingredients. Here are links to all the glossaries, I hope you find them to be a useful reference.

Herb Glossary: Allspice to Caraway

Herb Glossary: Catmint to Dill

Herb Glossary: Epazote to Kaffir Lime

Herb Glossary: Lavender to Oregano

Herb Glossary: Paprika to Rosemary

Herb Glossary: Saffron to Vanilla

Take care,

Lynn Smythe

Herbs & Spices Feature Writer

Posted by Lynn Smythe

Love is in the air; Valentine’s Day is just around the corner. Here are a few articles on Suite101 that can add a bit of spice to your Valentine’s Day celebration.

Valentine's Day Inspired Recipes; Cinnamon Sugar, Cinnamon Muffins and Cinnamon Almond Biscotti

Valentine's Day Magical Plants; The Folklore Associated with Basil, Bay, Calendula, Lovage & Mint

Aphrodisiacs to Spice Up Your Life; Can Aphrodisiacs Add Something Extra to Your Love Life?

Valentines Day Ideas for Newlyweds; Romantic and Affordable Ways to Celebrate

Sexy Valentines Cocktails; Who doesn't love a little champagne, prosecco or cava?

Valentine's Day Movies; Top 10 Romantic Films: Amelie, Moulin Rouge, Chocolat and More

Take care,

Lynn Smythe

Herbs & Spices Feature Writer

Posted by Lynn Smythe

Gardening Catalogs

Well, it’s that time of year. My mailbox is beginning to fill up with a multitude of gardening catalogs.

I am fortunate to live in SE Florida, where I can garden year round. However, I remember when I used to live up north, the arrival of the new years garden catalogs was always a welcome break from the dreary winters. The beautiful color photographs of herbs, flowers and vegetables were a sneak peak at how my garden would start to appear in the spring.

Here is a list of the catalogs I currently have piled up on my bedside table. These vendors sell a variety of herb plants, seeds and bulbs. They sell their merchandise either through their mail order catalog, on their website or at their nursery and garden centers.

• W. Atlee Burpee & Co.
• 300 Park AVE
• Warminster, PA 18991
• Website: www.burpee.com

• Johnny’s Selected Seeds
• 955 Benton Avenue
• Winslow, ME 04901
• Website: www.johnnyseeds.com

• J. W. Jung Seed Co.
• 335 S High ST
• Randolph, WI 53957
• Website: www.jungseed.com

• Nicholas Garden Nursery
• 1190 Old Salem Road NE
• Albany, OR 97321
• Website: www.nicholsgardennursery.com

• Park Seed Company
• 1 Parkton Avenue
• Greenwood, SC 29647
• Website: www.parkseed.com

• Pinetree Garden Seeds
• PO Box 300
• New Gloucester, ME 04260
• Website: www.superseeds.com

• Select Seeds
• 180 Stickney Hill RD
• Union, CT 06076
• Website: www.selectseeds.com

• Stokes Seeds, Inc.
• PO Box 548
• Buffalo, NY 14240
• Website: www.stokeseed.com

• Territorial Seed Company
• P.O. Box 158
• Cottage Grove, OR 97424
• Website: www.territorialseed.com

Here are a few articles of interest for the herb gardener:

Propagating Herbs from Stem Cuttings

Zodiac Gardening; Planting by the Signs of the Moon

Farmer’s Almanacs; Folklore or Authentic Gardening Method

Plant Spirits and Elementals

Take care,

Lynn Smythe

Herbs & Spices Feature Writer

Posted by Lynn Smythe

Online Sites for Buying Herbs & Spices

I use tons of herbs and spices in my culinary creations. I can usually find a good selection of fresh herbs throughout the year at my local grocery stores and farmer’s markets. With the exception of fresh ginger root, which can be found in the produce section of grocery stores, spices are usually only available in their dried form.

I use so many spices that it was getting a bit expensive to buy those little jars of spices from the grocery store. I also like to purchase my spices in their whole, un-ground form and grind them as needed. A few years ago I started buying many of my herbs and spices in bulk quantity from a couple of online vendors.

Another way to use bulk herbs and spices is to put together gift baskets of various seasonings for your foodie friends. I recently had dinner at a friends house and brought along a large basket filled with individual containers of vanilla beans, allspice berries, star anise, and juniper berries for the hostess. Another use for the whole spices is to make your own potpourri blends. Homemade potpourri makes a terrific gift idea at any time of the year.

Online Herb & Spice Vendors

Here are my top 5 favorite online sites to buy bulk herbs, spices, teas and essential oils.

1. Atlantic Spice Co.
2. Mountain Rose Herbs
3. Frontier Natural Products Co-op
4. San Francisco Herb & Natural Food Co.
5. San Francisco Herb Co.

Additional Information These articles contain additional information and tidbits that you may be interested in.

• Harvesting and Storing Spices
• Traditional Spice Blends
• Ethnic Spice Blends
• Homemade Potpourri
• How to Store Dried Herbs and Spices

Take care,

Lynn Smythe

Herbs & Spices Feature Writer

Posted by Lynn Smythe

Tiramisu, AKA Tuscan Trifle, is a traditional Italian dessert which may have originated in Siena, which is a north west Italian province located in Tuscany.

When my mother visited Italy years ago, back in the late 1980's, she was introduced to this wonderful dessert at many of the various restaurants she dined in. Each town she and her companion visited had its own variation of this incredible dessert.

If you are having trouble finding the mascarpone cheese you can substitute cream cheese. Classic tiramisu is made with lady fingers which I can not locate in my local grocery stores. The margherite cookies make an acceptable substitute.

A classic recipe for tiramisu can be found in my article Traditional Italian Meal. I have come up with this recipe as my salute to this traditional Italian treat. In recent years this treat has been adapted into a variety of other desserts including cake, cookies and puddings. My local Costco even sells a chocolate flavored tiramisu, although my husband and I don't enjoy it as much as the traditional recipe.

Information on the history of tiramisu can be found on the What's Cooking America and Anna Maria Volpi websites. See the article The Many Culinary Uses of Cinnamon for additional information on cooking with this spice.

Take care,

Lynn Smythe

Herbs & Spices Feature Writer

Posted by Lynn Smythe

The Herbs & Spices topic is less than one month old. Prior to this time articles that had to do with cooking with herbs and spices were posted to various sections of Suite101.

If you enjoy the topic of herbs and spices, here are some additional articles that can be found on Suite101 that you will find interesting.

Cooking with Herbs and Spices

Spice Pairings and Storage Tips

Salt Free Cooking

Guide to Ordering Indian Food

Herbs and Spices for Good Health

The Many Culinary Uses of Cinnamon

Turmeric An Exotic Spice

Cooking with Rose Petals

Chive Blossoms and Edible Flowers

Snickerdoodles Recipe

Take care,

Lynn Smythe

Herbs & Spices Feature Writer

Posted by Lynn Smythe

I love cooking with an assortment of herbs and spices. Many of my culinary creations use a variety of ingredients commonly found in Thai-style cuisine.

Here are some of the herbs and spices commonly used in Thai cuisine. My future articles will feature many of these ingredients. If you have questions about any of these items, feel free to ask and I’ll answer you as soon as possible.

Spices

• Black pepper
• Cardamom
• Chili peppers
• Cinnamon
• Cloves
• Coriander
• Cumin
• Fennel
• Galangal
• Garlic
• Ginger
• Nutmeg
• White pepper
• Tamarind
• Turmeric

Herbs

• Betel leaves
• Cilantro
• Holy basil
• Kaffir lime leaves
• Lemon grass
• Mint
• Pandanus leaves
• Thai basil

Note: Coriander and cilantro come from the same plant. Cilantro refers to the fresh leaves while coriander refers to the dried seeds which are usually ground into a fine powder.

The Food of Thailand

If you are looking for authentic Thai recipes I highly recommend the book The Food of Thailand; A Journey for Food Lovers by Lulu Grimes and Oi Cheepchaiissara. This book, which is 296 pages long was published by Whitecap Books in 2005. The book is full of tons of color photographs showing the various ingredients used in the recipes along with photos of most of the finished foods. Recipes are divided into 11 sections including soups, salads, curries, stir-fries, vegetables and dessert.

Excerpt from the book: “The most significant addition to Thai cuisine came not from Asia but from South America, via Europe. In the sixteenth century the Portuguese introduced what was to become one of the hallmarks of the cuisine, the chili.”

Articles of Interest See the article Ethnic Spice Blends for some of the seasonings and spices that are used in Indian, Chinese and African cooking.

Take care,

Lynn Smythe

Herbs & Spice Feature Writer

Posted by Lynn Smythe

I like to make my own herb and spice blends. Blends that you buy in the store may have high concentrations of salt and other unwanted ingredients. And you never know how fresh the store bought seasonings may be. By making my own blends, in small amounts as needed, I know that they are fresh.

Here are a couple of seasoning blends that are traditionally used around the holiday season.

Sweet Spice Blend

This blend works well in apple and pumpkin pie recipes. This recipe makes approximately 3 tablespoons of sweet spice blend.

• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon cloves
• 1 teaspoon ginger
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon allspice

Poultry Seasoning

Use this seasoning blend to flavor chicken, turkey, duck or Cornish game hens. It also makes a great addition to any kind of stuffing that is served along with your poultry dishes.

• 1 teaspoon celery seed
• 1 teaspoon marjoram
• 1 teaspoon sage
• 1 teaspoon savory
• 1 teaspoon thyme

For additonal information on herb and spice mixtures see the following articles:

Ethnic Spice Blends; Harissa, Garam Masala, Curry, Chinese Five Spice and More

Traditional Spice Blends; Cinnamon Sugar, Lemon Pepper, Poultry Seasoning and More

Take care,

Lynn Smythe

Herbs & Spices Feature Writer

Posted by Lynn Smythe

Herbs & Spices is one of the newest topics on Suite101. It went live on November 29th. Before that time, any culinary articles related to herbs and spices that I wrote were added to one of the other Food & Drink topics.

Now that I am the feature writer for Herbs & Spices I wanted to provide links to these earlier articles for anyone that is interested. Some of my other culinary articles which feature herbs in the recipes:

Elegant Appetizers

Elegant Dinner Recipes

Traditional Italian Meal Quick Bread Recipes

Thanksgiving Feast for Vegetarians

Here are links to some of my other articles featuring herbs. Although they are not about cooking with herbs and spices, they should appeal to anyone with an interest in herbalism.

Homemade Potpourri

Propagating Herbs; Starting New Plants from Stem Cuttings

Take care,

Lynn Smythe

Herbs & Spices Feature Writer

Posted by Lynn Smythe

I am a book addict and currently have over 350 books in my personal library. My collection includes various topics including many gardening, cooking, jewelry making and decorating titles. I have a vast array of herb books covering subjects such as aromatherapy, incense, alternative medicine along with lots of cookbooks featuring herbs and spices.

When I first became interested in growing my own herbs, and using them in recipes, I had a difficult time getting used to how different the fresh herb plant looked compared to the little jars of dried herbs I was used to purchasing at the grocery store. I perused my local library and bookstores to look for a good reference book to help me identify herbs and spices.

If you can only afford one herbal reference book, I highly recommend Herbs & Spices; The Cooks Reference by Jill Norman. This book, which was published in 2002 by DK Publishing, is 336 pages long. The book is divided into two main sections, one on herbs and the other on spices. Each herb and spice is given 1-4 pages of coverage including lots of full color photographs.

For example basil, which is featured on pages 30-35, shows 13 different varieties of basil. Each herb and spice page has information on how it tastes, which parts of the plant are used in cooking, how to buy and store the fresh herb or dried spice, how to grow your own along with a variety of common culinary uses. The back of the book contains a few recipes for creating herb mixtures, spice mixtures, sauces, condiments and marinades. There are even a few recipes included for making soup, entrée, dessert and side dishes featuring herbs and spices to help get you started on your herbal culinary journey.

Take care,

Lynn Smythe

Herbs & Spices Feature Writer

Posted by Lynn Smythe

Hello,

Thank you for visiting Herbs & Spices on Suite101!

My name is Lynn Smythe, I am the new feature writer for Herbs & Spices. I have been an enthusiastic home chef since I was a young child. Over 20 years ago I started growing my own herbs and vegetables in my organic, raised bed gardens.

Writing for Herbs & Spices allows me to combine my two interests into one exciting topic. You can view my profile page for additional information on my background and the various writing projects I have worked on.

If you have any questions or suggestions for articles you would like to see covered you can contact me via email.

Take care,

Lynn Smythe

Herbs & Spices Feature Writer

I also maintain the I Love Herbs blog which covers a variety of non-food, herb related topics including alternative medicine, herbal supplements and magical herbalism. You may also be interested in my Herb Gardens blog, which covers all aspects of growing, harvesting and using herbs.