Introduction
If you want exotic food, there are a lot of great chefs and restaurants waiting to introduce you to elaborate fusion cuisines or ingredients that can be only found by safari. And these restaurants are worth the special trip. But most of us who cook regularly want to put food on the table that is not exotic, but nourishing food that gratifies the senses and pleasures the soul.
Cooking with herbs and spices goes a long way to achieving a cook’s desire to serve delicious food. And the great thing is how readily available good herbs and spices now are. For too long, we were dependent on jars of dried herbs and spices that had sat on grocery shelves for heavens knows how long and when opened reminded you of musk, dust, and unwrapped mummies. I may be exaggerating a little, but look at what’s available now in the produce section of any good grocery store. You’ll find at least fresh basil, rosemary, thyme, tarragon, mint, chives, cilantro, and, of course, Italian parsley. And we'll go to some of the great food sources on the WEB which both sell and explain the many varieties of spices and herbs now available.
While this course is oriented towards learning to cook with herbs and spices, we should pay tribute to the role that these foodstuffs have played in human events. Columbus was searching for an easier way to exploit the Asian spice trade when he stumbled across the Americas. Pepper has been a form of currency. Shakespearean drama would be a poorer read without his continuous references to herbs. So as long as we treasure these foods, let’s give them the respect they deserve and allow them to provide the maximum perfume and pleasure they can to our cooking.
This course is a primer in culinary herbs and spices. We’ll leave the growing, history, and herb lore and medicine to others. (There are some great sites here at Suite101 to deal with those issues, e.g, the topic Landscaping With Herbs and the course at Herb Gardening--Grand or Small). But we’ll define an herb and spice and discuss how to buy, store, and prepare each to their maximum advantage. We’ll look at the most common herbs and spices and really analyze their flavors.
Most importantly, we’ll look at compatibility, i.e. with what other foods do these herbs really work well. Most of us have been raised on spaghetti and tomato sauce, and automatically think “tomato” with “basil”. Wouldn’t it be great to know and/or have a resource so that you can readily pair the other herbs with their soulmates? This way, when you buy a clump at cilantro for use in your guacamole, you’ll know how to use the rest of it. Not only is it fun to use herbs and spices more widely in cooking, but frugal as you don’t have to throw away that extra parsley.
One of the best ways to utilize herbs as well as some spices is to effectively preserve them in oils and vinegars. You’ll maximize the taste of your fresh herbs, and especially with vinegars you’ll have a food resource that will get you through the whole year. Not to say there aren’t other great ways to use them as flavoring agents, and we’ll learn the formulas and methods for making herbal mixtures such as salsas, compound butters, and salt blends.
We’ll look at the use of herbs and spices in specific cooking techniques. We’ll maximize grilling pleasure with the use of rubs, brines and marinades. We’ll use the flavored oils and vinegars in salads. And we’ll get a little experimental with breads – flavoring focaccia & pizza as well as classic & quick breads.
Then, since great cooking demands great beverages, we’ll research how herbs and spices are used in drinks. For any of you who are Agatha Christie fans, we’ll look at Poirot’s favorite “tisanes” or herbal teas. Real estate agents claim that the best way to market a house to prospective buyers is to fill the house with warm flavors, especially cinnamon. So we’ll do mulled apple cider – the most effective way I know to keep a house full of great flavor. And since sharing food is always a party, we won’t ignore the alcoholic side – especially the lesser known aperitifs and liqueurs that really highlight their herbal bases.
For a fun closing chapter, we’ll acknowledge the decorative side of herbs and look at how easy a garnish they are and how they really decorate a dish. In the last chapter, we’ll learn how to make some very easily prepared dishes that have a considerable wow factor and truly highlight herbal power including Risotto Milanese (saffron), and Gravlax (dill). But there are recipes scattered throughout for classics like pesto, gremolada and others. Finally we'll have fun with herbs in desserts.
Just to get you started and whet your appetite a little, try the following recipe. This sauce combines a fresh herb (cilantro), with the spice made from the same plant (coriander) and then highlights how well another spice (cumin) blends with the flavor. Feel free to adjust the amount of seasonings to taste. Spoon the sauce over any white, lean fish, put it on pizza or enchiladas, or use it on eggs:
- 1 (8 ounce package) frozen chopped spinach
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon flour
- 1 pint whole milk
- ½ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- 2 small jalapenos, chopped or 1 tablespoon canned chopped green chilies
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons ground coriander
- ½ cup sour cream
- Salt and pepper to taste
Melt the butter in a heavy medium skillet over medium heat. Add the flour and stir the mixture for 2 minutes; do not brown. Gradually whisk in the milk. Bring to a simmer, lower the heat and let cook until thickened, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add the spinach, cilantro, chilies (use the chopped green chilies if you want less heat), cumin, and coriander, and stir well to combine.
Pour the mixture into a food processor, and puree until smooth. Stir in the sour cream. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Lessons
Click here to see course syllabus
