I”ve always had a love/hate relationship with eggnog – love the taste, hate what it does to one’s waist. But, focusing on the more appealing aspects, few things conjure up the holiday spirit faster than an eggnog. So I got to wondering, how it all came about. Many believe that eggnog is a tradition that…
spices
Special Ingredients: Middle Eastern Delights – Marash + Aleppo Peppers
I found some at a spice market and was so intrigued I could not wait to give the bag a try. What made me curious was the relatively copious amount of moisture that was evident on the bag. I’d never seen “dried” peppers with this amount. Boy am I glad that I let my curiosity…
Saffron, the spice dearly loved by many
Adding saffron to a dish is like having cashmere in a blended wool sweater, it immediately ups the desirability factor and puts it in the favorite rotation. There is something about this herb that elevates a dish to something special. I have friends from various saffron producing regions who claim that theirs is the superior…
Special Ingredients: Grains of Paradise (Discovered on a trip to Angles Camp)
My husband recently took me for a weekend trip to Calaveras County. What does that have to do with Grains of Paradise? Very little, except that I found this interesting spice while in Murphys, which along with Angels Camp reside in Calaveras County, California. Grains of Paradise Grains of Paradise, formally known as Aframomum melegueta…
Shichimi Togarashi (7 Spice Powder) an old pantry staple
When I say old, I mean O L D! As in this spice mix dates back to the 1600s. The first mixes were originally billed as medicine, and were developed shortly after the introduction of red chilies to Japan. Shichi is the Japanese word for “seven.” As you explore the spice racks in the market,…
Currying Flavor with Currywurst
.. and so continues the epic voyage of curry. In past posts (Curry – A World Traveler, Britain’s National Dish Is…, Curry Leaves, Curry Powder, and Asian Curry – Japan) I touched on curry and some of the roads its taken and, having been hit across the head recently with currywurst, thought it time to check…
Masala Chai: India’s Wonder Drink
If there was ever a drink that seems guaranteed to improve the mood, its chai. Specifically masala chai, with masala being a general Hindu term for spice mix, and chai the term for tea. If you ask for chai tea, you’re just being redundant. (This sort of expression is called pleonasm, where one of the…
Special Ingredients – Tonka Beans
I’ve long been intrigued by the lure of tonka beans, and given that they are off limits in the US thanks to the FDA its a clear cut case of desiring what you cannot have. I mean any spice described as tasting and smelling like a heady combination of vanilla, almonds, cinnamon and cloves sounds…
Edible Flowers: Orchids (Vanilla)
Wandering around the Cancun airport, struggling to find a way to spend my last pesos on some worthy souvenir that would stretch the memories of my time with family in Isla Mujeures, I kept coming face to face with bottles of Mexican vanilla next to the sombreros and colorful rain sticks. While I did not…
Sienese Christmas Cake, aka Panforte
Its Christmas time and the mind wanders to fruit cake. No? Not so with you? Hmm, well trust me, this one is good, after all there must be some reason that fruit cake has been around for ages. I know some folks think that applies to Grandma’s cake, but seriously, the fruitcake or panforte from…
