Spices Add Kick To Old Favorites
If your tried and true favorites are starting to seem a little bland, a dose of exotic spice might be what's missing. Spices can jazz up soups, salads and meats, and bring the exotic flavors of faraway lands to your table.
Cookbook author and cooking teacher Tori Ritchie showed the way Thursday in The Early Show's "Five-Minute Cooking School," at the Manhattan flagship store of Williams-Sonoma. Featuring the spices of India, Asia and North Africa, Ritchie says these ingredients can be found at most grocery stores.
BACKGROUND
The discovery of spices and herbs may have taken place before the dawn of civilization. These important plant products not only enhanced the flavor of food, but kept it from spoiling. They also were among the world's first medicinal remedies. Indeed, in ancient times, people prized spices more highly than gold or jewels.
Most spices come from tropical and subtropical trees, shrubs and vines, and are typically processed from the part of the plant that contains flavorful oils. Ginseng and horseradish come from the roots of their plants, for example; saffron and cloves from the flowers; caraway and sesame from the seed; cinnamon from the bark; and pepper and vanilla from the fruit. Herbs, on the other hand, are usually the leaves of plants that grow in temperate regions.
Most of the spices and many of the herbs we use today came originally from plants native to the Far East, India and the Mediterranean. Among the few spices native to the New World is one of today's most popular seasonings: the red pepper from which chili and cayenne are made.
Nowadays, many of the spices that once grew only in the Far East are being cultivated in other tropical countries, and a wide range of formerly exotic spices are commonly available at a reasonable cost.
Purchase, Handling and Storage Tips
Curried Potato Skins
Double-panning, the technique of stacking a pan atop a baking sheet to ensure that foods don't burn, guarantees crisp, brown potato skins. Enjoyed as a snack or a side dish, the skins boast taste and texture as satisfying as chips but have greater nutrient benefit.
6 large russet potatoes, well scrubbed
1 1/2 Tbs. olive oil
1 1/2 Tbs. water
2 tsp. curry powder
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
6 green onions, thinly sliced, including green portions
Preheat an oven to 450°F.
Prick the potatoes several times with a fork, place them directly on the oven rack, and bake until the interior feels soft when squeezed, 65 to 75 minutes. Let cool for 15 minutes.
Line a large, shallow baking pan with aluminum foil, then coat the foil with nonstick cooking spray. Set the prepared pan on a baking sheet.
In a small bowl, stir together the olive oil, water, curry powder, cayenne and black pepper.
Cut each potato in half lengthwise and scoop out the pulp, leaving a shell of pulp about 1/4 inch thick. Reserve the scooped-out potatoes for another use.
Using kitchen shears, cut the potato skins lengthwise into strips about 1 inch wide. Place in the prepared baking pan and brush with the olive oil mixture.
Bake for 5 minutes. Scatter the green onions over the top and return to the oven, reversing the position of the baking pan to ensure even baking. Bake until the potato skins are crisp, brown and sizzling, 8 to 10 minutes more.
To serve, transfer the potato skins to a platter. Serves 6.
Adapted from "The Mayo Clinic Williams-Sonoma Cookbook," by John Phillip Carroll (Time-Life Books, 1998).
Lamb Chops with Moroccan Spices
While lamb and Pinot Noir are commonly paired, this preparation of lamb, with its use of earthy, pungent, hot and sweet spices, tastes best with a more assertive red. Ample tannins and some body, in the form of alcohol, are needed to handle the smoky, charred effects of grilling. Serve the chops with couscous and sautéed beets and carrots glazed with butter, orange juice and zest and a hint of mint. Dependable: spicy Syrah blend or Zinfandel. Daring: Californian or Australian Grenache-based rosé.
1/2 cup chopped fresh mint, plus more for garnish (optional)
1 Tbs. ground coriander
2 tsp. finely minced garlic
1 tsp. sweet paprika
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
Salt, to taste
Juice of 1 lemon
2 Tbs. olive oil
8 loin lamb chops or 16 small rib chops
In a small bowl, stir together the 1/2 cup mint, the coriander, garlic, paprika, cumin, black pepper, cayenne pepper, salt, lemon juice and olive oil. Rub the mixture into the chops, coating evenly, and place in a non-aluminum container. Cover and marinate at cool room temperature for 2 hours or up to overnight in the refrigerator.
Prepare a fire in a grill. If the chops are refrigerated, bring to room temperature.
Place the chops on an oiled grill rack and grill, turning once, for 4 minutes per side for medium-rare, or until done to your liking.
Transfer to a warmed platter or individual plates and sprinkle with mint, if using. Serve immediately. Serves 4.
Adapted from Williams-Sonoma Lifestyles Series, "Food & Wine Pairing," by Joyce Goldstein (Time-Life Books, 1999).Seafood Curry with Coconut, Citrus and Cucumber
This Asian-inspired curry, more sweet than hot, pairs nicely with a medium-bodied Australian Riesling that will balance its sweet, citrus and hot tones. An off-dry white or rosé picks up on the nuance of the sweet coconut. Dependable: dry, unoaked Australian Riesling. Daring: off-dry Muscat such as Italian Muscato D'Asti.
2 tsp. ground coriander
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. ground pepper
3 Tbs. peanut oil
1 yellow onion, finely minced
1 Tbs. each peeled and grated fresh ginger and finely minced garlic
2 tsp. each grated lime zest and minced lemongrass
1 to 2 tsp. minced jalapeño chile
2 cups coconut milk
1 1/2 cups fish or chicken broth
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, pureed with 1 Tbs. water
1 Tbs. lime juice, or to taste
1 Tbs. brown sugar
Salt, to taste
2 small squid
2 small cucumbers, peeled, quartered lengthwise, seeded and cut into 2-inch pieces
1 lb. firm white fish fillets
24 clams, well scrubbed
8 each medium or large shrimp, peeled and deveined, and sea scallops
1/4 cup each chopped fresh mint and cilantro
In a small sauté pan over medium heat, toast the coriander, cumin and pepper, shaking the pan often, until fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes; reserve.
In a very large saucepan over medium heat, warm the oil. Add the onion and sauté until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the ginger, garlic, lime zest, lemongrass, chili and toasted spices and cook, stirring, until fragrant, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the coconut milk, broth, pureed cilantro, lime juice and brown sugar, bring to a boil and immediately reduce the heat to low. Simmer for 5 minutes to blend the flavors of the curry base. Season with salt and set aside.
Meanwhile, clean the squid: Working with 1 squid at a time, pull the head from the body. Cut the head from the tentacles above the eyes and discard the head. Squeeze the hard "beak" from the base of the tentacles. Cut the tentacles in half and set them aside. Remove the transparent "quill" from the body and discard; rinse the body well and peel off the speckled skin. Cut the body into rings 1 inch wide. Set aside.
Bring a saucepan three-fourths full of salted water to a boil. Add the cucumbers, boil for 3 minutes, drain and cool under running water.
Return the curry base to a simmer over medium heat. Cut the fish fillets into 2-inch cubes and add to the base along with the clams (discarding any that fail to close to the touch) and cucumbers. Simmer until the fish is opaque throughout, 8 minutes. Add the shrimp, scallops and squid during the last 3 minutes of cooking.
Spoon into a warmed serving bowl, discarding any clams that failed to open. Garnish with the mint and cilantro and serve. Serves 4.
Adapted from Williams-Sonoma Lifestyles Series,Food & Wine Pairing, by Joyce Goldstein (Time-Life Books, 1999).