Herbs and Spices by Dazzle Blog entry

Blog: ~Rising Above It All~
by Dazzle

Herbs and Spices

The only way to know what works for you in your broths, in your juices, with your oils and vinegars, in your vegetarian dishes is to be adventurous and go forth unafraid.

Date: 1/23/2006 11:43:12 AM ( 18 y ) ... viewed 2055 times

If you've been following this blog, then you know I like to use herbs and spices generously in everything I consume as a food, whether it's a solid meal or a glass of fruit juice or a cup of vegetable broth. When I'm on a prolonged fast, as I have mentioned before, I must have a variety of tastes, textures and appearances in all my liquid foods to help keep me going. For that I turn to herbs and spices. They dress up the juices, they give the veggie broths their bites, and fruit broths their exotic sweetness.

There are many combinations of herbs to use in a variety of dishes. But don't let that limit you. Experiment wildly... meats and sauces shouldn't be the only foods that are worthy of herbal garni. Be daring, sprinkle basil on melon, cardamom with carrots, curry with tomatoes... Five Spice Powder sounds like it would dramatically dress up a fruit broth. And Herbes de Provence would definitely feel right at home burbling with veggies into a fine rich veggie broth Or combined with olive oil and brushed on raw veggies to roast before making the broth could hit the spot. Experiment, nothing is written in stone and everyone's taste preferences are different. What herb or spice is usually used for a specific dish doesn't mean it can't be used for something far different. The only way to know what works for you in your broths, in your juices, with your oils and vinegars, in your vegetarian dishes is to be adventurous and go forth unafraid. But, most of all and this is important, have fun!

Spice Blends
Spices -- the seeds, bark, roots, fruit, or flowers of plants -- add flavor and color to savory dishes.
From Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book 12th Edition

Blends of herbs and spices let you add an intriguing combination of flavors with just one measure. Common blends include:

Barbecue seasoning: This zesty combination blends spices that bring a smoke-flavored heat to foods. These spices may include salt, sugar, garlic, hot red pepper, hickory smoke flavor, onion, and others. Sprinkle it onto meats before grilling, roasting, or broiling.

Bouquet garni (boo-KAY gar-NEE): This is a French term for a bundle of herbs that is either tied together or placed in a piece of cheesecloth, allowing you to remove it easily from a cooked dish. A bouquet garni is especially handy for blends that use bay leaves, which should always be removed from a dish before serving. A traditional French bouquet garni includes thyme, parsley, and bay leaf, but you can create one from just about any herbs you like. Just bundle the herbs together in several thicknesses of 100-percent-cotton cheesecloth, then tie the cheesecloth closed with kitchen string to form a bag.

Cajun seasoning: While the blends available may differ, most are peppery hot. They can include onion, garlic, and salt with the classic Cajun trio of white, black, and red peppers. Sprinkle it into crumb coatings or directly onto fish, poultry, or meat before cooking.

Dry rub: A dry rub is a blend of several different herbs and spices that is rubbed over or patted onto the surface of meat before it's cooked. Purchase dry rubs in a variety of flavor combinations from the supermarket. You can also experiment making your own dry rubs with complementary flavorings from your spice rack.

Fines herbes (feenz ERB): This French phrase describes a mix that usually contains chervil, parsley, chives, and tarragon. Use it in place of individual herbs in gravies, sauces, creamy soups, and poultry stuffings.

Five-spice powder: Combinations may vary, but this fragrant blend usually includes cinnamon, anise seeds or star anise, fennel, black or Szechwan pepper, and cloves. To make your own five-spice powder, in a blender container combine 3 tablespoons ground cinnamon; 6 star anise or 2 teaspoons anise seeds; 1 1/2 teaspoons fennel seeds; 1 1/2 teaspoons whole Szechwan peppers or whole black peppercorns; and 3/4 teaspoon ground cloves. Cover and blend until powdery. Store in a covered container. Makes about 1/3 cup.

Herbes de Provence: This melange of herbs, common in the South of France, usually includes basil, fennel, lavender, marjoram, rosemary, sage, savory, and thyme. Add to poultry stuffings, creamy pasta dishes, soups, and salad dressings.

Italian seasoning: Common herbs found in this mix include basil, oregano, thyme, and rosemary; sometimes garlic and red pepper are included.

Jamaican jerk seasoning: This lively mixture can include salt, sugar, allspice, thyme, cloves, ginger, cinnamon, onion, and chile pepper. It adds spice to fish, meat marinades, and salad dressings.

Lemon-pepper seasoning: This mixture, primarily salt with black pepper and grated lemon peel, adds a delicate lemon flavor to poultry and vegetables. (I omit the salt completely when on any kind of fast.)

Mexican seasoning: This spicy blend often includes cumin, chile peppers, salt, onion, sweet peppers, garlic, oregano, and red pepper

Herbal Combinations

Good herb and food combinations

Suggestions on which herbs and foods to combine include:

Basil - pesto, tomato sauce, tomato soup, tomato juice, potato dishes, prawns, meat, chicken and poultry, pasta, rice, egg dishes.
Bay - soups, stews, casseroles, meat and poultry marinades, stocks.
Chilli - meat, chicken and poultry, prawns, shellfish, tomato dishes, curries.
Chives - salads, chicken, soups, cheese dishes, egg dishes, mayonnaise, vinaigrettes.
Coriander - Asian dishes, stir fries, curries, soups, salads, seafood.
Dill - salads, sauces, fish, salad, sour cream, cheese and potato dishes.
Fennel - stuffings, sauces, seafood.
Garlic - soups, sauces, pasta, meat, chicken, shellfish, pesto, salad dressings, bread.
Ginger - cakes, biscuits, Asian dishes.
Lemongrass - Asian dishes, stir fries, curries, seafood, soups, tea.
Marjoram - meat, fish, egg dishes, cheese dishes, pizza.
Mint - drinks, confectionary, meat, chicken, yoghurt, desserts, sauces, vegetable dishes.
Oregano - cheese dishes, egg dishes, tomato sauce, pizza, meat, stuffing, bread, pasta.
Parsley - pesto, egg dishes, pasta, rice dishes, salads, butter, sauces, seafood, vegetable dishes.
Rosemary - fish, poultry, meat, bread, sauces, soups.
Sage - stuffings, tomato dishes, cheese dishes.
Tarragon - salad dressing, egg dishes.
Thyme - chowders, bread, chicken and poultry, soups, stock, stews, stuffings, butter, cheese, mayonnaise, mustard, vinegar.

Herb combinations

Try two or more of these complementary herb combinations (perhaps when preparing your bouquet garni sachets):

Basil - goes with chives, chilli, garlic, oregano.
Bay - goes with parsley, thyme, garlic, oregano, marjoram.
Chilli - goes with coriander, garlic, ginger, lemongrass, mint, oregano.
Chives - go with basil, garlic, tarragon.
Dill - goes with chives, garlic, parsley, tarragon.
Garlic - goes with basil, rosemary, sage, fennel, chilli, coriander.
Sage - goes with rosemary, garlic, marjoram.
Thyme - goes with bay, parsley, garlic, rosemary.
Oregano - goes with basil, parsley, chives, thyme, bay, chilli.

Be adventurous

Herbs can be used with considerable artistic licence. If a recipe calls for certain herbs that you don't have stocked in your kitchen, just use a combination of others. The more you use herbs in your cooking, the more adventurous you will become.