Why buy an extra spice when you probably have everything on hand to make your own.
Posts with tag seasoning
Spice Gun lets you say, "Go ahead, bake my day"
It's just a concept right now, but I am very much looking forward to the day when a very bad chicken pisses me off and I can just do a quick draw Dirty Harry-style, point and blow that bird to Kingdom Come. With oregano.
The Spice Gun has a trigger that, when pulled, compresses the air in the air bag. The handspike will push the bottom of the seasoning bottle to make the nozzle in the turntable retract and spray the seasoning. Sure, it seems like a lot of machine effort for something we normally do with our bare hands, but hey, what's the fun in that? There's a reason we love those giant flavor injector syringes, too.
[via: Engadget]
How to season your cast iron cookware
My parents have a pretty happy marriage. They've been together for more than 37 years now, without too many major controversies. However, there is one issue that continues to stick in both of their craws and it stems from the fact that my dad is a lover of cast iron cookware and my mother can't stand the stuff. You see, in the first couple years of their marriage, my mom gave away a cast iron pan that my dad had lovingly scrubbed and seasoned. She didn't think that cast iron was hygienic and so banished it from the kitchen. He still mourns the loss of that pan, even now. I don't have a ton of cast iron in my own cookware collection, but the few pieces I do possess are rapidly becoming beloved. I adore the 7-quart Dutch Oven I acquired a couple of years ago, and my 13 inch skillet is finally starting to develop that shiny black finish that is prized by cast iron fans. If you happened to receive any cast iron pots or pans this holiday season and you're looking for tips on how to season your booty, look no further than this post from The Kitchn, which will guide you through the process, step by step (it even includes helpful pictures).
Tracking your spices for maximum flavor
A couple of years ago, I created a spreadsheet with which to track the contents of my spice rack. It had all the spices listed, along with the date on which I had purchased each one, to make it easy to know what I had and whether it was getting a little elderly. I realize that this requires a little more energy than most people want to put into their spice rack. For those of you who want an easier solution, think about checking out Spice Island's spice registry service. You can check the age of any of your Spice Island herbs and spices by punching in the product code on the bottle. Sadly, it only works for that brand, but if you happen to have a lot of their spices, it could be very helpful.
Another way to track your spices is to mark the bottom of the jar with the purchase date with a permanent market. It's not searchable like my spreadsheet, but still gives you some idea of when you brought those spices into your kitchen.
[via The Kitchn]
Mardi Gras basics Part 1: Creole spice
Over the next few days we'll be taking a look at a number of dishes that fall into the 'Cajun', 'Creole', and 'Southern' food categories. Though there are distinct differences between each style of cooking, for ease of posting I'm going to lump them into the single category of "Mardi Gras food". I use a basic Creole spice in most of my dishes which I'll be referencing back to over the next couple of days. This is very similar to Emeril's "essence", though each recipe varies slightly. You can adjust the amounts to suit your own personal taste, though the mixture below will produce a nice blend of seasonings and spice that will accent and flavor your food without adding too much heat. If three-alarm is what you are looking for, by all means add more cayenne!
The recipe can be found after the jump.
Try flavored salts for some variety
I have quite a collection of different salts in my spice cabinet due, in no small part, to the general popularity of flaked salts, sea salts and other, more exotic salts from all over the world. At first, I was just following the trend, but as I tried more salts I found that I bought them for their different textures, many of which still come through in a finished dish. I regularly use only a small portion of the salts: Maldon or a pink Australian salt for finishing dishes, kosher or sea salt for cooking and any more finely ground salt, including ordinary table salt, for baking.
The reason I don't use the rest of the salts is that they rarely differ significantly where flavor is concerned. If you're looking for flavor, I'd suggest opting for a salt that is has been purposely flavored. This set from NapaStyle has three different varieties: Sundried Tomato Garlic Gray Salt, Roasted Garlic Gray Salt and Citrus Rosemary Gray Salt. All will add a very impressive flavor-boost to a dish before serving, along with the look and texture of a coarser salt. The grey salt used as a base for the flavors is a sea salt from France that has a light purple-grey color and a slightly moistness to it, which many feel contributes to an increase of flavor during cooking.
Perhaps the best use for these salts, especially if you don't feel like cooking, is as a popcorn seasoning, turning a bag of plain microwave corn into a gourmet snack.
A little salt for dessert
No matter who you are, where you're from, or what your taste, a salt shaker lives on your table, your stovetop, or your counter. Perhaps all three. Salt is cheap and readily available. Hardly an item exists in your pantry that doesn't list it as an ingredient.
It's chemical name is "sodium chloride." Common table salt is produced by flooding salt deposits with water. The brine which results is then evaporated and the crystals are refined. Kosher salt is made similarly, though the brine is raked continually during evaporation. Sea salt is (obviously) evaporated from sea water. Certain varieties contain chemical additives that prevent clumping, allowing for free flow from shaker to your steak; iodine may also be added to prevent hypothyroidism in consumers. All salts are nutritionally equivalent, regardless of what type you decide to use.
Does it matter what kind of salt you use in a recipe?
Generally speaking, salt by any other name is still salt, and whether you used large flake sea salt or plain table salt, your food will still turn out well. This is especially true of savory foods. In things like sauces and soups, all kinds of salt will dissolve due to the heat of the dish and produce equally flavorful results. When adding a spice rub to meat or simply adding a sprinkle to food already on your plate, the salt will not only add flavor, but a small amount of texture and a bit of crunch. You might find that while the saltiness is the same, you prefer to use larger, flaked salt for that extra edge. Salads, too, are usually enhanced by adding a bit of salt and using a coarser salt will really enhance the veggies in your bowl.
Continue reading Does it matter what kind of salt you use in a recipe?
That's "hippie hot"
Having attended a small liberal arts college, I've seen my share of vegan potlucks. The other night, at a dinner party thrown by some students and alums, I had a helping of some fairly tame looking black beans that turned out to be palate-peelingly spicy. I said as much to someone else at the party and they replied, "Yeah, they're hippie hot." That comment served to stir up a question I've always pondered at potlucks and dinners throughout the years: why is it that vegan and vegetarian potluck offerings are often very heavily seasoned? Is it just me? Please tell me that there are others out there that have experienced this. Is it perhaps that some inexperienced vegan cooks fear that their food will be bland and sometimes overcompensate with spices? I don't know. I have nothing against vegan cooking on the whole. Truth be told, a friend from college makes better vegan baked goods than some of the non-vegan bakers I know. They made me a believer. I'm not suggesting that all vegans are hippies either. I'm just wondering if other folks have had similar experiences with spicy silken tofu quiche and such.
Homemade Pita Chips
I love pita chips. They're incredibly delicious, addictive and easy. They only take about 5 minutes to whip up and are so much fresher than anything you can buy, not to mention that homemade chips are healthier than anything you can buy. Serve the chips with hummus, guacamole, salsa or any other favorite dip. Feel free to vary the seasoning to your personal tastes by using chili or curry powders. You can make them in advance by letting them cool completely on a wire rack, then packing them in a plastic bag for a day or two.
Homemade Pita Chips
1 ½ tsp cumin
1 tsp Paprika
½ tsp Garlic Powder
Black pepper and salt, to taste
2 Pitas
Preheat broiler and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
Mix together cumin, paprika,
garlic powder, salt and pepper. Set aside.
Cut Pitas into 8-12 pieces and split each piece in half to make thin
chips. Arrange in a single layer on baking sheet. Spray with cooking spray.
Sprinkle evenly with spice mixture,
but use your own judgment in deciding how much to put on the chips.
Broil for 3-5 minutes, until golden
brown.
[Photo by Nicole Weston]
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