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| Photo: Pankai Shah/Getty Images |
Web Exclusive. . .
Spice Primer
Renowned chefs dish about their favorite spices and give tips on usage, storage, flavor, and recipes.
By Monica Bhide
August 2006
Cumin, cinnamon, star anise… all aromatic spices that add excellent flavor to dishes. If you have ever wondered about the best way to use a spice to obtain maximum flavor, look no further. Come with us as we talk to leading cookbook authors about their secrets to buying, using, and storing their favorite spices. From cinnamon to juniper berries, let America’s favorite cookbook authors show you how to better use your current spices and also how to expand your horizons by adding new seasonings to your existing collection!
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| Chef Kathy Casey owns Kathy Casey Food Studios and Dish D'Lish, is the author of several cookbooks, and writes a food column for the Seattle Times. |
| Kathy's favorite spice is juniper berries. |
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Flavor: “The characteristic flavor in London gin, juniper berries give a fresh, piney, "green" flavor to anything they're used with. I especially love them in sauces and seasoning rubs for beef and shrimp. |
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Storage: If you buy jarred juniper berries, just keep them in the original container and store in a cool, dry, dark cupboard. If you buy them from a spice shop, transfer them to a clean jar with an airtight lid and store as above. |
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Usage: Crush the berries in a mortar, and then, if you want them finer, chop them carefully with a heavy, sharp knife on a cutting board.” |
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Recipe: Martini Shrimp |
| Diane Morgan’s cookbooks are always full of great information but are also delightful to read. From Dressed to Grill to Midnight Munchies, this Oregon-based cooking teacher is always cooking up something fun. |
| Diane’s favorite spice is cinnamon. |
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Flavor: “I love it because it can work in both sweet and savory dishes.” |
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Storage: “I buy it in small quantities in a jar and store it in my spice drawer, which stays dark and relatively cool.” |
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Usage: “A small amount can be dusted on top of a custardy dessert for a touch of flavor, or it can be mixed with cocoa and used to coat deep, dark, rich truffles, or it can be added to a savory dish such as a butternut squash soup for a subtle flavor addition.” |
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Recipe: Praline Sweet Potato Casserole |
| Judith Fertig is known for her expertise in Midwestern cuisine. Her recipes are creative and simple to prepare. Her Prairie Home Cooking was nominated for both the James Beard and IACP cookbook awards. Judith’s latest book is Weeknight Grilling with the BBQ Queens: Making Meals Fast and Fabulous by Karen Adler and Judith Fertig (Harvard Common Press, 2006). |
| Judith's favorite spice is ground chipotle pepper. |
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Flavor: “It’s earthy, smoky, and warm-tasting.” |
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Storage: “I buy it in a jar and keep it in my spice cabinet.” |
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Usage: “A little pinch of it, right along with salt and pepper, for seasoning anything. |
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Recipe: Grilled Salmon with a Rockin' Rub |
| Award-winning writer and cookbook author Joan Nathan shares her love and recipe for star anise. While the spice is somewhat unusual, you will not find a better guide than Joan on how to incorporate it into your dishes. Her latest book, The New American Cooking (Knopf, 2005), has just won a James Beard Award. |
| Joan's favorite spice is star anise. |
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Flavor: "I love the slightly licorice flavor that surprises whenever it is used." |
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Storage: “I try to buy it from Asian groceries and use it whole, storing it in a dark drawer." |
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Usage: “I use it in stews and in poaching. Added to other spices like cinnamon, cardamom, and cloves, it adds a surprising kick to recipes, often an explosion of flavors from all over the world.” |
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Recipe: Mulled Pears with Star Anise, Cinnamon, and Vanilla |
| New York Times columnist and cookbook author Mark Bittman shares his love for cardamom. His How to Cook Everything cookbook is an absolute must-have for anyone who loves to spend time in the kitchen. |
| Mark’s favorite spice is cardamom. |
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Flavor: “Its flavor is unique, and wherever it is used, from Scandinavia to India, it just makes dishes delicious. There are two important varieties of cardamom: green, which is the more sweetly aromatic of the two and is, after saffron and vanilla, one of the most expensive spices in the world; and brown or black, which is larger and has a more pungent, camphorlike aroma. White cardamom is green cardamom that has been bleached instead of sun-dried. You can substitute its seeds for those of green cardamom but its pod is virtually flavorless and therefore contributes nothing in dishes where whole pods are used.” |
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Storage: “Buy whole pods; they can often be used whole (as in the recipe here) and are delicious to chew on. If you need seeds, or ground cardamom, you just crush the pod and remove the seeds; then they can be ground. Store in airtight containers.” |
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Usage: “I like to use whole pods.” |
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Recipe: Easy Chicken Biriyani |
Now you have these spices under your belt, find out how you can use herbs to enhance the flavor of your favorite dishes.
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