Herbs & Spices

What's the difference?  An herb is generally described as the leaf, root, or blossom portion of a plant, while a spice is usually a seed or fruit. There are probably exceptions to that, but it's a good rule of thumb.  In some cases, I've provided a link to one of my own recipes in which the herb or spice listed below plays a important role.

If you wish to use an herb or spice without a recipe, or add it to an existing recipe that doesn't call for it, begin with ¼ tsp. of the herb or spice per pound of meat or pint of sauce, and increase as desired.  If possible, do not add ground spices until about 15 minutes before the dish is done.  Whole spices should be reserved for stews, soups, sauces, and other slow cooking dishes. Moisten dried herbs and rub between your fingers to rehydrate them and bring out their flavor and fragrance. Allspice: eggs, fish, fruit, pickles, pot roast, squash, sweet potatoes Anise seed: beef stew, beverages, breads, cakes, candy, cheese, cookies, fish, pickles, stewed fruits Basil: beef stew, carrots, cheese, eggplant, eggs, fish, green or vegetable salad, jelly, meat loaf, noodles, peas, potatoes, rice, spinach, tomatoes, Hamburger Pizza.  (See also:  "Basil Butter" recipe, below.) Bunches of basil will store best for 2-3 days in the refrigerator, upright, with the stems or roots in a cup of water and the leaves covered loosely with a plastic bag.  Don't wash until ready to use.  To keep longer, wash and drain basil very well on paper toweling and/or spin in a salad spinner.  Remove leaves from stems; discard stems.  Freeze leaves in plastic bags, either whole or chopped.  Scoop out or break off the frozen amount needed.  Add, frozen, to the dish while it is cooking Add ½ tsp. crumbled leaf basil to corn as it cooks. Bay Leaf: chowders, fish, marinades, pickles, pot roast, soups, stews, variety meats, Grape Juice Stew, Meatloaf. Caraway Seed: beef stew, beets, cabbage, cake, carrots, cauliflower, cookies, green beans, marinades for meats, potatoes, rice, rye bread, sauerkraut, turnips, zucchini Cardamon: baked goods, fruit soups, grape jelly, pickles, puddings, squash, sweet potatoes Cayenne Pepper: cheese, chicken, eggs, fish, meat dishes, pickles, pizza, spaghetti, vegetables Celery Seed: breads, egg dishes, fruit salad, meat loaf, pickles, potato salad, rolls, stews, stuffings, tomatoes, vegetables, soups  (Celery salt may be substituted in any of the above, but the amount of salt in the recipe must be reduced.) Chili Powder: barbecue sauce, bean casseroles, cheese, chicken, corn, dips, egg dishes, eggplant, marinades for meats, meat loaf, stews, tomato sauce, Beefburgers, Family Chili. Add ¼ tsp. chili powder to lima beans as they cook Cinnamon: bakery products, beef stew, beverages, chicken, fruits, lamb stew, pickles, roast lamb, Snickerdoodles. Cloves: baked goods, carrots, fish, fruits, green beans, Harvard beets, marinades for meats, meat sauces, pickles, pot roast, stuffings, sweet potatoes, tomatoes Curry Powder: breads, chicken, curried beef, dips, dried beans, eggs, fish, fruit, lamb, meat balls, marinades for meats Dill Seed and Weed: breads, chicken, egg dishes, fish, green beans, pickled beets, pickles, salads, sauerkraut, stews Try ½ tsp. dried dillweed added to fresh or frozen peas as they cook.  Fresh dillweed goes well with fish (salmon or tuna),  in tartar sauce, in potato or pasta salads (those made with dill, rather than sweet, pickles), or even on a baked potato, instead of chives. Choose dillweed that smells fragrant and very dilly.  Avoid both the very small "baby dill" (it lacks flavor and aroma) and very tall, heavy stalks of dillweed, which may be slightly bitter.* Fennel Seed: baked or stewed apples, breads, cakes, cheese, cookies, egg dishes, fish, marinades for meats, pickles, sauerkraut, stews, vegetables.

Garlic: breads, dill pickles, dips, fish, marinades, meat, poultry, salad dressings, salads, sauces, soups, stews, tomato dishes, Grape Juice Stew, Oatie Burgers. Never cook garlic fast; never cook it alone.  Chop it in a little salt and the pieces won't stick to your knife or your cutting board.  Mash it with the tines of a fork to make it into a paste.  Don't use a garlic press --  you loose too much of the good part of the bud.  Don't use buds that have begun to dry up or show signs of dark mold.  Sweeten garlicky fingers by rubbing them with a ripe tomato (use it later in a salad) or, if the scent is very strong, rub your fingers in coffee grounds.  Lemon juice may help, or a solvent product called De-Solv-It, which is made with orange oil (and so gentle that it has been used by hospitals to clean burns). Several different varieties of garlic are available in American grocery stores.  The type you buy depends on your location and the season.  Some types are less cooperative about being peeled than others.  Generally, all you need do is trim off the tip where the clove was attached to the head, then grip the ends of the clove and gently twist back and forth (as you would when trying to unwrap a piece of hard candy in a plastic or paper twist).  The skin should loosen and remove easily.  If this doesn't work, or if you're too fussy about touching the garlic because of the smell on your fingers (I happen to love it and would never mind having it on my fingers unless I was about to go to a wedding or something) trim off the end and place the clove on a firm, flat surface, such as a cutting board.  Place a fairly wide knife handle over the clove with one hand and, with the heel of the other hand, give the knife handle a sharp rap, hard enough to loosen the garlic clove's skin but not hard enough to mash it to bits.  The skin should come right off.  Some varieties (e.g. Elephant garlic) peel with very little fuss.

Ginger: baked products, baked or stewed fruits, beef, beverages, conserves, fish, lamb, pickles, poultry, soups, vegetables, Oriental dishes Mace: baked products, breads, chowder, fish, fruits, jellies, meat loaf, pickles, poultry, vegetables Marjoram: beef, breads, broccoli, carrots, cauliflower, chicken, egg dishes, fish, lamb, mushrooms, peas, pizza, soups, spaghetti, spinach, squash, tomato dishes, Oatie Burgers, Porcupines Add ½ tsp. crumbled leaf marjoram to wax beans as they  cook. Mint: lamb roast, lamb stew, mint jelly, punches, sauces for lamb, sauces for desserts, sherbet, tea, vegetables, Greek meatballs* Mustard, Dry: cheese dishes, egg dishes, meat, poultry, salad dressings, vegetables, Aunt Gloria's Mexican Salad Dressing, Hamburger Pizza Mustard Seed: boiled cabbage, coleslaw, corned beef, cucumber pickles, potato salad, sauerkraut Nutmeg: baked products, chicken, conserves, eggs, fruits, hot beverages, pickles, puddings, seafood, vegetables, Snickerdoodles Onion Powder: breads, cheese dishes, dips, egg dishes, fish, meats, poultry, rice dishes, salads, soups, stews, stuffing, vegetables  (Onion salt may be substituted, but the amount of salt in the recipe must be reduced.) Oregano: barbecue sauce, cheese dishes, chicken, chili con carne, egg dishes, fish, lamb, onions, pasta sauces, pizza, stuffings, tomatoes, vegetable soup, Aunt Gloria's Mexican Salad Dressing, Hamburger Pizza Paprika: beef, cheese dishes, egg dishes, fish, game, lamb, pickles, poultry, vegetables in need of color Parsley: breads, broiled or fried fish, coleslaw, meats, poultry, soups, stuffings, tomato and meat sauces To keep parsley fresh, treat it very much like fresh-cut flowers.  Wash it gently, dry thoroughly (use a salad spinner, if desired, then pat on on paper or cloth towels).  When possible, leave stems long, but trim the tips at an angle with a sharp knife.  Place in a heavy-based container, such as a stoneware coffee mug, and fill mug with cold water to about 1" below the container's brim.  Set container down inside a large plastic zip-close bag, close carefully, and place in refrigerator.  The water should be changed every few days.  Parsley will keep this way for as long as a month. Pepper, Black: eggs, fish, meats, pickles, poultry, vegetables Pepper, Red: barbecued beef, cheese dishes, curried dishes, dips, meats, pickles, poultry, sauces, soups, spaghetti sauce, tamale pie, vegetables, Beefburgers. Pepper, White: vegetables, white meats (any pale-colored dish where you want to add pepper, but don't want black specks to show) Poppy Seed: breads, cakes, cheese sticks, cookies, fruit compotes, fruit salad dressings, noodles, pie crust, scrambled eggs  (Sprinkle over the top of fruit salads, cookies and cakes, vegetables, and breads.) Poultry Seasoning: chicken soup, meat loaf, poultry, stuffings, Vegeburger Hash Rosemary: beef, breads, cauliflower, fish, fruits, lamb, marinades, mushrooms, potatoes, poultry, soups, spinach, stews, turnips Add ½ tsp. crumbled rosemary to carrots as they cook Saffron: baked goods, chicken, curries, rice Sage: beef, cheese dishes, chowders, eggplant, fish, lima beans, marinades, onions, potatoes, poultry, sauces, soups, stuffings, tomatoes, Stuffing. Sesame Seed: breads, cakes, canapes, casseroles, cookies, cookies, dips, noodles, pie fillings, pie crust, salads, soups, stuffings, vegetables Tarragon: casseroles, egg dishes, fish, lamb, marinades, pot roasts, poultry, sour cream sauces* Thyme: fish, meat, poultry, vegetables, Oatie Burgers, Porcupines Add ½ tsp. crumbled leaf thyme to green beans as they cook Turmeric: breads, cakes, curried meats, egg dishes, fish, pickles, poultry, rice dishes Vanilla: baked goods, beverages, candies, puddings  (Vanilla sugar, which makes a wonderful flavoring, can be made by putting one vanilla bean in a jar of granulated sugar.  Let stand until sugar takes on the flavor and aroma of vanilla.) *To keep fresh, whole dill, mint, or tarragon, wash and dry well, then strip sprigs from stalks and wrap in plastic or put in a screw-top jar.  Store in refrigerator.  (For an alternate storage method for these herbs, see the instructions for keeping parsley, above.)

BASIL BUTTER 1 T. fresh basil leaves, finely chopped 2 tsp. lemon juice ½ C. unsalted butter, softened In a small bowl, stir basil and lemon juice into softened butter.  Store, tightly covered, in the refrigerator.  Spread on bread or daub on grilled steak or chicken, hot vegetables, or pasta.

Graphics courtesy of Cottonwood Designs.