My New Favorite Spice: Paprika

I used to put garlic powder on just about everything I made, apart from desserts.  Then I discovered paprika.  It’s always been in the spice aisle, and I even bought some a while ago.  I vaguely remember making Hungarian Goulash and adding paprika. I liked the color—a deep orangey-red—and it spice didn’t disappear after I sprinkled it on.  It made whatever I was cooking look and taste better—be it beef stew, vegetables or roast chicken.

The Many Uses of Crushed Red Pepper Flakes

My first encounter with crushed red pepper flakes occurred in conjunction with my first slice of pizza.  It happened one fateful evening, probably after a high school football game. I wondered why this new hole-in-the-wall restaurant in my Pennsylvania hometown had such a strange smell.  Only later did I recognize it as the smell of hot Parmesan cheese.

By then I was a regular customer

Harissa: What Is It and How Do I Use It?

I first heard this word in Paris while eating at a Tunisian restaurant.  Because harissa looks like ketchup, I tried it and discovered it has a fiery taste.  That’s not surprising because one of its key ingredients is chili peppers.  Unless you love extremely hot food, you might want to use just a few drops—at least when you first taste it.

In many North African countries, harissa is as common as olive oil is in Italian restaurants.  In the U.S., harissa (sometimes called harissa paste) is widely available on the Internet but not necessarily found at supermarkets.  Tubes of harissa paste can cost as little as $5.

That little tube could last for a year or, if you are a spicy food fanatic, it could be squeezed out in a week.  I shook a few drops of harissa onto leftover mashed potatoes the other evening, and it added an interesting dab of flavor. 

Pesto: What Is It and How Do I Use It?

Pesto is a combination of fresh basil leaves, pine nuts, olive oil, garlic, salt and Parmesan cheese.  For whatever reason, it was not on my radar until about 10 years ago when a foodie friend started telling me how easy it was to make.  He didn’t have any for me to sample, so I forgot about it for a few years until I stumbled on a jar of pesto in the refrigerated section of Costco.  I decided to try it as a pasta sauce.

It was an immediate hit.  Pesto, which originated in Italy, has a strong, fresh basil taste and is a very good topping for spaghetti, ravioli and other stuffed pasta.  As the cook, I find it incredibly convenient.  It has now become my family’s emergency meal.

Have I ever made pesto from scratch?  No.  Call me lazy, but it’s a lot easier to have pre-made pesto in the refrigerator than having to rush out to the store to buy fresh basil leaves.

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Sage: What Is It and How Do I Use It?

I always think of sage as a spice that belongs in Thanksgiving stuffing.  I used it years ago, back in the days when I didn’t know much about any spice other than garlic.  I may well have just dumped a couple tablespoons of dried sage into the stuffing and didn’t mix it well.  In fact, I’d probably had that bottle of sage for years.

Question for Mom

Are fresh ginger and ground ginger interchangeable? – Stephanie A.

I used to think they were, but after doing some research I discovered that the answer is NO.  Ground ginger is the spice of choice for baking.  I’ve often used it in stir-fries, soups and casseroles, and it provided a good flavor. So I seldom go to the trouble of peeling and dicing fresh ginger.

I did wonder why fresh ginger didn’t seem to add much flavor, but

Mom Money-Saving Tip 102

What should you do with leftover fresh parsley?  It doesn’t cost much, so there’s a great temptation to 1) let it rot in the fridge, or 2) toss it out.  Here’s a third option.  Microwave it until it dries out. It takes less than 2 minutes to go from fresh to crunchy. Then crumble it with your fingers and store it in a closed container.

Turmeric Root: What Is It and How Do I Cook with It?

When a new food item appeared in my local cut-price supermarket, I figured that some people were already fans, while lots of others were wondering what it was.  I was a wonderer, which is how I came to buy some fresh turmeric root.

Mom Cooking Tip 154

Do you have a lot of garlic cloves to peel?  Separate them from the bulb and microwave them for 20 seconds.  The bigger cloves will almost peel themselves.  The smaller ones are a bit more fiddly, but the skins will slip off without too much effort.

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Tandoori Spice: What Is It and How Do I Use It?

A popular spice used to flavor such Indian dishes as Tandoori Chicken, Tandoori Shrimp, Tandoori Fish, Chicken Tikka, Chicken Tikka Masala, Lamb Kebabs and Seekh Kebabs, tandoori spice is actually a combination of spices.  The mix varies, depending on who made it, but it most likely includes cardamom, cayenne pepper, coriander, cumin, garlic powder, ginger, paprika, turmeric and perhaps a pinch of saffron.  It is dark orange in color and packs quite a taste wallop.  But it’s not burning to the tongue unless it’s overloaded with cayenne pepper.

 If you like your food richly flavored,

When a Recipe Ingredient Looks Wrong

I have often clipped out a recipe from a newspaper’s food page and then the following week noticed a correction.  Maybe the cooking time was wrong or an ingredient was left out.  Had I followed the recipe, it might have been a disaster. 

Such corrections make me cautious when trying new recipes.  Now I always read through the ingredients and directions several times, looking for anything that might be off.  Baking cookies at 500 degrees—no way.

Dijon Mustard: What Is It and How Do I Cook with It?

When I first heard the words “Dijon Mustard,” I thought, How exotic!”  Instead of being limited to American brown mustard and bright yellow mustard, a new world of choices was opening up.

Do You Love Garlic?

There was a time when the only kind of garlic available to cooks was a head of fresh garlic.  Garlic presses flourished.

Dry Spice Rubs: What Are They and How Do I Use Them?

Dry spice rubs can be commercially-made or homemade mixtures of ground spices.  Chefs use them to boost the flavor of whatever they’re cooking.  All they do is rub some spice mixture on the uncooked meat, chicken or fish and then bake, grill or fry it as normal. 

In addition to varying the taste of whatever is being cooked, dry spice rubs are an excellent way to use up spices you have on hand and are ending their use-by date. 

Dry spice rubs normally contain at least five different ingredients, but depending on what you’re cooking the spices will vary.  For instance, my dry spice rub for Baby Back Ribs is made up of paprika, chili powder, salt, black pepper, cayenne and nutmeg. 

Experts say

Vanilla: Why Does It Cost So Much Today?

I got some real sticker shock a few days ago when I bought a large bottle of vanilla extract.  A few years ago a 16-ounce bottle cost $8.  That same bottle now sells for $34. 

I do a lot of baking, especially with chocolate, and I never skimp on the vanilla.  It was probably my first unwritten cooking rule—Honor the vanilla.  Never use imitation vanilla, made from something called vanillin. 

The Nancy Drew in me did some research and discovered a few reasons why vanilla extract has shot up in price.

Tellicherry Peppercorns: What Are They and How Do I Use Them?

Black pepper is simply black pepper – right?  Actually that’s not true, but I only recently realized it.  When I first began cooking, black pepper was not a spice I gave much thought to.  My only concern was that I not add too much of it and ruin the dish. 

Then as I became more familiar with Indian cuisine and new flavors, I began building up my spice rack.  That’s when I discovered Szechuan Peppercorns.   I used them sparingly because they were expensive, and also they provided a distinctive taste that I didn’t want every day.

More importantly, though, I became more aware that black pepper wasn’t just a generic spice. 

Mom Cooking Tip 142

Pizza Dough with Oregano and Minced Dried Onions Added

Want to impress your friends and family with your cooking prowess?  Here’s an easy trick.  If you’re making a pie crust or pizza dough, add chopped fresh or dried basil, oregano, dill, celery seeds, chopped garlic, zatar or minced dried onions to the dough as you are mixing it.  Add 1/2 teaspoon per pizza or pie crust for extra flavor.

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Nutmeg Grater: What Is It and How Do I Use It?

Clockwise from left: Nutmeg Seeds, Ground Nutmeg, Nutmeg Grater

Not every kitchen needs a nutmeg grater (or grinder, as some people call them) because not every cook uses nutmeg.  But if you haven’t tried this spice, maybe you should—just to twirl the handle of the grater.

Nutmeg is actually a large seed, about 1 inch in length.  It’s brown in color and oval in shape.

Also available pre-ground, nutmeg is a popular baking ingredient. It provides a distinctly sweet but delicate flavor to eggnog, bread, vanilla ice cream and fruit desserts.  Try it in Apple Streusel Pie.

Mom Cooking Tip 134

When adding dried herbs to a dish, crush them between your fingers.  This action will help release their flavor.

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Question for Mom

What is the difference between salted and unsalted butter? – Jack E. 

The salt content.   Unsalted butter has none, which means it doesn’t keep as long.  Salted butter can be stored in the fridge for 3-4 months.  Practically speaking, either one can be used in a recipe and can be substituted for each other.

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