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Make the most of culinary
herbs and spices.
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| Articles: |
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The
Simple, Essential Herb Garden by
Sandra Bowens |
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Spring into
action with an herb garden of your very own. We offer the basic information
to get you started, ideas for what to grow plus hints for tending and
harvesting what you sow. Herb gardening is fun, it's rewarding, and above
all, it's easy. Now get growing!
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Newsflash: 2013 Flavor Forecast |
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Each year, spice giant McCormick and Company issues a Flavor Forecast that
tells us what exciting flavors and trends we can anticipate as the year
unfolds. For 2013 traditional flavors collide with innovation, they report.
Familiar tastes are combined with unusual ingredients to make up the five
trends featured.
Photo courtesy of
FlavorForecast.com |
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A Book Review:
Healing Spices by Bharat B. Aggarwal, PhD by
Sandra Bowens |
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These days we have nanotechnology and robots
performing surgery yet, on the other end of the spectrum, some scientists
are devoting themselves to something far more basic: the herbs and spices
that have been around as long as we have. Healing Spices bundles up
all that information and hands it to us in an easy to read, and understand,
book. |
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All About
Sumac by
Sandra Bowens |
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As the world becomes a smaller place our spice shelves deepen. Sumac is one spice you may not have heard of yet but
you will definitely want to know it. And try it. Why not add this Za'atar-Tomato Appetizer to your next tapas table?
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The
Great Garlic Roasting Experiment by
Sandra Bowens |
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There may be hundreds of ways to use roasted garlic but is there a single best way to make it? Follow along as we try four different recipes for roasting garlic. We let you in on the advantages and disadvantages to each method so that you can decide which one works best for you. |
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Reader Recipe
Exchange by
Everybody |
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Anyone who
cooks has created recipes. We want to see your best. This column features
special creations from around the world.
This just in:
Spice Island's Salad
Herbs recipe is revealed. |
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Have you seen it? Check out the Reference Desk
A Pinch Of... has been around for more
than
ten years now. The site has nearly 175 pages so we created this area to help you find your way around. Find quick links to the pages in which you are most interested along with our favorite stuff, where to buy herbs, metric conversions and more! |
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We have answered so many questions over the years that the list below has grown quite long. Now you can browse the Q&A by the category or subject that interests you the most today.
The general Q&A bank is below and here
or click to Question Quick Find to see the categories. |
Ask a Question
Click here to see all questions. New questions are posted each Monday. |
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Q: Hello there, I was reading
through your mint Q&A and I ran across a question by a
student doing a report on mouth temperature and
chewing mint. Well, it happens that I AM a food
scientist-- smell and taste are closely connected, and
the cooling sensation of mint is actually related to
olfactory senses, not taste. Try plugging your nose
and eating a mint candy-- until you unplug your nose,
you can't identify the flavor, just the sweetness.
Happy eating! DA |
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A: Thanks for giving us
the facts. |
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Q: I have chocolate mint in my
garden how do I make extract? DD |
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A: Good idea. If I were
going to try this I would do it much like making
herbed vinegars. Fill a jar with torn mint leaves and
then pour vodka over them, making sure the mint is
completely submerged. Set it in a cool, dark place and
check the flavor after six weeks or so. If it isn't
strong enough, let it sit longer. Once you have a
satisfying flavor, strain off the leaves and transfer
your extract to a clean bottle. I think I'll try this,
too. I've got tons of peppermint right now! |
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Q: Hi, I am planning on
air-drying lemon zest at a very low temperature in my
oven. How long do you think I can then keep this in a
plastic container? Is the essential oil likely to go
rancid? SH |
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A: The most important
thing will be to make sure it is thoroughly dry
otherwise the zest may develop mold. I'm not sure how
long it might last. Rather than going rancid, I think
the flavor would fade the longer it sits. You might
have a better, longer lasting product if you froze the
zest rather than dry it with low heat. |
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Q: What ingredient(s) are
typically used to make mustard "shelf stable"? My
current recipe requires it to be kept refrigerated?
Thank you, DK |
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A: It is more a matter of
what isn't used to make mustard shelf stable. Fresh
ingredients like eggs, onions or garlic, even fresh
herbs create a condiment that must be refrigerated.
Some recipes will call for refrigeration to prevent
pungency loss. |
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Q: Hello. I have a question
about harvesting from my mint plant. I know that you
are supposed to clip right above a set of new growth
however, what if you have a long stem that could use a
trim but you don't have new growth on the stem to cut
above because you have already trimmed off above new
growth from that stem. Is it still ok to clip that
stem or should I try to clip one of the branching out
stems? Or just take the main stem no matter if it had
a new growth bud point ? GP |
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A: It is my experience
that, if your mint plant is healthy, you can do just
about anything to it and it will continue to grow. In
this case, you don't have to necessarily trim above
"new growth" but make your snips at a leaf pair. If
you want to cut a stem that has gotten leggy and
doesn't have much growth on the lower part, just cut
it down to the ground. |
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Q: I am making homemade mustards
for a charity event and am very leery about putting in
raw eggs as the recipe says. Can I substitute powdered
eggs for the raw ones? If so, what are the proportions
of powdered to fresh, and can I store the mustard in
the pantry rather than the refrigerator? AM |
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A: Although I have never
tried it, I don't see why you couldn't. Other liquids
would likely have to be increased to compensate for
the additional dry ingredients. The package of
powdered eggs should have recommended proportions on
the label. If you use any fresh ingredients, even
garlic or herbs, you will want to refrigerate your
mustard right away. Otherwise, mustard is generally
refrigerated to keep it from losing pungency. I assume
you have seen the article "Making
Mustard at Home." |
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Q: Hi, my parsley plant is
starting to show white on the leaves and look like
they are wilting (like the edges look dried out). I
recently trimmed the plant for the first time so I
didn't know if I trimmed it wrong or if maybe I didn't
allow my plant enough time to adjust to full sun
before planting outdoors. Also, a couple other herbs
just look dried out at the edges too & I water all of
my herbs every other day. What can I do to bring my
herb garden back to health? I've only had the plants
in transplanted a week so I am devastated. Could
really use some guidance. Thank you. AC |
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A: Your little plants
might just be a bit sun burnt if they went from a
grower's greenhouse to your garden. Time will tell.
Meanwhile, check out the article
Herb Harvesting
How-To for information on how to take cuttings
from different plants. Also, rather than watering on a
set schedule, you want to water when the top 2 or 3
inches of the soil has dried out. Watering too often
can cause root rot. |
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| See all Questions Find questions by subject |
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Grass Fed Beef
Great meals start with great ingredients. Montana-based La Cense Beef is
a company you can count on for great taste. |
The Original
Orlando
At long last the popular Orlando Vanilla from Mexico is
available on the web! |
Great
Grapeseed Oil
Seasoned dipping oils are only one of the high-quality, all-natural
products from Wildtree. Order online or host a tasting party for your
friends. |
Quaint but Current
Whether you need an ounce or a pound of seasonings, you can get it at
the Spice and Tea Exchange. Check the website for a shop in your
neighborhood or order online. |
Spoons as
American Art
Visit the Chester P. Basil website for a wonderful array of wooden tools
for the kitchen. You'll find everything from the basic spoon to
spreaders and tongs and peppermills. |
A Passion for the
Fruit
Bring the flavor of Hawaiian passion fruit to your kitchen with the wide
variety of tasty treats available from Aunty Lilikoi. Visit the website
to see a photo of the coveted Napa Valley Mustard Festival trophy. The
Passion Fruit Wasabi Mustard is a real winner. |
The End of Clumps
Dry Spice prevents caking and clumping of spices with a tiny canister of
silica gel. Keep your spices, and your teas and vitamins, fresher
longer. FDA approved for use with food. |
Useful Gifts with Style
Sterling silver is always a welcome gift. Silvergroves.com offers a
variety of useful items like salt shakers and peppermills or oil and
vinegar sets. Make it even more special with their engraving service.
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The Fine Art
of Pasta
Chances are good you have never had pasta as tasty as that from
Pappardelle's. A true artisan product that's bursting with the fresh
taste of veggies, herbs and even chocolate! |
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Back to top |
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Quote of the Week:
"There's something magical that happens when
people eat from the same pot." --Michael Pollan
MONTHLY e-mail updates let you know what's new
at this site as well as herb and spice news and the latest on the home
office garden. Plus a recipe just for subscribers.
Click Here to sign up now!
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Books we like... |
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The Flavor Bible: The Essential Guide to Culinary Creativity, Based on the Wisdom of America's Most Imaginative Chefs
At last, the answer to the age old question of
what goes with what. Thousands of ingredients are listed and
cross-referenced making this book part reference, part cookbook.
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Mollie Katzen's Sunlight Cafe
Spice up your life with breakfast anytime of the day. Hundreds of recipes with a vegetarian slant that taste great morning, noon or night.
See aPinchOf.com's review of this book. 
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Simply Vanilla: Recipes for Everyday Use
There is more to this luscious spice than just dessert.
Learn the secrets to enhancing all of your dishes with a little something
extra.
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The Complete Chile Pepper Book: A Gardener's Guide to Choosing, Growing, Preserving, and Cooking
Here's the latest from chile
aficionado Dave DeWitt complete with information for a spicy garden. It
covers 100 chiles and offers 85 recipes to put them work.
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The Herb Gardener: A Guide for All Seasons
Here are the answers to all
of your questions arranged season by season. Fully illustrated, this growing
guide covers 64 different herbs.
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Madhur Jaffrey's Quick & Easy Indian Cooking
Madhur Jaffrey, everybody's favorite Indian chef, shows us how to prepare authentic foods fast.
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The Mistress of Spices: A Novel
An exotic novel that's so much fun! The unpredictable, likable mistress will keep you turning pages until the end when you'll wish for more.
See aPinchOf.com's review of this book.
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 Baked Explorations: Classic American Desserts Reinvented
These darlings of the blogosphere take on
classic desserts in their own quirky style.
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Edible Landscaping
Rosalind
Creasy knows all about using food plants to round out your yard. She pioneered
the idea 25 years ago. This updated edition includes 300 inspiring photographs.
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Don't miss the
aPinchOf... Mini Mall for great gift ideas and
gourmet foods we like.
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