Garlic puree makes an excellent condiment to have on hand for flavoring meats, vegetables, and salad dressings. Wrap at least 10 whole garlic heads in aluminum foil and bake in a 375°F oven for 1 hour. Separate the cloves, and squeeze each one gently to release the garlic from the skins. Pass the garlic through a fine sieve. Mix with 1 tablespoon of olive oil for each 10 heads. Season with salt to taste. Store in a jar and cover with a thin layer of olive oil. Remove small amounts as needed. The puree will keep in the refrigerator for several months. Freshly made chili powder has more kick than the store bought kind. Buy dried chilies in a Spanish or Mexican grocery store. Remove the seeds and stems, then grind the chili pods in a blender or in a food processor with a steel blado For maximum flavor, buy whole spices and crush or grind them with a mortar and pestle or an electric spice grinder just before using.
To save money and enjoy fresher flavor, make gourmet mustards and vinegars at home. For mustards: Add freshly ground or cracked spices or fresh, chopped herb leaves to Dijon mustard. Flavor to taste. Store in the refrigerator. For herb vinegars. Heat 1 quart of white wine vinegar with 1 cup of minced fresh herbs (or V* cup dried herbs) in a nonaluminum saucepan. Steep at room temperature overnight, then strain through a fine sieve lined with cheesecloth. Store in airtight glass bottles.
Grated citrus fruit rinds make wonderful flavorings for cakes. Store them in a covered jar in the refrigerator until needed. A piece of dried or fresh lemon or orange peel makes a tasty unusual addition to a bouquet garni for meat or chicken stews.
The best salt is sea salt or coarse kosher salt. Iodized salt can add an unpleasant, harsh taste to foods.
In selecting bay leaves, look for leaves that are imported preferably Turkish. Many cooks consider that they have better flavor than the California bay leaf, which tends to be stronger and oilier. For uniform texture in chopped chives, cut the chives at the root end of the plant and bunch them together tightly with one hand. Hold the bunch on a cutting board and chop finely with a sharp knife. Any dish that's prepared to be served cold should be slightly overseasoned, because chilling subdues flavors.
If you're preparing a slow cooking dish, it's preferable to use whole spices rather than minced spices. Whole spices impart their flavor gradually matching the pace of the cooking process. You can boost the flavor oils in fresh or dried herbs by kneading the herbs between your fingertips to release the oil bouquet. If a recipe specifies dried herbs and you have only fresh, triple the amount called for. If you put 1/2 teaspoon of whole peppers in your pepper shaker, the pepper will pour better and taste snappier, too. Using minced parsley (dried or fresh) with other herbs enhances their tastes. The skins will slip right off garlic cloves after they are soaked in warm water.
Herb butters are convenient garnishes for broiled meats, poached fish, or steamed vegetables. For every V2 pound of softened butter, mix in the juice of Vi lemon or lime, 2 tablespoons of fresh, chopped herbs, and salt and pepper to taste. Put the butter on a length of waxed paper and roll it all into a tube. The tube can be frozen or refrigerated. It's easy to make garlic salt: Sprinkle table salt on a board and cut garlic on it. After the salt absorbs all the garlic juice, store it for future use. Similarly, onion salt can be made by squeezing onion juice over table salt.
Seasoned salt is much cheaper to make than to buy. Blend iodized table salt with garlic powder, pepper, paprika, dry mustard, thyme, sesame seeds, and anything else you like. Put the seasoned salt in a shaker and let it stand for a few days to blend the flavors. Use it on salads, vegetables, soups, and casseroles. You can maintain the freshness and flavor of herbs by soaking them in olive oil and refrigerating them. You can chop parsley or chives with a grater if you keep both seasonings in your freezer. When you want a small amount of either, remove it from the freezer, grate as much asyou need, and put the remainder back "on ice."
Parsley will be easier to chop if you rinse it and refrigerate in a sealed plastic bag or other container until crisp. Because fresh basil leaves discolor easily, always use a stainless steel or carbon and stainless steel knife to cut them. Lay the leaves one on top of the other and roll them into a tight tube. Slice thinly with a sharp knife, then unravel the leaves. This is called a chiffonade cut. Since chili powder, paprika, and red pepper deteriorate under humid and hot conditions, store them in dark containers in your refrigerator during the summer.
Since rosemary can be hard and tough, even after cooking grind it in a pepper mill before use. Italian or flat leaf parsley has much more flavor than curly parsley, which is best used as a garnish or in recipes requiring little or no cooking. Add the stems to a bouquet garni for flavoring long cooking dishes, such as soups or stews. You can make your own celeiy powder which makes a good flavoring for stews, soups, and salad dressings by drying celery leaves and then forcing them through a sieve.
To save money and enjoy fresher flavor, make gourmet mustards and vinegars at home. For mustards: Add freshly ground or cracked spices or fresh, chopped herb leaves to Dijon mustard. Flavor to taste. Store in the refrigerator. For herb vinegars. Heat 1 quart of white wine vinegar with 1 cup of minced fresh herbs (or V* cup dried herbs) in a nonaluminum saucepan. Steep at room temperature overnight, then strain through a fine sieve lined with cheesecloth. Store in airtight glass bottles.
Grated citrus fruit rinds make wonderful flavorings for cakes. Store them in a covered jar in the refrigerator until needed. A piece of dried or fresh lemon or orange peel makes a tasty unusual addition to a bouquet garni for meat or chicken stews.
In selecting bay leaves, look for leaves that are imported preferably Turkish. Many cooks consider that they have better flavor than the California bay leaf, which tends to be stronger and oilier. For uniform texture in chopped chives, cut the chives at the root end of the plant and bunch them together tightly with one hand. Hold the bunch on a cutting board and chop finely with a sharp knife. Any dish that's prepared to be served cold should be slightly overseasoned, because chilling subdues flavors.
If you're preparing a slow cooking dish, it's preferable to use whole spices rather than minced spices. Whole spices impart their flavor gradually matching the pace of the cooking process. You can boost the flavor oils in fresh or dried herbs by kneading the herbs between your fingertips to release the oil bouquet. If a recipe specifies dried herbs and you have only fresh, triple the amount called for. If you put 1/2 teaspoon of whole peppers in your pepper shaker, the pepper will pour better and taste snappier, too. Using minced parsley (dried or fresh) with other herbs enhances their tastes. The skins will slip right off garlic cloves after they are soaked in warm water.
Herb butters are convenient garnishes for broiled meats, poached fish, or steamed vegetables. For every V2 pound of softened butter, mix in the juice of Vi lemon or lime, 2 tablespoons of fresh, chopped herbs, and salt and pepper to taste. Put the butter on a length of waxed paper and roll it all into a tube. The tube can be frozen or refrigerated. It's easy to make garlic salt: Sprinkle table salt on a board and cut garlic on it. After the salt absorbs all the garlic juice, store it for future use. Similarly, onion salt can be made by squeezing onion juice over table salt.
Seasoned salt is much cheaper to make than to buy. Blend iodized table salt with garlic powder, pepper, paprika, dry mustard, thyme, sesame seeds, and anything else you like. Put the seasoned salt in a shaker and let it stand for a few days to blend the flavors. Use it on salads, vegetables, soups, and casseroles. You can maintain the freshness and flavor of herbs by soaking them in olive oil and refrigerating them. You can chop parsley or chives with a grater if you keep both seasonings in your freezer. When you want a small amount of either, remove it from the freezer, grate as much asyou need, and put the remainder back "on ice."
Parsley will be easier to chop if you rinse it and refrigerate in a sealed plastic bag or other container until crisp. Because fresh basil leaves discolor easily, always use a stainless steel or carbon and stainless steel knife to cut them. Lay the leaves one on top of the other and roll them into a tight tube. Slice thinly with a sharp knife, then unravel the leaves. This is called a chiffonade cut. Since chili powder, paprika, and red pepper deteriorate under humid and hot conditions, store them in dark containers in your refrigerator during the summer.
Since rosemary can be hard and tough, even after cooking grind it in a pepper mill before use. Italian or flat leaf parsley has much more flavor than curly parsley, which is best used as a garnish or in recipes requiring little or no cooking. Add the stems to a bouquet garni for flavoring long cooking dishes, such as soups or stews. You can make your own celeiy powder which makes a good flavoring for stews, soups, and salad dressings by drying celery leaves and then forcing them through a sieve.
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