Posts by: Supal
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Sesame Seeds
by Supal on July 07, 2011 in Condiments, Featured, Photos, Recipes, Reviews
Sesame seeds are small, flat oval-shaped seeds with a nutty flavor and light crunch. There are a variety of colors including white, yellow, back and red, but the most commonly used are black and white, especially in baking and Asian cooking.
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Herby Pizza Toppings
by Supal on June 29, 2011 in Condiments, Featured, Photos, Recipes, Reviews, Special Projects
At home we make homemade pizza once a week. It’s almost a given on Sunday evenings. We like to try different sauces, toppings, and of course seasonings/herbs. Instead of pre-made Italian seasonings that contain a decent amount of sodium at times, I like to make a huge bottle for my mom when I come to visit. It really is just a trail mix of ingredients.
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Ground versus Whole Spices
by Supal on June 15, 2011 in Featured, Photos, Reviews
I would show you a picture of my pantry… but not just yet. It’s FILLED to capacity, actually over capacity, with spices that I’ve gathered and collected from all over the world. Right now, it’s a bit embarrassing. Purchasing spices can be confusing and picking out the right kind can be even more complicated. The quality and flavor of spices are particularly important in a dish. My grandmother would always tell me that a curry is successfully made if you can taste the flavor of each spice, which can only be accomplished through choosing the right and best ingredients.
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Dried Chilies
by Supal on June 06, 2011 in Entrees, Featured, Photos, Recipes, Reviews
Drying chilies has been a practice for so long in Latin American, Asia, and Africa. With winters and monsoon seasons, people would dry chilies to preserve them. When added to soups and curries, the chili retains its original form and heat. To undermine the heat, split the chili open and remove the seeds and white rib in the middle. Dried red chilies are perfect for long term storage. When I visited India in 2002, I got to help one of my grandparents’ neighbor dry chilies on their rooftop.
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Pine Nuts Are a Cook’s Best Friend
by Supal on May 31, 2011 in Condiments, Featured, Photos, Recipes, Reviews
Yes, Yes, I know. Pine nuts are not a spice or herb as I promised in all of my posts, but they are something even more special (to me at least). I have chosen to write about pine nuts because they truly enhance the flavors of herbs and spices in your cooking (ie. pesto). It brings an extra level of texture as well as flavor with its nut-complex oils, which is why pine nuts are often cooked with herbs.
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Cajun Spices
by Supal on May 23, 2011 in Condiments, Entrees, Photos, Recipes
One of my favorite cities in the US is New Orleans. The jazz, history, and food defines the people and culture of the southern port city. The indigenous cuisine is distinctive and has been influenced by 3 main cuisines: local Creole, haute Creole, and New Orleans French with ingredients from French, Spanish, Italian, African, Native American, Cajun, Cuban, and even Chinese cuisines.
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Za’atar: Essence of the Middle East
by Supal on May 16, 2011 in Condiments, Featured, Photos, Recipes, Reviews
What made the Middle East so appealing to me was the history behind the cuisine. Not only are there traditions within regions and countries, but also within families. Middle Eastern food in general is slow cooked and light in flavors focusing primarily on meats interaction with herbs. In particular, a Middle Eastern herb mix that is always kept in abundance in every household in the Arabian Peninsula, Levant and Iraq, is known as za’atar.
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Black Peppercorn: Table Pepper Just Got Better
by Supal on May 10, 2011 in Featured, Photos, Reviews
If you’re not much of a cook, I know one spice you definitely have: black pepper. Don’t undermine the power of the little ball of fire— it used to be a delicacy in parts of Asia and Europe and was used as currency.
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The Secrets of Wasabi
by Supal on April 26, 2011 in Condiments, Featured, Photos, Recipes, Reviews, Snacks
Longing to get some sushi? Next time, have a little more wasabi! Wasabi has been grown in the fertile mountain valleys and consumed in Japan for hundreds of years. Yes, this means longer than your local sushi restaurant! As much as I hate that feeling of eating too much of it in one bite, I like to think of it as an opportunity to stock up on some important vitamins. Try out this recipe for Wasabi Dip to spice things up!
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Taste of India: The Spice Box
by Supal on April 14, 2011 in Condiments, Featured, Recipes, Reviews
The spice box, or masala dabba, is a circular, silver container with 5-7 miniature bowls and spoons neatly organized. These minature bowls are dedicated for the staple Indian spices necessary for a traditional Indian aromatic pantry. You can add or subtract whatever spices you use the most or least. I have 7 spices in my box and believe they are THE key ingredients to making a perfect Indian meal.
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