Cooking
The first seasoning is cassia chunks, I bought some at Penzey's during my trip to Oregon. I liked the idea of using it in mulled wine or in chai. In the U.S. the spice labeled "cinnamon" is usually cassia.
As for the second seasoning, I have a confession to make. I thought I was buying that refreshing little blend of seasonings you get in Indian restaurants. The one that is kind of a breath freshener? But instead I got panchpuran, an Bengali seasoning mix of mustard seeds, cumin, fennel, fenugreek and nigella seeds. It has a mild, sweet oniony flavor and is used in chutney, vegetable and fish dishes. I plan to experiment with it soon. Any recipe suggestions would be greatly appreciated!
The third is my latest find at Trader Joe's, Hawaiian black sea salt. It is sea salt infused with charcoal and has a mineral flavor that really works well with fresh sliced tomatoes. I used it last night on top of my Pizza Margherita, with cherry tomatoes and mozzarella. It also looks cool and provides a great a color contrast to many foods.
This was the first and hopefully last "stumper" where not one person was able to correctly identify all three ingredients. While each spice and salt was not so hard to find locally perhaps you needed to be familiar with the flavors of Sumatra, China, India and Hawaii to get this one right. I will post another contest in a week or two and I promise not to make it so hard!
FOOD
- Poke Bar At Costco In San Francisco
One of the many things I enjoy eating in Hawaii is poke. It’s a raw fish dish, that generally combines fresh yellowfin tuna, also known as ahi, with local ingredients like seaweed, Hawaiian salt and kukui nuts. There are seemingly infinite varieties,...
- Mango Cucumber Salad Recipes
Ok here's a crazy idea, one basic salad that can be either sweet or savory. I was trying to think of what to do with some mangoes coming my way from the National Mango Board this week and then I saw a tweet from @SimpleGourmetLA with the idea for...
- Smoky Seasoning Recipe
They, asked me how I knew, My true love was true, I of course replied, something here inside, Can not be denied. They, said some day you'll find, All who love are blind, When you heart's on fire, you must realize, Smoke gets in your eyes. So...
- Za'atar Spice Mix Recipe
When I find a new ingredient I am intrigued. So it's not unusual for me to buy something I have absolutely no idea what to do with. Lately I have have been drawn to the Middle Eastern ingredients I've discovered in a fresh produce market. Last...
- Cinnamon
A little while back I made my first Penzeys purchase. I needed a large quantity of poppy seeds (for those awful Poppy Seed Wafers) and had calculated that buying several McCormick's bottles would be more expensive than buying an 8-ounce bag from...
Cooking
Big Flavors Revealed
The first seasoning is cassia chunks, I bought some at Penzey's during my trip to Oregon. I liked the idea of using it in mulled wine or in chai. In the U.S. the spice labeled "cinnamon" is usually cassia.
As for the second seasoning, I have a confession to make. I thought I was buying that refreshing little blend of seasonings you get in Indian restaurants. The one that is kind of a breath freshener? But instead I got panchpuran, an Bengali seasoning mix of mustard seeds, cumin, fennel, fenugreek and nigella seeds. It has a mild, sweet oniony flavor and is used in chutney, vegetable and fish dishes. I plan to experiment with it soon. Any recipe suggestions would be greatly appreciated!
The third is my latest find at Trader Joe's, Hawaiian black sea salt. It is sea salt infused with charcoal and has a mineral flavor that really works well with fresh sliced tomatoes. I used it last night on top of my Pizza Margherita, with cherry tomatoes and mozzarella. It also looks cool and provides a great a color contrast to many foods.
This was the first and hopefully last "stumper" where not one person was able to correctly identify all three ingredients. While each spice and salt was not so hard to find locally perhaps you needed to be familiar with the flavors of Sumatra, China, India and Hawaii to get this one right. I will post another contest in a week or two and I promise not to make it so hard!
FOOD
- Poke Bar At Costco In San Francisco
One of the many things I enjoy eating in Hawaii is poke. It’s a raw fish dish, that generally combines fresh yellowfin tuna, also known as ahi, with local ingredients like seaweed, Hawaiian salt and kukui nuts. There are seemingly infinite varieties,...
- Mango Cucumber Salad Recipes
Ok here's a crazy idea, one basic salad that can be either sweet or savory. I was trying to think of what to do with some mangoes coming my way from the National Mango Board this week and then I saw a tweet from @SimpleGourmetLA with the idea for...
- Smoky Seasoning Recipe
They, asked me how I knew, My true love was true, I of course replied, something here inside, Can not be denied. They, said some day you'll find, All who love are blind, When you heart's on fire, you must realize, Smoke gets in your eyes. So...
- Za'atar Spice Mix Recipe
When I find a new ingredient I am intrigued. So it's not unusual for me to buy something I have absolutely no idea what to do with. Lately I have have been drawn to the Middle Eastern ingredients I've discovered in a fresh produce market. Last...
- Cinnamon
A little while back I made my first Penzeys purchase. I needed a large quantity of poppy seeds (for those awful Poppy Seed Wafers) and had calculated that buying several McCormick's bottles would be more expensive than buying an 8-ounce bag from...