Parsley
Fresh parsley can be frozen. Wash the parsley and pat
dry. Chop up the parsley and put it in a zip lock bag, freezer type and
put in
freezer. When you need some parsley, just take out what you need! No
more
wilted parsley! Parsley can be kept fresh longer in the refrigerator by
wrapping it in moistened paper towels and placing in a plastic bag. To
have
bright, crisp parsley for winter, spread freshly gathered parsley on a
piece
of paper and place in a cool oven with the doors left open. As soon as
this
is dry, crush the leaves and put in a bottle with a cork stopper. The
parsley
will retain its green color and fresh taste this way.
Herbs
Herbs should be used with discretion. More is never better! A good rule
of thumb is to use 1/4 teaspoon of a dried herb for a recipe that
serves
4. You can then increase this amount according to your taste.
Sea Salt
I switched
to sea salt about 2 years ago and have used nothing other since. You
need
to be aware, however, that some sea salt does not contain iodine. Once
you
try sea salt, you will never go back! HAINS seal salt has 590MGs of
sodium
in a 1/4 teaspoon of salt. It is also Iodized. You can get sea salt in a
health
food store or in the regular grocery store. There are different brands
of
sea salt. Some are expensive, some are not. A good brand is "Bal Maire"
from France (spelling may be off) About the only thing I use regular
salt now is for melting ice on the walk and using it for cleaning
<>Try
to use fresh herbs
whenever
possible-They are loaded with antioxidants! Dried Herbs are good,
but
fresh is better!
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Bay Leaves-Flavor particularly good in
practically all meat cooking; also in vegetable and meat soups and
sauces.
Mint- May be used fresh in salads, fruit
beverages, jellies, conserves, ices, iced tea, sauces for meats, and
added minced to carrots and peas. Good with apple combinations.
Parsley- One of the most popular herbs, which
may
be used in many ways. A favorite garnish. May be used in fruit and
vegetable
salads, in sandwiches, in all soups and gravies, in meat sauces, minced
and
added just before serving to practically all vegetables, minced and
added
to white sauce.
Sage- Used fresh and dried. May be used in
poultry
and meat stuffings; in sausage and practically all meat combinations;
also
in cheese and vegetable combinations, vegetable loaf, patties, etc. The
flowers
are sometimes used in salads.
Savory (Summer)- Agreeable flavor, blends well
with other flavors; may be used in stuffings for meat, in vegetable
soups, in
sausage, with meats and with horseradish.
Savory (Winter)- May be used in the same way as
Summer savory.
Tarragon- Leaves have a hot, pungent taste.
Valuable
to use in all salads and sauces. Excellent in Tartar Sauce. Leaves are
pickled with gherkins. Used to flavor vinegar.
Thyme- Leaves, green or dried, valuable for use
in stuffing, sauces, soups and meats.
Did you
know
that thyme is pronounced like time?
Allspice- Sold whole or ground. Strong
flavor-therefore better combined with other spices in fruit, cakes,
pies, pickles, etc.
Caraway- Seeds have a spicy smell and aromatic
taste. Used in baked fruit, cakes, breads, soups, cheese and sauerkraut.
Cardamom Flavor especially good in honey
combination. Use for some baked goods.
Cayenne Pepper- Usually obtained from small
fruited varieties of capsicum. It should be of dull red color. May be
used in
very small amounts in vegetables and in some salad dressing and in
cheese
dishes. It must be used with care, however, and paprika, a milder form
of red pepper, is successfully substituted.
Cloves- Should be dark brown in color. usually
used in combination with other spices, which gives a better flavor when
used alone. Too much gives an undesirable color as well as a bitter
flavor.
Curry Powder- A number of spices combined in
proper
proportion to give a distinct flavor to such savory dishes as meat,
poultry,
fish and vegetables.
Mace- The inner envelope of nutmegs. May be
used
in "blade" or ground.
Mustard- Sold whole or ground. Gives good
flavor; used alone in small amount in various soups, meat dishes,
pastry and in
such dough mixtures as fancy breads, dumplings and in some puddings;
also
in combination with other spices for pickles.
Nutmeg
is useful in many dishes and adds a nice touch to: Eggnog, Apple Pie,
green
beans, creamed onions, sweet potatoes, creamed fish and chicken dishes,
pork
chops, and in stuffings. You can also use in fruit compotes, custards
and ice creams! Try buying your nutmegs who and using a nutmeg grater
for the
best flavor!
Paprika- A Hungarian sweet pepper. Bright red
in color. May be used in all meat and vegetable salads. In soups, both
cream and stock. As a garnish for potatoes, cream cheese, fruit salads
and eggs.
Pepper (Black)- Reduced to proper fineness by
grinding and sifting. Used in all meat and vegetable dishes where the
color does not affect the product.
Peppercorn- The whole berry of the pepper plant.
Pepper (White)- Practically the same as black
pepper except the the outer shell of pericarp of the berry is removed.
Use where color of black pepper is undesirable.
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background..Cooking and use guidelines. More
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