|
Herbs
are the magic in giving taste to our food. They can transpire a simple tomato
into an extraordinary salad, turn a plain stock into a chef’s delicacy, and give
zest to any ordinary entree. Herbs enable us to use our imagination in the
kitchen. One does not receive praise from family and friend as being a wonderful
cook from using simply salt and pepper. With constant exposure to interesting
cuisine from an expanding variety of ethnic restaurants, as North Americans, we
have developed sophisticated palates. Cooking with herbs enables us to
deliver a variety of flavors to meals we prepare in our own kitchens. For the
majority, we do not eat for survival but rather for pleasure and nothing can
quite match cuisine enriched with the flavors of fresh culinary herbs. As we learn
the art of cooking with herbs, giving old recipes a new twist, we begin to
appreciate the complexity of taste.
Herbs are gifts from our garden that offer
culinary pleasure year round.
 Cooking
with herbs has been practiced for centuries all over the world and certain herbs
are well recognized in ethnic cuisine. Italian cooking for instance is renowned
for using basil in pesto, sage with game and oregano on pizza. The use of garlic
dates back thousands of years, for both culinary and medicinal miracles. It has
a well-documented history in curing many diseases. Even in World War 1, garlic
was used on wounds when antiseptics were scarce. In cooking, garlic is
recognized in cuisine from all over the world and compliments meats, fish,
salads and vegetables. In Herbs A-Z we cover herbs in detail describing their
flavor, use and harvesting tips.
Herbs are often placed in two categories, mild and
full-bodied or robust. A mild herb is an herb that mixes well with other herbs,
compliment each other or when cooked becomes milder. Often mild herbs are used
in salads or consumed raw. Mild herbs include dill, marjoram, basil, chervil and
parley. A full-bodied herb is rich in flavor and is often used alone or
 mixed
with only a few other herbs and will slightly change in flavor when cooked.
These herbs are used in dishes that are, roasted, simmered or grilled. Full
bodied herbs include rosemary, sage tarragon and thyme. Garlic is also
considered a full-bodied or robust herb but DOES mix well with many combinations
of mild and full-bodied herbs. Soups and stews are examples of dishes where
full-bodied herbs are necessary, adding zest to your palate.
When cooking with dried herbs in place of fresh herbs, be
careful of the quantity you use. Often FRESH dried herbs are much more
concentrated. When a recipe required a tablespoon of basil, a teaspoon of dried
basil may be sufficient. Robust herbs need be measured even more carefully.
Fresh dried herbs are rich in flavor whereby herbs that have been preserved in
your cupboards or freezer for months will lose their intensity quickly. Growing
herbs is exciting and if you love to experiment in the kitchen a definite
necessity. Where there is sun there is opportunity for a garden, even an indoor
window box can produce a herbal bounty throughout the year.
[ index.htm ] [ herb_garden.htm ] [ herbs A-Z.htm ] [ herbs E-R.htm ] [ herbs S-Z.htm ] [ recipes.htm ] [ newsletter.htm ] |
