I have a great book "The Spice Bible" so I thought I would share

[ladyhk13]

I have a great book "The Spice Bible" so I thought I would share what is in it since spices are pretty easy to grow and dry for storage. If shtf (or even just to spice up your day to day foods) it can take a boring food like rice and change it into a different meal every day.
Feel free to jump in and add your favorite spice. I'm going to try to go in alphabetic order so not to get too lost and do repeats. I'm going to try to not get too exotic but if there is one you would like info on let me know and I'll see if my book has any info on it for you.

Caraway Seed:

Hints of anise, fennel and mint. Medicinal uses to aid digesition.
Used in rye breads, sauerkraut, sausages, meat and potato dishes, soups, pickles, cheeses, fruits, cakes, gin and schnapps.
You can lightly roast to bring out the essential oils and is used whole or ground.

Caraway seed rolls:

3 tsp instant dried yeast
1 tsp superfine sugar
4 cups white bread flour
1 tbsp caraway seeds
1 2/3 cups whole-wheat flour
2 tbsp milk

Stir the yeast, sugar, heaping 1/3 cup of the white bread flour, and 1/2 cup warm water together until smooth and place in a warm place for 10 mins. or until frothy.

Lightly pound the caraway seeds using a morter and pestle to help release their aroma. Sift the remaining white bread flour and whole-wheat flour into a large bowl. Add the husks from the whole-wheat that remain in the sieve. Stir in 2 tsp salt and work in the frothed yeast mixture, caraway seeds, and 1 cup warm water to form a soft dough. Knead for 10 mins, or until smooth and elastic. Shape into a round and place in an oiled bowl. Cover with a cloth and leave to rise in a warm place for 45 mins, or until doubled in size.

Preheat oven to 425 F. Knock back the dough on a lightly floured surface, divide into 12 pieces and roll each one out to a 10x1 inch log. Form a horseshoe shape and then loop one end over and through the horseshoe to form a knot.

Place on two lightly oiled baking sheets, cover loosely with oiled plastic wrap and leave to rise for a further 30 mins, or until doubled in size. Brush the rolls with milk and bake for 15-20 mins, or until golden and hollow sounding when tapped underneath. Cool on a wire rack.

[ladyhk13]

Coriander:

Coriander seed is the dried fruit of the cilantro herb plant. It goes well with fish, pork and apples.

Cypriot Pork and Coriander Stew:

1 1/2 tbsp coriander seeds
1 lb 12 oz pork filet, cut into 3/4 inch dice
1 tbsp all purpose flour
1/4 cup olive oil
1 large brown onion, thinly sliced
1 1/2 cup red wine
1 cup chicken stock
1 tsp sugar
cilantro sprigs to garnish

Crush coriander seeds in a mortar and pestle. Combine the pork, crushed seeds, and 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper in a bowl. Cover and marinate overnight in the fridge.

Combine the flour and pork and toss to coat the pork. Heat 2 tbsp of the oil in a frying pan and cook the pork in batches over high heat for 1-2 mins, or until brown, then remove. Heat the remaining oil, add the onion and cook over medium heat for 5 mins, or until just golden. Return the meat to the pan, add the wine, stock, add sugar and season. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer covered for 1 hour, or until the pork is tender.

Remove the meat. Return the pan to the heat and boil over high heat for 3-5 mins, or until reduced and slightly thickened. Pour over the meat and top with the cilantro.

Enjoy!

[ladyhk13]

Dill

Dill isn't only used for pickles. It was used in ancient times by burning the seeds and covering the wounds of soldiers to expedite healing. Dill water was also used to soothe crying babies and is still used for that purpose today.

Sugar-cured ocean trout with dill seeds

2 tsp black peppercorns
1 1/2 tbsp dill seeds
1/2 cup superfine sugar
1/3 cup sea salt
1 tbsp anise-flavored liqueur such as Pernod
3- 7 oz ocean trout fillets, pin boned

Coursly grind the black peppercorns and dill seeds in a mortar and pestle, then stir in the sugar and salt. Place the ocean trout fillets, skin side down, on a shallow sheet and sprinkle with the spice mixture, then drizzle over the liqueuer. Cover closely with plastic wrap, then place a heavy board over the fish, weigh it down further by placing weights or food cans evenly on the board, and refrigerate.

Every 12 hours for 2-3 days, unwrap the fish, separate the fillets and spoon the juices over, then replace the fillets, re-cover and weight again.

When ready to serve, scrape away most of the curing mixture and pat the fillets dry with paper towel. Using a very sharp knife, cut the sugar-cured trout at a 45 degree angle into paper thin slices. Serve with rye bread and salad greens.

NOTE: Sugar-cured ocean trout will keep in the refrigerator in plastic wrap for up to two weeks according to the Spice Bible.

[ladyhk13]

[B]Fennel seed[B]

Fennel seed is the dried fruit from the fennel plant and has undertones of minthol that create sweet and savory dishes. It is used in a wide range of spice mixes from curries, italian dishes, sausages, rye breads, bouillons and anise-flavored liqueurs.

Pork and fennel sausage baguette with onion relish

Sausages:
1 pound 10 oz ground pork
1/2 cup fresh breadcrumps
2 garlic cloves, crushed
3 tsp fennel seeds, coarsely crushed
1 tsp finely grated orange zest
2 tsp chopped thyme
2 large handfuls italian parsley , chopped

Onion Relish:

2 1/2 tbsp butter
2 red onions, thinly sliced
1 tbsp soft brown sugar
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

oil for brushing
1 long baguette, cut into 4 pieces, or 4 long crusty rolls
2 1/2 tbsp butter, softened
1 1/3 arugula leaves
1 tbsp ectra virgin olive oil
1 tsp balsamic vinegar

Put the pork, breadcrumbs, garlic, fennel seeds, orange zest, thyme, and parsley in a large bowl, season well with salt and freshly ground pepper and mix together with your hands. Cover the mixture and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight to allow the flavors to develop.

To make the onion relish, melt the butter in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over low heat, add the onion, and cook, stirring ocasionally, over low heat for 10 mins. or until the onion is softened, but not browned. Add the brown sugar and vinegar, and continue to cook for another 30 mins, stirring regularly.

Preheat the barbecue hotplate to medium heat. Divide the pork mixture into eight portions and use wet hands to mold each portion into a flattish sausage shape. Lightly brush the sausages with oil and cook for 8 mins on each side, or until they are cooked through.

To assemble, split the baguette or rolls down the middle and butter them. Toss the arugula with the olive oil and balsamic vinegar, and put some of the leaves in each of the rolls. Top with a sausage and some of the onion relish.

Serves 8

Enjoy!!!!!

[Sniper-T]

I have a list of 25 "essential spices" that I gleaned from another forum at some point... I keep all of these in my regular usage/stores, plus many others, as I enjoy cooking different styles, and am quite good at it.

So again, sniped from elsewhere:

Spices. Some think they're a necessity. Some don't. But food fatigue and boredom are facts, so to me, spices are DEFINITELY necessities.

I see people recommending to keep spices all the time. But I hardly ever see people recommending which spices to store. (For the sake of simplicity, I'm including herbs with spices). The amounts definitely depend on your style of cooking, so I won't include amounts of each. So here are mine in no order other than what order I pull them out of my cupboard:

1.) Salt! A necessity for more than just flavor. This ones kind of obvious.
2.) Pepper/Peppercorn. Salt and pepper. Theoretically, that's all you need.
3.) Garlic
4.) Cinnamon
5.) Oregano
6.) Chili Powder
7.) Paprika
8.) Cumin
9.) Basil
10.) Rosemary
11.) Coriander/Cilantro
12.) Red Pepper/Cayenne
13.) Curry
14.) Thyme
15.) Ground ginger
16.) Allspice
17.) Cloves
18.) Nutmeg
19.) Bay leaves
20.) Dill weed
21.) Sage
22.) Parsley
23.) Zest (Lemon, lime, and orange)
24.) Dried onion or onion powder
25.) Spice blends - Mrs. Dash, cajun blend, asian blend, jerk spice

There are obviously more spices out there and to you, some of the ones in my list may not be a necessity, but these ones are the most important in my opinion and give you the ability to create a wide variety of cuisines, from Asian to Indian to French to good ol' Southern.

What are some of your favorites? mainstays, necessities?

[Sparrow]

At the height of my spice, cooking and tea / infusion making hobby I had 120 herbs and spices. Now with the renos I have cut back to maintaining a stock of about half that - and 20 + years worth of Indian Curry spices. :)

I LOVE SPICE!

[Sparrow]

For those of you who have never tried it, Black Cardamon.

http://www.uni-graz.at/~katzer/pictures/amom_01.jpg

I call it stink pod, it is delicious.

If one of your survival foods it top ramen type noodles, open a pod, crush the inner little seeds - and sprinkle on your dish when the water is boiling. Makes bland ramen taste like yummy Mongolian hot pot!

[Sniper-T]

never seen it before... where do you get it?

[JustAPrepper]

Wow, Sparrow...I thought I kept a lot on hand. I would have loved to have seen your spice cabinet back in its hayday! I do a fair amount of cooking and keep plenty of spice on hand but I haven't found a favorite Curry blend yet. Can you recommend one? Nothing too sweet but something with a little heat to it would be nice.

Sniper, I don't know where she gets all her spices from but I get mine from Penzeys. I'm on their mailing list so I get a catalog but they also have a website. It's kind of clunky but manageable. I order in bulk, keep the items in the bags they come in then seal them in Mylar to keep the light out. Mine have been lasting for years with no change in strength that we've noticed so far, even the ground spices.

ETA: Nice list BTW! Looks like I have all my bases covered! I'm editing and can't remember, was Cinnamon on the list? Cinnamon would definitely be one of my top faves. I keep sticks and ground. Also Madagascar Vanilla Beans. A little pricey but a little goes a long way. I also made some homemade Vanilla with a couple of pods. ETA again...yep, I saw Cinnamon.:)

[bacpacker]

Sniper your list must have come out of our cabinet. We use all those on a regular basis. Cumin is one of our favorites, it goes with so many things.
Sparrow the wife uses Cardamon hear and there. Nice taste.
We also use several spice mixes. One of our favorites is KC master piece bar B Q. It makes a great dry rub or just sprikle it on before throwing some meat on the grill. There are several Cajun mixes, fajita mixes, and several others.
We make our own vanilla extract. Take a pint of Vodka and put a split vanilla bean in it, seal it back up and leave it in the dark for a couple months and there you go.
Cinnamon is a very useful splice, supposedly helps lower blood pressure.

[ladyhk13]

Sparrow do you grow your curry spices?

[ladyhk13]

Sniper your list must have come out of our cabinet. We use all those on a regular basis. Cumin is one of our favorites, it goes with so many things.
Sparrow the wife uses Cardamon hear and there. Nice taste.
We also use several spice mixes. One of our favorites is KC master piece bar B Q. It makes a great dry rub or just sprikle it on before throwing some meat on the grill. There are several Cajun mixes, fajita mixes, and several others.
We make our own vanilla extract. Take a pint of Vodka and put a split vanilla bean in it, seal it back up and leave it in the dark for a couple months and there you go.
Cinnamon is a very useful splice, supposedly helps lower blood pressure.

Cinnamon is also great for diabetics

[Sparrow]

Sparrow do you grow your curry spices?

No unfortunately. Most curry spices require tropical weather conditions, at the very least temperate. And I don't even have a greenhouse up here in Canada! :(

[ladyhk13]

Mustard:

Here is a little info that I had never known before about mustard seed and powder. In order to bring out their flavor you must soak them in cold water for 10 minutes...but not longer than 10 minutes or it will lose it's flavor unless an acid like vinegar is added. The book says to NEVER add hot water which makes me wonder how many of us are wasting mustard seeds when we add them to dill pickles and pour all that hot water over them (unless I am the only one who has done that until learning the "rule" first!).

There are 3 types of mustard seeds: yellow which are the mildest and referred to as "white" mustard even though they are tan in color.
Black are a little stronger than brown seed but since it is so hard to harvest that it has largely been replaced by the brown and used interchangeably and often unknowingly.
Brown mustard are the reddish-brown seed also known as Chinese mustard or brown Indian mustard and this is what we usually have in our pantry.

OK GUYS...THIS ONE HAS BEER IN IT. LOL!

Marinated beef ribs in dark ale and mustard

4 lbs 8 oz beef spare ribs, cut into 8 pieces
1/2 cup dark ale beer
2 tbsp soft brown sugar
1/4 cup cider vinegar
2 fresh small red chilies, seeded and finely chopped
2 tbsp ground cumin
1 1/2 tbsp seeded mustard
1 tbsp unsalted butter

Arrange the ribs in a shallow, nonmettalic dish. Put the ale, sugar, vinegar, chili, cumin, and mustard in a large bowl, stir well to dissolve the sugar, and pour over the ribs. Toss to coat, then cover and marinate in the refrigerator for 1-2 hours.

Preheat a covered barbecue to medium indurect heat. Put the ribs in a large, shallow roasting pan and place it in the middle of the barbecue. Lower the lid anc cook for 50 minutes, or until the meat is tender and about 1/2 cup of liquid is left in the roasting pan. Transfer the ribs to a serving plate.

While the barbeque is still hot, put the roasting pan with all it's juices over direct heat to warm through. Using a whisk, beat in the butter and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Arrange the ribs on four serving plates and drizzle with the warm sauce. Serve with baked potaotes and steamed greens.

serves 4

[mollypup]

I've got the Spice Bible on my wish list on amazon! Thanks Ladyhk13!!! :D

[Sniper-T]

Sniper, I don't know where she gets all her spices from but I get mine from Penzeys. :)

I sent them an email and am still waiting to hear back if they ship to Canada.

edit: just heard back from them, and they do ship to Canada. But, for even a 1 # box, shipping would be almost $40.00 :eek:
Sparrow, do you buy from the States, or somewhere local?




Sniper your list must have come out of our cabinet...

lol... that's just the spice drawer beside the stove, then there's the lazy susan, and the bulk cupboard...

[Sparrow]

I sent them an email and am still waiting to hear back if they ship to Canada.

Sparrow, do you buy from the States, or somewhere local?






lol... that's just the spice drawer beside the stove, then there's the lazy susan, and the bulk cupboard...

I buy my spices at a little Indian store in Montreal. I have about 20 lbs of spices still in some cloth shopping bags waiting to be put into clean, dry glass jars. I find the ethnic grocers are the best places for bulk quantity at pittance prices ...

[Sniper-T]

^
Now that right there is a good tip!!

tx

[Sparrow]

^
Now that right there is a good tip!!

tx

Cannot go wrong with 1 lb of Turmeric for 4 bucks. Try to get a deal like that online! However, my cost for green cardamon is 20 bucks for 900 grams. Still way cheaper then online I think!

[Sparrow]

edit: just heard back from them, and they do ship to Canada. But, for even a 1 # box, shipping would be almost $40.00 :eek:




See, depending on the spice, 40 bucks alone would buy many pounds. Are you close to Winnipeg? I've been there, lots of immigrant grocers! Best places to go are the poor / sketchy areas for spices. :)

[Sniper-T]

I work in WPG daily, so will be starting to stop by some of the ethnic grocers on the way home

from that intraweb thingee:
Whole Fancy Green Costa Rican Cardamom Pods Product# Description Price Qty
50742 Cardamom #2 Green Pods 4 oz. bag $14.75
50755 Cardamom #2 Green Pods 1.7 oz. 1/2 cup jar $7.49
50739 Cardamom #2 Green Pods .6 oz. 1/4 cup jar $4.25

[Sparrow]

Yikes, 900 g = 31.7465 oz ... for 20 bucks. I knew I was getting a deal!

But I have to add that is whole green cardomon - not just the seeds, or the powdered seeds. Once you expose the seeds to air they loose their taste quick. Powedered looses the taste in just a day or two. So I would suggest buying whole, green pods. They should be very green. If they are light green, or shades of brown or yellow - they are old and don't bother with them.

They should be this colour:

http://www.spicesherpa.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/green-cardamom-pods.jpg

[ak474u]

Yeah, I hit the middle eastern and asian food stores for bulk buys. The prices are ridiculously low there. Example: Sambal Olek Chili sauce at the grocery store is 6oz for 3.98, at the Ali Baba Food Store, 5.00 per gallon. Some of the little stores have bags of dried whole spices that can be ground at home. I use a Mr. Coffee coffee grinder for mine, mostly chili powder I use hatch, guajillo, New Mexico, and Ancho chilis for my powder and I can get most of those from local places.

[ladyhk13]

Nigella is a black seed that has a slightly bitter, peppery taste. It is used in Middle Eastern and Indian cooking and can be used with vegetables like winter squash, eggplant and potatoes. It is also used in the making of Naan which is similiar to a pita bread.

Naan:

makes 10

4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 c milk
2 tsp instant dried yeast
2 tsp nigella seeds
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 egg, beaten
2 tbsp melted, cool ghee, or oil
heaping 3/4 c thick, creamy plain yogurt

Sift the flour into a large bowl and make a well in the center. Heat the milk over low heat in a saucepan until it is hand warm (the milk will feel the same temp as your finger when you dip your finger into it).

Add the yeast, nigella seeds, baking powder, and a pinch of salt to the flour. In another bowl, mix the egg, ghee, and yogurt. Pour into the flour with 1 cup of the milk and mix to form a soft dough. If the dough seems dry add the remaining milk. Turn out onto a floured work surface and knead for 5 minutes, or until smooth and elastic. Put in an oiled bowl, cover, and leave in a warm place to double in size. This will take several hours.

Preheat the oven to 400. Place a roasting pan half filled with water at the bottom of the oven. This provides moisture in the oven, which prevents the naan from drying out too quickly.

Punch down the dough, knead it briefly, and divide it into 10 portions. Using the tips of your fingers, spread out 1 portion of dough to the shape of a round, about 8 inches in diameter. They are traditionally tear drop in shape, so pull the dough on one end. Put the naan on a greased baking sheet. Bake on the top shelf for 7 mins, then turn the naan over and cook for another 5 minutes. While the first one is cooking, shape the next one, If you sheet is big enough, you may be able to fit 2 naan at a time. Remove the cooked naan from the oven and cover with a cloth to keep it warm and soft.

Repeat the cooking process until all the dough is used. You can only use the top shelf of the oven because the naan won't cook properly on the middle shelf. Refill the roasting pan with boiling water when necessary.

Enjoy!

[sidewinder]

Sniper your list must have come out of our cabinet. We use all those on a regular basis. Cumin is one of our favorites, it goes with so many things.
Sparrow the wife uses Cardamon hear and there. Nice taste.
We also use several spice mixes. One of our favorites is KC master piece bar B Q. It makes a great dry rub or just sprikle it on before throwing some meat on the grill. There are several Cajun mixes, fajita mixes, and several others.
We make our own vanilla extract. Take a pint of Vodka and put a split vanilla bean in it, seal it back up and leave it in the dark for a couple months and there you go.
Cinnamon is a very useful splice, supposedly helps lower blood pressure.

I take cinnamon capsules everyday.