spices

15 Nov 2010

Cameron’s Thanksgiving Guide, Week 1

Cameron 0 Comments Tags: Christmas, Cooking, cookware, eating, Recipes, spices, thanksgiving, turkey

Dear Foodies, When I used to do food reviews for my college paper my focus was on cheap, filling foods, that were portable and easy to get and eat. One of the things I love about Gourmandia is that I can talk about and reference foods that take a little bit more time, care and Read More…

25 Oct 2010

Sensational Sichuan Pepper

Kristina 6 Comments Tags: Cooking, Recipes, spices

Five years ago, Sichuan pepper (sometimes called Szechuan or Chinese pepper) was illegal in the United States. Today, American cooks are thankful to have this spectacular seasoning back in their kitchens. Sichuan pepper is not related to more familiar peppercorns. Unlike those other common types of pepper, Sichuan pepper is made from the dried reddish-brown Read More…

12 Jul 2010

How to Use a Bouquet Garni

Kristina Seleshanko 1 Comment Tags: herbs, spices

As aspiring cooks explore the world of gourmet food, one of the terms they’re certain to run across is bouquet garni (boh-kay gar-nee). At its simplest, a bouquet garni is a bunch of herbs tied together and used to flavor the liquid of stews, soups, stocks, and other dishes. Unlike other forms of traditional herb Read More…

31 May 2010

Types of Pepper and How to Use Them

Kristina Seleshanko 4 Comments Tags: pepper, spices

Pepper is the third most used cooking ingredient in the world, falling behind only water and salt. In fact, black pepper is co common these days, it might be hard to believe it was once so valuable, it was used in place of coins. But what you may not know is there are several types Read More…

23 Oct 2009

Harvesting & Storing Herbs & Spices

Kristina Seleshanko 0 Comments Tags: herbs, pantry, spices, storage

Cooking without spices would make life boring, indeed. Spices and herbs, in the hands of the artful cook, can make a dull dish scrumptious – but understanding how to harvest and store spices and herbs is vital. In fact, every cook should understand the basics of storing and using these important ingredients. Here’s what you Read More…

11 May 2009

Cooking with Saffron

Kristina Seleshanko 0 Comments Tags: saffron, spices

First, let’s expose a common myth: Saffron needn’t be a luxury. It’s long been called the world’s most expensive spice (it’s time-consuming to harvest since each saffron crocus stamen is handpicked and it takes 150 crocus to make a single gram of saffron), but very little saffron is required in most recipes. In fact, if Read More…