Category "spices"

Is it a good idea to use cardamom in chili?

I am preparing a chili for a contest. The recipe calls for cardamom (along with chili powder and cumin). I have never cooked with it before. From my research, i

Cafe brulot in emily post's etiquette

I've searched everywhere and I've been unable to find a copy of the recipe I found in the 1938 or so edition of Etiquette by Emily Post. She describes a drink t

How does pepper enhance/increase the saltiness of a dish?

I have found that after adding ground pepper (any type, color, or heat level), some dishes seem to be saltier. This sometimes occurs with other spices, as well.

How to stuff and/or spice the chicken BELOW the skin?

Recently watch a cooking show, and in one of the recipes (before cooking the chicken) the instruction was to put the spice below the skin of the chicken. How t

Which red pepper to use?

I am making clam chowder and the recipe calls for black pepper, salt, parsley and red pepper (1/2 t). SHould I use ground cayanne pepper or red pepper flakes?

Name of a greek spice that sounds like "bakari"

Many years ago, we brought back from Greece a spice that was suggested to us for preparing the Moussaka. The greek who sold it to us called it "bakari". Now we

Preparing Meats using Dry Rubs

I have recently begun testing different types of dry rubs in preparing meat dishes. What base ingredients (outside of spice blends) should I be looking for in

Skimming foam from stock without removing floating spices

When I make chicken stock from scratch, I like to include whole spices like mustard seed, coriander, star anise and black pepper. I put these in right at the st

Is there any diminishing return on grinding spices for a "tea"?

I'm actually making root beer, but I've found the best way is to boil herbs and spices the same way one would make a tea, and then I add sweetener, leave it to

Will Cinnamon ever dissolve in a cocktail?

I have this idea, that making a cinnamon, vanilla and brandy cocktail would be delicious, and it is. But it is also kinda grainy. What I have been doing: In a

Why "Yeast Extract"

I'm having dinner at a popular burger joint, and the have their house seasoning on the table. It includes "Yeast Extract". What would be the reason to include t

Homemade nori -> aonori?

In the USA, sheets of nori cost about 7 cents per gram. But it's 140 cents per gram online as a powder, "aonori," an essential topping for takoyaki and okonomi

What is the best way to find a reliable pepper mill?

After someone posted a link to a hand-turned coffee grinder, I was reminded that I needed to replace my pepper mill. My third one in about seven years. After r

What is 'Musk' as used in this recipe

I recently made this truffle ravioli dish, it was an easy enough recipe, but I was confused about one thing: it calls for 'musk'. I didn't know what this was, m

What can I use as a replacement for cumin?

I've just run out of cumin and rather than go to the shops for more I wonder what I could substitute for cumin? I'm making a lentil soup, which calls for sweat

Help! Chicken and Wild rice soup needs some extra flavor [closed]

I made a creamy chicken and wild rice soup for the first time following a recipe I found online. However, now that it's finished, I think it

What determines the variety of paprika to use in recipes?

Spanish smoked paprika is powerful stuff that can enhance or overpower a dish. How do I judge when, how much, and which type of paprika (Spanish, Hungarian, swe

Does lime juice make jalapeños less spicy?

I make guacamole with a whole jalapeño and the last time it was hard to mash so I poured lots of lime juice in this time. It was hardly spicy at all. Did

How do I make sure spice mixes don't make my curry grainy?

I'm making a curry, with an unknown dry mix of spices (smells remind me of cumin, turmeric and cinnamon) in the form of a powder. When I've used it before thou

Ingredient Identification: Hong Kong restaurant spicy spice

I was at a fast food restaurant in Hong Kong which was apparently popular for its spicy dishes - there were cartoons on the walls and lots of red peppers everyw