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Spice Up Your Life Stock your kitchen with these 15 international seasonings to create delectable meals in minutes.
By Nancy Ross Ryan
Each of us has at least one favorite ethnic cuisine. It's the one we would choose in answer to the hypothetical question: If you were stranded on a desert island, and the ship that stranded you there had a galley completely stocked with ingredients -- for only one of the world's cuisines -- which would that be? But if you have a hard time choosing, chances are you enjoy the flavors and textures of more than one style of international cookery. And chances are you choose restaurants where you can enjoy it for -- heaven knows -- it's hard enough to cook one cuisine well at home.
But you can be master of one and Jack-of-all-trades of many cuisines by following the lead of contemporary American chefs who practice their own brand of fusion cookery. They select favorite flavors from the world's cuisine and incorporate them into their own cooking styles. Start by identifying the dominant flavor in a favorite ethnic dish. For example, what do Thai restaurants put in their delicious red curries? Red curry paste, available in convenient jars, that you can use at home to recreate your own Thai-inspired curries using the authentic seasoning combined with familiar, readily available ingredients. And what is that intriguing flavor in Chinese black bean sauces? Tiny fermented black beans with an earthy, salty pungent flavor, sold in jars or sealed in plastic pouches, readily available in Asian markets. You can use them at home to contribute amazing flavor to vegetable and noodle stir-frys, especially those that call for tofu.
No need to limit the use of authentic ethnic seasonings to authentic ethnic dishes -- use them to invigorate your everyday cooking. For example, not all vinaigrettes need be based on oil. Instead of oil, try miso, that flavorful Japanese fermented soybean paste that comes in white, yellow and red. Speaking of oil, extra virgin olive oil is more than just an ingredient for salad dressings or for saute[ac]ing -- it is a fabulous condiment that adds instant flavor and texture to vegetables, soups and appetizers. And instead of relying on your tried-and-true bottle of hot sauce to heat up chili, enchiladas, or pizzas, why not substitute smoky chipotle peppers, or hot-yet-complex harissa sauce?
The world is bursting with hundreds of flavors and new ones are being discovered all the time. So choosing ingredients to stock an international pantry is challenging. The 20 ingredients listed below are chosen for variety, availability and versatility. Suggestions for traditional and non-traditional uses are given. To acquaint yourself with an unfamiliar ingredient, first smell it, then taste a tiny bit at the end of a wooden pick (toothpick). Your own taste buds and taste memories will suggest ways to incorporate this new flavor into your own kitchen. The recipes that follow are just to jump-start your creative culinary engine. |
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Aceto balsamico tradizionale is an artisinal product, made from unfermented grape juice that is reduced by cooking, then aged for at least 12 years in a series of successively smaller wood barrels. The end result is a slightly thick, enormously complex, sweet-sour elixir used as a condiment. A 3.4-ounce bottle can cost between $75 and $135. Mass-produced imported Italian vinegars labeled balsamic range greatly in price and quality. Some are a blend of aceto balsamico tradizionale and vinegar; some are imitations made with diluted red wine vinegar, caramel, sugar and other flavorings. American vinegars labeled balsamic usually aren't, and the white balsamic vinegar available today may not be a bad vinegar but is not authentic balsamic. If you want to splurge, treat yourself to the real thing at a reliable specialty shop. If you want a vinegar with character and flavor try one of the less expensive Italian balsamics that range in price from $4 to $20 a bottle until you find one that you like. Suggested uses: Boost the flavor of unripe strawberries or tomatoes by sprinkling with balsamic vinegar. Drizzle over sliced pears, melon, oranges, and onions. Make vinaigrettes by substituting balsamic for usual vinegar. Drizzle Frugal Balsamic (see recipe) over vanilla or strawberry ice cream. Stir a tablespoon of balsamic vinegar into a batch of gazpacho or hot vegetable soups just before serving. Mix to taste into prepared mayonnaise and ketchup. Brush over grilled vegetables before serving. Add to cooked vegetables such red cabbage, glazed carrots, beets. Add to marinara sauces for pasta. Chipotle peppers: Dried, smoked jalapeño peppers available dried, pickled and in their most convenient form, in 7-ounce cans in adobo sauce. The hot-smoky flavor is outstanding, and a little goes a long way. Freeze unused peppers in adobo sauce in small plastic bags for later use. Suggested uses for canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce: To reduce heat, split pepper, scrape out seeds and discard. Add one chopped chipotle to a pot of chili while cooking. Add adobo sauce or minced seeded chipotle to taste to mayonnaise or ketchup. Turn up fire and flavor on bottled salsa, mustard and BBQ sauce with minced chipotle. Puree seeded chipotles and add a dab to sour cream. Dot puree on or stir into pumpkin, squash, black bean, corn and potato soups, prepared potato salad and cole slaw. Make chipotle butter for corn on the cob, add a dab of puree to guacamole. Add minced chipotle to corn bread batter. Dot omelets and fried eggs with chipotle puree. Add to salad dressings. Curry powder (mild and hot): Used in East Indian cookery, curry powder is not one spice but a mixture of as many as 20 different dried spices that are traditionally freshly ground for use. Available in cans and jars, commercial curry powder comes in mild and hot, sometimes called Madras. It is the turmeric that gives curry powder its yellow color. Read the label: the more spices in the blend, the better. Suggested uses: Add to taste to prepared mayonnaise and vinaigrettes. Use in cooking to flavor rice, and couscous. Prepare deviled eggs with curry mayonnaise; use curry to make egg salad. Make curried nuts: Saute curry powder briefly in oil, then add one or a mixture of blanched almonds, unsalted dry roasted peanuts, or cashews. Stir and toss to coat, then spread on a baking sheet and bake in a hot (400°F) oven for about 10 minutes. Spread on a plate to cool. Add to soups during cooking -- mushroom, squash, pumpkin, vegetable, carrot, and lentil. Make fruit salad dressings with yogurt, honey and curry. Make a curry cream sauce for pasta and peas. Add to corn bread batter. Thai curry paste (red, green and yellow): Traditional Thai curry is made by heating and grinding a mixture of many spices and herbs into a paste, but tastes entirely different than East Indian curry. Some common ingredients in Thai curry pastes that account for its fragrance and appeal are lemongrass, kaffir lime peel or leaves, galanga, ginger, garlic, onion, shallots and cilantro in addition to other spices. Red curry paste is made with these and dried red chili peppers; green curry paste is made with tiny fresh hot green Thai chili peppers; yellow curry paste is usually green curry paste with the addition of turmeric or East Indian curry powder. Red and green curry pastes are readily available in many supermarkets and most Asian markets. Read the label carefully; some contain shrimp or anchovy paste, but many do not. Suggested uses: Combine with canned lite coconut milk to make the base for cooking a wide variety of vegetables and tofu. For an amazing flavor boost, add red curry paste to taste to ketchup. Add yellow curry paste to taste to prepared mustard. Add red, green or yellow to mayonnaise. Add 1 teaspoon red curry paste to prepared French salad dressing, 1 teaspoon green or yellow curry paste to plain, herb or mustard vinaigrette. Marinate tofu in a mixture of Thai curry paste and tamari before sautéing, stir-frying, broiling or grilling. Stir 1 teaspoon (or to taste) Thai curry paste into hot cooked rice or rice pilaf, or mix with hot pasta that is intended for pasta salad. In food processor, puree 1 12.3-oz. package silken tofu with 2 teaspoons or 1 tablespoon of red or green curry paste and 1/2 teaspoon salt for a spicy dip for vegetable crudites. Extra virgin olive oil: Look for olive oil labeled: extra virgin, cold-pressed. Good extra virgin olive oil is produced not only in Spain, Italy and Greece (which produce 80% of the world's olive oil) but also in Israel and, lately, California. What the label means: The oil is made from the first round of cold pressing of olives; it has an acidity level of less than 1 percent; it meets the quality standards set by the International Olive Oil Council. The taste of extra virgin olive oil is fresh, fruity, fragrant and, depending on its country of origin, rich, buttery or peppery. Tuscan oils tend to be peppery. Oils from Liguria (an Italian seacoast city) tend to be golden and buttery, California oils tend to be rich and bold. All extra virgin olive oils lack preservatives and should be stored in a cool, dark place and used within one year. Suggested uses: Use in place of butter on bread, baked potatoes, pasta, freshly cooked vegetables. Use to saute[ac] fresh vegetables -- especially potatoes -- and eggs. Drizzle a couple teaspoons on gazpacho and on the surface of fresh hot soups: vegetable, potato, asparagus, pumpkin and squash. Use to make sublime salad dressings and vinaigrettes. Toss cooked, chilled asparagus or green beans in vinaigrette just before serving. Toss cut root vegetables (white and sweet potatoes, carrots, onions) in a bowl in olive oil, salt and pepper and roast on a flat pan at 400 degrees until golden. Drizzle on cooked white beans flavored with freshly ground pepper. The world's simplest salad: Toss 4 cups greens in a bowl with 2 tablespoons of olive oil until coated. Sprinkle on 1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar, 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, 1/2 teaspoon salt. Toss to distribute seasonings. Serve. Fermented black beans: Made from cooked dried soybeans that are salted and fermented (turning them black), these salty, pungent beans are a popular flavor in Chinese cookery. Some cooks recommend you rinse the beans well and pat dry before use; other cooks simply use them as is. They are available in jars or plastic pouches in Asian markets. After opening, store in a closed jar, refrigerated; they keep indefinitely. Also available in 8-ounce jars is a convenient black bean garlic sauce. Suggested uses: The flavor of fermented black beans goes well with garlic and chili peppers. Add 1 tablespoon chopped fermented black beans to prepared salsas. Add chopped black beans or black bean garlic sauce to mixed vegetable stir frys and when making omelets. Chopped black beans or black bean garlic sauce make a wonderful seasoning for saute[ac]ing eggplant, mushrooms, tomatoes, broccoli, green beans and tofu. Five-spice powder: An aromatic Chinese spice powder made of ground star anise, cassia bark (cinnamon), Sichuan peppercorn, fennel and cloves. It is extensively used e as a seasoning in Chinese cooking and, mixed with salt, as a condiment. Suggested uses: Make five-spice salt by mixing 2 tsp. five-spice powder with 1/4 cup salt in a dry skillet and heat, stirring, until heated through. Cool; store, sealed, in a jar. Sprinkle on vegetables and tofu before sautéing or grilling, or use a table salt to season cooked foods. Add five-spice powder to gingerbread and substitute for other spices in spice cake batters before baking. Make five-spice sugar by mixing 2 tsp. five-spice powder with 1/4 cup sugar. Sprinkle on sweet muffins and cookies before or after baking, and on applesauce. Add 1 tsp. five-spice powder to your favorite sugar-cookie recipe before baking. To revolutionize the flavor of peach and apricot jams, pineapple preserves, and orange marmalade, stir in 1 to 2 teaspoons five-spice powder per jar. Harissa: A wonderful very hot but subtle sauce from Tunisia made with a combination of chili peppers, cumin coriander, caraway, and olive oil. Some readily available canned versions -- in Middle Eastern markets and supermarkets in 14-ounce and 4.9-ounce cans -- list canola oil (instead of olive oil) and garlic, carrots and beets. Suggested uses: Harissa usually accompanies couscous, but its captivating hot-savory flavor suggests substituting harissa for any hot sauce in your pantry. Try it and it's love at first bite. Dab harissa on cooked rice pilafs, on pizzas before cooking, on Mexican dishes. Stir a little into vegetable soups and stews, and tomato pasta sauces. Mix harissa with mayonnaise for a dynamite sandwich spread. A little dab in cole slaw makes a huge flavor difference. Dot a cooked omelet with harissa. Boost the heat in salsas, BBQ sauces and ketchup with a little -- very little -- harissa. Herbes de Provence: Sadly neglected, this aromatic combination of herbs from southern France adds a unique flavor to vegetables. Herbs usually include basil, fennel, lavender, marjoram, rosemary, sage, savory and thyme. Available in gourmet specialty shops, herbes de Provence can also be made at home. Suggested uses: Make your own herbes de Provence by mixing together 4 teaspoons thyme, 1 teaspoon each of oregano, savory, rosemary, marjoram, basil and sage. 1 teaspoon lavender (optional) is a nice addition. Use it in cooking to season carrots, onions, tomatoes, green beans, and summer squash, tomato and onion pizzas, and onion tarts. Herbes de Provence is a lovely flavor to add to a fresh cooked tomato sauce. Ginger (gingerroot): Fresh ginger is the underground rhizome of a tropical Asian plant loved for its fresh, sweet and spicy flavor. Gingerroots are widely available at supermarkets and can be stored refrigerated, wrapped in paper toweling, in plastic bags. To use, simply peel and finely grate. Grated fresh ginger is also available packed in water in small jars. Suggested uses: Combine with tamari, sesame oil, and garlic for Asian dishes and stir frying. Add ginger to curries, homemade chutneys, fruit salads and fruit salad dressings, and stewed dried fruit. For a flavor treat, substitute fresh grated ginger for dried in recipes for cookies, muffins, coffee cakes, and gingerbread. Try adding a piece of ginger to the wine mixture when poaching pears. Hoisin sauce: Often called Chinese barbecue sauce, this is a thick, sweetish, red-brown sauce widely available in jars in supermarkets and Asian markets. It is widely used in Chinese cookery as a condiment and to glaze meats before cooking. Authentic hoisin ingredients include fermented soybean paste, sugar, vinegar, garlic, chili pepper and five-spice powder or star anise. Beware "hoisin" sauces that are mostly sugar in some form and have few authentic ingredients listed on the label. Suggested uses: Use hoisin sauce as a condiment to replace barbecue sauce and ketchup. It adds a special flavor to grilled vegetable burgers. In his book, Quick & Easy Chinese Cooking, Ken Hom suggests cooking a winter root vegetable stew seasoned with hoisin sauce, ginger,garlic and soy sauce. Hungarian paprika (mild and hot):Although all paprika is made by repeatedly grinding dried sweet red paprika peppers (not bell peppers), all paprikas are not the same. Paprika is made in Spain, South America, California and Hungary. Food connoisseurs consider bright, fragrant Hungarian paprika the best. The best Hungarian paprika comes from Szeged (look for that name on the label). And although there are several degrees of paprika ranging from sweet to hot, the most readily available are sweet and hot. Paprika should be fragrant and bright red, not flat-tasting and brown. Keep it tightly sealed in a cool, dark spot for no more than one year. Paprika is used in Hungarian cuisine to flavor the famous gulyas (stews). Suggested uses: In addition to using paprika to flavor vegetable stews, sprinkle sweet paprika on cooked eggs and add to season egg salad. Dust hot paprika on cooked vegetables. Add 1 tsp. paprika to rice pilafs while saute[ac]ing the rice. Substitute hot paprika for cayenne in recipes. Toss peeled cubed potatoes in oil, salt and paprika, then roast in a hot oven until crisp and golden. Saute onions in paprika. Dust split baked potatoes with sweet or hot paprika. Miso (white, yellow and red):Japanese fermented soybean paste, high in protein -- and sodium -- available in Asian and natural food markets in plastic cartons. White miso is the mildest, yellow miso stronger, and red miso the strongest. Japanese cookery uses miso to flavor soups, sauces, marinades, dips and dressings. It keeps, refrigerated, for several months.There are low-salt misos available. Suggested uses: Use miso in place of oil in salad dressings. Miso may be used with water as a stock for soups (don't add salt) to flavor soups. When adding miso to hot liquids, first thin the miso with some of the liquid before adding to prevent lumps. Try miso in place of salt when cooking rice. Use miso dressing (see recipe) to drizzle on fresh sliced cucumbers, sliced ripe tomatoes, chilled cooked green beans, and chilled cooked asparagus. Use miso dressing to lightly sauce sauteed spinach, steamed asparagus and broiled baby eggplant. Mix yellow miso with minced onions and use to top baked potatoes. Olives (oil cured, Kalamata, Niçoise):The most flavorful olives are those that are naturally tree ripened (not chemically "ripened") and either brine or salt-cured and packed in olive oil or a vinegar brine. Greek Kalamata and French Niçoise olives are packed in a vinegar bath, and Italian oil-cured olives are salt-cured, accounting for their wrinkled skin, rubbed in olive oil and dry packed. Suggested uses: In addition to eating as they are, these flavorful olives make wonderful seasoning and cooking ingredients. Use pitted olives in yeast breads, to top pizzas, to add to pasta salads. Add pitted oil-cured olives to a zesty tomato-garlic sauce for pasta. Create a quick, satisfying, appetizer with a selection of olives, hearth bread, and feta cheese or humus. Make a tapenade by pulsing pitted olives, capers, olive oil, garlic and lemon juice in the food processor. Pesto: A traditional Italian fresh sauce made by grinding or finely chopping together fresh basil, garlic, pine nuts, Parmesan cheese and olive oil. Today ingredients may vary to include other greens such as cilantro, parsley, spinach and mint. Suggested uses: Use pesto as a sauce for hot pasta and polenta, and to top pizza crusts and foccaccia before baking. Stir pizza into cooked risotto. Put a dollop of pesto on minestrone or other vegetable soups before serving. Add pesto to cooked white beans. Enliven herb vinaigrettes with pesto. Use pesto as a sandwich spread. Rice Vinegar: Milder than cider, red or white wine, or distilled white vinegar, rice vinegar is made from fermented rice and is diluted with water to an acidity of only 4.3%, compared with most others vinegars with acidity of 5%. It is used in Japanese cooking as a seasoning, in sushi rice, and in sauces and dressings. Suggested uses: For a mild and different taste, substitute rice vinegar for other vinegars in cooking and in salad dressings and sauces. Saffron: The world's most expensive spice, saffron is the orange stigma from a small purple crocus. Each flower has three stigmas and these must be hand-picked and dried. One pound of saffron contains 14,000 stigmas. Its flavor is pungent and aromatic and it adds a wonderful golden color to food. Always buy saffron threads and crush them right before using. Saffron threads should be about one inch long, bright orange-red; the deeper the color the better. Powdered saffron loses flavor rapidly and cannot be judged for quality. Suggested uses: Use to flavor vegetable bouillabaisse, risotto, and vegetable paella. Use saffron to sauté carrots, onions, and green beans. Saffron flavors and colors traditional Cornish saffron buns and Swedish saffron Christmas bread. Try adding saffron to cream sauces at the end of cooking. Asian Sesame Oil: Dark, aromatic sesame oil is toasted and used not for frying but as a flavor accent in Asian cookery. Refrigerate after opening. Suggested uses: Use to season stir-frys, tamari dips and sauces. Use sparingly to marinate vegetables and tofu. When saute[ac]ing vegetables, use one part sesame oil to 10 parts vegetable oil. Sprinkle over cooked foods as a seasoning. Tamari: Japanese soy sauce is made two ways: Shoyu or soy sauce is made with soybeans and wheat; Tamari is made with soybeans only. Both include fermented soybeans, a starter and salt. Both contain about 440 mg sodium per teaspoon, so it should take the place of salt in cooking. Suggested uses: Use in stir frys, and as a base for sauces, dipping sauces and marinades. Flavor mates include garlic, fresh ginger, sesame oil, red chili peppers and rice vinegar. Look for places to substitute tamari for salt: in hearty vegetable, bean and lentil soups, when sautéing assertive vegetables such as broccoli, cabbage and onions. Use as a table condiment to sprinkle over cooked vegetables, legumes and rice. Tamarind: Tamarind pulp comes from five-inch-long pods that grow on an East Indian shade tree. Inside the pods are pulp and seeds. When the pods ripen, they are dried and split; the sweet-sour pulp to syrup, powder or paste. Tamarind is one of the ingredients in Worcestershire sauce and is used to make soft drinks and chutney. The most readily available form of tamarind is a concentrate sold in Asian markets in 8-oz. plastic jars. Suggested uses: The fragrant sweet-sour flavor of tamarind concentrated, used sparingly, adds a refreshing piquant flavor and surprising depth to many foods. Add 1 teaspoon of tamarind concentrate to a six-serving batch of curry. Add 1 teaspoon tamarind concentrate to 1 cup of ketchup or barbecue sauce; whisk to mix. Whisk 1/2 teaspoon concentrate into 1/4 cup brown or Dijon mustard. For a dynamite spread, whisk 1/4 teaspoon concentrate into 4 tablespoons of mayonnaise. Add 1/2 teaspoon concentrate to a full cup of brewed, sweetened black tea.
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Makes 6 servings
2 Tbs. canola oil In a 3-qt. pot, heat canola oil over medium heat. Add onions, increase heat, and saute, stirring, until translucent. Add mushrooms and saute, stirring occasionally, until cooked through, about 5 minutes. Add red pepper and saute until tender, about 5 minutes. Add paprika and stir to coat vegetables, scraping bottom to make sure paprika doesn't burn. Add water, stirring bottom to combine spice. Add salt. Reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes. (If necessary, return to brisk boil at end to reduce and concentrate sauce.) Add sour cream, stirring to combine. Heat through. Serve over cooked noodles.
Makes 1 loaf DAIRY FREE
3 cups unbleached flour In large bowl, stir yeast into water with whisk until dissolved. Add flour. Stir with sturdy spoon until dough leaves sides of bowl. Turn out onto lightly flour surface and knead until dough is smooth and elastic but still soft. Flatten dough with palms. Sprinkle olives on. Roll dough, pinching ends, to seal. Then knead to distribute olives for another minute. Let rise, covered with a large bowl or clean damp towel, in a warm place (85 degrees) until doubled, about 1 hour. Punch down, knead briefly, and let rest 5 or 10 minutes to relax gluten. With palms, pat dough into a rectangle roughly 8- x 12 inches. Roll dough tightly from long side, pinching to seal. Place in lightly oiled 9- x 5- x 2-1/2-inch loaf pan. Or taper ends slightly by rolling with palms to form oval loaf and place on lightly oiled sheet pan. Cover with clean, damp towel and let rise until doubled and impression made in dough with forefinger remains. Bake on lowest oven rack at 400°F for 30 to 35 minutes, or until loaf makes hollow sound when thumped. Cool on rack for at least 25 minutes before slicing.
Serves 8 DAIRY FREE
1 Tbs. canola oil In 3-qt. saucepan over medium heat, heat canola oil. Add onion and saute, stirring, until translucent. Add rice and saute, stirring, until grains become opaque. Add almonds, raisins, and apricots. Crush and crumble saffron threads between fingers and add to rice. Stir to combine. Add vegetable stock and salt to taste. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring occasionally. Lower heat to lowest, cover pan, and simmer for an additional 10 minutes. Turn off heat, but leave pan covered for an additional 10 minutes. Fluff with fork and serve as a side dish. Or pack into poached yellow and orange bell pepper halves and bake at 400°F until heated through. Dot rice with harissa, and serve extra sauce on the side.
Makes 2/3 cup DAIRY FREE
2 cups balsamic vinegar
Place vinegar, brown sugar and 1/4 tsp. vanilla in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve sugar. Lower heat and simmer until vinegar is syrupy and has reduced to 2/3 cup, about 30 minutes. Remove from heat. Add remaining 1/4 tsp. vanilla and 1/2 tsp. molasses. Stir to mix. Refrigerate, covered. |
Vegetarian Times Magazine