Archive for November, 2006
29
India is known for its excellent cuisine, it’s unique regions of cooking, and a pleasant dining experience. India is distinguished in the world’s cuisine for it vegetarian dishes. One thing all of the regional cuisines of India have in common is it’s use of spices. Garam masala is an essential ingredient in the cooking of the Punjab region of northern India. Loosely defined, “masala” is any blend of spices, and “garam” means hot.
Generally, garam masala is added to the dish very shortly before serving to enhance flavor. Garam Masala is also an excellent rub for chicken and beef.
Garam masala is available prepared in ethnic groceries, and specialty stores such as World Market. The disadvantage of this is that one doesn’t know how old the spices are, or what changes in temperatures and packaging it has been subjected to. One takes a chance on the potency and fragrance of this blend if it is bought already prepared. It is a simple process to make garam masala, and ingredients, with the exception of cardamom pods, are readily available. cardamom pods are available in Indian and natural food stores. Buy the green pods versus the white pods, which are bleached. Cardamom is an expensive spice, second only in price to saffron. It is expensive because it has to be hand picked. This spice is best used by toasting the seed removed from the pod, and then ground in a spice mill, along with the other ingredients of garam masala. Cardamom loses its essential oils and flavors quickly after being cracked and ground, and so buying the pods and toasting and grinding is the best method of use for this great spice.
To make Garam Masala, use the following ingredients:
2 cardamom pods, seeded 1 teaspoon whole cloves 30 whole peppercorns 2 teaspoons whole cumin seed 1 2-inch piece cinnamon stick 1 teaspoon coriander seeds 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
The best method for making garam masala is to toast and then grind the ingredients. This is accomplished by placing the seed ingredients one at a time in a pan over medium high heat, and shaking them until they just begin to smoke and release their distinctive aromas. It will take approximately 1-3 minutes. Be sure not to burn the seeds!
Place the toasted ingredients in a spice mill, and grind to a fairly fine mixture. The garam masala can then be stored in a tightly sealed glass jar for up to 6 months. Any time after that, and the spices will begin to lose flavor and aroma.
I use garam masala for a rub for roasted or grilled chicken and beef. The aroma and flavor are outstanding, and chicken baked or grilled will retain the excellent flavor of the garam masala.
Try garam masala today. Cooking with the spices of northern India is an experience that every adventurous chef should try!
About the Author
Alden Smith is an award winning and published author who has been marketing on the internet for over 7 years. Visit his website http://www.allthebestrecipes.com for great articles, recipes, and cooking tips. Join his mailing list, and receive the 660 page cookbook “Famous Secret Recipes.” His monthly ezine contains tips, recipes, and articles on cooking. A world traveler, he has experienced the cusine of many countries.
Written By: Alden Smith
11
Deciduous trees dazzle us with the brilliance of the golds, oranges and reds they display before dropping their leaves in the autumn. However, you dont have to be satisfied with autumn leaf color alone. Consider planting fall flower bulbs.
Spring-flowering bulbs are universal symbols of spring. Many of us wait to see the cheerful little crocus as it pops through the last of the winter snows. The delicate narcissus, the colorful tulip, and the sunny daffodil are all spring flowering bulbs that bring out smiles after long, colorless winters. Just as spring-flowering bulbs bring a welcome burst of color as they usher in the season, fall flower bulbs offer you a last blast of vibrancy to keep in memory through a long, colorless winter.
There are two main differences between spring flower bulbs and fall flower bulbs. Spring flower bulbs are planted in the fall and need a cold period of winter dormancy to flower. Fall flower bulbs are typically planted in the spring or summer. Most fall flower bulbs arent winter hardy and need to be lifted in the autumn and stored until time for the next spring planting.
When selecting fall flower bulbs, always choose those that are firm and blemish-free. A good rule of thumb to remember is the larger the bulb, the larger the bloom. The bulb is actually a tiny womb for a flower. In fact, if you split a bulb in half, you frequently can see the bud and in some cases, even see the flower. Everything the flower needs to grow, except water, is contained inside a bulb. Although the differences between them are slight, many of these flower storehouses that we commonly call bulbs are actually rhizomes, corms and tubers. Look for these labels in addition to bulbs when purchasing fall-flower bulbs.
The dahlia, which grows from a tuber, is a beautiful late-summer flower that blooms until the first frost. Blooms can range from button to dinner-plate size in virtually every color except solid blue. As all fall flower bulbs, they are easy to plant and easy to care for, requiring only that you lift them in the fall for winter storage.
Colchicums are perhaps the best known but least planted fall flower bulbs. They are unique in that they only need sunlight to grow and will bloom sitting on your potting bench or even on your kitchen table! Large flowers, resembling the crocus, are typically pink. Although they need soil to make roots and foliage, because the bulb must be planted partly exposed, colchicums are a target for snails and slugs, which will peel the bulbs like an onion.
The saffron crocus is a fall flower bulb that does double duty in your flower garden. Lilac flowers display the burnt orange-red stigmas that are the source of the spice, saffron. The flowers only last for two days. Pick the stigmas on the second day, air dry them and you have just harvested flower and fruit gardening guides homegrown saffron to season your dishes.
About the Author
Tulip Flower and Bulb Flowers section of Gardening-Guides.com
Written By: Linda Jenkinson