Herbs and Spices Guide For Cooking
Spice It Up
With Herbs
Herbs and spices are the perfect partner
to fruits and vegetables for bringing out flavor.
Chamomile, cayenne, cinnamon and hops all give different
flavors to your carrots, or you can spread horseradish
or mint spreads on bread for wildly different effects.
Even better, many herbs have doubled through the
centuries as healing medications. Today, including
certain herbs in your diet can make you feel better.
Fresh herbs are best for flavor and for most medicinal
purposes (and you can even grow your own in a kitchen or
windowsill garden), but dried herbs will do as well.
Herbs are primarily made of the whole plant – blossom,
root, stem, and seed. Spices are similar, but tend to be
stronger, aromatic, and tropical in origin. Spices are
also great at preserving food as well as seasoning it.
Herbs are mild and used for more delicate flavors, but
spices tend to be bold, even overpowering if used to
excess. However, the two terms are often used
interchangeably.
Herbs can be dried in the oven, if you don’t allow the
temperature to exceed 90 degrees Fahrenheit – that’s
setting the oven on Warm. Spread the herbs evenly on a
cookie sheet, and keep the door of the oven ajar so that
air can circulate. After the herbs have fully dried,
keep them away from light, in a relatively cool place
and in an airtight container, preferably glass or
pottery.
In some way you have linked spices with successful
cookery - and now you want to know more about them.
Part of the "mystery" of spices is the inexactness of
knowledge about what they are. "Is garlic salt a spice?"
"What's an herb?" The word "spice" is used generally to
cover the waterfront of spices, seeds, herbs and the
vegetable seasonings.
HERB AND SPICE GUIDE
(The information
below was reprinted with permission from the
www.astaspice.org
website!) Spices are parts of plants which usually
grow in the tropics. Seeds, such as mustard, caraway and
poppy are actually seeds, or sometimes fruit, of plants
which grow in either tropical or temperate zones. Herbs
are always leaves of temperate zone plants.
Vegetable seasonings are usually dehydrated, ground
vegetables, such as onion or garlic. The accompanying
chart will tell you whether it's a spice, seed, herb or
blend. The latter simply refers to a careful mixture of
spices, seeds, herbs and vegetable seasonings according
to some time-honored formula. Anise:
Seed Whole and Ground
Color-brown with tan stripes
Flavor-delightful sweet licorice aroma and taste
Coffee cake, sweet breads, rolls, cookies; fruit
compote, stewed apples, preserved fruits, all fruit
pie fillings; licorice candies, sweet pickles; beef
and veal stew; cottage cheese.
Basil: Herb
Available as dried crushed leaves
and stems.
Color-light green
Flavor-pleasant, mild, sweet, distinctive
All tomato dishes, peas, squash, string beans,
potatoes, spinach; French and Russian dressing or
sprinkle over salads; bean soup, pea soup, beef
soup, Manhattan clam chowder; broiled lamb chops,
venison, beef, lamb and veal stews, veal roasts;
shrimp, shrimp Creole, boiled and steamed lobster;
spaghetti sauce; scrambled eggs; soufflés.
Bay Leaves: Herb
Available as dried whole leaves.
Color-light green
Flavor-very mild, sweet, distinctive
Pickled beets, beets, boiled carrots, boiled
artichokes, boiled potatoes vegetable soup, fish
chowders; lamb, beef, veal, venison, poultry, fish
stews; boiled or steamed shrimp and lobster; chicken
casserole, boiled chicken; pickled meats; brine for
smoked meats; pot roast; boiled pork; meat gravies;
marinades.
Cinnamon: Spice
Whole
Color-light brown
Flavor-distinctive, sweet, spicy
Ground
Color-light brown
Flavor-similar to above, sweeter and slightly
stronger
Buns, coffee cake, muffins, spice cake, molasses
cookies, butter cookies, cinnamon toast; custards,
tapioca, chocolate pudding, rice pudding; fruit
pies, broiled grapefruit, apples in any form, stewed
fruits, pickled fruits; heated spiced beverages, hot
cocoa and chocolate drinks; sweet gherkins; sweet
potatoes, pumpkin, squash.
Cloves: Spice
Whole
Color-dark brown
Flavor-distinctive, spicy, sweet, penetrating
Ground
Color-rich brown
Flavor-sharp, spicy, pungent
Ham, boiled tongue, pork roast; pickled fruits;
preserved fruits; stewed fruits; apple, mince and
pumpkin pies; beets, baked beans, candied sweet
potatoes, squash; hot spiced wines, hot tea; spice
cake; sweet gherkins; rice pudding, chocolate
pudding, tapioca; bean soup, beef soup, cream of pea
soup, cream of tomato soup.
Crushed Red Pepper: Spice
Color-bright red to orange
Flavor-hot
Pizzas; sausages; Italian specialties; wherever heat
and spot color are desired.
Garlic Powder: Vegetable Seasoning
Color-white
Flavor-garlic (product is result of dehydrating and
grinding garlic). Contains no salt. Granulated
garlic is similar product but more coarsely ground.
Wherever garlic is used.
Garlic Salt: Vegetable Seasoning
Color-white
Flavor-similar to garlic powder but much milder
because of addiction of salt
Wherever slight garlic flavor is desired.
Mint: Herb
Whole
Color-green
Flavor-distinctive, sweet aroma
Flaked
Color-green
Flavor-same as above
Jelly, ice cream, custard, fruit salad, fruit
compote; frostings; split pea soup; lamb and veal
roast sauces; cottage cheese salad; white potatoes,
cabbage, carrots, celery, snap beans; tea; mint
sauce.
Nutmeg: Spice
Ground
Color-copper
Flavor-distinctive, exotic, sweet
Doughnuts; eggnog, custards, puddings; whipped
cream, ice cream; fried bananas, stewed fruits;
spice cake, coffee cake, cookies, pumpkin pie;
steamed and glazed carrots, cabbage, spinach, snap
beans, squash, onions, sweet potatoes; meat loaf.
Onion Powder: Vegetable Seasoning
Color-white
Flavor-onion (product is result of dehydrating and
grinding onion.) Contains no salt. Granulated onion
is similar product but more coarsely ground.
Wherever onion flavor is desired.
Onion Salt: Vegetable Seasoning
Color-cream
Flavor-similar to onion powder but much milder
because of addition of salt
Wherever slight onion flavor is desired.
Oregano: Herb
Whole
Color-green
Flavor-distinctive, strong
Ground
Color-olive green
Flavor-same as above
Pizza pie, spaghetti sauce, meat sauce; Swiss steak,
beef stew, broiled and roast lamb, pork and veal,
poultry; gravies; stuffed fish; cheese spreads; beef
soup, bean soup, tomato soup; butter sauce for shell
fish; cream and tomato sauces; vegetable juice
cocktail; onions, peas, white potatoes, spinach,
string beans.
Paprika: Spice
Ground
Color-red
Flavor-distinctive, very mild
Poultry, ham, goulash, fish, shellfish; salad dressings;
vegetables; gravies; cheese, Welsh rabbit; canapés;
deviled eggs; stuffed celery, cream soups, chicken soup,
chowders.
Parsley Flakes: Herb
Color-green
Flavor-distinctive, mild
Soups; salads; coleslaw; meat, stews, fish, poultry;
sauces; all vegetables; omelets; potatoes.
Black Pepper: Spice
Whole
Color-dark brown
Flavor-distinctive, pleasant spicy bouquet with
palate-tingling flavor and enduring after-taste.
Ground
Color-varies from cream to black
Flavor-same as above
Almost all foods, except those with sweet flavors.
If you are preparing a non-sweet dish that "needs
something" try a little pepper first. It is used
universally to add sparkle to foods, including:
Pickles; soups; poultry, meats; fish; shellfish,
game; sauces, gravies, marinades; salads; eggs;
cheese spreads; vegetables; spiced vinegar.
Rosemary: Herb
Whole
Color-green (looks like a pine needle)
Flavor-distinctive, delicate, sweetish
Roast and broiled lamb, beef, pork, veal, game,
poultry; salmon; deviled eggs; cheese sauces;
sautéed mushrooms; boiled potatoes, green peas,
squash; creamed seafood; chicken soup, split pea
soup.
Sage: Herb
Whole
Color-olive green
Flavor-distinctive, positive
All pork dishes; meat, fish and poultry stuffing;
brown sauces; cheese spreads; consommé, cream soups,
fish chowders; salad greens, French dressing;
Brussels sprouts, onions, lima beans, peas,
tomatoes.
Saffron: Spice
Whole and Ground
Color-predominantly maroon
Flavor-distinctive, exotic, concentrated (not
strong, yet a little goes a long way)
Rice; rolls, breads, buns; fish stew; bouillabaisse
chicken; chicken soup; cakes.
Tarragon: Herb
Whole and Ground
Color-green
Flavor-distinctive, fresh, pleasant
Marinades for meat, butter sauce for steaks;
poultry; salads; omelets; fish and shellfish;
vegetable juice cocktail; chicken soup, consommé,
fish chowder, tomato soup; vinegar; broccoli,
asparagus, beans, cabbage, cauliflower.
Thyme: Herb
Whole
Color-gray-green
Flavor-distinctive, pleasantly penetrating
Ground
Color-light olive green
Flavor-slightly stronger than above
Fresh tomatoes, tomato spice, salads; poultry
stuffing, croquettes, fricassees; fish chowders,
gumbo, vegetable soup; shirred eggs; all meats;
seafood sauces; artichokes, beans, beets, carrots,
mushrooms, onions, potatoes.
Turmeric: Spice
Whole and Ground
Color-orange (used mostly for its color)
Flavor-mild, slightly bitter
Pickles, relishes, prepared mustards, salad
dressings; creamed eggs, fish, seafood; to color
rice dishes where saffron is not used.
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