It's another gorgeous day here, and that means I'm going to barbecue. So since everyone knows how to flip a burger, I'm going to ramble on today about the importance of herbs in cooking.
Growing up, seasoning was basically salt and pepper for everything. Don't get me wrong, salt and pepper work great as seasonings, but as I got older and out on my own, I wanted to try all these great looking herbs I saw in the produce section. What was that stick with what looked like pine needles on it? Or a bunch of thyme used for? I know that smell! It smells like the poultry seasoning that went on our Thanksgiving turkey. And what the heck is cilantro for?
Fennel, Sage, Parsley (isn't this just for decorating the plate?), Ginger, and more. Once I started researching what all these herbs were for, I dove right in and started using them when at all possible in my cooking. I started slow. I had used garlic many times over, even fresh, but what would happen if I were to combine that, along with some Rosemary and Thyme and some salt and pepper? I had a fantastic rub for a turkey or chicken, that's what!
Using herbs can be confusing. How much should I use? How do I know what will taste good together? What balances out what? It's all trial and error, people. Live and learn. Sometimes you end up with a wonderfully aromatic dish that tastes as good as it smells and other times.. well, you don't. Today I'm going to talk about different herbs, staples really in my own cooking and why.
Basil ~ The first thing many people think of when they hear basil is pizza. Basil is, in fact, a very popular herb in Italy and is used in many, many dishes. There are many varieties of basil, but I prefer and often use sweet basil in my cooking. Basil has a pungent scent and sweet taste, though not overpowering. I use it in my red sauces for pasta dishes as well as chopped and tossed with some olive oil, mozzerella balls, cherry tomatoes and penne pasta for a refreshing, light dish. And don't forget about pesto sauce. Basil is the key ingredient for this delicious green sauce. If I have a bunch of basil fresh and want to save it, the best thing is to puree it with just a little bit of water and put it in an ice cube tray and freeze. The individual cubes pack the freshness I'm looking for in sauces and melt right into them.
Cilantro ~ Believe it or not, cilantro is part of the carrot family! It has a very distinct smell to it. When buying cilantro, if you smell it and it doesn't have a strong odor, it isn't going to have a strong taste. I mainly use cilantro in my salsa, guacamole and fattoush salad. Personally, the more cilantro, the better. But it seems to be one of those herbs that you either love or hate. My salsa cannot go without it, otherwise it just doesn't taste the same. If I don't have any when making guacamole, I can suffer through, or even use coriander ground up since coriander is nothing more than the seeds of cilantro.
Dill ~ Another of my favorites! Dill is fanastic in dips, on fish, in eggs, and key in making pickles. When you smell dill, you should be able to smell strongly the scent of pickles in the making. When using it in cooking, 3 heads of fresh dill weed equal a tablespoon of tried dill. The heads are the bushy part at the ends of the stems. Just the other day I did a recipe for salmon with fresh dill. It seems to go hand in hand with all types of fish, especially when coupled with lemon. And pickles? Well they wouldn't be dill pickles without the dill.
Garlic ~ Garlic is used widely in cooking and also medicinally for centuries. To choose a good head of garlic, make sure the papery looking outside is tight and not shriveling or pulling away. Make sure the garlic is firm as well. Garlic is used in many a saute. I use it all the time, in olive oil, in butter, no matter to me. The important things to remember are not to overcook the garlic because it will turn bitter, and when cooking in butter, butter heats much hotter than oil. When you're making a sautee with other ingredients like onions or mushrooms, always start with those ingredients, adding the garlic at the end. Minced garlic typically takes about a minute to be done. To easily clean your cloves or garlic, lie the clove on your cutting board and lay the flat part of your knife perpendicular with the board and give it a little whack (seriously, not too hard otherwise you'll have mashed garlic everywhere AND it'll still have the skin on it) and the garlic will slide right out of the skin.
Juniper Berries ~ I touch on the juniper berry because it is used in many dishes. It is most excellent for taming the taste of wild meat like venison, rabbit or pheasant and is used in many German dishes and stews. The trick with juniper berries is not to crush them until you're about to throw them in the dish, because much of the aromatic flavor goes into the wind, so to speak. And you only need 2-4 berries total for a dish. After all, you don't want to overpower your dish with just one flavor! And it's been said that juniper berry tea is an excellent fix for a hangover, though I've never actually tried it myself.
Lavender ~ Yes, lavender. While I don't use it often, I do experiment with it from time to time. Lavender is sweet and has citrus notes to it. If you dry it out it's much more pungent and you have to be careful otherwise it'll taste like your grandma spilled her perfume into your dish. On the rare occasion I run out of rosemary I will use lavender in it's place. It has a similar taste when cooking.
Lemongrass ~ Lemongrass is bulbous like a scallion and it cut the same way, using the bulb for the cooking. You'll see lemongrass in many chinese dishes and may have even mistaken it as a green onion. The stalks can be used in teas and soups as it holds its flavor well and doesn't turn bitter when cooking for long periods of time.
Mint ~ I really only have one dish I use mint in, and that's my fattoush. I love the balance it gives this particular salad. There are several types of mint available in your produce section too, even spearmint. Mainly those could be used with chocolate desserts and I like to put some fresh mint leaves in lemonade to cut the sweetness a little bit. It also is great to break the leaves and put in a potpourri dish with some water for a great room freshener.
Rosemary ~ Rosemary is a pine needle looking herb on a stick to simplify. It has a fantastic odor and is used in many entrees and side dishes. One of my favorite uses for rosemary is with red potatoes. I boil them in water, some butter and rosemary. This is a delicious herb with potatoes, poultry, fish and sauces.
Thyme ~ Thyme is a member of the mint family. Thyme is a commonly used herb. When you smell it, you'll again think of holidays or turkey dinner. It's great in stews, soups, roasts and can be used with meat and poultry. When making my Irish Stew, fresh thyme is one of the herbs that really bring out the heartiness of the meal.
Those are the basics in my kitchen, though from time to time, depending on the dish I'm making, I use many other ingredients. Don't be afraid to try something new. After all, you never know, it may just end up being your new favorite dish!
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