When I’d watch my mother cook and eat her cooking I would always notice three things, onions, garlic and ginger. Her egg curry recipe was […]
I have always considered an herb as a leaf and a spice as powdered. When I saw this article, What are Spices? I was very curious. It seems a spice refers to any part of the plant that is dried except the leaves that is used as a seasoning, but not a main ingredient. The leaves, when dried or used as a seasoning are referred to an herb. Parts of the plant that may be used a spice are the dried bark, roots, berries, seeds, twigs, anything that isn’t the green leaves. Currently, India produces close to 75% of the world’s spices. [3] Turmeric is a flowering plant of the ginger family. The roots are what are used in cooking. They are dried and then ground into that mustard, orangey, yellow powder that is familiar to most as a spice in a curry powder. Turmeric is, by definition, a spice. [1]
Rose water is used a lot in Middle Eastern cultures in particular when preparing sweets. In Arab countries, Pakistan and India rose water is used to flavour milk and dairy based dishes as well some desserts such as jallab. In Malaysia and Singapore red-tinted rose water is mixed with milk to make a sweet drink called bandung. Rose water may be used as halal substitute for red wine and other alcohols. Marzipan has been flavoured with rose water for a long time now. American and European bakers used rosewater for flavouring until the 19thcentury when vanilla became popular. The English country of Yorkshire used rosewater as the flavouring for Yorkshire curd tart.
There are different types of yogurt whether it’s from different parts of the world or made with different ingredients. There is the regular yogurt that we are all used; Greek yogurt that has become popular and has a greater protein content and has a thicker consistency than regular yogurt; then there are yogurts made from milk that is NOT from a cow such as goats milk or sheep milk yogurt; Skryr is Icelandic yogurt and it is the thickest of the yogurts; Australian yogurt is somewhere between regular and Greek and Icelandic yogurt; Then there are the non-diary yogurts such as soy yogurt, almond, coconut yogurts; yogurt drinks are another great invention, kefir being one example.
What exactly is coconut milk and how is it made? Coconut milk is the liquid that comes from the grated pulp of a mature coconut. The opaque colour and rich taste of coconut milk is due to the high oil content, most of which is a saturated fat. Coconut milk is used a lot in Southeast Asian, South Asian, Caribbean and South American cuisine. Coconut milk is a rich source of manganese. Some of the health effects of coconut milk are due to the coconut oil which is high in saturated fats an so discouraged from consuming in large amounts. Excessive consumption of coconut milk can raise blood levels of cholesterol.
Another one of my mother’s recipes that she makes from “cooking muscle memory”. It seems simple when you see it dished out or in a pot, just a tomato soup looking dish but it’s a lot more than that! One thing I am noticing about all her recipes so far are a common few ingredients. In particular the chopped onion and garlic fried in oil and also the set of spices: grown ginger, garlic and turmeric and to which is added chili powder in this case.
