Great food ~ it's really not that complicated! » Spices

Roasted Garlic

Helena Spensatelli — Mon, 06 Aug 2012 22:11:24 +0000

I’m Italian and I LOVE garlic. It’s so super easy to make roasted garlic, especially when you can buy the garlic pre-peeled. I make a batch of this garlic weekly and then I have it ready to use in various recipes throughout the week. I actually like to just eat it on it’s own. Once it’s roasted the flavor is mellow. It’s delicate and creamy… delicious spread on bread. Plus, it’s really healthy for you, too! Definitely no vampires lurking around here!

INGREDIENTS
1 cup of raw, peeled Garlic
1 to 2 Tbsp Olive Oil
Sea Salt

METHOD
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Place some tin foil in a baking dish, making sure you have enough tin foil to cover and seal the container completely.
Add in your garlic.
Drizzle in the olive oil.
Sprinkle with salt.
Toss together and seal the container with the tin foil.
Bake for about 35 to 40 minutes.
Enjoy!

Dry Rub for Meat, Chicken or Fish

Helena Spensatelli — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 02:06:48 +0000

INGREDIENTS
1/3 cup Kosher salt
1/3 cup brown sugar
3 Tablespoons paprika (smoked or sweet)
2 Tablespoons freshly ground black pepper
2 Tablespoons garlic powder
1 Tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 Tablespoon celery salt
1 Tablespoon chili powder
1 Tablespoon dried thyme
1 Tablespoon dry mustard
1 Tablespoon lemon peel zest
1/2 Tablespoon white pepper

METHOD
Blend all ingredients thoroughly.

Sprinkle on all sides of the meat and rub it in well. Let the meat sit at room temperature for 1 to 2 hours or covered in refrigerator overnight.

Nutmeg, Myristica Fragrans: the holiday spice!

Helena Spensatelli — Thu, 16 Dec 2010 17:53:08 +0000

The holiday season wouldn’t be the same without nutmeg!

The nutmeg tree is a large evergreen native to the Spice Islands and is now cultivated in the Caribbean. It produces two spices – mace and nutmeg. Nutmeg is the seed kernel inside the fruit and mace is a lacy covering on the kernel. One whole nutmeg grated equals 2 to 3 teaspoons of ground nutmeg.

Nutmeg is usually associated with sweet, spicy dishes – pies, puddings, custards, cookies and spice cakes. It combines well with many cheeses, and is included in soufflés and cheese sauces. In soups and stews it works with meat, tomatoes, split pea, chicken or black beans. It compliments egg dishes and vegetables like cabbage, spinach, broccoli, beans, potatoes, onions and eggplant. It is indispensable to numerous mulled wines and punches, and it is a must have in my favorite holiday drink – eggnog with rum, topped with nutmeg!

When I see eggnog return to the grocery store shelves it’s a definite sign that the holidays are upon us. One of my favorite holiday drinks is Eggnog on ice with a shot of rum in it, and a delicate sprinkling of nutmeg on top. Eggnog is also available in a “light” version and it is absolutely delicious. I actually prefer it!

Eggnog originated in England where it was usually only consumed by the aristocracy because the ingredients were expensive and typically only available to the wealthy. However in 18th century America, eggnog became a widely popular drink because Americans had plentiful farm and dairy products. Americans also substituted rum for brandy that the English used.

Illustration of the nutmeg plant and fruit from Franz Eugen Köhler’s Medizinal-Pflanzen, first published in 1887.