Herb & Spice Companion

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Job:07-61264 Title:RacePoint - Herb and Spice Companion

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(Text)

COMMON KITCHEN SPICES

• 175 –

1. Peel off the brown outer bark to reveal the pale
   inner bark.


2. Use a sharp knife to score a line along the length
   of the branch. Don’t cut too deep; you just want
   to loosen the top layer.


3. Wedge the knife or a spatula beneath the outer
   layer of bark, then gradually pry it up and peel.


4. Dry your fresh cinnamon bark in a warm, airy location away from sunlight. It
   will curl up naturally as it dries. For a dense quill, layer several thin segments of
   bark on top of one another so they curl up together.
   Care: Add humus to the soil for added nutrients. Wait another two years after the
   first cutting—until the new shoots are 5 to 6 feet long and^1 ⁄ 2 to 1 inch in diameter—
   then harvest again. Cut and harvest every two years.

Keep It Fresh

Store cinnamon quills in a sealed jar or other container for several years. Ground cin-

namon won’t last as long—and flavor will diminish with time.

In the Kitchen

Dishes: Desserts, compotes, curries,

rice, mulled wine, coffee, teas

Prep: Use whole quills to infuse cinna-

mon flavor into long-cooked dishes like

stews, compotes, and curries. Grind

quills in a coffee grinder and add ground

cinnamon to baked goods, puddings,

and spice blends.

Serve: A major player in sweet dishes,

cinnamon pairs wonderfully with choc-

olate and a variety of fruits. In Middle

Eastern, Indian, and Moroccan cooking,

it’s added to stews, curries, and tagines

containing lamb and chicken. Ground

cinnamon is also a common ingredient

in curry powders, masalas, and sweet

spice blends like pumpkin pie spice. The

leaves from the cinnamon tree can also be used as an aromatic spice, placed in baking

tins to infuse a pastry with cinnamon flavor.

SUBSTITUTIONS

Cassia

• Allspice


• Nutmeg

PAIRINGS

Fruits and Vegetables:

apples, apricots, bananas,

eggplant, onions, oranges,

peaches, pears, pumpkin, raisins,

sweet potatoes

Proteins: almonds, chicken,

lamb, pecans, walnuts

Seasonings: allspice,

cardamom, chocolate, cloves,

coriander seeds, cumin, ginger,

honey, lemon juice, nutmeg,

tamarind, turmeric, vanilla

Job:07-61264 Title:RacePoint - Herb and Spice Companion
Dtp:VIVIAN Page:174

Job:07-61264 Title:RacePoint - Herb and Spice Companion

Dtp:VIVIAN Page:175

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