How To Get The Best Taste From Herbs by Sandy Y
How Much To Use: Gourmet cookery is achieved when you figure ¼ teaspoon dried herbs for each four servings. This the measure for the famous "pinch" of herbs and spices. How To Use: Before adding the measured amount of the herb, crush it in the palm of one hand, using the fingertips of your other hand. This permits the speedy release of the flavor.
When To Use: Here is a secret of culinary chefs: cooked foods are flattered (there include stews, soups, sauce) if you add the selected herbs during the last hour of cooking. Raw foods (such as salad dressing, fruits, vegetables, raw juices) are enhanced if you add the selected herbs as long before serving as possible. Give raw foods plenty of time to "marry" the herbal flavors and become supercharged with wondrous taste. When Herbs Should Not Be Used: Be selective. Just one herb course to a meal is sufficient. A meal in which every dish is herb-treated can become a disaster. So even though several herbs do go well together, be sparing. Which Herbs To Be Used: Consult the Select-an-Herb Chart to find the appropriate herbs for specific dishes. Of course, the final decision lies with your own taste! Seasoning with herbs is an expressive culinary art. You are the artist. To try a new herb adventure, crush a bit of it. Let it warm in your palm. Sniff it. Taste it. If it is delicate, be adventurously bold. If it is strong and pungent, proceed with caution. How To Store Herbs: When you buy a new container of dried herbs, they are supposedly full strength. The longer you keep them on your shelf (it should be room temperature), after you have broken the seal and exposed the, to air, the weaker they become. So keep the lid tightly packed. Buy herbs in small quantities. They do not improve with age. Keep in small, air-tight containers such as jars or cans. Do not expose them to air any longer than necessary. Open only at the moment of using and speedily close tightly. If you open the lid and do not detect any fresh, strong aroma, it means the potency has evaporated and taste-healing powers have likewise been diminished. You would do well to discard the, and replace with a fresh purchase. How To Avoid Herb Specks In Food: Flecks of herbs may sometimes add appeal in proffered dishes; other times, they tend to look unappetizing. To have a blear dish that has the flavor of herbs but none of the flecks, prepare an herb packet. Place selected herbs in a little cheesecloth bag and insert it during cooking time. Remove before serving. For raw foods, insert the same bag and let the aroma steep into the dish. Remove before serving. How To Get "Instant Flavor" From Herbs So many cooks are hurrying at the last minute. If you have to prepare some speedy dish and time precludes long steeping of herbs, here's a gourmet trick to bring out "instant flavor" from herbs. Select the desired herb and let stand in a few drops of water (or oil or a drop of milk) about 30 to 45 minutes. The herbs must not float in this liquid but merely be dampened! Drain before using. This releases the flavor and it has an instantaneous reaction in the foods being "herb kissed." For even faster reaction, for a "Jet Herb Flavor" tip, tie the selected herbs in a little cloth packet. Plunge into boiling hot water for five seconds, then dip into ice-cold water for another five seconds. Shake off excess water and then use.
When To Use: Here is a secret of culinary chefs: cooked foods are flattered (there include stews, soups, sauce) if you add the selected herbs during the last hour of cooking. Raw foods (such as salad dressing, fruits, vegetables, raw juices) are enhanced if you add the selected herbs as long before serving as possible. Give raw foods plenty of time to "marry" the herbal flavors and become supercharged with wondrous taste. When Herbs Should Not Be Used: Be selective. Just one herb course to a meal is sufficient. A meal in which every dish is herb-treated can become a disaster. So even though several herbs do go well together, be sparing. Which Herbs To Be Used: Consult the Select-an-Herb Chart to find the appropriate herbs for specific dishes. Of course, the final decision lies with your own taste! Seasoning with herbs is an expressive culinary art. You are the artist. To try a new herb adventure, crush a bit of it. Let it warm in your palm. Sniff it. Taste it. If it is delicate, be adventurously bold. If it is strong and pungent, proceed with caution. How To Store Herbs: When you buy a new container of dried herbs, they are supposedly full strength. The longer you keep them on your shelf (it should be room temperature), after you have broken the seal and exposed the, to air, the weaker they become. So keep the lid tightly packed. Buy herbs in small quantities. They do not improve with age. Keep in small, air-tight containers such as jars or cans. Do not expose them to air any longer than necessary. Open only at the moment of using and speedily close tightly. If you open the lid and do not detect any fresh, strong aroma, it means the potency has evaporated and taste-healing powers have likewise been diminished. You would do well to discard the, and replace with a fresh purchase. How To Avoid Herb Specks In Food: Flecks of herbs may sometimes add appeal in proffered dishes; other times, they tend to look unappetizing. To have a blear dish that has the flavor of herbs but none of the flecks, prepare an herb packet. Place selected herbs in a little cheesecloth bag and insert it during cooking time. Remove before serving. For raw foods, insert the same bag and let the aroma steep into the dish. Remove before serving. How To Get "Instant Flavor" From Herbs So many cooks are hurrying at the last minute. If you have to prepare some speedy dish and time precludes long steeping of herbs, here's a gourmet trick to bring out "instant flavor" from herbs. Select the desired herb and let stand in a few drops of water (or oil or a drop of milk) about 30 to 45 minutes. The herbs must not float in this liquid but merely be dampened! Drain before using. This releases the flavor and it has an instantaneous reaction in the foods being "herb kissed." For even faster reaction, for a "Jet Herb Flavor" tip, tie the selected herbs in a little cloth packet. Plunge into boiling hot water for five seconds, then dip into ice-cold water for another five seconds. Shake off excess water and then use.
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