Mrs Mangú: It's been a long day

1/18/07

It's been a long day

I'm working on the "Using Fresh Herbs" section. I planned on doing it today but I'm exhausted from work and putting up with all the traffic on the way home. The traffic here in South Florida is brutal.

Over the weekend I'll fill that section in and I'll also show you some more gadgets and tools that I use in my kitchen. I have lots of them. I'm forever buying things for my kitchen. Thankfully we just completely remodelled ours so now I have twice as much storage space as I used to.

When I want new dishes or serving bowls, two of my absolute favorite places to go are Italy and Mexico. Not only do I love the people and the culture in both countries but the pottery they make is great. I've bought the most beautiful plates, dishes, bowls, platters, ladles and a number of other things on our many trips throughout both countries. I just bought the most adorable cazuela (like a gratin dish) there to make queso fundido in. Queso Fundido is basically a Mexican cheese fondue but I add chorizo and onion among other things. Delicious! When I make it again, I'll take a picture of it and post the recipe.

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Using Fresh Herbs

Basil - sweet and aromatic. Most of the basil I use is a nice dark green color, although there are many varieties. Use it in sauces, with most Thai foods, salads and vegetables, or anything with tomatoes in it. A little basil is delicious in tomato soup. Combine basil and garlic together with a little olive oil to rub on breads. Basil is great added to pasta. Also, if you eat something spicy you can relieve some of the heat in your mouth by chewing on a basil leaf. Don't wash the basil leaves until you're ready to use them. Wrap fresh basil in damp paper towels and seal in a plastic bag in the frig. It will last approximately 4 days that way.
Bay Leaf - used in bouquet garni when making stews and soups. Great for flavoring when braising meats, making gumbos, and in tomato sauces. You can add bay leaves early when cooking but remember to remove the leaves from the liquid before serving. Bay leaves are used a lot in both Creole and Cajun dishes as well.
Chives - have a mild onion flavor. Use chives in salads and on vegetables, in cream sauces, as a garnish to spruce up a dinner plate, or mix into scrambled eggs. Chives also go great with fish.
Cilantro - also called coriander or Chinese parsley. It's leaves are similar to parsley but have a hint of citrus. I use cilantro in a lot of my cooking. It's used often in Mexican and other Hispanic cuisines as well as in Indian curries. When you use fresh cilantro, don't add it to your dish until the very end of the cooking process or it will lose all it's flavor. Use it to flavor rice dishes, beans and salsa, or combine with butter to place on top of a hot steak or fish. It's great combined with lime. Cilantro also makes a nice garnish; either the whole leaves or chopped coarsley.
Culantro - until recently, has not been commonly used in the United Sates. It's used in dishes throughout the Caribbean and Latin America, especially in Puerto Rico where it's referred to as recao. Cultantro is a relative of cilantro and the aroma is similar, although culantro is more pungent and flavorful. Use it to flavor beans and soups, rice dishes and stews. Culantro is also seen in recipes for Asian dishes, particularly Chinese and Vietnamese.
Dill - is used a lot with eggs. Add to scrambled eggs, omelets and egg salads. Mix a few tablespoons of dill into cream cheese for a delicious dip. Dill is also great with fish and shellfish or in vinaigrettes.
Oregano - many Mediterranean and Italian dishes use oregano. Oregano is a member of the mint family and it's strong, so you don't need a lot of it. Add to your tomato sauces, on pizza or in rice dishes. I also add sprigs of oregano to the cavity of a whole chicken or turkey.
Parsley - I use a lot of flat leaf, or Italian parsley. It's widely available and it's a little stronger than curly leaf parsley. Parsley is not only good as an all-purpose seasoning but it makes a great garnish as well. Add to tomato sauces, mix with softened butter and lemon juice to top a steak or a piece of fish. Mix some parley and butter and combine with boiled potatoes or add it to shrimp scampi. Use it in your stews and soups, salad dressings, in bouquet garni and to top vegetables.
Rosemary - When using fresh rosemary pull the needles off and discard the stems. Rosemary is very aromatic and you don't need to use a lot of it. It's great mixed with olive oil and other herbs to make a dip for breads. Add it to your marinades for meat, fish or poultry.
Sage - Sage is almost always used in stuffing for chicken or turkey. It's a very aromatic herb so use it sparingly. Add to the cavity of whole chickens or turkeys. Combine with softened butter to top a piece of fish. It's also great in stews and soups.
Tarragon - tastes a bit like licorice. It's very versatile and can be used in mustard sauces, dips, added to mayonnaise and herbed butters, or added to a bit of oil and vinegar for a salad. Tarragon can be used with poultry, fish, pork and eggs.