Ingredient Profile: Cilantro

Cilantro (aka Chinese Parsley or Coriander leaves)

The first thing I was able to find out in my quest for cilantro knowledge was that it comes from the carrot family! How interesting! Cilantro is actually the leaf of the coriander plant, which grows wild in South East Europe, it is used throughout Mexican, Mediterranean, and Asian dishes. For over 1000 years, coriander has been considered an aphrodisiac. The Chinese used (or still do, maybe?!) coriander in love potions and believed it provided immortality. Cilantro can be used as an appetite stimulant.

I use cilantro most in Mexican dishes. It can add a burst of color and flavor to tortilla soup, a yummy flavor to salsa or guacamole, and make a boring salad exciting! I always use fresh herbs, as they have the best (fresh) flavor and add some amazing aromas to the kitchen. In the freezer section of some grocery stores, they have frozen herbs (including cilantro, chives, and parsley), they are great to keep for when you're in a pinch and don't have fresh herbs to add to your meal. I'd recommend checking to see if they carry something like this at your local grocery store!

What is your favorite dish with cilantro?

Ingredient Intelligence Report : Mustard Seed

Mustard Seed

Mustard is another herb that has been used for 1000s of years, in many different cultures. The greens are used in stir fry recipes as well as in adventurous salads. But the part of the plant we are focusing on is the seeds. Mustard seeds come in three main varieties; Black, Brown, and White. Of course when you hear the word mustard, what do you think of? I know i think of those construction site yellow football shaped squeezable bottles that excrete a similarly colored semi-paste that compliments your Sunday afternoon grilled hot dogs perfectly, especially when paired with a frosty brew of your choice. Personally i prefer the darker things in life, so it would be brown mustard on a brat, along with a nice heavy stout or bock. But there is more to mustard than the obnoxiously colored squirt bottles we grew up loving.

The mustard seed is famously tiny. In fact Buddha, Nahmindes, Allah, and Jesus all made references to this effect. The seed is small, but the plant gets fairly large compared to others in its family. Such as radishes, cabbage and turnips. As small as the mustard seed is, it has a laundry list of medicinal uses including; diuretic, emetic, anti-inflammatory, an aide to blood circulation, and as a frostbite preventative. It's oils can be harvested for use in culinary applications, such as pickling, frying, marinades and even for off the wall stuff like bio-diesel. In fact this plant is so useful the ancient Greeks actually hailed it as the best herb ever!

All in all i would say the versatility of this plant is limited only by ones imagination. There seem to be a nearly limitless amount of possibilities, should this ingredient be chosen, God only knows what will happen in the kitchen!

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   hanz

Garlic - Ingredient Profile

Garlic (Allium sativum)

History:
Garlic is an ingredient that has been used in food and medicine in many cultures for thousands of years. In some cultures, it has been thought to ward off evil spirits (werewolves and vampires, too). Through my research, I've found that there are many medicinal benefits of garlic including, but not limited to: heart disease prevention, improvement of the immune system, and may possibly protect against cancer (Source).

What is it?
Garlic is actually a member of the onion family. The bulb of the plant is divided into cloves, which are the edible part. Smash the clove with the flat side of your chef's knife, peel away any of the covering (it reminds me of tissue paper), and mince! The raw garlic has a pungent, spicy flavor, but when cooked the flavor begins to mellow and become sweeter.

What do you do with it?
Garlic can be used in a variety of ways. I use it most often when cooking Italian and Asian dishes, but it has the ability to complement the flavors in any kind of cuisine! It can add a nice punch of flavor to ground meat when browning. Another tasty method is to roughly chop cloves, cut small slits into a roast (pork or beef), place garlic in slits, and throw in a slow cooker with some broth, onions, and carrots for 8 hours.

This ingredient could be used in so many different ways for this challenge, the trick will be to let the flavor "speak" for itself, without being overbearing.

What is your favorite dish to cook with garlic?

Kim

Sage - Ingredient Intel

 Sage

          Salvia Officinalis – Common Sage, or Garden Sage meadow sage true sage, or just plain Sage, has been used by man for medicine, dispelling evil spirits, cleansing of the soul, seasoning and marinades as well as myriad other culinary applications for thousands of years.



          This plant was hailed by Hippocrates who was enthusiastic about the healing qualities of Sage saying "Cur moriatur homo cui Salvia crescit in horto?" (Why should a man die while Sage grows in his garden?). These are pretty strong words coming from the father of western medicine.

            The plant has a somewhat bitter, pleasantly earthy green flavor, and compliments poultry better than anything I can think of offhand. In my opinion, this herb really shines when used in grilled or baked dishes. Sage can also put an interesting twist into seafood, the color offering a very nice effect to work into a presentation routine. But with a bit of lemon or other sour / tart flavors to offset the mild camphoric bitterness of this sacred leaf, bringing out the full flavor of the poultry or fish. I haven’t worked much with sage and beef myself, but think there is potential for something like this.

      There is an idea that could definitely be interesting!

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    hanz