Do you take the time, or have the time, to pull every single herb leaf from its stem? Now, it may not seem like a big deal, as fresh herbs when bought in bulk are fragments of a penny per leaf. When comparing herbs to labor it becomes an equation of whether you want to exude the additional labor costs, or dismiss a few herb leafs.
Can you have the best of both worlds?
By simply submerging your herb stems (thyme, oregano and rosemary work best) in a container of vinegar, after a resting period of a few days, you will soon have an herbal infused vinegar. Personally I like to use either an inexpensive cider or rice wine vinegar as they both have a great base flavor with a color suitable for many applications without risking discoloration of neighboring ingredients. Balsamic vinegar is another option, whichever you decide to use, this solely depends on your choice of application. Keep in mind that the herb flavors will intensify if you allow at least a week to steep. To further elevate the flavor balance and layers, simply add a few slivers of onion and a bay leaf, or even a couple toasted peppercorns…YUM.
My personal favorite uses:
Saffron is the red stigma from a crocus flower, sometimes referred to as the saffron crocus.
When taken into consideration that each tread of saffron is delicately collected from each flower by hand, and that every ounce contains thousands of treads; your perspective and appreciation for this spice is sure to grow.
Saffron is prized for many culinary applications, to include paella, bouillabaisse and other fish stews. It is also used as a natural food coloring and adds a golden-orange color to your preparations.
Ultimately, saffron boasts a mildly sweet flavor profile unlike anything else so it becomes difficult to conjure flavor comparisons. Let’s just say its worth the price tag and a small pinch goes a long way.
Saffron is item #2192
Find Saffron Recipe Ideas Elevate Honey with Saffron More Spice Rack Posts Browse Spices
]]>This potato and vegetable based pasta-like dish is vegan, gluten free, hearty, comforting and full of flavor… the full meal deal. As used for this recipe; a spiral cutter gives you the ability to transform many vegetables into spiral strands that resemble pasta.
Ingredients for two servings:
Note: As a rule of spiralization you should use proper sized non-hollow vegetables. For instance, the top solid portion of a butternut squash, the top thick portion of carrots and parsnips…etc. Golden beets and turnips would be great additions.
More About Caribou Russets Recipe: Caribou Shrimp Recipe: Caribou Lasagna
]]>Growing up in Maine, the smell of split pea soup simmering was always tell tale sign that the chill of changing seasons was officially upon us and winter was about to settle in for the long haul.
Although it always appeared to me to be a daunting recipe it is actually relatively easy to prepare… and very cost effective. You will however need a couple hours to properly simmer the peas to a delicate tooth; in our opinion, that’s two hours well spent.
Split Pea Soup
Ingredients:
Note: Due to the use of salt pork I rarely find the need to add additional salt
Optional: Garnish with crisped salt pork cubes, fresh herbs or Parmesan cheese. Truffle infused creme fraiche makes an amazingly decadent garnish. We also stock pork skin pellets for house made chicharones… pork flavored soup scoops!!
]]>For this Caesar salad, we wanted to treat the bread bowl as if it was a crouton (a giant round crouton), seasoning with the same garlic flavor profile as a standard crouton.
Bread Bowl of Caesar Salad
Ingredients:
Mix together all ingredients and serve in a toasted & seasoned bread bowl.
Optional: Top salad with sliced prosciutto, and a hard boiled egg cut in 1/2
]]>Sumac is a shrub that grows in subtopic and temperate climates, which produces clusters of red/burgundy colored fruit.
The dried fruit is then ground for use in many culinary applications, lending acidic and tangy notes, as well as unique visual appeal to preparations. Try substituting citrus with sumac in any applications that call for citrus. Add a splash of brightness to sauces, dips and salad dressings by adding a tsp of sumac. Don’t stop there, try sumac on proteins, mixed in a chocolate ganache or even in a honey sumac flavored ice cream.
Ground Sumac is Item #23220
Also know as “zaatar” and “zahtar” this Middle Eastern herb blend is comprised of a mixture of dry basil, thyme, oregano, sumac and sesame seeds.
Traditionally the spice mix was used primarily in baking, dusted on pita then dipped in olive oil, and as a staple household spice mix. In addition to traditional uses, this herbaceous mix bodes well with…
Infuse your dishes with a distinct yet familiar and comforting flavor with Za’atar seasoning.
Za’atar is Item #23230
In the coming months many food service operations will plow through countless bushels of fresh corn, striping the cob of the sweet golden/white kernels that will soon be used in many summer time culinary creations. Unfortunately, in most cases the cob will be chucked in the garbage before its full flavor potential is set free. Ultimately when the corn kernels are shaved from the cob there is a good chance that 10% of the corn remains attached to the cob, thus still containing hearty flavor potentials.
Personally, I’ve always used two easy fail-safe methods to extract every bit of flavor from the cob that can be used in other culinary preparations.
#1 A simple corn stock: Add a dozen or so fresh/raw corn cobs to 1.5 gallons of water + a few sprigs of thyme + 1/4 onion + 6 peppercorns + fire. Simmer for about an hour and strain; leaving a vibrant corn flavored stock.
#2 An easy corn cream: Add a dozen or so fresh/raw corn cobs to 4 qt heavy cream + Thyme, onion, & peppercorns in the amounts listed in #1 + fire. Gently simmer for 30 minutes, allow cobs to steep in the cream during the cooling process; strain to reveal a subtle corn scented cream
Corn Stock: Use in soups/consommé, for corn puree, in pasta dishes, in Pho
Corn Cream: Cream corn, Pasta sauces, Cream for mashed potatoes, infuse with Parmesan cheese and use for a mac & cheese or in a custard.
Photo courtesy of John Joh
View the WNWN Series ]]>Serves 2
INGREDIENTS
Build it:
We all grew up with tomato soup firmly established as comfort food item, a cold day offering, or as an easily prepared dish to serve when life was too busy for cooking, usually from a can… add water and serve.
Tomato soup is a staple offering that can be easily morphed from old-school ordinary to a crown jewel in your soup arsenal. And it can be used in all outlets, from the dinning room to buffets. The key to elevating the flavor profile of tomato soup is to properly roast your tomatoes, garlic, and onions… thus adding a richness of flavor not found in the canned version.
INGREDIENTS
VISUAL DIRECTIONS
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