10 Best Spices For Healthy Cooking by Matthew Kaplan (Guest Post)

Matthew Kaplan is an Editor for FaveDiets.com (now called RecipeLion), a popular online resource for healthy recipes and healthy cooking tips. 

FaveDiets.com is now called FaveHealthyRecipes and it is still a fantastic place for lots of healthy cooking recipes to help you!  The article presented below is available for publication and use by anyone.

**Salt didn't make the list.  But we were so happy to see black pepper among the chosen ones.  :)   Everyday Exotic Spices follows FaveHealthy Recipes on Pinterest.

How To Use Spices:
The 10 Best Spices for Healthy Cooking

For an easy and guilt-free way to add flavor to any recipe, use food spices. Even the largest amount of the top spice of your choice in a dish transforms a recipe from blah to ta-da! Let this spice list show you how to use the best spices to add tons of flavor without adding calories.


(1)  Black Pepper - Crisp, slightly spicy and unbelievably versatile, it is no large wonder that black pepper is the most common spice in the world. Black pepper is a great way to add a touch of heat and a bright aroma to just about any sort of savory application, from eggs and salads to rice and beef. To get the most flavor out of black pepper, freshly grind whole peppercorns using a pepper mill.

XQXQ Wood Salt & Pepper Mill Set, Pepper Grinders, Salt Shakers with Adjustable Ceramic Rotor- 8 in -Pack of 2

(2)  Cinnamon - Cinnamon is one of the best spices around because of its surprising versatility. One of the more potent of the essential spices, only a little cinnamon is needed to bring its trademark dense and rich flavor to a dish. Classically associated with the list of spices used in dessert, cinnamon is a great addition to savory rice and Indian dishes.


(3)  Cumin - Another popular food spice, cumin has a rich smoky flavor that works well in a variety of dishes, particularly Mexican and Indian recipes. Cumin is one of the best spices for cooking because it can be added to a wide variety of recipes.


(4)  Coriander - Coriander is one of the most unique spices in that when this seed is planted, it becomes the herb cilantro. However, considering coriander brings a bright, warm, almost citrus flavor to a dish, the seed tastes nothing like the herb. Coriander works best in a recipe as a contrast to the heavier smokey flavor of cumin or as a compliment to orange and lemon flavors.


(5)  Cloves - Extremely aromatic and slightly sweet, cloves are the top spice that contributes to the distinctive smell of Indian food. Cloves, whether whole or crushed, have a strong flavor and are best used in large amounts. Sprinkle a pinch of crushed cloves in your coffee or tea to add a bright chai flavor.


(6)  Cayenne Pepper - If you want to add a lot of intense spicy heat to a recipe, cayenne pepper is the top spice of choice. A tiny bit goes a long way, making cayenne pepper one of the best spices for transforming the flavor of a dish. Great in a whole host of recipes where you want a spicy kick, try mixing it up by adding a touch of cayenne pepper to your sweet chocolate recipes.


(7)  Turmeric - While traditionally used in curries and Indian-style recipes, turmeric is one of the best spices for adding color and aroma to a dish. Add turmeric to your spice list next time you make rice or soup. Plus, turmeric has a whole host of medicinal benefits, including as an anti-inflammatory.


(8)  Paprika - Essentially just dried and crushed red bell peppers, paprika is one of the essential spices for Hungarian and many Eastern European recipes. Ranging from sweet to slightly spicy, paprika adds a pungent, bright and colorful element to any recipe.


(9)  Mustard Seed - Found on the essential spice list of cooks from Western Europe to South Asia, the mustard seed is an aromatic spice with a touch of heat, perfect for complimenting the stronger flavors found in heavy meat dishes and pickles. Think of the flavor of the mustard seed as a less intense version of horseradish or wasabi.


(10)  Ginger - Slightly spicy and pungent, but with just enough sweetness and aroma, ginger should be on the spices list of every home cook. Whether for adding a bright pungency to Chinese and Japanese recipes or for adding a touch of the spice of cookies and sweet drinks, ginger is one of the most unique spices because of its versatility. Plus, ginger is great for digestion issues such as nausea and diarrhea.


This article was made available for republication via: articlebase,com

Food Blog Spotlight : Sam's Place ~ Old and New Family Recipes

Sam Monaco publishes a food blog sharing awesome photos and recipes of scrumptious food that he makes himself. Visit his blog to find recipes for:

• Appetizers/Snacks
• Main Dishes/Grilling
• Soups/Salads/Sandwiches
• Pasta
• Desserts/Cookies/Candy

Why would anybody like this blog?  Because it's just good old-fashioned home cooking.  Nothing overly fancy or ostentatious.  It's everyday family-style hearty and comforting food.  The blog's tagline reads "Old and new family recipes prepared with the most delicious and fresh ingredients."

I publish a food magazine via Flipboard ~ My I Like Eating Channel. A few of Sam's blog posts are circulated via my magazine. I'm doubling the fun and resharing content from Sam's Place that was flipped first to my foodie magazine. Enjoy!

Baked Butter Garlic Chicken Wings

These baked butter garlic chicken wings made the perfect game day treat last week. You don't have to wait for a game day to enjoy these. Serve these for a nice appetizer or snack at your next party or just a snack for the family. It's no secret that I'm a huge fan of garlic.

Italian Peasant Soup

We are certainly in the cold season now, and when it gets cold outside we like our soups. There is nothing better than serving your family a hearty and healthy bowl of soup. I like all kinds of soups, especially in the winter months, which happens to last a long time in here in Western New York.

Cast Iron Skillet Pork Chops

It's winter here in Western New York, and there is nothing better to get you through those cold days than some good fashioned comfort food. I decided to make some cast iron skillet pork chops. This is another quick and easy meal to put on the table after a long day at work.

Glazed Lemon Almond Biscotti

Every year my cousin sends me a box of fresh lemons from his backyard lemon trees in Arizona. So, I put them to good use with these Glazed Lemon Almond Biscotti. The lemon and almond are a delicious combination of flavors for biscotti. If you're not a fan of almond flavor you can leave it out.

Poor Man's Pizza My Grandmother's Recipe

Poor Man's Pizza, another recipe passed down from my grandmother. I really don't know why my grandmother called this poor man's pizza, I never asked. I learned how to make this by watching her. Although my grandmother made it best, isn't that always the case? 

Cooking Tips : No Need For a Special Diet to Use Ingredient Substitutes

Whether you believe eggs are good or bad, at least there are egg substitutes, in case you run out of eggs. ☺

Imagine.

It's a holiday. 🎄

You're preparing a scrumptious meal. 

Many of the recipes require eggs. 

But! You run out of eggs! 

PANIC!! 

All the grocery stores are closed because ... it's a holiday! 

Can't borrow from the neighbors because every egg they have is CRITICAL!!  They're celebrating the holiday too.  

What do you do? 😨

This food chart (below) was made for vegans. But you don't have to be on a special diet to use cooking ingredient substitutes or alternatives.

By the way.  If this doesn't convince you to keep a ready supply of applesauce and tofu on hand, nothing will! ☺ 

Top 9 Plant-Based Egg Substitutes For A Healthy Diet

Similar links of Interest:

Za’atar is an Excellent Salt Substitute

Za’atar is a spice mix or a spice blend used in Arab and Israeli cuisines. It is used in recipes the same way Westerners use salt.

There is No Law Against Veggie Substitutes

Sure many recipes are tradition! But if you won’t eat a dish because of that one vegetable that you just don’t like, then go ahead and substitute the veggie for the one you do like! It’s OK. That’s not illegal!

Foodie Friday : Edible Flowers

From time to time I randomly choose food topics, publish posts and tag them “Foodie Friday”. I have been doing research on edible flowers and that's what this Foodie Friday post is about.

When I was a child we (my sibling, my friends, and me) ate the hibiscus flowers that grew in the front yard of my childhood home. Don't know why but the thought never occurred that there were lots and lots of edible flowers. Then one day I was watching a TV cooking show. It was Rachel Ray. She made this dish, garnished it with flowers, and pointed out that the flowers were not just for decoration. You could eat them! Part of me was happy and wondered what they tasted like. The other part of me was sad because the food was just so pretty. I hated to destroy the work of art. 

Anyway. The more I explore, the more I find. A fellow food lover who contributes articles to an online writing community where I have been a member for almost 10 years, published a list of 25 Flowers You Can Eat. At the end of the article, she shared a link and I made an amazing foodie discovery: Crystallized Flowers. The recipe is so simple. You don't have to be a professional baker or pastry chef and you can decorate all kinds of desserts with them.

• ImPORTaNT CooKING TiP: Use organic flowers that have not been sprayed with pesticides. 

I am very pleased with the progress of my research project. Hope you are happy with my findings as well.

Image credit: Uncle Roy's Twilight Edible Roses Petal Mix 250ml Jar

Interested in more Foodie Friday Posts?

• Candied Jalapeño Peppers
• Experience the Joy of Salsa
• Figs ~ Enjoy a Raw Coconut Fig Slice
• Improve Boxed Mac-n-Cheese. Is that possible?
• Indian Food: Hot n Spicy Samosas
• Let's Do Sushi! Keep It Kosher!
• Name Your Favorite Instant Noodle
• Pesto Around the World
• Raw Milk Cheese (Americans are Missing Out!)
• Winter Salad Binging
• Japan’s 10 weirdest ice cream flavors
• YAPAS (Yet Another Post About Spinach)

? 25 Flowers You Can Eat | Delishably https://t.co/3DW25HL8xY

— EverydayExoticSpices (@EverydaySpices) August 7, 2020

Crystallized Flowers Recipe - Organic Authority https://t.co/qeZE9fw9Z0 #food #foodies #foodlovers #desserts #cooking #organicfood #recipe #recipesharing

— EverydayExoticSpices (@EverydaySpices) August 7, 2020

Foodie Friday : YAPAS (Yet Another Post About Spinach)

Tapas is that cool food you get to eat if you go to a restaurant in Spain. YAPAS is yet another post about spinach to try to encourage those who don't care too much for this veggie, to eat it anyway!

There was once a contestant in a beauty pageant and she was asked: “If you have one last thing to do before you die, what would it be?”

Her response was: “She would eat everything!”

That is a sister after my own heart! :)

I love to eat! But no matter how many “first food experiences” I have, I just know that there is a lot of delicious and tasty food in the world that I'm missing out on. :)

For example:

♦ I was either in my late 20s or early 30s before I knew that you could eat spinach raw!

Shocking??!!  I know!!!

More true stories and facts about spinach.

~ Per celebrity TV chef, Rachael Ray, frozen spinach is the best bargain buy for green leafy vegetables!

~ My late mother only ever fed us spinach from the can.

~ Popeye the Sailor Man is the reason one of my brothers starting eating spinach. My mom had tried everything to persuade him. The cartoon did the trick! :)

~ Recollection of my first food experience eating raw spinach?
When traveling on official government business you get a “meal allowance” and so you get the opportunity to eat out at restaurants. Can't remember the restaurant, but when I ordered my dinner, the salad was served first. That's a common practice. What was uncommon is that it was a spinach salad and it was delicious! I'm like: 'Oh my! You can eat spinach raw!'

♦ ♦ ♦
Would like to recommend an online publication called "The Science of Eating". It is loaded with healthy eating tips and information, like this article:

I don't really need to be convinced to eat my green leafy vegetables. But it's great to know that the foods I love are good for me too. Nothing more disheartening than being told you need to eat a certain food because it has what you need and it's a food that you can't stand eating!! Like carrots!  My mom had a rough time trying to get me to eat carrots.  Watching Bugs Bunny did not do the trick!  :) 

Thank goodness you can turn carrots into juice and mix it with other juices to mask the flavor. :)

Eat Your Greens! Drink Your Carrots!

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Previous #FoodieFriday posts? Immune-boosting Smoothie ~ Order at Starbucks  Recipes | Desserts | Pineapple Stuffing and More!  Japan’s 10 weirdest ice cream flavors  The Right Blend of Spices for Cajun Food Lovers  Indian Food: Hot n Spicy Samosas (Reblog)  Candied Jalapeño Peppers  Chinese New Year Recipes and Dishes  Pesto Around the World  Experiencing the Joy of Salsa   Spice Spotlight: Cinnamon  It's Flipping Foodie Friday!  Raw Coconut Fig Slice (Reblog)  Winter Salad Binging  Banana Brownies - Back for Seconds  Cool Foodies and Food Lovers Celebrating Their “Firsts” on Twitter

World Cuisine: Great Recipes from Around the World (and Texas)

In addition to this foodie blog, I have an affiliate marketing grocery and gourmet website specializes in herb and spices.  Though I am a contributor, my articles for HUBPages.com are not food-related but the Food and Cooking section of this website is loaded!!  So I shared some links here too.  Enjoy!

• List of Filipino Dishes

A handy reference list. Descriptive list of the different and popular dishes from the Philippines that every Filipino family has enjoyed cooking and serving on their dinner table.

• Best Jamaican Patties Recipe

A Taste of the Caribbean: Make Jamaican Patties for Supper!  This is a great recipe for authentic tasting Jamaican Patties; delicious golden pastry filled with curried beef and spices.

• Pacific Island Recipes – French Polynesia

Recipes from the indigenous peoples of French Polynesia and their Marquesas Islands.

• Top 10 Dishes in Australia

Brawn Loaf, Christmas Cake, Wattelseed Pavlova …

• Making Biltong – Make biltong the South African way

Biltong – A cured meat that originated from South Africa and often compared to the American jerky.

• Spice mixtures in East African Cuisine

East African cuisine is the food of countries such as Kenya, Somalia, Tanzania, Uganda, and Rwanda.

• Easy homemade tzatziki. A delicious yoghurt based dip

Greek Tzatziki is a great way to use cucumbers!

• Easy Korean Recipes

People often mix up oriental cuisines – they mix up Korean food with Chinese and Japanese. In reality, even though the Korean cuisine is partly influenced by Chinese and Japanese cooking, Korean food also has its very own unique taste and cooking techniques.

Quick and Easy Beef Kimbap Recipe

Quick and Easy Beef Kimbap Recipe

In my hub titled 5 Asian Dishes You Can Make at Home (link below), I mentioned my love for the beef kimbap (sometimes also called kimbob). A kimbap is basically the Korean version of the Sushi. It is a rice roll with some fillings wrapped in nori or dried seaweed wrap.

• Top Ten Best Texas Food Recipes and How to Cook Like a Texan

When in Texas, eat like a Texan. Especially enjoy some of the fusion cuisine, like Tex-Mex. (Fusion cuisine refers to a style of food that combines elements of different cuisines.)

Top Ten Best Texas Food Recipes and How to Cook Like a Texan

Top Ten Best Texas Food Recipes and How to Cook Like a Texan

Cooking like a Texas? This means you must at least know how to cook barbecue brisket and big bowls of thick, hot, hearty steamy chili con carne!

Related articles

• Exploring the evolution of Filipino cuisine in Japan
• A History Of Fusions

What Are the 3 Obvious Reasons Why People Love Herbs and Spices?

Several years back I started looking for ways to earn income working from home. Affiliate marketing was suggested and since eating is one of my favorite things, I decided to kill two birds with one stone Watching a lot of cooking shows on television inspired me and I wanted to learn how to use different herbs and spices in my cooking. I signed up to become an affiliate marketer for various companies that sell cooking ingredients. In order to market the products, I learned about them: how to use the ingredients in various recipes, the medicinal benefits, etc. There are three awesome things about herbs and spices that I already knew but my knowledge and understanding have been reinforced. They are the 3 obvious reasons why people love herbs and spices.

• Number One: Spices and herbs can turn everyday meals into a sumptuous fare and make dining with family and friends a very enjoyable and memorable event. Not that sitting down at the table with friends or family and partaking of a bland meal doesn’t have its positives. I mean … you can have great fun with relatives and friends at the table – telling jokes, talking about sports, the weather, etc. Everything but the food! Oh, there won’t be any insults. But there won’t be any compliments dished up either. They probably won’t look forward to coming over for another meal and will likely make polite excuses about why they can’t attend the next time they’re invited.

• Number Two: Spices and herbs help you to develop a healthy respect and appreciation not just for various cuisines but for different cultures. One of my favorite TV cooking shows is “East Meets West” because the aim of the program is to blend the cooking techniques and ingredients of eastern and western dishes to make a fusion cuisine. My interest in learning more about herbs and spices started was because I wanted to use more than just salt, black pepper, and garlic powder, to season my food; and also wanted to make dietary changes for health reasons without having to eat tasteless food. Mind you, there was no excuse for me limiting myself to what one well known American chef referred to as “house seasoning” (salt, black pepper, and garlic powder). In the house I grew up in, my mother used oregano, bay leaf, thyme, allspice, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, Italian herb blend, peppercorns, red pepper flakes, etc. There were all kinds of herbs and spices in our kitchen cabinet. All used – whenever my mom was doing the cooking. When you have to do your own cooking; you look for easy street. Now that I’m older and wiser and there are lots of cooking shows on television all the time – there’s no lack of inspiration.

• Number Three: Spices have a fascinating history. At one time they were considered such a highly valued commodity that nations fought wars over them. Indonesia was proclaimed a republic in 1945, and the islands which were formerly known as the Spice Islands are known today as the Moluccas Islands. Discovering these islands was quite an adventure for the explorers. As a result of their efforts and sacrifice, we can experience the joys of many flavorful and exotic herbs and spices every day because they can be easily purchased online or at our local grocery store. Even though obtaining them is now very convenient, their availability, not just for cooking but for medicinal purposes, should never be taken for granted.

Simply Ming: Easy Techniques for East-Meets-West Meals

* * *
Source: Virily.com

* Follow my posts about Herbs and Spices on Noise.Cash.

Spices and Herbs - Harvesting and Storing Spices and Herbs in the Freezer

(Noise.Cash) 

Food Wishes Video Recipes: Grilled Hoisin Beef – Not Necessarily Mongolian (Reblog)

From Food Ways to Food Wishes. It's not that far. 👉

Chef John has been active on Blogger since 2007. He publishes Food Wishes Video Recipes, a wonderful food blogger and vlogger who likes to share a wide variety of recipes from A to Z, from African cuisine to Vegetables and Weekend Fillers. (No Video Category for the letters X, Y, and Z. But close enough!)

Over 200 food preparation "how to" videos and recipes for Vegetables, Appetizers, and Sauces; over 100 videos for Cooking Tips and Techniques, meat (Beef, Chicken, and Pork plus Seafood and Cheese); and specialties like Spicy food and Italian Cuisine. And of course, there's Dessert. You can find so much more because he has made the blog very easy to search.

Below is the cooking video that led me to his blog. I love hoisin sauce. Do you?

♦ ♦ ♦

GrilledHoisin Beef Recipe - Grilled Beef Skirt Steak with Hoisin Glaze |Food Wishes

• Food Wishes Video Recipes: Grilled Hoisin Beef – Not Necessarily Mongolian (Reblog)

* Also sharing the links to two other blog posts. One post I'm sharing because in my opinion a party is not a party without great appetizers. The other post I'm sharing because I heart pomegranates and because I've never seen a non-red pomegranate. Have you?

Let's Get This Party Started Right - Announcing a New Appetizer Category!

Let's Get This Party Started Right - Announcing a New Appetizer Category!

Just in time for your New Years party planning; I've added a new video category for Appetizers . Many of the videos I've previously done wi...

Back By Popular Demand...The Secret Underwater Pomegranate Trick

Back By Popular Demand...The Secret Underwater Pomegranate Trick

I already ran this video demo a long time ago, but when my mother sent me a photo of some "Sweetheart" pomegranates (below right), I thought...

♦ ♦ ♦



👉 After you finish visiting with Chef John at Food Wishes, follow these links to some interesting and fun food history and trivia about the pomegranate and the other pomegranate.  Enjoy!

Food and Nutrition: You Must Find Ways to Eat Your Veggies (It's Not That Hard)

Eat your veggies. I know this. But for me, it just required a little creativity. However, I learned that saying it and doing it was easy!

I Ate What My Mom Cooked!

My diet when I was growing up basically consisted of greens or legumes (black-eyed peas or lima beans) seasoned with ham hocks or smoked pork neck bones. That’s how my mother cooked. That’s what my mother cooked. And that’s what we ate. My mother let it be known that if we didn’t like what was on the stove, we were welcome to go out and try to find our own food. Or? We could hold out until we got hungry enough to eat it!!

Most of the time I was hungry enough!

But looking back, when I think about it, had my mother simply not added that one ingredient – the meat for seasoning – we could have been an almost vegetarian family. I say almost because of course for Christmas and Thanksgiving there was always turkey. For Easter, there was a ham. And for most of our Sunday dinners, there was fried chicken. Occasionally during the week we might have smothered pork chops or smothered liver.

I was blessed to receive government grant money which paid for my tuition and books, my dorm room, and my meals at the university cafeteria. It was in the cafeteria that I learned that it was perfectly normal to eat a large bowl of salad for lunch! A large bowl? Loaded with veggies? Really? My mom never served us a big bowl of salad!

Plant-Based Foods and Meatless Mondays

Nowadays plant-based food and meatless meals are all the rage. On Twitter, they circulate lots of recipes and meal ideas and hashtag them #MeatlessMonday. Not only are we treating our bodies well but we’re saving the planet too!

Life events actually forced me to completely change my dietary and eating habits. My late husband was diagnosed with heart disease. Consequently, when making out the grocery list beef and pork was no longer on the list. And we started adding more veggies to our meals. It wasn’t a difficult adjustment to make actually. Lots of times when I was at the grocery store there were certain veggies that I wanted to try. But we had a budget. By the time I finished buying all of the other foods on the list, there was no more money left for trying those veggies. But what do you know? Not buying beef or pork freed up $30 to $35. Now I had the money to buy zucchini, swiss chard, bok choy, cauliflower and lots of other fresh vegetables.

Cooking Tasty Veggie Dishes is Not That Hard

Now my only challenge was how to cook them and make the veggies tasty and not boring. TV cooking shows, food blogs, and Twitter to the rescue! There is no shortage of veggie recipes on the Internet. In fact, if you can find an Indian TV cooking show or YouTube video to watch, an Indian food blogger or an Indian food Twitter account to follow, you can learn all kinds of ways to prepare your veggies as a side dish or as the main meal. The spices they use to add flavor are amazing!!

Top 35 Indian Cooking Blogs For 2020
~ https://t.co/ruxAdER7fl via @flipboard @EverydaySpices
#indianfood #indiancuisine #worldcuisine #cooking #recpes #blogs #foodblogs #food #foodanddrink #cookingtips

— Treathyl Fox (aka cmoneyspinner) ~ #Freelancer (@cmoneyspinner) March 9, 2020

However, if you’re not an adventurous cook and you just want a no-fuss way to cook and eat your veggies here is a way that is quick and easy.

Preheat your oven to 350 F. Chop up some veggies. What kind of veggies? Whatever you want. Pattypan squash (or any other squash), peppers, onions, tomatoes, mushrooms, eggplant, etc. Season with fresh herbs like basil, parsley, oregano – whatever herbs you like. Add chopped garlic, and salt and pepper to taste. Toss them in some olive oil. Mix all your ingredients, wrap in foil on a baking dish. Bake at 350 F for about 40 minutes. You can drizzle the roasted vegetables with your favorite balsamic reduction or not! You can serve over rice, quinoa, crusty bread, etc. or just eat them!

Most dietary experts say that you should eat 5 cups of fruits and veggies per day. Most people don’t have problems finding fruit to eat. We like fruit. It’s sweet! But when it comes to the veggies? We know it’s good for us. But we have to get creative.

10 Easy Ways to Eat More Vegetables Every Day @thekitchn ~ https://t.co/06MhwB3GkH via @flipboard
~ Sharing tips for #healthyeating. #eatyourveggies @EverybodySpices @Rx4Wellness2018

— Treathyl Fox (aka cmoneyspinner) ~ #Freelancer (@cmoneyspinner) March 9, 2020

Content previously published at 100Springs.com

Taste of the Islands - TV Cooking Show on PBS

Finally! Singing the Hallelujah chorus. AGAIN!

This time all the rejoicing is because of a food TV show.

We relocated to Austin, Texas in 1998 and my mate's first observation about living in this land-locked part of the state was that the city was missing a good Bahamian restaurant or at least someplace that serves dishes that look like island food!

Once we got cable TV hooked up and got settled in, his next complaint was that the #food channels didn't have a good cooking show to teach people how to prepare common island meals.

In 2015, his prayer was finally answered.  Although the series did not last for very long.  But it was fun while it lasted!

Our public television station (PBS) airs a show called “Taste the Islands”. Chef Irie (real name Hugh Sinclair) lives in South Florida but is from Jamaica.

My mate is from The Bahamas.

Close enough!





 
We're both very happy.
For now.  :)

* * * * * * PBS – Celebrating Food & Cooking

Similar posts:

• Experiencing the Joy of Salsa
• Love Me Some Nachos!
• Indian Food – Myth or Fact

Taste of the Islands first published at Persona Paper, Jul 20, 2015.

Foodie Friday : World Cuisine : Cooking : The Right Blend of Spices for Cajun Food Lovers

Enjoy Everyday Exotic Spices Every Day!

If you are a spicy food lover then more than likely Cajun food is on your list of most awesome world cuisines ever! Right? But you don’t know just the right blend of spices needed get that authentic spicy Cajun flavor. Also right. Huh?

Image credit: © Photographer: Ppy2010ha | Agency: Dreamstime.com
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Ever tried Slap Ya Mama seasonings?

Interesting name huh?. The way Walker & Sons advertise their food products is:

"Taste so good. Make you wanna slap ya mama!"

Say what??!! There is nothing in my entire life that I've eaten that ever made me want to slay my momma. But guess what? These are award-winning spice blends.

"Real Cajun Seasoning for Real Cajun Cooking."

How did I find out about these products? The Internet and Facebook, in particular, is a beautiful thing. This person saw my foodie website, Everyday Exotic Spices, which is advertised on Facebook via my business page, contacted me, and asked if they could send me samples. Of course, my response was “Yes!”
Received various products in a box delivered straight to my door. Tried them in different recipes and here's my reaction. Did I want to slap my momma? No. But I was ready go mano-y-mano with my spouse!
He wanted to keep it all to himself. I'm like: “Oh no! That ain't happening!!”

View the entire selection of Slap Ya Mama products.

Below are my favorites.

Slap Ya Mama Original Blend Seasoning

Slap Ya Mama Cajun Seasoning White Pepper Blend

Slap Ya Mama Cajun Seasoning Hot Blend

Slap Ya Mama Etouffee Sauce

"Étouffée or etouffee (pronounced: [e.tu.fe] ay-TOO-fay) is a dish found in both Cajun and Creole cuisine typically served with shellfish over rice." (Source: Wikipedia)

* * *
Links of Interest:
Cajun Food History and Louisiana Creole Cuisine History
Cajun vs. Creole: What’s The Difference?

Hope you enjoyed this post.

Image credit: © Photographer: Moneca1 | Agency: Dreamstime.com

Previous #FoodieFriday posts? Indian Food: Hot n Spicy Samosas (Reblog)  Candied Jalapeño Peppers  Chinese New Year Recipes and Dishes  Pesto Around the World  Experiencing the Joy of Salsa   Spice Spotlight: Cinnamon  It's Flipping Foodie Friday!  Raw Coconut Fig Slice (Reblog)  Winter Salad Binging  Banana Brownies - Back for Seconds  Cool Foodies and Food Lovers Celebrating Their “Firsts” on Twitter

Spices in Filipino Cuisine by Carlo Villamayor (Guest Post)

It's no secret that Filipino cuisine is one of the best in the world, but like any good food, it has to have its secrets. Few people have really mastered authentic Filipino food, not the washed-down fare you get in fast foods and diners, but real, home-made native dishes. Although most of us can whip up something when we need to, it can be hard to capture that distinct Filipino taste.

So what really goes into our food? How do you make your food taste truly Filipino? There's really no single answer because no one can define our food; we come from a hodgepodge of cultures, after all. But one thing that sets us apart from our Asian neighbors is our heavy use of spices. Whereas other cuisines prefer subtle hints of flavor, we like a big burst of it with every bite.

So that's the first rule: be generous with the spice. If you want your dish to fit in with other Filipino recipes, get to know the spices that go into them. Here are some of the most common. 

Ginger

Ginger is used in most of Asian cuisine, and Filipino food recipes. In the Philippines, it is most commonly used in soups and stews; dishes such as arroz caldo (rice porridge), and tinola (chicken stew) use garlic as their main spice. It goes particularly well with chicken and fish dishes, where it provides a nice contrast to the strong meat flavors. Ginger is used both for flavor and aroma, although the flesh of the root is not always eaten. Most people just crush the root and drop it into the dish, then take it out just before serving.

Chili

We're not as wild about spicy food as the Thais, but we do like a bit of bite in our food. Virtually every Filipino dish can be spiced up with chili peppers, from rich meat viands to everyday soups and noodles. Sauces like patis (fish sauce) and soy sauce are often mixed with crushed chili and used as dips or marinades. Bicol, a region in southeastern Luzon, is known for using chili peppers in most of its dishes. Perhaps the most popular is Bicol express, made with meat, bagoong (saut'ed shrimp paste), coconut milk, and chopped green chilies.

Garlic and onions

These two almost always go together, especially in meat and vegetable dishes. You may be more familiar with Taiwanese and Australian garlic, which have larger cloves and are easier to work with. But if you want a stronger, spicier flavor, go for native garlic. Philippine garlic comes in smaller bulbs, with cloves less than half the size of other types. This makes them hard to handle, but it's well worth the trouble.

Philippine onions are strong and pungent, making them a great source of flavor. Use native red onions for saut'ing and pickling, but use the white ones for salads and sandwiches. If you're making rice porridge, top it with chopped green onions for extra spice.

Lemongrass

Lemongrass has strong-smelling leaves and stalks commonly used in soups, teas and sauces. The leaf is slightly sweet with a hint of citrus, a perfect complement to gravy and other meat sauces. There are several ways to use lemongrass, but the most common method is cooking the fresh leaves (sometimes the entire stalk or bulb) with the food to release the flavor. If you're using the stalk, take only the soft inner part and chop it up before dropping it in. You can also use dried and powdered lemongrass, especially if you're in the city and fresh leaves are hard to find. 



Pandan

Pandan is mostly an aromatic ingredient, most commonly used with plain white rice. Just add a couple of leaves to your rice as it boils, and it comes out with a strong, inviting aroma. Some regions even weave it onto rice pots for an even stronger scent. You can do the same with rice cakes, puddings, and other Filipino desserts recipes.

Bay leaf

The strong, pungent taste of bay leaves makes them a perfect fit for Filipino cooking recipes. The leaf has a wide range of uses, from meat sauces and dips to main dishes like adobo, menudo and mechado. Dried bay leaves are traditionally used; fresh bay is seldom available in local markets. The leaf itself is not usually eaten; like ginger, you can take out the leaves once you're ready to serve. However, most people just leave them in and set them aside when eating.

About The Author:   Carlo Villamayor is a devoted cook, he makes it his personal mission to spread the joy of one of his Filipino food recipes with food lovers the world over. Bon appetit!  (Source:  ArticleCity.com)

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