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Simple rules in herb and spice cookery must be observed for more satisfying results.
1. Begin experimenting with herbs and spices sparingly until you learn what they can do for food. Their effect can be subtle and elusive, but if used with a heavy hand, they can be overwhelming.
2. Herbs and spices contain volatile flavors which are lost if they are kept too hang. Buy them in small quantities and keep them tightly covered at all times.
3. Start with about 1/4 teaspoon dried herbs in a dish for four people. When using fresh herbs, use about three to four times this quantity.
4. Cutting, crushing or mincing fresh herbs bring out the volatile oils and true flavors.
5. For foods which are not to be cooked such as vegetable juices, add herbs well in advance — even overnight — of serving time. The herbs may be tied in a cheesecloth bag and removed from the juice just before serving.
6. For a quickly cooked dish or for a salad, moisien the herbs first with a little milk, unsalted butter, lemon juice or oil, and add to the prepared dish. Allow the salad to stand for about 1/2 hour before serving.
7. For dishes cooked a long time like soup and stews, add herbs during the last hour of cookery.
8. Until one is accustomed to using herbs and spices in cookery, one may wish to try a few at a time. The following might be used as a "starter shelf.
Herbs — basil, bay leaf, chives, marjoram, mint, parsley, rosemary, sage, savory and thyme.
Spices — cinnamon, cloves, curry, ginger, dry mustard, nutmeg, paprika and pepper.
Flavoring extracts — almond, lemon, maple, orange, peppermint and vanilla.
9. Meat, poultry, fish and eggs can be flavored by'the following herbs and spices:
Beef — bay leaf, lemon juice, marjoram, dry mustard, mushrooms, nutmeg, onion, green pepper, sage, thyme, currant or grape jelly.
Chicken or turkey — basil, bay leaf, lemon juice, marjoram, onion, pepper, rosemary, sage, sesame seeds, thyme, cranberry sauce.
Lamb — curry, garlic, mint, onion, oregano, parsley, rosemary, thyme, mint jelly, broiled pineapple.
Pork — garlic, lemon juice, marjoram, sage, applesauce, spiced apples, cranberries.
Veal — bay leaf, curry, dill seed, ginger, marjoram, oregano, summer savory, currant jelly, broiled apricots or peaches.
Fish — bay leaf, curry, dill, garlic, lemon juice, mushrooms, mustard, onion, paprika, pepper.
Eggs — basil, chives, curry, mustard, parsley, green pepper, rosemary, diced tomato.
10. Vegetables can be enhanced by the following herbs and. spices:
Asparagus — lemon juice, caraway, unsalted chopped nuts.
Green beans — dill, lemon, marjoram, nutmeg, onion, rosemary, slivered almonds.
Corn — chives, parsley, green pepper, pimiento, tomato.
Peas — mint, mushroom, onion, parsley, green pepper.
Potatoes — chives, mace, onion, parsley, green pepper.
Squash — basil, ginger, mace, onion, oregano. Sweet potatoes — cinnamon, nutmeg, brown sugar. Tomatoes — basil, marjoram, oregano, parsley, sage.
Note: Always add a dash of sugar while cooking vegetables to bring out flavor.
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SELECTING:1. Use fruits and vegetables that are in season. They are more economical, and because they are still fresh, also more nutritious and better in flavor.
2. Handle fruits and vegetables with care to avoid bruising them.
3. Choose the ones without signs of decay, wilt and worm injury.
PREPARING:1. Wash fruits and vegetables before peeling, cutting, or slicing.
2. Use soap and running water to wash tomatoes and other fruits and vegetables that have to be eaten raw.
3. Cut or slice fruits and vegetables just before cooking.
4. Peel fruits and vegetables as thinly as possible.
5. Sprinkle calamansi or pineapple juice over cut or sliced bananas or apples to prevent browning.
6. Avoid squeezing vegetables such as labanos, ampalaya, etc. and or soaking them in water to remove bitterness or unpleasant taste.
SERVING:1. Serve vegetables as soon as they are cooked.
2. Serve fruits and vegetables hot if cooked and cold, if
raw.
STORING:1. Wash all fruits with soap and running water before storing.
2. Keep root vegetables in a cool dry place.
3. Discard decayed fruits and vegetables to prevent contamination.
COOKING:1. Cook vegetables quickly in covered containers until they are just tender — not mushy.
2. As much as possible, avoid stirring vegetables during cooking.
3. Utilize the water in which vegetables have been cooked for soup or sauces.
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1. Cut down cooking time: Fish ought to be slightly pink at the backbone, string beans a bit crunchy in the mouth while brown-fleshed fowl, sea food, roasted game and veal all win from not having been around too long in pots and pans. The Chinese have practiced this method for a very long time.
2. Avoid complicated preparations: Jellied crayfish a la Parisienne with all sorts of mayonnaise is less tasty in the long run than crayfish in a simple oil and vinegar dressing.
3. Priority to fresh market food: It is best to draw up the menu in keeping with the freshest and most appetizing products to be found on the market that very morning.
4. Stop the practice of hanging game or marinading dishes: The new chefs no longer serve "high" dishes, game being settled but fresh, and have done away with spices that only too often disguise the taste of doubtful fermentations.
5. Accent on reduced menus: Restaurants which offer the customer a huge menu are compelled to keep a lot of things in stock. Fresh food tends to suffer from long
refrigeration.
6. Lighter sauces: The heavy sauces like bechanel, Grand Veneur and Mornay, so time consuming to make and so rough on the liver, have been banished for good as have gratins, that some cooks relied upon to disguise the less than fresh taste of some fish.
7. Honor the regional dish: The simple and filling regional dishes "like mother made them" have come back into vogue.
8. Master all the techniques: The new chef must know how to use the most modern equipment — and when not to. Examples: Paul Bocuse will prepare a tasty fish cooked in its own juice in a micro-wave oven while the Troisgros brothers will cut their delicious string beans one by one and lengthwise by hand.
9. Light and diet-conscious food: A real turning point in the history of French cooking came with the discovery of strangely-matched salads and the advent of fresh vegetables and sauces without fatty matter.
10. Invention: Gault and Millau have had the last word on this essential rule. "Yes, they invent," the two wrote. "They have turned their backs on routine. Everything goes. If mashed carrots do not work out well with andouillette they try lentils or broccoli. They are not frightened of serving raw fish, and will take a chance with condiments and exotic recipes. They have rehabilitated simple things like cod, goose, tunafish, and boiled eggs which Manicre of the Pactole serves with
caviar.
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