Re-thinking some common spices

2 seasonings that are almost exclusively viewed by americans as holiday or desert spices, which are in fact savory, are cinnamon and nutmeg.

Cinnamon on cajun wings or barbecue imparts a slightly spicy zing that is fantastic.

Nutmeg now goes in my meatballs because of a recipe I had come across recently that was FANTASTIC. I am sure it is good in other things as well.

I am beating myself up a little for selling these spices short for so long, but who knew??

(Of course lots of people did, but few of them "american")

What you got??

Here is the meatball recipe

1/3 cup very finely chopped onion
1 tablespoon very finely minced garlic
3 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
1 cup fresh bread crumbs
1 egg
1/2 cup cold water
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 1/2 pounds lean ground beef

Combine all, bake at 375 until nicely browned

Nice thinking...

I love me some freshly grated nutmeg in a many things - one being smashed roasted sweet potatoes with some sage butter and salt & pepper. Or skip the sage, and use Sevilly orange zest... for a twist.

Cinnamon is tough because it seems to be a crap shoot at the grocery getting fresh and pungent sticks... A new Mexican market just opened up in town and has it - so will give that a go.

How about curry? I have been using yellow curry in chicken or tuna salad just to kick up the flavor a lot, and skipping the onions, replacing them with refrigerator pickled sweet peppers.

Potato Sausage (patties)

Ingredients:
1/2lb coarse ground beef
1/2lb coarse ground pork
1C potato, shredded
1C onion, diced
3/4tsp salt
1/4tsp pepper
1/8tsp nutmeg
3tbsp milk

Directions:
Mix all ingredients together by hand then shape into 8 patties. Fry in a lightly oiled skillet on medium-low heat until well browned. About 10 minutes per side. Cook on medium low to ensure slow and thorough cooking all the way to the inside. Check the inside of one patty to ensure they are no longer pink inside. Serve hot.
Of course, you can adjust the spices to taste.

mchrispen said:

Nice thinking...

How about curry? I have been using yellow curry in chicken or tuna salad just to kick up the flavor a lot, and skipping the onions, replacing them with refrigerator pickled sweet peppers.

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Curry was initially my only experience with cinnamon in a savory dish!

Cardamom, coriander and turmeric are seldom used in american cuisine, but are fantastic in yellow curry. Sounds great with the peppers!

Grill or oven roast asparagus.

1 - Add EVOO, lemon juice, salt before roasting/grilling
2 - Hit with more salt, lemon, & a hint of fresh grated nutmeg after
3 - Orgasm

Cumin is a great addition to pork - gives a little touch of heat and nice savory flavor.

I've put nutmeg and sometimes all-spice in curry or stir fry all the time. I enjoy the dimensions they add to the dish.

I will be using them more.

Cinnamon in Chili is another good one. Just enough to say "What is that???"

I have another... perhaps not an unusual use, but was new to me.

Wife and I had this at a B&B in Colorado. Thick toast cut from sourdough, brushed with olive oil, and sprinkled with brown sugar and ground dried rosemary. It was served with a cold roasted herbed chicken, roast potatoes and carrot. The latter served with fresh rosemary sprigs. But that bread... amazing.

oh... peanut butter in every dark sauce, from chili to BBQ. A peanut butter and mustard BBQ sauce is really interesting - especially with some slow heat behind it - say cayenne and hatch chili peppers.

Dammit Cheesy - I am hungry now.

mchrispen said:

Dammit Cheesy - I am hungry now.

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I agree 100%

There is a Moroccan stew recipe that my aunt has shared with me that uses cinnamon and nutmeg. it's savory yet oh so tasty.

I make Asian-inspired chicken noodle soup pretty regularly, everybody loves it. The key ingredients are stick cinnamon, star anise, ginger, lemongrass and a bit of sesame oil.

Cinnamon works well in many savoury dishes, but I always use it sparingly. I've used it in chili, curry, homemade potato chips & fries, spaghetti sauce, a kind of Irish hunter's stew I make, Various stir-fried meats, but I think it works especially well with stir-fried beef heart.

If you like cinnamon and/or nutmeg in savoury dishes, you might try some recipes that use Chinese 5 spice powder, cinnamon & anise are major components along with clove, fennel & chilis; though the anise tends to dominate.

I've also used nutmeg both in place of & in addition to the cinnamon in the aforementioned dishes. I've been adding caraway seed to graff for a while now, caraway goes with apple like butter goes with bread, it's awesome! While it's not a spice, I'll often add a bit of honey to spicy foods like curry, chili, and hot wings. I also make a sauce with honey to add a bit of zing to various dishes:

1/2 to 1 part Sriracha rooster sauce
3 to 4 parts honey
1 part freshly squeezed lemon juice.
Adjust recipe to suit your own taste.

I use it in Asian style dishes, but it works well on hot wings too, use it in almost anything.
Regards, GF.

headbanger said:

I make Asian-inspired chicken noodle soup pretty regularly, everybody loves it. The key ingredients are stick cinnamon, star anise, ginger, lemongrass and a bit of sesame oil.

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Sounds awesome!

I occasionally slum gourmet with Ramen noodles....

I take a pack of noodles, (preferably chicken) and add in sliced ginger, lemongrass, onions, chiles, garlic, and thin sliced chicken.Topped with parsley or cilantro.

By the time it gets done, it could be served in a nice thai restaraunt

Next time I will try some anise, allspice, or cinnamon.

cheezydemon3 said:

Sounds awesome!

I occasionally slum gourmet with Ramen noodles....

I take a pack of noodles, (preferably chicken) and add in sliced ginger, lemongrass, onions, chiles, garlic, and thin sliced chicken.Topped with parsley or cilantro.

By the time it gets done, it could be served in a nice thai restaraunt

Next time I will try some anise, allspice, or cinnamon.

Click to expand...

Those little tubes of ginger/lemongrass/cilantro paste you can find in the produce section at the grocery come in really handy for this type of thing. Sounds delicious btw.

headbanger said:

Those little tubes of ginger/lemongrass/cilantro paste you can find in the produce section at the grocery come in really handy for this type of thing. Sounds delicious btw.

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Oh hell..........now my gears are turning!!!!!

Gonna have to stop by the Asian Grocery on Preston Hwy this weekend!!!!!

Wanna go?

Try a little bit of nutmeg in your white sauce the next time you're making alfredo.

Try this awesome and quick Indian Masala tea.

To a large mug add:
1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground ginger
1/8 tsp black pepper
2 cloves
1 strong black teabag. (English breakfast tea works well)
Sugar to taste however this tea should be sweet.

Fill mug 2/3 with boiling water and 1/3 milk. Stir, leave to stew for 5 mins then ditch the teabag and enjoy.

And for the more adventurous how about mulled beer? Add a bottle of wheat beer (other lightly hopped beers would work) to a saucepan, add the same spices as above and heat but don't boil. Pour into a glass and enjoy!

cheezydemon3 said:

Oh hell..........now my gears are turning!!!!!

Gonna have to stop by the Asian Grocery on Preston Hwy this weekend!!!!!

Wanna go?

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Possibly, I think we'll be up that way on Saturday afternoon. You can get them at kroger and wally-world too if you don't want to make a special trip but I'm sure they'll have all kinds of better stuff at the Asian market.

headbanger said:

Possibly, I think we'll be up that way on Saturday afternoon. You can get them at kroger and wally-world too if you don't want to make a special trip but I'm sure they'll have all kinds of better stuff at the Asian market.

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I work Saturday until noon. Then I think asian market it is!

I even started a thread for more ideas.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f56/asian-grocery-list-please-442900/

cheezydemon3 said:

I work Saturday until noon. Then I think asian market it is!

I even started a thread for more ideas.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f56/asian-grocery-list-please-442900/

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Sweet!

cheezydemon3 said:

Sounds awesome!

I occasionally slum gourmet with Ramen noodles....

I take a pack of noodles, (preferably chicken) and add in sliced ginger, lemongrass, onions, chiles, garlic, and thin sliced chicken.Topped with parsley or cilantro.

By the time it gets done, it could be served in a nice thai restaraunt

Next time I will try some anise, allspice, or cinnamon.

Click to expand...

I do a similar thing, but I add a quick stir fry of everything right at the end using dark sesame oil.
Pad Thai style rice noodles work great for this too. Try drizzling with a coconut milk reduction or even plain honey just before serving, very tasty!
Regards, GF.

I've used a touch of nutmeg in my white sauces for years; I also put it in meatballs. Never really went too far beyond that, though; maybe it's time to get more adventurous.

But please keep 'holiday' spices away from my coffee. I once worked in a convenenience store that had a powdered cappuchino machine with the usual suspects: mocha, French vanilla, English toffee, etc. One year headquarters sent us several boxes of 'pumpkin spice' coffee, and ordered us to keep it on tap from Thanksgiving through the New Year. I never saw a customer buy it twice; it was just nasty and jarring.

gratus fermentatio said:

I do a similar thing, but I add a quick stir fry of everything right at the end using dark sesame oil.
Pad Thai style rice noodles work great for this too. Try drizzling with a coconut milk reduction or even plain honey just before serving, very tasty!
Regards, GF.

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I've been known to doctor ramen noodles with minced onion, garlic powder, hot sauce and shredded lettuce or cabbage, and crack an egg into them while they're simmering.

cheezydemon3 said:

2 seasonings that are almost exclusively viewed by americans as holiday or desert spices, which are in fact savory, are cinnamon and nutmeg.

Cinnamon on cajun wings or barbecue imparts a slightly spicy zing that is fantastic.

Nutmeg now goes in my meatballs because of a recipe I had come across recently that was FANTASTIC. I am sure it is good in other things as well.

I am beating myself up a little for selling these spices short for so long, but who knew??

(Of course lots of people did, but few of them "american")

What you got??

Click to expand...

I tried this recipe a while back & it was very tasty, thought you might like it too:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/aarti-sequeira/tandoori-chicken-recipe/index.html
Regards, GF.

gratus fermentatio said:

I tried this recipe a while back & it was very tasty, thought you might like it too:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/aarti-sequeira/tandoori-chicken-recipe/index.html
Regards, GF.

Click to expand...

I have wanted to try tandoori, thanks for the thought!

Headbanger's pellet grill would be some kind of prefect for that. Alas, I don't have one...

I will try to approximate that in my oven.

Regards,

cheezydemon3 said:

I have wanted to try tandoori, thanks for the thought!

Headbanger's pellet grill would be some kind of prefect for that. Alas, I don't have one...

I will try to approximate that in my oven.

Regards,

Click to expand...

Go use his grill! While you're there drink his beer!

cheezydemon3 said:

I will be using them more.

Cinnamon in Chili is another good one. Just enough to say "What is that???"

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I knew you were from near Ohio when I read your OP. I will have to respectfully say that Cinnamon and Cocoa Powder do not belong in chili.

As for your question, ginger would have to be my pick. Goes great in a lot of other things besides Asian food. I like it with fish especially.

estricklin said:

I knew you were from near Ohio when I read your OP. I will have to respectfully say that Cinnamon and Cocoa Powder do not belong in chili.

As for your question, ginger would have to be my pick. Goes great in a lot of other things besides Asian food. I like it with fish especially.

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Cinnamon, sometimes, but cocoa powder?
Never said that.

That is sounding more mole' than chili.

Ginger is an awesome root!

Sage. I like sage. I use it in a lot of red meat dishes not just poultry.
I make a meatloaf with moose and a little bit of pork suasage, add a bunch of sage and of course onions, garlic and a few other things. That's good eating right there and even better the next day in sandwiches.

Subsailor said:

Sage. I like sage. I use it in a lot of red meat dishes not just poultry.
I make a meatloaf with moose and a little bit of pork suasage, add a bunch of sage and of course onions, garlic and a few other things. That's good eating right there and even better the next day in sandwiches.

Click to expand...

If only you were closer... I'd show up with an appetite.

Subsailor said:

Sage. I like sage. I use it in a lot of red meat dishes not just poultry.
I make a meatloaf with moose and a little bit of pork suasage, add a bunch of sage and of course onions, garlic and a few other things. That's good eating right there and even better the next day in sandwiches.

Click to expand...

Sage is a great herb, I use it in pork, beef, bison, venison & poultry. I like rosemary & bay leaf too; especially combined in navy bean soup, simmered a couple hrs with a ham hock.
Regards, GF.

Rosemary is one everyone knows, but is seldom used.

It is great in corn. I make rosemary butter to rub on corn on the cob each summer.

On prime rib, a mixture of roasted garlic, salt, pepper, rosemary, and thyme and a little olive oil rubbed all over is fantastic!!

cheezydemon3 said:

Rosemary is one everyone knows, but is seldom used.

It is great in corn. I make rosemary butter to rub on corn on the cob each summer.

On prime rib, a mixture of roasted garlic, salt, pepper, rosemary, and thyme and a little olive oil rubbed all over is fantastic!!

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I'm a purist and like salt pepper and rosemary. With onion powder. Yes, I just said onion powder. It has its uses.

cheezydemon3 said:

Rosemary is one everyone knows, but is seldom used.

It is great in corn. I make rosemary butter to rub on corn on the cob each summer.

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I think the only way that could be improved upon would be to grill that corn, if you don't already.
Regards, GF.

I think nutmeg is like bacon because adding nutmeg, much like adding bacon, makes everything better.

I've recently started using a tiny bit of nice powdered ginger in lots of stir frys (esp stir fry using leftover smoked, pulled pork :rockin, crock-pot curries, etc. and it is really good. Gonna have to try it in other things too.

I use both fresh sliced & powdered ginger in my ginger glazed carrots; both types have their uses & contrary to popular belief, they are not interchangeable.
I also use chopped green onions, soy sauce & honey, sometimes even slivered chilis.
Regards, GF.

I have a cookie recipe that calls for three forms of ginger. Fresh, dried, and candied.

Melana said:

I'm a purist and like salt pepper and rosemary. With onion powder. Yes, I just said onion powder. It has its uses.

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Try it. The roasted garlic is subtle, and really makes a paste for evrything to stick to. The mix of rosemary and thyme is magical.