Cooking with spice mixes, pastes and sauces

Cramer Alex

Savory pairing:

Fruits and vegetables: zucchini, cabbage (including Brussels sprouts, kale), potatoes, carrots, cucumbers, olives, bell pepper, tomato, beetroot, pumpkin, chives.

Protein product: lamb, beef and veal, wild game (rabbit, venison), legumes (peas, beans, rice, lentils), sausages, chicken (including chicken liver), seafood, poultry (especially fried), fish fried and baked), pork, cheese, eggs.

Other foods: mushrooms, beverages (especially red wine), olive oil, soups (especially on tomato basis), vinegar.

Seasonings and spices: basil, cumin, bay leaf, onion, marjoram, nutmeg, mint, oregano, paprika, parsley, rosemary, thyme, fennel, garlic, sage, tarragon.

Cuisines and dishes: polenta, sauces and marinades, Mediterranean cuisine, stews, minced meat (especially poultry).

SESAME

According to many sources, when ancient people learned to press oil, sesame was the first ingredient for this process. Sesame is not an aromatic spice and opens its true flavour (earthy-nutty) and aroma after it is roasted in a dry frying pan. Sesame is not anywhere near being most demanded component in spice blends, however it is very important in uncovering flavors of other spices that make up a particular seasoning mix. As a single spice, sesame is excellent for in vegetable dishes, bread, salads, rice and noodles. Sesame is popular as a simple sprinkling, especially for fast food dishes. The Japanese gomasio mix has proven itself in Japanese cuisine. White sesame seeds are widely used in Western cuisine, while black seeds are popular in Asian cuisine. Since this book is devoted to spice blends, you will probably appreciate sesame in such combinations as the shichimi togarashi and za’atar, where sesame seeds play a critical part. Before use, sesame seeds are roasted in a dry frying pan.

Sesame pairings:

Fruits and vegetables: eggplant, banana, broccoli, green onions, zucchini, cabbage, corn, lettuce (especially spinach), carrots, bell pepper, tomato, citrus, apple.

Protein product: lamb, beef, game, legumes (beans, peas, rice, chickpeas), seafood (especially scallops, shrimps, oysters), nuts, poultry (chicken, duck), fish, cheeses, eggs.

Other foods: mushrooms, pasta, vegetable oil (olive, sesame), butter, honey, rice wine, sugar, soy sauce, juice (lemon), vinegar, bread and bakery products.

Seasonings and spices: vanilla, cloves, mustard, ginger, cardamom, cilantro, coriander, cinnamon, onion, nutmeg, oregano, paprika, allspice, black pepper, chili, rosemary, sumac, thyme, garlic.

Cuisines and dishes: Middle Eastern cuisine, stir-fry dishes, Indian cuisine, Chinese cuisine, Lebanese cuisine, tahini sauce, Turkish cuisine, hummus, Japanese cuisine.

STAR ANISE

Star anise has a warm, tart, sweet, spicy aroma, similar to licorice and fennel, and its taste is similar to anise, but brighter and with a pronounced sweet note. It is characterized by floral scales, sweetish taste and distant shades of cloves and mustard. It is an excellent part of Chinese and Vietnamese cuisine. Indian and Indonesian cuisine also uses these amazing aromatic stars. Strar anise is good for all kinds of poultry and wild game, for soups (main part of in Vietnamese soup pho bo), various sauces, stews and gravies. Star anise superbly shades any fatty meat and flavours fish and seafood. Unfortunately, star anise is not popular in the West, but in the oriental cuisine it a very important ingredient. Talk about the famous Chinese five-spice powder, where star anise plays a dominant role! Star anise is used in the beginning of cooking process.

Star anise pairing:

Fruits and vegetables: pineapple, cherry, pear, green onion, cabbage, potato, lemongrass, leek, raspberry, mango, carrot, tomato, beet, plum, pumpkin, citrus.

Protein product: legumes (especially rice, tamarind), pork, beef, poultry (especially chicken, duck), wild game, eggs, fish (especially salmon, tuna), seafood (especially scallops, shrimps), nuts.

Other foods: broths (especially beef and chicken), maple syrup, honey, drinks (including liqueurs, wine, tea), fish sauce, soy sauce, juice and zest (lemon, orange and lime), dough, bread and pastries, chocolate (including milk chocolate).

Seasonings and spices: basil, vanilla, cloves, cumin, ginger, cardamom, cilantro, coriander, cinnamon, sesame, turmeric, bay leaf, onion, nutmeg, mint, allspice, Szechuan pepper, black pepper, chili, fennel, garlic.

Cuisines and dishes: Vietnamese cuisine, Indian cuisine, Chinese cuisine, Malaysian cuisine.

SUMAC

Sumac has a pure fruity aroma with a mawkish citrus smell and a tart fruity astringent taste with a slight sourness. Sumac is very good for replacing lemon juice or other acidic medium for many dishes, marinades and sauces. It is especially popular in the Middle East: in Turkey, Lebanon, Iran and Iraq. You can try sprinkling onions and serve it to barbeque. It is very popular for grilling, whether it is meat, chicken or fish. Sumac is an integral part of za’atar mix.

Sumac pairing:

Fruits and vegetables: avocado, eggplant, pomegranate, zucchini, potatoes, lettuce, carrots, cucumbers, bell pepper, tomato, beet, citrus.

Protein product: lamb, beef, legumes (beans, peas, lentils, chickpeas), yoghurt, chicken (especially fried and baked), seafood (especially oysters), nuts (especially cedar, walnuts), fish (especially fried), cheeses (feta), eggs.

Other foods: olive oil, salad dressing, juice (lemon, lime, orange).

Seasonings and spices: cumin, ginger, coriander, sesame, onion, mint, oregano, paprika, allspice, black pepper, chili, parsley, rosemary, thyme, fennel, garlic.

Cuisines and dishes: Middle Eastern cuisine, kebab/doner, Lebanese cuisine, Moroccan cuisine, grilled meat and stews, vegetable dishes, Turkish cuisine.

SZECHUAN PEPPER

This pepper is very aromatic, saturated, with woody tart citrus notes. When overdosed, it may cause mouth numbness. If you believe that the only purpose of this pepper is to be a component of the chinese five-spice powder, then you are under a delusion. In his homeland, in China, this spice is respected as no other. It is a part of many dishes, ranging from sauces and gravies, ending with desserts and beverages. This pepper is popular for cooking fatty meat dishes (pork, duck) and fish. In most cases, it is necessary to warmup Szechuan pepper it in a dry frying pan before adding it into a dish. Besides China this spice is also used in Japan (spice mix shichimi togarashi). Szechuan pepper is added during the last stages of cooking process.

Szechuan pepper pairing:

Fruits and vegetables: eggplant, green beans, green onions, citrus.

Protein product: lamb, beef, wild game (including feathered wild game: quail), legumes (beans, peas), nuts, poultry (chicken, duck), pork, eggs.

Other foods: mushrooms, sesame oil, honey, rice wine, soy sauce, juice (lemon, lime, orange).

Seasonings and spices: anise, star anise, cloves, ginger, coriander, sesame, bay leaf, onion, paprika, pepper (black, white, green), allspice, chili, parsley, rosemary, thyme, dill, garlic, sage.