Monthly Archives: April 2012

I love herbs and spices so much that I decided to write about them again.  As I stated in my past posting herbs and spices important role in cooking.  I personally know that my recipes would not be the same without them.  I do stand by my statement that it is not always necessary to use fresh herbs.  Yes, they are great, but also do not have as long of a shelf life like dried herbs.  Fresh herbs can also  burn or blacken easily which does not always make them ideal for grilling over an open flame or high heat cooking.   I still do not advise switching out fresh herbs for dry in a recipe unless you adjust the measurements.  Most of the time dried herbs have a more concentrated flavor than fresh herbs and not all dried herbs mimic the flavor of fresh herbs and vice versa.  So, you have to be careful when making substitutions.

Spices

Black Pepper – I am actually shocked that I left this off of my original list.  You will probably see black pepper in almost every recipe that I make!  I recently read that it is world’s most traded spice.  I have also seen TV commercials that black pepper is a good source of antioxidants.  I do not know if that is true, but it was on TV so it has to be right, right?

Peppercorns are a small and dried fruit.  They can be used in cooking as the whole peppercorn or ground.  I use both forms, but most often use the ground.  I prefer to buy the whole peppercorns and place them in a pepper grinder so that I can grind it fresh when I need it.  I love the subtle spice that it gives my recipes.  I do warn you that if you use whole peppercorns be sure to fish them out of your food before serving.  If you bite down on one it can be quite an experience!

Cinnamon – This is another favorite.  It has a warm and comforting taste and aroma (think apple pie).  It is actually a spice obtained from the inner bark of the cinnamomum tree.  It can be found as a cinnamon stick or ground.  Depending on what I am using it for will depend on the form I use.  I love cinnamon in both savory and sweet dishes.  I do not bake often, but use it in baking sweet dishes.  I do love Indian and Middle Eastern food and use it often when making those types of cuisine.   I love sprinkling a bit of cinnamon on top of a baked sweet potato or apple.  I also use it as a topping on coffee and hot chocolate.  Yum!

Red Pepper Flakes (aka crushed red pepper) – I am totally my parent’s daughter in that I love spicy food.  They go to restaurants and always ask for chilies with whatever they are getting.  I am not to that extreme, but do like to spice things up in my cooking.  My go to for that is red pepper flakes.  They hit your tongue on a different spot than black pepper and have a sharper heat.  Red pepper flakes are made from various types of dried peppers.  Used in moderation they can add spice to your dish without it being too overwhelming.  Whenever I make a pasta sauce I always start out with some red pepper flakes, and it is a favorite topper on my pizza!

Herbs

Dill – This herb has a very distinctive look and flavor. I love how the delicate fan of leaves looks.  I also love how it tastes and smells.  I find that people either love this herb or hate it.  The aroma totally reminds me of chicken soup whether you are cooking it or not.  It is a staple herb in my husband’s grandmother’s chicken soup.  In addition to using it in soups and stews it is great with chicken, fish and in sauces.

Oregano – I almost always associate this herb with Mediterranean food, specifically Italian and Greek food.  Fresh oregano has a strong and almost floral taste.  It is great in marinades, in sauces and with meat.  It is one of the key herbs in my Lemon Herb Chicken.  Dried oregano has a warm and almost earthy taste.  I do not think it tastes much like its fresh form, but it can be in good spice rubs and also on top of pizza.

That is the question.  We know that organic foods cost more.  With the rising cost of food, is it worth it to shell out a premium for organic foods?  I believe the answer is yes, sometimes.  Buying all organic is a luxury not everyone can afford.  I would hate for people to stop buying healthy fruits and vegetables just because they are more expensive.  It is of my personal opinion that if you switch some key foods to organic you will be doing yourself, your family and the environment a huge favor.

The benefit of organic produce to the environment means healthier soil that would sustain crops for years to come.  There is a debate on whether or not organic foods are nutritionally superior.  I think it is a trap to assume that just because something is organic that it is healthy.  Fatty organic foods and snacks are still fatty foods!  I think the real benefit from eating organic is to avoid ingesting pesticide residue on foods.  Of course, the USDA does have allowable limits on the pesticide residue on foods, but there is concern that these limits are too liberal.  For anyone who has seen the movie, Food Inc. you would have concerns too.

I believe everyone can benefit from switching a few key items on their shopping list to organic.   If you cannot remember exactly what items to buy organic, a good rule of thumb is to remember that tree fruits, berries, leafy greens and dairy products are the most important items to stick with for your organic shopping.  Items with a thicker skin may not be as important.  For the produce that I do not buy organic I always clean them really well with a wash made especially for cleansing produce.  I would love to buy only locally grown, organic foods, but since that is not practical for me or my family here are my top ten items that I buy organic.

Apples – They are among the most heavily sprayed tree fruits because of the threat of insects and fungus.  Pesticide residue is also found in apple juice and apple sauce so I tend to buy all apple products organic.  You can peel the apple to cut down on the exposure to the pesticides, but then you would be peeling away some of the healthy fiber and nutrients as well.  I find organic apples to have a much better taste and texture than non organic.  They taste more like apples.  I also cannot stand the waxy film they coat non-organic apples with any more.  It never used to bother me, but now that I have switched I can never go back!

Baby Food – I believe it is particularly important for young children and pregnant women to eat organic as children’s immune systems are not as developed as adults.  They could potentially be more sensitive and have more adverse reactions to pesticides.  So, why take a chance?  Buy your babies and young children organic foods.  I am not saying that you need to prepare all of their food from scratch.  There are plenty of really good brands of organic baby food.  One thing that I really like about the organic baby foods as opposed to the non organic is that there are less fillers in them.  You just see the main ingredient and possibly ascorbic acid on the ingredient list of most organic baby foods.  On the non organic foods I saw lots of fillers such as gelatin on the ingredient lists.  Not necessary!

Bell Peppers – All colors of sweet bell peppers are on this list.  They tend to be heavily sprayed and have a thin skin that can easily retain pesticide residue.  You are not going to peel your bell peppers to get the skin off, so it is better to just buy them organic.

Berries – Berries  are always on the list of the most heavily sprayed produce.  The worst offender is probably strawberries, but I try to buy all of my berries organic. Their skin is so thin and permeable.  The residue of pesticides can stay with the fruit no matter how well you wash them.

Celery – This item used to not be on my list until recently.  I found out that non organic celery has traces of over 60 pesticides on them!  Now they are on my list.  To make matters worse they do not have a protective skin on them at all.  I also find the taste far superior in organic celery.  The non organic variety can be almost tasteless at times.

Leafy Greens – This includes all types of lettuce and spinach.  Because their leaves are so tender they easily absorb pesticides.  There is no protective skin on them either.  The traces of over 50 types of pesticide residue can be found on the non organic varieties.

Milk – If you are only going to go with one item on this list, I would make it this one.  It is great if you can buy all organic dairy products.  If that is not practical then definitely at least stick to milk.  Organic milk lacks the traces of antibiotics, pesticides and hormones of non organic milk.  It is of particular concern because it is such a staple in kids diets.

Peaches – They fall in the category of tree fruits.  They are heavily sprayed and over 60 types of pesticide residue can be found on a single pack of peaches.  I add nectarines to this list as well since they are so similar and farmed together often.

Peanut Butter – They are on my list for two reasons.  First, peanuts are the most heavily sprayed nut with pesticides.  Second, this is a staple of many kids diets.  There is a debate as to whether or not the dreaded peanut allergy comes from the pesticides used on peanuts.  I cannot comment on that, but think it is best to go with organic just in case.

Potatoes – More than 35 pesticides have been detected on potatoes.  Even if you peel the potato pesticide residue can still be found on it.  They also make my list because they are a staple on most American dinner tables.