Donna Maurillo, Food for Thought | Herbs, spices can elevate ordinary dish - Santa Cruz Sentinel

This past weekend, I was ready to prepare my garden plots for herbs. But the windy weather put the kibosh on that idea. My yard was littered with fallen branches, and even the cats were afraid to venture very far, lest they get blown away.

But I’ll get it started soon. At least the rosemary that I planted years ago has kept thriving. In fact, I’ve had to cut it back several times because it threatened to take over the yard!

We all know (or we should know) that herbs and spices can elevate an ordinary dish and take it into Oscar-winning territory. Imagine serving plain vegetables, chicken, or fish without something as basic as salt. Blah!

Our tongues are covered with millions of taste buds, each one hoping to be awakened with just the right flavors. And it isn’t even limited to the singular – salty, sweet, sour, bitter, or umami. Throw in a combination of spices or herbs, and your entire mouth literally wakes up and sings.

Your nose participates, too. That’s why food doesn’t taste as good when you have a cold. Try holding your nose when you taste something, and it will become readily apparent.

So, what’s the difference between spices and herbs? That’s easy. Herbs are the leaves of a plant, while spices come from the seeds, stems, bark, and roots. Blend them together the right way, and you’ll get a symphony of flavor even from a simple salad.

Most of us have trouble blending the right types and amounts of various herbs and spices to obtain the perfect flavors for whatever dishes we’re making. Do garlic and basil go with salmon? Can cinnamon and black pepper be added to chicken? Can I mix cayenne and dried lemon peel?

Commercially mixed herbs and spices help us get adventurous without getting too far off base. Yup, we can get the gonzo sizes from Costco or the more common mixtures from the supermarket shelves. But what about something more creative?

Buy Pre-Mixed

I discovered Penzeys Spices (penzys.com) when a former boss gifted me an assortment. I love the Revolution blend for meats like pork, turkey or chicken. It’s a mix of flake salt, Tellicherry black pepper, cane sugar, turmeric, minced orange peel, and coriander. The golden color perks up white meat!

The Pico Fruita blend of chili pepper, sugar, lemon peel, citric acid, salt, and cilantro adds a surprising kick to fresh fruit or fruit salads. Try Sandwich Sprinkle in egg salad or tuna salad. Sprinkle it inside a grilled cheese sandwich, or try it with deli meats. Stir it into a salad dressing or sandwich spread. The blend of coarse salt, garlic, black pepper, basil, oregano, rosemary, thyme and marjoram will kick it up.

Of course, Penzys also carries single ingredients, like dried shallots, granulated garlic, smoked paprika and much more.

Recently, I was introduced to The Spice House (thespicehouse.com), another great supplier. You can purchase by world region (Caribbean, India, Thailand, etc.), individual ingredients (anise, salt, etc.), or blends (for barbecue, baking, etc.).

I tried four of the Mideastern blends, which recall the flavors of Turkey, Lebanon, Israel, and other nations. These include za’atar, an Arabian blend of lemony sumac, nutty sesame, minty hyssop, and oregano. The Moroccan ras el hanout is a blend of Tellicherry black pepper, cardamom, Baleine salt, ginger, cinnamon, mace, turmeric, allspice, nutmeg and saffron.

When I made rice, I spiced it up with sumac, a lemony herb that added a bit of tartness. That made it the perfect accompaniment for roasted salmon, on which I’d sprinkled shawarma seasoning — coriander, sumac, cumin, cinnamon, cardamom, black pepper, turmeric, cloves and allspice. Yum!

These great blends help take the guesswork out of mixing herbs and spices. Plus, they allow us to try authentic mixtures for ethnic and regional cooking.

The skin ain’t clean

I recently read a piece about reviving wilted lettuce or spinach. It said to fill the kitchen sink with cold water, add white vinegar, and soak the greens for 10 minutes.

No!! Kitchen sinks aren’t as clean as you think. Yes, it’s a good place to drain pasta or rinse dishes. But the drainpipes are only about an inch away, so you’re taking a chance with all the bacteria living there. Have you ever seen the inside of those pipes?

Instead, soak the greens in a large bowl or pan with cold water and a few ice cubes. Then spin them dry as usual.

Tip of the Week

Always taste your food as you season it. Go easy at first, and then add more if necessary. You can’t remove the seasoning if you add too much at the start.

RECIPE OF THE WEEK

Here’s a quick roasted pork recipe. It works even on weeknights. If you prefer, use a spice blend made for pork instead of using the salt, pepper, rosemary and thyme.

ROASTED GLAZED PORK TENDERLOIN

4-5 servings

Ingredients

2-2½ pounds pork tenderloin; about one package with two tenderloins inside

Juice of an orange

1/4 cup honey

2-3 tablespoons olive oil

3-4 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed

Coarsely ground salt and black pepper

2-3 sprigs fresh rosemary leaves, stripped, chopped fine

2-3 sprigs fresh thyme leaves, chopped fine

Directions:

1.     Preheat oven to 500 degrees F. (Or to 450, if that’s the highest your oven will heat.)

2.     Using a sharp paring knife, trim silver skin (the thin, white membrane) or any connective tissue off the tenderloins.

3.     Place tenderloins on a lightly greased rimmed baking sheet. Mix together the orange juice, honey, and olive oil. Brush the meat with the mixture. Cut small slits into the meat and insert bits of the crushed garlic. Mix together the salt, pepper, rosemary and thyme. Sprinkle on the meat.

4.     Roast uncovered for 20 minutes at 500F or 25 minutes at 450F. A meat thermometer inserted into the center of the meat should register 145 degrees.

5.     Transfer to a cutting board to rest for 10 minutes. (Slicing too soon will make the juices run out.) Slice and serve with any pan juices.

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Donna Maurillo, Food for Thought | Herbs, spices can elevate ordinary dish - Santa Cruz Sentinel
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