Alex Cramer - Cooking with spice mixes, pastes and sauces

Seasonings and spices: basil, cloves, cumin, ginger, cardamom, coriander, cinnamon, turmeric, marjoram, nutmeg, oregano, fenugreek, paprika, allspice, chili, parsley, rosemary, thyme, caraway, fennel, savory, garlic, sage.

CARAWAY

Caraway is one of the oldest spices in the world and it plays a significant part in many mixes. It is the caraway that easily binds all the other spices to each other. It has a bitter but warm spicy taste that combines the aromas of dill and anise with piquant nutty note.

There is a common confusion between caraway and cumin, and therefore in many foreign culinary books caraway is often called cumin. That’s it, both of the spices are called cumin. You can avoid this misunderstanding by comparing the taste of both spices. You need to buy caraway seeds and cumin seeds and scrunch first the caraway seed, and then cumin seed. You will then realize that caraway seeds are spicier than cumin seeds. Cumin, on the other hand, is more delicate with much brighter aroma.

Caraway helps to ease an immoderate intension of particular spice. Caraway is one of the main components in such mixtures as ras-el-hanout and harissa . This spice is usually added in the later stages of cooking process.

Caraway pairing:

Fruits and vegetables : cabbage (including sauerkraut), potatoes, carrots, cucumbers, tomato, turnips, beets, apple.

Protein product : beef, legumes (wheat, rice), yoghurt, kefir, sausages, seafood, poultry (chicken, duck), fish, pork (including bacon), sour cream, cheeses, cottage cheese, eggs.

Other foods : mushrooms, desserts, lemon juice, pasta (including spaghetti and noodles), honey, beverages, biscuits, various kinds of marinades, vegetable oil (olive), butter, soups and stews, dough, vinegar, bread.

Seasonings and spices : cloves, mustard, cumin, cardamom, coriander, cinnamon, turmeric, onion, nutmeg, oregano, paprika, black pepper, chili, parsley, celery, thyme, dill, fennel, garlic, juniper berries.

Cuisines and dishes : Austrian cuisine, British cuisine, Hungarian cuisine, Eastern European cuisine, goulash, Moroccan cuisine, German cuisine, cabbage salads.

CARDAMOM

Cardamom has a strong, but soft warm and sweet flavor and aroma with delicate citrus and floral notes complementing the refreshing hint of eucalyptus. Being one of the most popular spices in Indian cuisine, and in other world cuisines, cardamom provides aromatization of many dishes. And of course, it is widely used in various mixtures of spices. Cardamom is an important element in curry , garam masala , berbere , ras-el-hanout , baharat and many others. Cardamom is added in the early stages of cooking process. One pod of cardamom contains an average of 15-20 seeds. On the top photo there are pods with green cardamom, on the bottom photo there are cardamom seeds.

Cardamom pairing:

Fruits and vegetables: apricot, pineapple, banana, grapes/raisins, cherry, pear, zucchini, potatoes and other root vegetables, bell pepper, peach, tomato, radish, plum, currant, pumpkin, date, citrus, apple.

Protein product: all types of meat (beef, lamb, pork, chicken stew, roast duck), legumes (wheat, rice, peas, beans, lentils, chickpeas), yoghurt, milk, nuts (pistachios, walnuts), fish (especially grilled), cream, cheese, cottage cheese, eggs.

Other foods: custard, gingerbread, sweets, honey, ice cream, drinks (especially coffee, tea, wine), biscuits, cakes, sugar, juice and zest (lemon, lime, orange), dough, bread and pastries, chocolate.

Seasonings and spices: anise, star anise, vanilla, cloves, cumin, ginger, coriander, cinnamon, turmeric, bay leaf, nutmeg, mint, paprika, allspice, black pepper, chili, caraway, fennel, saffron.

Cuisines and dishes: Asian cuisine (Indian, Indonesian), North African cuisine (including Moroccan), Scandinavian cuisine.

CELERY

It is often used as supplement for soups and salads. In terms of its gustatory quality and nutrient level it is the most valuable vegetable crop. Its leaves contain ascorbic acid, carotene, vitamins and even antiulcer substances. As a spice, dried leaves and seeds are used. A stalk of celery is used while fresh. Dried celery retains its flavour and has a specific pleasant herbaceous aroma, reminding of parsley, and has a piquant warm, slightly bitter flavor. Celery seeds are often used in spicy combinations for barbecue and roasted meat.

Celery pairing:

Fruits and vegetables: green onions, cabbage, potatoes, carrots, cucumbers, tomato, turnips, beets, chives.

Protein product: beef, legumes (beans, rice, hummus/chickpeas), seafood (including oysters), nuts (especially peanuts), poultry (especially chicken, turkey), fish, pork, cheeses (especially blue, parmesan, feta, goat cheese, cream cheese), eggs.

Other foods: broths (especially chicken, vegetable), mushrooms (especially wild, black truffles), various kinds of minced meat, vegetable oil (olive, peanut), butter, soy sauce, juice (lemon, tomato), vinegar.

Seasonings and spices : basil, cloves, mustard, cumin, ginger, cilantro, turmeric, bay leaf, onion, paprika, black and white pepper, parsley, thyme, dill, garlic, tarragon.

Cuisines and dishes : curry dishes, stir-fry dishes, mirepoix (European vegetable mix for soups and broths).

CILANTRO (CORIANDER GREENS)

In appearance, cilantro is similar to parsley leaves, and sometimes it is even called "Chinese parsley", but the flavour and aroma of these two herbs are completely different. Interesting fact regarding its flavor – there are two types of people: those who adore this useful and aromatic herb, and those who dislike it comparing the taste of cilantro with soap. Nevertheless, this spice has quite delicate and at the same time a complex taste resembling of a mixture of mint, lemon and pepper. Fresh cilantro leaves are popular throughout Asia and Latin America where they are added to all kinds of curry dishes, curry pastes, sauces, including chutney and salsa . Dried cilantro is great for adding to a dish in a very last minutes of cooking process.

Cilantro Pairing:

Fruits and vegetables: avocado, eggplant, green onions, potatoes, corn, lemongrass, lettuce, carrots, cucumbers, bell pepper, tomato, citrus, chives.

Protein product: lamb, beef, game, legumes (beans, lentils, rice, tamarind), yoghurt, seafood, nuts (including coconut), poultry (chicken, duck, turkey), fish (especially white: cod, halibut), pork, cheese, eggs.

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