Silk Road Vegetarian. Dahlia Abraham-Klein
and Mexican cuisines, and is one of the main ingredients in curry powder. Toasting the seeds enhances their flavor.
CURRY POWDER is a blend of several spices that are ground and mixed in certain proportions. (Every Silk Road cook has a favorite formula; in the West it is typically sold pre-mixed.) It is composed of coriander, turmeric, chilies, cumin, pepper, ginger, cinnamon, cassia, and clove. Curry’s popularity in recent decades has spread outward from the Indian subcontinent to figure prominently in international cuisine. Consequently, each culture has adopted curry into its indigenous cooking to suit its own unique tastes and sensibilities. It’s a true global phenomenon. It is common to toast curry powder in a dry pan for 30 seconds or until fragrant before using it, to add depth and flavor.
FENNEL SEEDS are native to southern Europe and the Mediterranean area. They are often confused with anise, which has a similar shape. However, fennel seeds are smaller and green or yellowish brown in color; they are also sweeter and less pungent than anise. The seeds have a distinct licorice flavor and is used widely in Mediterranean cuisine, on the Indian subcontinent, and in the Middle East. They are an essential ingredient of the Oriya spice mixture in Bengali cuisine and in Chinese five-spice powders. In many parts of Pakistan and India roasted fennel seeds are consumed as an after-meal digestive and breath freshener.
GINGER is a rhizome—a plant whose stems grow largely underground in a tangled mass. Native to India and China, it takes its name from the Sanskrit word stringa-vera, or “with a body like a horn,” meaning an animal horn such as antlers.
Fresh ginger is essential to Asian and Subcontinent cooking. It is used in pickles, chutneys, and curry pastes, and in dried and ground form is a constituent of many curry powders. In the West, dried ginger is mainly used in cakes and cookies, especially ginger snaps and gingerbread, but it’s also used in puddings, jams, preserves, and in drinks such as ginger beer, ginger wine, and tea. Ginger root is available in various forms; the most common of which are whole raw roots, powdered (dried ground) ginger, and crystallized ginger.
LEMONGRASS is native to India, but is widely used in Thai and Vietnamese cooking. This is a very pungent herb and is normally used in small amounts. The entire stalk can be used, (though by the time it gets to the supermarket you might want to remove the harder outer layers). The stalk can be sliced very finely and added to soups. It’s also used in curries. The light lemon flavor of this grass blends well with garlic, chilies, and cilantro.
MUSTARD SEEDS are native to Asia, and have been used in Indian food for over two thousand years. The French have used mustard seeds as a spice since 800 CE, and it was among the spices collected by the Spanish during their explorations throughout the fifteenth century. Mustard seeds bring a hot and spicy flavor that enhances sauces and salad dressings, and is often used in pickling and boiling vegetables. In Indian cooking, they are fried before use. There are three different types of mustard seeds: yellow, brown, and black. The yellow mustard seeds are the largest and are milder than the others. The brown seeds are most commonly used in Indian cooking, while the black seeds, which were very popular in the West, have now become difficult to find.
NUTMEG is native to the Spice Islands in Indonesia. Nutmeg is a seed encased in an edible fruit that is the size of a peach. It has a sweet, aromatic, nutty flavor that is associated with sweet, spicy dishes such as pies, puddings, custards, cookies, and spice cakes. In fact, in the U.S., that’s how it is most often used. But nutmeg combines well with many cheeses, and is included in soufflés and cheese sauces. In soups it works with tomatoes, split peas, and black beans. It complements vegetables like cabbage, spinach, broccoli, beans, onions, and eggplant. Nutmeg loses its flavor and potency very quickly, so if you want to use nutmeg that actually contributes flavor to your recipe, it’s best to buy whole nutmeg seeds and grate them by hand as needed.
PAPRIKA is a red powder that is made from grinding dried red bell and/or chili peppers. Hungary, the country where most paprika is produced today, exports six types of paprika, ranging from mild to hot. Paprika powder ranges from bright red to brown and varies from sweet and mild to pungent and hot, depending on the type of pepper used during processing. Sweet paprika is the standard, although it is mild in flavor. The hot paprika gives your taste buds a jolt.
Paprika only releases its flavor when heated, so when you sprinkle it over colorless dishes it improves the food’s appearance, but not its flavor. This is why it is often used as a garnish, not a spice. However, you can use it as a flavoring by stirring the powder into some oil before adding it to a recipe. It’s important to remember, when using paprika in sauces, that it has a high sugar content and burns easily. Add it only when liquid ingredients are present and do not cook it over high heat for too long.
SAFFRON originates in Western Asia and Persia. It is the world’s most expensive spice because it is harvested by hand. It takes about 13,125 threads to get one ounce of the stuff.
It’s the star flavor in Spanish paella, and many Indian and Middle Eastern dishes. The threads are usually soaked in hot water before they are added to the dish, which helps them blend in with the other spices. Saffron also imparts a lovely, luminous gold color is used extensively throughout Central Asia to flavor and color festive rice dishes.
SALT is an essential nutrient and mineral needed by the body to maintain electrolyte balance. Its importance as a preservative and nutrient and its ability to enhance the flavor of food gave it a near mystical power.
Civilizations, cities, and entire economies have been built on this oldest geological commodity. Before spice routes were established, merchants traveled “salt routes” and traded and exchanged it in places where salt was scarce. Sea salt is an excellent all-purpose salt that I use extensively in my kitchen. Kosher salt is a relatively pure salt that contains no iodine or other additives. Its moderately coarse texture makes it an excellent “pinching salt” for cooking. The naturally tinted salt that has appeared on the market in recent years is most often coarse, and must be ground for use.
TURMERIC comes from the root of Curcuma longa, a leafy plant in the ginger family. India is the world’s primary producer of turmeric, although it is also grown in China and Indonesia. Turmeric is mildly aromatic with a scent reminiscent of orange or ginger, and has a pungent, bitter flavor.
It is often used in place of saffron to provide color, since it is a brilliant orangey yellow. Turmeric has been used medicinally throughout Asia to treat stomach and liver ailments, as well as headaches, due to its anti-inflammatory properties.
Basic Preparation
The trick with tofu is to buy the variety suited to the dish you are preparing. Then you simply press out the water and marinate it. Once you have these steps down, you are sure to make a fabulous tofu dish. Tofu needs to be marinated, but avoid using marinades containing oil, which blocks absorption. Marinated tofu is a snap to prepare on an oiled grill, in a grill pan or under the broiler.
Tofu
Tofu, also known as bean curd, is a protein-rich food that is made from the curds of soybean milk. Off-white in color, it is usually sold in rectangular blocks. Tofu is a staple in the cuisines of many Asian countries.
Tofu comes in a range