Cream of tartar, a leavening agent, is one of the main ingredients in baking powder. It is found in the juice of grapes after they have been crushed for wine-making. It is then refined and used as a baking agent.
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WALNUTS
Walnuts are commonly found in the Mediterranean and were used extensively by ancient Greeks and Romans. They are meaty and have a bit of a bite to them. They are used extensively in baking and in making sauces for both poultry and pasta. The American white walnut is known as "butternut."
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YEAST
Yeast is a microscopic fungus that multiplies quickly. It is used as a leavening agent for various kinds of dough. When yeast is added to dough, it creates an alcoholic fermentation that converts sugar and starch into ethanol and carbon dioxide. The resultant gases cause the dough to rise.
Types:
Fresh yeast (cake, compressed) - This yeast is used primarily in bread baking and should always be refrigerated.
Dried yeast - Refrigerate dried yeast but use only half the amount that you would use of fresh yeast, as dried yeast is more concentrated.
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ALLSPICE
Allspice was brought to Europe by the Spanish conquistadors from the New World. Allspice berries are green when picked and then allowed to dry and turn brown. It is at this point that they can be used. Allspice has a combination of flavors -- nutmeg, cinnamon, and cloves -- hence its name. For best results, grind the whole berries in a spice grinder. Allspice is also known as "Jamaica pepper" or "myrtle pepper." Whole allspice berries should be used for boiling fish, in stews, meat marinades, spiced fruits, chutneys and pickles. Ground allspice is ideal for soups, vegetable dishes, in fruit cakes, relishes, chutneys and in baked fruits such as bananas, figs and pineapple.
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ANISE/ANISEED
Anise is related to dill, fennel, and cumin and originates in the Mediterranean basin. Both the leaves and seeds of this plant are used for flavoring. Its seeds, which are tiny, brown and oval, are used primarily for baking while the leaves are used to add piquancy to alcoholic beverages (e.g., Ricard, ouzo, arrack). Anise is also known as "aniseed" or "sweet cumin." Whole anise seeds should be used in fish chowders, meat stews, vegetables (red and green cabbage, carrots, turnips, beet, cauliflower) and can also be scattered over rolls and bread. Ground anise is excellent in soups, fish dishes, marinades and cakes. Aniseed, which gives the flavor to ouzo, arak and Pernod is useful in any dish in which the distinct flavor of licorice is wanted.
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BASIL/BASILICUM
Of all the known herbs, none has more tales or superstitions associated with it than basil. Some say that basil has the power to bring the dead back to life, others claim that basil leaves can protect one from the evil eye. Indeed, basil has long been considered a "royal herb;" it is said that in ancient Greece only the king was permitted to cut it. Even today, in some Mediterranean nations, young men still wear a sprig of basil when they go courting. It is believed that if their intentions are less than serious, the sprig will wilt.
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BAY
Bay leaves come from large evergreen bay trees that are native to the Mediterranean. An important ingredient in cooking sweet or savory Middle-Eastern and Mediterranean dishes, the strong and spicy bay leaves should be used moderately. The leaves are good with lentil and bean dishes, and are excellent for making poultry stuffing. Bay leaves are also often used as ingredients in marinades and sauces or as part of a bouquet garni.
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BOUQUET GARNI
A bouquet garni is nothing more than a bunch of herbs tied together with string. Often it is tied to the handle of a pan and allowed to cook with the other ingredients. Thyme, parsley, a bay leaf, and a few peppercorns tied together in a piece of cotton also make a nice bouquet garni. Another good combination is rosemary, savory, marjoram, chervil, and basil.
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CARDAMOM
Cardamom is an expensive spice because each seed pod must be snipped off the plant by hand. The pods, which are black, green or white, are then dried and bleached until they are buff-colored. Inside the pods are small black seeds which have a warm, slightly pungent and highly aromatic flavor and taste. In Arabic and in everyday modern Hebrew the spice is known as "hehl."
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CHILI PEPPER/CHILI PEPPERS
There are over 200 varieties of chili peppers, found fresh and dried, with variable amounts/levels of heat and can be red or green. Well-known types include jalapeno (small, dark green, mild to medium hot,) poblano (large, dark green, mild to medium hot,) Anaheim (mild, long, green,) and serano (small and hot.)
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CINNAMON
Cinnamon comes from the bark of an evergreen tree that is a member of the laurel family and native of India. It is one of the few spices not obtained from the seeds, flowers, or fruits of a plant. The bark is peeled, dried and curled into sticks (sometimes known as quills or pipes), and is also sold in powdered form. Use cinnamon sticks for cooking apples, prunes, oranges; spiced fruits to be served with poultry and meat; rice dishes, pickling vinegar, and to make hot wine punches. Use ground in spiced hot grapefruit, meat dishes, vegetable dishes, stewed fruits (apples, bananas, oranges, prunes), fruit pies, pumpkin pie and for sprinkling over milk and custard puddings; also for cinnamon toast.
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CLOVE/CLOVES
Cloves take their name from the Latin word for "nail" which they resemble. Cloves are the dried unopened flower buds of evergreen trees that originally grew on the Moluccas or Spice Islands but are now also found in Indonesia, and the West Indian Islands. Whole cloves are inserted into an onion for making soups and sauces, in boiling beef, for baked ham, spiced tongue, beet salad, pickled vegetables, baked and stewed fruits and apple sauce. Ground cloves are ideal for meat stews, curries, vegetables (beets, sweet potatoes, chicory), in fruit pies and pumpkin pies, spiced fruits, cakes and cookies.
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CORIANDER
Coriander is an herb, however the seeds of the shrub are used as a spice. Especially popular in the cookery of the Mediterranean basin and Arabic world, whole seeds are used in pickled fish, curries, pickled vegetables, liqueurs, and even coffee. The ground seeds are used in soups, fish dishes, meat stews, curries, chicken dishes, sausage dishes, stuffings, lentil dishes, puddings and custards, cakes and Middle Eastern sweets.
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CUMIN
Cumin, a member of the parsley family, comes from a small plant which, although native to the Nile Valley, is now cultivated all over the world. Cumin seeds look like anise, dill or caraway seeds and are used in curries and chili powder, meat stews, Mexican dishes and chutney. The Dutch and Swiss use cumin seeds in cheeses and in Alsace and Germany they are indispensable to sauerkraut dishes. Ground cumin is used in soups, fish dishes, meat loaves, curries, Mexican and Turkish dishes, stuffed vegetables (eggplant, peppers, tomatoes), dried bean dishes, sauces.
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DILL
Dill is an annual herb that originated in the Mediterranean. Famous for pickling, the mild anise taste of dill goes well with soups, fish dishes, salads and egg dishes. The chopped leaves are equally good with lamb and veal, in creamed chicken and with vegetables such as tomatoes, cabbage and mushrooms. Invaluable in making fresh sauerkraut or pickled cauliflower, dill is also very popular in making cucumber and potato salads and in sour cream sauces.
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FENNEL/FENNELS
Cultivated in the Mediterranean basin since Biblical times, the aromatic fennel plant, a member of the carrot family and a close cousin of the aniseed shrub, is a common ingredient in regional dishes. With the mild flavor of anise, the edible part of this plant (actually an herb) is the fleshy bulbous stem at the base of the leafy stalk.
Although fennel is extremely popular in salads (uncooked, for example, it goes very well with nothing more than a simple vinaigrette dressing), there are a large variety of recipes for cooking and using this delicious vegetable in a multitude of ways. There are also several recipes that rely on arak, the liqueur derived from fennel, as an ingredient. Even teetotalers should have no objection to cooking with arak as the cooking process boils off all of the alcohol in the liqueur.
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GARLIC
Sister to the onion, shallot, leek and chive, garlic was of special interest to the Greeks and Romans who, in addition to enjoying its flavor, found many marvelous medical reasons to justify its use. Heroditus wrote that the Hebrew slaves who built the great Pyramids were fed raw garlic for their health and strength and the slaves who built the Pyramid of Cheops refused to work without their daily portion of garlic. Many Greeks remain convinced to this day that it protects them from vampires.
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GINGER
Ginger is the root or rhizome of a perennial plant native to Southeast Asia, India and China and was probably the first Oriental spice to make its way westward. Now grown in many places, including the Mediterranean Basin, in several hundred variaties, it is available fresh, preserved, pickled, sugared, dried, grated, shaved and ground. Mature ginger is stronger in flavor than immature green ginger. Use fresh in fish and meat dishes, vegetables (onions and artichokes), dried beans and in stews. Use ground over melon and grapefruit, in soups, fish dishes, chicken dishes, meat stews, sweet sauces, fruit pies, pumpkin pie, stewed fruits, gingerbread cakes, cookies and chutneys.
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HERBS
For five thousand years the people in the Eastern Mediterranean have been enamored by the aromatic plants known as herbs. The ancient Hebrews, Egyptians, Babylonians, Sumerians and Assyrians all had extensive knowledge about herbs and, in addition to their use in seasoning foods and as medicines, these delicate plants have also had a large role in legend, fable and witchcraft.
Egyptians once considered basil so godlike a plant that only the Pharaohs were allowed to cut it, and then only with a golden sickle. So important were tarragon and bay to the Sumerians that somewhere about 4,500 BCE they appointed Gula, the goddess of sorcery, as guardian of them. In ancient Greece and Rome, Hectate, the mother of the enchantresses Medea and Circe, found hundreds of ways of using herbs to bewitch or poison her enemies.
Even though herbs continue to have medicinal, and some say magical applications, they are most commonly thought of in terms of good dining. It is no less true today than in the time of the Pharaohs that the discrete use of herbs can add a great deal of zest and flavor to even the most simple of dishes.
Herbs always have more flavor when they are fresh. Because it is often difficult to find them fresh in local markets, many find it pleasing and challenging to raise herbs at home. There is nothing daunting about raising herbs and many can be grown in window boxes or pots. Among the favorites for growing at home are parsley, thyme, oregano, savory, tarragon, mint, chervil and sage. In addition to the satisfaction of using them in many dishes, the scent of even a small herb garden adds enormous charm to any balmy evening. If some herbs are not available in fresh form, however, do not hesitate to buy the dried herbs that generally come in plastic containers. Keep in mind also that certain herbs seem "made" to complement certain foods.
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HONEY
At no time does honey play a more important role in the cultural traditions of the people of the region than during the celebration of the New Year. During the holiday of Rosh ha Shannah , Jews dip apples in honey to symbolize hopes for a sweet and good year. When Moslems celebrate the New Year they rub their lips with a small spoon of honey to symbolize the sweetness of life. And Greek Orthodox Catholics eat honey cookies while they pray for a good, rich year.
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MARJORAM
Marjoram, native to the Mediterranean region, is a perennial in the mint family that is closely related to oregano. Its soft, small green leaves are best when added fresh at the end of cooking. It is used in vegetable, fish and poultry dishes, oil and vinegar salad dressings, and soups. It is also used in tomato based sauces and other dishes in Italian and Provencal cooking.
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MINT
There are about 20 varieties of mint that grow in the Mediterranean basin and the chopped leaves of nearly all go well with grilled lamb and veal, in making mint jelly, and to garnish fruit cups. Mint sprigs are especially good to complement new potatoes and nearly any dish with carrots, eggplant or peas. Mint is also a favorite for making teas and tisanes.
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MUSTARD
Mustard seeds can be either black or brown, white or yellow and neither the seeds nor their crushed powder have any scent until liquid is added. Crushed mustard can be mixed into a paste with water, white wine or vinegar. Whole seeds used in boiled beets, cabbage, sauerkraut, pickling and chutneys. Powder is used in fish dishes, poultry dishes, meat dishes, deviled dishes, sauces, egg dishes, cheese dishes, mayonnaise and salad sauces.
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NUTMEG/MACE
Both nutmeg and mace come from the fruit of the nutmeg tree. Mace comes from the outer husk of the fruit which is peeled and left in blades, preserved in syrup or ground, while nutmeg is the ground dried fruit itself. Mace, which is stronger than nutmeg is used in soups, rice dishes, sauce, fish and shellfish dishes, veal stews, sauces, cakes, cookies and in making hot punches. Grated nutmeg is used in fish dishes, sauces, pickling, in hot punches, veal stews, cakes and cookies.
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OREGANO
Oregano is a perennial in the mint family that is related to marjoram. It is also called "wild marjoram." It originated in the Mediterranean region, and in Greek it means, "the joy of the mountains." It is used in vegetable and fish dishes and is heavily used in Italian and Provencal cooking. The flavor of oregano is also considered indispensable to many tomato sauces. Many Middle Eastern recipes call for its use in meatballs, sausages and stuffings.
How to grow:
Oregano may be grown from seed but is far more easily propagated by division in spring or autumn. A relatively easy herb to grow in window boxes or pots, the leaves freeze and dry well.
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PAPRIKA
Paprika is a member of the Capsicum family and is generally fairly mild. Some paprika mixtures also contain cayenne or chili peppers which make them hotter. Indispensable in Hungarian cooking and in soups, fish dishes, veal, lamb, sausage dishes, goulash, beef dishes, Spanish dishes, with pasta in sauces, with cheese dishes and as an aesthetic garnish over cheese, eggs, potatoes, cauliflower and other pale colored dishes.
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PARSLEY
There are several varieties of parsley but the Italian variety, with flat leaves, is the most popular in most Mediterranean nations. Probably the most often used of herbs, parsley is not only an attractive garnish but also serves as a subtle addition to soups, stews, salads, sauces and stuffings. It goes with all meats, fish and poultry, and is ideal for use in omelets and scrambled eggs.
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BLACK PEPPER/BLACK PEPPERS
Pepper grows on vines that thrive only within 10 degrees of the equator. The peppercorns grow in clusters like grapes, and as they ripen they turn from green to yellow to red. Those destined for sale as black pepper are picked when still slightly under-ripe and, as they dry, the outer hull turns to black. Black pepper always has a stronger flavor than white.
Whole peppercorns are used in marinades for fish and meat, in boiled beef, boiled mutton and in pickling. Ground pepper (and pepper is always best when freshly ground) is used with all savory dishes.
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WHITE PEPPER/WHITE PEPPERS
Pepper grows on vines that thrive only within 10 degrees of the equator. The peppercorns grow in clusters like grapes, and as they ripen they turn from green to yellow to red. White pepper is the fully ripe berry that has been soaked after picking to remove the outer hull which is rubbed off. White pepper always has a milder flavor than black.
Whole white peppercorns are used in marinades for fish and meat, in boiled beef, boiled mutton and in pickling. Ground pepper (and pepper is always best when freshly ground) is used with all savory dishes. Use white pepper for pale colored foods to avoid unsightly dark specks.
