Animal Writings

One of the things I like about talking to Dino is that I'll ask him what he thinks of a spice and he'll come up with a recipe on the spot. So in that last interview section about tips on using spices, we got a chili recipe and some quick vegetable- based recipes that sound delicious thrown in at no extra cost.

I like that he distinguished, at least in certain cases, the difference in taste between fresh and dried herbs and spices. Certainly the dried form is most convenient, but for a real splash of flavor, sometimes you really want to go for the fresh. It's usually simple enough to chop up a handful of dill or parsley, for instance.

Onion powder...well, I do use it regularly for one thing. But now I'm too embarrassed to say what. :) However, a viable alternative to onion powder may be those frozen diced onions that we talked about earlier in the series. Dump them in a pan with a little oil, or in any sauce that's going to cook for more than a few minutes, and you've pretty much got your fresh onion taste.

I actually like Szechuan sauce, but I'm not sure I'll ever be able to eat it again. :) Actually, I'm more likely to throw on some bottled peanut sauce these days (and crushed peanuts) when making a quick stir-fry.

I'm glad he included sesame seeds. Such a great topping. I like to sprinkle them over salads. More on that later.

And — do note the advantageous property of cumin that Dino pointed out.

We did add in one more small segment to the interview. So that's next. After that, a relatively quick look at whole grains. Then it's onto legumes. You don't want to miss it.

Labels: cooking, Dino, sauces, spices