A Tad on Teas

Bagged teas can be expensive and completely unnecessary considering the tasty cost-effective alternatives. While loose teas are available at high end grocery stores or health sections of some markets, The Good Earth located in Broad Ripple off Guilford Ave. sells bulk teas and herbs - many organic - for less than a dollar an ounce in most cases. For anyone desiring to be more in touch with their food, getting a bag of real chamomile flowers or rose hips may elevate the ordinary boxed teas to another level. Teas can be as flavorful as a juice, sweet like soda, and yet as nourishing if not more than a glass of water. It is gaining some popularity at coffee shops because hot tea is often the cheapest beverage on the menu, the price of a few dollars easily buys several cups of tea when buying in bulk. Another benefit is that loose whole leaf teas and herbs are much higher quality than what is often in commercial bagged teas. They take a bit longer to steep, but have richer, unmatched flavor. 

Finding the right way to brew loose teas is important, but by no means difficult. There are baskets, tea balls and even bags to fill yourself. Some bags even come ready to press shut with an iron, or even easier - a hair straightener. Pre-bagged whole leaf tea can be ridiculously expensive, but this option allows the best quality tea to be both portable and affordable. Most coffee shops won't charge much for a cup of hot water. 

Storing loose teas and herbs isn't rocket science, but they will loose some potency just sitting in cinched shut plastic bags. A good investment is to find some airtight containers, either tins or just regular tupperware type containers and keep blends and extra tea in those. Keep cool and dark, and they should get an excellent shelf life. The best thing about teas are that most spices and herbs can go into teas, as well, and because they are steeped they don't need to be powdered. Whole cinnamon bark can stay flavorful much longer than ground cinnamon, for instance.

Brewing hot teas are pretty straight forward. It's good to have anywhere from one to two tablespoons per serving of hot tea, depending on preference. Some teas are more flavorful than others, which affects how much and and how long to brew. If using herbs for medicinal purposes it is suggested to keep them brewing for 10 to 15 minutes, but in general most teas are pretty much done after 5 minutes. Black, green and white teas should steep no longer than 3 minutes in water that is either just short or that has just started boiling because they tend to get bitter. Many herbal blends and rooibos don't tend to get bitter.  If using a tea ball or some other filter system, keep herbal loose tea for brewing multiple cups in a day. Caffeinated teas, however, release 99 percent of their caffeine in the first 60 seconds of steeping, so they should be refreshed. Although it isn't always a practical reality, filtered and purified water makes cleaner tasting teas as opposed to tap water, and is preferred among true tea fiends. 

Some good herbsm spices and herbal teas to ask about. These are all caffeine free and have great medicinal benefits from energizing to relaxing, balancing blood sugar to helping with heartburn:

Hibiscus, rose hips, lemongrass, chamomile, honeybush, red and green rooibos, ginseng and Siberian ginseng, orange peel, red raspberry leaf, peppermint, spearmint, fennegreek, cinnamon, St. John's wort, licorice root, and chicory. '

The Magical Mystery Tour Concludes with Herbs

Sorry for the weekend delay on the herb post, but here it is, as promised.

As stated before, a herb is nothing  more than a source of potent and delicious oils found in the leaf of a plant. Many have been given royal status by the Greek and Roman civilizations and have helped shape cultures and medicinal practices. Herbs were used to signify importance of certain character traits (such as sage with wisdom or courage, or rosemary with remembrance). For this blog, however, the focus is on their tasty attributes. Herbs are great to use more of for anyone with allergies or those watching their food intake. They have no calories and can enhance the flavor of the often bland allergy-free food choices.

Here is a mini-dictionary of common herbs found fresh in most supermarkets. In general all fresh herbs should be reserved to put in near the end of the cooking process. Their flavors are much more delicate than dried herbs. Storage is normally best in the refrigerator. Keep the herbs dry and cool. Some last longer than others. Basil keeps for short times and is prone to blemishing, while rosemary is almost evergreen-like and can last for weeks. In general don't use fresh herbs that have darkened leaves or that have an off-putting smell.

Basil - most well known for Genova pesto, its leaves have a mild licorice flavor. There are several varieties, but lettuce leaf is the most popular in supermarkets. It is very perishable, and should either be used or cut and frozen in olive oil within a few days of purchasing. It is a very easy plant to grow, and yields enough basil for the most zealous seasoner. Like extra color, try an opal basil plant with dark purple leaves and pink flowers. Use a very sharp knife or tear basil, because it bruises easily. Fresh basil goes best with vegetables, in salad dressings and in pasta dishes.

Chives - These are the smallest member of the onion family and have a mild flavor. The best way to cut them is just to snip the ends with scissors. For being an herb, they have great vitamin A content, as well as potassium and calcium. Chives give almost anything an instant freshness, from rice to chicken to eggs. Look for bright green stems that are not yellowed or tough.

Cilantro - This is the leaf of the coriander plant. Some call the flavor "verdant" and "soapy," lending itself very well for spicy dishes. It is popular in Thai, Asian, Caribbean and Mexican dishes. Try blending Cilantro leaves with some pistachios, lime zest and grapeseed oil for an inspired pesto for burritos and fajitas. 

Dill - Most famous for pickles, fresh dill is actually not the flavoring behind the common crunchy treat - dill seed is. The leafy green part of the plant has a very fresh flavor. It goes well with peas, potatoes and all types of fish. It pairs nicely with lemon flavors and prominent in Irish food, so use it for St. Patrick's Day dishes.

Marjoram - This is a member of the mint family (like numerous other herbs). It is a mild and sweet cousin to oregano. It goes well with all meats and in pasta dishes. Its harder to find fresh than oregano, but has a much more pleasant flavor.

Mint - This is a great herb for its versatility. It tastes equally good in sweet or savory food. Add fresh mint to fruit salads, yogurt or mix with oregano, lemon, garlic, salt and pepper for a great greek rub for any meat. Gyros anyone?

Oregano - This herb is interesting because it was not introduced to the U.S. until soldiers brought it back from WWII. It is strong in flavor and  should be used sparingly. Nothing tastes better with tomatoes and pasta, however, than good fresh oregano.

Parsley - This is an herb mistaken as a garnish. There are two varieties, curly and flat leaf. The later is very flavorful, but is not usually the type dried in the spice aisle or placed alongside steak. Flat leaf, or Italian parsley is peppery and lemony. It tastes great just tossed into salads or on any fresh vegetable.

Rosemary - This herb has a very strong woodsy pine flavor. It should be used in small amounts, but goes great with any grilled food or citrus flavors. It lasts for weeks in the fridge.  Try adding some orange juice and rosemary to a favorite barbecue sauce and topping grilled chicken. Not a meat eater, don't sweat it, rosemary tastes equally great on a basalmic marinated portobello cap. Remember to use only the leaves; the stems are far too tough to eat.

Sage - This has a slightly musty minty flavor. Its earthy sweet flavor compliments almost all fall harvest foods from pork, turkey, roasted squash, white beans, etc. It is the most prominent spice in poultry seasoning.

Thyme - This has fantastic lemony flavor. It compliments rosemary and oregano, but fresh does not have a terribly overpowering flavor. It is the best go-to herb for seasoning vegetables. If stems are woody, like rosemary, just don't use. A good trick since thyme leaves are so small and delicate is to throw a whole stem into soup and at the end fish out the stem. All the leaves will fall off during cooking. Who doesn't love the absence of chopping.

Hope you enjoyed a week in herbs and spices. Look forward to blog posts on citrus - the winner of favorite fruit group.

Introduction to a Week of Herbs and Spices

Often what elevates ordinary ingredients into ethnic fare is the addition of herbs and spices. It makes food more personal, and is like putting the finishing brushstrokes on a great painting. Most people know parsley as the curly mess of leaves used as garnish on restaurant plates, and basil as the stuff pesto is made of. Of course, the familiar song "Scarbourogh Fair" mentions "parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme," and those are in the take on the old medieval song because herbs played even greater importance than flavor additives earlier in European history. (SIDENOTE: The refrain of that song is literally meant to represent the relationship between a man and a girl. The parsley is to remove bitterness, sage has always been associated with strength, rosemary with remembrance and thyme with courage.) If interested in food an history, one of the most interesting things to research is how herbs and spices literally guided early civilizations. It used to be WAY more than finding the right shaker in the grocery store aisles. Any great spice store like Penzey's Spices on E. 82nd St. is a good place to go to find people who are knowledgeable and interested in such topics, besides having a great global selection of herbs and spices. That website also has great recipes as well.

So in order of herbs' and spices' great importance on humanity and food, it is worth devoting a whole week of blog postings to. Each day will be a new topic focusing on a family of herbs and spices based on region and use. 

This post other than introducing the week-long event will focus on the differences between herbs and spices and some fun basic facts. Both are used for scenting and flavoring, among other things. What makes them sought after are their volatile essential oils. These are often found bottled in health food stores for different health and beauty care products, so for instance, rosemary oil would be a very bad thing to flavor food with, but is a great in a homemade astringent. If those oils are found naturally in the leaf of a plant, then it is called an herb (basil, tarragon, parsley, rosemary, etc), while if found anywhere else (pod, seed, twig, bark, etc.) it is a spice. Not all herbs are edible, such as bay leaf. Bay can be used to flavor broths, soups, roasts, but is never ground because it must be removed before serving. The same plant may also produce both an herb and a spice. Corriander is a seed that has a nice lemony fresh flavor, while the leaf of the same plant is known as cilantro. Cilantro has a very soapy, pungent taste. They are used in totally different styles of cooking. 

Storing herbs and spices is very important to preserve the essential oils. Spices ideally should be kept in their whole form until just before using. Grinding with a mortar and pestle is usually a good way to break up spices. If needing a very fine grind, a small coffee grinder works great, but the oils will stick in the coffee grinder - so be careful to get a second one for heavy spice grinding use so you don't mix flavors. Whole spices can last up to 2 years in sealed airtight containers kept in cool dark places. Ground spices on the other hand last less than six months. 

Ground dried herbs can last up to one year, but be sure to do a "sniff test" before using. If the container smells more like sawdust than anything, it is better to pitch it. The oils can turn rancid and actually make food taste way worse. Herbs and spices don't necessarily have to break the bank, but use good sense. Stay away from dried basil that is brighter than astroturf. It is a dried plant, after all. 

One of the best things to do in summer is to keep potted herbs on the porch or a kitchen window. They are easy to find in starter plants, and start from seed very easily. Most just need a lot of sun, room for quickly growing roots, and frequent watering. Basil sets the wet extreme as far as care goes, being happiest in a pot sitting in a dish of water that is constantly filled, almost hydroponically grown. On the other hand, rosemary and thyme are more of shrubs and so they can stand to be watered every 4-5 days or so. Essentially just make sure the leaves don't wilt. Most herbs can recover in a day or so if the leaves get wilted. Just sit them in some water and really let them soak in a lot of moisture and sunlight. Harvesting fresh grown herbs is as easy as picking a few leaves for a recipe. If plants are growing faster than you can use them, the best thing to do is to buy a spare ice cube tray and fill sections with 1tsp to 1 tbsp cut herbs suspended in a little water or extra virgin olive oil. These are so convenient then to just pop into dishes all year round. When cooking with herbs be sure to note whether the recipe calls for fresh or dried, because dried herbs are about double the flavor strength as fresh. Overpowering a dish with too much of one herb can be off-putting.

Look forward to a week of herbs and spices. For any general questions, bookmark CNN interactive's Herb and Spice encyclopedia. Very useful!