SPICES AND HERBS IN COOKING

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30406, 3 April 1964, Page 2

SPICES AND HERBS IN COOKING

A sprinkling of origanum in a stew, a little rosemary added to tripe, or a dash of ginger to a sauce for steamed fish, give a lift to the flavour of a monotonous meal. But New Zealand housewives, in the main, are inclined to overlook a more extensive use of herbs to give variety and a tempting taste to basic dishes. Cooks with imagination will look further than their own kitchen gardens for a herb that makes all the difference to a recipe; others will leave it out if they do not have it on hand because they are not familiar with herb families ani their range of application. A new publication by Frank Briess (Chef Gourmette). “Magic With Spices, Herbs and Other Taste Tempters,” opens the way to everyone to enjoy the fun of experimenting with food flavours. Tabulated Information

Mr Briess spent nearly four years compiling the book, which is really an enlarged edition of his popular earlier work, “Magic With Spices.” He gives many hints on buying and handling herbs and how to tempt the taste buds of persons with poor appetites. Then, without more ado, he presents in tabulated form general information about herbs and spices, their uses in baking and desserts, beverages, egg, and cheese dishes, salad dressings, salads and fruits, meat and poultry, seafoods, soups, gravies and sauces, vegetables and miscellaneous hints. This quick reference will be a joy to housewives with little time for reading. Besides giving the uses for

herbs and spices, he discusses what they are, their family, where they come from, their scent, and flavour. Saffron, for instance, he explains as the dried, reddishbrown stigma of a flower of the crocus family, native of Asia Minor but mainly cultivated in Spain and France. It is used ground for flavouring and colouring and has a strong aroma and slightly bitter taste. “It takes up to 50,000 flowers to produce a pound of saffron, hence it is the most expensive flavouring,” he says. Basic Sauces Culinary herb and spice preparations, such as curry powder, are set out in the same way and, for good measure, the compiler includes recipes for about 20 simple basic sauces and a collection of marinades. The book, which has 21 pages,- was published by Premier Distributors and Manufacturers, Ltd., Auckland, and is recommended by The Cookery and Food Association, London.