Spices & Herbs

[RWebb]

ok, food nuts - a new thread for you...

I'll start with a reply I got back from America's Test Kitchen. I asked if black pepper becomes bitter when cooked as I've seen comments about that from various chefs, but have also seen many other chefs just toss it in early. Their reply:

Bitterness isn't a concern with black pepper so it can be added at early or late. The reason so many cooks reserve pepper for seasoning at the end is that much of its flavor and aroma is quite volatile, so it can be lost during cooking. Hence why you even see pepper ground freshly table-side--you get the full aromatic effect.

[john70t]

Garlicsaltpepper shaker.

[Jim Bremner]

I buy all of my spices from our local "Little India" stores. The price is cheaper and the freshness is tops.

Yes, add the pepper at end!

[RWebb]

Originally Posted by john70t

Garlicsaltpepper shaker.

Fail.

Salt with Truffles in it, Pass.

[Steve Viegas]

I think the bitter taste in pepper is when it burns. If you are using it in cooking, and you are not getting the food you are cooking to burn, you are probably fine, other than you have lost the aromatics.

[flatbutt]

Pepper for the finish absolutely. I also like to add a pinch of white to the black. It alters the bite a little.

[vash]

pepper is pretty versatile. i think it can handle all phases of cooking. ever crust a filet with pepper and sear it? finish with a nice cream/cognac sauce..all flamed up and delicious.

[aigel]

A lot of cooks do both - add pepper in the beginning and then again shortly before serving to get the best of both worlds (good penetration of the spice into the food and the more volatile flavors). One guy I remember doing this is Paul Prudhomme in "Louisiana Kitchen". I also do not think pepper becomes bitter by cooking. I use whole peppercorns in some soups and roasts (crock pot). When you eat one of these corns after they are boiled for 8 hours, they do not taste bitter.

G

[RWebb]

are fresh herbs necessarily better than dried?

what about for spices?

[M.D. Holloway]

I think that the dired herbs would have more essential oils because dried herbs would be void of much water accounting for their initial mass. Once dried they would be considerablly smaller and thus be easier to mange and use. Fresh herbs may give a different taste structure as well. I have cooked with dried herbs (oragano, thyme, mint, basel) as well as fresh. The fresh has to be chopped up very fine. It all about residence time and opportunity to palate. Smaller particulate fair better in many recipes. Though some do require larger leafs.

[RWebb]

yes and they do tell you to use less herbs if dried

but, some of the components would also volatilize off right -- so, now the question becomes whether those lighter things are good stuff or bad stuff...

[futuresoptions]

it don't take many cloves to make it clovey...

[vash]

dried herbs go into the cooking..fresh herbs go at the end of cooking. in general.

spices are not the same as herbs.

[KevinTodd]

Coriander and Cilantro are the prime example.....Same plant. Dried (Spice) is Coriander. Fresh (Herb) is Cilantro. Flavors are certainly relative but not identical.

[vash]

i thought coriander was clilantro seeds.dried.?