Knoxville News Sentinel A recipe for an Indian spice blend By LYNNE ROSSETTO KASPER July 6, 2003
Dear Lynne: Nigella and other British TV cooks use double cream. I can't find it in any stores. Can I mail-order it? - Anglophile in Annapolis Dear Anglophile: My eyes mist over when I think of how outrageously rich British cream can be. Double cream is fresh cream with about 48 percent butter fat. Our heavy whipping cream, with its 36 percent to 40 percent butterfat, can stand in. Check farmers markets for local dairies producing even richer examples. Avoid "whipping" cream with its 30 percent to 36 percent fat. Usually closer to 30 percent, it is the wimp of the cream world for whipping or in enriching dishes. Speaking of wimps, also sidestep flat-tasting ultra-pasteurized cream. Pasteurized is fine and safe. At some 100 calories a tablespoon, don't waste yourself on anything but the best. Dear Lynne: Our friend's new kitchen overhaul is finally finished. She loves Indian food and wants to try cooking it. What gift could I bring to start her off? -A Buddy Dear Buddy: One idea is a cookbook by Julie Sahni, Maya Kaimal, Raghavan Iyer or Madhur Jaffrey. For less money, you could make her a batch of the Indian spice blend called Garam Masala. Used in India toward the end of cooking, she could improvise with it as well. For instance, roll hot corn on the cob in Garam Masala and melted butter. Vary this blend to taste. Garam Masala keeps in a dark, cool place up to four weeks. @@@@@ GARAM MASALA (Indian Spice Blend) 2 tablespoons black peppercorns 2 tablespoons whole cumin seeds 2 tablespoons whole coriander seeds 1 tablespoon cardamon seeds (removed from pods) 12 whole cloves 1 generous teaspoon fennel seeds 4 3-inch pieces of cinnamon sticks, broken Place all the spices in a medium skillet. Set over medium heat. Stir about 3 minutes, or until fragrant. Cool on a plate. Grind fine in a coffee grinder or blender. If using a blender, you may need to sift the mix to remove larger pieces, which can be reground. Pour into small jars. Store away from light and heat. Use as a final seasoning in all kinds of salads, rice dishes, stews and soups. Rub onto meats, fish and vegetables before grilling or roasting. Makes about 1/2 cup _____ Dear Lynne: To surprise our sister, we are baking her wedding cake. Our recipe says cake flour. Can we use all-purpose? Is there a difference? - The Twin Rookies from Chicago Dear Twins: You are going to have such a good time. There is a difference between the two flours. Cake flour has a lower protein content and higher starch content than all-purpose. Substituting one for the other could ruin the cake. I don't want to scare you off, but you are tackling a major project. Take it from someone whose first wedding cake made the tower of Pisa look perfectly vertical - consult a professional. Get a copy of "The Cake Bible" by Rose Levy Beranbaum. The recipes are goof-proof and her guide to wedding cakes has launched many a baking business. Dear Lynne: My boyfriend says it is OK to cut string pasta as long as you use a fork. My best friend says you never cut pasta. Who is right? - In the Middle in Houston Dear In the Middle: Your best friend gets the prize. Cutting string pasta keeps you from experiencing what it is all about. Deliciously springy pasta is a testament to superior wheat, to a dough blended, kneaded and stretched to perfect elasticity, and to slow, patient drying. You want those strands to whip and lace around your fork. I believe that liveliness enhances our perceptions of sauce and noodle. In Italy, cutting long pasta is an act of barbarism, an insult to a respected craft. Of course, you should start with respectable pasta. One giveaway to mediocre pasta is box directions telling you to rinse it, a sure sign of inferior flour and production methods. Only rinse pasta when it will be reheated, as with lasagne. Delma --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ Access the Recipes And More list archives at: http://www.mail-archive.com/recipesandmore%40googlegroups.com/ Visit the group home page at: http://groups.google.com/group/RecipesAndMore -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
