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Pantry 101-Baking and Spices 28-36

by jughandle

1. baking soda –
2. baking powder
3. Cornstarch
4. yeast
5. flour
6. corn flour
7. corn meal
8. Salt
9. pepper -white and black
10. Sugar
11. confectioner’s sugar
12. brown sugar
13 light corn syrup
14. vanilla extract
15. ground cinnamon
16 whole nutmeg
17. ground cloves
18. Onion salt
19. dried chopped or minced onions
20. dried basil
21. dried oregano
22. chili powder
23. dry mustard
24. paprika
25. thyme
26. tarragon
27. Lemon Pepper
28. dried dill
29. All Spice
30. bay leaves
31. poultry seasoning
32. beef, chicken and vegetable bouillon
33. cream of tartar
34. unseasoned bread crumbs
35. unsweetened cocoa powder
36. unsweetened baking chocolate

28) dried dill

Fresh and dried dill leaves (sometimes called “dill weed” to distinguish it from dill seed) are used as herbs.
Like caraway, its fernlike leaves are aromatic, and are used to flavor many foods, such as gravlax (cured salmon), borscht and other soups, and pickles (where sometimes the dill flower is used). Dill is said to be best when used fresh, as it loses its flavor rapidly if dried; however, freeze-dried dill leaves preserve their flavor relatively well for a few months.
In Vietnam, dill is the important herb in the dish cha ca.
Dill seed is used as a spice, with a flavor somewhat similar to caraway, but also resembling that of fresh or dried dill weed.
Dill oil can be extracted from the leaves, stems and seeds of the plant. Dill seeds were traditionally used to soothe the stomach after meals.
29) Allspice

Ground allspice is not, as some people believe, a mixture of spices. Rather, it is the dried fruit of the Pimenta dioica plant. The fruit is picked when it is green and unripe and traditionally dried in the sun. When dry, the fruits are brown and resemble large brown peppercorns. The whole fruits have a longer shelf life than the powdered product and produce a more aromatic product when freshly ground before use.

The leaves of the allspice plant are also used in cooking. For cooking, fresh leaves are used where available: they are similar in texture to bay leaves and are thus infused during cooking and then removed before serving. Unlike bay leaves, they lose much flavour when dried and stored. The leaves and wood are often used for smoking meats where allspice is a local crop. Allspice can also be found in essential oil form.

Allspice is one of the most important ingredients of Caribbean cuisine. It is used in Caribbean jerk seasoning (the wood is used to smoke jerk in Jamaica, although the spice is a good substitute), in mole sauces, and in pickling; it is also an ingredient in commercial sausage preparations and curry powders. Allspice is also indispensable in Middle Eastern cuisine, particularly in the Levant where it is used to flavor a variety of stews and meat dishes. In Palestinian cuisine, for example, many main dishes call for allspice as the sole spice added for flavoring. In America, it is used mostly in desserts, but it is also responsible for giving Cincinnati-style chili its distinctive aroma and flavor as well. Allspice is commonly used in Great Britain and appears in many dishes, including in cakes. Even in many countries where allspice is not very popular in the household, such as Germany, it is used in large amounts by commercial sausage makers. Allspice is also a main flavor used in barbecue sauces.[citation needed] In the West Indies, an allspice liqueur called “pimento dram” is produced.
Allspice has also been used as a deodorant. Volatile oils found in the plant contain eugenol, a weak antimicrobial agent. Allspice is also reported to provide relief for indigestion and gas

I bought the best Allspice I’ve ever had from San Francisco Herb company. Always buy Jamaican allspice when you can find it. I’ll send a great jerk recipe later.

30) bay leaves
Bay leaves are great in tomatoe sauces and meat dishes. I have two bay trees that are easy to grow. I can always get fresh leaves and the ones that fall off I save for dry use. Always put the leaves in your dish whole. The leaves have a sharp edge and don’t digest well, so pull out the leaves after cooking.

The aromatic leaf from the evergreen bay laurel tree, native to the Mediterranean. There are two varieties: Turkish (1 to 2 inch long oval) and California (2 to 3 inch long narrow) leaves. The Turkish is said to have the better flavor.
plural: bay leaves

Ingredient

Season: available year-round
How to select: Fresh bay leaves are rarely available.
How to store: Keep for 6 months in a cool dark place.
How to prepare: Flavor soups, stews and long-cooking dishes, but remove before serving.
Matches well with: beans, game, lentils, potatoes, risotto, shellfish, soups, stews, tomatoes
Substitutions: 1/4 tsp crushed bay leaf = 1 whole bay leaf = 1/4 tsp thyme
31) poultry seasoning
Poultry seasoning is used by a lot of people. I’ve never used it. I only use blended spices and herbs on occasion. I prefer to blend my own. If you want to do the same here is the recipe for Poultry Seasoning:

3/4 teaspoon sage, crumbled
1/4 teaspoon leaf thyme, crumbled
1/4 teaspoon pepper
dash marjoram
dash cloves, optional

Preparation:
Combine all ingredients. If you make extra, store in an airtight container. Use for poultry stuffing or dressing, as a rub for chicken, or as seasoning for other dishes.

32) beef, chicken and vegetable bouillon
Bouillon is a great way to add quick flavor to a soup or sauce. It’s nice to have several types around when you need it. Bouillon comes in different forms, cubes, granules and paste are three that come to mind. Cubes tend to have a lot of salt, so when you use them reduce the amount of salt you would normally add to the dish. While not the first choice for many cooks, cubes and granules are space-saving and inexpensive. They are available in a variety of flavorings, including beef, chicken, vegetable, seafood, tomato, mushroom, and duck. The downside is that dehydrated forms are typically very salty and may contain other additives.

A tip from Jughandle to reduce salt in a dish where you have over salted it is to quarter a potato and add to the cooking food. Bring them to a boil then simmer for 10 min or so. Remove the potatoes and strain the dish. It should help some.

You can make your own bouillon by saving the bones and scraps from you other dishes. For example, same all the ends you cut from your vegetables in a big freezer bag. When you get enough put on a large stock pot of filtered water and cook your vegs until they are mushy. Then strain the liquid and continue to boil it until it is reduced to about 1/4 of its original volume. You can add any seasoning you think it needs. Pour into ice cube trays and freeze. Use like you would bouillon.

33) cream of tartar

Cream of tartar is obtained when tartaric acid is half neutralized with potassium hydroxide, transforming it into a salt. Grapes are the only significant natural source of tartaric acid, and cream of tartar is obtained from sediment produced in the process of making wine. (The journal Nature reported some years ago that traces of calcium tartrate found in a pottery jar in the ruins of a village in northern Iran are evidence that wine was being made more than 7,000 years ago.)

Cream of tartar is best known in our kitchens for helping stabilize and give more volume to beaten egg whites. It is the acidic ingredient in some brands of baking powder. It is also used to produce a creamier texture in sugary desserts such as candy and frosting, because it inhibits the formation of crystals. It is used commercially in some soft drinks, candies, bakery products, gelatin desserts, and photography products. Cream of tartar can also be used to clean brass and copper cookware.
If you are beating eggs whites and don’t have cream of tartar, you can substitute white vinegar (in the same ratio as cream of tartar, generally 1/8 teaspoon per egg white). It is a little more problematic to find a substitute for cream of tartar in baking projects. White vinegar or lemon juice, in the ratio of 3 times the amount of cream of tartar called for, will provide the right amount of acid for most recipes. But that amount of liquid may cause other problems in the recipe, and bakers have found that cakes made with vinegar or lemon juice have a coarser grain and are more prone to shrinking than those made with cream of tartar.

34) unseasoned bread crumbs
Bread crumbs are used often in cooking. The most prized breadcrumbs by chefs are Panko Bread Crumbs. You can find them in most stores and they freeze easily.

35) unsweetened cocoa powder
Natural Unsweetened Cocoa Powder tastes very bitter and gives a deep chocolate flavor to baked goods. Its intense flavor makes it well suited for use in brownies, cookies and some chocolate cakes . When natural cocoa (an acid) is used in recipes calling for baking soda (an alkali), it creates a leavening action that causes the batter to rise when placed in the oven. Popular brands are Hershey’s, Ghirardelli, and Scharffen Berger.

The role of cocoa powder in cakes:

When used alone in cakes, cocoa powder imparts a full rich chocolate flavor and dark color. Cocoa powder can also be used in recipes with other chocolates (unsweetened or dark) and this combination produces a cake with a more intense chocolate flavor than if the cocoa wasn’t present. Most recipes call for sifting the cocoa powder with the flour but to bring out its full flavor it can be combined with a small amount of boiling water. (If you want to try this in a recipe, substitute some of the liquid in the recipe for boiling water.) Often times, you may notice that more butter and leavening agent are used in recipes containing cocoa powder. This is to offset cocoa powder’s drying and strengthening affect in cakes. There are two types of unsweetened cocoa powder: natural and Dutch-processed and it is best to use the type specified in the recipe as the leavening agent used is dependent on the type of cocoa powder. Some prefer using Dutch-processed cocoa as a slight bitterness may be tasted in cakes using natural cocoa and baking soda.
36. unsweetened baking chocolate
This is used anywhere you would use chocolate in baking or cooking. You can make shapes from chocolate, you can add it to dishes, like adobe, a great mexican dish.

General Hints
Choose a cool, dry day to melt chocolate for chocolate coating. Humidity in the air or even in the kitchen will cause chocolate to tighten up or become stiff and grainy, a condition known as “seizing.”
Only use very dry utensils when melting chocolate. Wet utensils (even with two or three drops of water) can cause chocolate to seize.
Break chocolate into small pieces to speed the melting process.
Chocolate can scorch easily. Stir melting chocolate periodically to help blending and discourage scorching.
Steam, condensation, or water droplets may cause chocolate to become lumpy and grainy. If during the melting process the chocolate product begins to tighten or become lumpy, it is advisable to add a small amount of solid vegetable shortening (not butter, margarine, spreads, oil, water or milk) to the chocolate, chocolate chips, chocolate squares, or other baking pieces. As an emergency measure only, stir in 1 level tablespoon solid vegetable shortening for each 6 ounces of chocolate you are melting. (6 ounces is equal to 1 cup baking chips or 6 1-oz squares of baking chocolate.
Baking chocolate — also known as unsweetened chocolate or bitter chocolate — is cooled, hardened chocolate liquor. By U.S. standards, unsweetened chocolate should contain between 50 and 58 percent cocoa butter. When sugar, lecithin, and vanilla are added, you get bittersweet, semisweet or sweet chocolate, depending on the amount of sugar present.
baking chocolate
©2007 Artem Efimov
Baking chocolate can come in several different forms.

Baking chocolate is used primarily as an ingredient in recipes such as brownies, cakes, and frostings. While the purest form of baking chocolate has no sugar added to it, the major chocolate brands represented in the baking aisles of most supermarkets often have several sweetened versions to choose from.

Unless a recipe specifically calls for “semisweet baking chocolate” or “sweetened baking chocolate,” go ahead and use the unsweetened variety. Otherwise, the chemical and baking properties of the recipe may be compromised.

Thats it for dry goods in the pantry. If you can think of anything else please let me know and we will add it. Tomorrow we will move on to the General items and Condiments (my favorite).-

Jug

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