Following the Spice: Nutmeg & Mace

Following the Spice: Nutmeg & Mace

Spices. We love them. We use them. Nutmeg is a small round seed that comes from the inside of an apple looking fruit. It is encased in the “netting” of mace, another spice that has a variety of culinary uses. Once spices became common and lost their...
Following the Spice: Clove

Following the Spice: Clove

There’s that jar of cloves that sits on the back shelf of the pantry until winter comes, and baking cookies and cakes and mulling cider begins. Then, suddenly, there’s cloves; the star of the winter season bringing heat and warmth to our food, and our...
Following the Spice: Cinnamon

Following the Spice: Cinnamon

Cinnamon was always on the shelf in my home growing up. Mom used it for everything from toothaches (just stick it on the gums) to cinnamon sugar on toast. She put it in a variety of dishes, which confused some of my friends and neighbors. Isn’t cinnamon a spice...
The Power of Cilantro

The Power of Cilantro

I’ve been using cilantro in cooking for years. Growing up in the Southwest, it is easily accessible. I’ve always enjoyed the flavor, the smell, and the taste. What I did not know was the considerable health benefits linked to this one plant used as both...
The Golden Spice, Turmeric

The Golden Spice, Turmeric

Turmeric is called the Golden Spice. It is a root, a rhizome of a plant in the ginger family. Turmeric is used as a spice, a coloring, and an healing herb. Its uses date back at least 4,000 years. Turmeric needs rainy, wet places to grow. Once harvested, it is boiled,...