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AUGU-SEPT 2015
VII
professional focus eg to turmeric (is one
of the key ingredients of curry), both for
its gourmet food, both for his skills as
health benefits, seems to be an excellent
anti-inflammatory and even cancer. The
cardamom is attracting the interest of
chefs, and not just those who work in
ethnic restaurants. And even the world
of pastry is studying carefully the spices,
for use in modern recipes. Certainly
the spice most sold in Italy continues
to be the pepper, followed by oregano
and precisely from turmeric, but in any
restaurant kitchen you go today you
notice that in the pantry variety of spices
is definitely growing.”
USE OF SPICES requires some basic
notions, first about the quality. Says
chef Danilo Angé, chef consultant and
lecturer
(www.daniloange.it): “Most of
the spices is at its best when purchased
whole and ground, pounded the pestle
or grated at the time (such as pepper,
nutmeg, fresh ginger). What’s more,
some spices in seeds, such as sesame,
cumin, coriander seeds, cardamom, can
be slightly moved in a nonstick frying
pan, dry or with a little olive oil, a slight
roasting which serves to intensify the ‘
aroma; in this case you must be careful
to keep a low heat and remove from heat
as soon as they begin to give off scents
of the spice. A further stop on the fire
could alter its flavor, making him turn
toward bitterness or other unpleasant
notes.”
Then there are spices such as vanilla,
cinnamon, mace, if not whole and
reduced to powder, flavoring effectively
a food should be cooked with this,
maybe in cheesecloth then that will be
easy to remove (or simply filtered in If
using in a liquid). “Important - continues
Angè - is not to exceed in the doses,
to prevent the spicy taste becomes
preponderant in relation to the other
ingredients of the recipe, remembering
also that a spice distributed on a hot
food will be much more intense smell
than the same spice used on cold foods.
Interesting that the spread of products
globally has enabled better find your
product and more reasonable prices, as
happened for example to the Sichuan
pepper. I right now are very attracted
by the flavors of turmeric, cardamom
and allspice, a spice interesting flavor
reminiscent of clove, cinnamon, nutmeg,
always to use with judgment.”
The newest culinary suggestion concerns
the conservation, “In addition to keep
well in a cool, dry spices are preserved
even better vacuum. Personally I try
not to buy excessive quantities, making
frequent supplies, to always have a fresh