Spices & Garnishes « Spices & Garnishes

How To: Dry basil and tarragon without them turning brown

Drying herbs using this method works well for herbs like basil, mint and tarragon. Herbs that don't have the fleshy body like sage Drying herbs like tarragon can be a bit trickier than fleshy herbs like sage. Tarragon is said to be great for your blood pressure and is a wonderful addition to things like soups and stews. Its also adds wonderful freshness to an early morning omelet. After a rough chop and time to dry, these herbs will hold their color and flavor until you are ready to use them....

How To: Make lemon zest with or without a zesting tool

Making lemon zest isn't hard and doesn't take a long time, especially if you have a lemon zester. A zesting tool is the number one preferred way to get that lemon zest with no mess and no fuss. So, in the first video tutorial, see how to make lemon zest with a zester. Use a zesting tool for the peeling, and make sure to wash the outside of the lemon thoroughly to remove dirt and residue. Then zest away!

How To: Use pimenton de la vera or smoked paprika

If you've never tried Pimenton de la Vera -- smoked Spanish paprika -- you're missing out. Stirred into hummus, sprinkled on roasted potatoes or added to the secret family barbecue rub, the smoky flavor is almost addictive. It comes in hot and sweet varieties and has so many delicious uses it will become a staple in your spice rack.

How To: Eat edible flowers

Rita Heikenfeld from AboutEating discusses some of the flowers that are not only beautiful but also edible. It is important not to eat flowers that have been sprayed with chemicals. Some of the more common edible flowers are the zinnia, petunia, and the marigold, which has a delicious citrus flavor and is used in bath oils. Impatiens are edible (just the flowers, not the leaves) and come in a variety of colors.

How To: Use lemongrass in your cooking

CHOW Associate Editor Corinne Trang teaches you how to use lemongrass in your cooking. 1. To use your lemongrass in your cooking, first strip away the dry outer leaves, and cut away the stumpy end and the dry leafy ends.

How To: Chop and mince herbs

Fresh herbs can transform almost any dish. Watch this how to video and let Bon Appetite show you how to chop herbs for your recipes. Learn to chop and mince herbs with woody stems or leafy herbs. Even get tips on how to chiffenade mint and basil leaves.

How To: Make cold pressed nut butter

In this video, we learn how to make cold pressed nut butter. First you will need to have a crusher that will not juice the nuts it will just crush them. Put your nuts into this and then start to run it. You can add in some raw cashews, raw Brazil nuts, almonds. You can use any type of nuts that you want inside of your butter. Turn the machine on and continue to add the nuts, pressing down with the lever at the top. After this, the nuts will come out at the bottom inside the bowl. To make this...

How To: Peel garlic and pearl onions without stickiness

If you're a home cook, peeling garlic is probably not your most favorite part of preparing a meal. Sure, the first one or two bulbs are a cinch, but once you start peeling garlic in larger quantities the inevitable stickiness arises and the garlic becomes harder and harder to disrobe.

How To: Preserve Sooji for roasting

Anuja and Hetal from Show Me The Curry show how to roast Sooji. Sooji is otherwise known as semolina which is purified wheat used for making pasta. Semolina is known as Sooji in India and is used in many many dishes as a grain and sometimes as a meat substitute. Some recipes like Upma require that the Sooji be roasted before being added into the recipe. This video shows you the easiest way that you can roast Sooji in your microwave so that it can be used in various Indian dishes.

How To: Make ginger garlic paste

Sometimes the best way to improve your cooking isn't to find new dishes, but to find new ingredients! Learn how to make ginger garlic paste with Chef Sanjay. This paste goes wonderfully with many Indian dishes.

How To: Make homemade butter from scratch

In this video, we learn how to make homemade butter from scratch. First, you will need to take some heavy cream that is ultra-pasteurized. Once you have bought your cream, you will need to add some salt to it so it tastes less bland. Pour the cream into the food processor and let it run for a while until it thickens. Then, it will break into liquid buttermilk and butter. From here, you will be able to separate the butter from the milk and use the fresh butter on what you would like! You can a...

How To: Make butter the fun and easy way

In this tutorial, we learn how to make butter the fun and easy way. First, you will need some cream. Pour this into a plastic container until it's half way full. After this, place the top on the container, then shake it for a while. Make sure the lid is on completely, or you will spill this. You will need to shake for around ten minutes until you get butter out of the cream. When it's finished, pour the buttermilk out and keep shaking until you get the butter. Now you can use this for any rec...

How To: Make vanilla extract

Homemade vanilla extract is tastier and less expensive than many commercial brands, and it makes a great gift!

How To: Smoke garlic to add extra flavor to any garlic dish

Johnny O shows how to smoke garlic that adds a great flavor to other dishes. Any recipe that calls to be seasoned with garlic can use the smoked garlic for a new and unexpected taste.

How To: Make cilantro pearls with Molecular Gastronomy

Its a flavor explosion! Take some cilantro, add in a little Calcium Chloride and Sodium Alginate, and give some crab cakes a new twist! The pearl is one of the most useful treats of Molecular Gastronomy. Learn how to make corn cake with bbq crab and cilantro pearls.

How To: Make a garlic puree garnish for seasoning recipes

Chef Jason Hill uses this garlic puree for most recipes that call for fresh garlic. The addition of the shallot gives this puree more depth. It keeps up to ten days covered in the refrigerator, and keeps frozen for up to six months in the freezer. The ingredients are garlic and shallots. Learn how to prepare this recipe by watching this video cooking tutorial.

How To: Make orange zest

In this how to video Chef Paul shows you how to make orange zest. Orange zest is just that colorful peel of the orange that is full of citrus oils. This oil filled zest is great for garnishes or flavoring dishes.

How To: Make a butter sculpture

Don’t laugh—butter sculpture is a true art form that originated in Tibet in the 7th century. It is now one of the highlights of many American harvest fairs. Learn how to make your own butter sculpture.

How To: Make butter

In this tutorial, we learn how to make butter. First, you will need some cream in a carton left out in the room for around 12 hours. After this, pour the cream out into a glass jar and put the lid on tightly. Now you will shake the jar nice and slowly. You want about 1 shake every second. Continue to do this for about 2-3 minutes. At first, you will notice the glass is covered with cream, but every time you shake the bottle, the butter fat will start to stick together into clumps. Continue to...

How To: Make Garlic Parmesan Croutons

This video from FoodWishes.com demonstrates how to make garlic Parmesan croutons. This is a great recipe for homemade croutons which will be much better than the ones you can buy at a store.

How To: Make a country style dry rub with the BBQ Pit Boys

Dry rub is a must for great tasting barbecue and this basic and easy to make BBQ Dry Rub does the trick. It works real well with pork, chicken, and beef, and it's cheap to make. Start with this recipe as demonstrated by one of the BBQ Pit Boys and then add your own spices to make it your own special rub for your next B-B-Que.

How To: Make decorative butter shapes

Butte can be very decorative and festive. In this how to video Chef Paul talks about flavored and decorative butters. Watch and learn how to shape and mold butter into any shape for garnishing dishes.

How To: Make absinthe caviar with Dave Herlong

Absinthe and caviar have extremely strong, distinctive flavors that many folks can't handle easily on their own, but adrenaline rush connoisseurs will get a kick out of the recipe presented in this video. Combining absinthe with caviar, you'll make a distinctive tasting caviar.

How To: Make edible garnishes

Transforming a plain old plate into a work of art is just a simple garnish away. Learn how to make edibile garnishes.

How To: Make raw macadamia nut butter

In this tutorial, we learn how to make raw macadamia nut butter. First, you will need to take some raw macadamia nuts and a food processor. Pour the macadamia nuts into the food processor. Then, let this spin for around five minutes or until the butter has started to form. There should be no chunks left in the mixture, the oils should come out and help the mixture blend. After this is finished, scoop the butter out and you will taste an amazing raw macadamia nut butter. This will also work fo...

How To: Peel, chop and crush garlic like a chef

Check out this video cooking tip from The Chef's Toolbox in Australia. Watch this tutorial to learn how to peel, chop and crush garlic like a chef. Peeling garlic for recipes is easy with a little know-how, see how to do it right here. If there is a little green germ in the clove, make sure you remove it, because it is known to give people indigestion.

How To: Make chocolate curls for garnishing

Okay, so knowing how to make chocolate curls isn't exactly a necessary culinary skill, but when it comes to dessert making, how much of that dessert is there more for show than for taste? We're thinking it's 50/50. Plus, if you're a chocolate lover then chocolate curls may just be the perfect addition to your creme brulee or chocolate ganache cake.

How To: Freeze ginger

Love the taste of fresh ginger, but hate throwing out dry, moldy roots? Solve the problem by storing it in the freezer. Whenever you have a hankering for fresh ginger, just grate the still-frozen root into your favorite recipes. Ginger will lose some of its potency in the freezer, but not enough to make a significant difference. When previously frozen ginger thaws completely it develops a sodden texture, so once frozen it's best to keep it that way. Frozen ginger is also a little bit easier t...

How To: Keep your herbs fresh with tips

We can't get enough of fresh herbs in our cooking, but that's just the problem: About 2 days after we purchase our sprigs of thyme and sage they look sadder than Ashton Kutcher's last romantic comedy.

How To: Quickly make homemade butter

In this tutorial, we learn how to quickly make homemade butter. First, you will need to take some milk and pour it into a glass. After this, you will pour the milk into a food processor and turn it on high. Let this mix up for a few minutes, until you see clumps of butter starting to appear. Continue to let it spin until the butter is thick in the processor. Now, you will strain the milk from the butter and mix the butter up with some salt. Once you do this, you will be able to serve the butt...

How To: Make delicious compound butter

In order to prepare Compound Butters, you will need the following: butter, blackberries, lemon, fresh dill, potato masher, 2 bowls, a fork, and waxed paper.

How To: Dry fresh herbs and use them in the wintertime

It doesn't have to be summer to get deliciously fresh herbs and spices. Check out this tutorial, and learn how to preserve and dry your spices in the summer for use in those dull winter months.

How To: Make garlic herb butter

This quick video will show you how to make delicious garlic and herb butter. To make this delicious garlic and herb butter, do the following: Put 8 ounces of Plugra Butter into a mixing bowl. Add salt, green onion, flat leaf parsley, minced garlic, fresh basil and ground pepper. Gently blend everything together and refrigerate till needed. You can make your own variations of this butter by using different ingredients.

How To: Make homemade ginger and garlic paste

This how-to video is about how to make homemade ginger and garlic paste. This video is provided by Anuja and Hetal, and they explains us the simpler method of preparing ginger and garlic paste which is used in most of the Indian dishes.

How To: Garnish food with fresh food and herbs

Garnishes may sometimes feel as something that we thinks is too difficult to do. Don't fear in this how to video Chef Paul talks about food presentation and how to garnish your dishes. Watch and learn how to make a great tasting dish stand out even more with fresh food and herbs.

How To: Peel and mince fresh garlic

You need to stop vampires and you love to cook with garlic. Watch this how to video and let the Rookie Cook show you how to peel and cut garlic. Mincing and peeling garlic is so simple you will never buy the bottled kind.

How To: Dry fresh garden herbs with an old fashion method

Drying herbs like sage is a great way to store the bounty of your garden. In this how-to video, Rita Heikenfeld from AboutEating.com shows you a simple way to dry and store your herbs straight from the garden. Use the old fashion method of drying herbs to make sure they last through the year.