Using Herbs in Cooking: Intro
Using more herbs and less salt in your cooking? There’s an novel idea, right? Though we do use the Real Salt brand salt, which is healthier than your average iodized table salt, I still find myself
relying too heavily on salt to add excitement to my cooking. My goal in the coming weeks and months is to use less salt in my meals and add more herbs for health and flavor.
One thing that has held me back from cooking with herbs is not knowing exactly what they contribute to the meal. I find myself wondering what would pair well with turkey, or what would mesh with venison, what would compliment the paprika I just added to the rice, what would help out cumin without overpowering it, etc. Another thing I have noticed is that I rely on the same few herbs every night, so my food always taste more similar than I would like it to. So I am excited, but a bit hesitant to jump into using herbs more effectively. . .
Quick funny family story about herbs that will show you why I am cautious about how I cook with herbs . . . When I was growing up my Dad would very very occasionally cook supper from a special Spanish cookbook he had. It was a giant production that took most of the afternoon & looked more like a cooking show than your average multitasking parent whipping up supper. He would cut up everything into it’s own special bowl, tenderize the steak until our ears were ringing, arrange it all just so, add it to the pot at precisely the right time, and obsess over every detail. We usually ate at least 2 or 3 hours later than normal because everything needed to simmer perfectly. Where I love Spanish cooking because it is flexible and uses up odds & ends, his cooking was some of the most accurate, precise meal-prep I’ve ever seen! After his hours of preparation, we were always excited for a delicious family meal together. Of course, even if we weren’t we still all had to be enthusiastic and grateful because it was such a rare event! (No critiques allowed!) One night after his annual day of cooking we all sat down to a delicious meal we simply called, “Steak & Onions” Unfortunately where the recipe called for maybe 1 teaspoon of cumin, my dad used multiple tablespoons and Cumin is NOT an herb you want to use with a heavy hand! It was HOT and SPICY! My brother & I got down a couple bites & subtly switched to nibbling the plain rice base to soothe our mouths. The funny part is that my dad totally refused to acknowledge that it wasn’t perfect & sat at the head of the table with his sweat rag from work mopping his brow & determinedly clearing his plate. Despite the sweat pouring off him, I think he even got a second helping! Let me tell you, there is a reason herbalists suggest Cumin for detoxing or knocking out a fever; it will make you sweat! Moral of the story; be grateful for healthy food regardless of what you have to eat, enjoy the fun & funny family memories you build & learn HOW to use herbs to suit what you are cooking. And Cumin is still actually one of my favorite herbs to use; I use it most nights!
As I research more and more, I am realizing that this may be more information than I can comfortably fit into one post: I am hoping in the next few weeks to share a few posts covering some principles for using herbs in your cooking, basic notes on what maybe 20 of the most common culinary herbs taste like and what they go with, a printable chart to keep in your cupboard with your herbs in the kitchen, etc. I’m running out of window sill space in my house, but I’m also hoping to maybe start a few herb plants that I can keep inside to use for cooking.
Like most things I do this has the propensity to either grow into something way too big, or totally get shoved on the back burner because I don’t know where to start / forget about it entirely in the busyness of everyday life, but I really do want to improve my cooking skills and am eager to practice during the winter when I am not as busy outside. So I’m determined to stick with it this time 😉 Feel free to join me in learning more about culinary herbs and leave a note with your favorite ways to use herbs in your cooking!