Mint can be used both in sweet and savory dishes. Add mint to new potatoes or to a garlic and cream cheese dip. Mix mint with chocolate cakes or bake with raisins and currants in pastry. Mints are an excellent addition to sauces, syrups, vinegar, and teas. There are more than 2,000 varieties of mint—about […] More
If you crave a fruit with a juicy sweet-tart taste and don’t mind working for it, you will surely enjoy the pomegranate. For sure, eating a pomegranate is a labor of love. It’s the translucent, brilliant-red pulp that surrounds the pomegranate seed that is so sparkling and tasty. But pomegranate seeds—there are hundreds in each […] More
Dandelion greens can be added to a lettuce salad to add some tang. Young bright green dandelion greens can be served raw in salads. Mature dandelions are better cooked. Spring is a prime time for tender, free-range dandelion greens. Dandelion serving suggestions Dandelion cooking suggestions Dandelions can be cooked like spinach. How to prepare dandelions […] More
Pears are nutritious and taste great, and they are low in calories. Pears are ideal for healthy eating. There are thousands of pear varieties, each differing in size, shape, color, flavor, and shelf life. Pear flesh can be more or less juicy, soft, and fragrant according to the variety. Some varieties are harvested in summer, […] More
Add a sprig of fresh sage to roast beef or vegetables to add a lemony, camphor-like flavor. Sage can come on strong and even sharp but you will still find it pleasant. Heated sage becomes more assertive. It is a good match for rich and fatty meats such as goose and pork and sausages. Ways […] More
Partnering dill with fish and seafood got its start a few thousand years ago in the Nordic countries of northern Europe. Dill—which has a flavor somewhere between celery and parsley with the peppery undertones of anise and the feint aroma of lemon—brings lingering warmth to cured and marinated salmon and herring as well as fried […] More
The cilantro plant and the coriander plant are the same plant. In most parts of the world, coriander is simply known as coriander. However, in the United States coriander refers to the seeds of the coriander plant, and cilantro refers to the herb leaves of the coriander plant. Why the difference? Well, it basically comes […] More
Use French tarragon fresh whole or ground with fish and shellfish, chicken, eggs, salad greens, or tomatoes. French tarragon has a spicy anise flavor with a basil note and a sweet aftertaste. Its leaves hint of pine and licorice. The flavor of French tarragon diffuses quickly in dishes so it is best used sparingly. Add […] More
The jujube is about the size of an olive or small date and has the texture and crisp, sprightly flavor of an apple. You can eat the jujube fresh out of hand or you can enjoy it dried—a favorite in China—or preserved in syrup—a favorite also in China and in Korea. The jujube can also […] More
Serve figs sliced and drizzled with milk or cream, perhaps add a dusting of sugar. For a blend of sweet and savory, wrap fig slices in prosciutto, also thinly sliced. Ripe figs are intensely sweet. Some say the fig is the sweetest of all fruit. That’s probably true. Figs were commonly used as a sweetener […] More
What would you think of a creamy, custard-like fruit that tastes like a combination of banana, mango, pineapple, melon, and berries? The pawpaw—which is a native North American tree fruit—is just such a fruit. Sounds tropical, but the pawpaw is a temperate—meaning not tropical—tree that is native to the Mississippi Valley, a swath of the […] More
Trying to cut back on salt and pepper? Try savory. There are two varieties of the herb called savory to choose from: summer savory—a fast-growing annual plant, and winter savory—a shrubby perennial. Both savories have a bit of a peppery bite. Summer savory has a flavor reminiscent of thyme, mint, and marjoram. It is more […] More
Stephen Albert