INGREDIENTS

INSTRUCTIONS

Let Virginia Willis, the food stylist for "The Main Ingredient," help
you to cook a little smarter, a little faster and a little richer  each
month in her tasty cooking column, "Now You're Cookin'"!  This month,
Virginia shows you how the humble "herb" can pack quite a  punch with
your meals.  The scholar Alcuin is said to have asked Charlemagne, "
What is an  herb?" "The friend of physicians and the praise of cooks,"
the  medieval emperor of the Franks replied.  The many varieties of the
humble herb have been treasured through  history for their savory and
aromatic qualities and medicinal uses.  When you plan to use herbs with
your meals, try to use fresh ones;  don't use dried herbs unless they
come from a reputable source. Fresh  herbs are more readily available
and almost every market has parsley,  if nothing else. Below, I'll
share the stories of several herbs, and  outline their history, special
qualities and uses. Enjoy!  Chives go well with soups, potatoes,
omelettes, fish and seafood  dishes. The chive is a mild herb, very
rich in vitamins and minerals.  It can be grown indoors and used as
needed. It should be added just  at the last minute or as a garnish.
Use scissors to cut chives unless  you have a really sharp knife; they
bruise easily.  Coriander, also known as cilantro, probably surpasses
parsley as the  most widely used flavoring herb. Coriander is mentioned
in both  ancient Sanskrit and Egyptian texts and has been used since
the  Middle Ages to flavor wines, preserves, soups and meat. Common in
Mexican, Thai and Vietnamese cuisine, it can be a bit strong for some
people. Substitute parsley if it's too powerful.  During the Middle
Ages, it was thought the souls of dead people  rested in thyme flowers.
This oily and wonderfully aromatic culinary  herb, found in many
classic French dishes, varies in leaf size.  However, you can easily
cook dishes with the whole sprig and then  remove the sprig before
serving.  Parsley perks up many a recipe. While the flat-leafed or
Italian  variety is considered to be more "gourmet" because of its
strong  flavor, the more common and cheaper curly parsley does keep
longer in  the refrigerator. Parsley marries well with olive oil and
garlicup  Spicy golden oregano, found in Italian, Greek, and Mexican
cooking,  was little known in the United States until after World War
II when  soldiers returned from Europe. "The pizza herb" has a
remarkable  affinity with tomato-based dishes. It's used in pasta
sauces and  stews, and does wonderful things for rice and pasta. Dried
oregano  isn't bad. When finely ground, it's is very nice in
slow-cooked  tomato sauces.  Pungent basil, with its peppery flavor, is
popular in Italian cuisine.  Famous for pesto and used in simple tomato
salads with fresh  mozzarella and olive oil, it's also a welcome
addition to pasta  dishes. Basil is available in many varieties. Chop
basil just before  using, as it turns black fairly quickly. Also, basil
breaks down if  cooked for too long -- its flavors are best utilized if
chopped and  added at the last minute.  Rosemary is very strong and
highly aromaticup Use with caution  because too much is definitely too
much. The herb pairs nicely with  lamb and is wonderful when stuffed
inside the cavity of poultry  before roasting. I suggest tying dried
rosemary in some cheesecloth  ~- you'll get the flavor but not the
tough, brittle needles.  © 1997 Lifetime Entertainment Services. All
rights reserved.  MC formatted using MC Buster br Barb at PK  Recipe
by: by Virginia Willis  Converted by MM_Buster v2.0l.

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