We love to cook. Isaac is especially talented at putting together
savory recipes. I'm petitioning him to write some of these down so I can
share them with you.
One fun product I discovered recently is freeze-dried garlic. When we
neglect to replenish our fresh garlic stash, freeze-dried garlic comes
to the rescue. When reconstitued, I've found it to be much more
flavorful and enjoyable than garlic powder—which really doesn't seem
that garlicky to me in the first place. And it stores in the cupboard
with the other spices. We have tried keeping packets of fresh garlic in
the fridge, but we don't have an easy time remembering that they are
there.
Have you ever tried this stuff? Do you have a secret ingredient I
need to know about? Almond extract makes magic when added to cherry pie
filling and we just started experimenting with Chipotle powder. Along
with smoked paprika, lime, and freeze-dried onions, Chipotle powder makes a
great base for vegetable dip.
as of late I’ve had a thing for smoked paprika {it’s awesome!}…
and just moments ago {post a fun/tiring weekend backpacking trip} I was googling freeze-dried foods and recipes. and then coincidentally you happen to post about freeze-dried garlic. sounds like an awesome addition to the backpacker’s pantry. I’ll have to remember that for our next trip.
I’ll have to look for freeze-dried garlic. Sounds like a good option when the fresh stuff runs out.
Fresh ginger is my latest fad – I add it to salad dressings, soups, and sauces for a warming, yet fresh flavour.
almond extract is also wonderful in peach milkshakes.
That sounds like such a good staple to have around the house! A friend of mine showed me her newest find… PB2 by Bell Plantation. http://www.bellplantation.com/ It is Peanut Butter with all the oil and fat removed, so it’s a powder. You can mix it with water to create PB that’s spreadable, or just use it in recipes as is. It’s SO tasty and a fraction of the fat!
vinegar, a little vinegar added to meat dishes makes really moist and tender meat. Every time I cook meat in the crock pot I always add a tablespoon or two and am always amazed at how flavorful and tender the meat is!
I tend to use canned chipotle in adobo sauce, but I’m making a ghost chili oil for use in many spicy applications. I also love liquid smoke. I add it to a lot of things to just round out the flavor profile.
hellomy name is Kris,from Paris,
and i appreciate your fan tastic work Heather,
about the meat i use cider vinegar,with chicken for family, since i’m vegatarian just now .
thanks a lot,
i finally found out where to buy your material,
on “bleu de toile” and i’m happy, did you know that, we can find your material here,?
see you soon
Drop fresh herbs into olive oil that is in ice cube trays, freeze! When frozen, pop out of the ice cube trays and bag up. Ready for any tasty item you want to cook!
Dorot frozen garlic from Trader Joes!
We use freeze dried shallots for Penzey’s. And I also use the frozen Dorot garlic.
Just freeze dried, huh? Would you look at that. Technology is so fun sometimes. Sounds like something work giving a try! I love almond extract. Somehow, when I eat real almonds I hardly ever get the same flavor sensation, but whatever. Still awesome.
Love it! We have Lite-House brand in our neck of the woods — I use freeze-dried spring onions, basil, oregano, garlic, and chives. Almost tastes like fresh….which is not so easy to track down in our neck of the woods. {grin}
p.s. Just used your nod to gourmet cupcakes recipe again over the weekend. Love it, too!
Have you heard about Tastefully Simple? It’s like…. Cookie Lee, or Silpada, or Pampered Chef….. but it’s ALL FOOD! It’s delicious, quick and easy to prepare, all natural, and meant to give families more time with each other. They have 2 products I think you would love– Onion Onion and Garlic Garlic. Both are wonderful….. 2 T of Onion Onion can replace a small chopped onion and 1 t of Garlic Garlic can replace a fresh clove– but none of the mess and tons of extra flavor (also no MSG, other junk, extra sugar, etc.) In addition, they have TONS of fun spice blends to use as dips and in tons of great recipes. If you are interested, I can send you a catalog. Check out my website: http://www.tastefullysimple.com/web/rchapa, OR search for a consultant near you. It’s delicious, it’s quick, and it frees me up to make fun things with your beautiful fabric 🙂 Enjoy!
~robin
welchrobin@Hotmail.com
smoked sea salt. I sprinkle it on salmon and it is so yummy!
Unsweetened cocoa powder–I always get Hershey’s–is my magical ingredient in chili. A teaspoon or so in the pot when you put in the other spices adds a rich yummy something to the finished dish.
I second the use of freeze dried garlic and i think you should check out Penzey’s! there is a location at Rio Salado in Tempe and it’s amazing. one stop shopping for most herbs, spices, extracts and even spice blends. I find it to be cheaper than the grocery store and the products are AMAZING.