Why not infuse some of your favorite dishes for a more complex flavor? You can infuse with any herb, fresh or dried, using hot water, stock, broth or sauce. For instance, make that stew more flavorful with a lot less effort by adding a bay leaf, some celery or coriander seeds, a bit of red wine or some whole cloves while it simmers. Have a plain pudding that needs some pizazz? Infusing your warmed milk with a scraped vanilla bean will add a distinctive layer of goodness. When I make a favorite fruited barley pilaf, I put a cinnamon stick into the water as I’m simmering it so that the dish has that extra layer that often sets it apart.
Rice pudding can benefit from some crushed cardamom pods infused into the warm milk before adding the rice. Be sure to remove the pods before serving. Chili always tastes richer with some pan-heated cumin seed along with the ground cumin. Fresh mint or basil works subtle wonders in many stewing dishes or crock pot meals.
Simple syrup, which is just sugar and water, simmered until thickened, is a wonderful base for any of the flavored waters available. In the case of Middle Eastern cookery, we often add Orange Blossom Water or Rose Water to make our simple syrup aromatic and tastier before we pour it over many sweets. Any citrus juice, lemon grass or even crushed pomegranate seeds will also add a unique fresh flavor to the syrup as it simmers. This syrup can be added to tea or any recipe calling for honey. Fresh mint can infuse a simple syrup for Mint Juleps. Star Anise is another flavorful herb that will add unique character to some dishes.
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The idea behind infusing a dish is adding layers. Spices are an integral part of many dishes, especially in Middle Eastern cuisine, but that subtle extra dimension of infusion will add so much more to many of your home-cooked dishes. www.sittoskitchen.com
