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HERBS & SPICES AND EVERYTHING NICES!!
In our kimistyle recipes we mostly use fresh herbs! However, when I am creating a marinade for pork, beef and lamb I use our kimistyle herb blends because they are sensational as a rub or marinade and they work better than fresh herbs! Fresh herbs have a tendency of burning on the grill and in the oven when you are roasting on high temperatures, so for those instances I have created some wonderful herb & spice blends that will work perfectly!! Our kimistyle herb & spice collection is a perfect compliment to enhance your dishes! We have chosen some of the most fragrant herbs and spices to create our collection. So please go to our "shopping with kimi" tab and place a couple of our blends in your shopping cart!!
KIMISTYLE HERB & SPICE BLENDS:
mediterranean ros￩..............ros￩ pepper, basil, rosemary, thyme, parsley, marjoram, lavender, chervil, tarragon
Perfect for potato dishes, stews, soups, meatballs and meatloaf, this herb blend is extremely fragrant and peppery! Rose pepper is mild but extremely flavorful!
citrus provence........... coarse grated lemon peel, basil, rosemary, thyme, parsley, marjoram, lavender, chervil, tarragon and hibiscus flower
Ideal for fish, pork, poultry and pasta dishes. The hibiscus flower adds some wonderful aromas and flavors.
himalayan pink............our himalayan small crystal salt, which actually has healing attributes.............!
Since I don't like using a lot of salt in my cooking, it was essential to test many different salts in order to finally make a recommendation! This unique crystal salt comes from the himalayan mountains. Dating over 250 million years, this Jurassic era sea salt is known for its healing attributes! It is also used by health professionals and luxurious spas utilizing its natural properties to heal the body and relax the mind.
swedish warmth..........star anis, cardamom pods, cinnamon stick, allspice, cloves
This is a must have if you are going to be cooking kimistyle! Use to make our famous Lingonberry Chutney, Roasted Pepper & Fresh Mozzarella Salad and Swedish Glgg (a mulled spice wine)
bread spread............. white sesame seed, black sesame seed, poppy seed, basil, rosemary, thyme, parsley, marjoram, lavender, chervil and tarragon
Excellent for encrusting fish, pork and poultry dishes giving a unique flavor and texture! Also perfect for sprinkling over bread, just brush the top of the bread with olive oil then sprinkle away!!
smear & sear ....................kimistyle steak seasoning consisting of a mixture of 4 peppercorn, himalayan pink sea salt, minced garlic, dill seed, coriander seed, fennel seed, sundried tomato and chili pepper flakes
A fantastic steak seasoning blend! Extremely aromatic and flavorful, this will enhance your steaks and hamburgers!
seafood essence............bay leaves, dill seed, mustard seed, coriander seed, cinnamon, red pepper flakes, allspice, ginger, black pepper and cloves
Perfect for cooking shrimp, crab and lobster!
FRESH HERBS:
Dill-- A favorite Swedish herb, fresh dill is a vibrant green color and is light and airy! Use primarily in fish and seafood dishes. Dried dill isn't really that good! I would recommend growing some dill in your garden, so you will have it on hand!
Parsley-- A staple in almost every food culture, parsley can be found in both curly leaves and flat leaves. The flat leaf version is typically called Italian parsley. Don't use dried parsley flakes......they just don't have the flavor and wonderful color of fresh parsley!
Cilantro-- Sometimes referred to as Mexican Parsley or Fresh Coriander. Its flat leaf resembles the Italian Parsley, however the edges are more distinctive and the scent more aromatic! Definitely use the fresh version of this herb!!
Chives-- Known for their beautiful purple flowers, chives are related to the onion family. They are 6 to 12 inch stems that resemble a much thinner version of the tops of green onions! Perfect for sauces, dips, potatoes and seafood cocktails! Also use them in butters and infused oils! Definitely use the fresh herb instead of dried!
Thyme-- Mostly used in Italian and French cuisine, these fragrant little leaves are delightful! Thyme leaves grow on a stem, so if you are blending them into a sauce, marinade or butter than remove the leaves from the stem prior to using. However, if you are roasting a chicken or pork tenderloin, you can always use the entire stem. You won't want to eat the stem, but it makes a nice presentation if you keep it whole! In a pinch, you can always substitute for dried thyme!
Oregano-- Used in mediterranean cooking, this herb is sometimes referred to as wild marjoram. These leaves also grow on a stem; however the stem isn't as stiff as the thyme stem! I still recommend removing the leaves from the stem if you are going to chop them for a sauce. For presentation I always use the full oregano stem! If in a pinch, you can use this dried as well!
Basil-- Probably one of the fresh herbs I use most often, basil has a balmy fragrance reminiscent of licorice! Make sure you use fresh basil for salads! Dried basil can be substituted in tomato sauces if you can't find fresh..but for fresh sauces made with mayonnaise and sour cream, use only fresh basil!
Marjoram--Extremely aromatic, you'll find marjoram in many of our Italian and French inspired dishes. Similar to oregano, you'll remove the leaves from the stem prior to chopping or keep whole for garnish and roasting!
Lavender--Flower buds from lavender plants are a vibrant blue color. Typically you will find lavender in herbs de provence, a French herb blend. In my kimistyle herbs and spices, I have added lavender because of its wonderful aroma and flavor!
Bay Leaves--Pungent and spicy whole leaves from the bay laurel tree. You can use fresh or dried bay leaves. Used mainly in herring marinade, stews, soups and tomato sauces you'll want to remove the bay leaves prior to serving. Typically, if I have fresh bay leaves I like to keep them in the dish as a garnish! The fresh variation keeps a vibrant green color where the dried are more of a sage green color.
Chervil--an herb with small leaves resembling Italian parsley. The leaves are flat and the flavor is reminiscent of anise and parsley. Use for fish and pork dishes particularly.
Sage--Perfect for poultry this aromatic herb has unique leaves. They are soft and velvety in texture. You can use either fresh or dried sage.
Rosemary--Probably one of the most aromatic of all mediterranean herbs, rosemary has a distinct fragrance. Fresh rosemary is perfect on beets, with lamb, poultry, cheese and nuts! Use the rosemary stems as a skewer when making Greek lamb skewers!
Tarragon--Used as a key ingredient in making B￩arnaise, tarragon has an extremely strong flavor. Use only fresh tarragon for B￩arnaise. Dried tarragon can be used for other sauces.
Lemon Grass--Thick, resembling stalks of grass, with a sharp lemony scent, lemon grass is used primarily in Southeast Asian cuisine. You can find dried lemon grass, however, I would prefer fresh, otherwise you could always use fresh lemon peel instead!
SPICES:
Ideally you should purchase spices whole and grind them just before using. Most whole spices will keep their fragrance for up to 1 year if kept in a cool, dark place. Ground spices typically keep fragrant for up to 6 months. Please do not store your herbs and spices above your stove! The heat will reduce their shelf life!
Allspice--Originating from the Caribbean, this aromatic spice suggests flavors of cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg.
Cardamom--Typical of Swedish cuisine, this exotic aromatic spice is actually Middle Eastern. Cardamom pods are a sage green color with small round seeds in the middle of the pod. For ground cardamom, place the pods in a mortar and use a pestle to crush.
Chili Powder--Chili powder is a blend of ground dried chili peppers, coriander, cumin, oregano, cloves, pepper and salt. Sometimes you'll even find cinnamon and garlic powder in the chili blends!
Cinnamon--Believe it or not, cinnamon comes from the bark of a tropical cinnamon tree, Cinnamomum zeylanicum! You can purchase cinnamon ground or as cinnamon sticks. Don't get in the habit of only using cinnamon for baking! Many Middle Eastern, Mexican and Caribbean dishes use cinnamon to enhance the flavor of the cuisine!
Chinese Five Spice--A ground seasoning blend of star anise, fennel or aniseed, Sichuan peppercorns, cloves and cinnamon.
Cloves--Originating in Eastern Africa, cloves are extremely rich and aromatic. Another usage for whole cloves is as a remedy for a toothache by placing on your gum surrounding the ache!
Curry Powder--Curry powder is a blend of ground spices including turmeric, coriander, ginger, cumin, fenugreek, pepper, cinnamon, fennel, nutmeg, cardamom, cloves and in some instances either cayenne pepper, chili pepper, red pepper or jalapeno pepper. Not all curry powders are hot. The milder versions are sweet curry powder, tandoori and maharajah. Madras curry powder and vindaloo are hot and spicy!
Garam Masala--Originating in India, this savory blend of ground spices varies from region to region. Most of the blends include some if not all of the following spices: cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, coriander, caraway, black pepper, ginger and kalonji.
Nutmeg--One of the older spices, nutmeg has been cultivated for over a thousand years! Nutmeg trees are native to the Moluccas, otherwise known as the Spice Islands, where they can grow to over 50 feet tall! Nutmeg trees produce two different spices: nutmeg, the inner seed kernel of a pale yellow, peach like fruit and mace, the lacey covering the nutmegs outer shell. When the fruit is fully ripened, it splits open revealing the scarlet-red mace hiding within!
Paprika-- Made by grinding dried, aromatic, sweet red peppers. Most paprika comes from Spain, Hungary and California.
Saffron--My favorite of all spices, saffron is intensely aromatic and colorful! Saffron is actually the stigma of the fall flowering crocus. The red thin saffron threads, or dried stigma, turn a deep golden yellow color once you add them to a sauce or bread. Used mainly in Mediterranean and East Indian cuisine, saffron enhances the flavor of fish and seafood dishes.
Turmeric--A pungent, earthly-flavored ground spice from India, turmeric adds a vibrant yellow color to any dish. American mustard gains its vibrant yellow color from turmeric!
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