I wish you a merry Christmas!
hmmmmmn… this picture is salivating!
This song is already filtering every where and the colours – green and red cannot be ignored, all because Christmas is in the air!
I just remembered that the kitchen would be quite busy with assorted cooking. It is therefore needful to make sure we have the right herbs, spices and seasonings in our kitchens since these will help to make the food …… tasty, delicious and nice.
There are several of them! Don’t forget that without these herbs, spices and seasonings in the kitchen, cooking any good food will be boring, blank and tasteless!
Lets begin with the most important of all, its the most important seasoning in the kitchen, a – cannot – do – without. This is known other but the –
SALT
Common salt, or sodium chloride, is the chemical compound NaCl which occurs naturally in many parts of the world as the mineral halite and as mixed evaporites in salt lakes.
Well it is pertinent for you to know that one of the best sources of salt is Seawater.
BAY LEAVES
These leaves are known for their pungent flavour. Even though the whole leaves are used for cooking, they are usually removed before serving.
The leaves are ideal for the preparation of Jollof Rice amongst others.
ONIONS
Never mind the tears they bring to your eyes when you slice them, onions are good fighters of diseases and a must – be available – in the – kitchen as we prepare to cook for this Christmas.
A great member of the lily family, onions are known to lavish the body with great health benefits while adding taste to the food
GARLIC
Garlic is a wonderful seasoning that helps to add aroma, taste, and flavour to your food.
Usually,it is common to recommend using raw, chopped or pressed garlic in many of dishes to take advantage of the benefits derived from the spice.
However, if you cannot tolerate raw garlic, you can add chopped garlic to foods while they are cooking. It is best to add it towards the end of the cooking process so as to retain the maximum amount of flavour in the food.
GINGER
Ginger is a fresh, pungent root sold fresh, dried or ground. It is used as a confection or condiment and may be found crystallized or candied, ground or as a syrup.
NUTMEG
Nutmeg (also known as pala in Indonesia) is one of the two spices – the other being mace – derived from several species of tree in the genus Myristica.
Try using nutmeg and check out the aroma and the flavour!
CLOVES
Like other spices, cloves are said to be available throughout the year. Renowned for providing uniquely warm, sweet and aromatic taste to FOOD cloves are the unopened pink flower buds of the evergreen clove tree.
In fact, reports say their English name is actually derived from the Latin word clavus, which means nail.
Although cloves have a very hard exterior, their flesh features an oily compound that is essential to their nutritional and flavour profile. So make use of this spice the way you like them!
CINNAMON
This is a popular sweet spice used for flavouring baked food. It gotten from the aromatic bark of types of laurel trees and sold as sticks or ground. Using this for some of your baked food would not be a bad idea at all!
… a good bite of cinnamon rolls for Christmas!
CURRY POWDER
Curry powder is very common in Nigerian kitchens, it is usually a blend of spices commonly used to flavour dishes.
Most curry powders will include coriander, cumin, chili powder, and turmeric.
This is a must in the kitchen, especially for stews, sauces and assorted rice delicacies!
WHITE PEPPER POWDER
watch out for more, Merry Christmas!
