Welcome to I am herbed! blog, this is my herbs blog... It is one way to show my obsession towards food we eat everyday, I welcome everyone to share knowledge with me here and if you love herbs too... feel free to contact me, click label I am herbed or my foodbuzz featured publisher badge to know more about me... and have a great time... ~Chef Nash

Black Pepper...

>> Friday 18 September 2009

Assalamualaikum and Salam Sejahtera to all...



Vernacular name: Black Pepper, Lada Hitam
Botanical name: Piper Nigrum
Family: Piperaceae

History and interesting facts:
Black Pepper was believed to be originated from India. It is native to India and has been known to Indian cooking since at least 2000 BC.  Peppercorns were a much priced trade good, often referred as ‘black gold’ and used as a form of commodity money.  The ancient history of pepper is often interlinked with long papers until the discovery of chili pepper which when dried are similar in shape and taste, were easier to grow in variety of location.

Only after the Middle Ages (a period of history which lasted for roughly a millennium, from 5th to 16th century), virtually all of black pepper found in Europe, the Middle East and North Africa traveled there from India’s Malabar region. It was also being grown in Java, Sunda, Sumatera, Madagascar, Malaysia and elsewhere in Southeast Asia but these areas traded mainly with China or used the pepper locally.

Black pepper, along with other spices from India has changed the course of world history.  It was in some part the preciousness of these spices that led to the European efforts to find a sea route to India and consequently to the European colonial occupation of that country, as well as the European discovery and colonization of the Americas.




A riddle found in 7th Century authored by Saint Aldhelm (a Latin poet).
I am black on the outside, clad in a wrinkled cover,
Yet within I bear a burning marrow.
I season delicacies, the banquets of kings, and the luxuries of the table,
Both the sauces and the tenderized meats of the kitchen.
But you will find in me no quality of any worth,
Unless your bowels have been rattled by my gleaming marrow.


Black peppercorns were found stuffed in the nostrils of Ramesses ll, placed there as part of the mummification ritual shortly after his death in 1213 BC.




Nutrition content: 9-12% water, 22-45% carbohydrate, 10-12% protein and 10-17% fiber.

Uses in food:
Black pepper is mostly used in food as spice and for flavoring/seasoning. It is known that once ground, the pepper’s aromatic can evaporated quickly and by that reason, grinding the whole peppercorns immediately before use, is recommended in most culinary sources.  I would say that pepper is used in most/all kitchens around the globe, you will see pepper mill or pepper shaker on their dining table along with salt.
I used Black Pepper as spice in my marinations of meat, chicken, poultry, fish, vegetables, stocks, soups and sauces. Whole pepper corns roasted together with meat to give that little spice/peppery flavor while ground black pepper I used as flavoring or seasoning/finishing taste for every cooking. In some spiced cooking I always put the whole pepper corns together with other spices, as, if you used it whole less peppery taste then using ground.  I also used it to make anyone (who talks a lot) near me to sneeze by putting that pepper powder near their nose… haha!





Uses for health and healing:
The 5th century ‘Syriac Book of Medicine’ prescribes pepper for such illness as constipation, diarrhea, earache, gangrene, heart disease, hernia, hoarseness, indigestion, insects bites, insomnia, joint pain, liver problems, lung disease, oral abscesses, sunburn, tooth decay and toothache.


Other uses:
Pepper spray is used for self protection, guess who use it? and having this device in their handbag? Pepper oil was processed and used as ingredients in perfume industries.


Note: before I made this article, I never know that herbs is the reason why in the old days sailor traveled but it also stated in history that they are actually looking for herbs for business purposes, not to discover the world which later has become primary purpose for them and herbs was that precious in the past… which proved people does love to eat good food… correct me if I am wrong… ;)

Info taken from wikepedia.com


And as bonus…

Peppery Beef



Ingredients:
500gm tenderloin beef (dice)
Corn oil
5 cloves garlic (sliced)
5 nos shallots (sliced)
5 nos red chilies (sliced)
1 nos red bell pepper (julienne)
2 tsp cumin
2 tbsp black pepper corn
5 tbsp tomato sauce
2 tbsp chili paste
150 ml beef stock
Salt

Method:
Heat up a non sticky pan add 2 tbsp corn oil and sauté beef until dried or light brown color (at this stage, you might add some salt). Mean time, heat up a sauce pot, put in 2 tbsp corn oil and sauté garlic and shallot until fragrance. Add in tomato sauce and chili paste, stir, add in beef stock, cumin and pepper corns, cook to boil. Low fire and simmer, add in red chilies, bell pepper and beef, stir. Check seasoning, add salt to taste. Cover pot let it cook/simmer for about 8 to 10 minutes.  Ready to be served.

Tips: you can actually cook them straight in one pot/pan but I sautéed the beef first because I like the beef to be colored and to get rid of their water, as the juice would give a dirt texture in the sauce. Some people would hate whole pepper corns in this dish but it is less hot than using ground and you could actually use ground pepper but remember to put less the amount, also you can actually eat that pepper corn. Dish is nice to be served with rice together with other dishes for family lunch or dinner. If you are using tough beef part simmer it longer to tenderize the meat and add more stock.

Note: this is much of a peppery tasted beef than spicy, as it is not that hot at all.

I hope you enjoy reading and have a great time… ;)


Regards, Chef Nash

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Garlic...

>> Tuesday 15 September 2009

Assalamualaikum and Salam Sejahtera to all...


Vernacular name: Garlic, Bawang Putih
Botanical name: Allium Sativum
Family: Liliaceae                                         
            
Garlic was believed to be originated in Asia, where it has become naturalized and grows wild. Now it is grown in many countries around the world, the largest is produced by China with approximately 10.5 million annually followed by India, South Korea, Russia and United States. Garlic is easy to grow all year round in mild climate. In cold climates, cloves can be planted in the ground about six weeks before the soil freezes and harvested in late spring.                    

Garlic is a close relative to onion, shallot, leek and chives. For thousands years it has been used for both medical and culinary purposes, dating at least as far back as the time that the Giza Pyramid were built. Traditional English Cuisine was rarely using garlic but much more common ingredient used in Mediterranean Europe. In the account of Korea's establishment as a nation, gods were said to have given mortal women with bear and tiger temperaments an immortal's black garlic before mating with them. This is genetically unique six-clove garlic that was to have given the women supernatural powers and immortality. This garlic is still cultivated in a few mountain areas today.                                 
                    
                                
Nutrition content: 63-68% water, 28% carbohydrate, 3-7% protein, 0.2-0.3% fat, 0.8% fiber, allium compounds and sulfur compounds.                            
       
Uses in food:
Garlic is a fundamental component in many dishes of various regions. The flavor varies in intensity and aroma with different cooking methods and often paired with onion, ginger and tomato. Mixing garlic with eggs and olive oil produces aioli. Garlic, oil, and a chunky base produce skordalia. Blending garlic, almond oil, and soaked bread produces ajoblanco.  Blending garlic with butter and herbs and applied on breads will create varieties of classic cuisine like garlic bread, bruschetta, crostini and canapé.
         
Garlic powder has a different taste from fresh garlic, one fresh clove of garlic is equivalent to 1/8 teaspoon of powdered garlic. Using fresh garlic also much more nutritious than powdered.
       
Garlic is essential in my cooking, not only for its flavoring purposes but also for its nutritious content. I would say most of my dishes using garlic, sliced, crush, chopped or blended. I use it in soups, stocks, sauces, meat, fish, chicken, noodle, veggies and fritters. Not using garlic for me I am missing one important ingredient, which is why garlic has a place in my kitchens all the time. 
                     
                        
Uses in health and healing:
Garlic has element of antibacterial, antiviral and antifungal activity.  It is claimed to help prevent heart disease and cancer.  Garlic is also allegedly to help regulate blood sugar level. In modern naturopathy, garlic is used as a treatment for intestinal worms and other intestinal parasites. The cloves are used as a remedy for infection, digestive disorders, and fungal infections. Garlic is chopped and mixed with honey to cured asthma, cough and chest pain.                   

                
Other uses:
Garlic is used to prevent insects, the liquid is brushed at door frame to avoid snake from entering. Many cultures have used garlic as protection against demons.

                    
Side effects:
Garlic is known for causing halitosis, as well as causing sweat to have a pungent 'garlicky' smell which is caused by Allyl methyl sulfide (AMS). AMS is a gas which is absorbed into the blood during the metabolism of garlic; from the blood it travels to the lungs (and from there to the mouth causing bad breath) and skin where it is exuded through skin pores. Washing the skin with soap is only a partial and imperfect solution to the smell.

                   
And as a bonus, a healthy soup recipe...
Garlic and Cauliflower cream soup
 

Ingredients:
100gm cloves garlic (sliced)
250gm cauliflower (trimmed and cut)
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
200ml cream
800ml chicken stock
Salt and pepper                            
                      
Method:
Heat up a pot and add in ‘evoo’. Sautee garlic until fragrance and then put in cauliflower, stir.  Add in stock and bring to boiled, then add in cream, stir. Low fire, let soup simmer until cauliflower soft. Blend soup thru food processor until fine and put back in the pot, check seasoning and soup ready to be served.
Dish garnish with ‘Tarragon garlic bread’, Basil oil and fried crispy garlic.
Tips: you may use different type of stock, for eg; veggie stock for vegetarian.                                   

Regards, Chef Nash
    

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Cinnamon...

>> Friday 11 September 2009

Assalamualaikum and Salam Sejahtera to all...


Vernacular name: Cinnamon, Cassia, Kayu Manis         
Botanic name: Cinamomom Verum         
Family: Lauraceae                    
         
Cinnamon is a type of spice that was obtained from the tree’s bark. It was believed to be originated from Sri Lanka where until today is the highest supplier of cinnamon in the world. It is now planted in many places around Middle East and spread to Asia.               

There is two different type of Cinnamon from different species of trees grown from different region. True Cinnamon or Ceylon Cinnamon comes from Sri Lanka which is one of the best qualities Cinnamon. Cassia comes from Indonesia also called Kayu Manis in local dialect. Some comes from China, India, Brazil and Vietnam.  All Cinnamons from these regions is mostly similar but high quality Cinnamon/Cassia is very thin, smooth bark with a light yellowish brown color and has a highly fragment aroma.
          
           
Cassia also named as Cinnamon in the market.
             
Uses in food:
Cinnamon is mostly used in food as spice and flavoring. In some places, they use it in chocolate preparation.  It is also used in preparation of desserts like, fruit pie, buns, candies and tea. In some places liquor manufacturers used cinnamon as ingredient in their product.  Cinnamon is one of the key ingredients for curry paste which is mixed with some other ingredients like curry, cumin, turmeric and ginger.                 

I used cinnamon a lot in my cooking especially in stocks, soups, paste cooking like curries and korma.  I also used cinnamon in my apple pie. The bark also used to produce oil for flavoring, processed food, sweetener and drinks.                
          

Uses for health and healing:
Through research Cassia is an effective treatment for ‘type 2 diabetes’. It is also used traditionally to treat toothache and fight bad breath. Decoction is used to stimulate blood flows and aid digestion. It is also as cured for diarrhea, high fever, influenza, skin problems and bloated.      


     Cassia (left) and Cinnamon, can you spot the different?


Other uses:
Cinnamon oil is used in perfume, cosmetic industries, and soap. It is also used as eugenol to make artificial vanilla.  Seed oil is used to make expensive candle while oil from the bark is used in toothpaste and parametrical product.
                                   

Info taken from ‘Terapi Alami Rempah-Ratus Khasiat Makanan & Ubatan by Ong Hean Chooi’ malay version and Wikepedia.com
   
Note:  I wrote this article as simple as I could for my study and understanding more about product I used in food or other purposes. Its knowledge for me and sharing it is for you to know.  I personally thank you for reading this and hope that we benefit from it.  If you want to read more info about Cinnamon please check out where I took the info from.                 


Chef Nash

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Saffron...

>> Tuesday 8 September 2009

Assalamualaikum and Salam Sejahtera to all...




Vernacular Name: Saffron, Zafran
Botanical Name: Crocus Sativus L.
Family Name: Iridadeae                     

Saffron was believed to be originated in Mediterranean area, now it is widely planted in Europe, Middle east, and spread further to east part of the world. Unfortunately, I can’t grow Saffron at my backyard because it need moderate dry and cold atmosphere. It is known that the best saffron were found in middle east… or is it somewhere else?                       

Saffron was claimed to be the most expensive herbs in the world and for that not much quantity to be used in food, that is for costing reason.                 

Content: cineol, carotene, crocatine, crocine, likopen, essence oil, picrocrocin, pinean, safronal and zeaxantine.          

Uses on food: as flavoring, as herbs and colouring.                

My style: I usually used saffron in creamy sauce because of the colouring, red-ish yellow. Taste wise, I usually put about 10 to 15 nos per portion as adding too much saffron will spoiled other ingredients. Saffron are nice with seafood especially prawns. I also add saffron in my coffee and I called it ‘Kupi SaprunKu’. I don’t used saffron so much because of its high price but I drink it with my coffee… ;)                  

Uses for health: the female saffron can heal asthma, cough and fit. It is also can cure irregular menstrual cycle for women.                

Other uses: Some people use saffron for coloring in textile but I don’t think they can afford it since saffron is so expensive.   

       

Saffron is consider my top 10 list of herbs but never the best as
it is only nice for some food (little) not much but taste wise...
Love it a lot...
                         
                   
            
 

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Ginger...

Assalamualaikum and Salam Sejahtera to all...


Vernacular Name : Ginger, Halia, Jahe, Atuja
Botanical Name :  Zingiber Officinale Roscoe
Family : Zingiberaceae                      

Ginger or Halia is a kind of root spice or herb, was believed to be originated from South Asia.  It is now planted in many places like India, West Africa and the Caribbean.  There are many uses from Ginger, some mainly as medicine, spice for food and drink as tea.                      


 Old ginger, looks nearly dried and more fibrous.


Uses in food:
Young ginger rootstocks are juicy and fleshy with a very mild taste, it is often pickled in vinegar or cooked as ingredient in many dishes. It is also used as spice for meat, chicken, fish, rice, soup, and vegetables.  Stewing ginger can produced ginger tea.
                          
Old Ginger roots are fibrous and looks nearly dry, it produced dried ginger and ginger powder. It is used as spice for meat, chicken, fish, rice and vegetables.
                                   
Ginger also acts as a useful preservative, it has been proven to kill the harmful becteria, Salmonella. In some places ginger are made into candy, flavors for cake, cookies and crackers.  It is the main flavor for popularly known carbonated drinks ginger ale and ginger beer.
                           
Content:
Fresh ginger: 81% water, 12% carbohydrate, 2.3% protein, 1% fat, 2.5% fiber, essence oil and oleoresin.     
Dried Ginger: 10% water, 40-60% carbohydrate, 10-20% protein, 10% fat, 2-10% fiber, essence oil and oleoresin.            

Uses for health and healing:
Leaves are to be chopped and the juice (by pressing thru clothes) is placed on body parts to cured malaria, diarrhea, high fever, headache and problem food digestion. Rootstocks are to be boiled/stewed and juice to be drunk for curing colds and sore throat. It is an effective cured for nausea that is caused by seasickness, morning sickness and chemotherapy.   
       
Young ginger...
Other uses:
Ginger oil is used in cosmetic industry, perfume and pharmacy product.

  

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I am Herbed!!!

>> Sunday 6 September 2009

Assalamualaikum and Salam Sejahtera to all...


My name is Chef Nash from http://obcces.blogspot.com and this is my herbs blog... actually I already have a blog about herb at http://herbsglobe.blogspot.com but decided to discontinue it there and continue here... I kinda like this blog add "I am her bed!!!" see whats that mean?? like that a lot, so hopefully with this new add, i'll get to post as many as herbs that I love so much and share my knowledge to everyone...

Herbs in Webster’s new world dictionary is any seed plant whose stems withers away annually, use as medicine, seasoning, etc.                       

Herbs in Chef’s guide to nyaman cooking (haha, this book definitely don’t exist, I just made it up) is seeds, plant, bushes or leaves that are highly nutritious and highly flavored to enrich your dishes.               
There are many uses of herbs generally, famously used as medicine.  In cooking, Chefs use herbs as modifying flavors of their creation dishes, some use it as garnish. (mind that most chefs doesn’t really bother about their nutritious fact as long as the food taste good and unique, good enough). 
              
I will try to make the content of this blog as simple as it could for me to review and learn about herbs that I used or 'want to know better'. You can reach me at http://obcces.blogspot.com or mail me at obcces@live.com, any comment you may tag it in the comment box.

So, I hope we all benefits from this blog and yes... "I am herbed!!! how about you?"

 
Regards, Chef Nash

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Herbs is life...

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