Herbal Explanations

One of the most common questions I get is on the use of herbs and spices. We all have them in the cabinets, and some of us have gardens or patios full of them growing.

I'm going to start this week with five of the most popular flavorings. If you've got additional questions, please feel free to e-mail me and I'll cover them in future columns.

Basil is most commonly used in Italian cuisine, and it is a vital ingredient in tomato-based pasta sauces. However, don't let yourself be limited by that. Crumble fresh basil leaves over baked meats, roll it up in roast leg of lamb, scatter it on baked or broiled white-fleshed fish, and chop it into salsa. To wake up the house at breakfast time, use some in your Saturday morning scrambled eggs. The sweet, faintly minty (it's in the mint family) aroma will have the neighbors coming over for a plateful.

Cinnamon isn't just for oatmeal or toast anymore. This noble spice, derived from the bark of laurel trees, most often the cassia, is among the most potent of aromatics. Buy it in small quantities, as the aroma will fade quickly once it's ground. It's most often used in baking and desserts, frequently paired with fruits such as apples and oranges for flavor. It also matches very well with chocolate.

Put some stick cinnamon to work in another way, though, as an aromatic addition in the body cavity of your next roast chicken or turkey. With some rosemary and basil, it will lend a distinctive flavor to your poultry.

Oregano comes from two main sources: Mexico and the Mediterranean region. The Mexican variety is generally a bit stronger, but the two are really interchangeable. It pairs well with basil in pasta applications, and is the spice to use for pizza topping. Its distinctive aroma puts almost everyone in mind of a hot, cheesy slice of pizza goodness.

However, don't let your oregano explorations end there. Combine it with olive oil and sauté chicken, fish or fresh vegetables; or mix it with melted butter and a touch of lemon juice to kick up your seafood dipping sauce. You'll never use "plain" clarified butter again. It's best used crushed in a mortar and pestle or chopped fine by hand or in a food processor.

Thyme, another mint relative, is one of the few herbs that's actually used as often and as well dried and ground as fresh off the plant. It is primarily used in poultry stuffing and sauces, especially tomato-based ones; although it makes a great addition to rubs for any meat. It's a must for savory custards, and also works especially well with fish dishes.

For an appetizer surprise, sprinkle a dusting of ground thyme over sliced Swiss or Havarti cheese and put the slices on a stout wheat cracker. Like basil, thyme can also add an unexpected element to your breakfast plate as a scrambled egg add-in.

Sage is the best friend meat ever found in your herb garden. It truly shines when added to sausage, and pairs well with any sort of roasted meat. The uses for this herb are honestly too varied to list here. It's best to familiarize yourself with what it does for your favorite breads, meats, soups and veggie dishes and then branch out. Add a little bit to your favorite casserole recipe the first time out, then adjust to your liking on subsequent tries.

A word to the wise: ground sage is MUCH more potent than the whole leaf form, and is absorbed more readily by meats when rubbed on. Use a light hand at first until you've decided your preferences.

I've had fresh sage leaves in a salad of baby greens, and with a balsamic vinaigrette, I could almost convert to a vegetarian diet.

Nah. Not really. But it is very tasty!

Q: I would like to know when to use extra virgin olive oil and when to use just olive oil. I watch a lot of cooking shows and some use EVOO and then some use reg OO I know the EVOO will smoke quicker compared to regular. At the present time I reach and grab. Whatever hits my hand is the oil I use. Is there set of rules when to use which oil? --Gary J.

A: As a rule, I only break out the extra virgin when its flavor is very important, like in a salad dressing. Generally, if I'm pan-cooking, I'm using regular olive oil. You may see TV chefs use nothing but extra virgin, but they've got the budgets for that. Those of us back down here on Earth need to save the expensive stuff for when it'll have the most impact.

Q: Why is the roast beef that you get at the deli is pink or red in the center of the meat? I thought the meat was to be cooked through, and if it showed red or pink in the center that would inform you that the meat is not fully cooked. Am I wrong about this? I have to cook my roast beef, when I take it home. I can't eat it like that. -- Brenda Brooks

A: It's all about contamination and food safety, Brenda, and while I applaud your caution, you're depriving yourself of some really good eating in the process.

Ground beef and other ground meat products that you do not grind yourself should ALWAYS be thoroughly cooked. Basically, the more steps a meat product goes through before it gets to you, the greater the chance for contamination. Things like beef roasts and steaks are cut directly from the primal, or massive slab of cow, and thus the risk of contamination is far less. I prefer my ribeyes "lightly wounded," and I consider anything beyond medium rare roast beef to be an offense against nature.

Is there any risk from eating medium-rare roast beef? Of course there is. There is risk in eating anything, anytime, anywhere. Is it enough risk to make you recook it? That's for you to decide. Personally, I wouldn't pay $9 a pound for good deli roast beef just to bring it home and turn it into jerky.

Got a question for Ask The Cook? A quandary? A poser, even? Drop me a line and we'll find the answers together!