Monday, June 25, 2012

Simple Culinary Pleasures


     I love using fresh herbs in my meals, not only for their flavor, but also for the health benefits they provide.  The aroma of fresh herbs totally delights my senses so I love handling them.  Cilantro, mint, parsley, and basil are  my favorites and  turmeric, cinnamon, all spice, cloves, cumin, ginger, lemon grass, chicken broth, coconut milk, and garlic are my other  favorite seasonings.                                                                 





To preserve the freshness of their aroma and taste, and  to avoid wasting left over fresh herbs, I chop them  into small pieces and put them in an ice tray, cover with water, freeze, and store them in a plastic bag in the freezer.  The individual cubes can be used to flavor soups and other dishes which call for herbs.  I also freeze chicken broth and coconut milk in ice trays and take out the desired amounts to use in cooking as needed. 

To keep herbs fresh in the refrigerator, I  wrap them in absorbent paper towels ( I prefer Bounty, they just are the best as far as I am concerned) or I line the crisper drawer with paper towels.  I place the herbs in opened plastic bags which allows the air to circulate. 

If you can control the humidity on the crisper drawers, set it to high humidity for vegetables and low humidity for most fruits. This is just a general rule of thumb because each fruit or vegetables has a preference for  a certain level of humidity.   Keep the fruit and vegetable compartment, as as well as the rest of the refrigerator, about half full to allow for  better circulation of air, which helps preserve  food longer.   Washing  fruits and vegetables before storing them can hasten mold and decay so I avoid that.  

When storing fruits and vegetables in the refrigerator I prefer leaving them in their natural state, unpeeled and uncut.  When storing a  watermelon for example, I  cut off the amount I intend to eat from one end,  leaving the remaining rind intact, then wrapping the cut end to keep it air tight while in the refrigerator. I personally believe this preserves the flavor of the food better than peeling and cutting it into pieces. The more the pulp is exposed to air,  the greater loss of flavor. 

Being frugal for me is the same as being respectful and appreciative of all life.  I respect and appreciate the life force which resides in the food and I honor it by taking thoughtful action when I prepare, store,  and eat it. 

Demonstrating  respect for even inanimate objects like plants, creates in me feelings of  fondness, peacefulness, and gratitude.  This is how I want to experience my life, conscious and fully appreciating all things.   A Zen moment with watermelon, aahh, a simple, culinary pleasure. 


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