Tantalizing Turmeric

                                               Turmeric is the root of a flowering plant

Google turmeric and you’ll be presented with 62 million articles in a nano second.   Turmeric has recently been widely touted as a food supplement for its supposed anti-inflammatory properties.   This article, however, looks at turmeric solely from a culinary standpoint.

                                                   Ginger & turmeric are cousins 

Turmeric is a member of the ginger family.  It’s easy to see the familial resemblance between these two as fresh turmeric root looks similar to ginger root.  However, once peeled, the interior of these two is quite different in that turmeric is bright orange.   Most likely native to India, turmeric is what gives curry its vibrant yellow-orange color.

Turmeric is actually the quasi root of a flowering perennial plant.  It requires warm temperatures and lots of water.  The hot and humid weather of India and South Asia offer perfect conditions and turmeric grows wild in their forests.   It’s no wonder that the cuisines of both India and the countries of southern Asia are replete with recipes that utilize turmeric.   However, turmeric is also widely used in Middle Eastern cooking and North African recipes.

 

                             Many different turmerics are available in this Istanbul market 

Most turmeric is used in the form of a dried, ground powder to impart an intense color.  It is the principal ingredient in curry powders.  Turmeric gives not only color but provides a pungent earthy, mustard-like flavor.   Although used mostly in savory dishes, it is also used in sweet dishes such as ice-cream and baked products like cakes.  Similar to its cousin ginger, turmeric can also be used fresh in items such as Asian pickles.

                         This crowd pleaser, Chicken tikka masala, is the turmeric bomb*

My favorite use of turmeric is in one of my most beloved recipes, chicken tikka masala:

 https://cafedelites.com/chicken-tikka-masala/

*compliments of TripAdvisor 

When Life Gives you Lemons, Preserve Them!

               Our lemon tree has a bumper crop which means preserved lemons for all of 2021!

I first learned about preserved lemons in a Moroccan cooking class I took >30 years ago at a famous Moroccan restaurant in San Francisco.  I had eaten at the restaurant and been taken by the unique, intensely lemon flavors of a chicken “tagine,”  a braised stew which was unlike anything I had ever tasted.   There was an enticing depth of flavor I couldn’t place.  In the cooking class I learned this unknown flavor profile was preserved lemons.

                                      Chicken tagine is one of the classical dishes of Morocco

Preserved lemons are the culinary backbone of Morocco’s cooking, but also are important in the cuisine of Morocco’s neighbors (e.g. Libya, Algeria and Tunisia).  But it’s not just North Africa that uses this condiment.    Lemons which have been preserved also appear in Cambodian, Indian and Pakistani dishes.

         Preserved lemons (called "pickled lemons") are used in this signature soup from Cambodia

Historically, preserving lemons was done as a practical method of utilizing the fruit long after its season, and for transporting it far away from where it was grown.   The earliest reference to preserved lemons is an 11^th century account of North African cuisine.   The first recipe known using preserved lemons appears in 12^th century in Egypt.

 Preserved lemons require little prep time but definite  patience in waiting for them to "cure" (1 month)

So, how does one preserve lemons?   It’s easy-peasy.   Think of this condiment as a form of salt-cured “canning.”  No fancy canning equipment, however, is needed.  Lemons and salt are the only two ingredients.   You’ll need glass jars with a secure lid (I use pint canning jars----I avoid larger jars as a little of this condiment goes on a long way).  Moroccan cookbook author and instructor, Kitty Morse, has conducted several cooking classes at our home in Vista.  Here’s her family recipe from Morocco:

https://www.kittymorse.com/category/welcome-page/preserved-lemons-lemons-moroccan-preserved-lemons-salted-lemons

Preserved lemons add a big punch of flavor.  Think of heavy citrus with floral notes from the oils in the peel, layered with an irresistible complexity.   Why not try this special flavor for something new in 2021?   Just Google “chicken tagine recipe” and you’ll have more than 1.5 million choices.

Here's to trying something new in 2021!