New cook curious about exotic spices, herbs

Heloise
Heloise

Dear Heloise: What are charnushka, cardamom and chervil? Are they different or the same thing? I just started cooking for myself, as a single guy, and these spices are new to me.-Jason D., Jackson Hole, Wyo.

Jason, charnushka generally is used in Armenian, Lebanese and Indian cooking. New York bakeries often put charnushka seeds on Jewish rye because of their smoky-flavored taste. Cardamom are tiny seeds with a lemon-ginger taste, often used in bakeries, and are popular in Scandinavia. Chervil has a slightly sweet flavor, and is used on fish, potato and egg salads and vegetables. It closely resembles parsley.

FYI: Ground spices will last one to two years if stored in airtight containers away from heat, moisture and light.-Heloise

 

GRILLING SAFETY

Dear Heloise: Now that summer is here and a lot of folks are grilling outside, maybe it's time to remind them of some basic "never" rules:

  •     Never use a charcoal grill indoors.
  •     Never add starter fluid to hot or warm coals.
  •     Never wear loose-fitting clothing (especially sleeves) around a grill.
  •     Never grill near dry grass, brush or other flammable items.

-Thomas H., Royal Oak, Mich.

 

MICROWAVE

REHEATING HINTS

Dear Readers: I get many letters asking about using a microwave to reheat things, so here are the most commonly requested food items:

Coffee (1 cup in glass or porcelain): high for 1 to 1 1/2 minutes.

Baby food (4 ounces in the jar with lid removed): 20-30 seconds.

Buns and rolls (two at room temp): reheat 10-15 seconds.

Hot dogs (two at refrigerator temperature, wrapped loosely in paper towel): reheat 1 1/2 minutes.

Rice (1 cup, cooked, in a covered glass container): reheat 1 1/2 to 2 minutes.

-Heloise

 

EGGS AND VINEGAR

Dear Heloise: Some of the best beauty products are right in your kitchen. I take the white of one egg and an artist's paintbrush and apply it to my face while I lie down and rest. When it dries, I take the yolk from that egg and use it with my shampoo to wash my hair, then do a final rinse with vinegar and water.-Nancy H., Harvey, Ill.

 

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