Herbs

Herbs and spices are the gourmet cook's secret. Otherwise plain food can be made special by adding these to your cooking, and they can be especially helpful if you trying to cut down on salt and fats.

What is the difference between an herb and a spice?

Herbs are usually grown in the Northern Hemisphere, and the parts used are the leaves, roots, flowers and seeds. Spices almost always grow in the Southern Hemisphere and the parts used are the nuts, fruits, seeds and bark.

There are no hard fast rules for cooking with herbs and spices but here are some rules of thumb:

• Don't season more than one dish in a meal with the same herb.
• Every item on your menu does not need to be herbed, two or three at the most is enough.
• Don't worry too much about the "proper" herb, if you don't have what the recipe calls for, substitute another.
• Whole herb leaves are a better choice than ground or powdered herbs; they hold their flavor longer in storage, and can be pulverized just before using.
• Fresh or dried herbs can be used in cooking, for a fresh herb use 4 time the amount of dried; 1 tsp. dried = 4 tsp. fresh. Most herbs are added near the end of cooking, the primary exception being parsley, which is added at beginning and end.

Savory Blend

• 1 Tbs. dried summer savory 1 Tbs. basil
• ¼ cup parsley 1 Tbs. sage
• 1 Tbs. marjoram 1 Tbs. onion salt
• 1 Tbs. thyme

Procedure:

With the blender set at a low speed, sprinkle the herbs in a little at a time and allow to blend for 5 seconds after each addition. Place in an airtight container.

In addition to adding to your cooking you can make mustards, butters, jellies and vinegars with herbs.