27
Feb

Beef, For Chefs, On Herbs, On Spices, Product News

Just where, and how, did Corned Beef get its name?

Posted on February 27, 2023 by Dan Lowry

With St. Patrick’s Day right around the corner, we’ll spare you all of the usual traditional Irish phrases and “corny” or should we say “corned-e” history lessons.

Save one.

Did you know that the word “corned” in reference to the popular curing of meats actually comes NOT from the residents of Cornwall, England, (the Cornish), but, (according to most historians), from the fact that the original meats used in this preservation process, were preserved using, among other ingredients, salt.

Not just any salt, but salt, potassium nitrate, the size of corn kernels.

This corn sized salt is supposedly responsible for the name “corned”.

Interestingly, it’s a phrase actually attributed to the English, not the Irish, even though the Irish were more well known for their salt cured and processed meat recipes.

Of course, today’s recipes still use salt, (most often kosher or sea salt to avoid the iodine taste), but it’s much finer.

We also, nowadays, use a different meat that was originally chosen by both the English and the Irish for “corning”, which was pork.

Usually from the belly.

In England, and throughout Britain, pork was cheap and plentiful for the commoners who prepared this dish.

Beef however, was a luxury.

All that changed when their migration to America began. Beef was more plentiful, and relatively cheap.

The switch was on.

One thing did stay the same. They stuck with the same primal cuts of beef, as they once used from the hog.

That is, the belly or brisket.

Corned beef was here to stay and became the preferred meat for this corned dish, now so closely associated with Ireland and St. Patrick’s Day.

What about Pastrami?

The difference between corned beef and pastrami.

There are a lot of similarities between corned beef and pastrami but there are some significant differences as well.

Here is a simple explanation:

The similarities are:

They come from the same “general” vicinity of the animal (the brisket or belly/navel/deckle/plate area). Corned beef almost exclusively from the brisket cut and pastrami mostly from the plate or navel area).
They are both cooked with moist heat (not roasted.)
Both are cured.
Both make iconic deli sandwiches!

The differences are:

Corned beef is boiled or simmered while pastrami is generally steamed.
Pastrami is smoked, corned beef is not
The seasonings are slightly different, generally, pastrami is a bit more seasoned and uses black pepper prominently.

Whether you enjoy preparing Corned Beef OR Pastrami, one of the things that you can always know is that the Red Goose Spice company not only has all the herbs and spices you need to create both of these amazing and historic dishes, but we carry a Pickling Spice Blend that is just outstanding!

This is no wimpy, off the supermarket shelf, down the middle of the road pickling spice recipe, but instead, chocked full of crushed bay leaves, cinnamon, mustard seed, allspice berries, whole black pepper, coriander, whole chiles, dill seed and whole cloves.

And amazing blend for amazing results.

27
Feb

For Chefs, On Herbs, On Spices, Product News

5 Chef Tips for the BEST Corned Beef In Town!

Posted on February 27, 2023 by Dan Lowry

For most Chef’s, preparing a Corned Beef brisket isn’t something you do every day.

It may actually be something that you only tackle once a year?

These 5 TIPS will give you a great start in making this years Corned Beef Dinner one of the best ever.

The first thing you have to decide is whether you’re buying a pre-cured brisket or, curing one of your own.

If it’s the latter, you’d better start now because typically, a brisket takes at least 7 days to properly cure.

The good news is that the Red Goose Spice Company makes a fabulous Pickling Spice Blend that is simply amazing and it’s our TIP # 1, right out of the gate.

From there, consider these 4 additional tips.

Trim your brisket and then totally submerge it throughout the refrigerated curing process, in this curing brine recipe below for a whole, 5-to-6-pound brisket. The optional pink curing salt is not essential.

Corned Beef Brine

1 Gallon Water

1 1/2 cups Kosher or Sea salt

1/3 cup Granulated Sugar

1/3 cup Light Brown Sugar

1/3 cup Red Goose Pickling Spice Blend

1 TBSP Pink Curing Salt / Prague Powder #1 (Sodium Nitrate) Optional.

Place all of the above ingredients in a sauce pot of sufficient size, and bring to a simmer.
Remove from the heat and refrigerate the brine until cold, leaving all the pickling spice in the brining liquid.
Once the brine is cold, place your raw brisket in a non-reactive pan or food service storage container and pour the brine over the brisket to cover. Weight down the brisket so that it stays completely beneath the surface of the brine at all times.
Cover the container and keep it in a secure area of the fridge.
Inspect the brisket daily to be sure it remains beneath the brine. You may turn it over every other day to ensure the brisket is being evenly cured.
Brine for a minimum of 7 days. 10 is even better.

Ok, so, if you’ve “corned” your own brisket, wonderful. Regardless, our # 2 TIP gives you a bit of additional flavor AND color to both the brisket and to your resulting broth.

Once your brisket is cured, rinse off any brine, pat it dry, then add a bit of vegetable oil to a MEDIUM hot pan, or griddle, and sear it on both sides until lightly browned. Nice and slow now, not too hot and don’t let it get too browned.

Remove the brisket from the pan and then sauté a couple of white onions, 2 large carrots and 2 ribs of celery, all cut in 1” to 1 ½” pieces. While sauteing, throw in a few whole garlic cloves at the end. The vegetable should have just a bit of color.

You’re sautéing these vegetable to extract some of their sulfur in the onions (and garlic), which in turn will make the resulting broth a bit better.

So, what are the best ways to cook corned beef brisket?

Depending on the number of briskets you’re cooking and the equipment available to you, you have a number of options at this point.

Sous Vide
Slow Cooker / Crock Pot
Braising (Covered in the Oven)
Range Top Simmering (The Traditional Method)

For all of the above cooking choices, we recommend that you strain the original brine mixture, and save the resulting herbs and spices.

TIP # 3 Rather than using just water and a bit of the spices, to cook the brisket in, consider using ½ water and ½ low sodium beef broth or stock. Other options are apple cider and water.

TIP # 4 Sous Vide is considered to be, by far, the best method of cooking corned beef but unfortunately it has some drawbacks, the first being that you may not even HAVE a Sous Vide device, and even if you do, not one large enough to cook a good size brisket… or 2 or 3.

If you do however, we recommend cutting the briskets in half, placing each half in a sous vide bag, then adding 1 tablespoon of the pickling spice, half of the sauteed vegetables and approximately a cup of the water/broth mixture before vacuuming the bag.

Set your Sous Vide for 180 F and your timer for 10 hours. You should have a tender, succulent and juicy brisket you’ll absolutely love.

A second sous vide option is to simply rinse the brisket after fully brining, then vacuum sealing with no additional garnishment, vegetables, spices OR liquids in the bag.

For the remaining 3 cooking choices, the procedures are pretty much the same.

Place the seared brisket in the crock pot, the stove top pot or in a brasier, add the sauteed vegetables, a tablespoon or two of the pickling spice, then your liquids.

If you choose the crock pot and braising method, you only need enough liquid to barely cover. For the stove top method, you’ll want to have nearly double as it is (generally) uncovered.

Cooking times comparison:

Sous Vide: 10 Hours at 180 F.

Crock Pot: 8 hours on a LOW setting to 5 hours on a high setting.

Oven Braising: 3 to 4 hours at 325 F.

Stove Top Simmering: 3 to 4 hours (simmering in liquids)

Once your corned beef briskets are fully cooked, remove them from the cooking broth and reserve until sliced. The broth itself can be strained and used as a jus or, used to cook the traditional vegetable garnishes including cabbage, small potatoes, onions and carrots.

Lastly, our # 5 TIP is that you don’t need “Irish Luck” to successfully cook a delicious corned beef brisket dinner this St. Patrick’s Day.

And that’s no blarney.

08
Nov

Culinary Education, Festivals, For Chefs, Mustard, New Customers, On Spices, Product News

Make Your OWN Prepared Mustard!

Posted on November 8, 2022 by Dan Lowry

Prepared mustard.

It’s in nearly every fridge or pantry in the modern world and used in, or on, thousands of dishes ranging from the classic and iconic, to today’s contemporary recipes.

The list is simply exhausting!

Salad dressings, sauces, deviled eggs, potato salad, beef, lamb, pork, seafood, and of course, on our beloved hot dogs.

Yet as ubiquitous as prepared mustard around the world, it’s a recipe rarely made in our homes, or, in professional kitchens?

Why is that?

Because it’s beyond simple to make.

Mustard surely gets enough love otherwise. In fact, there are numerous festivals all around the world extolling mustard’s culinary virtues.

From Napa Valley, California to Berlin, Germany, mustard festivals are held each year and feature famous dozens of contests.

Famous Chefs at these events offer demonstrations, and there are numerous opportunities to feast on fabulous dishes using mustard in every imaginable way.

How is prepared mustard made?

Let’s look at how a prepared mustard recipe is made. Maybe, along the way, you’ll discover that it’s something you’d really enjoy making in your kitchen.

“House” prepared mustard is a pretty impressive (and very simple) way to add a distinctive and artisanal flair to your menus.

The basic ingredients needed to make mustard can be as simple as mustard and a liquid. The method however, can done in one of 2 ways.

Soak the whole seeds in the liquid, then blend or grind the mustard seeds into a paste. Or,
Grind the seeds to the desired fineness BEFORE adding your liquids. The additional grinding afterwards isn’t necessary.

Chemistry in action.

There’s a lot of chemical stuff going on when you make mustard.

The “heat, or bite” that comes from prepared mustard is within the seeds, and then it reacts with the liquids. So, breaking the seeds open is a part of the process.

It’s already been done for you with powdered mustard but it’s something you must do if you’re also using whole seeds.

Spicy or mild?

Temperature “heat”, (even hot water) negates much of the chemical reaction that give you the “spicey heat” component in prepared mustards.

If you want a mustard with more of a “bite” you should use cold water.

Warm water also works, but gives you more of a “mild” mustard reaction and flavor.

Using water alone, generally only gives you a few days (or less) of great mustard flavor. This can, (and should) be “stabilized”, by adding an acid (such as vinegar, lemon juice or horseradish) and some salt.

It also gives you that traditional taste, that most people love and accept.

Which seeds?

Three seeds used to make mustards, they are: white, brown and black.

The white mustard plant, actually makes the mustard seeds that we call yellow, and they make a very pale-yellow powder, not the bright yellow you see in the bottle. They also make a rather mild mustard while, brown and black mustard, are a bit more “robust” in flavor.

The yellow “salad” mustard you see in your grocery store is typically made with the yellow seeds from the white mustard plant with turmeric spice added for color.

The ingredient statement on a bottle of Heinz mustard reads: DISTILLED WHITE VINEGAR, MUSTARD SEED, WATER, SALT, TURMERIC, NATURAL FLAVOR AND SPICES.

Brown mustard seeds are found in many premium prepared mustards including the popular Grey Poupon brand.

Black mustard seeds (called rai) are the most pungent and the least common seed to be found in American mustards but they are popular in Southern Indian cuisines.

Many people who enjoy making prepared mustards for their kitchen prefer to use at least 2 mustard seed varieties to create a more “complex” flavor.

A common combination is a hand or machine ground, brown seed, with a white (or yellow mustard powder added as a base).

Making your prepared mustard.

Since making a prepared mustard is rather easy, try making a batch using this recipe. We think you’ll agree that adding your own house-made mustard to your culinary repertoire might just plant the “seed” for many great recipe ideas.

We’ll use method number 2 with brown mustard seeds and yellow mustard powder.

Simple Prepared Mustard

Makes about 2 cups

½ cup brown mustard seeds

1 cup ground yellow mustard powder

1 tablespoon salt

2 tsp ground turmeric (optional)

2 tablespoons honey or brown sugar (optional)

1 cup cold water

¼ Cup + 1 tablespoon apple cider or white wine vinegar

Grind the whole mustard seeds for a few seconds in a spice grinder, or by hand with a mortar and pestle. Leave the seeds only coarsely ground to give the final prepared mustard some whole seed identity.
Add the ground seeds into a non-reactive (Stainless steel or glass) mixing bowl and add the salt and mustard powder. If you choose to add the turmeric and sweetener, add that as well.
Pour in the water, then mix together well. When everything is incorporated, let this rest for at least 15 minutes, then add the vinegar.
Pour into a glass or plastic container and store in the fridge.
Your mustard will initially seem thin, but fear not, as the liquids are absorbed by the mustard, it will thicken up in a day’s time.

Perhaps the hardest part of this recipe is waiting for the mustard to fully mature, which takes at least 2 days.

You’ll be tempted to taste it right away, even the next day, but fair warning, you’ll likely be disappointed because it will taste a bit bitter as the vinegar will just be beginning its to do its transformational “mellowing”.

Having said that, if it’s your first go at it, give it a try right away, and then a few days later. You’ll definitely notice the difference!

Once you’ve made your first batch, you may want to make some tweaks to suit your own personal tastes, or to fit a particular menu item you’ve created.

Among the things you can “experiment with” are:

Changing the mustard seeds to powder ratio.
Using beer or white wine as all or part of the water
Changing the sweetener
Adding some “heat”…chopped chiles or horseradish.
Adding chopped herbs (tarragon is a very popular option)

Your finished mustard, if stored properly under refrigeration, can last up to a year. Even longer if you process it as you would any canning technique.

Of course, you’ll want to use a great source for your mustard seeds which is why so many Chefs buy their mustard seeds from the Red Goose Spice Company.

If your goal is to eventually make larger batches of mustard, we sell our mustard seeds in any size quantity that suits your seed needs.Prepared

18
Sep

Festivals, For Chefs, Mustard, Mustard Seeds. Oktoberfest, On Spices, Product News, Uncategorized

Oktoberfest Soft Pretzels with Everything Topping

Posted on September 18, 2022September 18, 2022 by Dan Lowry

Long since known for its blast on bagels, Red Goose Everything seasoning is a fabulous topping on Soft Pretzels!

Enjoy these delicious pretzels with mustard or just warm, fresh out of the oven, all on their own.

Red Goose Oktoberfest Soft Pretzels with Everything Topping

Makes 6 – 5 ounce Pretzel Sticks

2 lbs. Frozen Bread or Pizza Dough (Any Brand)

3/4 Cup Baking Soda

2 Qts. Water

½ Cup Red Goose Everything Seasoning

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Thaw frozen bread dough in the refrigerator overnight or until completely soft and pliable.
Place the water in a non-reactive saucepan or metal casserole dish of at least 2” of depth and 9” to 10” in diameter then stir in the baking soda until it dissolves. Place the solution over medium low heat until it JUST simmers.
Portion the dough into 6 equal pieces approximately 5 + ounces each.
Roll out each portion of dough into an 8″ long, thick stick. Repeat for the remaining pieces.
Let the sticks rest 5 minutes.
Place the dough sticks in the gently simmering baking water and poach on both sides approximately 2 to 3 minutes rolling over the sticks as they “poach”.
Remove the sticks with a slotted spatula and place on a non-stick baking pan (approximately 2″ apart from one another). You may also want to spray this pan lightly with a non-stick vegetable spray.
While the dough sticks are still moist and VERY sticky, sprinkle evenly, and heavily, with the EVERYTHING SEASONING so that it will stick to the dough.
Before baking, slash each dough stick with a sharp knife with diagonal cuts approximately 1/4″ deep and 1″ to 2″ apart. Bake for approximately 20 to 30 minutes or until the “Pretzel Loaves” are medium brown and baked through.
Serve plain or with your favorite mustard.

13
Aug

Culinary Education, For Chefs, On Herbs, Product News, Spice History, Uncategorized

Tarragon, Bearnaise and Beyond…

Posted on August 13, 2022August 23, 2022 by Dan Lowry

If there was a Mount Rushmore of herbs, tarragon would certainly be a strong contender.

Its glossy, slender leaves and highly aromatic, licorice/anise-like flavor, (with a bit of peppery, mint finish), is unmistakable in any dish it’s used in.

And for good reason.

Tarragon is one of the key components of the French herbs mixture known as “Fines Herbes”, which “classically”, consists of: tarragon, chervil, parsley and chives.

Some say that tarragon provides an elegant addition to so many recipes, from salads, almost ANY protein, and numerous soups and sauces as well.

Others say that it’s licorice flavor makes it a “love it, or hate it” herb. Much in the same way that some people feel about cilantro.

But make no mistake, this herb is a star among the many who know that tarragon is an essential herb in any kitchen.

The most common tarragon used in cooking is the French variety, which pairs brilliantly with chicken, fish, and in egg dishes.

With the addition of garlic and shallots, it’s also remarkable in compound butter used as a garnish over char-grilled beef steaks.

Additional varieties of tarragon include Spanish/Mexican and Russian.

But perhaps the MOST widely known use for tarragon is in the classic sauce, Bearnaise, which is a derivative of Hollandaise sauce. It’s often used not just once, but 3 times within the recipe. First as tarragon vinegar, the second, as part of the tarragon reduction, and lastly as a chopped garnish.

Each form of tarragon, introduces its own unique contribution of flavors which meld together so completely in the final sauce.

The French love this classic herb, but it’s also popular in other countries around the world, and used in salads, stews, soups, pickles, pastries and even soft drinks!

It’s also an herb which can be used in the same dish both dry and fresh as BOTH uses take on their own unique flavor properties and truly complement each other in the recipe. Such as is the case with sauce Bearnaise.

Dry VS Fresh

Tarragon’s oils intensify during the drying process.

When using dry tarragon versus fresh chopped tarragon in a recipe, the usual substitution ratio is 1 tsp dry to equal 1 tablespoon of fresh.

When you mention the word, “tarragon” nearly anyone would immediately associate it with “Sauce Bearnaise” and for that reason, it’s a good recipe to share with you here.

Bearnaise is one of 5 “Grand Sauces” that all chefs and devoted cooks learn to make early on. It’s also one, that non-professionals are told is just too difficult to even attempt.

Hollandaise sauce is made from only 4 basic ingredients, but it’s the 2 main ingredients (egg yolks and butter) that can give you real headaches if you don’t to pay attention to what you’re doing.

Here’s how you avoid the headaches, and to show you, we’ll make an average-sized recipe of Bearnaise sauce.

Start by making the tarragon Bearnaise reduction which you will add to the Hollandaise sauce once it is finished.

Set this reduction aside, THEN begin your Hollandaise sauce.

Bearnaise Reduction for Hollandaise Sauce

2 TBSP Dried Tarragon Leaves

1 TBSP Chopped Fresh Shallots

¼ Cup Cider or Tarragon Vinegar

¼ Cup White Wine (nothing too sweet)

¼ tsp Cracked Black Pepper

Simmer these ingredients together in a small saucepan until reduced to a wet paste. Be careful not to burn it!
Set it aside and NOW begin your Hollandaise sauce.

Hollandaise Sauce

Makes about 1 Cup

Before you begin to cook your egg yolks, in a microwave on the defrost setting, melt 1 ½ sticks of butter until the fat separates, and then skim off that clarified butter and reserve.
Squeeze the juice from a half lemon and reserve.
Choosing the right bowl and saucepan to make your hollandaise is super important. You want about a small-to-medium-sized saucepan and a mixing bowl that nests within the saucepan, leaving at least an inch of space from the bottom and an inch or so lip at the top. This way, you can easily lift the bowl in and out of the pan as you cook your yolks.
Put only a half inch of water in your saucepan and bring it to a simmer. You should have a space between the bottom of your mixing bowl and the water, and that will mean your egg mixture will be cooking gently over the steam and not directly on the water.
Place 2 egg yolks in your mixing bowl, and for each yolk, a half egg shell of water–in this case 2 half egg shells worth.
This step will help you to cook your egg yolks into a “pudding.” Place the bowl over the simmering water, and using a whisk, beat the egg yolk mixture on and off the steam heat (about 15 seconds each round). This method will take a bit longer to turn this raw mixture into a thickened egg pudding, but it will also prevent your mixture from cooking too fast and turning into scrambled eggs.
When the egg mixture is sufficiently cooked, the whisk will create tracks in the mixture. This will let you know it’s time for the next step.
Remove the water from the saucepan and lay a damp kitchen towel or paper towel over its mouth. Replace your bowl and nest it in snugly. This neat trick will allow you to do the next step more easily.
This step gets everyone in trouble now, but if you just take your time, there’s NO reason you should ever have a problem. You’re going to make an emulsion here by SLOWLY–and the key word is SLOWLY–adding the clarified butter to the cooked egg “pudding.” That means whisking somewhat briskly while adding the clarified butter in very small amounts, especially at first.
Start by drizzling in less than a tablespoon; don’t dump it in all at once. Drizzle it in a thin stream. Once that is incorporated, add another, the same way.
After the 3rd tablespoon, you’ll notice the mixture is getting thicker. Now is when you begin to whisk in a bit of your squeezed lemon juice–about a teaspoon. Continue alternating butter and lemon juice until they’re both used up.
The hard part is over, now all you have to do is add the tarragon mixture you made earlier. Whisk it in briskly and season with a pinch of salt if you like.

Of course, tarragon is one of THE most popular herbs sold at the Red Goose Spice Company. We stock the French variety and is available in any size container or bulk box you prefer.

07
Aug

Company News, For Brokers & Distributors, For Chefs, New Customers, On Spices, Product News

Red Goose Welcomes Cattleman’s Meats as Another Valued Customer

Posted on August 7, 2022 by Dan Lowry

Having great partners in the business world is not only a blessing, but an affirmation that you’re doing something right.

At the Red Goose Spice Company, one of our missions is to partner with Chef’s, restauranteurs, clubs, hotels, and major food service corporations throughout the United States to provide them with the seasonings they count on to provide the high-quality dishes on their menus.

Not JUST containers of oregano, granulated garlic, or paprika, but custom blended seasonings, rubs, flours and mixes as well.

All destined to be used throughout their facility, in many different ways, to produce innumerous products they prepare for their customers.

Chefs who work in the ever-growing Gourmet Grocery Retail sector of the food service business, not only see products from The Red Goose Spice Company in their kitchens, but on their grocery store shelves as well.

Both Red Goose and Savvy Goose provide retail packaged products to give the “every day” cook at home “Chef”, the opportunity to use the same seasonings that the “pros” use.

Two examples located in the Southeast, Detroit are the four Nino Salvaggio International Marketplace stores and more recently, Cattleman’s Meats, located in Centerline and Taylor, Michigan.

In both cases, the retail products produced by Savvy Goose are under the Savvy Goose brand, while all the traditional herbs, spices and blends uses for everyday cooking are produced and co-packed by Red Goose under the Salvaggio and Cattleman’s brand labels respectively.

Both markets also take advantage of Red Goose’s ability to create proprietary blends which are only offered at their locations.

Executive Chef Michael Key’s, at Cattleman’s Meats not only oversees all of the cold prepared foods offered in both full and packaged self-service, but full-service hot foods counter, an a la carte café menu, as well as their tremendously popular smokehouse and barbecue offerings sold at the store.

Beyond using the Red Goose brand herbs and spices for all of his recipes, Chef Key’s also worked with Red Goose to create a proprietary seasoning flour for his fried chicken, as well as his rubs for his smokehouse products.

Considering the many ways Red Goose and Savvy Goose can provide solutions to all your kitchen’s seasoning and coating requirements, both are excellent choices to consider as partners in your food service or retail grocery business.

17
Jul

Culinary Education, For Brokers & Distributors, For Chefs, On Spices, Product News

Are Bay Leaves REALLY Necessary?

Posted on July 17, 2022 by Dan Lowry

It comes up as a topic in kitchens all the time.

Are Bay Leaves REALLY necessary? Or are they just a time-honored tradition?

Do we stock them on our shelves, then put them in our recipes because they truly add a valuable flavor? Or, because the recipe says to.

Are they worth the effort? The cost? Do they make a difference at all?

Would anyone really notice if they weren’t there?

To that point, there are Chefs who would argue that adding Bay Leaves to most (if not all) recipes is like putting flowers on a grave.

They don’t do much for the deceased, but it makes you feel good that you did it anyway.

Is that true? Or, are they turning a blind eye, (or palate), to the fact that Bay Leaves are a legitimate, “go to” seasoning herb?

Granted, Bay Leaves, added to a recipe, aren’t going to bludgeon your palate, like say for instance, oregano or rosemary can.

Generally speaking, Bay Leaves DO add a subtle, but ever so noticeable background nuance, when added in the correct proportion to the remaining seasonings and ingredients in your recipes.

It might be likened to adding vanilla extract to a chocolate recipe. You only “seem” to taste the chocolate, but the vanilla is there lurking just below your taste perception of it, melding into the homogenous whole and rounding out the flavor.

You couldn’t admit to actually tasting the vanilla but you might likely notice its absence if it was omitted.

The chocolate wouldn’t quite taste the same.

Much is the same for Bay Leaves, especially when added to a medley of other more prominent herbs and spices in a recipe.

Could it be that the lack of their flavor contribution is more a factor of the lack of adding the necessary amount to be noticed.

What are Bay Leaves and how are they used?

Bay Leaves come from the Bay Laurel plant, which is classified as an evergreen and grow in warmer climates.

DRIED BAY LEAVES

They can be purchased and used fresh, dried, whole or ground. You can also purchase fresh leaves and dry them yourself, which typically takes about 4 weeks. From there, it’s best to store your newly dried leaves in a zip lock bag away from light and excessive heat.

FRESH BAY LEAVES

Most recipes which use Bay Leaves are for stocks, soups, sauces and stews. All of which are generally slow cooked which bring out the herbaceous aromas and flavors in Bay Leaves, that most would compare to oregano and thyme with just a hint of mint and spice.

From a use perspective, Bay Leaves should be added at the beginning of the recipe to allow the maximum amount of time for the leaves to release their flavors into the liquid. Much like making tea.

Unlike many herbs and spices which are actually consumed while enjoying the dish, whole bay leaves are removed from the finished recipes and discarded, leaving behind their contribution of savory goodness melded into the liquids.

Factoids:

Worn as a woven leaf “crown” to signify honor and success by Emperors, Olympian athletes, poets and scholars, laurel, the name of the plant, worked its way into our everyday vocabulary.
Upon successful completion of a 4-year college degree, you earn a baccalaureate, which translated, is: “berries of laurel,”
And the supreme honor of Poet Laureate, to someone who composes poems for special occasions.

There are 2 distinctive types of Bay Leaves.

California (Which are mostly sold fresh and which are more potent). If using fresh Bay Leaves, use about half the amount the recipe calls for.
Mediterranean (Which are sold as dry whole leaves or ground). These are the “standard” Bay Leaves in almost every kitchen.

Other popular varieties of Mediterranean Bay Leaves come from West India, Indonesia and Mexico.

The current inventory of Bay Leaves at The Red Goose Spice company is a marvelously aromatic one sourced from India.

So, what conclusions can be drawn?

Bay Leaves, when still volatile, used in recipes correctly, and in their recommended amount, certainly add a distinctive flavor and aroma that only Bay Leaves can offer.

The key, is volatility as many kitchens use this herb so infrequently that it has lost much of its potency when called upon.

The Red Goose Spice Company recommends that you to buy Bay Leaves in whatever quantity necessary to use your inventory within 12 months of purchase to maintain their unique flavors and maximize their herbaceous contributions to your favorite dishes.

They’ll do a lot for your recipes make you feel good at the same time.

27
Jun

Culinary Education, For Brokers & Distributors, For Chefs, On Spices, Product News, Spice History

How Herbs de Provence Came To Be

Posted on June 27, 2022June 27, 2022 by Dan Lowry

Herbs and spices are simply amazing. Each one of them has a history and a story all their own.

Singularly, historians can trace back the origins and uses of nearly each and every herb or spice we use today, going back thousands of years

Commercially produced herb and spices blends however, are a much more recent thing. Often, the bi-product of convenience. Curry Powder is a good example. (See Red Goose Blog: Curry in a Hurry)

From ancient times, until a few centuries ago, you pretty much had to buy each and every individual herb or spice you used in your dishes. There were no “blends”. When it came to making a recipe with multiple herbs and spices, you pulled them all out of your pantry, added each one to your dish or ground them together in a mortar and pestle in whatever proportion you desired.

No Chili Powder, no Curry Powder, no “Italian” Herbs Blend, no Herbs de Provence.

Even if you love to cook, there are a couple of down-sides to making your own blends.

Besides needing to have all the individual components available (and fresh), each and every time you make a blend, there is the likely lack of consistency of flavor every time you make it.

As a result, herb and spice blends are, generally speaking, a very good thing. And each has a history all their own.

Take Herbs de Provence for example, one of the more unusual herb and spice blends.

Everyone loves a good story. This one however, doesn’t date back to ancient times.

Its name and the popularity of Herbs de Provence isn’t attributed to some famous French Chef, but rather to a popular American Celebrity Chef, who lived in France for a time and wrote one of the most widely known, and used, cookbooks on the planet.

Julia Child and her best-selling, Mastering the Art of French Cooking, first published in 1961.

This wildly successful book, considered by many to be one of the most influential cookbooks ever published, included a sauteed chicken dish using an herb and spice blend she named: “Poulet Sauté aux Herbes de Provence”.

The rest, as they say, is culinary history.

The usual suspects (plus one)

Before blends, and before Herbs de Provence had an “official” name, those who enjoy preparing the regional cuisine of Southern French needed to have these classic herbs and spices always at the ready, most of which, happen to be cultivated in Southern France. They are: Oregano, Thyme, Savory, Rosemary, and perhaps some Fennel, Tarragon, Bay Leaf, or Chervil if you are making one of the more unique blends.

There wasn’t, (and still isn’t), a “true” recipe for the exact proportions of each ingredient in Herbs de Provence however the earliest “recipe”, believed to be its ancestor, used nearly equal parts of just 4 herbs. Oregano, Thyme, Rosemary and Savory.

So, you just started there.

This blend, you might notice, lacked the one spice that everyone now identifies it by, and that is, lavender, which Southern France’s is famous for, and which both the locals, and tourists, love.

Lavender

It started to appear in later adaptations of Herbs de Provence and then became quite popular, especially in America.

Lavender gives Herbs de Provence its uniquely perfumed aroma, it’s alluring taste and adds a hint of French romance to what otherwise would be a blend which could just as easily be perceived as Italian.

A dish using Herbs de Provence is unmistakable in any recipe it is used in.

However, as the Herbs de Provence blend became more popular, even those in a professional kitchen, had to keep ALL of these individual herbs and spices in their pantry AND fresh, and then measure them precisely each time to obtain a consistent result. Oh, and by the way, lavender seeds aren’t exactly cheap, so unless you’re making this blend a lot, why would you want to have lavender seeds in your pantry?

Kind of a pain.

As expected, it didn’t take long for the purveyors of herbs and spices to seize the opportunity to provide various versions of an Herbs de Provence blend to both the retail and commercial markets.

So, just how is Herbs de Provence used?

Herbs de Provence is extremely versatile. It pairs well with chicken, pork, lamb, fish, vegetables, on salads, salad dressings, even omelets!

Recipes using Herbs de Provence include cooking methods such as sauteing, braising, grilling and roasting. It can be uses as a rub before cooking, added to a liquid or sauce during cooking or even as a topping to a salad or pizza.

Classically, beyond proteins, it pairs well with tomatoes, olives and olive oils, cheeses, root vegetables and many Mediterranean dishes which its why you’ll often see it used in Ratatouille, Tapenades and rustic vegetable stews. You’ll also find it gives off a remarkably fragrant smoke if you moisten it and sprinkle it over coals while grilling.

Whether you currently use Herbs de Provence in your cuisine or, you’d like to explore the amazing versatility of this amazing blend enjoyed by so many foodies on BOTH side of the “pond”, The Red Goose Spice Company has a marvelous version available for immediate delivery to your kitchens.

As Julia Child would say as she ended each and every one of her TV shows…”Bon Appetite!”

31
May

For Brokers & Distributors, For Chefs, On Spices, Product News, Spice History

Curry in a Hurry. How Curry Powder Came to America

Posted on May 31, 2022May 31, 2022 by Dan Lowry

Here in the States, when most of think of curry, we immediately think of a “golden colored powder”, and a few curry dishes that we may have tried, or enjoyed.

Nothing too complicated.

Maybe a Curried Lamb, or perhaps, a Curried Thai or Indian dish at favorite restaurant in town.

But there are a few misconceptions about the curry powder that you’ve come to know all of these years, and we thought we’d clear up a few of them here.

Curry 101, so to speak.

And “psssst”, don’t feel bad if you learn something new here, there are professional chef’s out there who, if they were honest, would have to admit that they don’t know much about curry’s interesting past either.

Let’s start from the beginning.

The Curry Tree is native to the Indian subcontinent and its leaves are used in many Indian and Asian dishes.

However, curry leaves, are not in curry powder.

Surprised?

Actually, curry powder is a blend of herbs and spices all its own. In fact, curry powder is kind of a “short cut” creation, replicating the spices most “commonly” used to make the traditional yellow curry from scratch as it was done in India for centuries. The yellow color coming primarily from the spice, turmeric.

And curry dishes aren’t exactly a new thing in America.

In fact, while curry dishes themselves originated in India and Southeast Asia, curry powder actually made its way to America via…. Wait for it…

Britain.

The Story…

The story goes that after the British arrived on our shores, (well before the battle for our own independence) so too did the East Indians, and with them, their passion for curry dishes.

By that time, even the East Indians living in Britain were reluctantly beginning to use a convenient, pre-blend form of curry powder made in India. Mainly due to the difficulty of finding the many different spices in the British markets that were needed to make their traditional curry blends.

Interestingly, by all accounts, the Indians back in India didn’t care much for this new powder that they were making for the Brits, choosing instead, to continue grinding it together from scratch with a mortar and pestle. Giving them the freedom to continue making their time honored, individual curry recipes from the spices that they had no trouble finding in their markets.

But they made this curry powder for the Brits anyway, and sent it along to them. In turn, that same powder came over on the ships from Britain to us here in the States (along with a bunch of men in fancy red coats with silver buttons interested in making it their permanent home.)

What was sacrificed in the process however, was the many different expressions of curry flavors treasured by cooks and enjoyed by so many in back in India.

They were mostly lost the western world for some time.

The “dumbing down” of curry by the creation of this one size fits all, “short cut” powder, became quite a sore subject back in its homeland, India.

So, in summary:

Curry powder doesn’t use curry leaves, which are actually green. Curry leaves are however, used in some Indian cooking recipes. They are, when dried and ground, the color of…mmmm? Ground sage?
Curry leaves don’t taste anything like curry powder.
Curry powder is a blend of spices, not a single one.
The curry powder we know it, is a “shortcut” form which didn’t come from India or in Indonesia by choice but rather for convenience.

So, now know a little something about the “blend” called Curry Powder. The yellow one.

But the word “curry” also became, over time, a phrase used to as much to denote a cooking style, as the flavor we associate it with. Much the way we use the term “barbecue” here in America.

For example, it’s often said, particularly in our Southern states, “we’re having barbecue tonight”, which doesn’t tell you what meat, or “exactly” how it may be cooked (although you can basically assume slowly and smoked), or even how it is seasoned.

You do however, generally know what you’re getting and generally the range of tastes.

Similarly, “we’re having curry” doesn’t divulge the meat, (but you can generally assume it’s braised or stewed), or for matter, exactly what type of curry it might be?

In essence, from a cooking style perspective, this is one cooking style…

This, is another…

So, beyond the “yellow” curry most people are familiar with, what are the other types of curries out there?

First, it’s important to mention that there are dozens upon dozens of different flavored yellow curry powders out there depending on the blends. And some curries are red in color, due to the addition of red chilis and some are even green.

All look and taste uniquely their own. But they are all curry blends.

The answer to the question it’s probably thousands. Especially if you also take into consideration the word ‘curry” as both the flavor AND a category of cooking method.

If this were a math problem, it would look something like this…

Cultural taste preferences, (Indian, Thai, African, Asian, British and so on), X the spice choices used, X ratios of each spice to one another, X Scoville (heat index) of chilis used (if any), X meats and other proteins used, X the cooking method employed.

In other words, thousands.

As such, curry has become globally popular and a welcome addition to menus of all types.

Of course, The Red Goose Spice Company not only has a fabulous yellow curry powder in stock, but we can also custom blend any recipe you have or that you might wish to create for your business or retail sales.

13
May

On Spices, Product News, Uncategorized

Red Goose’s EVERYTHING Seasoning Blend. With Recipe!

Posted on May 13, 2022May 13, 2022 by Dan Lowry

Special,…memorable.

Sometimes, in moments of true culinary inspiration we indeed find that one “key” ingredient that’s missing and, as a result, we proudly turn ordinary, into EXTRAordinary.

Then again, like a song writer with a “writers block”, try as we might, there are just those times when nothing, absolutely nothing seems to create that same magic.

More of this, less of that and finally pulling out all the stops by trying those long-forgotten seasonings you pushed to the back of the cupboard ages ago, and still, even THEY don’t seem to quite do the trick.

You throw everything at a recipe idea but the “kitchen sink”.

In the end, the kitchen sink is where all of the attempts eventually end up.

We’ve all heard the expression that “sometimes”, less IS more.

But just like every rule has its exceptions, there are actually times when, truthfully, MORE is more.

When anything you try doesn’t seem to be the answer…

Try EVERYTHING!

Red Goose Everything Seasoning Blend.

Long since known for its blast on bagels, Red Goose Everything seasoning is a welcome seasoning addition to your standard breading procedures, in salad dressings mixes, sprinkled on vegetable stir-fry’s, or, as a remarkable salad seasoning topper.

Another delicious application for the Everything Seasoning Blend is on baked breads, or for the recipe we’d like to share with you below, for our Red Goose Soft, Petite Pretzel Loaves.

Red Goose Soft, Petite Pretzel Loaves with Everything Seasoning

Makes 6 – 5 ounce Petite Pretzel Loaves