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Flavor Pairings to Spice Up Our Diet by Carol Fenster

by info@gfreecuisine.com 30. June 2009 12:28
The folks at McCormick spices like to pair flavoring with each other that tantalize our taste buds. Here are some of  their top flavor pairings for 2008. I know.... it's already 2009, but I  love exploring new flavors and intend to experiment with these combinations a little further this year.

To find recipes for these pairings, go to www.McCormick.com or try these combinations with your own recipes. You might not be intrigued by all of them, but trying at least a couple is sure to spice up your menus this year.

Oregano and Heirloom Beans: Lots of good antioxidants in this pairing and beans of any kind are a great source of fiber in our gluten-free diets. I like to add oregano to bean soup of any kind, you'll find lots of oregano in Southwestern dishes made from beans.

Vanilla Bean and Cardamom: This match taps into America’s growing passion for indulgent, yet approachable luxury.  Try making Vanilla Pudding (see recipe in my book, Gluten-Free 101) by first soaking a whole vanilla bean in the hot milk for 30 minutes. Remove the bean, wipe it clean, and store it in your sugar bowl for vanilla-scented sugar. Then make the pudding, adding a pinch of ground cardamom powder with the sugar.

Chile and Cocoa: Here in the Southwest, we've been eating chile in chocolate for a long time and it is extremely delicious, very rich and complex in flavor.  Next time you bake a chocolate cake or cupcakes, add ¼ teaspoon of ancho chile powder along with the dry ingredients.

Coriander and Coconut Water: Coriander is the seed of the plant that produces cilantro, one of my favorite flavors. Pairing with coconut water produces a light, clean flavor. Coconut water comes from the inside of the raw coconut, or you can buy it in health food stores.

Orange Peel and Natural Wood: The smokiness of wood is matched with tangy orange peel. Try grilling salmon on a water-soaked cedar plank and adding grated orange zest to whatever sauce you serve it with.

Allspice and Exotic Meats: Many meats benefit from the addition of allspice (e.g., try adding a pinch to your next Meat Loaf, and you'll see what I mean). Meat Loaf isn't exactly an exotic meat, but try this and you'll love it.

Poppy Seed and Rose: An elegant and sensuous pair that captures the pursuit of cuisines from North Africa and the Middle East. I've used poppy seed for years, but rose water is something I want to learn more about. You might try this pairing next time you make a basic cake or cupcakes.

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About the Authors

Ann Bender & Karen Hutcherson
Marketers by profession, both Ann and Karen have a fondness for good food and healthy cooking. They understand the importance of the nightly family dinner and developed Relish! a premier menu-planning service (relishrelish.com). Relish! received hundreds of requests to offer the same type of service but to make it gluten-free. Because of the complexity of the product, they solicited the help of gluten-free cooking expert, Carol Fenster, to provide all of the recipes and many of her famous bread and dessert recipes!