Volume 11, Issue 96 - November 13, 2006

Good Day Member,

I hope you all had a great weekend.

Meet Ian Hemphill

"Herbie" has long been the nickname of Ian Hemphill, one of Australia's foremost culinary herb and spice experts. A native of Sydney, Australia, Ian grew up surrounded by herbs and spices, working with his parents, John and Rosemary Hemphill, who pioneered the herb and spice scene in the 1950s.

Having earned his "pocket money" picking herbs as a child, Ian eventually extended his knowledge and spice experience beyond the family. He managed a spice company in Singapore and then became senior manager for a multinational food company in Australia. Upon returning to Sydney in 1977, Ian and his wife opened Herbie's Spices in the suburb of Rozelle. The one-of-a-kind specialty spice shop now boasts the largest selection of herbs and spices for sale and export in the Southern Hemisphere.

In his thirty-year career, Ian has worked in every part of the spice industry, from manufacturing and marketing to industrial brokering. "Herbie" has become a well-respected figure among his peers and around the world, and he continues his education by taking annual "Spice Discovery Tours" to India and Sri Lanka.

Ian's first book, THE SPICE AND HERB BIBLE: A Cook's Guide, was published by Robert Rose in 2002. In fall 2006, Ian introduced his second labor of love, THE SPICE AND HERB BIBLE: Second Edition, an updated and expanded edition of his earlier best-seller.

Thirty years of working in the industry - including face-to-face lectures to groups from the general public, industrial brokering, manufacturing, and marketing - has made Ian Hemphill a well-respected and popular figure among his peers in Australia and overseas. He enjoys sharing his extensive experience and knowledge with customers at Herbie's Spices. Ian and his wife, Elizabeth, live above the shop and welcome visitors everyday. They have three grown daughters. Herbie's Spices can be ordered online at www.herbies.com.au

Each day this week we will talk about a different exotic spice and it's usage.

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Ajowan:

Ajowan is a close relative to parsley and it looks similar when growing; however, the leaves are not used in cooking. The seeds are small, tear-shaped and light brown. They look like celery seeds and form in umbrella-shaped clusters. Ajowan seeds taste like the herb thyme, due to their high levels of the volatile oil thymol. This unusual herby flavor for a seed spice is well complemented by slightly sharp, peppery notes and a lingering, warm aftertaste. Bleached ajowan seeds, although rarely seen, are milder in flavor and are referred to as white carum seeds.

Origin and History:

Ajowan is native to the Indian subcontinent and is grown in Afghanistan, Egypt, Iran and Pakistan. In the late 19th and early 20th century, ajowan was the world's main source of thymol — the volatile oil also found in the herb thyme — and used in the manufacture of mouthwashes, toothpaste, cough syrups, lozenges and other herbal medicines. Until the outbreak of the First World War, almost all of the exports of ajowan seeds from the producing countries was to Germany for the distillation of the oil and extraction of thymol. Ajowan seeds contain between 2.5 and 5 percent of volatile oil, over 35 percent of which is thymol.

Source: The Spice and Herb Bible

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Buying and Storage:

Ajowan seeds should be uniform in color and free from extraneous pieces of stem material. Always buy the whole seeds and, if grinding is required, do this yourself in a mortar and pestle or pepper grinder. Recently harvested seeds will have a distinct herbal aroma and, when tasted, a somewhat sharp, peppery taste. Should these attributes be missing, the seeds are too old to use in cooking. Store in an airtight container away from extremes of heat, light and moisture. Optimum storage time under these conditions is two to three years.

Use:

As with many of the seed spices, ajowan complements the flavors of vegetables and carbohydrates. These tiny yet powerful, fragrant seeds add a deliciously aromatic taste to savory biscuits and a piquancy to the pastry used for making meat, seafood and vegetable pies. A teaspoon added to steamed cabbage during cooking makes this much-maligned vegetable a delicious accompaniment to grilled and barbecued meats. Remember to use small amounts when experimenting with ajowan, as the flavor is quite strong. When adding ajowan to pickles and chutneys, you can be a little more liberal, as long cooking times mellow the flavor. Because ajowan is so small and "chewable" when cooked, you will rarely need to grind it.

Source: The Spice and Herb Bible

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Mushroom and Apple Tarts

The thyme-like flavor of ajowan balances perfectly with the sweetness of apple, complements the pastry and adds a delicious savory note to this unusual dish.

 Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:

Spice Mix:

1 teaspoon (5 mL) salt
3/4 teaspoon (4 mL) ground cumin
3/4 teaspoon (4 mL) ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon (2 mL) whole black peppercorns
1/2 teaspoon (2 mL) ajowan seeds
1/2 teaspoon (2 mL) fenugreek seeds
1/4 teaspoon (1 mL) ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon (1 mL) ground ginger
pinch ground cloves
pinch ground nutmeg

Tart:

4 teaspoons (20 mL) butter
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 red apples, peeled, cored and cut into 1-inch (2.5 cm) pieces
6 ounces (175 g) button mushrooms, cut into 1-inch (2.5 cm) pieces
6 ounces (175 g) cremini mushrooms, cut into 1-inch (2.5 cm) pieces
2 tablespoons (25 mL) olive oil
2/3 cup (150 mL) chicken stock
2 sheets (12 inches/30 cm square) puff pastry
2 tablespoons (25 mL) finely chopped fresh parsley
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). In a mortar and pestle, pound together spice mix ingredients, leaving some texture to the blend.

Melt butter over medium heat, add garlic and cook for 3 minutes. Add apple and mushrooms to pan with olive oil and spice mix. Lower heat and continue to stir for 10 minutes until soft. Add chicken stock and simmer until liquid has evaporated and the apple and mushrooms are very tender. Season with salt and pepper; remove from heat.

Cut out four 6-inch (15 cm) diameter circles from the puff pastry and make a shallow circular incision 1 inch (2.5 cm) from the edge of each. Place circles on a baking sheet and bake in preheated oven for 5 minutes, until pastry has risen at least 2 inches (5 cm). With a small, sharp knife, remove the center of the pastry, leaving a shallow shell with a 1-inch (2.5 cm) ring around the edge. Turn the oven down to 325 degrees F (160 degrees C). Carefully spoon mushroom mixture into the centre of pastry and bake for a further 15 minutes.

Garnish each tart with parsley and serve immediately.

Source: The Spice and Herb Bible