lemongrass

DIY Craft Cocktails: Make Your Own Simple Syrup

There's a ridiculous secret underlying the current revolution in cocktail culture: it's actually almost impossible to make a bad drink (especially if bourbon is involved). All that's really required is balance: a strong, tactile, clean note of alcohol, finished with interesting side currents of bitterness, sugar, or salt. A successful drink should land loudly but end quietly on the palate.

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A Trio of Asian Spices Goes Beyond Ginger

When it comes to yielding flavorsome herbs and spices, the most productive parts of plants are usually above the soil: leaves (basil, sage, cilantro); seeds (mustard, nutmeg); fruits (chiles, tamarind); and even flowers and buds (saffron, cloves, capers). However, just below the culinary sight line and no less robust in taste are seasonings derived from roots and stems.

Some, like cilantro roots, are often discarded despite having as much flavor as the leafy or fruity parts more commonly used for spices and herbs. Others are mainstays of the pantry, such as bulbous onions and garlic, and root-like ginger. But if you’re looking to liven up your spice repertoire with new down-to-earth seasonings, give the following tasty trio a try.

Sensational Stems

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Twelve Bags for Soup? Recipe: Thai coconut soup.

Anyone who knows me or read my article challenging consumers to be more conscious about packaging knows that I am always trying to use less and less. I suppose until I see more people hauling around coffee mugs and saying no to unnecessary bags, I will always be encouraging more thoughtfulness. I was thinking along these lines the other day as Kadin (my 6 year old son) and I were riding the bus and had to stop at the grocery store. 

 

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