Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1926-09-11
The Fifteen
Herbs
THERE are fifteen herbs listed

al illOOH lCI bS iAoSSN
in the old fashioned type Of
cook book and there are many
excellent cooks who stin take ad
/ vantage of the delicacy and piquancy
of flavor that each of these may
! contribute, singly or with others, to
! various dishes
! Among them Is, listed onions,
which is considered then purely for
! its flavor. 1t Is interesting to note
that Of the fifteen. onion. sage,
| capsicum or red pepper and pos
sibly thyme and bay leaves are the
| only ones well known to the Amer
lean cook. Yet each Of the herbs
has as characteristic a flavor as
onions or sage and adds as much
( to the flavor of a dish when prop
erly used.
Basil tastes something like bay
| leaf, but French cooks make
nice distinction between the two
and prefer basil for use in fish
sauces.
Bay leaf is the leaf of the laurel.
II is used in meat sauces and
stocks and also by some cooks for
| buildings or custards. The impor-
| tant thing that some American
cooks forget Is to use bay leaf
sparingly. A small fraction Of a
! bay leaf is all that you will prob
ably need for most f1avoring pur-
! poses. and an entire leaf added to
/ an ordinary stew or pot roast would
/ ruin the flavor thereof.
oh;
in the form of red pepper. A little
of the dried red chilly pod is used
in MANY so-called Creole dishes to
advantage.
! Cheryil is sometimes called myrrh,
and has a flavor that is much liked
nv many in the seasoning OF sauces
and various meat dishes. A little
growing in your kitchen garden
NAV be useful not only for a flavor-
ing herb but as garnish as well.
Chives, garlic, onion and shallot
are all members of the onion fam
ily and are used with discrimina-
ton by the good cook. Garlic is
most powerful" but when used
very. very sparingly is preferred by
some epicures as having a more
subtle flavor than onions. Shallots,
though possessing a good strong
onion flavor, do not give so strong
a breath as onions and for that rea-
son are we'll worth cultivating.
| Marioram has a flavor all its own
and is frequently used in meat and
fish dishes. usually where onion Is
also employed. But it should be
used sparingly.
Mint is known to many merely
as the chief ingredient of mint
sauce and of the now supposedly
extinct mint julep. But really there
are many ways of making use OF
this delicious herb. little finely
minced mint may be added. to
boiled new potatoes in place OF
rarsley. 1t is used a little of It.
TO advantage in certain soups. A
little chopped mint leaf sprinkled
on halves of grapefruit or orange
gives a plea SAINT flavor
Parsley should not be too gen
erousIy used because it may de-
tract from the delicate favor of
the food to which it is added. but
ue Americans would do well II we
followed the French example and
nsed parsley more frequently
especially as a garnish. A French
cook would find herself quite lost
IL she did not have parsley at hand
to use to add to omelets, poached
eggs. cold meat slices, salads. fried
tomatoes, etc.
Sage is known in the dried pow
dered form to most American
housewives. and is usually included
in the stuffing of chickens, turkeys,
etc In England sage and onion
stuffing is popularity used with pork
and other meats.