Epice. Wurze.

No. 1438. - Spices are used to season, aromatize and enrich numerous culinary preparations. They are all vegetable substances with the exception of salt. Their importance cannot be overestimated as they are used constantly, yet often wrongfully. The art of spicing or seasoning properly is one that must be acquired, and experience is the best teacher. Many preparations would be indigestible and almost tasteless without the use of spices. Salt is probably used most, and after it comes the onions, shallots, chives, and garlic. The onion is used principally as an alimentary substance, while the others may be considered energetic stimulants to the appetite. High seasoning is more in vogue in the Southern States and in all warm climates, than in the North. The French, as a rule, use less strong spices in cooking than any other nation, preferring aromatic herbs instead, which answer the same purpose and are less exciting. India furnishes the major portion of strong spices, such as mulligatawny, chutney, curry, etc.

Spices For Salted Beef

No. 1439. - Home-made spices are far superior to many of those bought from dealers, as the latter kinds are generally adulterated, and if not kept tightly corked lose their aromatic flavor by evaporation. The following is the best recipe for making Spices for salted beef: Procure the following quantities of dried herbs: Two ounces each of thyme, sage, nutmeg, cloves, mace, and bay leaves; three ounces of white pepper, and one ounce each of marjoram and rosemary. Then pound each kind separately in a mortar and sift them through a fine sieve. Put the mixture in bottles and keep them tightly corked. When ready to use it add one ounce of the Spice to one pound of salt.

Spiced Salt, For Stuffings

No. 1440. - Procure the following quantities of dried herbs: One-half of an ounce each of powdered thyme, cloves, nutmeg, white or black pepper, and one-quarter of an ounce each of powdered bay leaves, marjoram, and red pepper. Mix them with one and a half pounds of fine salt, then put them in bottles and keep them tightly corked. Use it for stuffing.

Infusion Of Spices For Turtle Soup

No. 1441. - Put a few fresh marjoram leaves in a saucepan and add equal quantities of thyme, basil, savory and parsley, with two bay leaves, three chopped shallots, and some trimmings of fresh mushrooms. (Dried mushrooms can be used if desired.) Then boil one pint of good Maderia wine and pour it over the herbs, etc. Cover the saucepan tightly, and in half an hour strain the infusion through a napkin and add it to a clear turtle soup.

Note. - Should the turtle soup be thick instead of clear, use powdered spice3 instead of leaves and add them to the stock.

Mixed Spices

No. 1442. - The following mixture of Spices will always be found useful in the kitchen. Procure the following quantities of ground Spices: Eight ounces of thyme, one ounce of bay leaves, half an ounce of marjoram, half an ounce of rosemary, one and a half ounces of nutmeg, one and a half ounces of cloves, one ounce of white pepper, and half an ounce of red pepper. Mix them well together, put them in bottles and keep them tightly corked. These Spices may be used as they are, or may be mixed with salt. Three ounces of Spice is the proper quantity for three-quarters of a pound of salt.

Spiced Sauce

No. 1443. - Pat in a bowl a teaspoonful of ground cloves, one ounce of Anchovy paste, half a teaspoonful of cayenne pepper, and a wine-glassful each of walnut and tomato catchup (strained). Add to this one and a half quarts of white wine vinegar, and mix it well together. Then put it in an earthen jar, cover it, and set it in a saucepan containing water. Let it boil for two hours; then take out the jar, set it aside for a week, and then filter the sauce. Put it in bottles and cork them tightly.

Spices, Herrs And Flavors

No. 1444. - The following Spices, Herbs and Flavors should always be kept in every family kitchen: Fine and coarse salt, whole and ground red, white and black pepper, cloves, allspice, nutmeg, mace, dried thyme, sage, marjoram, bay leaves, and the mixed spices; garlic, shallots, English mustard, powdered and stick cinnamon. The flavors are vanilla, lemon, orange, orange-flower water, olive oil, wine, tarragon and Chili pepper vinegar; granulated, powdered and cube white sugar and brown sugar.