The Forgotten Spice

Guest blogger Heather here...

Christmas is one of the aromatic holidays.

What... you didn't know there were aromatic holidays?
OK, so I just made that up.


But don't you agree? Our memories of Christmas are so often coupled with aromas - pine and cinnamon and peppermint and chocolate and nutmeg and ginger.

There is one scent that I believe should be added to that list, one spice that I love to cook with and that I think is sadly overlooked in our holiday cuisine. That spice is cardomon.





One breath of the intense earthy, mellow spiciness that is cardamom and I'm suddenly transported to an exotic bazaar, where colorful spices lie heaped in copper ewers and spill out of rough burlap bags.


What can you do with cardomom? There are scads of recipes for this wonderful spice, which can be used in both sweet and savory dishes. But lets start with something easy. When you're making that wassail this Christmas, skip the cinnamon. Instead, toss in a half dozen cardamom pods and heat as usual. You may never use cinnamon sticks again!

Heather's Holiday Wassail

Mix apple juice and cranberry juice to taste in your large crockpot (6 quart is great). I tend to use 1/3 cranberry to 2/3 apple, but I like it rather smooth.

Add a bit of sugar to counteract the bite of the cranberry juice and a splash of lemon juice to brighten it all up. Give it a quick stir.

Now for the fun - toss in eight to twelve lovely green cardamom pods. You can crush them lightly before hand, just leave the pods intact. Or you can be lazy and drop them right in. No problem. No other spices needed.

Heat on low until it reaches your desired temperature and then set to warm.

Lovely!

How about making cardamom snaps instead of ginger snaps? Ginger and cardamom are closely related, so this is an easy substitute and makes the kitchen smell soooo good.


Next you might want to try cardamom bread. A quick goggle or bing on "cardamon bread" should net you a dozen recipes. In part that's because the Scandinavians love cardamom and we all know how wonderful their breads are!


There are many quick cardamom breads, but here's a recipe that's just begging you to make it. It takes kneading and rising time, but it's so worth the work. Cardamom Bread, Sweet and Rustic from the Razor Family Farms blog.







Substitute a few slices of warm bread for that plate of cookies and Santa will be extra nice to you. I promise.




A snobbish spice note: Sure, you probably have cardamom powder in your cupboard, but let me urge you to head to your local ethnic store (here in the Northwest we're blessed with an abundance of Indian groceries) and buy a bag of cardamom pods. I use green cardamom, I think it's the best but black is also available and is sometimes less expensive.


Like most spices, the intense aroma and taste of cardomom are carried in the oils of the plant and are lost quickly to evaporation once they are ground. That nice bottle you have will only give you a pale imitation of the heady pleasure of real cardomom. I promise.


Once you've incorporated cardamom into your holiday baking and your family sings your praises, you'll be ready for our next adventure - Indian curries with cardamom.




One more important note - you need to teach your family that you never EAT the cardamom pod. Only one bite and they'll learn this lesson, but it would be kind of you to warn them. Ground cardamom is fine, but whole pods can be overpowering. Just skim the little pods out of the wassail and discard once they have steeped thoroughly . (I leave them in, but I like to live on the edge.)


Happy baking and Merry Christmas to you and yours!