Question Of The Day, Sunday, November 26, 2017

[micknsnicks2mom]

good morning!

today i've got spices, flavorings, and such on my mind.

so for today's Question of the Day......



What are some of your favorite flavorings -- spices, extracts, flavorings in water or soda flavors, or even liquor used as a flavoring?



i'll start!

without a doubt, my favorite spice overall is cinnamon -- i just love it! and i'm talking about a good quality cinnamon, ground or in stick form. i use Italian seasoning quite often. and i really love dried dill too.

as for extracts, i wouldn't say that i have a favorite flavor of extract. i use several extract flavors here-- vanilla, almond, coconut, and peppermint. i do prefer the double strength vanilla extract though, over the regular strength. i've started to experiment more in my baking, taking recipes and altering them to make different 'versions' of them, many times using a second extract along with the vanilla -- like vanilla extract with an equal amount of peppermint extract. i'm not that confident in my altering of things, so i most times will check around online to find similar recipes -- to get an idea of what has worked well for other similar recipes.

bottled water and soda flavorings, i mostly prefer fruit flavors. although, i do love a good real ginger tasting ginger ale.


okay, now it's your turn!

 

[Winchester]

I'll go with cinnamon as my favorite.

For extracts, I love a good vanilla....I always make my own in bourbon and in vodka. It's really wonderful stuff. When I go to Penzey, I'll buy a big bottle of their double vanilla...so good. But really good vanilla is getting very expensive. I found a cheap cologne one time that was vanilla. I bought it on a whim and you wouldn't believe the people who told me how good I smelled. It's the vanilla; people just love vanilla.

I also love good lemon extract (Penzey has the best lemon, IMO); I have a recipe for lemon spongecake cookies with a lemon frosting that is simply delicious. Almond extract is also really good and I use it often in cookies. I like orange, too, and will make the same spongecake cookie using orange extract. It's really good, but the lemon is better. I just like to open the bottle and take a whiff. I love coconut extract, but don't use it often because Rick doesn't like coconut. He says he can eat some thing with just the extract, that it's the coconut itself he doesn't like, but I won't use it that often. Oh, and thanks to Kat0121 I bought some Fiori di Sicilia from King Arthur and now I use just a wee bit in my sugar cookies....that's another that I will open and take a whiff.

Rick's mom had a bunch of Watkins extracts that she hadn't been using. I took them and they're still strong. I've been using them in my baking and they seem fine.

I'm not fond of mint overall. I do like mint tea with a bit of spearmint, not peppermint. Not fond of peppermint; maybe it's too strong. I do have a cookie recipe that uses peppermint crunchies and I do like those cookies.

For savory, I'll go with basil, marjoram, and oregano. They are so versatile, too. I love using a good dill in my yeast rolls.

A word of caution for anybody who might be interested: King Arthur has a lemon juice powder. I bought some and I'm sorry I did. Yes, it smells like lemon. But there's also some kind of chemical smell to the powder, which does transfer into the baking product. I've tried it in cookies and I was sorry I did. And I think it makes for a bit of a drier cookie, too. The last time I used the powder, I added a good tablespoon of milk to the recipe, even though it didn't call for milk, just to add some moisture to the cookie. That did work to help with the dryness and the milk didn't hurt the cookie. But the chemical taste was still there. It's not bad, not really, but it is there. That's just my .

 

[denice]

What we think of as holiday spices, cinnamon, ginger and cloves. I like nutmeg in very small quantities, no more than just a hint of the flavor.

The only extract I use on a regular basis, I always get the pure not the imitation. I used to use a little almond extract in cherry pie but I haven't baked a cherry pie in ages. I do know that with any extract you have to be careful not to overdo it.

I got a Soda Stream a few months ago. They have a mixed berry flavor that I like really well. It is pretty much the only flavor that I use, I sometimes don't add flavor and just have the plain sparkling water. I used to love Root Beer, Cola, and Dr Pepper, as I have gotten older I can take or leave those.

 

[muffy]

Good vanilla and lemon.

 

[verna davies]

I love ginger in any form but especially sticky ginger cake and chocolate ginger

 

[Margret]

People talk about "plain vanilla" and I just don't understand it. I think vanilla is marvelous.

I put Ceylon cinnamon in with the ground coffee before I brew it. I find it in the ethnic foods department at the grocery store, in stick form. Because it's Ceylon cinnamon rather than Cassia (the kind that's normally sold as "cinnamon" in the U.S.) I can crumble it with my bare hands, so I'll break off about an inch and crumble it up to give the maximum surface contact with the water while brewing.

If you've never tried Ceylon cinnamon, it's milder than Cassia and is the preferred version of cinnamon most everywhere except the U.S. Ceylon cinnamon is also known as "True Cinnamon," and is also available (at higher prices, perhaps higher quality) at good spice shops like Penzey or Savory.

I also like one particular seasoned salt; Vege-Sal, AKA Spike, but you have to be careful. There's the Vege-Sal version of Spike and another that isn't a seasoned salt. The jar or box should actually include the word "Vege-Sal" on the front label, though it will be smaller than the word "Spike." I find it in the spice department at my local Kroger store.

I also like nutmeg, though in very small quantities. And for sweetness I prefer Now Better Stevia, available at Natural Grocers and probably other places (though not in any supermarket that I've ever seen, unfortunately). Very sweet, a little goes a long way, no bitter aftertaste, and it doesn't raise my blood sugar at all.

Margret

 

[Kat0121]

I love cinnamon too. micknsnicks2mom (or anyone who loves cinnamon) you should try the Vietnamese cinnamon from King Arthur Flour. It is wonderful. The flavor and aroma are fantastic. This is what the cinnamon sold in the grocery stores wants to be when it grows up! Yeah. It really is that good. It's pricier of course but worth every cent. https://www.kingarthurflour.com/shop/items/vietnamese-cinnamon-3-oz

Winchester I'm glad you decided to try the Fiori di Sicilia. It's fantastic!! I made sugar cookies with some added to bring to work and everyone raved about them. The smell in the kitchen when they were baking was intoxicating. For those who have not tried it, it is a combination of citrus and vanilla and it is exquisite. Before I bought some, I read the reviews and one woman said that she was tempted to dab some behind her ears. Yup. It really does smell that good and it tastes even better. https://www.kingarthurflour.com/shop/items/fiori-di-sicilia-1-oz

A more recent review: "If KAF ever stops carrying this, I will drown in my own tears."

I love vanilla. There is nothing "plain" about it.

For savory? Oh garlic. I love you. I also love crushed red pepper. I love to cook with wine- no cooking wine though. My favorite soda is probably ginger ale. I do like Pepsi but only with the real sugar in it which is harder to find. Mexican Coke is far superior to the US version- no high fructose corn syrup. It's real sugar. HFCS ruins everything it touches IMO.

I'm not a fan of most herbs like rosemary. It tastes like the smell of pine trees. Not a huge fan of basil or oregano either. Cilantro was created by to make perfectly good foods taste like soap.

I do like dill though and the mix that goes on an everything bagel is well... everything. So yummy. KAF sells that too and it's fantastic on homemade breads and rolls. https://www.kingarthurflour.com/shop/items/everything-bagel-topping-8-oz

KAF is one of my guilty pleasure stores- along with Bath & Body Works. Now all I need is for them to open up next to each other near me and I'd be on

 

[denice]

I am one of the people who like Cilantro in moderation. I have read that there is a genetic thing involved with how people taste Cilantro. Some people think it tastes like soap others don't get that at all, it's a genetic thing.

 

[Winchester]

KAF is one of my guilty pleasure stores- along with Bath & Body Works. Now all I need is for them to open up next to each other near me and I'd be on

Throw in a Trader Joe's and a Penzey next to those stores and I'll join you on that cloud!

 

[mannie3moon]

My favorite spice is cumin! I cook a lot of legume-based dishes, and cumin really brings out that earthy flavor, and I just love the way it smells. Garlic and onions are in almost everything I cook, too.

As for soda, orange is actually my favorite flavor, but since it's not one of the popular flavors, I usually just settle for a diet Pepsi.

 

[Mother Dragon]

I'm a garlic girl through and through. If you don't like garlic, don't even bother to come to my house. The same goes for onion. Jalapeno peppers get a lot of use around here, too, as do all the Tex-Mex seasonings.

The smells of vanilla and cinnamon are intoxicating to me. Put them together and I'm a cheap drunk. I love Vietnamese cinnamon and also Chinese cinnamon. I don't like the hot cinnamon candies. I don't have too many occasions to use it, but freshly grated nutmeg makes my nose smile. I love peppermint and spearmint, too, but absolutely not wintergreen.

Basil, ahhhh, basil. It makes me giddy when I pick it fresh. I dread the winter when my plants finally die. I have two still going strong right now and I'm enjoying every leaf.

Yes, fresh herbs are a special gift. Harvey drowned quite a few, but the others are rebounding. Sage, marjoram, rosemary, Mexican mint marigold (Texas tarragon), mints, garlic chives, parsley, oregano, catnip,and a few others. I'm so spoiled!

 

[neely]

I put Ceylon cinnamon in with the ground coffee before I brew it.

I absolutely love it and put ceylon cinnamon in my oatmeal every single morning.

My favorite spices are the 2 C's - ceylon cinnamon and cardamom. i love them both!

 

[debbila]

Cinnamon every thing! I choose cinnamon rolls, cinnamon crisps, and cinnamon bread over any other kinds of pastries. I recently bought cinnamon muffins and I was in heaven! I'm going to try the cinnamon when making coffee.
Another favorite is orange cranberry cookies and muffins.

I love orange slices in iced tea, sometimes instead of lemon, but always the fresh fruit. No bottled, concentrated juices.

I love veggies and cooking with garlic and onions. I make fried cabbage, and zucchini with garlic and onions. I buy Steam in the Bag cauliflower seasoned with herbs and garlic. So easy to make in the microwave for a quick dinner side.

 

[micknsnicks2mom]

I'll go with cinnamon as my favorite.

For extracts, I love a good vanilla....I always make my own in bourbon and in vodka. It's really wonderful stuff. When I go to Penzey, I'll buy a big bottle of their double vanilla...so good. But really good vanilla is getting very expensive. I found a cheap cologne one time that was vanilla. I bought it on a whim and you wouldn't believe the people who told me how good I smelled. It's the vanilla; people just love vanilla.

I also love good lemon extract (Penzey has the best lemon, IMO); I have a recipe for lemon spongecake cookies with a lemon frosting that is simply delicious. Almond extract is also really good and I use it often in cookies. I like orange, too, and will make the same spongecake cookie using orange extract. It's really good, but the lemon is better. I just like to open the bottle and take a whiff. I love coconut extract, but don't use it often because Rick doesn't like coconut. He says he can eat some thing with just the extract, that it's the coconut itself he doesn't like, but I won't use it that often. Oh, and thanks to Kat0121 I bought some Fiori di Sicilia from King Arthur and now I use just a wee bit in my sugar cookies....that's another that I will open and take a whiff.

Rick's mom had a bunch of Watkins extracts that she hadn't been using. I took them and they're still strong. I've been using them in my baking and they seem fine.

I'm not fond of mint overall. I do like mint tea with a bit of spearmint, not peppermint. Not fond of peppermint; maybe it's too strong. I do have a cookie recipe that uses peppermint crunchies and I do like those cookies.

For savory, I'll go with basil, marjoram, and oregano. They are so versatile, too. I love using a good dill in my yeast rolls.

A word of caution for anybody who might be interested: King Arthur has a lemon juice powder. I bought some and I'm sorry I did. Yes, it smells like lemon. But there's also some kind of chemical smell to the powder, which does transfer into the baking product. I've tried it in cookies and I was sorry I did. And I think it makes for a bit of a drier cookie, too. The last time I used the powder, I added a good tablespoon of milk to the recipe, even though it didn't call for milk, just to add some moisture to the cookie. That did work to help with the dryness and the milk didn't hurt the cookie. But the chemical taste was still there. It's not bad, not really, but it is there. That's just my .

ahhh, cinnamon is your favorite spice!!! very nice!!

mmmm......homemade vanilla extract! i'll go ahead and admit that i almost always buy imitation extracts. it's the high cost of the pure extracts; i just can't afford them. hmmm ......now you've got me thinking that i should look into making some extracts, maybe the cost would be within my means. i don't mind making these types of things myself, don't mind making the effort.

a vanilla cologne! wow, i'm sure that smelled wonderful!!!

lemon extract, almond extract, and the awesome Fiori di Sicillia from King Arthur!! most excellent! and coconut extract -- yup, i don't use coconut extract particularly often either.

i think it's really easy to overdo it with peppermint extract. and i think some people like a strong peppermint flavor, while others prefer a more...subtle peppermint flavor. i like the peppermint flavor there, but not overpowering every other flavor in what i'm baking -- i guess i like the peppermint flavor to compliment and go along with the other flavors.

 

[micknsnicks2mom]

What we think of as holiday spices, cinnamon, ginger and cloves. I like nutmeg in very small quantities, no more than just a hint of the flavor.

The only extract I use on a regular basis, I always get the pure not the imitation. I used to use a little almond extract in cherry pie but I haven't baked a cherry pie in ages. I do know that with any extract you have to be careful not to overdo it.

I got a Soda Stream a few months ago. They have a mixed berry flavor that I like really well. It is pretty much the only flavor that I use, I sometimes don't add flavor and just have the plain sparkling water. I used to love Root Beer, Cola, and Dr Pepper, as I have gotten older I can take or leave those.

mmmm......your favorites are cinnamon, ginger, and cloves!!! those are all lovely spices!! now you mention preferring nutmeg in very small quantities, that's pretty much the way i like it. i may use a little more than 'just a hint of the flavor', but always less than what's called for in recipes. i like nutmeg, but i just don't like as much as what's usually called for in recipes. the same goes for cumin -- i always use less than what's called for in recipes.

almond extract!! very nice!

you know, a ways back i tried a new recipe for from scratch vanilla pudding. that recipe either had a typo or the person who created it may have been using old/lost potency vanilla extract (was from a frugal forum), but the end result was that i got a taste of vanilla with the first spoonful and after that all i tasted was the alcohol. the next time i made it, i reduced the vanilla extract by half and all was tasty and good. so overdoing it with an extract is definitely a very bad thing.

ahhh, a sodastream! it certainly does make a very good sparkling water! i think my favorite is ginger ale.

 

[micknsnicks2mom]

Good vanilla and lemon.

a good vanilla, and lemon!!! two wonderful flavors!!

 

[micknsnicks2mom]

I love ginger in any form but especially sticky ginger cake and chocolate ginger

you love ginger!!! most excellent!!

i really haven't made many baked items that use much ginger in them, now i'm thinking about it. makes me think that i should look into some desserts that...feature ginger in them.

 

[micknsnicks2mom]

People talk about "plain vanilla" and I just don't understand it. I think vanilla is marvelous.

I put Ceylon cinnamon in with the ground coffee before I brew it. I find it in the ethnic foods department at the grocery store, in stick form. Because it's Ceylon cinnamon rather than Cassia (the kind that's normally sold as "cinnamon" in the U.S.) I can crumble it with my bare hands, so I'll break off about an inch and crumble it up to give the maximum surface contact with the water while brewing.

If you've never tried Ceylon cinnamon, it's milder than Cassia and is the preferred version of cinnamon most everywhere except the U.S. Ceylon cinnamon is also known as "True Cinnamon," and is also available (at higher prices, perhaps higher quality) at good spice shops like Penzey or Savory.

I also like one particular seasoned salt; Vege-Sal, AKA Spike, but you have to be careful. There's the Vege-Sal version of Spike and another that isn't a seasoned salt. The jar or box should actually include the word "Vege-Sal" on the front label, though it will be smaller than the word "Spike." I find it in the spice department at my local Kroger store.

I also like nutmeg, though in very small quantities. And for sweetness I prefer Now Better Stevia, available at Natural Grocers and probably other places (though not in any supermarket that I've ever seen, unfortunately). Very sweet, a little goes a long way, no bitter aftertaste, and it doesn't raise my blood sugar at all.

Margret

ahhh, vanilla!!! truly an awesome flavoring!! i actually find the aroma of vanilla comforting.

Ceylon cinnamon in with your ground coffee when you brew it! very nice!!

Vege-Sal -- interesting! yes, nutmeg in small quantities. it seems several of us feel that way about nutmeg.

 

[Margret]

Vege-Sal -- interesting! yes, nutmeg in small quantities. it seems several of us feel that way about nutmeg.

I was visiting my youngest brother once and had my own personal stash of Vege-Sal along. At that time his wife was on a diet that restricted salt, and she saw me using Vege-Sal instead of plain salt (and enjoying it) and asked wistfully whether it was actually a salt substitute that tasted good. I was very sorry to have to disappoint her.

In too large quantities nutmeg can be hallucinogenic, which is why I keep my dose small, though I suspect that "too large" in this instance is a synonym for "truly massive." Have you ever read the Sector General science fiction novels, by James White? (Sector General - Wikipedia) In one of them (The Galactic Gourmet) a new chef is hired at the hospital, from an alien species, and shortly afterward all of the human staff start having hallucinations. It turns out the new chef had seen how the humans enjoyed nutmeg and had begun putting it in everything he made for them.

Margret

 

[micknsnicks2mom]

I love cinnamon too. micknsnicks2mom (or anyone who loves cinnamon) you should try the Vietnamese cinnamon from King Arthur Flour. It is wonderful. The flavor and aroma are fantastic. This is what the cinnamon sold in the grocery stores wants to be when it grows up! Yeah. It really is that good. It's pricier of course but worth every cent. https://www.kingarthurflour.com/shop/items/vietnamese-cinnamon-3-oz

Winchester I'm glad you decided to try the Fiori di Sicilia. It's fantastic!! I made sugar cookies with some added to bring to work and everyone raved about them. The smell in the kitchen when they were baking was intoxicating. For those who have not tried it, it is a combination of citrus and vanilla and it is exquisite. Before I bought some, I read the reviews and one woman said that she was tempted to dab some behind her ears. Yup. It really does smell that good and it tastes even better. https://www.kingarthurflour.com/shop/items/fiori-di-sicilia-1-oz

A more recent review: "If KAF ever stops carrying this, I will drown in my own tears."

I love vanilla. There is nothing "plain" about it.

For savory? Oh garlic. I love you. I also love crushed red pepper. I love to cook with wine- no cooking wine though. My favorite soda is probably ginger ale. I do like Pepsi but only with the real sugar in it which is harder to find. Mexican Coke is far superior to the US version- no high fructose corn syrup. It's real sugar. HFCS ruins everything it touches IMO.

I'm not a fan of most herbs like rosemary. It tastes like the smell of pine trees. Not a huge fan of basil or oregano either. Cilantro was created by to make perfectly good foods taste like soap.

I do like dill though and the mix that goes on an everything bagel is well... everything. So yummy. KAF sells that too and it's fantastic on homemade breads and rolls. https://www.kingarthurflour.com/shop/items/everything-bagel-topping-8-oz

KAF is one of my guilty pleasure stores- along with Bath & Body Works. Now all I need is for them to open up next to each other near me and I'd be on

you love cinnamon, vanilla, garlic, and crushed red pepper!!! as well as ginger ale , cooking with wine (no cooking wine -- thank you), dill, and the mix that goes on everything bagels (mmmm, i love that). a great list of favorites!!

well, i may just have to start 'squirreling away' in my budget, for some special ingredients from KAF. i know i'd use the mix that goes on everything bagels, likely quite often. and the Fiori di Sicilia sounds very interesting. quite possibly some Vietnamese Cinnamon too.