In keeping to theme, rosmarinus officinalis, or rosemary to you and I, is my favorite herb. Its distinct and powerful piney taste is a perfect reminder of the holiday season no matter what you celebrate or don't celebrate. Then again, it's amazing all year round like any good evergreen.
Rosemary has been one of my favorite seasonings period since long before I learned to cook. I can't remember when exactly I became aware of it, but I know that I immediately started buying rosemary crostini, crackers and anything else I could find that contained it. I still regularly use it in my cooking because it holds up well in anything. It's such a diva that it shoves other flavors out of the way. It is the Cher of herbs.
Rosemary's name does not come from flowers or from a woman named Mary. Its name comes from the Latin words "ros" and "marinus" which mean "dew" and "sea" respectively. Clearly dew from the sea is much less gross than dew from the mountains. Maybe this is why it makes such good personal watercrafts...
After becoming vegetarian, I could no longer enjoy rosemary in sausages. However, I quickly found a home for it in pastas, mushrooms, eggs and mashed potatoes. I even found a way to use it in cookies I'm so fanatical about it. Yes, really. Cookies. I'm such a nice guy I'll even give you the recipe.
Don't say I never gave you anything.
While coming mostly from the Mediterranean area (the BEST area for cooking of all time ever) Rosemary is so hardy it can adapt itself to any climate and has been a staple in cooking all over the world for centuries. The Greeks linked the herb to Aphrodite and a rather unappetizing facet of the world creation myth that I'll just leave right here in case you're feeling bold...
I find that dried rosemary is delicious and will work perfectly in any recipe, but some purists insist on using fresh. Fresh rosemary has a slightly different taste, being a bit sweeter and more tart. Since it is a sturdy plant it can be easily grown anywhere and doesn't need much care. You'll want to cut the flowers off, though. While they are BEAUTIFUL, they don't have much flavor and cutting them off will yield bigger leaves.
No matter how you get it, fresh or dried, rosemary is an absolute staple in any spice rack. It is delicious and I can't get enough. Now let's get out there and eat us some pine trees!
No comments:
Post a Comment