ISO Interesting and/or new ingredient inspiration

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FM - you might have to go to a specialty food store - I haven't found it in our "normal" stores. Dean & Deluca, Whole Foods (though I didn't find it the last time I was there), Fresh Market, we don't have a Trader Joe's so I don't know about them.
 
<PERK!>

Black/Forbidden Rice?!?!?!?! Never heard of it! I'll definitely have to try to find it. I've always taken a bit of pride in the fact that very few foods out there are "new" to me, since I work in the biz.

Lately, I've been on a Morel Mushroom kick at work. The past month, I've been turning out specials that utilize the dried morels we have.

I also add fresh rosemary and fresh thyme to all sorts of things. I just love that stuff.

To the person who mentioned whole-grain couscous: Have you tried sauteing regular couscous, like a pilaf, before adding some broth? You should get a "nutty" flavor, like using the whole-grain product. Of course, whole-grain is healthier.

I've been meaning to start cooking with brown rice at home more often. Something to make things different for a change.
 
Jerusalem Artichoke, which has kind of a water chesnut / jicama texture when eaten raw, but a little sweeter.

Also, chinese broccoli, which looks like a Fat broccoli raab, not as bitter, very small floral head, but the stems have the same consistancy as an asparagus, but with a mild broccoli flavor. Had it at the chinese restaurant in Mohegan Sun.
 
FM - you might have to go to a specialty food store - I haven't found it in our "normal" stores. Dean & Deluca, Whole Foods (though I didn't find it the last time I was there), Fresh Market, we don't have a Trader Joe's so I don't know about them.
I was just in our Trader Joe's yesterday looking for it, but they did not have it.
 
Fresh fennel .. it's not readily available around here, so I bought a ton and have been roasting with other vegies. What a treat!
 
if you're into gardening fennel is the easiest plant to grow and I think that black swallowtails use it as a host plant for their larvae. I love to go out and pick it right off the plant (I don't use pesticides and mine has never had a pest problem and I would never kill the butterfly larvae---it's great to eat raw or in tea or in cooking)
 
I slice it real thin and top salads with it, or like you said - roasted. Grilled with other veggies is good, too.
 
if you're into gardening fennel is the easiest plant to grow and I think that black swallowtails use it as a host plant for their larvae. I love to go out and pick it right off the plant (I don't use pesticides and mine has never had a pest problem and I would never kill the butterfly larvae---it's great to eat raw or in tea or in cooking)

Cabbage White butterflies also use it to host their larvae.
 
ground cardamom, cardamom roots, cardamom pods. They add great flavor to Asian rice dishes. Steaming the rice with cardamom pods and lemon grass is really good. Cardamom is really expensive where I live though, hopefully it isn't for you. In fact, if anyone out there knows where to get a good deal on it send me a PM or post it somewhere.
I have more new kinds of caradamom that I can remember but have yet to open the packages they're contained in. Guess I should.......
 
I can't really think of anything unique that I use in cooking, man I am boring!:LOL:

DW says Lovage??? When the heck did we use that??:unsure:
 
Cabbage makes the difference!
Shred some ordinary cabbage into your tuna salad, about 3/4 cup to one can White Albacore Tuna. Add 4 tblspns vinegar and mayo to suit. Add green onion if you like.
 
Phyllo dough. I just bought it, and haven't made anything with it yet. I kept seeing recipes that use it, so I looked for it the last time I went shopping. I'd never seen it before. I think it's a pastry dough in thin sheets. Anybody ever work with it?
 
I used Phyllo dough to make strudel. Delicious! You could use it tomake a some kind of layered dish too. You have to be careful handling it though because it has to be moist as you do.
 
1st-Oyster Sauce-Oriental-thick,sticky,the color of Applebutter...Great on grilled or sauteed veggies!!!---2nd-shredded phyllo dough-I use for an app @ work...sear both sides of a scallop in Blood Orange juice-wrap up in shredded dough-tie w/lemon grass or scallion 'string'...end result looks like a Hershey Kiss-brush w/butter-finish in 400 F oven-about 3 minutes-set your 'kiss' atop a simple mango salsa...work quickly-keep phyllo damp---Blood Oranges-that's new to a lot of folks...enjoy your new discoveries !:chef:
 
I haven't posted here in a while, but I recently bought dried Myrtle (an herb). That one was new to me. Dh and I took a quick jaunt across the pond and it was in Sainsbury's, so I just had to grab it up and bring it home. I've used in a pork dish. Yummy.
 
Phyllo dough. I just bought it, and haven't made anything with it yet. I kept seeing recipes that use it, so I looked for it the last time I went shopping. I'd never seen it before. I think it's a pastry dough in thin sheets. Anybody ever work with it?
Hi neighbor!
I make a great baclava with it. Make sure it's thawed well and then keep it covered with a damp cloth so it doesn't dry out and tear too much. Layer pastry with walnuts/cinnamon/sugar and brush butter on each layer of phyllo dough. After scoring and baking, pour cups of boiling hot honey and lemon onto the pastry. It soaks it up. For about $30 worth of ingredients in a half sheet pan, you'll get dozens of servings. That's the only thing I've used it for. ~Bliss:)
 
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