a little spice for your knowledge receptacle

its been an I-like-Baltimore kinda day: (1.) the sits-on-a-crate guy who asks for money didn't tell me to eff off when i didn't fork over some pocket change, (2.) i didn't see anything undesirable on the sidewalk such as vomit, man doo or even fresh (note fresh) dog doo on my walks to/from work today, and (3.) we got to take advantage of a dinner/HH special at a local-hole-in-the-wall. peeled and ate my way through a pound of steamed shrimp with the Chef and an Uncle. Plus the place had a "notable" beer list; at $2 a pint, we drank the good stuff!

since we went out to eat tonight, i'm going to try to give the blog a different spin...

intro: Being a little sister, I have this innate tendency that makes me somewhat of a tag-along. it's a birth order thing, ok. Recently, i tagged along with Chef to a presentation at McCormick's Innovation Center in Hunt Valley. Yes, that McCormick...I'm picturing their old packaging, little tins of this and that in my mom's cabinet, white, red, and a little blue, stacked on top of each other against the wall...Anyway, in lieu of a what-I-ate-for-dinner/ what-Chef-cooked-for-dinner blog tonight, I thought I'd take my inspiration from my trip to Pepper Road and report on a spice that I love, called CUMIN!

more on cumin ... don't think you've ever had it? think again! have you had hummus? if so, you've had CUMIN! and chili? most chili powders include CUMIN in the mix! what else? cumin is an essential spice in most global cuisines east of here like India, the Middle East, and North Africa...dating back to Ancient Egypt when it was cultivated in Nile River Valley, cumin has been traced along the ancient trade routes north, east and west and eventually into the Americas by the Spanish when they arrived in Mexico*. Cumin, the spice, comes from the seed of the small white flowers the plant produces; it is an annual plant that is ready for harvest after four months*. too much booky-boring-type info? Let's talk about eating it ... incorporated into the meat-favoring type of diet, you can use cumin as a flavorsome rub for your steaks or include with a taco filling sauté. I'd put the stuff in any bean puree (hummus), or a black bean soup, too. Oh CUMIN. Idea: steamed shrimp with cumin on top -- Take that (!), Old Bay... Old Bay is very big down here in Merlin. (Old Bay list of ingredients, surprisingly, does not include cumin; it does, however, include celery seed, paprika, mustard, bay leaf, b&r pepper, cinnamon, cloves, allspice, nutmeg, cardamom, salt, mace (huh?), and ginger). Anyway another spin on this spice is to take the seeds and toast them in a saute pan - the result, instantaneous foodie status as you waft the intense aromas as essential oils are release in the heating process. You can use your toasted cumin in a puree type soup or salads featuring grains like couscous or quinoa....right, that yuppie crunchy granola stuff.

conclusion: Try cumin. You'll like it's flavorsomeness. Set forth and explore the depths of its flavor!

*I learned this from the McCormick website, check it out for some recipes and purty food pics.