Cardamom

The best part of the great school bread experiment (see previous blog entry) is the discovery of a wonderful spice called Cardamom. I had never cooked with this spice before and had to drive to a supermarket an hour away to find it, but it was worth it. What a heavenly scent! Smelling it for the first time simultaneously conjured up images of holidays, travel, and exotic treats. I was so taken in by the spice I did a quick search to find out more about it. A member of the ginger family, cardamom is used medicinally and as a common spice in Indian cooking and Scandinavian baking. It is also used as a flavoring for Turkish coffee, and Tai Chi tea.

If you are interested in reading a food blog that gives information about the cuisine and ingredients in posted recipes (this is probably a one shot deal for me) you may want to check out Joelens's Culinary Adventures.