Meet Your Ingredients!
Curries, pestos, pastas, and
stir-fries...basil is universally used and
well-loved. Eaten since Roman times,
this fragrant, tender herb was also
thought to incite romance and
increase wealth. Today it is mainly
enjoyed for its culinary appeal.
Basil
Beets symbolize beauty, good luck, and
improved health. It's no wonder, since
the compound that gives them their
deep red color, betacyanin, is also said
to help aid digestion, fight cancer, and
reduce cholesterol. Ruby red, sweet,
yet earthy, beets were long thought to
be aphrodisiacs and are often included
in romantic meals to this day.
Beets
Native to India, eggplants can be bitter if
not salted and rinsed before cooking.
Baking/roasting yields a creaminess that
works well in dips and sauces; frying or
grilling allows them to hold their shape
better. Used in cuisines across the globe,
including French (ratatouille), Italian
(eggplant parmigiana), and Middle
Eastern (baba ghanoush).
Eggplant
These long, sweet, green pods are
enjoyed the world over, but have a
special place at the American table,
especially at holiday meals. The green
bean casserole is traditional in many
homes--making it a favorite for chefs as
well. It's estimated that over 40 million
of them are made each Thanksgiving!
Green Beans
Once known as peasant food, kale has
skyrocketed in popularity to become
one of the trendiest ingredients on
today's menus. Rich in beta-carotene,
calcium, fiber, iron, and multiple
vitamins, kale also provides hearty
texture and bitter balance.
Kale
So prized by ancient Egyptians that
only royalty were allowed to eat them;
the pharaohs believed that ingesting
mushrooms could give you super-
human powers. Today we know that
they are delicious and nutritious-
cultivated mushrooms are just ordinary
fungi that everyone can enjoy.
Mushrooms
For a fruit that dates back to Biblical
times, pomegranates have maintained a
popular presence. Found in the Old
Testament, Renaissance paintings,
modern cocktails, upscale salads, and
named one of the super foods of the
millennium, it looks as if pomegranates
will keep their coveted menu status.
Pomegranates
Popeye had the right idea when eating
spinach to gain strength--this dark
leafy green has more muscle-building
protein per calorie than beef. It also
contains vitamins A and C, folate, iron,
magnesium, and fiber, is fat- and
cholesterol-free, and low in calories.
Spinach
The tomato didn't actually make it to
Europe from South America until the
16th century; it was widely thought to
be poisonous and wasn't generally eaten
in North America until the late 18th
century. This fruit has become
a staple in modern recipes.
Tomato
Ginger root's Latin name is Zingiber
officinale...very appropriate considering
the flavor ZING it produces. This fragrant,
pungent ingredient can be used in all
day parts and has a history in medicinal
remedies for the common cold, fatigue,
nausea, and stomach ailments.
Ginger
An integral part of nearly every global
cuisine, garlic's bold, assertive flavor
stands up to any ingredient--even
anchovies, chile peppers, raw onions,
and vinegar. In fact it's so powerful it
even has its own holiday--April 19.
Garlic
One of the most important ingredients
in any kitchen, this humble vegetable
has had some impressive fans. Onions
have been found in pyramids alongside
Egyptian pharaohs, and were required
eating for Alexander the Great's troops.
Today the average North American
eats over 21 pounds each year!
Onions