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Global Pantry: A Short Course on Cardamom

Padma Lakshmi — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 11:18:02 PST

We've got a new partnership with Padma Lakshmi! The host of the Emmy-winning Top Chef, writer, and designer started Padma Lakshmi, a social networking site that celebrates our favorite topics, including food adventures, recipes, and party planning. She'll be dishing up goodies for us here on YumSugar monthly. Today, Padma shows us what the spice cardamom is useful for, and why it's so much better to grind cardamom yourself.

Cardamom comes in two main forms: pale, sage-green pods that contain eight to 10 tiny, highly perfumed seeds (which are crushed to make the spice powder), and the larger black cardamom that is used to give savory roasts and curries their heat. For baking, make sure you ask for the green kind, as it is significantly more delicate in aroma and taste; the black variety tastes of menthol and eucalyptus. Most supermarkets sell cardamom in its powder form, but it’s very easy to make your own freshly ground cardamom powder for baking and mixing into spiced teas, like masala chai. Turkish and Arabic coffee also get their aroma from cardamom; it’s a lovely spice to have on hand to dress up many a simple sweet concoction.

Just take a dozen or so green cardamom pods (they are only a 1/4-inch long) and slowly peel away the pale, dry, green shell of each to reveal the tiny black pellet seeds inside. One side of the pod will be more pointed; with your thumb and index finger, peel back a side by breaking the little pointed nub. You can even smash or crush a few at a time with the back of a large metal spoon or ladle. Make sure you have a small mortar and pestle on hand; peel the pods directly over the mortar’s basin so as to catch all the seeds. Once you’ve collected enough seeds, discard the green outer shells and pound the seeds into a fine powder with the pestle. Save in a small glass jar in your pantry; the powder will keep its fragrance for months if you seal it well.

What’s your favorite spice for baking and cooking?

Photo Source: 2bp

More stories from PadmaLakshmi.com:

Global Pantry: A Dash of Asafetida Is All You Need

Warm Up With Drinking Chocolate

From My Kitchen: Basil and Blood Orange Salad

Pumpkin: A Savory Flavor That Spans Seasons

From My Kitchen: Chili Honey Butter

Padma Lakshmi — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 11:34:26 PST

Related: Global Pantry: Garam Masala

Get her recipe after the break.

Global Pantry: Za'atar Powder Has Endless Possibilities

Padma Lakshmi — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 08:30:15 PST

We've got a new partnership with Padma Lakshmi! The host of the Emmy-winning Top Chef, writer, and designer started Padma Lakshmi, a social-networking site that celebrates our favorite topics including food adventures, recipes, and party planning. She'll be dishing up goodies for us here on YumSugar monthly. Today Padma makes a compelling point for why all of us should keep za'atar powder in our pantries.

Za'atar is a Middle Eastern spice powder that is mainly used in Syria and parts of Armenia and Turkey. It contains oregano, thyme, and sesame seeds as well as sumac. It's an excellent seasoning to rub on freshly baked breads - especially flatbreads, as they do in the Middle East. Like sumac, za'atar powder will keep for ages in your pantry. I always keep it in mine to help me literally make something out of almost nothing.

More on what to do with za'atar, after the break.

From My Kitchen: Basil and Blood Orange Salad

Padma Lakshmi — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 05:12:33 PST

We've got a new partnership with Padma Lakshmi! The host of the Emmy-winning Top Chef, writer, and designer started Padma Lakshmi, a social-networking site that celebrates our favorite topics including food adventures, recipes, and party planning. She'll be dishing up goodies for us here on YumSugar monthly. Today Padma shares a unique citrus salad from her cookbook that combines basil with in-season blood oranges.

I first tasted a version of this salad on a farm at the base of the Alpujarra mountains in Spain, while filming my documentary "Planet Food" for the Food Network. A sweet woman named Mercedes cooked all day long while her husband, Paco, tended the animals. The salad is not only glorious to eat but beautiful to look at. The glistening oranges, jeweled with dried cranberries, sit regally in a luxurious bed of dark green spinach that's laced with the spiky fragrance of basil. The nuttiness of the pepitas complete the odyssey of taste and texture. It never fails to be a hit.

Keep reading for the basil and blood orange salad recipe.

Pumpkin: A Savory Flavor That Spans Seasons

Padma Lakshmi — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 11:40:09 PST

We've got a new partnership with Padma Lakshmi! The host of the Emmy-winning Top Chef, writer, and designer started Padma Lakshmi, a social-networking site that celebrates our favorite topics including food adventures, recipes, and party planning. She'll be dishing up goodies for us here on YumSugar monthly. Today Padma offers creative ideas for cooking with pumpkin during the Winter months.

Pumpkins, or winter squash as many people call it, has many more uses beyond a traditional jack-o'-lantern or filling for pumpkin pie. Aside from a delicious, mellow flavor, pumpkin provides really significant levels of potassium, vitamin A, and beta-carotene making it a healthful, wintry addition to hearty meals and more.

A delicate slice of pumpkin pie or pumpkin cheesecake flavored with allspice, nutmeg, clove, and cinnamon tastes like a nostalgic slice of home for many people this time of year. While a pumpkin puree most definitely lends itself to dessert very well, it’s also great as an appetizer and main course.

It’s very common to see pumpkin ravioli in Italian cooking or a pumpkin tempura or sushi with kabocha, which is the Japanese variety. In parts of India, you see pumpkin in vegetarian stews or chowders called sambar that is made with pigeon peas and tamarind. Keep reading for Padma's favorite pumpkin preparations.

Global Pantry: Black Garlic

Padma Lakshmi — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 12:49:23 PST

We are thrilled to announce our new partnership with Padma Lakshmi! The host of the Emmy-winning Top Chef, writer, and designer started Padma Lakshmi, a social networking site that celebrates our favorite topics, including food adventures, recipes, and party planning. She'll be dishing up goodies for us here on YumSugar monthly! Today, Padma offers her thoughts on the specialty ingredient known as black garlic.

Korean culture, famous for kimchi, has perfected the art of fermentation, patiently coaxing the flavors of everyday food to an entirely new level. Not surprisingly, the origin of black garlic is in Korea. After aging for at least 30 days, it possesses a caramelized, savory richness that has a mouth feel similar to eating a date. Because it’s sweet and mild, it’s hard to believe you’re eating garlic at all.

But it is indeed garlic - definitely less attractive, but with all the best assets intact and an umami sensation to boot. These smooth, smoky fermented cloves are irresistible and easy to eat on their own - minus the lingering, pungent breath.

I’ve seen it popping up more and more over the past few years in the states, and once again, it’s at the top of many seasonal, must-have ingredient lists for the best restaurants and now even pizza joints. Keep reading to learn how to cook with black garlic.

Sauteed Cauliflower With Anise and Cashews

Padma Lakshmi — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 10:19:11 PST

We are thrilled to announce our new partnership with Padma Lakshmi! The host of Emmy-winning Top Chef, writer, and designer started Padma Lakshmi, a social networking site that celebrates our favorite topics, including food adventures, recipes, and party planning. She'll be dishing up goodies for us here on YumSugar monthly! Today, Padma shares a recipe for Sauteed Cauliflower With Anise and Cashews.

Cauliflower gets a bad rap sometimes. It's definitely always the last vegetable left on a crudites platter, but that's lucky for me because I happen to love this cruciferous floret. I think a lot of people are just a touch puzzled when it comes to preparation and don't know the proper ways to work with it and coax out a truly indulgent flavor.

I have a delicious preparation that will leave everyone at the table gazing longingly at the empty serving bowl where the cauliflower once was.

In North India, in a dish called aloo gobi, it is made with potatoes and cumin. I've replaced the potatoes with cashews and the cumin with anise seeds; it's lighter without the potatoes, and the cashews give it a rich, nutty flavor that pairs well with the anise seeds. The long, dry red chilies give the dish a burst of red color that looks gorgeous on the plate.

This is a great side dish to add to your Thanksgiving Day feast. It's a surprising twist on a traditional vegetable that will add some intrigue to the line-up of usual suspects. Keep reading for the recipe.

Emmys: Padma Lakshmi

BellaSugar — Sun, 18 Sep 2011 17:11:39 PDT

All Padma Lakshmi needs is a pair of wings to look just like an Emmy herself. The culinary goddess (and jewelry designer - those earrings are her creation) is the ultimate golden girl in an Armani Privé gown and Jimmy Choo heels. With such a statement-making dress, it's understandable that she kept her makeup and hair minimal. Would you give this ensemble an award? Vote on all of our Emmys polls here!

Jennifer and Marc Join Demi, John Legend at Hope For Children Gala in NYC

Molly Goodson — Wed, 08 Jun 2011 08:46:32 PDT

Jennifer Lopez wore a bright dress and stuck close to husband Marc Anthony on the red carpet at last night's Hope For Children Gala in NYC. Demi Moore was without her other half, Ashton Kutcher, though he did twitter about being in the Big Apple earlier in the day. Ashton has been busy with rehearsals for Two and a Half Men, though he also made time to stop by the MTV Movie Awards on Sunday. John Legend looked dapper as usual as he made his way into yesterday evening's event at Cipriani. Jennifer also brought her sister Lynda along for the charitable soiree and from there the international star is headed to Europe for more promotional duties on behalf of her album. Now that American Idol is done for the season, Jennifer can focus on her other ventures from her fragrances to her music as well as the Latin singing competition, Q'Viva the Chosen, that she and Marc are working on.

Halle Berry Shows Her Winning Abs in a Revealing Dress at the FiFi Awards

Allie Merriam — Thu, 26 May 2011 09:18:00 PDT

Halle Berry flashed some strategic skin last night at the FiFi Awards, held at NYC's Lincoln Center. She posed for photos on the red carpet decked out in a revealing black Halston dress, and later caught up with friends like Nate Berkus and Mary J. Blige inside. It was an evening dedicated to honoring the best of the fragrance world, and Halle walked away with the Celebrity Fragrance of the Year statue for her work building a mini-empire with her Halle by Halle Berry, Pure Orchid, and Reveal. Fergie had husband Josh Duhamel on hand to pick up her New Celebrity Fragrance of the Year prize due to her 2011 release Outspoken by Fergie. Her bright yellow BCBG Max Azria dress added a pop of color to the proceedings, though Halle's main man, Olivier Martinez, wasn't able to attend.