Onion Powder

If I have a “secret” ingredient in my cooking, it has to be Onion Powder.  This is a must have flavor essential in your kitchen.  Go buy it now.  You can ask questions later.

What is Onion Powder?

Onion Powder is nothing more than dehydrated bulb onions that have been finely ground into a soft powder.  It smells strong, but adds a subtle onion flavor when used in a dish.  DO NOT confuse it with Onion Salt, which is a more coarsely ground version which has been mixed with tons of salt.  I like to keep my salt separate so I can more easily judge and control the sodium level of my dishes.

Onions

Onion Powder Uses

I use Onion Powder in anything that I want an onion flavor in, often even when using fresh onions, as the onion powder lays a subtle foundation of onion flavor while the fresh onions add strong onion hits.  The two work great together.  The applicable uses are extensive, but I seem to primarily use Onion Powder as follows:

• Mixed with other spices and herbs to make a Dry Rub
• Added to Soups and Stews
• Whisked into Vinaigrettes
• Sprinkled on Steak, Pork, or Chicken when grilling/frying/sauteing
• Used as a seasoning in Sauces, even marinara
  
• Added to Gravies
• Mixed in with Bread or Pasta dough
• Sprinkled on Pizza prior to baking
• Mixed into burger when making Hamburgers

Onion Powder Container

I have found that Onion Powder often provides the final flavor component in, thus fixing, a dish that just seems to be missing something.  If you’re not using it now, start.  Your family and friends will instantly notice that your food seems to taste better than it did before.

Because Onion Powder is dehydrated onions, it will absorb some of the moisture in what ever you put it in.  This usually doesn’t make much of a difference, but just pay attention to things.  I’ve noticed that when using it in gravies or sauces, I sometimes need to add a little bit more water or broth to compensate after adding the Onion Powder.

Garlic Powder

Garlic Powder is another great thing to have on hand.  It is usually more coarsely ground and looks more like tiny sand granules than a powder.  The larger size requires more liquid when reconstituting, so closely watch the liquid content in your dish when using it.  It can be used everywhere Onion Powder can when you want a subtle garlic flavor.  However, I have found that it needs to be cooked, otherwise it doesn’t have a very good flavor.  For this reason, I recommend using fresh garlic in your vinaigrettes rather than Garlic Powder.

I’m a huge fresh garlic fan, so I don’t use Garlic Powder nearly as much as Onion Powder, but it still is a useful spice to have on hand and does see a fair amount of use in my kitchen.  Again, stay away from Garlic Salt….you just can’t balance the salt and garlic right when using it.

Purchasing Onion and Garlic Powder

Both Onion Powder and Garlic Powder are available at most any grocer in the spice aisle.  They’re available for high prices in the small little glass jars, but if you look around (usually on the bottom shelf), most stores sell them in larger plastic containers for about have the price per ounce.  Go for the larger and more economical size.  The stuff lasts for a long long time.

Dried Chilies (clockwise from bottom left: California, Ancho, Thai, and Chipotle)

Dried chilies are the quintessential ingredient in Mexican cuisine, namely because they originated in the Americas. However, dear old Christopher Columbus enjoyed them so much that he brought them back to Europe with him, where they quickly spread as a substitution for black peppercorns. They can be classified as a spice because the dried fruit of the chili pepper plants is full of capsaicin, a natural compound that gives the sensation of burning flesh in mammals.

From Europe, they spread throughout the world and are now used in Spanish, Portuguese, Hungarian, Italian, Chinese, Southeast Asian, Indian, African, and many other cuisines throughout the world. They add tons of flavor to to the dishes they are incorporated in, and yes, can add a lot of heat as well. However, not all dried chilies are scorching hot. Take the Ancho chili (made from a red ripened Pablano pepper) for example. It is mildly warm, but very sweet, and is my favorite of the dried chilies.

Dried chilies can be used as is in many dishes; for example, Kung Pao Chicken or other stir fried spicy dishes. They can be ground to make chili powders, such as cayenne/red pepper. They can be mixed with vinegar, salt, and other spices to make hot pepper sauce. And they can be reconstituted in hot water and then pureed with onions and garlic to make a Mexican red chili sauce for use in tamales, enchiladas, tacos, and many other wondrous treats.

How to Reconstitute Dried Chilies

To reconstitute, simply place them in boiling water and let them soak, weighing them down with a plate or other weight, for approximately 20 minutes, or until soft.

Reconstitute Dried Chilies

Weigh Dried Chilies Down

Once soft, grab the stem and gently pull away from the pepper pod to remove most of the seeds and veins. You can rinse the inside with water if you’d like to get rid of any remaining seeds.

Pull Out Chili Stem and Seeds

Alternately, you can cut off the stem, slit the chili lengthwise, open it up, and remove all the seeds PRIOR to soaking. This is the method used when a recipe calls for “dry roasting dried chilies”, where you first roast the chili over high heat to “blister” it and then reconstitute it in boiling water. This method adds additional flavor to the chilies and is pretty fun to do.

Cut Off Dried Stem

Slit Open to Remove Seeds and Veins

Cleaned Dried Chili Ready for Roasting and Reconstituting

Common Dried Chilies

• Ancho: medium sized, a dried ripe Pablano, usually brownish black in color, mild
• Mulato: medium size, almost black in color, similar to Ancho but sweeter, very mild
• California: long, a dried Anaheim, usually dark red in color, very mild
• New Mexico: long, similar to the California, usually dark red in color, hot
• De Arbol: small, bright red in color, very hot
• Pequin: very little, bright red in color, very hot
• Cascabel: round, dark brown in color, hot
• Thai: skinny and long, bright red in color, very hot
• Chipotle: dried jalapeno, brown in color, sweet and smokey, mildly hot

Star Anise

Star Anise History and Uses

Star Anise is one of my absolute favorite spices. It comes from the seed pod of a native Chinese evergreen tree (Illicium Verum), and is now grown all over Southeast Asia. As with most indigenous spices along the equator, it has antimicrobial and antibiotic properties.

It has absolutely no relation to the anise plant, which comes from a flowering plant very similar to fennel, however, both have the familiar licorice flavor also found in fennel and tarragon, due to a common chemical compound in all four. It is used extensively in Chinese, Vietnamese, Malaysian, Indonesian, and Indian cuisine. It is one of the primary spices in Chinese Five Spice Powder and in the Vietnamese beef noodle soup, pho.

Star Anise in Desserts

There is a much more present sweetness in Star Anise than what is found in any of its similar flavor pals. Stick a piece in your mouth and you’ll almost think you’re chewing on a nice piece of black licorice candy. As such, it is a great addition to desserts. I like to reduce fruit juices, brandy, and/or simple syrups with Star Anise and other aromatic spices (like cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla, etc.), which I then pour over cakes, cooked fruits, or cheese. It is also fantastic in mulled cider, and pairs well with anything citrus.

Star Anise in Savory Dishes

But that sweet pungency goes extremely well with savory meat dishes as well. Star anise is amazing in marinades for chicken or beef, added while braising the same, added to Indian curries, or ground and sprinkled on chicken wings (as found all over Malaysia). Sometimes I like to toss a few stars in the wok with my ginger, chillies, and garlic when stir frying beef. It’s even great cooked in with beans and brown sugar.

Star Anise Substitutions

You can substitute Star Anise with/for fennel seed, anise seed, or dried tarragon in most recipes which call for a ground version. Give Star Anise a try; you’ll be glad you did. It is easily sourced at any Asian market, and is typically very inexpensive. It will likely come in bags bigger than you need, so consider a few other terrific uses:

• Potpourri
• Steeped in boiling water with herbs/spices to make an herbal tea
• Ground and sprinkled on hot chocolate or coffee
• Burned for incense