Every Spring, I conduct inventory of my pantry - which includes the freezer and fridge as well as other dry goods. It is always a good indicator of what needs clearing, replacing, or to be used more. Sometimes during this period of taking stock, I find myself inspired to try different flavors combinations - from the mere fact that a handful of ingredients are sitting near one another.
MARMITE: This really all began when I shared a post on marmite asking my audience for ideas/suggestions of what to do with it, because I used it once in a broth for short ribs. And then promptly forgot about it. There were some interesting ideas - one person suggested a marmite fried chicken and my friend @kitchenbutterfly suggested experimentation with drinks particularly coffee. I’ve been fixated on the latter - how does one make this yeasty condiment palatable in coffee or other drinks??? We shall see…
ANAMALAI MACE: I am sure I’ve eaten things that contain mace at some point but I’ve never really experimented with it. I am aware that mace is quite simply the dressing on nutmeg. But where do we go from there? What applications might I try? Would it pair well with some of the items in my foraged pantry? I’m also becoming more obsessed with mocktails.
OMANI BLACK LIME: I tried this in a broth once but it was overpowered by lemongrass which had accidentally made its way to the instant pot. How you ask? Well, I keep a small bag in the freezer of random bits that I think would be great in a broth (read, I forgot about the lemongrass and there you have it). What a mess the broth was. There was no taming nor tempering that could have made it palatable. I’ve yet to use these again - in fact I have another kind of black limes purchased from the Indian grocers that have also seen minimal use.
SZECHUAN RED PEPPERCORNS: I really like the numbing property of these peppercorns but I’ve never been quite sure of what to put them in until a few days ago. I remembered I had seen a recipe in my saved section on Instagram (which contains a long list of recipes that I may never get to). At any rate, it was for a strawberry Sichuan syrup - which I did indeed put together and a quick taste test told me I’ll be using this in lemonade,cocktails, and truly anything I think it will taste great in.
BLACK CARDAMOM: This has been my least used item because it was a recent purchase that I forgot about once it made its way to the back of the cupboard. Black cardamom is typically used in savory dishes as opposed to its green and yellow counterparts that fare well in both sweet and savory dishes.
Clockwise: Marmite, Mace, Black Cardamom, Szechuan Red Peppercorns, Omani Black Limes.
The thing about me is that when I hyper fixate on an ingredient, I become obsessed. And I am well on my way there. I find myself exploring applications that are not often traditional but again I think that is where the fun lies. Do I like everything I make? No. But do I have fun trying? YES! And sometimes, I come up with some of the best combinations that amaze me to no end. So, my writing this post is to inspire me to think out loud about what I may consider creating.
