The CookingBites Spice Challenge - Spice of the Month (October 2017): Cumin

[Elawin]

@Elawin

We use " fresh squeezed lemon juice " ..

I use fresh lemon juice when "boiling" cauliflower to keep it nice and white.

 

[Yorky]

I use fresh lemon juice when "boiling" cauliflower to keep it nice and white.

I shall remember that (although in my case it will be lime juice).

 

[ElizabethB]

With Texas as a neighbor I make REAL Texas Chili - no beans but lots of cumin.

I have to think about this and try to come up with something different.

 

[ElizabethB]

I have an idea.

I was . George reminded me of a very simple dish that I make with Paprika and Turmeric that he is particularly fond of. That was the inspiration I was looking for. I can use Cumin instead of the Paprika.

After much thought I have come up with an ide to use this simple dish as a base - kick it up a notch and create something different. I just hope I can translate my idea from my head to the plate.

 

[ElizabethB]

As a new member I have questions about the spice and recipe challenges.

Who are the judges? How are they chosen? What do they base their decision on? They can not possibly test all of the recipes.

My impression is that the winner gets to choose the next challenge ingredient and is mentioned on your wall of fame.

 

[Morning Glory]

As a new member I have a question about the spice and recipe challenges.

Who are the judges? How are they chosen? What do they base their decision on? They can not possibly test all of the recipes.

My impression is that the winner gets to choose the next challenge ingredient and is mentioned on your wall of fame.

The Recipe challenge judge is the winner of the last round and they set the new ingredient. There are no set criteria for how to judge. As you say, its impossible to make and test everything. Its entirely up to the judge to choose a recipe which most appeals to them! Its just a bit of fun really. Personally I find it really useful - I always enter it but actually don't want to win! I find it useful to focus on one ingredient and explore all the possibilities.

The Spice challenge is my 'baby' if you like - I choose the spice, write up some info about it, obtain the prizes and personally oversee posting them. I don't use set criteria. I just use my own experience of cooking and look for interesting ideas rather than the obvious. I do try to make some of the recipes.

 

[Elawin]

As a new member I have questions about the spice and recipe challenges.

Who are the judges? How are they chosen? What do they base their decision on? They can not possibly test all of the recipes.

My impression is that the winner gets to choose the next challenge ingredient and is mentioned on your wall of fame.

I choose the one that sounds most appealing, I have also tried one or two that sound just too intriguing. As for choosing the next ingredient for the recipe challenge, I tend to choose one I have either used a lot or sometimes never ever used to get a few ideas. As for the spice challenge, I think it's a wonderful idea. I use nearly all spices in day to day cooking as I particularly like Asian food, and tend to be a bit "blinkered" where other uses are concerned. The one exception was saffron, which I haven't used for years. In fact the jar in my spice drawer was so old, I nearly donated it to an archaeological museum, and had to go out an buy a new jar so I could try it

I try all the recipes before I post them (with only one exception, which was pretty fool proof) and can therefore post my own photos wherever possible so you can see the fruits of my labour. I can't lay claim to any of the recipes being mine. Some are my favourites, and most are foods I eat regularly. Most come from my large collection of cookery books, magazine clippings etc or from online. Having said that, some are adapted from non-vegetarian recipes (such as the potato and lentil patties; I don't eat a lot of meat), and one or two have been adapted so much over the years, the original chef would probably be hard-pressed to recognise them.

All in all, I find the challenges a good bit of useful fun!

 

[Yorky]

Onion Bhaji.

I prefer my onion bhajis loosely packed without all that stodge in the middle.

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

One of my favourite dishes. A very rich and spicy dish of very few ingredients once you take away the spice mixture..
Chickpea salad. https://www.cookingbites.com/threads/chickpea-salad.120/
I may suggest it for next week and try to get a photograph for @morning glory

 

[Elawin]

Cauliflower caponata

https://www.cookingbites.com/threads/cauliflower-caponata.11039/#post-97429

 

[Herbie]

I had not realised how much I use cumin! So, in the spirit of a challenge I've tried a few new recipes.
Whole roast cauliflower
Banana and cumin icecream

 

[ElizabethB]

Cumin Roasted Cauliflower Soup

https://www.cookingbites.com/threads/cumin-roasted-cauliflower-soup.11128/

Notes:

I was VERY pleased with the taste. I will make some changes next time for improved texture and aesthetics.

For texture:
#1 Instead of adding roasted cauliflower to the vegetables add 2 cups raw florets.
#2 Add the cumin with the broth
#3 Add the roasted cauliflower with the white sauce

For aesthetics:
The EVOO from the roasted cauliflower rose to the top of the soup. Not as visually appealing as I would have liked. Before adding the soup to the sour cream refrigerate overnight. Remove the oil. Re-heat then add to a serving bowl with the sour cream.

Much prettier and taste better. All of the lovely flavors meld.

I enjoy giving a recipe a critical evaluation almost as much as I enjoy making it.

 

[Yorky]

Masala potatoes.

My first attempt at these yesterday.

 

[Morning Glory]

Thank you everyone for your lovely entries. There were 10 entries in all, four of which contained cauliflower and four of which contained potatoes. Perhaps both vegetables are a natural pairing for cumin. As it happens, all the recipes were vegetarian or vegan. The recipes were:

From @Elawin:
Cauliflower caponata - I love the combination of olives, sultanas, cauliflower and flaked almonds.
Spicy Potato and Lentil Patties - lentil patties are a favourite of mine, especially served with pickles. I'll be making these!

From @ElizabethB
Cumin Roasted Cauliflower - toasty tasty cauliflower florets!
Cumin Roasted Cauliflower Soup - a great idea to make cauliflower soup from roasted cauliflower

From @Herbie:
Whole roasted cauliflower: a straightforward and tasty recipe which showcases a whole cauliflower.
Banana icecream: Sheer simplicity. This is on my list to try.

From @Yorky, a trio of tantalising potato dishes:
Masala Potatoes - a very pretty affair.
Potato Pakoras - with a lovely crispy golden batter.
Potatoes and Cumin - I cooked this one; a lovely spicy recipe with potatoes part crispy and part soft.

From @SatNavSaysStraightOn:
Chickpea Salad - Despite no photograph, reading through the commentary, a stunning visual image of this dish is created. This is an unusual and intriguing salad.

I think this is the most entries ever and choosing a winner is ridiculously difficult. I simply like all the recipes! Anyway, the short shortlist is Chickpea Salad, Whole roasted cauliflower and Cumin Roasted Cauliflower Soup.

In the end I decided on Cumin Roasted Cauliflower Soup from @ElizabethB. I chose this because its such a great idea to make soup from roasted cauliflower and I liked the critique of the recipe.

@ElizabethB, you need to choose one of the following prizes and then PM me a postal address to send it to.

1. 
   Deiss® PRO Citrus Lemon Zester & Cheese Grater
   
   
   
   
   
   
   Fresh India: 130 Quick, Easy and Delicious Vegetarian Recipes for Every Day- Hardcover (Jul 2016)
   
   
   
   
   
   
   Sirocco: Fabulous Flavours from the East - Hardcover (May 2016)
   
   
   
   
   
   
   Syria: Recipes from Home - Hardcover (4 May 2017)
   
   
   
   
   
   
   OXO Good Grips Mandolin Slicer
   
   
   
   
   
   Perfect Cook - Best Digital Meat Thermometer & Cooking Timer
   
   
   

 

[Herbie]

Good choice @morning glory

Well done @ElizabethB

Another on my to do list!