I particularly dislike most of those spices (except for Bay leaves and Saffron) in savory dishes, and I think that you will find that using fresh spices in the traditional (usually dessert) recipes will make a striking difference. I also think that they will get somewhat lost in savory dishes, especially ones where minimal amounts of spice are used.

I would make hot apple cider or other types of drinks to take advantage of the fresh spices. I have used nutmeg in apple pie with good results, and I think apples are good with all of those spices, except Bay leaves and saffron.

Most spices are meant to blend with other flavors and are not particularly good by themselves or if they overwhelm the rest of the ingredients. I appreciate them best when they have subtle flavors, but I also appreciate that fresh spices have a different subtle flavor than stale ones. The one exception that I can think of is fresh ginger, but that is not on your list.

Lars

I like tomato sauce with a small amount of allspice and cloves. Just 2-3 ea for a 1Qt of sauce.
Just tomatos puree, black pepper, allspice, cloves and bay leaf. Add minced garlic at the very end when you turned heat off. It is very good.
Olga

I used mace, allspice, and cloves to spice my lentils for St. Patrick's day for my colcannon-topped shepherds pie to give them a flavor reminiscent of corned beef. I use nutmeg in pretty much every bechamel that I make. I prefer the fresh grated but have used ground. Cinnamon is great for Indian foods. I do agree with Lars that most spices need to lean on eachother- teamwork.

Saffron is good in rice and rice is bland enough that the saffron is very noticeable.

I just made this for Elery. It calls for chicken, but I left the chicken out, I thought lentils, rice and chick peas were enough "protein" and it was very hearty. It has several of those "hot" spices and I liked it a lot. I did use brown rice and dried chickepeas, but I think a can of chickpeas would work as well, as would white rice.

Harira (Moroccan Chickpea Stew)
(Emeril Lagasse)

ngredients

1/4 pound dried chickpeas
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 2-inch pieces
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup diced onions
1/2 cup diced celery
2 teaspoons ground ginger
2 teaspoons turmeric
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes and their juices
1 1/2 quarts rich chicken stock
1/4 pound dried green lentils
1/2 cup long-grain rice (I use brown)
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves (I omitted this,I didn't have any)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
Cilantro sprigs, for garnishing

Pick over the chickpeas, cover with cold water, and soak overnight at room temperature. Drain chickpeas and rinse well with cold running water. Drain and set aside.

Heat the olive oil in a medium stockpot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Season the chicken pieces with 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Add the chicken in batches, and cook until well browned, about 4 minutes per batch. Remove the chicken from the pot and set aside. Add the onions and celery and cook until softened, about 4 minutes. Add the ginger, turmeric, pepper, cinnamon, and nutmeg and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Return the chicken to the pan and add the tomatoes and their juices, stirring well. Stir in the chicken stock, lentils, and chickpeas and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and cook at a gentle simmer for 1 hour.

Add the rice and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt and return the soup to a simmer. Cook covered for 30 minutes. Remove the lid, add the cilantro, parsley, and lemon juice and cook, uncovered for 5 minutes.

Ladle into warmed soup bowls and garnish with fresh cilantro sprigs.

it sounds like a very "flavorful" trip!

Annie

Hmmm.....when I was in Madasgar and the Comoros they told me they were the spice islands...
I like nutmeg on spinach....but that hardly showcases the nutmeg. I think the best showcase would be on top of a baked custard.
Cloves are wonderful steeped in with tea.....and definitely stand out.
What better use of cinnamon to really showcase it than in a cinnamon roll!
I use all spice in Swedish meatballs....not sure if it showcases the spice, but you definitely know it's there.
Bayleaf gets added to most soups and stews....not sure how to "showcase" that one.
Saffron!...in Swedish saffron buns is a good way...or of course in saffron rice...or paella.
Mace has such a subtle flavor....I don't think it's much different than nutmeg. Did you bring home some whole nutmegs with the lacey covering of mace still on them?
I brought home one whole nutmeg fruit, still with leaf and branch attached....I lied to the customs agent about having any plant material!!

Most of these spices are useed in indian/ persian cooking and mostly in savory dishes.

Here is a spice blend I make that is amazing in curries, lentil dishes and as flavoring for rice pilafs. Also makes a great party favor or christmas gift. BTW, whole spices store for a long time. So don't feel compelled to use it all up soon.

Saffron is also great in curries and works especially well with almonds. Every summer I make a almond saffron drink that is very refreshing and a big hit at parties especially with kids. I store my whole saffron in the freezer (double bagged)

I put saffron in my chicken soup and also bay leaf and a few cloves. Other than that, I think a bit of bouquet garni and a tiny bit of garlic.

I use fresh cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg and cloves to make real chai tea. Nothing better!

Allspice and cloves go good in Cinncinnati style chili. Here's one list of ingredients. I make my Cincinnati style chili like chili mac, and put the onions, kidney beans in with it and then mix it with cheddar cheese and broken spaghetti and bake in the oven.

This is from Sara Moulton

3 onions, chopped
6 garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 pounds ground beef chuck
1/3 cup chili powder
2 tablespoons sweet paprika
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon dried oregano, crumbled
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground mace
1 bay leaf
3 cups water
1 (16-ounce) can tomato sauce
2 tablespoons wine vinegar
2 tablespoons molasses
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Spaghetti, kidney beans, chopped onion, grated Cheddar, and oyster crackers as traditional accompaniments, if desired

Oh, some great ideas!

Annie, yes it was a flavorful trip, especially as that was the launch point for a week long cruise on a very small ship (windjammer - 8 passengers, 6 crew, fantastic). They of course used all these spices to make spiced rum every day! And yes, I did bring home some whole nutmegs, both with and without the mace.

I know many of these are used a lot in sweet dishes, but we just really don't eat those much. Apple pie, cinnamon rolls, etc - we just don't. Although I am thinking I may have to make one batch of cinnamon rolls!

Lalitha, the spice blend sounds wonderful. Would you mind telling me how to make the almond saffron drink also?

And lpinkmounting, chai tea - how would I do that?

The chickpea stew sounds great too, may have to do that soon before the weather turns to summer and stews don't sound good!

Thanks for the ideas, very much appreciated!

Here is my almond saffron drink cooler recipe. It is an easy going recipe.. play with the quantities to see what works for you. Enjoy!

I use Ultra pasteurized organic milk as it has longer shelf life.

Almond Saffron Cooler

Whole almonds with skin - 1cup
Cashew - optional. You can add up to 1/4 cup
Sugar - 1 cup ( use less or more as you desire)
Saffron - a good sized pinch. Let your taste buds guide you
Cardamom powder - a good sized pinch
Nice carrots peeled or baby carrots - 1 cup
Milk - 1/2 gallon.. You can use more to dilute.

Boil water, drop in the almonds and turn off heat. Keep covered for several hours. The hot water will make easy to slip the skins off. Soak cashews in some water as well. Peel the almond skins.. It should slip off if you pinch it. Steam the carrots. Soak the saffron threads in a tbsp of milk. Grind the almonds, carrots, and cashews to a smooth paste. I use a food processor or blender and use some milk for the liquid. Test with fingers to check if it is smooth. Once it is a smooth paste, add the sugar, the cardamom and the saffron and blend it all together. Mix this paste into the milk to bring the drink together. Taste along the way to adjust for sweetness or thickness. I usually add ice to dilute and cool the drink. Enjoy. Should last in the fridge for a couple of days.
If I am making for a picnic or BBQ,, I will sometimes make and pour back into the milk carton or gallon jug. Easier to dispense and clean up is just a toss.

Lalitha- love that! Will try soon

Chai tea? My girls love it, I don't care for anything in my tea except tea, but even I think it smells lovely. I do use bulk tea instead of tea bags, I get some really good Ceylon at the Mediterranean shopping center and it all gets strained out with the spices anyway.

Anyway, it's good. Not as good as spiced rum on a boat, of course, but good, LOL.

Chai Tea

4 servings

�4 whole cloves
�2 whole peppercorns
�4 individual tea bags
�4 teaspoons sugar
�1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
�1 cinnamon stick (3 inches)
�2-1/2 cups boiling water
�2 cups milk

Place cloves and peppercorns in a large bowl; with the end of a wooden spoon handle, crush spices until aromas are released.

Add the tea bags, sugar, ginger, cinnamon stick and boiling water. Cover and steep for 6 minutes. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, heat the milk.

Strain tea, discarding spices and tea bags. Stir in hot milk. Pour into mugs. Yield: 4 servings.

Annie

Darn it, there go those darned symbols again. Just ignore the first three symbols in each line and start right out with the whole numbers. Sigh.

Annie

I love to serve hot apple cider on a cold day. To 1/2 gallon of cider over low heat in a large pot or crock pot, add 15 whole cloves, 4 sticks of cinnamon, (a few allspice berries if you like,) and an orange. Heat slowly for about 45 minutes. Taste it to be sure that the spices and orange oil have flavored the cider. After another hour, remove the orange and spices to avoid their giving a bitter taste to the cider.

Thank you for the additional recipes! I also love the aroma of chai and do enjoy a cup now and then. I will have to try the almond drink this summer, it sounds wonderful! And yes, hot apple cider - although the time for that has pretty much passed for this winter (knocking on wood).

Thank you!

We like just a bit of freshly grated nutmeg on stir-fried green beans.

I make a Mexican stir-fry type of dish. Cook strips of pork w/ slivers of green pepper, onion, and sliced jalapeno. When the pork & veggies are mostly done, stir in chunks of fresh tomato & fresh minced garlic. Continue cooking until the tomato starts to lose its form. In a separate container, stir some sugar into broth (chicken, beef, whatever you have), add a pinch of ground cloves and a bit of cornstarch...stir this into the meat the veggies & continue cooking until the juices thicken up a bit. Serve wrapped up in flour tortillas.

You just want a hint of cloves in the dish & only slightly sweet. It's a taste & adjust as you go along thing. I came up with this 'recipe' after eating this dish in a restaurant and just wing it when I make it. Never have gotten around to using measured amounts & writing it all down. It's one of my most favorite ways to prepare pork.

I make my tea with cracked nutmeg (don't have a grater so I just hit it a couple times with a hammer and use some of the pieces, not too many though, nutmeg can easily overpower), a clove or two, a hunk of candied ginger, a hunk of cinnamon, five or six cardamom pods, some allspice berries and either a chunk of a vanilla pod or I sweeten it with Penzeys vanilla sugar. You can steep the spices in boiling water a while before you make the tea, for more flavor. You can also use a teaball to put the spices in or make a little sachet out of cheesecloth. I just throw the spices into the boiling water, boil for a while, then add some loose leaf tea and hot milk, sweeten to taste. Then pout it out of the kettle through a strainer. Chai with fresh spices is the best, although I hardly ever indulge!