Marjoram

Ahhh, marjoram.  My first studied spice!  Bruce Burnett, a chartered herbalist and award-winning writer, offers a brief history and various uses for marjoram, along with some recipes to get us started.  Apparently, marjoram has a connection with love, as it has been used in potions and spells since the ancient Romans and Greeks.  Venus and Aphrodite are connected with its history, and its use inspires love.  I wish I had known this 35 years ago!  I would have carried a satchel of it. 

Marjoram has medicinal and health benefits for immunity, digestion, and sinus relief.  For cooking, it is similar to oregano and enhances the flavor of soups and vegetables.  Mr. Burnett offers recipes for grilled chicken breasts, asparagus, and minestrone soup.  I will be trying the chicken breast recipe this weekend, as it includes lemon and pepper, one of my favorites for chicken seasoning.  I notice this is pan fried as opposed to oven roasted, which is my usual method.  There is also a sour cream sauce included in the recipe.  I may have to also try the asparagus recipe on the site.  What a marvelous dinner this will make!  I look forward to testing this recipe on the family.

I also look forward to exploring Mr. Burnett's recommendations on other spices in question.

Reference:

Burnett, B. (n.d.).  Marjoram herb.  Retrieved September 11, 2010 from http://health.learninginfo.org'marjoram.htm/. 

Spices and More Spices!

My daughter and I had a large selection of spices and seasonings that we shared, as we both cooked.  When my daughter married and moved away, The box of spices went with her, and I am working on building up my supply a little at a time.  I particularly miss lemon-pepper seasoning!  For Mothers Day the girls gave me a spice rack full of spices that I have heard of, but have never used in my lifetime.  Some of those include fennel, marjoram, savory, coriander, and several others.  What I hope to do with this blog is to educate myself on one spice at a time and eventually find uses for them all.