The materials used are the basis of any work, they are fundamental and can make the difference.
This applies to construction, clothing, graphics, photography and – very much – cooking .
That's why today we're talking about ingredients.
Quality ingredients, in the kitchen or in the laboratory, are equal to a valid helper : they save you from having to "fix" some defect.
We like good and unusual (or lesser-known) ingredients.
Today we talk about green cardamom ( Elettaria cardamomum ).
The plant from which this spice is obtained is distributed between Iran, India, Sri Lanka and Malaysia and is part of the same family as ginger and turmeric.
The seeds enclosed inside the fruits which are made up of small pods similar to capsules are used. Since the seeds quickly lose their aroma, they are marketed closed inside their previously dried capsule.
The brighter the green of the pods, the better the quality of the cardamom.
The aroma of cardamom is complex and unmistakable: it has very fresh and pungent notes reminiscent of camphor and eucalyptus.
In the kitchen it can be used to enrich the aroma of ethnic dishes and to give a twist of character to fish and shellfish dishes.
In sweet preparations, it is easy to find it combined with chocolate, coffee (as in our tiramisu with cardamom coffee) and in shortcrust pastry and biscuit dough. We also use it in our fruit jellies and sauces.
We like it because: it is beautiful, good and surprisingly fresh.