Spice Suggestion

[EJRothman]

I'm making a pilaf with Quinoa for Passover. (it's legal as has been discussed elsewhere on e-gullet).

I want it to be simple - just quinoa, currants, slivered almond, lemon zest.

Anyway, anyone have any suggestions as to a spice I can add it enhance the flavor. I was going to use cumin, but my god damn supermarket didn't have it ground, I don't have a spice grinder, and no access to a speciaty store in the immediate area. (I'm at school and don't have many of my cooking supplies and also don't feel like traveling off campus).

Anyway, I'm looking for a spice/combo of spices that will accent the simple, sweet/tart flavor of the pilaf.

-Eric

[Suzanne F]

Well, I guess you can't get sumac, can you?

But what about cardamom? A bit sweet, a bit peppery. One of the "secret" spices I put in kofta. That would be my first choice. Or even just a tiny pinch of cinnamon. When people don't expect it, they actually have a hard time identifying it as the flavor.

Of course, I have no idea about the pesachdige-ness of spices; I never had to be that strict. If it worries you, go with cinnamon.

[torakris]

a pinch of curry powder?

Edited April 15, 2003 by torakris (log)

[Adam Balic]

Rather then spice, fresh herbs are good. Dill, tarragon, parsley, coriander or a combination of these are good.

Or freshly ground coriander seeds, they have a nice cirtus/orange type flavour that goes well with pilaf.

[NeroW]

I would second Suzanne F's cardamom.

[Wilfrid]

Me too, or a few cloves for their sweet aroma. Remember to fish them out, as they are not great eating.

[JAZ]

I also would say cardamom or coriander, but if your market doesn't have cumin, it may not have those spices either. As Suzanne mentioned, cinnamon may be the way to go; just doen't overdo it. Or allspice, again in small amounts.

[EJRothman]

Ok, I went shopping for the ingredients today. Goddman supermarket had a tiny bottle of cardamom for $12. Spices are the biggest ripoff in supermarkets! But no specialty stores on campus, and I am too lazy to go anywhere else (even though i'm in the middle of Philly) so supermarket spices had to do. Originially I was going to mix cinnamon, cloves, and allspice. Except I could find ground allspice. I swear, every time I get a recipe the store has every ingredient except the one I need.

So, anyway, I was looking through the spices, trying to figure out what to do, and I settled on Apple pie seasoning! According to the ingedients, it's cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice. It should (hopefully) work fine.

On another note: I am planning on toasting the quinoa before cooking. Should I do this in some oil? That was my original plan, but now I'm thnking this might result in a gloopy, cereal-like consistancy instead of fluffy.

Suggestions? This is going to be cooked at 10am EDT on Wednesday, April 16th, so hurry up and get your two cents in!

-Eric