Flavor Phases

[avocado]

Do you go through phases where certain flavors really appeal to you and you find yourself planning dishes around them? I often find myself so enamored with certain ingredients that sometimes, throughout my day, I get phantom whiffs of them...

Does this happen to anyone else?

Right now, my obsessions are (not necessarily to be combined)

1. Whole cumin seeds

2. Sour cream

3. Dark brown sugar

What flavors keep showing up in your cooking this week?

[SBonner]

For me this week I'm fixated on the aromas and flavours of Thai green curry. I just can't get enough basil, lime, and coconut in my food this week.

Cheers,

Stephen

Vancouver

[SuzySushi]

Oh, yes.

I'm currently on a garam masala kick.

[John DePaula]

Oh, what a great topic! Right now I have two that I just love... wait a minute, make that three:

1) Smoky Spanish Paprika - La Dalia - Pimenton de la Vera

(Other brands that I've tried were not necessarily as good)

2) Chipotle Yumm! Sauce by Cafe Yumm!

3) Salted Caramel

[Ling]

Aside from good chocolate, which is a permanent obsession, right now I'm liking:

1. lemon, esp. in a tangy lemon curd (right now I'm sandwiching lemon cream in between shortbread)

2. molasses, ground ginger, cinnamon

3. salted caramel/dark chocolate

4. dark chocolate/ginger

[torakris]

I am on a cilantro kick at the moment, tossing it into absolutely everything....

...except my coffee

[munchymom]

This week it's been all about the basil and tomatoes...summer's last hurrah. I know I have to load up now because once the frost hits, it'll be months before I get any more.

[jgarner53]

figs figs figs figs figs figs

Tossed together a quickie sandwich at work today: walnut roll, proscuitto, two halved figs, and a nubbin of goat cheese, heated until the figs were warm and soft and the goat cheese melty. Oh man was that good!

other favorites:

butter (working in a bakery that makes amazing croissants, and working somewhere above the croissant oven will do that to a person0

cheese (see bakery comment above)

ham

[srhcb]

I've been using a lot of bacon lately.

SB

[ghostrider]

THese things take much longer to come & go with me. I've been on a pancetta bender for about 4 months now, attempting to perfect my rendition of bucatini / rigatoni / elicoidali amatriciana with a new effort every week or two.

Actually it's that combined pancetta + onion flavor that I find so perpetually appealing, with just the right amount of tomato to throw it into relief.....

[Soup]

It starting to feel like fall on the east coast. Apples!!! All types.

My kids and I picked a few off the tree last week. Yum.

[Majra]

Sandwiches dressed with arugula, cucumbers, and dijon mustard. Those three toppings are so much more than the sum of their parts, at least these days.

My whole family has been eating so much cantaloupe lately. We've had so many really truly delicious ones. When I crack open a new one, the kids ask if it's a "magic melon," meaning one that is so sweet that it tastes like bubblegum.

We've also been on a hard-boiled egg kick for a long while.

[suzilightning]

right now it's

apples- planning on doing a pork and apple thing saturday

different honeys

beers - especially in marinades or reduced and incorporated into foods

can't wait till it gets cooler and the good root vegetables come in

[acautrell]

Citrus, but especially lemons. I want to do curd this weekend.

Beef. I rarely eat it, and would almost never plan a meal around it (normally), but the last two weeks have been loaded with it.

[Chris Amirault]

Fermented bean curd and bean paste. Oh baby.

[Irishgirl]

Chipotle

Peaches (Just finished for the season)

Corn on the cob (Also just Finished)

anything chocolate

[PurpleDingo99]

Right now, im on the verge of a Pira Goma Shabu and sesame binge (great with salty grilled salmon!)

Ive been through a jamaican jerk and nam pla faze as well as the whole cumin and sour cream faze. After this will probably come a miso paste faze. Lobster and miso bisque? why not.

[Katie Nell]

Beef.   I rarely eat it, and would almost never plan a meal around it (normally), but the last two weeks have been loaded with it.

←

That's so funny that you said that, because I've been craving red meat lately, and I usually don't eat that much of it. All I've wanted is steaks, steaks, and more steaks!

I think my cravings bend on obsessions. The local custard place has a concrete with pretzels and caramel sauce, and I'm addicted to it. So, I've been obsessing over the perfect salty and sweet combo in baking... I was thinking a caramel cheesecake with pretzel crust and chocolate drizzled over the top!

Am also obsessed with comfort foods lately... shepherd's pie, beef stew, etc.

Always obsessed with garlic!

Apple Cider

Mushrooms

Crystallized Ginger

Edited September 30, 2005 by Katie Nell (log)

[Chris Amirault]

Y'all that are jonesing for chipotle might want to try this chipotle, ancho, and garlic rub based on Reed Hearon's recipe. It's most excellent, if I may say so myself.

[foodie52]

brown rice, bell peppers and onions, also poblano peppers that I've been roasting and throwing into everything (except my morning tea...)

[BarbaraY]

I go through phases. Right now I'm operating in my Japanese mode and just can't seem to get enough real Japanese flavors of Mirin, Japanese soy sauce, miso, etc.

It seemed like that was all I was cooking for a couple of weeks until my daughter protested. Now I space it out a bit.