Thursday, November 12, 2009

Flavor food with cinnamon


Cinnamon, an ancient spice used as a cologne and love potion for rich Romans, comes from the bark of the tropical evergreen. Its aromatic scent makes it a good ploy for real estate agents - heat a pan of cinnamon water in an oven to perfume the kitchen during open houses. Along with selling house, cinnamon is diabetic-friendly as it desensitizes the liver lowering blood sugar levels, induces sweating to detox with the flu and colds, and jazzes up the whole thing from oatmeal and baked apples to stews and lasagna.

Cardamom, one of the world's expensive spices behind saffron and vanilla, is a first cousin to ginger. A native to India, these dried aromatic seeds perk up a cup of joe, curry and chili dishes, burgers and pie crusts. Cardamom is also a great digestive aid in case you' have OD'ed on those curry and chili dishes. A pinch is plenty, as this spice is quite strong.

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