Mama Kat Thursday: The Fennel Seed Caper

-
Today's Mama Kat topic is to share, "A Mistake I Made in the Kitchen."

I had to ask Hubby to help me remember a cooking mistake. I actually haven't made that many. He recalled a mistake I'll call the "The Fennel Seed Caper."
It was 1983, the first year of our marriage. We were living in Maryland in our first apartment. Hubby was still in the Air Force.
One of our wedding gifts had been a nice wood spice rack that included a dozen bottles of various spices. Most of them were common ones like Basil, Oregano, Celery Seed, Thyme and so on, that I knew what to do with. But there was one I had no idea what to do with: Fennel seed.
I wanted to try using it, so one day, I searched my Joy of Cooking cookbook to see if I could find a recipe that called for Fennel seed..
I found just one. It was called "Romanian Noodle & Pork Casserole."
It called for 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of Fennel seed.
So I made it.
It was the worst tasting thing either of us ever tried. I threw it out and we went out to a fast food restaurant for dinner.
I also tossed the Fennel seed.

*****
About Fennel Seeds:
I read online that whole Fennel seeds need to be "cracked" before being used in a recipe to release it's fragrant oils---something the recipe never mentioned. It comes in whole seed or ground forms and it's most common uses are teas, dry rubs and Indian cooking.
******

Comments

Kim said…
Have you tried cooking with fennel seeds since? I have warmed fennel seeds in a dry pan before using. Now I am curious about Romanian Noodle & Port Casserole.
Apr 20, 2017, 7:38:00 PM
Sublime Dream said…
I never knew that!! I tried cooking with it once like that too! I was also not impressed! Ha!
Apr 21, 2017, 1:52:00 PM
Lori said…
Doesn't fennel taste kind of like black licorice? I heard of people adding a tiny bit into spaghetti sauce. At least you were willing to try something new!
Apr 21, 2017, 6:14:00 PM
KatBouska said…
Now that you mention it, I too have a bottle of fennel seeds that I don't think I've ever EVER touched! And now I'm glad I haven't. ;)
Apr 25, 2017, 12:57:00 AM

Post a Comment

Thanks for leaving a comment!

Popular posts from this blog

Good Eating Monday: Apple Cranberry Sausage Stuffing!

-
Image
Now this some wicked good dressing!  I tried it for Thanksgiving this year and everyone loved it! I've been looking for just the right dressing and I may have finally found it!  It's also healthy with a tasty combo of fruit, veggies and a mix of white & whole wheat bakery breads. It will fill a  fill a 9 x 13 pan.  You can use fresh or dried herbs. I've included the measurements for both. Just remember dried seasoning is more concentrated in flavor because it is dried, so you need less of it then fresh herbs. I have fresh Parsley growing outside and this was a great use for it! I found leftover over stuffing wonderful heated up and topped with a over-easy egg for lunch!  Apple Cranberry Sausage Stuffing Ingredients:  5 1/2 cups fresh European style or sourdough bread, white, sliced and cubed 2 1/2 cups wheat bread, whole grain sliced and cubed 1 lb ground pork or turkey ( I used Jimmy Dean's Turkey Crumbles, which was 8 oz and that worked great! ) 1 1/2
Read more

Good Eating Monday: Peach Cobbler Dump Cake!

-
Image
Yes, I tried another new Pinterest recipe and this one is a winner! The primary dictionary definition of a "Dump Cake," is an easily made cobbler in which cake mix is dumped over canned fruit or pie filling.  This recipe was pinned from Del Monte, which means it's been a recipe that's been created & tested in a corporate test kitchen. That's one benefit of all those label, can & box recipes provided by manufacturers on their product packaging. You can even buy cookbooks featuring nothing, but package & label recipes of which many are vintage. The only changes I'd suggest is add one more 15 oz can of fruit. It can be more peaches, cherry fruit cocktail, regular fruit cocktail or whatever you want. (So, I've noted 4 cans of peaches in the recipe.)   It just needs a little more volume on the fruit quantity.  And stir a teaspoon or two of cinnamon into the fruit! Otherwise, this is an excellent, quick dessert you can serve hot with v
Read more

Good Eating Monday: Old Fashioned Cinnamon Raisin Bread Pudding!

-
Image
Welcome to the first week of February! It's supposed to be 31 degrees tonight, so after cleaning up the front walk beds, I went around covering various things that either are blooming, about to bloom or that have sensitive leaf buds, like my hydrangea's.  I picked all the yellow daffodils and brought them inside for a cheerful vase on my counter. For Garden Pic Wednesday this week I have an excellent photo of a pine tree flower! You didn't know pine trees flower?  Well, you'll have to stop back for a look! Today's Good Eating Recipe is a family favorite my Mother used to make often for us as kids: Old Fashioned Cinnamon Raisin Bread Pudding! What Old Fashioned Cinnamon Raisin Bread Pudding Looks Like This is just your basic wholesome old fashioned bread pudding made with just eggs, bread, milk, vanilla, cinnamon, sugar & raisins! No sauces to make. Just simple bread pudding. We'd eat it hot with a little evaporated milk poured over the top.
Read more

Garden Pic Wednesday: Ajuga & Lettuce Crop

-
Image
T oday's Garden Pic is a nice January shot of some Common Ajuga draping over the edge of a large container out front & my bumper crop of lettuce Ajuga: It's a ground cover with a burgundy tinge to it's leaves. It reaches it's best color in shade, but can tolerate light sun. This Ajuga just gets morning sun. It throws runners like a strawberry does, spreading along the ground. It's reaching for the ground and will establish once it touches around the shady side of the stump the container sits on. It's a member of the mint family.  My Winter Crop of Lettuce: This is a french head lettuce I got ordered from Seed Savers for spring 2021. It went to seed in May 2021, then dozens popped up around Sept. I separated them, this whole 4 x 8 raised bed with them. I dined on fresh crisp lettuce all winter! I've left 2 to go to seed on one end of the raised bed, so can have lettuce all winter again!  I've joined a group a ladies in a Book Club that meets once a mo
Read more