ROSEMARY
Rosemary is used traditionally for flavoring meats, but also other e.g. sweet dishes make some use of this fragrant herb. Rosemary is a woody shrub, and the leaves are thin and almost needle-like. The scent of rosemary is very distinguished, and it blends together tones of cloves, mint, pine, and some flowers. Rosemary is also one of the few herbs that is preserved quite decently by drying, although there is still more freshness and culinary joy in using a fresh herb. Its name is not a combination of rose and Mary - rather, it comes from the Latin rosmarinus, which literally means "dew of the sea". The chemical compounds in rosemary have been shown to stimulate concentration and fight inflammations, although it might be necessary to eat substantial amounts of this herb to achieve the desired effects. Nevertheless, rosemary still stands as one of the healthiest plants we can eat. Rosemary is famous not only for its use in cooking but it was also used for medicinal purposes, religious rituals, and even as an aid for memorizing things. It is said that the students of some ancient Greek philosophers had rosemary sprigs stuck behind their ears so they could inhale the fragrance of this herb, which helped them remember things. Haven't tried that myself, but for those of you of curious nature - students, perhaps - why not give it a try? Anyway, we want to focus on how to use this uniquely smelling herb in our cooking, which is what we will discuss here.
Rosemary originates in the Mediterranean where it grows wild in the scarce mountain sides, but it is now also spread to the temperate climate of both Europe and America. Rosemary comes from the Mediterranean, where the climate is sufficiently warm for these plants to grow. It doesn't like cold winters, so the rosemary plants that you may be buying are either from warmer climates or grown in greenhouses. In fact, today rosemary is grown almost everywhere and there is also a new form of freeze-tolerant rosemary available.With time, rosemary also gained popularity as a digestive aid, and as a skin cosmetic, to mention but a few applications. Since we don't really understand completely the true nature of rosemary's action mechanisms in our bodies, scientists study its separate components and look at how they affect us. Perhaps in the future we can buy concentrated rosemary extracts containing a certain molecule that improves our health? For now, the essential oil of rosemary is not to be consumed as is, since it is a very powerful convulsant and can even cause severe complications.
Purchasing rosemary shouldn't be difficult, as many supermarkets now have stands with fresh herbs. Look for the herbs that display a nice glossiness, fully tensed leaves, are not dry, and have a nice green color without any bizarre blemishes. You can also find dried rosemary, if you want to take this route, although the fresh herb has just so much more vitality to it, and the flavor is awesome. Store fresh rosemary in a refrigerator, but make sure to put it in a bag first so it doesn't spread its fragrant molecules to other foods in your fridge. When preparing it, you might need to rinse the rosemary sprigs in water (since they may be dirty) and then dry them on a paper towel.
The plant is very simple to handle, as it has a stalk and the needle-shaped leaves attached to it. Usually only the leaves are used - simply pick them from the stalk and cut them into smaller pieces with your knife. The flavor of rosemary is very aromatic, having some tones of eucalyptus and also some bitterness. In the kitchen, rosemary is the traditional and well tried seasoning for pork and lamb. The easy way to use it is to make deep cuts in the meat and tuck the sprigs in them. If working with smaller pieces of meat, rosemary can be fried in oil together with the meat. The herb is also useful when working with bouquet garni.
Cooking with rosemary is simple. Either chop it into small pieces and sauté it in some oil, just like you do with an onion or other aromatic vegetables that you use in your dishes. The flavors of rosemary will be extracted into the oil which will then flavor other ingredients as you add them. You can also use whole sprigs and put them into hot liquids for a certain amount of time and then remove them when you feel that enough flavor has come out into the dish.
Besides that, rosemary is good together with beans, poultry and chicken, to some degree with fish (especially salmon), mushrooms, potatoes, and peas. The trick is of course not to overpower the dish with rosemary flavor, just make it seasoned.
Nutritionally, rosemary may not be a big contributor of life-essential vitamins and minerals. Actually it is, but we simply don't eat that much rosemary so we can indulge in it. However, it is shown that some components of rosemary are able to reduce the risk of cancer incidence. It is also able to relax your muscles, although it has to be consumed or applied in moderate amounts. There is also rosemary oil available, but this is really an aggressive fellow that must be handled with utter care. Rosemary can also be used to... ligthen blond hair, but also to make hair in better shape. A common use of rosemary among the "natural" people is to throw it into bath water and let it treat your skin.