AROMATICS
—Aromatics are vegetables that deliver rich flavor and aroma when heated or crushed.
—Common aromatics are garlic, onions, shallots, chilis, ginger, celery and carrots, and there are others.
—Aromatics often provide health benefits, such as antioxidants, as well as unique qualities for cooking.
—One benefit of using aromatics in recipes is the ability to add flavor without adding sodium to a meal, which is important when trying to manage blood pressure.
—Aromatics also can reduce the need to add sugar and fat as flavoring.
HOW TO USE AROMATICS
—Using fresh aromatics will give a better result than frozen aromatics.
—Chop and store in advance to make meal preparation faster during the week.
—Sauté or sweat vegetables in small amounts of broth, water, juice or oil. To sweat vegetables, cook in a tightly covered pot. Vegetables will soften without browning.
—Handle hot peppers and onions with care. These aromatics contain oils which may irritate the eyes and nose. Wash hands afterwards before touching your face.
—Chop vegetables for even cooking. Root vegetables such as carrots may need to be chopped a bit smaller to soften at the same rate as onions. Larger pieces may be OK for a soup or stew that will be cooked longer.
SOME COMMON AROMATIC COMBINATIONS USED IN COOKING
—France: mirepoix (meer-a-pwah) is 2 parts onion to 1 part celery and carrots.
—Brazil: refogado is garlic, onion, paprika and tomatoes in olive oil.
—Spain: sofrito is tomatoes, peppers, cilantro, onions, garlic. Latin/Caribbean dishes often use sofrito as a base.
SOME DISHES THAT USE AROMATIC BLENDS
—Sauces are common in French, Italian and Latin cooking.
—Braises are common in French, Latin and Middle Eastern cooking.
—Vegetable Sautés are common across most cuisines.
—Stir-fries are common in Chinese cooking.
—Soups, Stews and Stocks are common across all cuisines.