Chinese Five-Spice Powder

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                            FOOD FUNNY
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Here's a good one from Rosemary Zwick:

A man walked into a restaurant in a strange town. The waiter came and
asked him for his order. Feeling lonely, he replied, "Meat loaf and a
kind word." When the waiter returned with the meat loaf, the man said, "Okay, so where's the kind word?"

The waiter put down the meat loaf and sighed, bent down, and whispered gently, "Don't eat the meat loaf."

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                            TODAY'S RECIPE
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According to Chinese culinary tradition, all five flavors (salty,
bitter, sweet, sour, and pungent) are provided by five-spice powder. It
is often extended to six or even seven spices with the addition of
ginger, cardamom, or licorice. Use it sparingly in marinades and to season meat or poultry before grilling or roasting.

Chinese Five-Spice Powder

6 whole star anise*
1 Tbs (15 ml) Szechwan pepper or sansho
1 Tbs (15 ml) fennel seeds
2 tsp (10 ml) whole cloves
2 tsp (10 ml) ground cinnamon

* Available in finer supermarkets and Asian specialty shops.

Combine all ingredients in a spice grinder and process to a fine powder.
Makes about 1/4 cup (60 ml).
Received on Tue Oct 6 21:38:22 2009