This giveaway is now closed. Thanks for stopping by. The winner is Tammy D. Congrats!
The primary purpose of food is to sustain a person. But the culinary experience is so much more enjoyable when that food is rich in flavor. In general, the dishes offered at your typical chain restaurant are either bland or salty, and lacking in flavor. That is why my husband often turns to other cultures for inspiration when he cooks. For someone like myself, who cooks with a very minimal amount of salt, I rely on herbs and spices to give dishes flavor.
Photo Credit: McCormick
This year, McCormick has combined a variety of spices to create dishes that “celebrate the culinary experience and satisfy appetite.” The company recognizes that Americans are looking for more complex, intense flavors and identified several trends that they believe will shape the way we eat over the next year. People are using spices more and more these days and one of the trends the company recognized was “craveable contrasts,” which are the result of flavor pairings.
Here are their recommended flavor pairings for 2011:
- Fennel & Peri-Peri Sauce
- Pickling Spice & Rice Vinegar
- Roasted Curry Powder & Wild Mushrooms
- Caramelized Honey & Adzuki Red Beans
- Ancho Chile Pepper & Hibiscus
- Thyme & Stone Fruits
- Mustard Seed & Vermouth
- Cilantro & Nut Butters
- Herbes de Provence & Popcorn
- Green Peppercorn & Goat’s Milk
Photo Credit: McCormick
I have to admit that a lot of these pairings were new to me, so the hubby and I decided to try out McCormick’s recipe for Mustard Seed Crusted Chicken with Vermouth Sauce. This is a dish you might find at a French Bistro. Mustard seed has a hot, pungent flavor while Vermouth, a fortified wine, is flavored with aromatic herbs and spices such as cardamom, cinnamon, marjoram, and chamomile (Wikipedia).
Instead of chicken, we used pork. I know it sounds odd but he assured me that it would taste incredible so we did it. Here is the recipe, courtesy of McCormick:
Mustard Seed Crusted Chicken with Vermouth Sauce
1 tablespoon McCormick Gourmet Collection Mustard Seed, Yellow
1/4 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon McCormick Gourmet Collection Sicilian Sea Salt
1/4 teaspoon McCormick Gourmet Collection Black Pepper, Coarse Grind
1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts halves
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
1 tablespoon minced shallots
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/4 cup dry vermouth
1 can (14 ounces) chicken broth
1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
1. Heat large nonstick skillet on medium heat. Add mustard seed; cook and stir 1 minute or until fragrant. Immediately pour out of hot pan to avoid over-toasting. Coarsely crush seeds using a rolling pin or a mortar and pestle. Pour into shallow dish. Stir in flour, sea salt and pepper. Coat chicken on both sides with flour mixture. Reserve 1 tablespoon of the remaining flour mixture.
2. Melt butter in same skillet on medium heat. Add chicken; cook 5 minutes per side or until golden brown. Remove chicken. Keep warm. Add shallots and garlic; cook and stir 2 minutes or until softened. Add vermouth, stirring to loosen browned bits in bottom of pan. Stir reserved flour mixture into broth with wire whisk until smooth. Stir into skillet. Bring to boil. Return chicken to skillet. Reduce heat to low; cook 5 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and sauce is slightly thickened. Add tomatoes; cook and stir until heated through.
3. Serve chicken with steamed green beans and cooked rice, if desired.
The dish was rich in flavor and I really enjoyed the pairing of the aromatic wine with mustard seed. Since I don’t eat a lot of pork, I’ll likely make the dish with chicken in the future. It was relatively simple to prep and only took about 20 minutes to cook. It’s definitely a dish for adults, although we did have both of our children try it.
Since I am not as skilled in the kitchen as my husband, I rely on resources like McCormick to guide me when I’m trying to be adventurous with flavors. After some research, they’ve identified the following five trends:
- Spirit of Discovery – A hunger for international culinary adventure propels exploration of new ingredients and techniques
- Flavor with Benefits – Eating for wellness is more delicious than ever
- Invigorating and Uplifting – Exciting pops of flavor bring new energy to dining
- Soul Satisfaction – Comforting favorites soothe the mind, heart and taste buds
- Craveable Contrasts – The interplay of tastes, textures and visual cues adds fun and excitement to the basic pleasures of eating
McCormick offers a variety of recipes which feature bold flavor pairings. I encourage you to check them out!
Win It! One of you will win a Flavor Forecast kit which will include a Flavor Forecast book, recipe cards, various gourmet spices from McCormick, linguine, almond butter, chili sauce, coconut milk, and a $25 American Express gift card (ARV $85). To enter, simply leave me a comment with something you learned about flavor pairing on the site. Comments will close on May 4, 2011 at 11:59 PM PST.
US Residents only. Duplicates and comments not including the above information will be disqualified. Comments are moderated. If you don’t see your comment in a reasonable amount of time, send me an email. Bloggers and non-bloggers may enter. If you don’t want to leave your email address, please be sure to check back for my announcement on the winner. Please note that winners must respond within 48 hours of being announced/contacted or another winner will be drawn.
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Follow me on Twitter AND tweet about the contest.
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Click on one of the very cute buttons below and digg, stumble, fav, etc. Just let me know what you did in the comments!
No compensation was received for this post. Products for review and giveaway were supplied by the company.
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I love this idea! I was drawn to cilantro and nut butters since those butters are so hot these days. Thanks!
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The Caramelized Honey and Adzuki red beans sound like an interesting combo!
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i’d like to try this Gourmet Collection Sicilian Sea Salt
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I learned spice combinations
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I learned their asian pickle recipe pairs the pickling spice and rice wine vinegar together.
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I learned that the minty character of adaptable thyme makes it a perfect partner for the sweet and sour flavors of stone fruits.
Thanks…I’d love to try some of these recipes!
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caramelized Honey & Adzuki Red Beans will try this ,rs.mommyyatgmail
I learned how to make Chicken with Grapes, Goat Cheese and Pine Nuts with Cat Cora!
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I learned that the interplay of contrasting tastes, textures and visual cues answers our intrinsic need for change, adding fun and excitement to the basic pleasures of eating.
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I visited their site and learned that 2010 marked their 10th anniversary of forecasting the flavors of the year ahead.
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i know for sure the roasted curry powder & wild mushrooms would wet my appetite
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I learned that using contrasts in your cooking is the way to go, (contrasts in texture, flavor, consistency, etc.)
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3.Roasted Curry Powder & Wild Mushrooms – rich and earthy goodness – very interesting – think hubby would like that
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I learned that whole spices need a longer time to release their flavor. They work well in longer cooking recipes like soups and stews.
I never knew you could buy or eat “dried hibiscus flowers”. Not sure where I would get them. Do I need to grow my own? We live in the wrong climate for that. But the Sangria sounds delicious.
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The combinations sound interesting but I’d prefer tasting them. My son is always trying different combinations of spices. He would like this.
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We are being shown how not to use salt instead use the flavor of spices.
i love cilantro so on their site I learned there are some great recipes feature cilantro!
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Learned about different spice combinations that I have never heard of.
The Herbes de Provence & Popcorn looks promising.
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i learned curry powder and mushrooms are good together
I learned you can mix chicken with grapes.
Thanks for the chance.
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I learned that I can make a really good Slow Cooker Asian-Style Sour Beef Short Ribs utilizing the McCormick Mixed Pickling Spice and Rice Vinegar. Thanks.
I learned that I have my own take on things and don’t go along with the flow. I like to do and make things my way even changing ingredients in recipes.
The most striking thing I learned is that flavors I would never associate together, work well.
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I learned about contrasting pairing:sweet and sour, bitter and sweet etc. BTW food on your pictures looks SOOO yammy!
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I like that the tart, floral notes of exotic hibiscus, alongside the lingering heat of ancho chile pepper, create a lively Latin combo in the Ancho Chile and Hibisc…. a must try! Thanks for the chance.
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Pickling Spice and Rice Vinegar goes well with Pork Chops and Roasted Curry Powder with Wild Mushrooms goes well with Chicken and Shrimp.
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pickle recipe pairs the pickling spice and rice wine vinegar together
I learned that herbs de provence would go great on popcorn. Thanks for the chance.
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i learned the minty flavor of thyme is perfect for sweet n sour stone fruits
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I never would have thought to use mustard seed and vermouth together. Mccormick makes it easy with their parings!
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cilantro & nut butters would be one I’d like to try-I read that The concentration of antioxidants in spices and herbs is typically higher than many other food groups
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learned thyme and stone fruits mint and sweet and sour flavors make it perfect partners
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It makes sense that whole spices as opposed to ground take longer to release/infuse their flavors.
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Lots of interesting recipes on the website. I learned that we’ve returned to sitting down and dining together, though our cooking habits and our “family” have evolved to suit changing lifestyles and changing palates.
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I like the cilantro and nut butters. Thanks for the giveaway.
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Oooh, paprika and orange sound so good together. I’m currently in a citrus craze and love their idea of pairing it with paprika.
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caramelized Honey & Adzuki Red Beans sounds pretty delicious
The Caramelized Honey and Adzuki red beans sound delish
I learned that Inherently “good” foods nourish the body while balancing the mind’s desire for delicious flavors.
learned minty flavor of thyme is great for sweet n sour stone fruits
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Learned that flavor pairings often have surprising and uncommon food items!
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I learned that pairing different spices makes food more interesting
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I read about Mustard Seed & Vermouth…actually sounds really good. I love the idea for the recipe of the Dirty Martini Steak Kabobs.
The site mentions contrast pairing, like sweet and sour. That’s not my favorite since I don’t like meats or veggies to taste sweet. But I do like flavor contrast pairings like cream based sauces with just a touch of heat from peppers or hot sauce.
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I learned that combining different flavors can fill our need for change and excitement in our food. No more boring dinners!
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I learned using contrasting flavors can make a dish tastier.
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Something I learned – Roasted Curry Powder & Wild Mushrooms.
I love mushrooms and want to try this combo.
Thank you.
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I learned that the minty quality of thyme goes well with the sweet & sour quality of stone fruits.
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I learned that using spices too cook have great health benefits.
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I loved reading through all the pairings. The most interesting ones I learned about and will probably give a try were Stone Fruits and thyme (I love thyme) & Mustard Seed and Vermouth.
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it’s cool that the flavor pairings can be for more than flavor – but can have health benefits too!
I learned that a good idea is to pair something well known and comforting with something exotic like pumpkin pie spice and coconut milk
I wouldn’t have thought of putting wine with mustard seed to flavor pork!
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I learned about a new trend in pickling vegetables using new flavors in vinegars such as Asian rice wine vinegar.
I learned of a few flavors that go with almond butter and cashew butter both of which I have been wanting to try.
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I learned you can mix curry powder & Mushrooms…very interesting! This helps all of us 2 thing outside of the box, in experimenting with flavors! I will be giving these flavor combs a try!
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I learned about cooking with contrasting flavors !
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I haven’t even heard of most of the spices on the pairings list, but I’ll try some Herbs de Provence on my popcorn sometime. Thanks for the horizon expanding giveaway 🙂
The growing accessibility of new ingredients and techniques, make it easy to explore unexpected ingredient combinations and unique ethnic profiles.
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i learned about greek flavoring McCormick® Gourmet Collection Garam Masala
1/2 teaspoon McCormick® Gourmet Collection Garlic Salt
I learned that using contrasts in your cooking can enhance flavors and produce new flavors–variety is the spice of life!
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I learned that the interplay of contrasting tastes, textures and visual cues answers our intrinsic need for change, adding fun and excitement to the basic pleasures of eating.
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I learned that Ancho Chile Peppers and Hibiscus go together…never would have guessed that!
i learned that Spanish sweet red peppers are naturally smoked over wood planks to create paprika
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“Flavor is delivering more than just great taste.”
Ancho Chili Pepper & Hibiscus seems like a very strange pairing but I love Latin flavors so maybe it works?
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I learned the interplay of contrasting tastes, textures and visual cues answers our intrinsic need for change, adding fun and excitement to the basic pleasures of eating
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I loearned that Bahn Mi sounds delicious!
I learned about different spice combinations to try very cool! Great giveaway thank you so much!
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minty character of adaptable thyme makes it a perfect partner for the sweet and sour flavors of stone fruits.
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roasted curry powder & wild mushrooms sound awesome
thanks for the chance
I learned: The delicate bite of lively green peppercorns is a pleasing and colorful contrast to lush and ultra-creamy goat’s milk
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I just received a load of hibiscus and didnt know what to do with it, but mckormick paired it with ancho chilis to make a cupcake with hibiscus buttercream frosting. I can’t wait to make it tomorrow!
I learned some interesting spice pairings go together to make flavorful food choices. Curry powder and Wild Mushrooms recipe looks like one I would like to try…however, I would probably use sliced mushrooms since no wild ones are available.
I also learned about using whole spices.
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I learned rice vinegar & pickling spice serves up bright layers of tang and spice
I learned that roasted curry powder and wild mushrooms pair well.
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I found it interesting to pair Herbes de Provence and Popcorn.
I’m intrigued by the cilantro & nut butters combination since I like them both, I might have to try a recipe using them together
I learned about the top 5 trends in foods. I really like what McCormick has done with their website. I want to make the White Chocolate Caramel Popcorn first, and then I’ll try the other recipes.
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Thanks for the giveaway…found a great recipe for Ancho Chile & Hibiscus BBQ Brisket; the “exotic” ingredient, dried hibiscus flowers (aka sorrel or Jamaica), are the edible flowers of the Hibiscus sabdariffa: dried flowers can be purchased whole, ground or in syrup in ethnic markets or online specialty stores.
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The one that caught my eye (and tastebuds) is Roasted Curry Powder & Wild Mushrooms. Yum!
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I learned that the match of Roasted Curry Powder and Wild Mushrooms is versatile and nourishing. I would love to try the Curried Chicken and Mushroom Spring Rolls!
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I learned the minty quality of thyme goes well with the sweet & sour quality of stone fruits.
I learned that you can pair Ancho Chili Pepper and Hibiscus to create a tarty,hot flavor for a Latin combo
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I learned they have this recipe-Coconut-Almond Chicken Stew with Cilantro. It sounds wonderful!
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