Tarragon

There's something about tarragon that keeps me coming back for more. Its distinctive aroma and aniselike flavor are a perfect match with poultry and seafood. One of my favorite ways to use tarragon is in a butter sauce that can be drizzled over fish or chicken breasts. But, of course, butter has become only an occasional player in my menus as I substitute with less artery-clogging fats. I came up with the idea of infusing olive oil with tarragon and drizzling that over my entrees. Here, I've used it over turkey cutlets on a bed of shredded romaine.

One of the classic bistro combinations is steak with bearnaise sauce. But in this day of low-fat, low-calorie emphasis, how can you get some of that great bearnaise flavor without the richness of eggs and lots of butter? Here's one solution. Take the main flavors of onion and tarragon and mix them in a lighter topping. We've made sweet onions the star. Saute Vidalias in butter until they become golden, then add tarragon leaves. Your steak will thank you. Carol Mighton Haddix writes for the Chicago Tribune, which provided the recipe analysis.

Fresh tarragon enhances certain foods like no other herb. Its refreshing aniselike flavor complements salads, lightly cooked vegetables and grilled chicken, meat or fish.The long, slender dark-green leaves traditionally are used in Bernaise sauce and chicken tarragon. But minced, fresh tarragon also adds zest to potato salad and deviled eggs, as well.M. F. K. Fisher once described tarragon as having a "faintly licorice flavor," but food authority Waverly Root disagrees, describing it as "a tart, subtle but strong flavor, which is opposite the namby-pamby almost sickly flavor of licorice."

The blank canvas of a pizza crust lends itself to a vegetarian supper. Fresh tarragon provides a peppery kick, and packaged, thinly sliced almonds deliver crunch and a good source of protein. As for the tomatoes, we're using tangy Campari. We're starting with a prebaked crust (we especially like the unseasoned Mama Mary's version), but feel free to use the ready-made dough sold at many specialty grocers. Remember: Thinner dough cooks faster and has fewer calories. Renee Enna writes for the Chicago Tribune, which provided the recipe analysis.

I have always been amazed by the delectable ways the French have for preparing eggs. Last month, while in Paris, I ordered an oeuf en cocotte au crabe and l'estragon - which translates as an egg baked in a dish with crab and tarragon. After my first bite, I was in heaven. All I could think of while savoring this creation was that this recipe would be ideal to serve for brunch or for a special breakfast when we have overnight guests. It was simple, yet sophisticated, and didn't take long to assemble or bake.

Flavored mustards are one of the easiest, cheap tricks to ad flavor to quick-cooking sauces.Mustard, when used in the right quantity, can help bring out the flavor in food rather than overwhelm it. During the 1980s we learned to go beyond ballpark mustard to French Dijon. These days we know that each time a different mustard is used, the flavor changes even when the formula for sauce making remains the same.Some flavored mustards are available in the supermarket, but the more exotic varieties come from the gourmet store.

The door opens and the aroma bursts out. Like a big, friendly Labrador pup, it nearly bowls you over. It is, all at once, dusty, spicy, earthy, herbal, hot and powerful: cardamom, mustard, pepper, sandalwood powder, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, lemon grass and cumin, tarragon and paprika and cayenne . . .Altogether, there may be a couple hundred elements in the smell that is Vanns Spices Ltd. in Towson. And the presiding genie who orders all the scents and flavors into bottles is Ann Wilder, who started the business 10 years ago in her kitchen with six spice blends and now oversees a worldwide business that also packs spices for such notable vendors as Dean & DeLuca, Sutton Place Gourmet and Zabar's, among others.

FireWinfield: The Winfield Air Unit assisted Baltimore County at 8: 49 a.m. Tuesday, responding to a house fire on Tarragon Road. Units were out 12 minutes.Pub Date: 5/08/98

This elegant fish dinner is fancy enough for a holiday dinner party. Yet it's simple to make and most cooks will need to buy just four ingredients. We served our fish with two kinds of sauteed squash. The fish sits on a bed of zucchini strips. We shaved thin slices off two large zucchini and sauteed the strips in a little olive oil with dried tarragon. The chopped yellow squash, on the side, was sauteed the same way.Nutritional breakdown)Serves four: each serving has:* Calories: 240* Protein: 32 grams* Carbohydrates: 2 grams* Fat: 10 grams* Cholesterol: 65 milligrams* Sodium: 330 milligramsShopping list*1 pounder flounder fillets* Ricotta cheese* Fresh parsley* Lemon* Pantry: dried tarragon, paprika, pepper and saltWHAT YOU NEED1 pound flounder fillets1/2 cup ricotta cheese2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley1 teaspoon dried tarragonteaspoon salt1/8 teaspoon peppermedium lemonPaprikaIf fish fillets are large, cut into four serving pieces, pat dry. Mix cheese, parsley, tarragon, salt and pepper.

One of the classic bistro combinations is steak with bearnaise sauce. But in this day of low-fat, low-calorie emphasis, how can you get some of that great bearnaise flavor without the richness of eggs and lots of butter? Here's one solution. Take the main flavors of onion and tarragon and mix them in a lighter topping. We've made sweet onions the star. Saute Vidalias in butter until they become golden, then add tarragon leaves. Your steak will thank you. Carol Mighton Haddix writes for the Chicago Tribune, which provided the recipe analysis.

I have always been amazed by the delectable ways the French have for preparing eggs. Last month, while in Paris, I ordered an oeuf en cocotte au crabe and l'estragon - which translates as an egg baked in a dish with crab and tarragon. After my first bite, I was in heaven. All I could think of while savoring this creation was that this recipe would be ideal to serve for brunch or for a special breakfast when we have overnight guests. It was simple, yet sophisticated, and didn't take long to assemble or bake.

Followers of Pythagoras were forbidden to eat it, writer Herodotus claimed that Greek priests wouldn't even look at it and many ancient Greeks believed that "wind" was its byproduct. According to Alan Davidson's The Penguin Companion to Food, there are few types of produce with a history as clouded in superstition as the broad bean, most commonly known as the fava bean. Despite its colorful history, the fava bean, originating in pockets of Europe, West Asia and Northern Africa, has been a major food source for thousands of years.

There's something about tarragon that keeps me coming back for more. Its distinctive aroma and aniselike flavor are a perfect match with poultry and seafood. One of my favorite ways to use tarragon is in a butter sauce that can be drizzled over fish or chicken breasts. But, of course, butter has become only an occasional player in my menus as I substitute with less artery-clogging fats. I came up with the idea of infusing olive oil with tarragon and drizzling that over my entrees. Here, I've used it over turkey cutlets on a bed of shredded romaine.

The comforting smells of an autumn kitchen: a pot of stew simmering on the stove, a roast braising in the oven, a steaming bowl of soup on the table. New York City chef Tom Valenti and author Andrew Friedman offer recipes for such foods in their new book, Soups, Stews and One-Pot Meals (Scribner, 2004, $30). The 125 recipes here are meant to be savored. They take time to prepare and often are better the next day - the perfect meals to make on a rainy weekend. Valenti, the chef and owner of Quest and 'Cesca restaurants, and Friedman, a New York food writer, set out to provide a cookbook for simple meals, usually prepared in a single pot. While the meals may have to simmer on the stove or braise in the oven for several hours, Friedman and Valenti try to keep the preparation and cleanup time to a minimum.

Halfway through our meal at Cardwell's Tavern, our server told us the next round of drinks would be on the house. As co-owner Craig Nachodsky later explained: "When I see someone who hasn't been in before, I like to buy them a round of drinks because I think it's nice. I like to make people feel at home." With its dark interior dominated by a large bar, Cardwell's looks like many other neighborhood watering holes. Decorations are mainly Guinness posters and signs announcing the next open-mike night.

Wonder what the folks in Ireland will be eating this St. Patrick's Day? It may not be corned beef and cabbage. In the last decade, Ireland has undergone a culinary transformation not unlike that of the United States. The new emphasis is on fresh ingredients infused with spices and techniques from many other cultures, including Mediterranean and Asian. Margaret M. Johnson records this transformation in The New Irish Table (Chronicle Books, 2003, $24.95), a collection of 70 recipes from chefs around the Emerald Isle.

This elegant meal is very simply pulled together with just a couple of tricks. The creamy sauce for the medallions is created with sour cream and subtly seasoned with tarragon, apricot preserves and lemon juice. The cornstarch binds the sauce so that the sour cream will not break (or curdle). Serve with baby carrots and rice pilaf.To add further color and texture to the meal, you might want to add fresh tomato wedges to each plate. For dessert, serve fresh bakery apple dumplings or try some from the freezer section of the supermarket.

Wonder what the folks in Ireland will be eating this St. Patrick's Day? It may not be corned beef and cabbage. In the last decade, Ireland has undergone a culinary transformation not unlike that of the United States. The new emphasis is on fresh ingredients infused with spices and techniques from many other cultures, including Mediterranean and Asian. Margaret M. Johnson records this transformation in The New Irish Table (Chronicle Books, 2003, $24.95), a collection of 70 recipes from chefs around the Emerald Isle.

Once upon a time, vinegar mostly came in two types, cider and distilled. If you looked around, you might find red wine vinegar, maybe even white wine or rice wine vinegar. Then the foodie explosion of the 1970s led to all sorts of doctored vinegars. Vinegar appeals to the kitchen tinkerer because it can't spoil, so you can add flavorings to it without risk. Why not throw in mint or basil or sage? Garlic, hot chilies, tangerine peel? Great fun. And then came the fruit vinegars. A couple of years back, the words "raspberry vinegar" were splattered all over every self-respecting restaurant menu.

During the winter months, I rarely plan large parties or open houses. Instead, I prefer to have small dinners for four to eight people. The reason for this is simple. Where we live in New England, winters can be harsh, and the best-laid plans must be put aside when heavy snows or icy storms come our way. For me, it's much easier to call a small group than to have to contact 30 or 40 friends when the weather plays havoc with my entertaining and events have to be canceled. The past few days have brought snow, ice, sleet and sub-zero temperatures to our area, but I am hopeful that this weekend will be clear, so I am going to ask another couple to come for a casual supper at our house.