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“Good,” Chef Mac. “More?”
“Chili and curry,” another student said.
“Right.”
“Oregano, thyme and basil.”
“Now, here we go,” Chef Mac said. “What is the difference between a spice and an herb?”
“Spices are the actual plant, the roots, the seed, the bark that are ground up. Herbs are the leaves of a green plant.”
“Pretty good,” Chef Mac. “So, let’s see if there are some other spices that you’re familiar with. Other common spices are nutmeg which I’m sure you’ve all heard of and know. But how many of you are familiar with mace.”
The class was silent.
“This is the outer flesh of the seed of the nutmeg, which is less pungent. It’s an interesting find.”
“I want to make something with mace,” the girl at the desk beside me whispered to no one in particular.
“Then we have turmeric, paprika and bay leaves.” He looked at us all. “And so, so much more that we will explore.”
I smiled at him as I took in the information.
“There are also various forms in which we can find spices, such as...”
“Whole or ground up,” a student called out.
“Exactly.”
“And what are the advantages and disadvantages of each?” Chef Mac asked.
I raised my hand.
“Ms. Tyler.”
“Whole spices will retain their flavor much longer. Up to a year. Ground spices, while perhaps easier to use, will lose their flavor in three to six months.”
“Very good,” he said. “Yes, indeed. The compounds in every spice react when exposed to heat, moisture and even oxygen. Which leads to the importance of how to store spices which we’ll get into later.”
“My mother always kept her three favorite spices in clear plastic containers right beside the stove,” a girl said.
Chef Mac looked at her and smiled. “That’s not the optimum way of storing them, but we’ll look into that next week.” He looked up at the class. “Today, as an introduction, I just want to get a feel of where you are in the spice world.”
“I love fennel,” a large guy called out from the back of the room.
“My favorite is dill seed.”
“I couldn’t live without cardamon.”
The girl in front of me raised her hand. “Is onion powder and garlic salt a spice?”
Chef Mac smiled and nodded. “Although in both cases, I’d rather use freshly minced garlic and chopped onions.”
The class went on with other comments and questions as Chef Mac slowly made his way between the rows of desks.
I looked up at him as he passed by my desk and could have sworn he was undressing me with his hungry eyes.
“I hope that this class has piqued your interest,” Chef Mac said to the class. “And I’ll see you all next week.”
