Saucy Dishes Cranberry Elderberry and Tamarind
Elderberries and cranberries are extremely high in vitamin C. For centuries, New England sea captains took cranberries with them on long voyages to prevent scurvy. Cranberries are also useful in treating and preventing urinary tract infections. You can buy cranberry juice in the grocery store, but commercial juices are loaded with sugar (to overpower cranberry's sour taste)—not the best thing to eat when you have any type of infection. You're better off with an unsweetened cranberry sauce. Some find this recipe a bit tart, but I like the taste. For those who find it too sour, I have included some honey in the recipe.Cranberry Sauce
1 cup cranberries
1 whole orange
¼ cup orange juice
½ cup apple juice
1 tablespoon honey (optional)
1 teaspoon agar powder (if you want to make gelatin)
Grind the fruits in a food processor, then add juices. Add honey if desired. Store in a covered jar in the refrigerator. This dish tastes even better after it sits for a day. You can also make this sauce into a gelatin dessert: Bring the sauce to a boil and stir in the agar. Continue simmering for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally to make sure that agar is dissolved and evenly dispersed. Pour into a bowl or pan. Let cool to thicken.
For centuries, elderberry has been used to cure flus and colds. According to one story, a sailor told a physician in Prague about his sure cure for rheumatic pains—he simply got drunk on port wine. It turned out that it was not the wine that provided the medicine, but the elderberries used to darken and "age" it. In the seventeenth century, Martin Blokwich wrote a book in which he listed more than 70 diseases that could be treated with elderberry. Recently, this plant's age-old reputation sparked new research into its curative powers. It turns out that elderberries, along with other deeply colored berries, contain strong antioxidant compounds that improve circulation, eyesight and connective muscle tissues. Any berry can be used as the basis for a jam or a jelly—not to mention wine—but the easiest recipe by far is a syrup. If you do not have access to elderberries, you can use this recipe to make a syrup out of any similarly colored berry.
elderberry Syrup
2 cups dried elderberries
1 quart boiling water
¼ cup honey
¼ cup lemon juice
Place berries in an uncovered saucepan and pour boiling water over them. Cover and let soak overnight. The next day, simmer the berries for 30 minutes. Purée the warm berries in a blender, adding remaining ingredients as you blend. Pour the syrup into a clean bottle, and store it in the refrigerator.
The Indian herb tamarind lends its fruity, sweet-and-sour flavor to sauces, chutneys and yogurt dishes. It can also be served by itself as a side dish. The pods of this fruit are a gentle laxative. In Iran, they are combined with rose to mellow the harsh effect and taste of the laxative herb senna. In the 1600s, the Spanish brought tamarind to the West Indies and Mexico, where it has remained a popular part of their cuisine.
This versatile food is not well-known in North America, although it is one of the secret ingredients in Worcestershire sauce. Unless you enjoy ethnic cooking, you probably have not heard much about it. Look for the sticky, dark paste in Indian and Mexican stores. The easiest form to use has the seeds and fibrous pods already removed. If you want to try tamarind paste in other dishes, use it to replace vinegar. You can also make your own sauce.
Tamarind Sauce
2 ounces tamarind pulp
1¼ cups water
1 tablespoon honey, warmed enough to liquefy
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
½ teaspoon cumin seeds
½ teaspoon chili powder
1 tablespoon chopped mint leaves Soak the tamarind pulp in water overnight. Mash it into the water and blend. Strain the liquid through a sieve and discard any fibers. Stir in the remaining ingredients, except for the mint, and mix thoroughly. Sprinkle with mint and serve chilled.