A Tale of Two Spices: Banana Bread and Mace

It amazes me how much I continue to learn about cooking, baking, and nutrition. For example, it is amazing how many spices there are from all-spice to za'atar? There are spices that define cooking from the North, East coast, West Coast, and of course from my beloved Southern states of the USA.

One of the new recipe books that I received for Christmas included a recipe for banana bread and mace. What?!? I immediately thought of the defense spray mace, but this is different. Mace inside the defensive spray is a concentration of a substance from hot chili peppers. Mace that is used in cooking is actually kin to nutmeg.

Nutmeg is a brown spice. When whole, it is an oval-shaped pit. Nutmeg can be found dried or whole. It is a warm spice that pairs well with cinnamon and is used most often in baking. It is also used in some savory cooking. For example, many of the recipes I have for béchamel sauce (aka white sauce) calls for a little bit of ground nutmeg.

Mace comes from the same plant as nutmeg. Mace is bright red and actually surrounds nutmeg when both are on the nutmeg tree.  Mace is more red than nutmeg. The taste of mace is more concentrated and peppery in my opinion.

I hope you've learned a little something today in "RD school" about spice and baking. For more recipes, encouragement, and tips for healthy eating, follow me, RDtipoftheday, on Pinterest, Instagram, and Twitter. You can subscribe to this blog, RDtipoftheday.blogspot.com, through BlogLovin.

Top 10 Kitchen Tools You Need

Tools of the Trade: RDtipoftheday's Top Ten Kitchen Tools

One of my goals for 2015 is to bake or cook more, 50 new recipes in 2015 to be exact. So, this works out as about 1 new recipe per week. I think this will definitely be a challenge, a push, but I think it is achievable. We'll see how I do. :)

I believe all good recipes start with the same thing: the right tools and ingredients. A couple of my staples are:

1) Large pot
Le Creuset and Cuisinart are some of my favorite brands. These are great for pasta and one pot meals. I love a one pan meal.

2) Saute pan
I like nonstick pans for their ease of cleaning. Look for a pan that is stove top and oven-safe.

3) 1/2 sheet baking pan
This is my favorite cookie sheet and most used cooking sheet.

4) Sharp knives
Knives are a true cook's best tool. They can be an investment, so care for them as instructed and they last a long time.

5) Cutting boards
I like to have a board for meat that is dishwasher-safe and a separate board for fruits and vegetable prep.

6) Measuring cups/spoons
Make sure you have measuring cups for dry and wet ingredients. They are slightly different and will make a difference in your cooking and especially in your baking. In baking, precision is key.

7) Spatulas
Spatulas are probably my most-used kitchen tool. They are great for mixing, flipping, stirring; they are a kitchen essential.

8) Mixer or mixing bowls
I love my Kitchen Aide mixer. It is a beautiful matte gray/silver, and it is the workhorse of my kitchen. I  personally prefer this to a hand-mixer

9) Baking vessels
I realize this is a broad category, but I think it's an important one that you should personalize to your baking preferences. This category includes bread loaf pans, bunt pans, pie pans, muffin pans, quiche pans, 8x13 cake pan

10) Scoops
I use my scoops to make cookies. They scoop an exact amount of dough to make uniform cookies that bake evenly. Also, they are great to serve food - mashed potatoes, rice, and of course ice cream!

With theses 10 or so tools, you can take on almost any recipe. This year, I've added a couple new tools thanks due to my awesome family!! I have added a candy/frying thermometer, new spatulas, stone bread loaf pans, a mini bread loaf pan, a mandolin, a mortar and pestle, kitchen timer, and 3 new cook books!

I don't have many cookbooks, so I am excited about these new, beautiful, inspiring recipes. When my husband and I got married, I asked for my family and friends' favorite recipes in lieu of cookbooks. I enjoyed collecting all of these tried-and-true recipes and my husband and I became a family. Now, I am excited to try some new recipes!

I hope you enjoyed this post about my kitchen essentials. Please let me know if I left out any of your kitchen tool necessities in the comments below.

Also, let me know if there are any ingredients or dishes you want me to try in the new feature #NewYearNewRecipes #NYNR #50RDrecipes

For more recipes and tips and tricks for healthy eating, follow RDtipoftheday on Pinterest, Instagram, and Twitter.