sandi wrote:
> "Sheldon" > wrote in
> ups.com:
>
> >
> > sandi wrote:
> >> "merryb" wrote:
> >> > sandi wrote:
> >> >>
> >> >> I have a recipe that calls for 1 tsp. of Cardmom.
> >> >> Went to the store and lo & behold, NO cardamom. What can
> >> >> I use as a substitute?
> >> >
> >> > Nothing I can think of- what are you making?
> >>
> >> Pfeffernusses, German cookies.
> >
> > Most Pfeffernuesse recipes don't contain cardamom, and
> > cardemom is a very *potent* spice, 1 tsp is a tremendous amout
> > for one typical recipe of those cookies, usually a small pinch
> > will do. If you can't find cardamom don't try to substitute
> > or you're liable to screw up the entire batch, just leave it
> > out.
> >
> > Meanwhile buy some whole cardamom pods from Penzeys and store
> > them in your freezer, frozen they will keep well practically
> > forever. Don't buy powdered cardmom, not even from Penzeys,
> > once ground its potency diminishes rather rapidly, and with
> > ground you never know what/who is in it.
> >
> > http://www.cdkitchen.com/recipes/cat/870/0.shtml
> >
> > Sheldon
>
> Thank you Sheldon.
>
> I may try 2 batches of recipe. One without and one with a
> substitute. I'm curous now. :-)

Ground ginger with white pepper is the best substitute I know of but
still I'd not until you've done some experimenting... and for that
you'd need some cardamom for comparison, especially since I presume
you've not much if any experience with it. Cardamom is also a
developed taste, many don't like it so at first go easy with it's use.

cardamom
[KAR-duh-muhm]
A member of the GINGER family, this aromatic spice is native to India
and grows in many other tropical areas including Asia, South America
and the Pacific Islands. Cardamom seeds are encapsulated in small pods
about the size of a cranberry. Each pod contains 17 to 20 tiny seeds.
Cardamom has a pungent aroma and a warm, spicy-sweet flavor. It's
widely used in Scandinavian and East Indian cooking. Cardamom can be
purchased either in the pod or ground. The latter, though more
convenient, is not as full-flavored because cardamom seeds begin to
lose their essential oils as soon as they're ground. The seeds may be
removed from the pods and ground, or the entire pod may be ground. A
MORTAR AND PESTLE make quick work of the grinding. If using cardamom to
flavor dishes such as stews and curries, lightly crush the shell of the
pod and add the pod and seeds to the mixture. The shell will
disintegrate while the dish cooks. Be frugal when using cardamom - *a
little goes a long way*.

© Copyright Barron's Educational Services, Inc. 1995 based on THE FOOD
LOVER'S COMPANION, 2nd edition, by Sharon Tyler Herbst.
---

Penzeys:

Cardamom
"An extremely flavorful and ancient spice native to India, cardamom's
use has spread throughout the world, with nearly every culture having
its own distinctive use for the flavorful seeds. In India where both
green and black cardamom are used, it is an important ingredient in
meat and vegetable dishes. In parts of the Middle East the seeds are
mixed with green coffee beans before brewing. In Northern Europe
(especially Scandinavia) white cardamom is used to season baked goods
such as Christmas stollen, cakes, cookies, muffins and buns. Green
cardamom is preferred in India and the Middle East. Cardamom is a pod
consisting of an outer shell with little flavor, and tiny inner seeds
with *intense flavor*. Fancy white and green pods have no splits or
cracks in the shell, so the flavor keeps well. Stored in a glass jar,
cardamom pods will stay fresh indefinitely. Shelled or decorticated
cardamom seeds are inexpensive and flavorful, but sometimes need to be
crushed or ground before use. Ground cardamom has an intensely strong
flavor and is easy to use (especially in baking, where the fine powder
is desirable). Black cardamom, long a staple in African cooking, was
originally used in India as a cheap substitute for green cardamom pods.
Black cardamom has a unique smoky flavor and has developed its own
following over the years."
---

GRAMERCY TAVERN GINGERBREAD

The use of leavening in a cake is first recorded in a recipe for
gingerbread from Amelia Simmons's American Cookery, published in
Hartford in 1796; I guess you could say it is the original great
American cake. Early-19th-century cookbooks included as many recipes
for this as contemporary cookbooks do for chocolate cake. This recipe,
from Claudia Fleming, pastry chef at New York City's Gramercy Tavern,
is superlative-wonderfully moist and spicy.
Active time: 20 min Start to finish: 1 3/4 hr

1 cup oatmeal stout or Guinness Stout
1 cup dark molasses (not blackstrap)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
2 tablespoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
Pinch of ground cardamom
3 large eggs
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup vegetable oil
Confectioners sugar for dusting

Special equipment: a 10-inch (10- to 12-cup) bundt pan

Accompaniment: unsweetened whipped cream

Preheat oven to 350°F. Generously butter bundt pan and dust with
flour, knocking out excess.

Bring stout and molasses to a boil in a large saucepan and remove from
heat. Whisk in baking soda, then cool to room temperature.

Sift together flour, baking powder, and spices in a large bowl. Whisk
together eggs and sugars. Whisk in oil, then molasses mixture. Add to
flour mixture and whisk until just combined.

Pour batter into bundt pan and rap pan sharply on counter to eliminate
air bubbles. Bake in middle of oven until a tester comes out with just
a few moist crumbs adhering, about 50 minutes. Cool cake in pan on a
rack 5 minutes. Turn out onto rack and cool completely.

Serve cake, dusted with confectioners sugar, with whipped cream.

Cooks' notes:
· This recipe was tested with Grandma's brand green-label molasses.
· Like the chocolate decadence cake, the gingerbread is better if
made a day ahead. It will keep 3 days, covered, at room temperature.

Serves 8 to 10

Gourmet
February 2000
Claudia Fleming
Gramercy Tavern, New York, NY

Epicurious.com
---

Sheldon