Fennel seed: Calming Cramps and Colic – Relieving Menstrual Pain

Fennel is one of the few plants that has it all—it’s a vegetable, herb, and spice.

Every fall, the ground-level bulb (vegetable) sprouts celery-like stalks with willowy fronds (herbs) that flower and produce aromatic seeds (spice). And vegetable, herb, and spice all carry the sweet scent of licorice.

Fennel isn’t the most popular bulb in the batch—not everyone likes a licorice-tasting vegetable or herb. But the seeds are definitely in demand—they’re the spice that makes Italian sausages and pepperoni pizza world-famous.

The familiar tang of licorice when you bite into a fennel seed comes from the volatile oil anethole, the same compound that gives anise its licorice-like flavor. Fennel seeds are teeming with anethole and dozens of other potent phytochemicals. That includes phytoestrogens, estrogen-like compounds found in plants. Once a month, those phytoestrogens might be a woman’s best friend.

Fennel is a bulb that sprouts stalks with willowy fronds that flower and produce aromatic fennel seeds.

Relieving Menstrual Pain

Menstrual cramps—or dysmenorrhea, in medical terminology—affect more than 50 percent of menstruating women, with 10 percent having pain so severe they’re incapacitated for a few days each month.

In a study in the International Journal of Gynecology and Obstetrics, doctors treated 30 high school students with moderate to severe menstrual cramps, using either an extract of fennel or a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) similar to ibuprofen. Both the drug and fennel effectively relieved menstrual pain. “The essence of fennel can be used as a safe and effective” treatment for menstrual cramps, the researchers concluded.

In a similar study, involving 110 high school girls, fennel outperformed the NSAID, providing “complete pain relief or pain decrease” to 80 percent of the girls, compared to 73 percent taking the drug.

And in a study in the journal Phytomedicine, doctors found that a topical version of the fennel extract reduced the diameter of hairs in women with hirsutism (unwanted, excess hair, such as facial hair), a problem caused by imbalanced hormones.

Calming Colic

Your baby cries inconsolably for hours at a time, arching his back or pulling his legs up. And it’s been going on and on—a couple of days a week, week after week. It might be colic. The good news: your baby isn’t in pain, says Laura Riley, MD, medical director of labor and delivery at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, and assistant professor of obstetrics, gynecology, and reproductive biology at Harvard Medical School. But that doesn’t mean you don’t want to stop the crying.

In a study published in Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine, doctors treated 125 infants (2 to 12 weeks of age) with colic, dividing them into two groups: one received a product containing fennel seed oil (PediaCalm) and the other received a placebo. The fennel seed product eliminated colic in 65 percent of the babies given it, compared to 24 percent of those given the placebo. In another study, Italian researchers gave either a placebo or a formula containing fennel, and the herbs chamomile and melissa, to 88 colicky infants. One week later, the daily crying time of the infants taking fennel had decreased from a daily average of 3½ hours to 1¼ hours. Meanwhile, the crying time of the placebo group went from 3½ hours a day to just under 3 hours.

A Powerful Anti-inflammatory

Fennel seed is a powerful antioxidant—in fact, one study shows it’s more powerful than vitamin E (famous as an antioxidant) in defeating free radicals, those oxidizing molecules that damage cells and DNA. Fennel seed is also a powerful anti-inflammatory. Oxidation and inflammation are the evil twins that cause many chronic diseases, including heart disease, type 2 diabetes, Alzheimer’s, cancer, and arthritis. That’s why fennel may help tame them all.

Alzheimer’s disease and non-Alzheimer’s dementia. Approximately one-third of 75-year-olds have dementia—the near-total loss of memory—and Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia, comprising 80 percent of all cases. In a study by Indian researchers, an extract of fennel seed “profoundly” improved long-term memory in laboratory animals. It also boosted the activity of the brain chemical acetylcholine, the same mode of action as donepezil (Aricept), a drug used to treat Alzheimer’s. Fennel extract “can be employed in the treatment of cognitive disorders such as dementia and Alzheimer’s disease,” concluded the researchers in the Journal of Medicinal Food.

Fennel seed may help prevent and/or treat:

Alzheimer’s disease

Arthritis, osteo- and

rheumatoid

Cancer

Colic

Colitis (inflammatory bowel disease)

Dementia, non-Alzheimer’s

Glaucoma

Heart disease

High blood pressure (hypertension)

Hirsutism (unwanted hair growth in women)

Menstrual cramps

Stroke

Cancer. A daily diet containing fennel seeds inhibited the formation of tumors in experimental animals exposed to cancer-causing chemicals. “The inclusion of fennel seeds in the diet is likely to reduce the risk of cancer in the human population,” concluded the researchers in Food and Chemical Toxicology.

Arthritis. Korean researchers found fennel extract significantly decreased swelling and pain in animals with experimentally induced arthritis. Fennel’s anti-inflammatory activity “may reduce the risk of inflammatory-related diseases” such as osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and lower back pain, concluded the researchers.

Heart disease and stroke. Moroccan researchers found that fennel lowered systolic blood pressure (the upper number in the reading) in animals with laboratory-induced high blood pressure. High blood pressure is a leading risk factor for heart disease and stroke. Their results were published in Clinical and Experimental Hypertension.

Fennel seed pairs well with these spices:

Allspice

Bay leaf

Black cumin

seed

Cardamom

Cinnamon

Clove

Coriander

Cumin

Fenugreek

seed

Galangal

Garlic

Ginger

Marjoram

Mustard seed

Onion

Rosemary

Sun-dried

tomato

Tamarind

Turmeric

and complements recipes featuring:

Cheese

Curries

Mushrooms

Pasta

Poultry

Salmon

Sausage

Satay

Shad

Tomatoes

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Other recipes containing fennel seed:

By-the-Bay Fisherman’s Chowder

Chinese Five-Spice Powder

Dukkah

Hot Curry Powder

Malaysian Curry Paste

Panch Phoron

Pickling Spice

Ras-el-hanout

Roast Chicken with 40 Cloves of Garlic

Roasted Tomato Soup with Fennel and Mint

Spiced Milk Tea

In another animal experiment, researchers in Italy found that both anethole and a fennel extract inhibited platelet aggregation—the clumping of blood compounds that can trigger an artery-clogging blood clot. And unlike aspirin (often used to decrease platelet aggregation and “thin” the blood), neither anethole or fennel extract caused any stomach damage—in fact, they protected the lining of the stomach against damage!

Inflammatory bowel disease. In folk medicine, fennel has been used to soothe digestive upsets of all kinds, including abdominal bloating and gas. It works because it relaxes the lining of the intestines and douses inflammation. Perhaps the worst digestive problem of them all is inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), with urgent bowel movements and diarrhea as the main symptoms. IBD is called colitis when it mainly afflicts the colon (large intestine), and Crohn’s disease when patches of inflammation afflict the small and large intestine.

Researchers in Bulgaria gave a formula including fennel to 24 people with colitis. “Palpable pains along the large intestine disappeared in 96 percent of the patients by the 15th day” of the treatment, the researchers wrote. “Defecation was normalized in patients with diarrhea syndrome.”

Glaucoma. In glaucoma, the canals that drain fluid from inside the eyeball clog up, producing pressure inside the eye that damages the optic nerve. Indian researchers gave drops of a fennel extract to animals with experimentally induced glaucoma. The extract decreased intraocular pressure by 31 percent—the same level of relief provided by an antiglaucoma drug. Fennel may find a place “in the arsenal of antiglaucoma drugs prescribed by physicians,” the researchers concluded.

Getting to Know Fennel Seed

Fennel is widely used in Mediterranean cuisines, particularly in Italy—where finnochio is regarded as delizioso. In Florence, a highly regarded variety of fennel has been cultivated since the Middle Ages. The national liqueur, sambuca, is flavored with fennel. And the seeds are the hallmark spice used to make Italian sausages, meatballs, salami, and pepperoni.

The French in Provence grow fenouil to use fresh in pastas and salads or as a vegetable. A Provencal specialty is poisson au fenouil: a whole fish is laid on a bed of fennel stalks on an open grill, giving off a smoky, sweet, licorice-like aroma as the stalks burn under the fish. The seeds are mostly used in sauces and pasta dishes.

The English use the seeds in soups. Germans put them in breads, fish dishes, and sauerkraut. The Spanish use fennel seed to flavor cakes and other baked goods. Scandinavians use fennel as the seed on rye bread.

In India, fennel seed is a key ingredient in many spice blends, including Indian curry powders and the seed blend panch phoron. Indians add fennel seeds to pickles, curries, soups, and lentil and rice dishes. It is also used in a specialty dessert called malpoora, which is a deep-fried pancake flavored with fennel and pistachio. Many Indian restaurants offer sugar-coated fennel seeds at the end of dinner with coffee and the check. Recently, India has cultivated its own fennel seed, Lucknow, named after its town of origin. Lucknow fennel has a sweeter flavor, closer to anise, and is favored as an after-dinner digestif.

In China and throughout Asia, fennel seeds are used in sweet-and-sour dishes and rich fish sauces. Asians toast the seeds before using, imparting a more vibrant flavor.

Fennel seed is found in the Moroccan spice blend ras-el-hanout and in Middle Eastern dukkah. Arabs sprinkle it over salads and bake it into bread.

Penne and Sausage with Fennel Tomato Sauce

This recipe bridges the Mediterranean influences of both French and Italian cuisines. If tomatoes are out of season, use canned.

1 pound sweet Italian sausage

2 teaspoons fennel seeds

2 cloves garlic, diced

3 tablespoons tomato paste

1 cup chopped tomatoes, fresh or canned, with their juices

½ cup chopped Kalamata olives

1 cup Chianti or other dry red wine

1 bay leaf

½ teaspoon dried marjoram

½ teaspoon dried rosemary

1 pound penne pasta

2 eggs

¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan or Romano cheese

Freshly ground black pepper

1. Remove the sausage from its casing and coarsely chop. Brown the meat in a large non-stick skillet over low heat. Continue to break up the pieces until browned, about three or four minutes. Add the fennel seeds and cook until they release their oils, about 30 seconds. Add the garlic, stir and cook one minute. Add the tomato paste and coat to blend. Increase the heat to medium and cook two minutes.

2. Add the tomatoes, olives, Chianti, bay leaf, marjoram, and rosemary. Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook for 15 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, bring water to a boil for the pasta and cook to firm, according to package directions. Drain.

4. While the pasta is cooking, beat the eggs in a small bowl with a whisk. Whisk in the cheese and freshly ground pepper.

5. Remove the bay leaf from the sausage mixture. Add the pasta and toss to mix. Remove the skillet from the heat and add the egg and cheese mixture, tossing with two large forks to incorporate.

Makes 6 servings.

How to Buy Fennel Seed

Fennel seeds are about a quarter-inch long, oval-shaped with vertical hairlines, and yellow, tinged with green. Look for that tinge when buying, as it indicates top quality. Check to make sure the package of seeds is free of grit. (The small seeds are difficult to separate from dirt and other extraneous matter.) Look for seeds that are whole, rather than broken.

You can find fennel seeds whole or ground in most supermarkets. The volatile oils start to dissipate as soon as the seeds are ground, so buying them whole and grinding them just before using guarantees the most flavor.

If you shop for fennel seeds in an Indian market, you may come across Lucknow fennel, which may be labeled Lakhnawi saunf. These seeds are almost half the size of regular fennel seeds and mostly all green, like the brilliant lime green of cardamom pods.

Fennel seeds will keep for up to three years in an airtight container, in a cool place, away from sunlight. Ground seeds start to lose their intensity after six months or even sooner.

The fennel plant is cultivated in moderate climates around the world, including Italy, France, India, Morocco, Egypt, and Taiwan. Most of the fennel seed used in the US is imported from Egypt.

In the Kitchen with Fennel Seed

Fennel seed is strong-flavored, and works equally well in savory and sweet recipes. It can perk up the taste of a wide range of dishes, from meats to cakes to beverages. The seeds help add balance to almost any spice blend. Use them in the same way you use anise, cumin, and caraway seeds.

Fennel seeds don’t have to be toasted as most other seeds do, but doing so intensifies and sweetens their flavor. Toasted seeds have an aftertaste similar to brown sugar. Dry-fry them, according to the directions, but make sure not to burn them, even slightly—they’ll have an unpleasant, bitter taste.

Fennel seed works well with many foods from the Mediterranean diet, such as tomatoes, ripe olives, olive oil, basil, grilled meat, and seafood. They also combine well with fatty fish, such as salmon and tuna.

Here are some ways to add more fennel seed to your diet:

• Fennel can turn ordinary bread into something special. Try mixing a tablespoon of seeds into your favorite dough.

• Brush commercial French or Italian bread with lightly beaten egg, sprinkle with fennel seeds, and bake at 400°F until the seeds set.

• Dry and crush toasted fennel seeds and steep them in tea.

• Sprinkle fennel seeds on top of cakes and muffins before baking.

• Add fennel to fruit salads and compotes.

• Add ground fennel to scrambled eggs.

• Make spiced olives by marinating 2 cups of olives in ½ cup of extra-virgin olive oil and 1 teaspoon each of fennel seeds, dried oregano, and dried thyme.

Thyme: Anti-Microbial – Calming Coughs, Protecting Teeth from Decay

Once upon a time—maybe about 5,000 years ago, before the Romans distributed the plant throughout their empire—there was probably just one thyme. Now there are many. There’s the French thyme that most of us cook with. There are also the varieties of thyme that a canny plant-lover might spot in a walk around a typical suburban neighborhood, peeking into backyard gardens, such as lemon thyme, orange thyme, anise thyme, and silver thyme. Worldwide, there are more than one hundred varieties of thyme, each with a subtly different flavor. But all those varieties have one factor in common: the volatile oilthymol.

Thymol is one of Mother Nature’s most powerful antiseptics—when applied to your skin or the mucous membranes inside your mouth, it kills germs. (Thymol is a primary antiseptic in the mouthwash Listerine, famous for the slogan, “Kills Germs on Contact.”) And while there’s lots of preliminary research in test tubes and experimental animals on the power on thymol (and other powerful compounds in thyme) to defeat a variety of diseases, the gold-standard human research is all about germs—particularly the viruses and bacteria that cause acute bronchitis.

Calming Coughs

Acute bronchitis is a viral or bacterial infection of the bronchial tract that often develops three or four days after you’ve gotten over a cold or flu. In response to the infection, the bronchi pump out mucous—and intense “coughing fits” to clear the mucous are the condition’s most prominent symptom, sometimes accompanied by a flu-like sore throat, fever, and chills. Thyme can calm the coughing down.

Researchers in Germany studied 361 adults with acute bronchitis, dividing them into two groups. One took a natural formula containing thyme and primrose root; the other took a placebo. For the next 11 days, the researchers counted the number of daily coughing fits experienced by the participants. Those taking the thyme/primrose mixture had 16 percent fewer coughing fits than those taking the placebo, and their other symptoms improved more rapidly.

In another study from Germany, researchers gave a syrup containing thyme and ivy (Bronchipret) to more than 1,200 children and adolescents with acute bronchitis. After four days of treatment, the severity of symptoms had decreased by 46 percent; after 10 days, by 86 percent. The number of coughing fits decreased by 81 percent after 10 days. Nearly 9 out of 10 children found relief from the formula. “Acute bronchitis . . . can be treated safely and effectively with thyme and ivy syrup,” concluded the researchers.

In a study on adults, the thyme/ivy combination decreased coughing fits by 21 percent more than a placebo, and led to a much faster resolution of other symptoms.

And when researchers from Switzerland tested the thyme/ivy product on cough not only from bronchitis, but also from the common cold and any respiratory infection with excess mucous, they found it “good or very good” in clearing up cough in 90 percent of cases.

Protecting Teeth from Decay

Thymol can brighten your breath and your teeth. More than a dozen studies have been conducted on a tooth “varnish” that combines thymol and the antiseptic chlorhexidine (Cervitec and CervitecPlus). It works in:

Thyme may help prevent and/or treat:

Aging

Alcohol abuse

Blood clots

Bronchitis, acute

Cancer

Cold sores

Colds

Colitis (inflammatory bowel disease)

Cough

Flu

Heart attack

Infection, bacterial

Stroke

Tooth decay

Ulcer

The elderly. In a study in the Journal of Dentistry, researchers in Spain found that the thymol-containing varnish helped prevent cavities in older people in an assisted-care residential home.

Teens with braces. Researchers in Sweden found the varnish helped lower levels of cavity-causing bacteria on the molars of adolescents with braces. Their findings were in the Journal of Clinical Dentistry.

Children. Another team of Spanish researchers found using the varnish in six- and seven-year-olds with their first permanent teeth helped prevent cavities. A study by Brazilian dentists, published in Caries Research, showed the same results.

Thyme Is Anti-Disease

Thymol is in a class of phytonutrients (plant compounds) called monoterpenes, that includes the volatile oils carvacrol and geraniol. They’re all powerful antioxidants and powerfully anti-inflammatory, taming the twin processes that underlie and worsen most chronic diseases. And they’re all being investigated by scientists for their potential to protect and heal.

Anti-aging. In two animal studies, Scottish researchers tested thyme’s ability to slow the sands of time. In the first study, animals fed thyme oil had less age-related reductions in the antioxidants superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase than animals who didn’t receive it. In the second study, the researchers found that supplementing with thyme oil protected neurons in the brains of aging rats.

Anti-cancer. There are scores of studies investigating monoterpenes as possible cancer-fighters, showing they protect DNA (DNA damage is the genesis of cancer), and have activity against liver, skin, and uterine cancer, and leukemia.

Anti-clot. In animal studies from Japan, adding thyme to a high-fat diet reduced the formation of blood clots, a risk factor for heart attacks and strokes.

Anti-herpes. In a laboratory study, German researchers found that thymol stopped the herpes simplex-1 virus (the cause of cold sores) from replicating.

Anti-infection. Researchers in Germany found that thyme oil (as well as other essential oils) is effective against bacteria that are becoming resistant to antibiotics—particularly the “flesh-eating” bacteria,Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA).

Anti-colitis. Researchers in Croatia found that a combination of thyme and oregano oils (both rich in thymol) lessened the severity of colitis (inflammatory bowel disease) in experimental animals.

Anti-ulcer. Researchers in Iran found that several components of thyme oil—thymol, carvacrol, b/neol, and others—effectively killed the Helicobacter pylori, the bacteria that causes stomach ulcers.

Anti-alcoholism. Egyptian researchers found adding thyme to the diet of experimental animals fed excessive alcohol helped protect their livers and brains from alcohol-related damage. “Thyme,” concluded the researchers in Food and Chemical Toxicology, “may play a part in protecting the body against the hazardous effects caused by alcohol abuse.”

Getting to Know Thyme

The ancient Egyptians used thyme in mummification. The ancient Greeks used it as an incense in their temples, to freshen and cleanse the air. (The Greek word thymon means “to fumigate.”) The ancient Romans believed thyme promoted vigor, and used it in their baths.

There are more than 100 varieties of thyme.

Garden-variety thyme—the kind that shows up on the supermarket spice shelf—is the most potent source of thymol among all the thymes. The stiff and bushy perennial shrub with small green furry leaves is native to the Mediterranean and is among the ingredients credited with making the Mediterranean diet one of the healthiest on the planet. Thyme is also one of the planet’s most pleasantly aromatic spices, which is why it is popular worldwide.

Thyme plays a major role in giving French food its notable flair. The smoky scent and intense taste of thyme enriches rich cream sauces, soups, and stews. Thyme is the key spice in Julia Child’s famousboeuf bourguignon (and is one of the few spices used repeatedly throughout her classic bestseller, Mastering the Art of French Cooking). A sprig of thyme is found in the traditional French bouquet garni. It is also rumored to be among the 27 plants and spices used to make bénédictine, the French liqueur (the recipe is a closely guarded secret).

Thyme grows wild in the Provence region of France—the scent fills the air on a warm breezy day, and in the hot sun of a Provencal summer you can find thyme nearly dried right on the vine. Sprigs of thyme are added to the pot of Provencal bouillabaisse and bourrides, the area’s signature fish stews.

Thyme is also popular in the Middle East and North Africa. The thyme cultivated in the Middle East is particularly pungent and is called za’atar, the same term used to describe a spice mix that includes thyme, toasted sesame seeds, sumac, and salt. Morocco cultivates a variety with a distinct scent of pine called z’itra.

Thyme is one of the most common spices in the American spice cabinet. It is used in stuffings, vegetable soups, stews, and casseroles. It was the only spice used in the original recipe for New England and Manhattan clam chowders (though many modern-day versions don’t include any spice except salt and pepper). It is also one of the spices in the rubs used in Cajun cooking to make blackened foods.

How to Buy Thyme

When thinking thyme, think dried thyme. It’s preferred for cooking because it’s more pungent and holds up better in the pot. It’s also cheaper. A bunch of fresh thyme that lasts a week costs more than a jar of dried thyme that lasts a year.

The generic dried thyme that you find in the supermarket is “French thyme” from the Mediterranean (though most French thyme actually comes from Spain). Top chefs consider it the best. Dried thyme leaves are gray-green in color. Make sure the bottle is free of debris, which is sometimes found in brands with inferior packaging.

Lemon thyme has become popular in the US in recent years; you can find it dried in most supermarkets. Lemon thyme is a cross between French thyme and the large, wild thyme that grows as ground cover. It is less pungent in flavor and has (no surprise) a lemony tang, which comes from its higher concentration of geraniol.

You can find fresh thyme year round in many supermarkets, and in the summer at many farmer’s markets. Store fresh thyme in the refrigerator, wrapped in a slightly damp towel. It stays fresh for up to a week.

Thyme pairs well with these spices:

Ajowan

Basil

Bay leaf

Coriander

Garlic

Marjoram

Mint

Nutmeg

Onion

Oregano

Pumpkin seed

Rosemary

Sage

Sun-dried Tomato

and complements recipes featuring:

Beef

Casseroles

Chicken

Fish

Lobster

Meat loaf

Pâtés

Potato salad

Ripe olives

Sauces

Soup

Stuffings

Tomatoes

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Other recipes containing thyme:

Basic Barbecue Rub

Boeuf Bourguignon

Bouquet Garni

By-the-Bay Fisherman’s Chowder

Dukkah

Green Pumpkin Seed Sauce

Hungarian Goulash

Jamaican Jerk Marinade

Pizza Spice Blend

Roast Chicken with 40 Cloves of Garlic

Roasted Tomato Soup with Fennel and Mint

Spice de Provence

Dried thyme is hardier than most spices and keeps well in an airtight container out of direct sunlight for about 18 months.

Boeuf Bourguignon

This is an adaptation of the original boeuf bourguignon from Julia Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking that was featured in the 2009 hit film Julie and Julia. (Just don’t leave it in the oven too long, as Julie did!) The dish improves with age, so make it a day ahead, if possible, and reheat it on the stove top. Serve it with noodles or rice and a green salad.

4 bacon slices

3 pounds lean beef cubes

1 cup sliced carrots

1 cup sliced onions

1 teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

2 tablespoons flour

3 cups full-bodied red wine

3 cups beef stock

1 tablespoon tomato paste

2 garlic cloves, mashed

½ teaspoon thyme

1 bay leaf

4 tablespoons butter

24 small white onions

Bouquet garni

1 pound button mushrooms, cleaned and quartered

6 sprigs fresh parsley

1. Fry the bacon over medium-high heat in a heavy large Dutch oven until crisp. Transfer the bacon with a slotted spoon to a plate and set aside.

2. Dry the beef with paper towels and sauté it a few pieces at a time until it is browned on all sides. Set aside with the bacon. If you need more fat, add vegetable oil to the pan.

3. Brown the sliced carrots and onion in the same fat. Put the beef and the bacon back in the pan with the vegetables. Sprinkle with the salt, pepper, and flour and toss the beef around to coat it with the flour. Set the beef, uncovered, in a preheated 450°F oven for 4 minutes. Toss the meat and bake it for 4 minutes more. Remove the casserole from the oven and lower the oven temperature to 325°F.

4. Put the casserole on the stove top over low heat and add the wine, 2 cups of stock, tomato paste, garlic, thyme, and bay leaf. Stir to blend. Bring to a simmer. Cover the casserole and set it in the lower third of a preheated oven for 3–4 hours. The meat is done when you can pierce it easily with a fork.

5. Meanwhile, melt 2 tablespoons butter in a small saucepan. Add ½ cup of stock and bring to a simmer. Add the onions and bouquet garni. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes or until the onions are tendered when pierced with a fork. Set aside.

6. Melt the remaining butter in a medium-size skillet and sauté the mushrooms until they lose their moisture and reabsorb the moisture in the pan. Sprinkle mushrooms with salt and pepper and set aside.

7. When the meat is tender, pour the contents of the casserole into a sieve over a saucepan. Wipe out the casserole with a paper towel and return the beef and bacon to it. Add the onions and mushrooms to the beef.

8. Skim fat off the sauce and simmer for about 5 minutes, skimming fat off as it rises. Raise the heat and boil down rapidly until you have about 2½ cups and the sauce thickens enough to coat a wooden spoon. Pour the sauce over the meat and vegetables. Cover the casserole and simmer for five minutes. Serve with the parsley sprigs.

Makes 6 to 8 servings.

In the Kitchen with Thyme

Thyme is one of the most subtle and versatile spices, and its agreeable aroma, both fresh and dried, gives depth to just about any savory dish.

Thyme can enliven gravies and sauces, especially rich, cream-based sauces. If you want the flavor of thyme to meld into a gravy or sauce, use it in the early steps of the recipe. If you want the gravy or sauce to have a perfume of thyme, use it toward the end.

Thyme adds nice flavor rubbed into the skin of a chicken before grilling or baking. It also goes with beef, especially ground meat. It works particularly well in tomato sauces and dishes and in casseroles featuring potatoes.

Thyme also helps cut the mouth feel of fatty food, so sprinkle it on the flesh of goose and duck while they are roasting.

Be careful when using fresh thyme: it turns black in an acidic environment, such as dishes containing tomato or lemon. It also quickly loses its volatile oils when exposed to heat.

Here are some ways to add more thyme to your diet:

• Add dried thyme and lemon or lemon thyme to melted butter for boiled lobster or shrimp.

• Sprinkle fresh or dried thyme with chives or by itself on baked potatoes.

• Sauté dried thyme, garlic, and reconstituted sun-dried tomato with mushrooms to go along with grilled steak.

• Sprinkle dried thyme over root vegetables.

• Put fresh thyme branches in with pot roasts or roast an eye roast sitting on the branches.

• Infuse a thyme branch in olive oil or in a bottle of vinaigrette dressing.

• Make the Middle East spice blend za’atar by combining 1 tablespoon of dried thyme with 2 tablespoons of toasted sesame seeds, 2 teaspoons of sumac, and salt.

• Sprinkle dried thyme over a salad made of tomatoes, cucumbers, ripe olives, and feta cheese.

• Sprinkle dried thyme into extra-virgin olive oil and use it for dipping bread.

• Add dried thyme to scrambled eggs.

Lemongrass: The Calming Spice – Lowering Cholesterol

You know the saying: When life hands you lemons, make lemonade. Well, when life hands you lemongrass, make lemongrass tea. You’ll feel a whole lot better.

Overwrought Brazilians drink abafado, a lemongrass tea believed to relieve tension and aid sleep. Nigerian folk healers use lemongrass tea to soothe sore throats, lower fevers, and control type 2 diabetes. In Thailand and Vietnam—where lemongrass is a much-used ingredient in the cuisine—folk healers also use it to improve circulation.

One reason these folk remedies might work is citral, an antioxidant oil in lemongrass that is anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and antifungal. The oil is also rich in plant sterols, a cholesterol-like compound that cuts the absorption of dietary cholesterol.

Taming Tough-to-Lower Cholesterol

Researchers in the Department of Nutritional Sciences at the University of Wisconsin studied 22 people with high total cholesterol (an average of 315 mg/dL; 200 or less is normal). They gave them 140 milligrams (mg) a day of lemongrass oil. After three months, eight had big drops in total cholesterol, of up to 38 mg/dL.

In another study on lemongrass and cholesterol, researchers in Chile found that a compound in lemongrass stopped the oxidation of “bad” LDL cholesterol—the same process that forms artery-clogging plaque. “As oxidative damage to LDL is a key event in the formation of atherosclerotic lesions, the use of this natural antioxidant may be beneficial to prevent or attenuate atherosclerosis,” concluded the researchers in the journal Molecules.

High cholesterol is common in people with type 2 diabetes, 75 percent of whom die of heart disease. Noting that lemongrass is used by the Yoruba healers of southwest Nigeria to treat type 2 diabetes (as well as fever, jaundice, throat and chest infections, moderate-to-severe pain, hypertension, and obesity), scientists in Nigeria tested an extract of the spice on laboratory animals. They found it lowered LDL, total cholesterol, and triglycerides, increased “good” HDL, and also lowered blood sugar levels, “confirming its folkloric use and safety in type 2 diabetic patients.”

Keep on the Lemongrass

There are many other ways lemongrass might be good for you.

Cancer. In the laboratory, a team of researchers from the Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine studied the power of lemongrass oil against 12 types of human cancer cells. The more lemongrass oil, the worse it was for the cancer cells—with lemongrass destroying projectile-like structures on the surface of cancer cells, blocking the first stage of cancer cell division, and killing cancer cells. Lemongrass oil “has a promising anticancer activity and causes loss in tumor cell viability,” concluded the researchers in the journal Chemical and Biological Interactions.

When Israeli researchers investigated “the anti-cancer potential” of citral—the amount found in a typical cup of lemongrass tea—they found it could kill human cancer cells.

Researchers from the Department of Dermatology at the UCLA School of Medicine found citral protected animals against skin cancer, and has a “possible role as an anti-tumor” agent. Japanese researchers also found that citral activated antioxidants in the skin that could protect against skin cancer.

Another team of Japanese researchers found that a lemongrass extract protected laboratory animals against chemical-induced liver cancer, publishing their results in the journal Cancer Letter. And writing in the journal Carcinogenesis, a group of Japanese researchers found lemongrass extract protected laboratory animals against colon cancer.

Researchers in India found that a lemongrass extract protected laboratory animals against DNA-damaging ionizing radiation—the same type of cancer-causing radiation we get from the sun and from medical devices such as CT scans and x-rays.

Anxiety. Noting that lemongrass tea is used in Brazilian folk medicine to reduce anxiety, Brazilian researchers tested an extract of lemongrass in mice. Using a standard maze device to measure the animals’ level of anxiety, they found the tea significantly calmed the mice.

Insomnia. They also found that lemongrass extract reduced physical activity and induced sleep in mice as effectively as a sedative drug.

Epilepsy. The spice also reduced the number of chemically induced epileptic seizures in the mice.

Fungal and yeast infections. Doctors in South Africa found that lemongrass in lemon juice was an effective treatment for oral thrush (an infection on the inner cheeks and tongue with the fungus Candida albicans) in HIV/AIDS patients. The findings were in the journal Phytomedicine.

Researchers in Brazil also found that lemongrass oil and citral had “potent” activity against candida. Japanese researchers found the same, and said their results “provide experimental evidence suggesting the potential value of lemongrass oil for the treatment of oral or vaginal candidiasis.”

Getting to Know Lemongrass

Lemongrass is, well, grass—tufted, razor-like blades with a central rib that are native to Southeast Asia. When the leaves are chopped and crushed they give off the lemony aroma that is characteristic of the cuisines of Thailand and Vietnam, where lemongrass is widely used in stews, and in soups such as hot-and-sour soup.

In Thailand, the tender stalks are also added fresh to salads and pounded into spice pastes for curries. (Sometimes the leaves are tied in a knot and simmered in a curry.) In fact, lemongrass is used to flavor spice pastes and blends throughout Southeast Asia. It’s a key ingredient in hot condiments called sambals, and in an Indonesian spice called bumbu, which is popular at roadside food stands.

Lemongrass, native to Southeast Asia, has tufted, razor-like blades with a central rib.

Lemongrass is cultivated in Southeast Asia, Sri Lanka, India, the Caribbean, Australia, and Florida. However, Florida lemongrass is not grown for culinary purposes. The oil is extracted for use in cosmetics, soaps, bath salts, perfumes, and furniture polish.

LEMONGRASS WAS USED TO SCENT BATHS IN ANCIENT ROME.

Lemongrass oil is often called citronella—the name of the scented oil and candles used as bug repellents. But bug-repelling citronella oil is derived from two varieties of lemongrass that are inedible.

How to Buy Lemongrass

You can often find lemongrass fresh in large or high-end markets in areas where there is a large Asian population. Even though the entire plant is aromatic, you’ll usually find only the lower white stalk—the only part of the plant tender enough to eat.

Fresh lemongrass stalks are usually sold in bunches. Choose stalks that are firm and don’t look dried or wrinkled. They should be white with a greenish tinge. However, if lemongrass is native to your cuisine, you’re more likely to purchase the whole plant, including the root and leaves, using the leaves to make lemongrass tea. Lemongrass enthusiasts also fold the leaves to release the aromatic flavor, and add them to foods cooked in a liquid. The leaves are discarded before eating, like a bay leaf. Asian and Latin markets usually carry the whole plant. But be careful: the blades are sharp. (Whole lemongrass is also sold frozen.)

Lemongrass may help prevent and/or treat:

Anxiety

Cancer

Cholesterol problems

(high total cholesterol,

high “bad” LDL cholesterol, low “good” HDL

cholesterol)

Diabetes, type 2

Epilepsy

Insomnia

Thrush (oral candida

infection)

Triglycerides, high

Vaginal yeast infection

___________________________________

Lemongrass pairs well with these spices:

Black cumin

seed

Cardamom

Chile

Cinnamon

Clove

Coconut

Coriander

Cumin

Fennel seed

Fenugreek

seed

Galangal

Garlic

Ginger

Onion

Tamarind

Turmeric

___________________________________

and complements recipes featuring:

Asian stir-fries

Curries

Marinades for meat

and poultry

Poultry

Shrimp

Soft-shell crabs

Tomatoes

Other recipes containing lemongrass:

Malaysian Curry Paste

Thai Coconut Chicken Soup

Thai Red Curry Paste

Mussels with Thai Red Curry Sauce

With the make-ahead curry paste as an ingredient, this is an easy dish that is special enough to serve company. Serve it with a loaf of crusty bread to enjoy the sauce. To complete the meal, add a green salad made with Mediterranean Vinaigrette.

3 pounds mussels, cleaned and debearded

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 tablespoons Thai Red Curry Paste

4 large red ripe tomatoes

3 garlic bulbs, peeled and diced

2 tablespoons chopped fresh ginger

1 fourteen-ounce can unsweetened coconut milk

1½ cups seafood stock

1 tablespoon Asian fish sauce

½ teaspoon salt

Freshly ground black pepper

½ cup fresh basil, coarsely chopped

1. Pick over the mussels and discard any that are open.

2. Heat the olive oil in a heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add the red curry paste and fry until fragrant, stirring constantly, about one minute. Add the tomatoes, garlic, and ginger and continue to fry, stirring, until garlic is soft, about three minutes.

3. Stir in the coconut milk, stock, fish sauce, salt, and pepper to taste. Lower the heat and simmer 10 minutes. Add the mussels, turn up the heat, cover and cook, shaking the pot occasionally, until the mussels open, about 5–10 minutes. Transfer the mussels to four bowls and pour the sauce over them. Sprinkle with basil and serve.

Makes 4 servings.

Lemongrass is also sold preserved in jars, with lemon juice or vinegar. It’s the next best thing to fresh.

You can purchase dried lemongrass in Asian markets, sometimes sold under the Indonesian name sereh. It’s also available online. (For a list of online resources, please see A Buyer’s Guide to the Healing Spices.) You can find dried lemongrass whole, shredded, or ground. Reconstitute in warm water before using.

Ground lemongrass is available at most supermarkets with a well-stocked spice aisle.

All forms of dried lemongrass lack the characteristic intense lemony flavor of fresh, however. You’ll get the best flavor from fresh lemongrass. If you can’t find fresh, preserved is better than all forms of the dried.

You also can find dried lemongrass leaves for making tea in Asian and Latin markets. But don’t use them for cooking: they contribute little to the taste of a dish.

Fresh lemongrass can be kept refrigerated in plastic wrap for about two weeks. It can also be frozen in an airtight freezer bag for six months. Dried lemongrass should be stored in an airtight container in a dry, dark place. It will keep for about a year.

In the Kitchen with Lemongrass

Because of its robust flavor, lemongrass can withstand long cooking without losing its flavor. It is best used in long-simmering dishes, such as a stew or curry. But to get the best results from its strong lemony taste, you need to prepare it properly.

If you’ve bought a stalk, cut it into thin rings. Or cut it into large pieces, and crush it with the back of a knife, as you would garlic, and add it to the dish. (Use it the same way you use scallions.)

If you’ve bought an entire plant, leaves and all, trim it to get to the edible part. Cut off the root end with a knife, and pull off the outer leaves right down to the white stalk. (It’s a good idea to wear plastic gloves to protect your fingers from cuts.) Slice or chop the stalk.

Lemongrass Iced Tea

In Thailand, people drink lemongrass tea iced and slightly sweetened, as a cooling counterbalance to the hot cuisine. It is served at both lunch and dinner.

1 cup lemongrass pieces, about ½” each

½ cup sugar

8 cups water

1. Bring the lemongrass pieces, sugar, and 2 cups water to a boil in medium-size saucepan, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and steep, partially covered, until cool.

2. Put the steeped tea with the lemongrass pieces in a blender or food processor and process until finely chopped. Pour the tea through a fine-mesh sieve into a pitcher, pressing to get out all of the liquid. Discard the solids. Add ice, fill the pitcher with the rest of the water, and stir. Serve over ice.

You can use the entire stalk by tying the full length in a knot and dropping it into the pot. The bruising will release the lemon flavor. Again, be careful that you don’t cut your fingers on the sharp leaf edges. The whole stalk isn’t meant to be eaten—discard it at the end of cooking. (It will leave behind its intense aroma!)

You can use the fresh leaves to make a tea. Place the leaves in a large pot and pour a quart of hot water on top of them. Steep for 10 minutes. Strain the tea and discard the leaves.

Here are some ways to put more lemongrass in your diet:

• Cut the stalks coarsely and add them to the water when steaming seafood.

• Put stalks in foil when you barbecue fish.

• Use whole stalks as stirrers to put a touch of lemon in drinks or to intensify lemonade.

• You can use lemongrass to tenderize and aromatize meat. Break 2 stalks of lemongrass in pieces and put them in a spice grinder with a garlic clove and 1 tablespoon of coriander seeds. Combine the ground spices with 2 tablespoons of brown sugar and ¼ cup of Asian fish sauce, and rub the mixture into steaks or beef kabobs before grilling.

• Combine lemongrass (sweet) with copious amounts of garlic and shallots to make a sweet-and-sour sauce like they do in Malaysia.

Fennel seed: Calming Cramps and Colic – Relieving Menstrual Pain

Fennel is one of the few plants that has it all—it’s a vegetable, herb, and spice.

Every fall, the ground-level bulb (vegetable) sprouts celery-like stalks with willowy fronds (herbs) that flower and produce aromatic seeds (spice). And vegetable, herb, and spice all carry the sweet scent of licorice.

Fennel isn’t the most popular bulb in the batch—not everyone likes a licorice-tasting vegetable or herb. But the seeds are definitely in demand—they’re the spice that makes Italian sausages and pepperoni pizza world-famous.

The familiar tang of licorice when you bite into a fennel seed comes from the volatile oil anethole, the same compound that gives anise its licorice-like flavor. Fennel seeds are teeming with anethole and dozens of other potent phytochemicals. That includes phytoestrogens, estrogen-like compounds found in plants. Once a month, those phytoestrogens might be a woman’s best friend.

Fennel is a bulb that sprouts stalks with willowy fronds that flower and produce aromatic fennel seeds.

Relieving Menstrual Pain

Menstrual cramps—or dysmenorrhea, in medical terminology—affect more than 50 percent of menstruating women, with 10 percent having pain so severe they’re incapacitated for a few days each month.

In a study in the International Journal of Gynecology and Obstetrics, doctors treated 30 high school students with moderate to severe menstrual cramps, using either an extract of fennel or a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) similar to ibuprofen. Both the drug and fennel effectively relieved menstrual pain. “The essence of fennel can be used as a safe and effective” treatment for menstrual cramps, the researchers concluded.

In a similar study, involving 110 high school girls, fennel outperformed the NSAID, providing “complete pain relief or pain decrease” to 80 percent of the girls, compared to 73 percent taking the drug.

And in a study in the journal Phytomedicine, doctors found that a topical version of the fennel extract reduced the diameter of hairs in women with hirsutism (unwanted, excess hair, such as facial hair), a problem caused by imbalanced hormones.

Calming Colic

Your baby cries inconsolably for hours at a time, arching his back or pulling his legs up. And it’s been going on and on—a couple of days a week, week after week. It might be colic. The good news: your baby isn’t in pain, says Laura Riley, MD, medical director of labor and delivery at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, and assistant professor of obstetrics, gynecology, and reproductive biology at Harvard Medical School. But that doesn’t mean you don’t want to stop the crying.

In a study published in Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine, doctors treated 125 infants (2 to 12 weeks of age) with colic, dividing them into two groups: one received a product containing fennel seed oil (PediaCalm) and the other received a placebo. The fennel seed product eliminated colic in 65 percent of the babies given it, compared to 24 percent of those given the placebo. In another study, Italian researchers gave either a placebo or a formula containing fennel, and the herbs chamomile and melissa, to 88 colicky infants. One week later, the daily crying time of the infants taking fennel had decreased from a daily average of 3½ hours to 1¼ hours. Meanwhile, the crying time of the placebo group went from 3½ hours a day to just under 3 hours.

A Powerful Anti-inflammatory

Fennel seed is a powerful antioxidant—in fact, one study shows it’s more powerful than vitamin E (famous as an antioxidant) in defeating free radicals, those oxidizing molecules that damage cells and DNA. Fennel seed is also a powerful anti-inflammatory. Oxidation and inflammation are the evil twins that cause many chronic diseases, including heart disease, type 2 diabetes, Alzheimer’s, cancer, and arthritis. That’s why fennel may help tame them all.

Alzheimer’s disease and non-Alzheimer’s dementia. Approximately one-third of 75-year-olds have dementia—the near-total loss of memory—and Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia, comprising 80 percent of all cases. In a study by Indian researchers, an extract of fennel seed “profoundly” improved long-term memory in laboratory animals. It also boosted the activity of the brain chemical acetylcholine, the same mode of action as donepezil (Aricept), a drug used to treat Alzheimer’s. Fennel extract “can be employed in the treatment of cognitive disorders such as dementia and Alzheimer’s disease,” concluded the researchers in the Journal of Medicinal Food.

Fennel seed may help prevent and/or treat:

Alzheimer’s disease

Arthritis, osteo- and

rheumatoid

Cancer

Colic

Colitis (inflammatory bowel disease)

Dementia, non-Alzheimer’s

Glaucoma

Heart disease

High blood pressure (hypertension)

Hirsutism (unwanted hair growth in women)

Menstrual cramps

Stroke

Cancer. A daily diet containing fennel seeds inhibited the formation of tumors in experimental animals exposed to cancer-causing chemicals. “The inclusion of fennel seeds in the diet is likely to reduce the risk of cancer in the human population,” concluded the researchers in Food and Chemical Toxicology.

Arthritis. Korean researchers found fennel extract significantly decreased swelling and pain in animals with experimentally induced arthritis. Fennel’s anti-inflammatory activity “may reduce the risk of inflammatory-related diseases” such as osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and lower back pain, concluded the researchers.

Heart disease and stroke. Moroccan researchers found that fennel lowered systolic blood pressure (the upper number in the reading) in animals with laboratory-induced high blood pressure. High blood pressure is a leading risk factor for heart disease and stroke. Their results were published in Clinical and Experimental Hypertension.

Fennel seed pairs well with these spices:

Allspice

Bay leaf

Black cumin

seed

Cardamom

Cinnamon

Clove

Coriander

Cumin

Fenugreek

seed

Galangal

Garlic

Ginger

Marjoram

Mustard seed

Onion

Rosemary

Sun-dried

tomato

Tamarind

Turmeric

and complements recipes featuring:

Cheese

Curries

Mushrooms

Pasta

Poultry

Salmon

Sausage

Satay

Shad

Tomatoes

___________________________________

Other recipes containing fennel seed:

By-the-Bay Fisherman’s Chowder

Chinese Five-Spice Powder

Dukkah

Hot Curry Powder

Malaysian Curry Paste

Panch Phoron

Pickling Spice

Ras-el-hanout

Roast Chicken with 40 Cloves of Garlic

Roasted Tomato Soup with Fennel and Mint

Spiced Milk Tea

In another animal experiment, researchers in Italy found that both anethole and a fennel extract inhibited platelet aggregation—the clumping of blood compounds that can trigger an artery-clogging blood clot. And unlike aspirin (often used to decrease platelet aggregation and “thin” the blood), neither anethole or fennel extract caused any stomach damage—in fact, they protected the lining of the stomach against damage!

Inflammatory bowel disease. In folk medicine, fennel has been used to soothe digestive upsets of all kinds, including abdominal bloating and gas. It works because it relaxes the lining of the intestines and douses inflammation. Perhaps the worst digestive problem of them all is inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), with urgent bowel movements and diarrhea as the main symptoms. IBD is called colitis when it mainly afflicts the colon (large intestine), and Crohn’s disease when patches of inflammation afflict the small and large intestine.

Researchers in Bulgaria gave a formula including fennel to 24 people with colitis. “Palpable pains along the large intestine disappeared in 96 percent of the patients by the 15th day” of the treatment, the researchers wrote. “Defecation was normalized in patients with diarrhea syndrome.”

Glaucoma. In glaucoma, the canals that drain fluid from inside the eyeball clog up, producing pressure inside the eye that damages the optic nerve. Indian researchers gave drops of a fennel extract to animals with experimentally induced glaucoma. The extract decreased intraocular pressure by 31 percent—the same level of relief provided by an antiglaucoma drug. Fennel may find a place “in the arsenal of antiglaucoma drugs prescribed by physicians,” the researchers concluded.

Getting to Know Fennel Seed

Fennel is widely used in Mediterranean cuisines, particularly in Italy—where finnochio is regarded as delizioso. In Florence, a highly regarded variety of fennel has been cultivated since the Middle Ages. The national liqueur, sambuca, is flavored with fennel. And the seeds are the hallmark spice used to make Italian sausages, meatballs, salami, and pepperoni.

The French in Provence grow fenouil to use fresh in pastas and salads or as a vegetable. A Provencal specialty is poisson au fenouil: a whole fish is laid on a bed of fennel stalks on an open grill, giving off a smoky, sweet, licorice-like aroma as the stalks burn under the fish. The seeds are mostly used in sauces and pasta dishes.

The English use the seeds in soups. Germans put them in breads, fish dishes, and sauerkraut. The Spanish use fennel seed to flavor cakes and other baked goods. Scandinavians use fennel as the seed on rye bread.

In India, fennel seed is a key ingredient in many spice blends, including Indian curry powders and the seed blend panch phoron. Indians add fennel seeds to pickles, curries, soups, and lentil and rice dishes. It is also used in a specialty dessert called malpoora, which is a deep-fried pancake flavored with fennel and pistachio. Many Indian restaurants offer sugar-coated fennel seeds at the end of dinner with coffee and the check. Recently, India has cultivated its own fennel seed, Lucknow, named after its town of origin. Lucknow fennel has a sweeter flavor, closer to anise, and is favored as an after-dinner digestif.

In China and throughout Asia, fennel seeds are used in sweet-and-sour dishes and rich fish sauces. Asians toast the seeds before using, imparting a more vibrant flavor.

Fennel seed is found in the Moroccan spice blend ras-el-hanout and in Middle Eastern dukkah. Arabs sprinkle it over salads and bake it into bread.

Penne and Sausage with Fennel Tomato Sauce

This recipe bridges the Mediterranean influences of both French and Italian cuisines. If tomatoes are out of season, use canned.

1 pound sweet Italian sausage

2 teaspoons fennel seeds

2 cloves garlic, diced

3 tablespoons tomato paste

1 cup chopped tomatoes, fresh or canned, with their juices

½ cup chopped Kalamata olives

1 cup Chianti or other dry red wine

1 bay leaf

½ teaspoon dried marjoram

½ teaspoon dried rosemary

1 pound penne pasta

2 eggs

¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan or Romano cheese

Freshly ground black pepper

1. Remove the sausage from its casing and coarsely chop. Brown the meat in a large non-stick skillet over low heat. Continue to break up the pieces until browned, about three or four minutes. Add the fennel seeds and cook until they release their oils, about 30 seconds. Add the garlic, stir and cook one minute. Add the tomato paste and coat to blend. Increase the heat to medium and cook two minutes.

2. Add the tomatoes, olives, Chianti, bay leaf, marjoram, and rosemary. Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook for 15 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, bring water to a boil for the pasta and cook to firm, according to package directions. Drain.

4. While the pasta is cooking, beat the eggs in a small bowl with a whisk. Whisk in the cheese and freshly ground pepper.

5. Remove the bay leaf from the sausage mixture. Add the pasta and toss to mix. Remove the skillet from the heat and add the egg and cheese mixture, tossing with two large forks to incorporate.

Makes 6 servings.

How to Buy Fennel Seed

Fennel seeds are about a quarter-inch long, oval-shaped with vertical hairlines, and yellow, tinged with green. Look for that tinge when buying, as it indicates top quality. Check to make sure the package of seeds is free of grit. (The small seeds are difficult to separate from dirt and other extraneous matter.) Look for seeds that are whole, rather than broken.

You can find fennel seeds whole or ground in most supermarkets. The volatile oils start to dissipate as soon as the seeds are ground, so buying them whole and grinding them just before using guarantees the most flavor.

If you shop for fennel seeds in an Indian market, you may come across Lucknow fennel, which may be labeled Lakhnawi saunf. These seeds are almost half the size of regular fennel seeds and mostly all green, like the brilliant lime green of cardamom pods.

Fennel seeds will keep for up to three years in an airtight container, in a cool place, away from sunlight. Ground seeds start to lose their intensity after six months or even sooner.

The fennel plant is cultivated in moderate climates around the world, including Italy, France, India, Morocco, Egypt, and Taiwan. Most of the fennel seed used in the US is imported from Egypt.

In the Kitchen with Fennel Seed

Fennel seed is strong-flavored, and works equally well in savory and sweet recipes. It can perk up the taste of a wide range of dishes, from meats to cakes to beverages. The seeds help add balance to almost any spice blend. Use them in the same way you use anise, cumin, and caraway seeds.

Fennel seeds don’t have to be toasted as most other seeds do, but doing so intensifies and sweetens their flavor. Toasted seeds have an aftertaste similar to brown sugar. Dry-fry them, according to the directions, but make sure not to burn them, even slightly—they’ll have an unpleasant, bitter taste.

Fennel seed works well with many foods from the Mediterranean diet, such as tomatoes, ripe olives, olive oil, basil, grilled meat, and seafood. They also combine well with fatty fish, such as salmon and tuna.

Here are some ways to add more fennel seed to your diet:

• Fennel can turn ordinary bread into something special. Try mixing a tablespoon of seeds into your favorite dough.

• Brush commercial French or Italian bread with lightly beaten egg, sprinkle with fennel seeds, and bake at 400°F until the seeds set.

• Dry and crush toasted fennel seeds and steep them in tea.

• Sprinkle fennel seeds on top of cakes and muffins before baking.

• Add fennel to fruit salads and compotes.

• Add ground fennel to scrambled eggs.

• Make spiced olives by marinating 2 cups of olives in ½ cup of extra-virgin olive oil and 1 teaspoon each of fennel seeds, dried oregano, and dried thyme.

Lemongrass: The Calming Spice – Lowering Cholesterol

You know the saying: When life hands you lemons, make lemonade. Well, when life hands you lemongrass, make lemongrass tea. You’ll feel a whole lot better.

Overwrought Brazilians drink abafado, a lemongrass tea believed to relieve tension and aid sleep. Nigerian folk healers use lemongrass tea to soothe sore throats, lower fevers, and control type 2 diabetes. In Thailand and Vietnam—where lemongrass is a much-used ingredient in the cuisine—folk healers also use it to improve circulation.

One reason these folk remedies might work is citral, an antioxidant oil in lemongrass that is anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and antifungal. The oil is also rich in plant sterols, a cholesterol-like compound that cuts the absorption of dietary cholesterol.

Taming Tough-to-Lower Cholesterol

Researchers in the Department of Nutritional Sciences at the University of Wisconsin studied 22 people with high total cholesterol (an average of 315 mg/dL; 200 or less is normal). They gave them 140 milligrams (mg) a day of lemongrass oil. After three months, eight had big drops in total cholesterol, of up to 38 mg/dL.

In another study on lemongrass and cholesterol, researchers in Chile found that a compound in lemongrass stopped the oxidation of “bad” LDL cholesterol—the same process that forms artery-clogging plaque. “As oxidative damage to LDL is a key event in the formation of atherosclerotic lesions, the use of this natural antioxidant may be beneficial to prevent or attenuate atherosclerosis,” concluded the researchers in the journal Molecules.

High cholesterol is common in people with type 2 diabetes, 75 percent of whom die of heart disease. Noting that lemongrass is used by the Yoruba healers of southwest Nigeria to treat type 2 diabetes (as well as fever, jaundice, throat and chest infections, moderate-to-severe pain, hypertension, and obesity), scientists in Nigeria tested an extract of the spice on laboratory animals. They found it lowered LDL, total cholesterol, and triglycerides, increased “good” HDL, and also lowered blood sugar levels, “confirming its folkloric use and safety in type 2 diabetic patients.”

Keep on the Lemongrass

There are many other ways lemongrass might be good for you.

Cancer. In the laboratory, a team of researchers from the Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine studied the power of lemongrass oil against 12 types of human cancer cells. The more lemongrass oil, the worse it was for the cancer cells—with lemongrass destroying projectile-like structures on the surface of cancer cells, blocking the first stage of cancer cell division, and killing cancer cells. Lemongrass oil “has a promising anticancer activity and causes loss in tumor cell viability,” concluded the researchers in the journal Chemical and Biological Interactions.

When Israeli researchers investigated “the anti-cancer potential” of citral—the amount found in a typical cup of lemongrass tea—they found it could kill human cancer cells.

Researchers from the Department of Dermatology at the UCLA School of Medicine found citral protected animals against skin cancer, and has a “possible role as an anti-tumor” agent. Japanese researchers also found that citral activated antioxidants in the skin that could protect against skin cancer.

Another team of Japanese researchers found that a lemongrass extract protected laboratory animals against chemical-induced liver cancer, publishing their results in the journal Cancer Letter. And writing in the journal Carcinogenesis, a group of Japanese researchers found lemongrass extract protected laboratory animals against colon cancer.

Researchers in India found that a lemongrass extract protected laboratory animals against DNA-damaging ionizing radiation—the same type of cancer-causing radiation we get from the sun and from medical devices such as CT scans and x-rays.

Anxiety. Noting that lemongrass tea is used in Brazilian folk medicine to reduce anxiety, Brazilian researchers tested an extract of lemongrass in mice. Using a standard maze device to measure the animals’ level of anxiety, they found the tea significantly calmed the mice.

Insomnia. They also found that lemongrass extract reduced physical activity and induced sleep in mice as effectively as a sedative drug.

Epilepsy. The spice also reduced the number of chemically induced epileptic seizures in the mice.

Fungal and yeast infections. Doctors in South Africa found that lemongrass in lemon juice was an effective treatment for oral thrush (an infection on the inner cheeks and tongue with the fungus Candida albicans) in HIV/AIDS patients. The findings were in the journal Phytomedicine.

Researchers in Brazil also found that lemongrass oil and citral had “potent” activity against candida. Japanese researchers found the same, and said their results “provide experimental evidence suggesting the potential value of lemongrass oil for the treatment of oral or vaginal candidiasis.”

Getting to Know Lemongrass

Lemongrass is, well, grass—tufted, razor-like blades with a central rib that are native to Southeast Asia. When the leaves are chopped and crushed they give off the lemony aroma that is characteristic of the cuisines of Thailand and Vietnam, where lemongrass is widely used in stews, and in soups such as hot-and-sour soup.

In Thailand, the tender stalks are also added fresh to salads and pounded into spice pastes for curries. (Sometimes the leaves are tied in a knot and simmered in a curry.) In fact, lemongrass is used to flavor spice pastes and blends throughout Southeast Asia. It’s a key ingredient in hot condiments called sambals, and in an Indonesian spice called bumbu, which is popular at roadside food stands.

Lemongrass, native to Southeast Asia, has tufted, razor-like blades with a central rib.

Lemongrass is cultivated in Southeast Asia, Sri Lanka, India, the Caribbean, Australia, and Florida. However, Florida lemongrass is not grown for culinary purposes. The oil is extracted for use in cosmetics, soaps, bath salts, perfumes, and furniture polish.

LEMONGRASS WAS USED TO SCENT BATHS IN ANCIENT ROME.

Lemongrass oil is often called citronella—the name of the scented oil and candles used as bug repellents. But bug-repelling citronella oil is derived from two varieties of lemongrass that are inedible.

How to Buy Lemongrass

You can often find lemongrass fresh in large or high-end markets in areas where there is a large Asian population. Even though the entire plant is aromatic, you’ll usually find only the lower white stalk—the only part of the plant tender enough to eat.

Fresh lemongrass stalks are usually sold in bunches. Choose stalks that are firm and don’t look dried or wrinkled. They should be white with a greenish tinge. However, if lemongrass is native to your cuisine, you’re more likely to purchase the whole plant, including the root and leaves, using the leaves to make lemongrass tea. Lemongrass enthusiasts also fold the leaves to release the aromatic flavor, and add them to foods cooked in a liquid. The leaves are discarded before eating, like a bay leaf. Asian and Latin markets usually carry the whole plant. But be careful: the blades are sharp. (Whole lemongrass is also sold frozen.)

Lemongrass may help prevent and/or treat:

Anxiety

Cancer

Cholesterol problems

(high total cholesterol,

high “bad” LDL cholesterol, low “good” HDL

cholesterol)

Diabetes, type 2

Epilepsy

Insomnia

Thrush (oral candida

infection)

Triglycerides, high

Vaginal yeast infection

___________________________________

Lemongrass pairs well with these spices:

Black cumin

seed

Cardamom

Chile

Cinnamon

Clove

Coconut

Coriander

Cumin

Fennel seed

Fenugreek

seed

Galangal

Garlic

Ginger

Onion

Tamarind

Turmeric

___________________________________

and complements recipes featuring:

Asian stir-fries

Curries

Marinades for meat

and poultry

Poultry

Shrimp

Soft-shell crabs

Tomatoes

Other recipes containing lemongrass:

Malaysian Curry Paste

Thai Coconut Chicken Soup

Thai Red Curry Paste

Mussels with Thai Red Curry Sauce

With the make-ahead curry paste as an ingredient, this is an easy dish that is special enough to serve company. Serve it with a loaf of crusty bread to enjoy the sauce. To complete the meal, add a green salad made with Mediterranean Vinaigrette.

3 pounds mussels, cleaned and debearded

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 tablespoons Thai Red Curry Paste

4 large red ripe tomatoes

3 garlic bulbs, peeled and diced

2 tablespoons chopped fresh ginger

1 fourteen-ounce can unsweetened coconut milk

1½ cups seafood stock

1 tablespoon Asian fish sauce

½ teaspoon salt

Freshly ground black pepper

½ cup fresh basil, coarsely chopped

1. Pick over the mussels and discard any that are open.

2. Heat the olive oil in a heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add the red curry paste and fry until fragrant, stirring constantly, about one minute. Add the tomatoes, garlic, and ginger and continue to fry, stirring, until garlic is soft, about three minutes.

3. Stir in the coconut milk, stock, fish sauce, salt, and pepper to taste. Lower the heat and simmer 10 minutes. Add the mussels, turn up the heat, cover and cook, shaking the pot occasionally, until the mussels open, about 5–10 minutes. Transfer the mussels to four bowls and pour the sauce over them. Sprinkle with basil and serve.

Makes 4 servings.

Lemongrass is also sold preserved in jars, with lemon juice or vinegar. It’s the next best thing to fresh.

You can purchase dried lemongrass in Asian markets, sometimes sold under the Indonesian name sereh. It’s also available online. (For a list of online resources, please see A Buyer’s Guide to the Healing Spices.) You can find dried lemongrass whole, shredded, or ground. Reconstitute in warm water before using.

Ground lemongrass is available at most supermarkets with a well-stocked spice aisle.

All forms of dried lemongrass lack the characteristic intense lemony flavor of fresh, however. You’ll get the best flavor from fresh lemongrass. If you can’t find fresh, preserved is better than all forms of the dried.

You also can find dried lemongrass leaves for making tea in Asian and Latin markets. But don’t use them for cooking: they contribute little to the taste of a dish.

Fresh lemongrass can be kept refrigerated in plastic wrap for about two weeks. It can also be frozen in an airtight freezer bag for six months. Dried lemongrass should be stored in an airtight container in a dry, dark place. It will keep for about a year.

In the Kitchen with Lemongrass

Because of its robust flavor, lemongrass can withstand long cooking without losing its flavor. It is best used in long-simmering dishes, such as a stew or curry. But to get the best results from its strong lemony taste, you need to prepare it properly.

If you’ve bought a stalk, cut it into thin rings. Or cut it into large pieces, and crush it with the back of a knife, as you would garlic, and add it to the dish. (Use it the same way you use scallions.)

If you’ve bought an entire plant, leaves and all, trim it to get to the edible part. Cut off the root end with a knife, and pull off the outer leaves right down to the white stalk. (It’s a good idea to wear plastic gloves to protect your fingers from cuts.) Slice or chop the stalk.

Lemongrass Iced Tea

In Thailand, people drink lemongrass tea iced and slightly sweetened, as a cooling counterbalance to the hot cuisine. It is served at both lunch and dinner.

1 cup lemongrass pieces, about ½” each

½ cup sugar

8 cups water

1. Bring the lemongrass pieces, sugar, and 2 cups water to a boil in medium-size saucepan, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and steep, partially covered, until cool.

2. Put the steeped tea with the lemongrass pieces in a blender or food processor and process until finely chopped. Pour the tea through a fine-mesh sieve into a pitcher, pressing to get out all of the liquid. Discard the solids. Add ice, fill the pitcher with the rest of the water, and stir. Serve over ice.

You can use the entire stalk by tying the full length in a knot and dropping it into the pot. The bruising will release the lemon flavor. Again, be careful that you don’t cut your fingers on the sharp leaf edges. The whole stalk isn’t meant to be eaten—discard it at the end of cooking. (It will leave behind its intense aroma!)

You can use the fresh leaves to make a tea. Place the leaves in a large pot and pour a quart of hot water on top of them. Steep for 10 minutes. Strain the tea and discard the leaves.

Here are some ways to put more lemongrass in your diet:

• Cut the stalks coarsely and add them to the water when steaming seafood.

• Put stalks in foil when you barbecue fish.

• Use whole stalks as stirrers to put a touch of lemon in drinks or to intensify lemonade.

• You can use lemongrass to tenderize and aromatize meat. Break 2 stalks of lemongrass in pieces and put them in a spice grinder with a garlic clove and 1 tablespoon of coriander seeds. Combine the ground spices with 2 tablespoons of brown sugar and ¼ cup of Asian fish sauce, and rub the mixture into steaks or beef kabobs before grilling.

• Combine lemongrass (sweet) with copious amounts of garlic and shallots to make a sweet-and-sour sauce like they do in Malaysia.