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 Entertainment | Restaurants & Dining | November 2007 
Savor the Flavor of Fall
 Amy Topel - The Green Guide
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When fall comes around, the sweet and spicy flavor of cinnamon is everywhere. It's baked into pies, cakes and cookies, infused into apple cider and sprinkled on roasted winter squashes. Cinnamon sticks are tied into bundles to create wall decorations and table centerpieces and simmered on the stove to infuse the house with holiday cheer. During this season, cinnamon is definitely the most important spice in the cupboard.
While most visible in the United States during the fall and winter months, cinnamon is an important ingredient year-round in cultures around the globe. Chinese five-spice powder, Moroccan desserts, Mexican mole and Sicilian tomato sauce wouldn't be the same without it. You may be surprised to learn that there is more than one type of cinnamon and that the cinnamon we use in the U.S. is not the same as that used in Mexico and Europe.
Cinnamon is the peeled bark of an evergreen tree. Many species are used to produce cinnamon, but they fall into two main categories: true cinnamon and cassia cinnamon. True cinnamon is variously known as Ceylon cinnamon, canela or Mexican cinnamon and is harvested primarily in Sri Lanka and used in European and Mexican cuisine. It has a light color and delicate flavor, and is less spicy and assertive than the cinnamon we are used to in the U.S. The sticks are more fragile and can easily be ground to a fine powder using a mortar and pestle or in a coffee or spice grinder.
The cinnamon we find in grocery stores in the U.S. is from the cassia tree and is harvested primarily in Vietnam, Indonesia and China. There are many kinds of cassia cinnamon, with variations in flavor and color, but the most prized variety, Saigon cinnamon, has the highest content of essential oils. Whichever you select, all cassia cinnamon is spicier than true cinnamon, and the sticks have a much harder texture. Since cassia cinnamon cannot be ground to a fine powder in the home setting, it's best to purchase it pre-ground.
The characteristic flavor of cinnamon comes from the essential oils that it contains. Those oils and other compounds are responsible for the many non-culinary benefits that cinnamon offers. A small study conducted by the USDA in 2003 showed that ingestion of less than half a teaspoon of cinnamon a day could potentially lower blood sugar levels as well as triglyceride, total cholesterol and LDL levels. Those who are at risk of type 2 diabetes have elevated blood sugar levels and lowering them before diabetes strikes could be lifesaving. Scientists at the USDA's Agricultural Research Service are currently conducting studies to confirm that cinnamon is a viable and natural method for keeping blood sugar levels low. Cinnamon is also a powerful antioxidant and can help fight against heart disease, cancer and the effects of aging. If that weren't enough, it also possesses anti-inflammatory properties. There is, however, concern over the coumarin content of cinnamon, which may make cause it to be toxic to the liver if ingested in very large doses.
Historically, cinnamon tea has been used to freshen breath, calm an upset stomach and to deodorize the air (boil a cinnamon stick or two in a pot of water to remove unpleasant odors from your kitchen). But perhaps most importantly, we use cinnamon to make cinnamon toast—from my perspective, one of the true pleasures of childhood. On cold, wintry days, my mother would toss a few slices of bread in the toaster, then slather them with butter and sprinkle them with cinnamon and sugar. Another quick cinnamon treat is to stir a couple of teaspoons of cinnamon into vanilla ice cream.
Most Americans think of cinnamon as a dessert spice, but in many parts of the world it is used to season rice, meats, fish and poultry as well, and the flavor of cinnamon is delicious when paired with these ingredients. If you haven't eaten cinnamon in a savory dish, the recipes below will introduce you to a new range of flavors.
Cinnamon Rice, by Amy Topel
Serves 6-8
Ingredients
2 tablespoons butter
1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
1 cinnamon stick
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups long grain brown rice
1 bay leaf
4-6 dried apricots, slivered
4 cups water or stock
1 teaspoon salt
freshly ground black pepper to taste
Method
Heat the butter in a heavy bottomed pot over low heat. Add the onion and cinnamon stick. Sauté, stirring frequently until the onions are translucent. Add the garlic and rice and sauté for 1 minute. Add the bay leaf, apricots, water or stock, salt and pepper. Cover the pot and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Once the rice comes to a boil, lower the heat to a simmer and cook, covered for about 45 minutes, or until all the water is absorbed. Do not stir the rice while it is cooking. To see if all the water has been absorbed, slide a butter knife or wooden spoon along one edge of the pot and look to see if there is any water left. Once all the water is absorbed, turn the heat off and allow the rice to rest in the pot with the lid on for 10 minutes. Just before serving, drizzle with olive oil if desired, fluff with a fork, taste and adjust the seasonings.
Baked Sweet Potatoes, by Amy Topel
Serves 6-8
Ingredients
3 pounds (about 4 large sweet potatoes)
1/2 cup heavy cream
1teaspoon salt
freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup turbinado sugar
1/2 cup whole toasted unsalted almonds
Method
Place potatoes in cold water, bring to boil and cook until tender, approximately 45 minutes. When very soft when pierced with a knife, remove from the water and allow the potatoes to cool. Meanwhile, place almonds and sugar in a food processor and grind to a very coarse meal. Set aside. When the potatoes are cool enough to handle, peel and place them in a bowl and mash with a whisk or potato masher. Add the heavy cream, salt, pepper, nutmeg and cinnamon and stir to combine. Taste and adjust seasonings. Place sweet potato mixture in a 9-inch square baking dish and top with the nut and sugar meal. Just prior to serving, bake at 350°F for 20 minutes.
Winter Squash Soufflé, by Amy Topel
Serves 8
Ingredients
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
9 fluid ounces warm milk
4 eggs, separated
1 small Kabocha, hubbard or buttercup squash or cheese pumpkin
1 pinch salt
2 pinches nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons turbinado sugar
turbinado sugar as needed for dusting soufflé cups
butter as needed for greasing soufflé cups
2 cups low-fat yogurt, strained for 3 hours
Method
To Prepare the Squash: Preheat oven to 350°F. Cut squash in half and remove seeds. Place cut-side down on cookie sheet with 2 cups water. Bake until very soft when pierced with a knife, approximately 1 hour. Remove from the oven, allow to cool, and scoop out flesh into a bowl. Mash with a whisk or potato masher until smooth. Measure out 3/4 cup and set aside.
To Make the Soufflé: Preheat oven to 400°F. Butter and sugar 8 4-ounce ramekins and set aside. Melt the butter in a small saucepan, add the flour and cook for 2-3 minutes. Whisk in the milk, and cook until a thick paste forms. Transfer the milk mixture to a medium mixing bowl. Stir in the yolks, 1/2 cup of the sugar, 3/4 cup of squash puree, salt, ginger, cinnamon and nutmeg and set aside. Make an egg-white foam using the mixer, or by hand, adding 2 tablespoons of turbinado sugar at the soft peak stage. Gently fold 1/3 of whites into the squash mixture. Fold in the remaining whites. Spoon the mixture into the prepared ramekins, place the ramekins on a half-sheet tray and bake for 15 minutes or until browned on top. Remove from the oven and serve immediately. Garnish with yogurt. |
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