Well Seasoned

Chesapeake Bay Seasoning was created by Gustav Brunn, a German-Jewish spice merchant who fled the Nazis in 1938. He immigrated to America, packing among his meager items his hand-cranked spice grinder. He and his family landed in Baltimore, Maryland, where he was hired at the Baltimore-based McCormick Spice Company. Unfortunately, after a few days on the job, McCormick told Brunn that his lack of English was an issue and he was let go from his position at the company. Brunn felt that he was fired because McCormick learned that he was Jewish. Unable to find another job, he did the...

In the 18th century, bakers used rose water as a flavoring, sometimes as a substitute for vanilla.  Rose water has a sweet and lightly spicy flavoring and it is a popular additive in Middle Eastern and Indian cuisine.Rose water is used as an ingredient in Fruit Cake, and it is ground up with almonds to make a fragrant almond paste. There are several types of rose water or rose “products” available, so when you buy yours, be sure it’s been approved for use in food.  Be careful not to buy powdered roses, rose oil or rosewater tonic, which are all...

Wash your citrus well, scrubbing off any dirt or ink from the supermarket.  Using a vegetable peeler, peel off 1/2″ wide strips of the peel, careful not to include the white pith. Save the rest of the fruit for another recipe or meal.Combine 1 cup water and 2 cups sugar to make a simple syrup.  Heat over medium-low heat until sugar is completely dissolved.Add peel slices to simple syrup and simmer for 15-20 minutes, or until peel starts to soften.  Remove from heat and dredge peel pieces in granulated sugar.  Arrange on a baking sheet and dry overnight.