Warming Spices

By Deborah S. Tukua,
www.hollycreekbooks.com

Back when the seasons were realized indoors and out, before houses were so well insulated and furnished with central heat, people counted on the foods they ate to generate heat and warm the body. Ever wondered why you have less of an appetite when it’s really hot outside and more of one when it’s cold out? A lower body temperature stimulates the appetite. If you plan to spend time outdoors on a cold day, you’ll want to prepare foods that release energy during digestion, thus having a warming effect on your body.

An easy way to introduce foods with warming qualities is to add “warming spices” to the foods you prepare. Look for recipes that feature the following spices. Adding any of these spices when cooking will heat things up a bit.

Warming Spices include: Allspice, Cayenne, Cinnamon, Cloves, Cumin, Garlic, Ginger, Mustard, Nutmeg, Pumpkin Pie Spice, and Turmeric.

For more great cooking tips and recipes, we highly recommend Deborah’s book, Pearls of Kitchen Wisdom, available here, on sale now, at the FATV shop.

Technorati tags: mustard, cayenne