Sonia Cabano - Relish: Easy Sauces, seasonings and condiments to make at home

They draw moisture to the surface before and during cooking, and both play a key role in browning, an intricate process that creates rich, complex flavours in grilled, roasted, fried or baked foods. Salt and sugar also act as preservatives, inhibiting certain bacterial or enzymatic processes that occur during food preparation and cooking. Salt and sugar are absorbent and carry other flavours very well, which makes experimenting with your own sweet or savoury blends heaps of fun. Whether you stick to simple pairings, such as plain celery salt or cinnamon sugar, or concoct heady, complex blends with exotic ingredients like ginger, vanilla and lime, start by making small amounts until you hit upon your own master blends. And remember, everyones taste buds are unique. Its up to you to tweak your favourite recipes to get the exact balance that satisfies you.

Turn up the heat or bring the salt content down Feel free to experiment! *COOKS NOTE: If you live in a humid area or near the coast, you can prevent your dry seasoning blends from clumping by adding t (2.5ml) rice flour to every cup (250ml) of seasoning. Mix well before storing in an airtight container. Alternatively, just crush the salt mix again with your pestle and proceed as usual. Cooks all-purpose salt Adjust the flavourings according to your preference. Use as you would seasoned salt. (Do this in batches, using a third of the ingredients at a time.) 2.Stir into the salt until thoroughly blended. (Do this in batches, using a third of the ingredients at a time.) 2.Stir into the salt until thoroughly blended.

Store in an airtight container, preferably a glass jar with a screw-top lid. Will keep for six months. COOKS NOTES: *For a zesty Mediterranean touch, add 1 T (15ml) each of ground fennel seeds, dried grated lemon or orange zest, sun-dried tomato powder (see ) and grated Parmesan. A teaspoon (5ml) of crushed cardamom seeds adds a mysterious floral note. *Bay leaf powder If you cant find bay leaf powder in stores, you can make your own by grinding dried bay leaves to a fine powder in an electric coffee grinder or with a mortar and pestle. *Paprika There are many different varieties; Hungarian paprika can vary from sweet and mild to very pungent, while Spanish paprika, or pimentn, comes in sweet, bittersweet (hot) and spicy varieties.

USES: *Sprinkle cooks salt over meat, seafood or vegetables before roasting or grilling. *Use to season soups, sauces, stews, risottos or pilaffs, pastas and cheese dishes. *Mix 1 T (15ml) cooks salt with cup (125ml) sunflower or canola oil, 3 T (45ml) tomato ketchup, 1 T (15ml) sweet Indonesian soy sauce and 1 T (15ml) honey and use as a moist rub for roast chicken, fish, lamb or pork.

Store in an airtight container. Good with grilled pork ribs, beef kebabs or grilled calamari. Makes 3 T (45ml) 2 t (10ml) Szechuan peppercorns 2 T (30ml) coarse sea salt t (2.5ml) five-spice mix (see ) 1.Toast the peppercorns in a dry frying pan over medium heat for about 2 minutes without scorching. Stir in the salt and five-spice mix and toast for another minute. 2.Leave to cool completely, then grind in a food processor or coffee grinder until fine. Keeps for up to eight weeks in an airtight container, after which the oils in the peppercorns will begin to lose their volatility and flavour.