[AIRPLAINN]

HELLO, I MADE A FRUIT SALAD WITH A LITTLE CUMIN AND NUTMEG,AND MY HEAD COOK SAID NO MORE OF THAT! PERSONALLY I LIKED IT. 2 #10 CANS OF DICED PEARS AND PEACHES AND 2 JARS OF CHERRIES MIXED WITH SOUR CREAM AND A BIG DOLLOP OF WHIPPED CREAM CHESSE. YES IT HAD SOME COLOR FROM THE CHERRIES AND I DRAINED THE FRUIT. NO, THERE WAS NO MAYO OR SALAD DRESSING AVAILIBLE TO USE. THE SALAD WAS BLAND SO I NEED A SPICE TO GIVE IT SOMTHING. SO I THOUGHT CUMIN AND NUTMEG MAYBE ABOUT A 1 1/2 TBSB. THE CREAM CHEESE TO GIVE IT MORE BODY. MY PRODUCTION MANAGER SAID CUMIN IS FOR MEATS . ANY BODY HAVE ANY RECIPES WITH CUMIN IN SALADS?

[chrose]

Cumin is not unheard of in desserts and fruit dishes. I think the problem lies more in
A) Thats a pretty fair amount of food to be experimenting in what strikes me as a bit of a "willy nilly" fashion (I don't know exactly what that means if anybody questions me on it. I have been using that term forever) Anyway if you are going to experiment with flavors, in the future I would suggest you make a bowl for yourself to experiment and taste. That way if it fails you don't have to 86 2 #10 cans of expensive fruit.

B) As I said fruit and cumin is not unheard of, but it is not standard fare in the US. The masses are usually not wont to try things that are out of the norm, and that's not exactly main street if you will.

Do some searches in Indian and or Eastern/Asian cuisines for salad recipes. Indian Chutneys etc. Try this

http://www.gadnet.com/recipes.htm

[momoreg]

How silly, you willy nilly!

[momoreg]

I could see using cumin with certain FRESH fruits, and very sparingly, but with canned rruit, it doesn't sound very appetizing. I agree with Chrose. There is a certain time and place for such exotic flavors. It's not likely to be enjoyed by the masses.

[elakin]

i agree, momoreg....

i think cumin works well with citrus. but with pears, cherries, and peaches...i don't see it.

i have done a salad with julienned jicama, with orange and/or grapefruit sections and a dressing made with yogurt, lime juice and cumin. it was fabulous. very tart and tangy and bright. this also goes well with grilled shrimp.

but....that's more of a savory preparation than a sweet one.

jicama is a wonderful and traditional vehicle for assertive spices like cumin and chile powder. a classic mexican snack is to take big planks of jicama and drizzle them in lime juice, sprinkle with salt, and then dunk them into cumin and chile powder. it's delicious.

i think you could even work apple in there as well, since jicama and apple have some similarities.

try a salad where you julienne jicama and apple (2:1 jicama) and then dress it with a tequila-lime dressing that's got plenty of cumin. don't forget to include cilantro in the mix. and something for color. maybe shredded carrot. i guess this would be more of a slaw then a salad, technically....but what's the difference, really?

hard to get this stuff to fly in central illinois....maybe try it at home first, then in small batches at work.

[Suzanne]

Some people just plain hate the taste of cumin, the way they hate cilantro (not my favorite kind of people, but there's nothing really wrong with them other than stodginess and timidity).

To me, the idea that herbs and spices must be only savory or only sweet is hooey. Where would Jean-Georges Vongerichten be now if he had believed that? Not that I like the idea of a puree of golden raisins and green olives, but maybe it tastes and looks better than I imagine it might. I DO know that black pepper in a cranberry granita or basil in an ice cream are to die for, as is cinnamon with lamb!

Maybe you should try to educate your head cook and production manager. Sure, there are "classic" flavor combinations, but they're not the only possibilities. I do agree, though, that if you're going to try something new and different, do it on a small scale first.