A Pinch Of Homepage cooking with herbs and spices

Q: Hi, looking for a store in Montreal that sells lime leaves? It is for a Thai chick pea recipe. Thanks a lot! RS

A: The only place I could come up with is T&T at the West Edmonton Mall. You might want to check in with your favorite Thai restaurant and see if they would sell you a few.

Q: I am trying to buy Spike food seasoning which is usually sold in an Indian food store. Since new owners took over, I am unable to locate it. I live in Toronto, Ontario. CP

A: Here in the States you can find Spike at most supermarkets and health food stores. I found a board discussion on this topic at Chowhound: they say Loblaws, No Frills, Noah's and the Big Carrot all carry this seasoning blend.

Q: Where in Scotland can I buy poppy seeds for baking? HF

A: The sale of poppy seeds has been banned in some countries (like Singapore and Dubai) but I'm not sure about Scotland. One source I found online suggested they were available at a chain of shops called
Holland and Barretts.

Q: I live in New Orleans, LA and have a five year old bay leaf plant on my balcony that seems to be suffering from some kind of rust. I have removed the most badly affected leaves but am reluctant to remove any more because almost all of the leaves are affected to a small degree and I don't want to kill the plant. I read somewhere that sulfur could help in treating some kinds of rust. Do you think that could work in this case? If so, how is it applied? I was also thinking that it may need to be repotted. What size of pot should I use for a 14" high plant? Thanks, TJ

A: Rust is a nasty fungal disease that is notoriously difficult to eliminate. First, I encourage you to take a few leaves, or even a good portion of a branch, to your local university extension office to get a final diagnosis. Sulfur could be the answer but you must use care in applying it as it is moderately toxic to humans and animals. Ask your local nursery for their recommendations on a specific product and exactly how to apply it. As for repotting, just go to a pot that is two or three inches larger all around the the one the plant is in now.

Q: Hello, My daughter lives in London and is trying to grow herbs in her apartment. She has basil which is doing fine and Rosemary which has developed leaf curl. I suggested she look for some type of critter under the leaves such as spider mites, aphids etc. but is there some type of virus/fungus that might cause this as well? What other conditions might cause this to happen? Thank you for any possible causes to this problem. CG

A: As always, it's tough to identify a problem without seeing the damage. You are probably on the right track with a critter infestation but rosemary is susceptible to overwatering problems as well. These would include root rot and crown rot. Make sure the plant has good drainage and good air circulation and let the top two or three inches of soil dry out between waterings.

Q: What is the difference between basil leaves and bay leaves?? PL

A: Lots! Please see "All About Basil" and "All About Bay Leaves." For photographs of each, you can view the Plant Photo Page or, for the dried versions, Contest Photo Page.

Q: I love to cook with chicken and pork on the stove top, and I like to be creative sometimes and I'd like to ask what herbs and spices go the best with each or these meats. thanks R

A: Take a look at our "Basic Guidelines for Seasoning with Herbs and Spices" page for ideas. You might also want to do a search of the site using chicken and pork as keywords. This will give you links to recipes that use the two meats and the seasonings that accent those recipes.

Q: I live in the Pacific Northwest very close to Mt Rainier and the peppermint that I planted last June no longer has a minty smell. It is planted in the ground, gets partial sun and has continued to grow through the winter months. It had a smell last year and I used a lot of the mint in cooking and drinks. However, once the mint spread it lost its minty smell and now smells like grass. Is there something I need to do to make it start smelling minty again? Thanks for your help. DW

A: This seems highly unusual to me. I found only one source that suggested if mint loses its aroma it may need fresh soil so maybe you should try restarting a new patch. You might also want to cut back your current crop and see if the new growth is more aromatic.

Q: How do I ground whole nutmeg? MC

A: You want a grater with sharp small holes. On our "Nifty Herb and Spice Gadgets" page you will find links to a microplane zester and a nutmeg grinder. These will give you an idea of what you need to do the job. You can view even more options by searching for a nutmeg grinder at our Mini-Mall.

Q: I just found these brownish bumps on my basil plants. I'm fairly new to gardening and was about to throw them all out (4 plants that started as a single 6" purchase from a local nursery). I've worked hard to keep these plants healthy and I love the smell and the leaves for use in cooking so I really didn't want to dump them. I described the bumps to my mum and she said it sounds like scale. I confirmed online by looking at pictures (they showed exactly what I was seeing). She suggested a cotton swab dipped in alcohol to remove the scale from the stems and pinching off the leaves that are affected. I've done this but I can't seem to find answers to the following questions... is the basil still safe to eat?
what can I do to prevent a recurrence of the scale?
Any help would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks - EO

A: Your basil is still safe although you might want to give it a rinse just before using. Scale is notoriously difficult to control (and sort of unusual on basil). They are hatched eggs that overwinter in the soil (and within cracks in bark) so you might consider repotting with fresh soil. Also, for the record, be aware that I have noticed some varieties of basil get bumpy on their stems so not all bumps are bad.

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