Monica Bhide 
I will be on the Kojo Nnamdi show tomorrow discussing spices and how to use them! Call in – 1-2 @WAMU
1. Cardamom – Warm, toasty.. such a great spice for the Fall. And here it is used in a Cardamom Pistachio cake by the inimitable David Leibovitz.
2. Sage – A wonderful hearty herb for the Fall. Here it is used in fried potatoes… only one man can do this – Dan Barber. Love this recipe. But yes, their photo of the dish is a LOT nicer than mine.
3. Cinnamon – My kids just adore this Hummingbird Buttercake by Chef Art Smith. It takes as delightful as it sounds.
4. Sriracha – So I LOVE this carrot-tomato-orange soup by Chef Sanjeev Kapoor. Each time I make it, I spice mine up with a tablespoon of Sriracha hot sauce. Always a hit at our table.
5. Saffron – One of my most favorite spices in the world. I love the color, the richness, the aroma. Everything about the spice. Pictured here are my Saffron Cardamom macaroons.. photographed by the legendary Dorie Greenspan when she kindly cooked a dish from my book Modern Spice.
These all sound delicious! I want to leave work and bake now 🙂 I make a wicked pear cardamom crumble. Nothing tastes better than warm pear, sauteed with cardamom, vanilla, and butter. Top it with a nice granola crumble, and bake – divine.
Look forward to hearing your talk!
Best,
Brenda
http://www.eaudespice.com
Cardamom is my favorite spice in the world no matter what it is in. I made some pumpkin pancakes last week with cardamom and they were a huge hit. Check out my super simple cardamom cookie recipe here: http://gourmetglobal.blogspot.com/search?q=cardamom+cookies