Vegetable Potstickers * fennel and substitutes for it

[Guest guest]

Hi,

    I have never eaten fennel (the " bulb " part).  I love the aroma and flavor of

fennel seed as a seasoning, however.  It seems like it took me a long time to

" discover " fennel, even though I KNOW it was in pizza sauce and spaghetti sauce

(to name a couple of dishes that had it) and I remember noticing the " licorice "

flavor of it long before I knew what it was.

 

    If you are looking for some vegetable ingredient to replace the " vegetable "

part of fennel in a recipe, I think something with a crunchy texture would fit

it.  My suggestion " The chopped or sliced-up stalk (white) part of Napa cabbage

(A.k.a: Chinese cabbage).  You can also chop up the leaf part as well, if you

want to.  The texture of the leaves would NOT be similar to that of the

finely-cut, feathery " dill-weed-like " leaves of fennel, however.  Parsley or

celery leaves come closer, but they don't have any flavor resemblance to fennel,

though they are in the same plant family, as is carrot.

 

     For FLAVOR similarity, you might try a little French tarragon instead of

fennel.  Fennel and tarragon share a similar, " almost anise " sort of flavor,

although tarragon is not quite as " anise-like " as fennel is.   It's aroma, too,

is distinctive--I find it pleasant.

 

     Years ago (back in the '70's), when my DH was still in Seminary, I did

private duty nursing.  One of my clients, a genteel elderly lady, had me come to

her place every evening for a 3-11 pm shift.  One evening, as I entered her

condo from the " back " (kitchen) entry, I noticed a distinctive, aromatic " food

smell " wafting thru her kitchen.  The woman's housekeeper had " started "

something on the stove--a savory soup, if I remember right--and later, I asked

the woman, " What is that interesting aroma I'm smelling? "  

 

     Turned out, it was tarragon.  She used it (or had her " help " use it)

frequently in cooking, and this was my very first encounter with this particular

herb.  Ever since, whenever I smell something cooking with tarragon in it, I

invariably think of that genteel elderly woman who, though on her sick-bed,

could " command " her household and " run a tight ship " .  She had wonderful and (to

me) exotic recipes that she shared with me--I made my very first " quiche " ever

under her eagle eye because she saw a recipe for one on the " DINAH! " show and

HAD to " try it out " !

 

     Sorry to digress so far afield!  The thoughts of " tarragon " just brought

memories of " Mrs. Solow " back so vividly!  LOL!  I owe a lot of the cooking

ideas that come to me to her influence way back when, and to her enthusiasm for

trying new recipes.

 

     Let us know what you find out and try with your recipe substitutions for

" fennel " --I am curious to see what comes of it!

 

    Good wishes for your success!

--Laura B., in Illinois

These sound so very delicious, I want to make them today for our lunch. 

Anyone have a suggestion for a good substitute for fennel?  We rode into town

this morning and there was none at the store and no one there could think of

something that would be a good flavor replacement. 

 

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What about using a combination of 1/2 cup chopped water chestnuts and 1/2 cup

of bamboo shoots in place of the fennel? Personally, I don't much care for

the taste of fennel anyway.

Nancy C.

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Posted by: " Donnalilacflower " thelilacflower

thelilacflower

 

Use bok choy stalks and grind up a few fennel seeds in a coffee grinder or with

a mortar & pestle, that will work just fine.  I love fennel, have you eaten

it before?  It has a mild licorice flavor.

 

Donna