Do all garam masala recipes use ground-up cinnamon sticks?  I would prefer 
to use a good grade of cinnamon already ground and not put my grinder thru 
such a strenuous grinding.

Does anyone have any hints or recipes using already ground Vietnam or Ceylon 
or Chinese cassia cinnamon?
Thanks,
Dee

Dee wrote  on Thu, 2 Mar 2006 16:25:41 -0500:

 DR> Do all garam masala recipes use ground-up cinnamon sticks?
 DR> I would prefer to use a good grade of cinnamon already
 DR> ground and not put my grinder thru such a strenuous
 DR> grinding.

 DR> Does anyone have any hints or recipes using already ground
 DR> Vietnam or Ceylon or Chinese cassia cinnamon?
 DR> Thanks,
 DR> Dee

What is especially strenuous about grinding cinnamon? My simple 
bladed electric coffee grinder has been doing it for years and 
that includes cardamon and pepper seeds. Like many ground 
spices, it is probably a good idea to limit the amount and not 
complicate things by adding preground spices. Cinnamon actually 
does keep reasonably well but any ground spice deteriorates with 
time.

 James Silverton.
Potomac, Maryland

"James Silverton" <not.jim.silverton.at.comcast.net> wrote in message 
news:b_CdnUiZwqoB-ZrZRVn-qA@comcast.com...
> Dee wrote  on Thu, 2 Mar 2006 16:25:41 -0500:
>
> DR> Do all garam masala recipes use ground-up cinnamon sticks?
> DR> I would prefer to use a good grade of cinnamon already
> DR> ground and not put my grinder thru such a strenuous
> DR> grinding.
>
> DR> Does anyone have any hints or recipes using already ground
> DR> Vietnam or Ceylon or Chinese cassia cinnamon?
> DR> Thanks,
> DR> Dee
>
> What is especially strenuous about grinding cinnamon? My simple bladed 
> electric coffee grinder has been doing it for years and that includes 
> cardamon and pepper seeds. Like many ground spices, it is probably a good 
> idea to limit the amount and not complicate things by adding preground 
> spices. Cinnamon actually does keep reasonably well but any ground spice 
> deteriorates with time.
>
> James Silverton.
> Potomac, Maryland

Thanks for your answer.
Dee

"Dee Randall"  wrote in message
news:120eomnacs4cf43@corp.supernews.com...
: Do all garam masala recipes use ground-up cinnamon sticks?  I would prefer
: to use a good grade of cinnamon already ground and not put my grinder thru
: such a strenuous grinding.
:
: Does anyone have any hints or recipes using already ground Vietnam or Ceylon
: or Chinese cassia cinnamon?
: Thanks,
: Dee
:
:
There seems to be alittle confusion here. Cinnamon comes from Sri Lanka, cassia
comes from China and SE Asia (in fact the Hindi name dalchini, means 'wood from
China). They can be sub'ed for each other, but I prefer cassia for savoury and
cinnamon for sweet dishes. The cinnamon is usually sold as tight quills and the
cassia as open bark, (which is darker than cinnamon). I find cassia quite easy
to grind in a coffee grinder, but the cinnamon can leave very sharp shards (
please excuse alliteration).
IMO, gm should be made only from green cardamom, cassia, cloves and mace (again
I prefer mace for savoury dishes, nutmeg for sweet), with other regional gm's
including black cumin and black cardamom. Black pepper is often added, but I
prefer to add this freshly ground.

BTW, I  believe nearly all the cinnamon sold in the US is infact cassia. No
wonder James (hi James) says he finds it easy to grind.
cheers
Wazza

Some of us, alas, need to be a bit careful of which is used.

Warfarin (Coumadin) interacts with a wide range of ingredients and excessive 
cassia is not recommended (dunno what excessive means though) for the many 
of us who need to take it daily.

Cinammon though is fine.

Cheers,
tom

"Wazza"  wrote in message 
news:dui2kd$rjr$1@nwrdmz02.dmz.ncs.ea.ibs-infra.bt.com...
>
> "Dee Randall"  wrote in message
> news:120eomnacs4cf43@corp.supernews.com...
> : Do all garam masala recipes use ground-up cinnamon sticks?  I would 
> prefer
> : to use a good grade of cinnamon already ground and not put my grinder 
> thru
> : such a strenuous grinding.
> :
> : Does anyone have any hints or recipes using already ground Vietnam or 
> Ceylon
> : or Chinese cassia cinnamon?
> : Thanks,
> : Dee
> :
> :
> There seems to be alittle confusion here. Cinnamon comes from Sri Lanka, 
> cassia
> comes from China and SE Asia (in fact the Hindi name dalchini, means 'wood 
> from
> China). They can be sub'ed for each other, but I prefer cassia for savoury 
> and
> cinnamon for sweet dishes. The cinnamon is usually sold as tight quills 
> and the
> cassia as open bark, (which is darker than cinnamon). I find cassia quite 
> easy
> to grind in a coffee grinder, but the cinnamon can leave very sharp shards 
> (
> please excuse alliteration).
> IMO, gm should be made only from green cardamom, cassia, cloves and mace 
> (again
> I prefer mace for savoury dishes, nutmeg for sweet), with other regional 
> gm's
> including black cumin and black cardamom. Black pepper is often added, but 
> I
> prefer to add this freshly ground.
>
> BTW, I  believe nearly all the cinnamon sold in the US is infact cassia. 
> No
> wonder James (hi James) says he finds it easy to grind.
> cheers
> Wazza
>
>
>

"Tom Coleman"  wrote in message
news:440e0fd5$0$3632$ed2e19e4@ptn-nntp-reader04.plus.net...
: Some of us, alas, need to be a bit careful of which is used.
:
: Warfarin (Coumadin) interacts with a wide range of ingredients and excessive
: cassia is not recommended (dunno what excessive means though) for the many
: of us who need to take it daily.
:
: Cinammon though is fine.
:
: Cheers,
: tom


Cassia contains about 7% coumarin, cinnamon about 0.7%.
It is not the same as warfarin, but of the same chemical family, and may well
have the same/similar effects, ie, it is an anti coagulant, the so-called 'rat
poison'. In America cinnamon (actually its cassia) is getting good press for
'thinning the blood'.
cheers
Waaza

:
: "Wazza"  wrote in message
: news:dui2kd$rjr$1@nwrdmz02.dmz.ncs.ea.ibs-infra.bt.com...
: >
: > "Dee Randall"  wrote in message
: > news:120eomnacs4cf43@corp.supernews.com...
: > : Do all garam masala recipes use ground-up cinnamon sticks?  I would
: > prefer
: > : to use a good grade of cinnamon already ground and not put my grinder
: > thru
: > : such a strenuous grinding.
: > :
: > : Does anyone have any hints or recipes using already ground Vietnam or
: > Ceylon
: > : or Chinese cassia cinnamon?
: > : Thanks,
: > : Dee
: > :
: > :
: > There seems to be alittle confusion here. Cinnamon comes from Sri Lanka,
: > cassia
: > comes from China and SE Asia (in fact the Hindi name dalchini, means 'wood
: > from
: > China). They can be sub'ed for each other, but I prefer cassia for savoury
: > and
: > cinnamon for sweet dishes. The cinnamon is usually sold as tight quills
: > and the
: > cassia as open bark, (which is darker than cinnamon). I find cassia quite
: > easy
: > to grind in a coffee grinder, but the cinnamon can leave very sharp shards
: > (
: > please excuse alliteration).
: > IMO, gm should be made only from green cardamom, cassia, cloves and mace
: > (again
: > I prefer mace for savoury dishes, nutmeg for sweet), with other regional
: > gm's
: > including black cumin and black cardamom. Black pepper is often added, but
: > I
: > prefer to add this freshly ground.
: >
: > BTW, I  believe nearly all the cinnamon sold in the US is infact cassia.
: > No
: > wonder James (hi James) says he finds it easy to grind.
: > cheers
: > Wazza
: >
: >
: >
:
:

"Wazza"  wrote in message 
news:duq0es$c5r$1@nwrdmz02.dmz.ncs.ea.ibs-infra.bt.com...
>
> "Tom Coleman"  wrote in message
> news:440e0fd5$0$3632$ed2e19e4@ptn-nntp-reader04.plus.net...
> : Some of us, alas, need to be a bit careful of which is used.
> :
> : Warfarin (Coumadin) interacts with a wide range of ingredients and 
> excessive
> : cassia is not recommended (dunno what excessive means though) for the 
> many
> : of us who need to take it daily.
> :
> : Cinammon though is fine.
> :
> : Cheers,
> : tom
>
>
> Cassia contains about 7% coumarin, cinnamon about 0.7%.
> It is not the same as warfarin, but of the same chemical family, and may 
> well
> have the same/similar effects, ie, it is an anti coagulant, the so-called 
> 'rat
> poison'. In America cinnamon (actually its cassia) is getting good press 
> for
> 'thinning the blood'.
> cheers
> Waaza

Thanks, Waaza for this detailed information. I appreciate it. I'll be 
changing my morning table cinnamon back to cassia.  I've been using the 
other 'cinnamon'  for 'thinning the blood.'  I don't take warfarin.
Dee
Shenandoah Valley,Virginia