Category: Ingredients
How to Choose, How to Store, How to Use Apricots
They are laxative, antioxidant and natural sweeteners. Apricots are available from late May to mid-August. How to Choose Apricot Look for plump, firm apricots with a red blush. Avoid fruit that is pale yellow or green-yellow, very firm, very soft, or bruised. How to Store Apricot Ripen firm fruit at room temperature until it yields…
How to Choose, How to Store, How to Use Onions
The starting point of so many dishes, the onion is invaluable to cooking. There are many varieties, differing in color, size and strength of flavor, from mild yellow onions to stronger-flavored white onions. They have amazing antiseptic, antibiotic and anti-spasmodic properties. And are great detoxifiers, removing heavy metals and parasites from the body. They help…
Various Herbs and Where to Use Them
Coriander: Huge bundles of fresh coriander (cilantro) are a familiar sight in Eastern Mediterranean markets, their warm, pungent aroma rising at the merest touch. The leaves impart a distinctive flavor to soups, stews, sauces and spicy dishes when added towards the end of cooking. They are also used sparingly in salads and yogurt dishes. Dill:…
Milk and Cream
Buttermilk Originally, buttermilk was the liquid that remained after making butter from cream, hence its name. It is now made from skim (reduced-fat) milk and cultures. It has a slightly acidic taste and a thick consistency. Buttermilk not only adds flavour to cooking, its acid content also reacts with raising agents, giving some baked and…
Different types of sugars and where to use each
What is white sugar White sugar, or granulated table sugar, is the most common type of sugar and it is used extensively. White sugar is processed to medium-sized crystals. What is caster sugar Caster (superfine) sugar has finer, smaller crystals than white sugar. It dissolves faster than white sugar and is often used in meringues…
Fish and Seafood of the Mediterranean
You may also listen to the recipe by pressing the play button below: When buying fresh fish, bright eyes, fresh red gills and firmly attached scales are signs to look out for. Red Mullet Very popular along the coasts of the Mediterranean, the red mullet is a pretty fish. How to Cook Red MulletIt is…
How to Select, Store and Cook Chicken and Other Poultry
How to Select Chicken and Other Poultry When choosing poultry, the skin should be a light creamy colour and it should be moist. It should also be unbroken with no dark patches. The breast should be plump and the tip of the breastbone should be pliable. Free-range poultry is usually easily identified by the layer…
All About Basil
Basil is one of the herbs most crucial to cooking, particularly in Italian dishes, and has a wonderful aroma and flavor. The sweet, tender leaves, sometimes as large as cabbage leaves, have a great affinity with tomatoes, aubergines, peppers, courgettes and cheese. A handful of torn leaves enlivens a green salad and is a great…
Different Types of Rice and Where to use Each Type
In many cultures rice symbolizes fertility and life – consequently we have the age-old tradition of throwing rice at weddings. In some circles, spilling or upsetting a bowl of rice is considered to be very bad luck, so be careful when tipping the contents of those rice bags into airtight containers for storage! 😄 For…
How to Select, Store and Cook Meat
You may also listen to the recipe by pressing the play button below: How to Store Meats Selection of Meats Pan Frying Casseroles/Currying Roasting Barbecuing or Char Grilling Stir Frying Different cuts of meat suit different cooking methods. There are two main methods: dry heat, which includes char grilling and stir frying, and moist heat,…