Category: Cooking 101
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,…
Maltose
Maltose or malt syrup is a molasses-like substance which is made by fermenting barley or a similar grain. So how do you make maltose syrup at home? It is not that hard actually. It just needs some time to prepare. Maltose is a thick, sweet syrup that is made from cereal grains of barley. It…
How to Prepare Preserved Lemons and Limes
Lemons or limes preserved in salt develop a rich, mellow flavor. Preserved lemons have a silken texture and a very distinctive flavor. They are an indispensable ingredient in Moroccan cooking and are widely used as a flavoring by many of the leading chefs. Preserved lemons give a mellow flavor to Mediterranean dishes. PREP TIME: 10…
Methods to Prepare Vegetables
You may also listen to the recipe by pressing the play button below: Mashing Mashing or puréeing is a great way to serve a variety of vegetables including potatoes, parsnip, pumpkin and celeriac. Food processors are often used to puree vegetables, although mashing potatoes in the food processor gives them a starchy, gluey texture, so…
How to Cook Different Noodle Types
You may also listen to the recipe by pressing the play button below: Fresh Rice Noodles Dried Rice Noodles Dried Egg Noodles Fresh Egg Noodles Hokkien Noodles Udon Noodles (Fresh and Dried) Cellophane Noodles Soba Noodles Ramen Noodles Somen Noodles Shanghai Noodles Fresh Rice Noodles: Fresh rice noodles come in a variety of widths and…
How to Peel Tomatoes, Peaches, Apricots and Other Fruits With Thin Skins
Although they have thin edible skins, which are also full of nutrients, it is standard practice in the kitchen to peel off the skins of these fruits when a recipe asks for it. Blanching is required to slip off the skin easily. The removal of skins is necessary for a fine delicate end product. A…