What’s the difference between calabaza and pumpkin?
What we call calabaza can be Cucurbita moschata or Cucurbita maxima. Pumpkin, on the other hand, is Cucurbita pepo. In cooking, can one be substituted for the other?
Cooking ingredients
To cook any dish properly, a good introduction to the ingredients that go into it is a must. For example, when a recipe lists scallions as an ingredient, does it refer to onion leaves, or are scallions and onion leaves different from one another? What is the proper way to rehydrate dried mushrooms? What is fish sauce and why is salt not a worthy substitute? What is shrimp paste and why is it such an important ingredient in Asian cooking? All these and more in this section.
Dried shrimps: how to buy, store and cook
They taste different from fresh shrimps; the dried ones have a stronger and more concentrated flavor which some cooks refer to as “umami.”
Scallion, spring onion, leek and shallot: how to differentiate
Spring onion leaves look like scallions but they are not the same. Leeks look like large scallions but it's a different vegetable. Shallots aren't simply small onions. …
What’s the difference between fish steak and fish fillet?
How the fish is cut makes the difference. One is boneless; the other is bone-in. Here are a few illustrations. Read on too to learn which is cut is better for the dish …
Do mussels and clams need to be soaked before cooking?
Yes. Clams need soaking more than mussels, in fact, because they are “burrowers” in sediment.
How to cook baby (young) corn
How is baby corn produced, exactly? Is it nutritious? Between fresh and canned, which is better? All these plus buying tips and recipes.
Jute leaves (saluyot): Cleopatra’s anti-aging secret?
Curiosity was what made me try it. But even if it has anti-aging qualities, it still isn't among my favorites.