How to cook edamame (fresh soy beans in pods)
What do soy sauce, soy milk and tofu have in common? They are all made from soy beans.
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.
Are snow peas the same as snap peas?
Well, no. They're different. If you want even more confusion, ask what mangetout is and if it's related to edamame. How are they different from one another? How are they …
How to prepare wood ears and black fungus
Until recently, I couldn’t tell the difference between black fungus and wood ear mushrooms when buying them in dried form. Actually, I thought they were the same. My, …
How to cook Chinese cabbage
When a recipe calls for “Chinese cabbage”, what exactly should you buy and use for the dish? Here's a practical guide.
How to minimize the bitterness of bitter gourd / melon
A naturally bitter fruit consumed as a vegetable, there are a few tricks to lessen the bitterness to make bitter gourd more palatable. Read on to find out how.
How to extract tamarind juice
Around the world, tamarind is consumed as food in various ways. The fruit is made into candy or jam. The pressed juice can be made into cold drinks or it can be a souring …
Chinese fermented black beans (douchi)
Called douchi in China and tausi in the Philippines, fermented black beans are sold dried or soaked in brine. They are used to flavor steamed dishes, stews and an array …