A guide to flour for baking bread
There are many kinds of flour and not all of them are made from wheat. Flour is also made from cassava, chickpeas, rice and potato, among others. For making most breads, …
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.
Lotus root buying and cooking guide
Cooked as vegetable in China, Japan and India, lotus root is sold fresh, dried or canned. Mildly flavorerd and crunchy, it is added to soups and stir fries. It can also …
Calamansi (kalamansi)
A citrus hybrid with small sour fruit, calamansi is ubiquitous in Filipino cooking. I used to think the fruit was unique to the Philippines but it isn't.
Chicken parts: a shopping guide
Dressed chicken can be bought whole or cut up. Learn the different cuts of chicken. Know too that the weight stated on the label is false because the meat is injected …
Is apetina the same as feta cheese?
Both are made with a mixture of sheep's and goat's milk. Essentially, that makes Apetina the same sa feta. Legally, however, cheese labeled "feta" has to originate in …
Is arugula the same as rocket?
Eruca vesicaria is rocket in some regions but is widely known as arugula in North America. It is my favorite salad green.
What is garam masala?
Garam masala which translates to “warm spice mix” is an ingredient often used in South Asian cooking. It isn’t one spice but a blend of several spices.