Puff pastry can be difficult to understand sometimes, but most of the time it’s actually a really fun dough. Because of the way it puffs up you can make some of the lightest. flakiest desserts or snacks or pies ever ! Once you get the hang of it, you’ll fall in love with it. One …
Croissants are an amazingly delicious and fluffy, light, flaky pastry. They became the world’s choice for breakfast, either for a treat or for daily life. They’re just too good ! But have you noticed how most of the time croissants are crescent shaped ? Did you ever wonder why ? No? Well we did, and …
If you’re booking a vacation you’re definitely checking everything: photos, rates, reviews, amenities. And for those like us, who are pretty much in love with food, hotel breakfast is a big deal. So what does it mean when a hotel says they offer continental breakfast ? Does that mean it’s free ? Hotel lingo can …
Coconut water is a real treat, and it’s been hyped as a healthy alternative to plain water. Some folks have gone as far as trying to replace their water intake with coconut water, but that’s a pretty expensive habit. What do you do when your favorite drink or recipe calls for coconut water, but you …
Are you allergic to coconut, or just don’t like the flavor at all ? Or maybe you love coconut but can’t stand the texture, or may you just can’t find any ? Whatever the case, you’ve got a recipe calling for shredded coconut and you’re unable to use it. You can either ditch the recipe, …
If you’re in a berry conundrum you might find it hard to decide between blueberries and cranberries, especially if they’re in season. The thing is, both fruits are delicious in their own way and are used pretty differently. So what’s the main difference between the two ? Which should you use, and for what ? …
If you’re on a gluten-free diet or simply want to try another flour, almond flour is the most common option. It’s gluten-free and fairly easy to get a hold of. Unless you’re doing large amounts of baking each day, almond flour doesn’t end up that expensive, given how little you need at a time. So, …
Carbonara, one of Italy’s most amazing delicacies. There’s something about that fine, smooth sauce, well it’s more of a glaze, that just screams refinement. You need quite a bit of skill to make a good bowl of carbonara, and it’s a really fragile dish as well. But what do you do when you’re somehow left …
Do you ever find yourself with an abundance of tangerine and don’t care for them at all ? What if your favorite recipe calls for mandarins and you really don’t like them ? More, what if that mulled wine asks for clementines and you have none on hand ? Well, then you’re in dire need …
When cooking, you sometimes have to look for substitutes, for various reasons. Some fruit and veg are easy to sub, while others are, well, very difficult to get right. Eggplant is one of those, and if you’re making a recipe that relies heavily on it, then you have few options. Still, what are your options …
Carrot cake is an amazingly delicious cake, for being made with carrots. Despite the name, its general flavor is nowhere near anything carrot-like. The carrots help with sweetness, but the flavor isn’t carrot. If anything it’s more like a pumpkin pie. But what do you do when you don’t want to use carrots in your …
If that cool recipe you’ve fallen in love with asks for kumquats, you may be in for a surprise. In any other time than November-March, kumquats are out of season and very hard to come by. But is there something else you could use instead ? Well, if you’ve ever had kumquats you know they …
If you’re making hummus at home, then you’re in for a real treat. The beauty of making anything at home is that you can make it exactly the way you like it ! And when it comes to hummus, it means you can make big, big batches of delicious hummus, exactly the way you like …
Pineapples are a delicious bunch, but a real pain to cut through. Most of us have eaten canned pineapple most of our lives, and rarely ever seen a whole one. But once you see it, you can’t help but notice how spiky it is. It doesn’t look very friendly, does it ? Why is pineapple …
If you haven’t had papaya before, and you’ve only just sliced into yours, you may be incredibly confused. Your papaya may be smelling weird, beyond weird, downright nasty. Why is that ? Why does papaya smell so bad ? Does it always smell bad, like durian ? Is it something you get used to ? …
Papaya. As nice as it sounds, it tends to smell weird, and sometimes it’s downright bitter. But why is papaya bitter, and is there anything you can do about it? After all, for such a tropical fruit, a bitter flavor really isn’t what you’d expect. And especially in a setting where you’d try to eat …
If you’re looking for a papaya substitute, you may be thinking it’s hard to find. In truth, papaya has a very special flavor that’s hard to completely replace. But in terms of texture and color, it can be substituted by other sweet and tropical fruit. Depending on what you need the papaya for, one or …
Looking for some sunflower seed substitutes ? While you may think they’re unique (they are), they can actually be substituted with a number of common, easily accessible nuts and seeds. What you need the sunflower seeds for will determine which of these substitutes you’re going to use. Keep in mind that you can use several …
If you haven’t grown up with tamarind, then you may be a little confused as to what it is, and what the difference is between the sweet and sour kind. Tamarind is a pod that is heavily used in Asian cuisine, and it’s used both in sweet and sour form. But what’s the difference between …
Homemade hummus is always tricky to make, especially when you expect the exact same quality and texture as the smooth ones in the store. For one thing, industrial blenders are way stronger than anything meant for home use. But what else is missing ? Why does hummus usually end up bland ? Are there any …