You’ve definitely heard of pepper, and you’ve definitely heard pretty much every chef ever, on every cooking show ever, recommending freshly ground black pepper. But did anyone stop to explain why fresh pepper is better ? And did anyone discuss the merits of pre-ground pepper ? After all, it’s on the market for a reason. …
Pepper is possibly the most common spice on the planet, not counting salt, which is more of a seasoning. You find pepper everywhere, in everything, even in some sweet dishes or drinks ! But why is pepper everywhere ? Why is it so common, and why pepper but not another spice ? It turns out …
If you have a nightshade allergy then you definitely need to know all the veggies you can’t touch. But does this include black pepper ? It’s possibly the most common spice ever used, at least in Western cooking. Trying to avoid something containing pepper is really difficult, so lets clear up whether black pepper is …
Got a hankering for prickly pear cheesecake but just can’t find any ? If you’re in the middle of winter you’re out of luck. These things are also hard to find outside of America, so if you’re from anywhere that’s not America you’ll definitely need a substitute. But what is the best substitute for prickly …
If your favorite recipe calls for pineapple, but you don’t want to use it, don’t have any, or are allergic to it, what do you do ? Well then, you look for a pineapple substitute. Of course, each recipe uses pineapple differently and for different reasons. Sone need the flavor, some need the texture, some …
Do you love black pepper ? Do you love how absolutely peppery and sharp its flavor can get ? Oh it’s spicy, alright, and when it hits it’s really hard to miss. You can easily overdo pepper, especially if it’s freshly ground black pepper. But what makes pepper so peppery ? After all, it’s not …
Did you just get a pound of the loveliest looking apples you’ve ever seen ? Well then, go ahead and wash one, let’s see just how delicious it is ! Oh, it’s sticky ? Hmm… You know, you’re not the first and probably not the last to be confused as to why your apples are …
If you’ve ever wanted to get yourself some nice pomegranate juice, you’ve probably stopped when you saw the prohibitively high price tag. An 8 oz bottle of POM runs at $3 ! And they have their own pomegranate plantation, so they have less middlemen to pay and less reasons to up the price. So why …
Do you absolutely love kiwis ? Do you serve them in the most delicious fruit salads and desserts ? Are they a pain to peel ? Does anyone even know why they’re so fuzzy ? They’re not the only fuzzy fruit, but compared to a peach’s edible fuzz, a kiwi’s mane seems a bit much. …
Ah fruitcake. The butt of every holiday joke, and the bane of everyone ever. But it wasn’t always like this, you know. There was a time when fruitcake was it. It was the best, most delicious thing in the world, and the holidays were a perfect excuse to make one. Granted, it was back when …
Did your onions turn blue ? As weird as that might sound, there’s really a very good explanation for it. No, really. This happens very often with red onions or shallots, but also with red cabbage and sometimes even cherries. And thankfully there’s a way to reverse it ! Yep, if your onions are blue …
It is rare these days, but in some recipes (like corned beef), you may come across an ingredient that you don’t have in your pantry: saltpeter. You may also find some instructions for curing meat at home that ask you to use saltpeter. Today, you probably will not even find it in a grocery store, …
Pomelo (Citrus Grandis), also known as a shaddock, pompelmo, and pummelo, is a very juicy and sweet giant citrus. Pomelo is the perfect choice for salads and fruit dishes. It’s colored in light-yellow to coral-pink, thick-skinned, but soft and easy to peel away, with a sweet-tart flavor. You can’t help but love it! But, if …
Whether you’re fresh out of eggs or simply don’t want to use eggs in your recipe, there’s a way that pumpkin puree can help you here. As you know, there are cans of pre-made pumpkin puree out there and people have noticed it. How moist, how sweet, and how dense it can be. IF you …
If it’s fall, it’s sweet potato and pumpkin season. Whichever you use, you end up with a sweet, delicious meal that has the family asking for seconds. In face, pumpkins and sweet potatoes seem to work so similarly that we can’t help but wonder if they’re related. Well, that is something we’ll be tackling today, …
If you love sweet potatoes, then you know preparing them can be a real pain sometimes. They’re very difficult to cut through, especially if you get bigger ones. Cutting sweet potatoes is a frustrating mix of jammed blades, splits going the wrong way, and the occasional accident. But why are sweet potatoes so hard to …
Pomelo, a renowned fruit native to Southeast Asia is tangy, sweet, slightly bitter and reminiscent of a grapefruit. With colors ranging from yellow to pink, the inside of the pomelo is always a surprise. However, this has led many to wonder, what are the different pomelo varieties available and which one is the sweetest? What …
If you’ve ever sauteed an onion in your life, you know that the longer you cook it, the sweeter it gets. And when you’re cooking something that calls for a lot of onions, like the Hungarian goulash, it turns the entire dish definitely sweet. The more onions you ad, the sweeter they get. But why …
Have you ever noticed how garlic and onions are so similar ? They’re both pungent, they go well together, and they’re in pretty much any cuisine you’ve ever tried. Granted, some rely on them more heavily than others but they’re still everyone’s favorite. So if they taste similar, are they related ? Are garlic and …
Whether you’re a beginner cook or a seasoned chef, you’ve got it in your head that onions are love, onions are life. There is basically no recipe without onions. But why ? Why are onions so popular, when so many complain of that ‘oniony smell’ ? Has anyone stopped to think why we use onions …