Why is cottage cheese a thing again?
Good question. Cottage cheese is not an ingredient that often finds its way into our cooking and we hate to hate on it but here we go anyway… it’s kind of damp and bland. Then, there’s the issue of the lumps. Plus the association with fad diets… which is kind of why it's a thing again…
Should you cook with extra virgin olive oil?
Extra virgin olive oil is an unrefined oil that’s mechanically extracted from olives using no heat or chemicals… bog standard olive oil is refined and extracted using heat. Unrefined oils tend to have a lower smoke point than refined ones and olive oil is no exception; the smoke point of EVOO is around…
What’s so Dutch about cocoa?
Y’all know and love cocoa. And geeze, how bloody blah would baking be without it? Very. We can’t even. Cocoa is essentially what’s left after cacao beans are fermented, roasted, then pressed to extract the cocoa butter used to make chocolate…
What’s the difference between Hot and Cold Smoked Salmon?
Hot smoked salmon is salt-cured, then slathered with ingredients such as sugar, molasses, spices, herbs, citrus soy sauce and garlic. Then it’s exposed to smoke using hard woods such as…
What’s the deal with bronze die pasta?
There’s bog standard extruded dried pasta… then there’s bronze die pasta. One’s better than the other – guess which?
What exactly is Cream of Tartar?
Cream of tartar, variously called potassium bitartrate or potassium hydrogen tartrate, is a powdery, acidic byproduct of grape fermentation that occurs during wine making…
What’s with those dark chocolate percentages?
75% and even the 85% dark stuff. It’s slightly hard-core and if you’ve ever wondered what those percentages mean, we’re here to demystify…
Salted V Unsalted Butter – Which to use and when?
When to use salted butter and when to reach for unsalted? Each variety has its ideal applications, making the choice more than just a matter of personal preference. Let’s delve…
Should I rinse rice?
To rinse or not to rinse rice; that is the question. Which way you swing on the issue can have a drastic impact on the final outcome of your cooked rice so you’ll want to listen up. The answer is, for most types of rice, you should defo rinse. For others… not so much…
Should I salt an eggplant
Eggplant – to salt or not to salt, that is a most vexed question. You’ll read recipes that say salting draws out bitterness, but not all eggplant varieties are excessively bitter and modern cultivation has given us less bitter varieties across the board. We’ve never actually struck a truly bitter eggplant but if you have (they do contain alkaloids which can have that sightly astringent edge) consider salting…
Why is radicchio red?
Radicchio. Do you ever find yourself gazing fondly at it and thinking, gee, you’re a really ace colour? We do. That magenta is unreal. We’re big on eating this bitter leafy veg, lapping it up in salads, pastas, risottos, soups and occasionally, we even enjoy it braised…
Should you refrigerate tomatoes?
Should you refrigerate tomatoes? We’re glad you asked. Short answer; ‘not really’. Long answer; ‘it’s best to avoid if you can, but sometimes it can be necessary….