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At one time in the history of mankind, peppercorns were more valuable than gold.
More Facts
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Keep a separate knife to cut lime/lemon as it tends to blunt a knife's edge.
More Kitchen Tips
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COOKING S.O.S
What is Verjuice? What is used for? Can I substitute it?
Verjuice is the juice of unripe grapes. It derives its name from the old french word "vertjus" which means "green juice". It is used to gently flavour main courses and desserts where a tart taste is required. It is available from most specialty food stores and has been around for a long time. Verjuice can be substituted by lemon juice and white wine vinegars, although these tend to be stronger in flavour than verjuice.
My shortcrust pastry always shrinks. What am I doing wrong?
Try to keep everything cool, including the palms of your hands. Try not to handle the ingredients too much. Once the pastry is formed, chill it well in the refrigerator. This relaxes the gluten in the flour and stops it from contracting too much when heated [or baked]. This avoids the shrunken pastry as a result.
What is the difference between lard and shortening and between margarine and butter?
In pastry making, the purpose of cutting fat into flour is to produce both tenderness and flakiness. The fat can be lard, shortening, butter, margarine or a combination of all of these. Shortening and lard are the easiest to work with and produce a good "short" texture. They can be interchanged in most recipes. lard is animal fat and adds an old-fashioned flavour. Shortening is usually made from vegetable oils hardened by hydrogenation and adds little flavour.
Butter is used when a buttery taste is required. It has a higher moisture content than shortening and lard, must be kept cold and handled quickly. Butter is animal fat made from cream and margarine is made from vegetable oils. Regular margarine can be substituted for butter in most recipes but the texture won't be as flaky and it won't have the same rich flavour.
What is the difference between light and dark soy sauce? Can one be substituted for the other?
Light soy sauce is made from a blend of soy beans, wheat , water and salt. It is injected with bacteria and left to ferment for upto 6 months before being filtered. Dark soy sauce is made with less salt but fermented for a longer amount of time, making it darker, richer and thicker. Different dishes call for different varieties of soy sauce. Although they can be substituted for each other, always remember that light soy sauce is thinner and saltier whereas dark soy sauce is thicker and glossier with a hint of sweetness imparting a grilled flavour to the dish. Light soy sauce would be ideal for soups and sauces whereas dark soy sauce would be perfect for fried rice, stir fries and marinades.
Why do some foods such as meat/breads dehydrate in the freezer? How do I prevent them from getting freezer burn?
Food dehydration or freezer burn can occur if frozen food is not contained properly. This is because water molecules in the food naturally seek out the coldest spot in the freezer. Freezer burn also occurs if food is frozen for too long. To prevent this, make sure the food is sealed properly in a freezer safe container or bag. Also make sure that the food doesn't stay in the freezer for very long durations [more than a couple of weeks].
Which vegetables are best to steam and how long does it take to achieve perfect results?
Virtually all vegetables are good to steam. Those with high water content such as spinach, leeks and courgettes are grear. The heat transfers through very quickly, allowing them to cook in no time without excess loss of nutrients.
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