Ingredients

Leeks

motherwouldknow — Wed, 12 Jun 2013 14:23:50 +0000

How to pick and cook leeks.

Shrimp

motherwouldknow — Wed, 12 Jun 2013 13:55:10 +0000

For information and tips about buying and using shrimp, see Shrimp 101.

Salad Ideas and Tips

motherwouldknow — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 17:18:13 +0000

This post includes ideas for how to construct salads, ingedient categories and a few (surprising perhaps) great ways to create a salad theme.

Onion Alternatives

motherwouldknow — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 17:11:51 +0000

If you're tired of onions, or don't have any and a recipe calls for them, here are some alternatives.

Cooking Oil

motherwouldknow — Tue, 11 Dec 2012 16:14:56 +0000

Here are cooking oil tips and a post about using oil to fry foods (latkes or potatoes pancakes in this case.)

Difference Between White and Black Pepper

motherwouldknow — Wed, 13 Jun 2012 18:12:15 +0000

Both black and white pepper both come from the berries of the same plant, known technically as piperaceae. How the berries are processed determines whether the resulting spice will be black or white. Black pepper has a more pungent (sharp or intense) flavor than white. White pepper is often ground more finely than black and is used when specks of black would be objectionable in the finished dish. Source - Purdue University

Salt

motherwouldknow — Fri, 08 Jun 2012 20:25:30 +0000

See the following posts:

Salt & Pepper - Who Knew There Were Choices

Salt Facts That Woke Me Up - Bigtime

3 Quick & Easy Ways to Reduce Your Salt Intake

Is Salt a Food Villain?

Harissa

motherwouldknow — Wed, 23 May 2012 19:05:57 +0000

Harissa is a spicy condiment used in North African/Middle Eastern cooking. Its exact ingredients vary by recipe (and by the region from which the particular recipe comes), but generally harissa includes chiles, spices, olvie oil, garlic, and salt.

Wheat Flour Basics – Types & Terms Galore

motherwouldknow — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 14:57:28 +0000

In my January 20, 2012 post, I described the basic types of wheat flour, their uses and differences. Check it out.

Balsamic vinegar

motherwouldknow — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 17:35:34 +0000

Balsamic vinegar is like wine – there are gradations from rot gut to sublime. The best balsamic vinegar is aged and must come from 1 of 2 areas in Italy, either Reggio Emilia or Modena. I haven't bou ght the aged stuff - which is quite expensive. But I do buy brands made in Modena that I find at local stores, including a white basalmic. They are true wine vinegars, but not aged. Someday, when I'm rich and famous, I'll buy the real stuff for $25 a bottle. But for now I settle for the imported decent, commercial grade at $4-8 a bottle. The brands I now have are Bella-Famiglia, Monari Federzoni and Alessi (The Alessi pictured below is a white balsamic; the other two are dark or red balsamic vinegars.) I’ve used other brands, including Colavita. You can find these "commercial grade" balsamic vinegars in grocery stores. I even found Colavita, and Monari Federzoni online at Walmart! A bottle lasts and while they may not be truly as sublime as an aged balsamic supposed would be, they impart memorable flavor to your salad dressings, sauces and lots else.