Regional Mirepoix: Flavoring Tips For Italian, Chinese, Thai, and Indian Cooking
You’ve no doubt heard about mirepoix through your culinary adventures or food TV watching. (Confession: I actually always thought it was pronounced meer-a-qua.) It’s a common blend of aromatics often added to stews or soups in the same way salt and pepper are added to give a familiar blend of palatable tastes. But did you know there are other types of mirepoix? A Thai version or a Chinese version, for instance?
Oct 18, 2012
Easy Dessert Recipe: Peach Yogurt Cake with Cinnamon Glaze
Peaches? In October? Yes, I nabbed a handful of extra-soft, very late season peaches at the market last week, and after I ate a couple I decided to sink the rest into an easy cake for a dinner party. And this turned out to be just the right decision. This is a yogurt cake — just about the easiest cake of them all. It’s a one-bowl cake, with yogurt, oil, and eggs whipped up into a batter and the flour and leavening dropped right on top of the liquid ingredients.
Oct 18, 2012
A Ladle Is Not a Ladle: Advice To Help You Find the Right Ladle For Your Pot
If the title of this post makes you think we’re being a little nit-picky, we beg to differ. One may think a ladle is a ladle is a ladle, but if you make a lot of soup, you know that’s not true. If the ladle is too short for your pot, it sinks; if it’s too long, it can be heavy or awkward. If the handle has no bend in it, it’s very hard to get a clean scoop, but if it has too much bend, then it’s hard to dip the ladle into a tall pot. So what to do?
Oct 18, 2012
Southern Family Recipe: Chicken & Andouille Sausage Gumbo
Do you have a smell that so completely reminds you of a certain person, a special memory, or an exact place in time? As I stood above this bubbling pot of chicken and sausage gumbo, my childhood self was immediately transported to my late grandmother’s house in Florida, where flavors of her Louisiana heritage always greeted us upon arrival. We all know there are as many gumbos as there are cooks, and there’s no right or wrong way to make it. (Insert comment war here!
Oct 18, 2012
10 Simple Ingredients to Make Your Soups Even More Delicious
Want to boost your soup just a little more? We gave you our very best tip for livening-up a dull soup (it probably needs just one little ingredient), and now here are 10 more tips and ingredients for making your soup a little bit better. From Parmesan rinds to thyme stalks, these are simple additions to boost flavor and make your soup taste more satisfying. Cheese Rinds – Throw an otherwise useless cheese rind into your soup; it’s pretty magical.
Oct 18, 2012
Table Manners: The Proper Way to Eat Soup
At home, soup-eating is usually a casual affair, with no special rules or etiquette. But have you ever wondered about the proper way to eat soup, especially at a formal dinner or fancy restaurant? From where to rest your spoon between bites to how to politely get the last drops of soup from the bowl, we have the answers. At a table setting with a lot of utensils, the soup spoon will be placed on the far right, and is usually recognizable by its wide, round bowl.
Oct 18, 2012