Education

Ingredients

What are Nightshades?

It’s a dirty, dirty word around our house. It means pain, bloating, restless legs, eczema, and too many bathroom visits. Typically when ‘nightshade’ is said the poisonous plant, witches, and spells comes to mind. For those of us with an allergy or intolerance; it can be just as evil and dark. Views: 3

Levipoix - an onion free mirpoix.
Chutzpah, Ingredients

Levipoix

Introducing: Levipoix, a substitute for Mirepoix! Ya know; sometimes it’s really frustrating looking up recipes for your favorite things and seeing the ingredients list full of things you can’t have. And it can be exhausting figuring out the right things to use instead to get a similar flavor profile. Views: 1

diy fennel bulb powder
Ingredients, Seasonings

Homemade NON-ion Powder

Onion powder is in EVERYTHING it seems like. Shopping in an American grocery store, almost every savory product has onion in it! For those of us sensitive or allergic, it can be incredibly frustrating. We have started substituting Fennel Bulb for onion in most recipes; but as of this writing, there isn’t a commercially available Fennel bulb powder. So, of course, we made our own! Views: 0

Education

Learning to Cook… Online?

Almost everything is available to do virtually now, including learning how to cook. There are several accredited courses you can take online that will make you a chef! One of the primary benefits of online education is that it provides flexible learning on a schedule that can fit your busy home and work life. As we move into a more technological world, more institutions are trading in the classroom for the world wide web, and their degree programs are following them. Culinary schools are no different. Online culinary schools offer all the training you would receive if you practiced at […]

Kids in the Kitchen
Education

Kids in the Kitchen

Children and kitchens can sometimes seem to be oil and water, but the only way they’ll learn to cook is by joining you in the kitchen. When children grow into adulthood, they eventually have to rely on themselves for everything, including feeding. Without cooking skills, they will be tempted by drive-thrus, freezer meals, and other less savory eating habits. Helping in the kitchen builds confidence and early skills of independence. Most kids feel proud and important when they help prepare food. Sharing in family tasks helps them feel that they belong in the family. Children are natural kitchen helpers. They […]

#atozchallenge - Ice Cream Aisle
Education

Ice Cream Aisle Explained

There are many commercial brands of ice cream and frozen desserts that can be great substitutes if you don’t have the time or desire to make your own. Many supermarkets carry a variety of gourmet ice cream, sorbet and gelato. Many of these interesting flavors can even provide inspiration for homemade frozen desserts. Views: 20

#atozchallenge - High Altitude Cooking
Education

High-Altitude Cooking

What’s the big deal with High Altitude? The change of air pressure makes things in the kitchen act a bit differently. At high altitudes: Air pressure is lower, so foods take longer to cook. Temperatures and/or cook times may need to be increased. Water boils at a lower temperature, so foods prepared with water (such as pastas and soups) may take longer to cook. Temperatures and cook times may need to be increased. The atmosphere becomes much drier. Moisture quickly evaporates from everything. The air has less oxygen and atmospheric pressure, so cooking takes longer. Views: 2

#atozchallenge - Garbage, Compost, & Spoilage
Education

Garbage, Compost, and Spoilage

A great deal of household garbage is produced in the kitchen. As part of the preparation process, inedible or unappetizing parts of food— peels, seeds, bones, shells, rinds, fat, gristle and stems—are removed for disposal. All sorts of metal, glass, paper, cardboard or plastic packaging is accumulated. After a typical meal, food scraps remain. Understanding that different types of waste can—and should—be managed differently creates opportunities for reducing the environmental impact of the waste generated in North American kitchens. Views: 0

#atozchallenge - Eating Etiquette
Education

Eating Etiquette

Etiquette affects almost every aspect of dining. Dining etiquette rules apply before you ever take your seat and continue after you excuse yourself from the table. Table manners play an important part in making a favorable impression. They are visible signals of the state of our manners and therefore are essential to professional success. The point of etiquette rules is to make you feel comfortable – not uncomfortable. Views: 9

#A2Z CHALLENGE - Diet Descriptions
Education

Diet Descriptions

People like to eat; but not everyone eats the same way. Some eat a certain way due to health problems, and others are following the latest weight-loss trend. And yet others follow a lifestyle. Views: 0

Education

Converting Measurements

It doesn’t matter whether you’re increasing a recipe or decreasing it — the procedure for adjusting the ingredient quantities for a different number of portions is the same. We call this scaling a recipe. When scaling a recipe it’s important to know how to convert back and forth between different measurements. The first thing you need to do is calculate your conversion factor, which is a number you’re going to use to convert all the quantities. There’s a tiny bit of math involved, but it’s OK to use a calculator — that’s what they’re there for! To find your conversion […]

#A2Z CHALLENGE - Bar Stocking Basics
Education

Beverage List for a Full Bar

There is of course no ‘initial fix’ to a fully stocked bar. It is an ongoing process requiring the addition of certain liquors etc. at a time when there becomes a demand for them. Most or all of the ingredients below are considered essential bar-stock, and should act only as a foundation to a well stocked bar. Keep in mind, some of these can be skipped if you or your ‘patrons’ (Read: drinkking buddies) don’t like them. But it’s always fun to have some room to experiment. Views: 1

Abbreviations Used in Recipes
Charts, Education

Abbreviations Used in Recipes

Deciphering between the different cooking abbreviations and their proper unit of measurement can help make sure your dish comes out exactly as imagined. Often times, different books will use different abbreviations, which can cause confusion when putting together a dish.