You are browsing the tag archive for cooking.

Photo: Indiana Public Media / Flickr

Good relationships require an underlying sense of harmony and the same applies to the coupling of different ingredients when you’re cooking. Creating a harmonious flow of flavour is the chef’s main aim – to combine ingredients so that that they work together to tantalise and delight. Some ingredients are natural partners– think sugar and cream, tomato and onion, bacon and eggs and that old British favourite, fish and chips. You could say they’re a match made in heaven. (more…)

Photo: Wes & Eli / Flickr

Have you noticed that the colour of food changes depending on how you cook it? When you boil something, it generally comes out looking pale but when you fry the same thing, it comes out looking golden brown. That’s why a lot of people prefer to have their fish grilled or baked rather than steamed. Besides tasting better, steamed and grilled food looks nicer on the plate. Read on for some tips for cooking with colour in mind. (more…)

Photo: woodleywonderworks / Flickr

It’s quite fascinating how the flavour of food changes, depending on how much heat is applied to it and what cooking method is used. Heat changes or enhances inherent flavours in food but also allows new flavours to develop due to the chemical reactions that take place. These flavour-changing reactions that are a direct result of the cooking process are called browning reactions because of the range of colours they produce – from black to brown to red to yellow. (more…)

Photo: Joelk75 / Flickr

Do you have all the latest celebrity chef cookbooks, a great set of pots, a shiny new knife and a longing to whip up spectacular meals but no idea how to get started with the actual cooking? If so, perhaps some knowledge of how to read a recipe properly will help. Once you understand the critical points of a recipe, you’ll soon be approaching your beautiful books with a new-found eagerness and confidence. (more…)

Photo: woodleywonderworks / Flickr

Little girls have a propensity to spend time in the kitchen. Partly because they want to be like their mothers – who tend to be the cooks in most homes, still – and because they can’t wait to graduate their garden tea party with their dolls to a real tea party when they grow up. As such, daughters often pick up on the critical skills and important understandings needed to become good cooks just from watching you, while boys are culinary train wrecks through early bachelorhood. All parents should make teaching children how to cook a priority, and here are some ways to get started. (more…)

Photo: Mike_fleming / Flickr

If you are looking for a fun and unique gift for a birthday or for a Christmas present then take a look at these inventive cooking tools. These nifty devices help to save time and energy spent while cooking, while adding an interesting touch to a dinner table or outdoor barbecue. Small and simple, these tools are not only easy to use but also easy to clean and store. (more…)

Photo: joeywan / Flickr

Cooker hoods are now seen as an essential addition to a kitchen. Investing in an extractor fan can save you a fortune in kitchen repairs later by preventing warping and other steam-related damage, and the circulation of air means that your kitchen becomes a healthier, odour-free environment. But not all cooker hoods do exactly the same job. Read on to find out about choosing the right cooker hood for your kitchen. (more…)

Photo: joeywan / Flickr

A recent study commissioned by Richmond Sausages has found which meals makes Britons long for home – and has demonstrated that British mums are definitely getting it right in the kitchen. Many of the study’s participants prefer their mum’s home cooking to their own cooking, their partners’ efforts in the kitchen, and even the meals they can get in five-star restaurants. Now, the company has launched a competition to find the recipe that Brits love best. (more…)

Photo: Organic v Conventional / Flickr

If you don’t know anything about induction cookers, here’s the simple rundown on how they work: induction cookers transfer heat directly to whatever cooking vessel you’re using, rather than to the plate on which it rests. The ‘induction cookers versus conventional cookers’ debate rages between the loyal users of each, so find out more about this useful method and decide for yourself whether it’s the answer for your kitchen. (more…)

Photo: Stock.Xchng

The gooseberry is a much neglected fruit, but there’s no good reason for this. They’re available – in abundance – in June and July, and making yummy gooseberry treats won’t put a dent in your pocket. They also have as much as 20 times the amount of vitamin C oranges do, and they’ll help boost your levels of calcium and B vitamins. Because the gooseberry season is so short, it’s best to pick them up now, while you can. Here’s some inspiration for using the gooseberry in your kitchen. (more…)