TRUFFLES are a type of underground fungus, related to mushrooms, that grow in a symbiotic relationship with tree roots, prized as a culinary delicacy for their intense, earthy aroma and flavor. They are lumpy, irregular, and have a dense texture, unlike typical mushrooms with caps and stems. They are harvested using trained dogs or pigs, although pigs haven’t been used […]
Have you ever heard of SHARK FIN SOUP? I watched a show about it many years ago and my blood pressure goes up every time I hear about it now. Sharks may not be my favorite fish but this is just cruel in my opinion. KEY ASPECTS OF SHARK FIN SOUP Cultural significance: A status symbol in Chinese cuisine, […]
Known as a luxurious seafood delicacy, caviar is the roe, or eggs, of different varieties of sturgeon fish. Caviar’s color and size vary depending on the variety. Typically, it looks like small pearls in colors ranging from pale green to black. Beluga caviar from sturgeon in the Caspian Sea became a luxury in Europe in the 19th century, when dwindling […]
Credit: Chanin/ Adobe Stock Bird’s nest soup has been a luxury in Chinese cuisine for centuries. A delicacy made from the hardened saliva nests of swiftlets (birds), which cling high on cave walls. Harvesting them has always been perilous, requiring expert climbers and creating a built in scarcity that pushed prices sky high. Although swiftlets resemble the barn […]
Do you know what this is and what it is used for? It may gross you out like it does me, however, I do find it fascinating by what they do with it. Ambergris — the waxy, grayish substance expelled by sperm whales — is one of history’s strangest and most valuable edible luxuries. It’s been called both “the treasure […]
Can you substitute fresh herbs for dried herbs? Absolutely, but it’s not a one-for-one swap. The general rule for substituting fresh herbs for dried herbs is to use three times the amount of chopped fresh herbs for the dried herbs called for in a recipe (and vice versa). So, if your recipe calls for 1 teaspoon of dried basil, you […]
When you bake something like a cake did you know the eggs should be at room temperature? Eggs that are at room temperature are more easily and quickly dispersed and blended with the other ingredients to form a stable emulsion — you’ll recognize that “stable emulsion” as a smooth, cohesive batter. In some cases, using chilled eggs can effectively work […]
Clean your silver or silver plated silverware, silver coffee serving set or even silver jewelry with ingredients you already have at home. A simple dip or few minutes soak in the liquid removes the tarnish easily. Mine was tarnished for about 30 years so I needed to soak it. Start by forming foil, shiny side up, inside a […]
The History of Conversation Sweethearts It all started in the 1840s when a Boston pharmacist named Oliver Chase invented a machine that made it easier to create apothecary lozenges. Chase’s lozenge cutter is credited as the first American candy machine. He started off making medicinal lozenges for sore throats and bad breath, but later turned to creating candy. These candy […]
Decaffeinated coffee is made by removing caffeine from green, unroasted coffee beans. This is done by different common decaffeination methods which I show below. Think you don’t get any caffeine, think again! Solvent-Based (Direct & Indirect) Direct: Beans are steamed and then directly rinsed with a solvent to pull out the caffeine, followed by another steaming to remove residue. […]