Cooking Basics

Reading Time: 6 minutes A Complete Guide to Glutinous Rice Flour We use various types of flour in our cuisines, such as all-purpose flour, wheat flour, maze flour, rice flour and many more. While there are many ways you can use these flour products, such as to thicken the soup...

Reading Time: 7 minutes Your Guide to French Grapes France is the oldest and one of the biggest wine-growing nations globally, and the demand for French grapes is increasing every day. Millions of people acquired the exquisite taste of French wine over the years, and now entire generations turn to...

Reading Time: 5 minutes What are Cheese Curds & Are They in The UK? Dairy products have a way with people where many of us use them in our daily food intake for a healthy and balanced diet. From milk to yoghurt and, of course, cheese, you won’t run out...

Reading Time: 5 minutes Cuisines worldwide typically have a secret ingredient(s) that bring an added nuance to the recipe, making it unique and native to that region. For some, it’s cured meat, and for others, it can be a combination of herbs and plants. However, in some parts of the...

Reading Time: 5 minutes What Are saltine crackers, and are they in the UK? Saltine crackers are light, rough-textured, a little bit salty and crispy that is assumed to be a pantry staple. These dry crackers come in various sizes and shapes, but the usual one is a small square...

Reading Time: 9 minutes Demystifying Italian Ingredients Assuming you need to accept the craft of cooking Italian like an Italian, you would want to know the nuts and bolts of the practice. What Italian ingredients to use to prepare delicious meals? How to utilize traditional Italian ingredients, and where to...

Reading Time: 7 minutes What’s the Deal with Burger Presses?! Devouring a juicy burger has to be one of the most satisfying feelings in the world, especially if you’re famished after a day’s work. The meaty nuances, delicious sauces, and flavour-rich patty combine to introduce your taste buds to the...

Reading Time: 9 minutes The lowdown on Cheese advent calendars The holiday spirit surrounds all of us in a veil of harmony as we finish the last of our turkey and get in the Christmas spirit. Many people immediately start planning their Christmas tree purchase while others sing the ever-so...

Reading Time: 7 minutes Everything You Need To Know About Guanciale There may be several meaty treats globally, but very few come close to the exquisite taste of delicious guanciale. This article is for anyone who wants to inform themselves on the necessary details about guanciale and its origin. We...

Reading Time: 6 minutes A mini-guide to Green Peppercorns Interestingly chilli pepper wasn’t always the foundation of spicy heat in the piquant cuisines. Before chilli pepper, peppercorn was the primary source of spiciness in those spicy cuisines. Green peppercorns are the unripe peppercorn berry that was originated in India. It...

Reading Time: 11 minutes Why you need to start shopping at a zero-waste grocery store in the UK Over the past few years, we’ve grown increasingly aware of the immense negative impact human practices have had on this world. Wastage and overuse of our natural resources have depleted them immensely,...

Reading Time: 6 minutes The Hype around Cantabrian Anchovies: Valid or a Hoax? Let’s talk about Cantabrian anchovies. This seafood lost its value in the late 90s, but it’s safe to say that we are witnessing a comeback of anchovies to our preferred cuisine. Interestingly, many reputable chefs are now...

Reading Time: 6 minutes Your Ultimate Guide to Bomba Rice The secret to making perfect paella is the rice you use. Short and round grain rice is ideal for making this Valencians recipe. Medium grain rice is also acceptable, but long-grain rice is not suitable for paella. The perfect rice...

Reading Time: 10 minutes The Epitome of Luxury in the Culinary World: Caviar Oh, the mouth-watering thought of eating caviar on a buttery toast point in a fancy restaurant with your significant other. Beautiful! There are not many delicacies in the world that come close to the exquisite taste and...

Reading Time: 9 minutes The Reality of Sushi Grade Fish: Safety Concerns and Tips Eating raw fish is a popular form of cuisine in many parts of the world, and the UK isn’t an exception. We love to get our hands on expensive, delicious sushi/sashimi to saturate our taste buds...

Reading Time: 7 minutes The Only Guide You Need for Reheating Brussel Sprouts When you think about Brussel sprouts, you may feel a strong sense of nostalgia taking you back to your childhood years. All those times when your parents had to force-feed you the greens makes you question why...

Reading Time: 5 minutes What Actually is it & how to Measure a Knob Of Butter Not all cooks are the same; some cooks do things instinctively while some measure ingredients more precisely. A knob of butter is used by those cooks who cook by eye. However, when it comes...

Reading Time: 8 minutes Everything you need to know about 10 types of Sheep Cheese From briny to intensely gamey and tangy to butterscotch, sheep milk cheese has a wide range of flavours that make it ideal for snacking. Sheep cheese has higher butterfat content that makes it sweat, but...

Reading Time: 7 minutes The Complete Guide to ‘Nduja With their unique cooking abilities and creative recipes, Italians have contributed a ton to make this world a tastier place. And they still sit high on the throne today as the food hub of the world. One of their delicate creations...

Reading Time: 9 minutes Everything you need to know about Seitan Nowadays, people have an increasing focus on health. The COVID-19 pandemic has shown us the importance of staying healthy and making lifestyle changes that maintain our health. Therefore, it makes sense that most of us now want to switch...

Reading Time: 8 minutes The Only Corn Stripper Guide You Need! Sweet corn scattered over a salad adds to its richness and proves to be a healthy choice for many people looking for a simple office mid-day meal.  But the process of taking the corn off the cob is mostly...

Reading Time: 7 minutes Everything You Could Possibly Want to Known about Borlotti Beans Beans are delicious! And it is nature’s blessing that there are hundreds of their species ready for consumption for a taste-rich yet healthy meal. You must have had beans as a major part of your diet...

Reading Time: 7 minutes The ultimate guide to understanding & using cornmeal Cornmeal has numerous uses in the kitchen, making your food taste even more delicious. It’s especially used in baked and fried items. However, despite its common use in the kitchen, many people are unaware of what cornmeal really...

Reading Time: 7 minutes All you need to know about ginger ale vs ginger beer Dealing with the summer months can be no easy task, and just a few minutes outside can leave us feeling drained. In these sweltering months, there can be nothing better than a refreshing, cool drink...

Reading Time: 6 minutes Why celery salt is the perfect replacement for your table salt. Salt is used in almost every type of food item across every cuisine. After all, it enhances the flavours and is crucial for effective seasoning. But what about Celery Salt? Even by following the recipe...

Reading Time: 7 minutes Why You Should Be Eating More Grana Padano Each cuisine has its charm, and it has flavours and ingredients that are unique to that region. If you’re a foodie, you’ll know that your food journey is incomplete without having tried most of these items. Cheese is...

Reading Time: 7 minutes Why a Pastry Cutter should be in YOUR kitchen Real foodies will tell you that food is just as fun to make as it is to eat. Making a dish with all your heart can be an enriching experience, which gets better as people fall in...

Reading Time: 8 minutes Your Guide To Black Cardamom Originating back to India, black cardamom is a popular spice used for its strong and overwhelming flavour across the world. You might’ve come across this unique spice in dishes such as Indian curries, getting a strong smoky aroma. Savoury dishes like...

Reading Time: 7 minutes All you need to know Sambal. Food is one thing that connects people, and when you experience new food items or new dishes, you learn many new things about the heritage and lifestyles. Every country has its flavours and ingredients, and food has a wide variety...

Reading Time: 8 minutes Your One Stop Place For All Things Aji Amarillo There are many kinds of varieties of food items available worldwide, like chillies, spices, and other food-related items. Some have incredibly unique and intense flavours, which can elevate any dish to the next level. One of those...

Reading Time: 8 minutes Learn everything about oats, the king of the breakfast table Regardless of the season, oats are almost always found on the breakfast table. Oats are sought after for their unique taste and texture, coupled with the nutrition and satisfying warmth they provide. Besides being a breakfast...

Reading Time: 10 minutes Plant based sausages – Worth The Hype? Although there are a few constants, eating trends these days change continuously. You’ll see a newer, healthier option crop up every few days. The reason for this is that people are growing increasingly conscious of what they eat, as...

Reading Time: 7 minutes All you need to know about storing Prosecco Today we will be exploring the question: How Long Does Prosecco Last? Food isn’t just about nourishment; rather, it’s about enjoying an experience that brings us closer together. When we eat with our loved ones, we get an...

Reading Time: 7 minutes So you want to start enjoying Vermouth… Vermouth is a fortified wine that is seasoned with spices and herbs. It comes in two styles, i.e. dry vermouth and sweet vermouth. Dry vermouth is whitish in colour as compared to its counterpart, which is red in colour....

Reading Time: 5 minutes A Helpful Hand when Dealing With Fresh Yeast If you love baking bread or pizza at home, you probably know about fresh yeast, a.k.a. baker’s yeast. It is a vital ingredient in baking bread or other baking goods. However, it is a huge debate whether fresh...

Reading Time: 5 minutes All the reasons why your cake not cooked in middle Cooking isn’t as straightforward as it may seem, and there are many different types of cooking and cuisines to try. Cooking savoury is much different from making desserts, and the latter often requires immense precision. If...

Reading Time: 7 minutes Your Guide to Freezing Bread again, again & again! There is no denying that bread is a staple and refreezing bread is a handy way to make the leftover bread last longer. If you are a home baker and don’t want to bake bread from scratch...

Reading Time: 10 minutes Why a Sour Should Be Your Next Pint It may seem like sour beers are a new trend. However, sour beers have been around for centuries and their popularity has increased in recent years. It’s only been in the last few years that the craft beer...

Reading Time: 7 minutes What is kosher salt UK, and why you need to add it to your diet. Salt is the key ingredient in cooking anywhere in the world. It gives your meal the perfect taste and enhances the flavour of any dish. Without salt, your food will taste...

Reading Time: 5 minutes Why you need to switch to coconut wraps today Having food with flatbreads is no new concept to the southeast, but it is a novel, fascinating concept as we begin heading towards the west. Nowadays, however, flatbreads are becoming increasingly popular, and none more so than...

Reading Time: 7 minutes The Ultimate Guide to the World’s Favourite Tomatoes San Marzano tomatoes are heavily marketed and considered as Lamborghini of canned tomatoes varieties all over the world. These red Italian tomatoes are sold with high price tags as compared to other Italian tomatoes. According to loyalists, this...

Reading Time: 9 minutes Fresh Meat Vs Frozen Meat Different cultures over the world have different cuisines, each vastly different from the last. However, some foods remain a staple no matter where you go. Meat is an incredibly popular part of people’s diets all across the globe. There’s nothing as...

Reading Time: 5 minutes Why You Should Give American Cheese a Chance Forget the apple pie, one of America’s greatest contributions to the culinary world is its cheese. American Cheese is unbeatable in its consistency and its flavour is enough to complement any sandwich and burger. But it is not...

Reading Time: 5 minutes Why Heritage Cooking Needs to be on your radar The evolution of cooking is an exciting journey and left us with a history of heritage cooking. Have you ever wondered how people cook in the olden days when no proper crockery and facilities of fuel and...

Reading Time: 7 minutes All you need to know about Tapioca Pearls Thanks to TikTok,  the world has witnessed an increasing number of foods trends. Be it a homecooked meal or food from out, we absolutely love trying new food.  One of those trends which have taken the world by...

Reading Time: 7 minutes Add tamarind paste to your food for an unforgettable taste People eat different types of foods around the world and have a variety of different flavours and cuisines. Some of them like mild, mellow flavours, some may like sweet but unique flavours. Others may want to...

Reading Time: 7 minutes All you need to know about the various types of potatoes The health benefits of incorporating many vegetables and fruits in your diet are well known. These ingredients help you counteract the effects of living an otherwise unhealthy lifestyle and help you stay fit. While there...

Reading Time: 7 minutes Why you need an oil pourer to make cooking easier Several ingredients are a huge part of our cooking routines, but none more so than oil. Whether you’re making something sweet or savoury, oil is an essential ingredient. It adds a rich fattiness to any dish,...

Reading Time: 5 minutes Why Gochujang Paste needs a place in your kitchen cabinet While all global cuisines have their charm, Asian cuisines are incredibly appealing and delicious. They have the perfect blend of sweet and savoury flavours and are also extremely fresh. Asian food is bursting with flavour, and...

Reading Time: 10 minutes Types of Honey and Their Uses Honey is a sweet, nutritious liquid that is taken out from the nectar of flowers by the bees. Each buzz these busy bees make is very healthy and nutritious for us as it gives us honey. Different types of Honey...

Reading Time: 6 minutes Everything you need to know about Mutton There are various ingredients that we add to our diet to help us have an enjoyable meal and help us eat well. For a well-rounded, nutritious meal, our food needs to have a good amount of carbs, protein, and...

Reading Time: 5 minutes Cooking with Perilla Leaves 101 While there are various ingredients we use to enhance the taste of our foods, herbs are the best way to take your cooking to the next level. They add a subtle yet incredibly delicious layer to any dish and make it...

Reading Time: 5 minutes Why a salt pig is the best addition to your kitchen. People are very selective when they are buying things for their homes, and rightfully so. You want something that isn’t just functional but transforms your home into a more welcoming space. The kitchen is a...

Reading Time: 7 minutes Discover How Sumac Is a Game-changer in the Kitchen When you’re cooking, you use various spices and herbs to give your food added flavour and depth. These additions help take your food to the next level and let you create something mouth-watering. While some basic spices...

Reading Time: 7 minutes Weird food combinations you need to try When it comes to food, you can either be traditional or innovative. Food isn’t just a way for us to satisfy our cravings, but it’s a way to be creative. While some ingredients traditionally pair well together, there are...

Reading Time: 6 minutes All the answers if you’re wondering can you freeze Crème Fraiche. There are several popular condiments that we use in the kitchen, each with its importance. Some are more versatile, while others are strictly for special occasions. While we may not dream of making such condiments...

Reading Time: 9 minutes Everything you need to know about 10 Italian cheeses There are few things as delicious as fresh cheese. Cheese is something that goes well with just about anything. You can add it to savoury dishes to give them a luscious, creamy texture and taste, or pair...

Reading Time: 5 minutes What Is A Yuzu? Its Uses and Health Benefits Yuzu fruit, the superfood from Japan is considered ugly due to its lumpy physique. However, it’s perfectly tart, tangy, and tropical flavours paired with numerous health benefits have got everyone’s attention. Let’s learn more about this Japanese...

Reading Time: 5 minutes All you need to know about White Balsamic Vinegar White balsamic vinegar is one of the most important pantry staples that make room in a small pantry too. It is a milder version of traditional balsamic vinegar, which is made with white wine vinegar and aged...

Reading Time: 7 minutes Should you make the switch to low-calorie ice cream? On a hot summer’s day, there can be nothing better than a creamy, airy scoop of ice cream. It’s something beloved by both adults and children alike, and for many good reasons. Chocolate lovers and fruit lovers...

Reading Time: 6 minutes Learn a few Fixes to your Watery Curry! Curry is an essential part of many cuisines. We’ve already done a couple of articles about reheating a curry and cooling down a curry, but what happens when your curry is too watery? We are here to learn:...

Reading Time: 5 minutes What’s the deal with Collard Greens? Collard, colewort or collard greens is a form of cabbage belonging to the mustard family. This plant contains vital minerals, Vitamin A and C and it’s one of the common leafy green vegetables used in a variety of recipes. What...

Reading Time: 6 minutes Provolone Cheese 101 We independently research, test, and recommend the best products just for you. In order to keep this site going,  we may receive commissions on some of the purchases made from the links below. If you say Provolone cheese is the middle child of...

Reading Time: 6 minutes All you need to know about How to cool down a curry The best thing a foodie can ever eat in your life is a curry. That is why travellers and people all over the world prefer curry whenever they visit a restaurant. Curry is a...

Reading Time: 5 minutes How To Dry Basil Leaves – Complete Guide One of the brightest tasting herbs to have in the kitchen is basil. The best thing about this herb is that it’s just as good even if it’s dried. Basil is very easy to grow in a home...

Reading Time: 5 minutes Fontina Cheese and All About it! Fontina cheese is produced from cows milk. Its production started in Italy in the 12th century and is one of the oldest forms of cheese present. Discover everything you need to know about Fontina cheese right here, right now!  What...

Reading Time: 5 minutes Sesame Oil 101 – Your Guide Sesame oil is a plant-based cooking oil that is made from sesame seeds. It is popular in Asian cooking, including the Middle East, Chinese, Japanese, and South Indian dishes. Toasted sesame oil made with toasted seeds that are used in...

Reading Time: 6 minutes Wholegrain Mustard 101 If there is one that we absolutely love adding to our food, it’s wholegrain mustard. Wholegrain mustard has a variety of flavours that pair perfectly with sandwiches, snacks and different kinds of meat. It is prepared mustard with mustard seeds. It has a...

Reading Time: 5 minutes All you need to know about fast action yeast Whether you are an expert baker or you are trying to make bread or other leavened bread for the first time, selecting the right kind of yeast and prepping the baked goods is very important. Fast action...

Reading Time: 5 minutes What is an edible gold leaf – A comprehensive guide Edible gold leaf is a gold product that is used to garnish food items. It is made of pure gold or sometimes a mixture of gold and silver. As its name suggests, it is edible as...

Reading Time: 5 minutes The best Mezzaluna knives to upgrade your cooking experience They say a man is only as good as his tools, and this rule applies in the kitchen, especially. If you enjoy cooking or even do it as a necessity, you’ll know that doing even the simplest...

Reading Time: 6 minutes The Definitive Guide to the Tastiest Tinned Tomatoes in the UK! The world loves tomatoes. We love them all equally in their various shapes and sizes and if we could, they would be incorporated into every meal. But when it comes to the best tinned tomatoes....

Reading Time: 6 minutes All the reasons you need to start cooking with cardamom pods There are many ingredients you can use to add a more complex flavour to your dishes. Cardamom is one spice that has an incredibly unique taste. If you haven’t explored various ingredients too much, you’ll...

Reading Time: 5 minutes The different ways you can use Padron peppers in the kitchen Any chef will know that spices are what make any dish shine. Spices don’t just give a fiery hit to your food; instead, they have an incredibly diverse flavour palette. Peppers and spices can give...

Reading Time: 5 minutes Everything you need to know about Mortadella Mortadella is an Italian cold cut made from cured pork meat with origins in Bologna. It is produced primarily in central and northern Italy. Mortadella is an emulsified sausage that is made of cured pork which is composed of...

Reading Time: 6 minutes Muscovado Sugar – The Best Sugar Alternative? With the various health drawbacks of white, refined sugar coming to light, many switch to alternative sweeteners. However, artificial sweeteners don’t give us the oomph that white sugar does. What if we were to tell you that there’s a...

Reading Time: 6 minutes Jelly Setting Tips & More! Despite being one of the easier desserts to make, jelly isn’t half stressful. It starts off fairly straightforward but the doubt starts creeping in when the jelly has been in the fridge for about 2 hours and hasn’t even started to...

Reading Time: 6 minutes 5 Best Dosa Pans to Make Perfect Dosas At Home Buying a dosa pan isn’t easy. There are so many dosa pans to choose from out there and all of them claim to make the best dosas. So, to make things easier for you, we have...

Reading Time: 5 minutes A Guide on Japanese Style Grilled Meat – Yakiniku Sushi or Ramen might be the first thing that comes to your mind when you think about Japanese Cuisine, but there are several other dishes to try that let you learn more about the Japanese culture and...

Reading Time: 5 minutes Why Hard Kombucha is the Best, New Way to Drink Food trends come and go, and only a few can exert their influence and stick around. If you keep yourself updated with all the new trends, you’ve undoubtedly heard of hard kombucha by now. Hard kombucha...

Reading Time: 6 minutes Why a rice dispenser is indispensable for your kitchen Rice is a staple food across the globe, and for a good reason. It can give you all the energy you need, all in a tasty, fluffy bundle. Rice gives you the carbohydrates you need to power...

Reading Time: 5 minutes Steaming Vs Boiling Vegetables – Which Is Better? When it comes to cooking vegetables, what do you prefer? Steaming or boiling? Regardless of your preference, these are two acceptable and popular methods of preparing vegetables. If you are inclined to preserve the colour, flavour, and nutrients,...

Reading Time: 5 minutes What Is Burrata? Everything you need to know about this Cheesy Delight There is no surprise that anyone loves a dish with cheese in it, especially Italian cheese. But there is just something different about burrata. The delicately soft, cool and creamy cheese is a perfect...

Reading Time: 5 minutes What is Monk Fruit Sweetener? Why Is It So Popular? People have started to switch to healthier food options nowadays. They are not just buying organic food but avoiding sugar consumption by choosing alternative sweeteners. One such alternative is Monk fruit. Monk fruit sweeteners have been...

Reading Time: 6 minutes A Wok Burner is Exactly What your Cooking is Missing! Cooking is an art that requires not just skill, but the right tools as well. You need to know the food that you are cooking, the palette to know what flavours work well together, and the...

Reading Time: 5 minutes Solved: Does Baileys go off? With Christmas just around the corner, it’s time to take inventory of the drinks cupboard and ensure your supply is fit for purpose. Stocking up on your favourite drinks just before Christmas is an annual tradition (at least in the UK!)...

Reading Time: 5 minutes What Is Chestnut Puree?? Chestnuts are a bit like Michael Bublé. They are absolutely everywhere over the Christmas period but as soon as the festive season is over, they return to their hiding place. Come to think of it, I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone...

Reading Time: 6 minutes Bamboo Steamer – Do you need one? Thinking buying a bamboo steamer but not sure if you are going to use it often? Well, we did buy one and we do actually use it quite a lot.  A bamboo steamer works wonder whether you want to...

Reading Time: 6 minutes Know Your Flours & When To Use Them We’ve all been there. The recipe calls for plain flour but all you have in the cupboard is self-raising flour. It should be fine, right? Wrong. Plain flour and self-raising flour are different and will have dramatically different...

Reading Time: 6 minutes SOLVED: How Long Does Wine Actually Last After It’s Opened? Some days just call for a glass of wine.  But, unless you are rocking a collection of single-serving bottles in your fridge that are just ready to go (if you are, congratulations, you have made it...

Reading Time: 6 minutes How Much Pasta Per Person is the Right Serving Size? To this day, I have never met anyone who doesn’t like pasta. In fact, I can’t even imagine what someone who hates pasta would even look like. To be honest, I think pasta haters are just...

Reading Time: 6 minutes Get a tofu press to revamp your entire tofu experience! Going vegan often requires a total change in your diet. We have to do away with so many products that we have grown up eating, and this can be pretty challenging. However, once you start transitioning,...

Reading Time: 5 minutes Everything about double yolk eggs explained Making your breakfast in the morning is probably the last time you expect to get any surprises. But sometimes a certain situation can take you by surprise. If you’ve ever cracked open an egg to make your morning omelette or...

Reading Time: 5 minutes Keep Your Roasties Crisp & Fluffy. Read our helpful guide and learn how to reheat roast potatoes in a range of different ways. When it comes to food, usually the humblest ones are the ones we love the most. Regardless of age, classics like roast chicken,...

Reading Time: 5 minutes More than you will ever need to know about Masa Harina! I can hear you asking right now, what is Masa Harina? Well, Masa Harina is the main ingredient in corn tortilla and tamale.  Masa Harina is Spanish for Flour Dough. It’s a gluten-free flour made...

Reading Time: 5 minutes Understand the difference between stew and casserole to perfect both dishes! With the winter months rolling around the corner, it’s time for us all to brush up on our comfort food recipes. These slow-cooked, rich and hearty dishes seem like a cosy sweater on a chilly...

Reading Time: 5 minutes How To Preserve Chili Peppers Understanding how to store chillies or preserving chillies can be very helpful in keeping them for a long time, especially if you have bought them in large quantities or if you have grown your own seedling. Having your peppers available in...

Reading Time: 5 minutes What are the best substitutes for bay leaves? Bay leaves, also referred to as laurel leaves, are commonly used to enhance the flavour and aroma. Bay leaves are native to the Mediterranean region, but they are popular all around the world. They are commonly used in...

Reading Time: 5 minutes All the best wood chips for smoking and elevating any barbecue to the next level. With fall now upon us, it’s time for us all to whip out our grills, lawn chairs, and smokers. There can be nothing more perfect than an evening barbeque in the...

Reading Time: 7 minutes Looking for a list of the most useful & up-to-date food waste facts, figures & statistics?  Well you are in the right place! Instead of providing old or irrelevant data for reference and sharing in your articles, we regularly update our research with the latest research...