Cooking Basics

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: 8 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: 6 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 the dish with cheese in it. But there is just something different about burrata. The delicately soft, cool and creamy cheese is a perfect partner for any...

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...

Reading Time: 5 minutes Everything you Need to Know About Anchovy Fillets Almost everyone loves the small forage fish, anchovy, but very few know how to cook with anchovy fillets. If you talk to any experienced home cook or chef, they will tell you anchovies are their secret weapons when it...

Reading Time: 6 minutes An Ultimate Guide to Reheating Porridge Porridge is the best breakfast option that not only digests slowly but also keeps you full for a long time. Above all, it is very healthy and has a great nutrition value. But it’s cooking process takes around 25 minutes...

Reading Time: 5 minutes Figure out how much dried chili equals fresh & take your cooking to the next level! When we think of cooking essentials, what comes to mind the most is salt. Of course, without proper seasoning with salt, any dish can be bland and tasteless. However, it...

Reading Time: 5 minutes Tarragon Substitutes to Make your Food Shine! When it comes to cooking, it’s often the smaller ingredients that pack the most of the punch. The subtle yet distinct aromas of these ingredients can add an unparalleled complexity. This is why, in most cuisines around the world,...

Reading Time: 2 minutes Oven Temperature Conversion Chart There is nothing worse than discovering a great looking recipe, only to find the oven temperatures are listed in Fahrenheit but you use gas or celsius.  Sounds like what you need is an oven conversion chart!  The number of times I have...

Reading Time: 5 minutes Cooking and Reheat Couscous – All You Need to Know Couscous is a North African dish made of tiny balls of semolina. It’s readily available as instant food in the grocery shop these days. It’s cooked like pasta. You simply boil it up. But have you...

Reading Time: 5 minutes How Long You Can Safely Leave the Slow Cooker On If you are a die-hard fan of the drama series This Is Us and your heart broke after finding how Jack Pearson died, you must be worried about using your slow cooker. Hence, it’s fair to...

Reading Time: 5 minutes Ever taken a bite of something and been left with an explanation sensation in your mouth? Perhaps a savoury and meaty taste despite there being now meat in whatever you’ve eaten? If that sounds familiar to you, then you have just experienced the little known 5th...

Reading Time: 4 minutes What is Catalan Chicken? You’ve likely come across Catalan chicken in some way shape or form before, but have you ever actually stopped to think about what it is? Well we have and we were pretty surprised to say the least! There are two stories to...

Reading Time: 6 minutes A momentary lapse of concentration. Perhaps the phone rings or someone knocks at your door and you leave your post. By the time you head back, you see it. You are filled with dread as you curse the disturbance and race through all of your next...

Reading Time: 4 minutes The cereal aisle at any supermarket can be a daunting place. You’ve got hundreds of bright coloured boxes all vying for your attention and for you to take them home. In our case, we often head straight to the granola section and pick the best sounding...

Reading Time: 6 minutes Looking to stretch your culinary wings and discover the wealth of flavours Japanese cooking has to offer? Well your first stop should be discovering where to buy miso. Miso is a staple in Japanese cooking and with over 482,000 tonnes of miso being produced in 2017,...

Reading Time: 5 minutes If you have ever made any Japanese food at home, you have no doubt seen the mention of this mysterious, yet essential component: Mirin. Mirin is used throughout Japanese cooking and is a key ingredient in well-known sauces like teriyaki. But have you ever stopped and...

Reading Time: 4 minutes Have you ever been in a supermarket aisle with the sole objective of acquiring some Creamed Coconut only to be faced with what seems like an impossible challenge?  Staring right back at you from the shelf you have Creamed Coconut, Coconut Cream, Coconut Milk & Coconut...

Reading Time: 8 minutes Looking for a list of the most interesting home cooking statistics uk? Well you are in the right place! We have compiled 21 of the most interesting statistics on home cooking the UK has to offer. For each stat, we have provided the source just in...

Reading Time: 9 minutes We’ve all been there. You’ve had one too many with the lads or girls and you think it’s a great idea to get a curry delivered at 1am. When it arrives, you dig in only to discover you ordered a meal fit for a family of...

Reading Time: 5 minutes Have you ever made a recipe that requires double cream? Of course you have! You’ve probably also wondered “Can you freeze double cream?” right? Well you have come to the right place! Double cream is a key ingredient in soups, desserts, soups, pasta and more! This...

Reading Time: 5 minutes Whether it’s on the shelf of a restaurant or your kitchen, you can see red pepper flakes everywhere. There’s no doubt that we all have used or experienced red pepper flakes on our food, at least once. But have you ever wondered what they are? Questions...

Reading Time: 3 minutes Chop Garlic Without Smelling for Days! Garlic is incredible. It tastes great, it smells great both before and after cooking, and it can really take a dish to the next level. If it were socially acceptable, we would put garlic in everything. The only issue with...

Reading Time: 4 minutes How to Use a Pizza Stone Is nothing better than tucking into a fresh, incredible tasting pizza that you have made with your bare hands in the comfort of your own home? The answer is no. There is nothing better. People think that to enjoy pizza...

Reading Time: 3 minutes Ricotta what? If you have ever cooked, eaten or seen Italian food before, it’s like you have come across Ricotta Cheese. If you haven’t, then it’s about time you came out from under your rock. We have electric cars & Bluetooth kettles now it’s great. For...

Reading Time: 3 minutes What Do Bay Leaves Do? Do They Actually Taste of Anything?! Since the dawn of time man has asked the simple question off: What Does a Bay Leaf actually do? The rather dull looking leaf (by leaf standards anyway) is used in recipes worldwide by professional...

Reading Time: 3 minutes Is there anything worse than when you psych yourself up for an incredible tasting pasta dish, only to be let down by the cheese clumping in the sauce?! A clumpy pasta sauce will ruin the smooth and velvety texture that is required for the majority of...