FOOD 101: Chile Or Chili or Chilli or…Pepper?

[1] Assorted chiles that are popular in U.S. kitchens (photo courtesy Melissa’s). [2] Cayenne chiles (photo courtesy Good Eggs).   Wild chiles have been a part of the diet in the Americas since about 7500 B.C.E. While the first chile may have been domesticated in Bolivia, the oldest known traces of have been found in…
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TIP OF THE DAY: Shichimi Togarashi

Many Americans like to shake hot sauce on their food. But what about hot spices? In addition to black pepper and chile flakes, there’s shichimi togarashi (she-CHEE-me toe-gah-RAH-she—photo #1). Known simply as shichimi in Japan, it’s a seven-ingredient spice blend (shichi is “seven” in Japanese, togarashi is red pepper). The spice blend dates at least…
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FOOD 101: The Differences Between Table Salt & Sea Salt

[1] Table salt. Functional, but not the best (photo courtesy Tablecraft)./font> [2] Fleur de sel, a favorite of chefs harvested off the Atlantic coast of France. It’s a type of sel gris, the category of gray salt (photo courtesy Saltworks). The unique pyramid-shaped crystals of Maldon River salt from England (photo © Stephen Upson). [4]…
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TIP OF THE DAY: Harissa & How To Use It

[1] Homemade harissa paste. Here’s a template to make your signature recipe (photo © Slow Burning Passion). [2] A classic Tunisian dish, shakshouka, punches up the tomato sauce with harissa (photo © A Better Happier St. Sebastian). [3] Hot harissa ports easily to American cuisine, such as this baked squash with maple syrup and pomegranate…
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TIP OF THE DAY: Make Dry Rubs For Meat & Poultry

[1] Take a look at the spices and herbs you own. Look for recipes online or use your own palate to choose what to use on your meat. These are some of the ingredients used in rubs for wild game by Wide Open Spaces. [2] Pick what you want for your blend. Use smaller amounts…
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