Food for Thought

  Emulsion is a mixture of one liquid with another with which it cannot normally combine smoothly – oil and water being the classic example. Emulsifying is done by slowly (sometimes drop-by-drop) adding one ingredient to another while at the same time mixing (whisking) rapidly. This disperses and suspends minute droplets of one liquid throughout

  Tis’ the season!! Hatch chili peppers are in season for much too short a time. You can find these in most grocery stores in late summer, August and September. These versatile chilies are named after the area in which they are grown, the Hatch Valley region running north and south along the Rio Grande

  Tempering eggs is the process of preventing eggs from clotting or cooking when placed  into to too high a temperature. To temper an egg you need a bowl and a whisk. Whisk the egg or eggs briefly in the bowl. Working with a few teaspoons or tablespoons at a time, add the hot mixture

The Mexican cheeses with which I am most familiar and use most often are Queso Fresco, Queso Blanco, Queso Añejo, Cotija, Oaxaca, Asadero and Panela. To be quite honest, many of these have the same texture and taste more or less the same. Cotija, queso fresco, asadero, queso blanco and panela, to me are very

While they originated from South Asia, Florida is prolific with mango trees. Growing up in Tampa, I was lucky to have three varieties of mangoes growing in our yard. One was the Hayden mango, my favorite, the other two we referred to as male mangoes and female mangoes. I have since learned that the male

After reading this article from Martha Stewart, I use canned Marzano tomatoes almost exclusively when a recipe calls for whole peeled tomatoes, tomato puree or crushed tomatoes. I think she covers the subject matter very comprehensively. https://www.marthastewart.com/7616623/san-marzano-tomatoes-explained  

Blooming is a process where you add warmed oil or water to a spice. A spice, such as saffron should be ground with a mortar and pestle or spice grinder and then added to the warmed oil or water and let sit for at least 10 minutes. This technique brings out the flavor of the

Beans and rice were a staple in our home, handed down from my grandparents who immigrated from Spain. My maternal grandfather ate rice and/or beans almost every day. Many of the recipes handed down by my grandmother include beans. The most used beans in our home were black beans, garbanzo beans (chickpeas), fabes, and white

HOW TO HALF AND THIRD A RECIPE How to 1/2 a Recipe 1/4 cup = 2 tablespoons 1/3 cup == 2 tablespoons+ 2 teaspoons 1/2 cup = 1/4 cup 2/3 cup = 1/3 cup 3/4 cup = 6 tablespoons 1 Tbsp = 1 1/2 teaspoons 1 Tsp = 1/2 teaspoon How to 1/3 a Reipe

Spanish Chorizo! How is it different from Mexican chorizo? Spanish chorizo is a a meat sausage that is air-cured or hard,  made with minced pork and pork fat. The red color of Spanish chorizo is derived from generous amounts of pimenton (paprika) and encased in pork intestines. Depending on the type of paprika used, Spanish