Author: CuisineWriter
Indian Cuisine
Photo by PublicDomainPictures India is huge; its geography and climate ranges from the landlocked mountains around Kashmir, to the fertile Ganges river valley, to the arid Deccan plateau, to the steamy coastal regions around Goa and Madras. Her cooking is as varied as her land, and so, with apologies to the illimitable reality, here is […]
Tamarind
Photo by tacowitte Tamarind, the sweet and sour fruit of the tamarind tree, is native to Asia and northern Africa and is also grown in the Caribbean. Like lemon, tamarind brings an acidic zing to food. Tamarind, along with a host of other flavors, gives Worcestershire sauce its je ne sais quoi. Sometimes, tamarind seeds are […]
Coconut Milk
Photo by ewige No, believe it or not, coconut milk — an indispensable ingredient in most Southeast Asian cooking — is not the liquid inside a coconut. It is made by soaking the grated flesh of a coconut in hot water or scalded milk, then straining the combination. Coconut milk is classified as thick, thin, or […]
The History of Restaurants
A Timeline of The Restaurant The hospitality industry has existed since the beginning of Western culture. People have always been forced to travel for one reason or another, which means there has always been someone there to make money from travelers. Food, a bed, shelter from the storm – these are things people have always […]
A Glossary of French Dishes
Photo by Kent Wang Axoa A specialty of Gascony made with seasoned ground veal, onions, and plenty of sweet and hot red peppers. Blanquette de veau This classic French stew is made from veal, mushrooms, and onions. The stew is first simmered in a white stock, then served in a velouté sauce finished with egg […]
English Cuisine
English food, at least the idea of it, has two very different sides in the imagination of the American culinary set. The first is the image of grey, boiled meat. In fact, boiled meat may well be the undeserved poster-boy of the loathed reputation for bland English food. The other side of British food, is […]
The Saffron Story
The Greek legend goes like this: a gorgeous mortal named Crocos fell hard for the nymph Smilax. Smilax rebuffed Crocos’ overtures and – poof! – Crocos became a lovely purple flower, Crocus sativus. Saffron is the dried stigmas of these flowers. Prized from Italy to China for its pungent flavor and rich color, the painstaking process […]
The Michelin Guide: Stars
The Michelin Guide awards restaurants between one and three stars, and they are coveted. Getting one, or one more, can create a legend; losing one can result in significant heartbreak. The Guide itself says that “certain establishments deserve to be brought to your attention” because of the quality of the cuisine served. Since the Michelin […]
Claude Troisgros
It never occurred to a young Claude Troisgros to question what he would be when he grew up. Cooking was in his blood. For three generations, the Troisgros family has provided France with some of its most innovative, most daring, and most renown chefs. Claude Troisgros’ grandfather Jean-Baptiste created an uproar in culinary circles when […]
A Short List of Menu Terms
A list of the most commonly used terms that you will most-often see in a menu. These terms are usually exact words or derivations from their originating country’s cuisine, so the country of origin is listed along with the term. Ahi Ahi is the Hawaiian name for yellowfin and bigeye tuna. Aioli (France) Aioli is […]