Articles by admin

Pepper

Pepper

Pepper Pronounce it: pep-iz Also known as capsicums, bell peppers, sweet peppers or by their colours, for example red and yellow peppers. These are a non-hot member of a large family that varies enormously in size,…


Fleur de sel/ Flor de sal

Fleur de sel/ Flor de sal Fleur de sel (French) or Flor de sal (Spanish and Catalan) literally translates as ‘flower of salt’. It’s a flaky, hand-harvested sea salt with large crystals, usually formed by…


Aduki bean

Aduki bean Pronounce it: a-dook-ee beens The aduki bean is a tiny, reddish-brown bean with a cream coloured seam and sweet, nutty flavour. It is particularly popular in Asian cooking, most often used for sweet…


New potatoes

New potatoes

New potatoes Pronounce it: n-ew po-tate-oes New potatoes have thin, wispy skins and a crisp, waxy texture. They are young potatoes and unlike their fully grown counterparts, they keep their shape once cooked and cut….


Blanch

Blanch Pronounce it: bla-anch The process of plunging ingredients – usually vegetables and fruit – into boiling water briefly, then draining and refreshing them in cold water in order to stop the cooking process. Blanching…


Risotto rice

Risotto rice

Risotto rice To create an authentic creamy Italian risotto, the use of specialist rice is imperative. It comes in various forms and is usually very pale in colour, stubby and smooth in texture. Grains range…


Watercress

Watercress

Watercress Pronounce it: wort-er-cress With deep green leaves, and crisp, paler stems, watercress is related to mustard and is one of the strongest-tasting salad leaves available. It has a pungent, slightly bitter, peppery flavour and…


Blackcurrants

Blackcurrants Pronounce it: black-cuh-rant The most intensely coloured and flavoured of all currants, blackcurrants are highly aromatic and have a delicious tart flavour. Recent research findings suggest that eating blackcurrants can help prevent the onset…


Jackfruit

Jackfruit Pronounce it: jack-froot Jackfruit has become increasingly popular in the UK, featuring in vegan savoury dishes, including pulled jackfruit.  What is jackfruit? Jackfruit are extremely large compound fruit made of numerous yellow ‘bulbs’ of flesh…


Noble grape

Noble grape Pronounce it: no-ble grayp In the competitive, commercial world of wine, some grape varieties are more equal than others – the traditional varietals of the classic grape growing regions – and these are…