Bloody Mary
Bloody Mary Pronounce it: blud-ee meah-ree Reliably considered the best possible cure for a hangover, this long tomato juice and vodka-based drink might actually work. First, it is restoring some of the hydration that drinking…
B
Blueberry
Blueberry Pronounce it: bloo-bear-ee Blueberries are one of the few edibles native to North America and credited with being particularly high in antioxidants. They’re now grown very widely internationally but the ever-increasing number of varieties…
Brandy
Brandy Pronounce it: bran-dee Brandy is a distilled spirit made from virtually any fermented fruit or starchy vegetable. Distilling concentrates and helps purify the ethanol alcohol created by the fermentation; ethanol is an intoxicant used…
Bamboo shoots
Bamboo shoots Pronounce it: bam-boo shoo-tz As expected, these are the very young shoots of many types of bamboo. They must be thoroughly cooked before use because most will contain elements poisonous to human beings….
Body – light, medium, full
Body – light, medium, full Pronounce it: bo-dee One of the useful ways to distinguish between wines is to indicate the body of the wine. It’s an indicator of the way the wine feels in…
Butternut squash
Butternut squash Pronounce it: buttah-nut skwash Butternut squash is one of the most popular varieties of winter squash or pumpkins. That is, types that are long keepers rather than short, such as summer’s courgettes. All squash are native to…
Brussels sprouts
Brussels sprouts Pronounce it: bruss-ell spr-ow-t The quintessential Christmas dinner veg, Brussels sprouts are throught to have been cultivated in Belgium in the 16th century – hence the name. Although they’re related to cabbage –…
Balsamic vinegar
Balsamic vinegar Pronounce it: bal-sam-ick vin-ee-gah True Balsamic vinegar is an artisan product from Modena, in Emilia Romagna, Italy, and is made with grape must (juice) that is simmered to make a concentrate, allowed to…
Bramley apple
Bramley apple Pronounce it: bram-lee app-el A large, flattish cooking apple, green in appearance but sometimes with specks of red. The flesh is white, juicy and acidic and when boiled it turns into a frothy…
Beansprouts
Beansprouts Pronounce it: been sp-rowts The two most common beansprouts are the green-capped mung bean and the bigger, yellow-capped soy bean. Widely seen as a major, somehow magic, ingredient, beansprouts have little more nutrition than other…