Most of the heat in a chile pepper -- whether jalapeño, serrano, habanero, or another -- comes from the white ribs and seeds. Removing both reduces the chile's heat and allows more of the pepper's flavor to come through.
First, cut the pepper in half lengthwise. If you want the halves to stay intact for larger slices or a large dice, just trim out the seeds and ribs, cut out the stem, and slice the pepper as thick or thin as you like.
Otherwise, it's easier to get the seeds and ribs out if you cut each half in half again.
To get the seeds and ribs out, hold each quarter by the end. With the knife parallel to the cutting board, slice across the ribs and seeds. When you get to the top of the pepper, turn the knife downward toward the cutting board and chop off the stem with the same motion. (Here, we used a Granton Santoku knife; you may prefer a smaller paring knife.)
Reference: Help! I ate a hot pepper! (Cookthink)
Reference: How to seed a chile pepper (Cookthink)
Reference:: Why are some jalapenos hotter than others? (Cookthink)
What's the difference between white and brown eggs?
What's the difference between white and brown eggs?
Don't judge an egg by its shell. Whether an eggshell is white or brown is determined by the breed of the hen who laid the eggs. It has absolutely nothing to do with taste or nutritional value.
The only time you may want to consider the color of the eggs you're buying is around Easter and Passover time, since white eggs work better for dyeing and decorating purposes.
Cumin is the dried seed of an aromatic plant that has a dusty, vaguely bitter taste and a distinctive smell. Cumin seeds can be used whole, fried in oil to release their aroma; or ground into a powder.
Most cumin seeds are light brown in color, but they are also available in white (similar to the brown in flavor) and black (which has a more peppery taste). Cumin seeds look a lot like caraway seeds.
You can find references to cumin in the Bible, where it was cited as a flavor-enhancer for soup and bread. The Romans used it to preserve meat and broil fish and it was popular in the Middle Ages. Today, cumin seeds are used to spice up Munster cheese, to make Indian and Pakistani curries and to add flavor to Tex-Mex chili. Cumin is also popular in many cuisines of the world, including Middle Eastern, Mexican, Eastern European and Mediterranean.
During the Middle Ages, cumin was believed to keep loved ones (and chickens) from straying; likewise, brides and grooms carried cumin seeds during the wedding ceremony as a happy marriage charm.
A tortilla is a Latin American flatbread, a pancake-like disc made from masa harina or wheat flour and baked on a griddle.
Though the bread itself predates the arrival of Europeans in the Americas, the name of the bread came from the Spanish, because it resembled an Iberian omelet (traditionally made with potatoes or salt cod) called a "tortilla" (which you can still find at most any tapas bar).
Tortillas can be eaten on their own, or used as an envelope for burritos, tacos, quesadillas or enchiladas. They can be cut up and fried or baked to make tortilla chips. Stale tortillas can be toasted or deep-fried whole to make a tostada shell for salad.
Recipe: Shrimp Tacos With Cabbage, Avocado, Feta And Cilantro (Cookthink)
Recipe: Black Bean And Carrot Burritos With Cilantro (Cookthink)
Recipe: Potato And Cheese Enchiladas (Washington Post)
Recipe: More Tortilla Recipes at Cookthink.com
Here's a fast, organized way to slice a bell pepper. First, cut off the top end. You can use the flesh around the stem, so save it to prep at the end.Next cut off the bottom. Save it to slice or dice at the end, too.Split the pepper from top to bottom with a single cut.Pull out and dscard the core and seeds.Now you're left with relatively flat sections. You can slice them to any thickness, in any direction. For stir-frys, slice the pieces into long thin strips.To make larger irregular slices for longer-coooking dishes like braises and stews, rotate the sections back and forth as you slice.
Cream cheese is a soft, unripened mixture of cream and milk that contains at least 33% fat. Its spreadable quality and mild flavor have made it a popular topping for bagels, toast and or crackers. It's also commonly used for flavor and texture in dips, omelettes, soups, frostings and cakes.
The original cream cheese is credited to New York dairyman, William Lawrence, who sold his cheese under the "Philadelphia" label because that city had a reputation for high-quality foods at that time (late 19th century). Eventually, Lawrence sold his company to the Phoenix Cheese Company of New York. Years later, it was sold again to Kraft.
Cream cheese's predecessor, American neufchâtel, is experiencing a renaissance of sorts because it has less fat and a lighter texture than its more popular cousin. Distinct from French neufchâtel, which has a rind, American neufchâtel is unripened and spreadable like cream cheese.
With a spice grinder on hand, you can buy spices whole so they retain their flavor longer, toast them whole if you like then quickly grind them with a couple of pulses of the grinder.
Use a mortar and pestle if you've got time and don't mind the elbow grease; otherwise an inexpensive electric coffee grinder is great for the task.
When you use a coffee grinder to grind spices, remember not to use it to grind coffee or cloves, since the flavors of both will haunt the grinder and taint the flavor of whatever it is you want to grind.
To clean the grinder and remove the flavor of other spices between uses, try grinding up some chunks of white bread or uncooked rice, which will clean out any traces of previously ground spices before your next use.
Reference: What is a mortar and pestle?
Reference: What is a spice paste good for?
Reference: Should I toast whole spices before grinding?
Black turtle beans, (usually just called black beans), are a high-protein, high-fiber legume especially popular in South American and Latin cooking. The beans are cultivated all over South and Central America, and an important part of national dishes such as feijoada from Brazil and Moros y Christianos from Cuba.
Like many beans and pulses, black beans have a meaty texture that holds up well in soups, rice dishes and as a filling for burritos and quesadillas. The flavor of black beans is reminiscent of mushrooms and adds earthy notes to a dish.
Black beans are usually a bit smaller than other types of cultivated legumes, like lima or kidney beans. As they cook, they develop a deep purple color.
Cilantro is the parsley of the East, where it's known as "coriander leaves" or "dhani". (In Mexico, where it's also very popular, it's sometimes called "Mexican parsley".)
If you like cilantro (and some people don't at all), the herb is an easy way to add a beautifully fresh, sweet, fruity flavor to any dish.
To prep it, first rinse and shake dry the leaves. Hold the bouquet at an angle with the leaves against the cutting board. Run your knife down the side of the bouquet to slice away the leaves. It's fine to remove some of the tender stems along with the leaves. (In fact, for salsas, spice pastes, curries and some longer-cooking dishes, the stems add essential, concentrated cilantro flavor.)
Now just run your knife back and forth across the pile of leaves, chopping them as coarsely or as finely as you need to. The closer to the end of the cooking you plan to add the cilantro, the finer you'll want to chop it. But since cilantro is so tender it's usually okay to keep the the chop coarse.
Now that you know how to prep it, try some cilantro recipes at Cookthink.com.
Why are some jalapenos hotter than others?
Why are some jalapenos hotter than others?
When it comes to peppers, being beautiful and popular does not make one hot. To wit, the year-round demand for prettier jalapenos has compromised some of the pepper's hotness.
To meet the demand, jalapeno breeding has promoted varieties that are flawlessly pretty, easy to ship and easier to grow in cooler climates. Jalapenos used to be grown mostly in the high deserts of New Mexico, Arizona, and Northern Chihuahua and Sonora, Mexico. Hot, dry climates promote the production of capsaicin, the chemical that makes a hot pepper hot. Now, some varieties can be grown in wetter, cooler climates that don’t create enough heat for a spicy chile pepper.
If you like a hot jalapeno, look for Biker Billy, Early and Mitla varieties. For a milder version, try Delicas or Tam.
Recipe: Mexican Pilaf With Cumin And Jalapeno (Cookthink)
Reference: Help! I ate a hot pepper! (Cookthink)
Reference: How to seed a chile pepper (Cookthink)
