You can leave basil leaves whole and add them to salads and hot dishes toward the end of cooking, tear them into pieces for more capricious basil flavor, or thinly slice them. To avoid bruising the basil, slide a sharp knife down and across the basil with a deliberate, smooth stroke. A clean cut will darken the leaves less than a pounding cut.
To slice basil, first stack the leaves together.
You can either roll them up like a cigar and slice through them to make a chiffonade, or just slice away at them as they are.
Unlike champagne and asiago cheese (and scores of other foods and drinks), which must be made in a certain area to be considered the real thing (and labeled as such), Dijon mustard does not have to be made in Dijon, France.
In fact, most of the world's Dijon mustard is not made in Dijon, France.
So what makes a Dijon a Dijon? Well, all mustard is made by mixing ground mustard seeds (white, yellow, brown, or black) with vinegar, water, grape must, and other liquids. What makes a mustard a "Dijon mustard" is the use of wine must and white wine which -- in combination with brown and/or black mustard seeds, cloves, cinnamon and other spices and herbs -- give Dijon mustard its distinctive tangy flavor.
Reference: What does "emulsify" mean?
Recipe: Fettucine With Salmon, Lentils, Mustard And Cream
Recipe: Grilled Herb-Mustard Chicken Breasts
Recipe: Superfantastic Brussels Sprouts (VeganYumYum)
Why does Cookthink use red pepper flakes in so many recipes?
Why does Cookthink use red pepper flakes in so many recipes?
We use red pepper flakes so often that we've come to think of them as the third standard seasoning, after salt and pepper.
Why do we use red pepper flakes in so many recipes?
We use it as a flavor highlighter. In addition to the fives tastes -- sweet, sour, salty, bitter and umami -- our tongues detect capsaicin, the main ingredient found in any hot chile. The heat of capsaicin in red pepper flakes "points up" the taste of ingredients they season. So, no matter what tastes and flavors you have going on in a dish, a pinch of red pepper flakes will help clarify and those tastes and flavors without necessarily adding heat (though you can add plenty of heat by adding red pepper flakes).
Experiment with red pepper flakes by starting out with a pinch in a dish like this Fusilli with Broccoli Raab and Parmesan. Increase (or decrease) the amount you use to get a sense of how much you like to add.
Recipe: New York Strip With Spicy Gremolata Dressing (Cookthink)
Reference: Measuring freshly ground black pepper (Cookthink)
A vegetarian's friend, lentils are petite legume seeds that come whole or split in a variety of colors. Popular throughout the world, brown European lentils are the most common, if not the most delicious, variety. Because they tend to grow mushy when cooked, they are often used as a base for lentil soup.
The dark green-blue lentilles vertes du Puy are considered by many the apex of lentildom. These French lentils hold their shape and have a richer texture than common European lentils. Smaller and rounder orange (or red or yellow) lentils are more widely used in Asian cuisines.
Lentils are used in soups, stews and the Indian dish known as dal. Lentils eaten with rice are a common meat substitute in India, as they contain high amounts of protein as well as iron, phosphorus, calcium and vitamins A and B. The French, on the other hand, like to pair lentils with smoked pork sausage or bacon lardons.
Recipe: Lentil Salad With Garlic Vinaigrette
Recipe: Quickish Country Lentil Soup (Hogwash)
Recipe: Lentils Crostini With Ricotta And Basil
The easiest way to store basil is in a ziploc bag, tucked away in the refrigerator.
The trick here is to manage the moisture content in the bag. If you notice that too much water accumulates in the bag and turns the leaves dark, slip a few pieces of folded paper towel inside the bag between the basil and the plastic. The paper towel will absorb the water, but release enough of it to keep the air inside humid.
If the basil still has roots, you can put the roots in a small cup of water, cover the leaves with a plastic or ziploc bag, and secure the bag around the cup with a rubber band (or just tuck the bag underneath the cup). This method takes up a little more room in the refrigerator, and we haven't noticed that the roots extend the life of the basil that much.
Reference: How to prep basil (Cookthink)
Recipe: Watermelon Basil Agua Fresca (Coconut & Lime)
Recipe: Prosciutto, Mozzarella And Basil Pita Pizza (Cookthink)
Dark green-blue, high-protein, low-carb lentilles vertes du Puy are considered by many the apex of lentildom. These French lentils, which are grown in volcanic soil in the town of Le Puy in the Velay region of France, hold their shape and have a richer texture than common European lentils.
Recipe: Lentil Salad With Garlic Vinaigrette (Cookthink)
Recipe: Chicken, Lentil And Chard Soup (Cookthink)
