Coconut milk v. coconut cream v. cream of coconut
Coconut milk v. coconut cream v. cream of coconut
Coconut water is the liquid contained in a cracked fresh coconut. Both coconut milk and coconut cream are made by simmering shredded coconut meat and water and straining out the pulp. Coconut cream rises to the top of the milk and can be either skimmed off or mixed in to enrich it.
Coconut milk adds body and flavor to curries, stews, soups, rice dishes, desserts and more. But if you want to add richness to a dish, use coconut cream, which has less water and a thicker, more fatty and creamy consistency.
Note that coconut cream comes in unsweetened or sweetened versions, so be sure to choose the right kind according to your recipe or taste. Cream of coconut -- which also comes in powdered form -- is sweetened and often used in mixed drinks.
Kaffir lime leaves are wild leaves from a kaffir lime tree. Essential in Southeast Asian cuisine, kaffir lime leaves add a signature tanginess to traditional Thai dishes like Tom Yum soup or green curry paste.
Available dried, frozen or fresh at most Asian markets, the leaves grow in pairs that appear to be kissing.
Kaffir lime leaves can be used whole, like bay leaves, by adding one or two to a brothy soup or simmering curry. You can also cut them into thin strips and steam them with chopped chile peppers on top of fish or chicken. They freeze well.
If you can't find kaffir lime leaves, use regular lime zest instead. We use 1/2 teaspoon of zest in place of 1 kaffir lime leaf.
Ginger's brown outer peel looks tough, but it's not. It's so thin and light that you don't need a knife or vegetable peeler to peel it.
To start, break or cut off the the amount of ginger you need. Slice off any small protruding limbs to make the main piece easier to peel.
Hold the piece of ginger in one hand. With the tip of a spoon, scrape away the ginger's peel.
You'll be surprised by how little effort it takes to remove it. Because spoon tip is dull, it easily takes off the soft peel without wasting much of the aromatic flesh.
Once you've peeled the ginger, you're ready to prep it further.
Reference: How much is a thumb of ginger? (Cookthink)
Reference: How to mince ginger (Cookthink)
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)
Biting into a raw jalapeño will probably create quite a sting, but on the pepper scale of heat (the Scoville Scale), jalapeños are not really that hot. If you seed and core the pepper, you may not get any heat at all out of a jalapeño.
Some jalapeños are hotter than others. Mature peppers that are dark green and a little wrinkled will be hotter than younger ones. The hottest jalapeños are grown in the hot, dry climates of New Mexico or Arizona.
If you don't know where a jalapeño was grown, you may have to taste it yourself to measure the heat. Don't rely on someone else to tell you whether or not a pepper is too hot. Some people are more sensitive to capsaicin (the chemical that makes hot peppers hot) than others. In junior high, I watched a guy drink a bottle of Tabasco on a dare. He didn't even dab his forehead. If you want to try that at home, you can build up your tolerance to capsaicin by eating more chile peppers and hot sauce.
My father-in-law, Billy, eats raw jalapeños whole from tip to stem. He tells me they are good for his health, and the American Dietetic Association agrees. Peppers are rich in phytochemicals that appear to provide anti-inflammatory benefits. Medical studies show that capsaicin may act as a blood thinner. Spicing dishes with cayenne or pepper flakes also reduces the need for extra salt. Hot sauce, which is actually more salt than pepper, is another story. - Elizabeth Hughey
