Jerk seasoning is a hot Jamaican spice marinade from the Caribbean used to prepare barbecued meats.
Jerk is believed to have originated in the 1600s as a meat preservation and cooking technique, and is now popular the world over. The funny name comes from the Spanish word for dried meat, charqui, which turned into jerk (and jerky) in English. A Caribbean signature dish, recipes for jerk seasoning are as varied as those for American barbecue sauce.
The basic recipe involves hot Scotch Bonnet peppers, thyme, garlic, green onions and spices like ginger, allspice, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. Whether dry-rubbed into the traditional pork (and nowadays, chicken, fish, beef and tofu) or moistened with molasses, vinegar or other liquids to create a marinade, the jerk-seasoned meat is then barbecued over low coals or traditional pimento (or allspice) wood.
Related: What's a spice paste good for?
Sake is a Japanese rice wine. Made from fermented rice in a process that has more in common with beer production, sake is mildly sweet and can be served cold, warm or hot, depending on the variety as well as preference.
Sake is also frequently used in Japanese marinades and sauces.
Soy sauce is a salty liquid made from fermented soy beans, roasted wheat, water and salt. Packed with umami, soy sauce is used as a condiment and seasoning in Asian cuisines.
Soy sauce comes in many subtle variations, but is generally broken down into dark and light varieties. Light soy sauce is generally saltier and thinner than dark soy and does not stain food while cooking. Chinese black soy has added molasses that colors dishes as it cooks. The whole soy beans used to make quality soy sauce lend it a dark color, but cheaper brands using soy protein may cheat by adding caramel coloring.
The Japanese use soy sauce as a dipping sauce for sashimi or to season tofu, grilled meat and vegetable dishes. The Chinese use soy sauce mainly for marinades. In Indonesia, it is used mostly as a table condiment (called kecap, which comes in sweet and salty variations).
Be warned: though Japanese tamari (a slightly thicker and complex soy sauce made from more soybeans than most) is generally wheat-free, other commercial brands of soy sauce do contain gluten, so if you are trying to cook gluten-free, check the labels carefully.
what you should know
If it's ugly, the old produce adage goes, it must be good. Nothing proves this so convincingly as the subsoil family of dark taproots, homeliest among them the beet.
The beet may not be much to look at on the outside, but what really defines it is the sweetness of its flesh, which is usually a vibrant red, yellow or orange.
Its high sugar content and hardiness have made it a fiber-rich workhorse in northern climates such as the Ukraine, whose national dish is the beet-based soup called borscht. (The family of America's most famous beet farmer, Dwight Schrute, came from Germany.)
keep the beet Stay away from beets that are soft or that have wet or bruised spots. You want smooth, firm beets. In the refrigerator, they'll keep for a month or so. Before cooking, gently scrub the beets. To prevent them from "bleeding," wait until after you've cooked and let them cool a little before you peel them.
it's chard When you can, buy beets with the tops still attached. When you get them home, lop off all but a half inch or so of the greens and store them separately. Cook the greens just like you would chard, which is actually a beet that's been bred as a leaf vegetable.
what you need
Peeling with the OXO 7" Good Grips swivel peeler is like writing with your favorite pen. With its thick grip, you can get an easy peel that doesn't maul the beet. (It won't keep your hands from staining pink, though. If soap doesn't get it out, try lemon juice.)
In her book Chez Panisse Vegetables, Alice Waters lets beets and other roots shine with as little embellishment as possible. We endorse this.
For borscht, you've got to have a good loaf of locally made bread. Slice it, toast it and drizzle it with butter or oil. Or just tear a chunk off for sopping.
what you do
You can do no wrong by simply roasting beets. (Wrapping or covering them in foil makes them easier to peel). While they're still warm, peel and toss them with quality vinegar. Waters insists that the vinegar highlights the sweetness of the beets. We agree.
That sweetness is the perfect canvas for playing around with contrasting flavors. Grate raw beets and toss them in a salad with frisee, walnuts and creamy fresh goat cheese.
Depending on where you find yourself in the world, borscht (or barszcz or bartsch or bors) can range from a cold, light broth to a hot, meaty stew. Here's a delicious but simple vegetarian borscht.
Ceviche is a seafood salad popular in Latin America that is made from fresh fish that is marinated in citrus, which "cooks" the fish without heat.
The recipe for ceviche varies from region to region and depends on the cook, but the basic recipe includes fish sliced or cut into chunks and marinated in lemon or lime juice with sliced onions, chiles and sometimes herbs like cilantro. Peruvians sometimes serve ceviche with corn, sweet potato and seaweed.
Early ceviche recipes called for marinating fish for up to three hours, but most people now eat ceviche as soon as it has been assembled. The citrus works quickly to break down protein in the fish, turning the flesh opaque and taking the raw edge off while keeping it succulent and tender. Ceviche tends to work best with white fish, including scallops, but it can be made with a variety of fish or even shellfish depending on your taste. It is usually served as an appetizer.
Often referred to as "Indonesian soy sauce," Kecap Manis is a syrupy, dark brown sauce sweetened with palm sugar and seasoned with things like garlic and star anise.
Used as a condiment and for marinating dishes like satay (and ribs), Kecap Manis should be kept in a cool, dry place. Though it's generally a little sweeter than soy sauce, you can use the two interchangeably.
(Image courtesy of FotoosVanRobin.)
What is rice wine and how is it different from rice wine vinegar?
What is rice wine and how is it different from rice wine vinegar?
Rice wine is sweet cooking or drinking wine made from fermented rice, such as Chinese Shaoxing and Japanese mirin and sake.
Made from fermented rice -- or in some cases, the dregs of rice wine -- Chinese and Japanese rice "wine" vinegars have a milder, sweeter taste than Western-made vinegars. Even those rice vinegars made from rice may be labeled "rice wine vinegar." Just remember to look for the word "vinegar" when telling rice wine and rice vinegar apart.
Chinese rice vinegar includes the pale variety used in sweet-and-sour dishes; red vinegar made from red yeast rice; and the smoky black vinegar popular in Southern China and used as a condiment. Japanese rice vinegar is pale yellow and is used to flavor sushi rice (with the addition of salt and sugar) and salads. Koreans and Indians also make and use rice wine vinegar.
What's the difference between light and dark rum?
What's the difference between light and dark rum?
Rum is a liquor made from both fermented sugar cane and its syrupy by-product, molasses. The rum is aged in casks of various materials which determine its final color.
Light rum (also called silver or white) is fermented in steel and filtered and has a clear color and a light, slightly sweet taste. Gold or amber rums are aged in oak, which produces a more caramel color and richer, more pronounced flavor. Rich, caramel dark rum is made by aging clear rum in charred oak casks, giving it a deep brown color and a full flavor. Note that spiced rum, which is flavored with spices and (often) caramel, does not qualify as dark rum.
Harissa is a spicy chili paste from North Africa and the Middle East that can be found in Algeria, Libya, Tunisia and Morocco, and is popular in France.
Made with (often smoked) chili peppers, garlic, olive or caraway oil and coriander, it may also contain cumin, dried mint, verbena leaves, tomatoes or rose petals. The ingredients are pounded to a paste, which is left to develop its flavors for at least 12 hours.
Harissa is used to flavor merguez sausage; as a condiment for falafel and other dishes; as a meat rub; and diluted in broth to add spice to couscous, stews and soups. Prepared harissa is available in jars, tubes and cans; homemade harissa can be covered with olive oil and kept in a sealed container in the refrigerator.
Mirin, or rice wine, is a golden-colored Japanese cooking wine that was originally produced more than 400 years ago as a drinking wine but is now used as a condiment.
High in sugar and low in alcohol, it is made from sticky rice. A cousin of sake, it has a lower alcohol content (between 1% for Shin mirin and 14% for Hon mirin as opposed to 20%).
With an assertive flavor, mirin adds a sweet note to marinades, sauces (including teriyaki), glazes for grilled fish and other dishes. It has a pleasant aroma that is notable for its ability to mask the fishy smell of fish.
Shaoxing wine is a sweet, low-alcohol Chinese drinking and cooking wine that is often confused with Japanese mirin or sake.
Made from fermented sticky rice, yeast and water, it is named for its origin in Shaoxing, in the Zhejiang province of eastern China. When used in cooking it adds flavor to marinades, glazes and other dishes such as Chinese Drunken Chicken.
