Patel

Pot roast is also one where ratio of tomato paste is crucial: Too little, and you’ll have thin, pale gravy; too much, and it’s all about the pasta sauce, not the meat at all. It’s somewhere in between where there’s enough depth without overpowering with tomato taste. Most cooks adjusts by feel, getting it just … Read more

There’s no one-rule-fits-all for getting starch just so in, say, peach cobbler. What matters is knowing what happens with the peaches when they’re cooking. As fresh fruit warms, it give off juice. If you add sugar, that extracts further liquid from the fruit. Which brings us to your choice of topping: Does it contain steam-trapping … Read more

Things are jamming up. It seems easy enough to get to the proper consistency for jam, but then you go make some, and whoa: Sugar is different! Fruit is different! You have to learn to make little decisions very early on that can mean the difference between a yummy spread or a watery mess. Adding … Read more

It might seem like making chocolate milk is easy: just add milk to some cocoa powder and sugar. But then that cocoa won’t mix in… And once it does, drink will be too sweet! Or it might not be sweet enough. How do you know what amount of cocoa to use? What ratio of sugar … Read more

More than many baker do, I care about the starchiness of my pie fillings. If they’re not sufficiently starchy, your slices will slide off the plate when lifted; if they contain to much starch, the filling will look like pudding instead of fruit. You’ll notice this not only while eating the warm pie but also … Read more

Marinating steak is one of those little decisions that affects entire meal. If there isn’t enough soy sauce then flavor will only be on top, not inside. If there’s too much, the salt start to pull moisture out of the meat before it even hits the grill. Every bite makes a difference and it can … Read more

When planning a party dip, a ranch dip seems easy, until you discover that you have no idea how much sour cream actualy belongs in the bowl. It’s not always about the seasoning or the base. Getting all three elements, the base, the seasoning, and the serving size, to match your guests’ reach are often … Read more

In alfredo sauce, though, nutmeg act as seasoning: it enhances the flavors present and makes the sauce feel rounder and more complete. Unlike black pepper, garlic, or anything else with an overt flavour, nutmeg doesn’t announce its presence. What it does do is soften sharpness of the parmesan and cream, turning sauce from something simply … Read more

The smell of oregano oil is pungent. It will enhance your finishing oil or broth. The aim is that when you eat it, it tastes as though it’s been cooked in restaurant. That means dialing it back just enough so that it doesn’t overwhelm the dish. This depends on the guests, how much food, fat, … Read more

Making good coconut rice requires exact measurements. In particular, substituting some coconut milk for an equal amount of water can be the difference between a dry versus a fluffy end result. Changing either the recipe or the amount of rice alters the cooking time and taste, meaning you require an accurate measurement to adjusts the … Read more