Patel

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

Beef stew gets its red from tomato paste, but it also contributes more than just color. Tomato paste help build body to the stew, adding acidity to cut through fat of the wine and beef. That acid helps the sauce stick to the vegetables rather then running off. The goal is to achieve a rounded … Read more

One small decision can change bowl of mashed potatoes: if you use the wrong cream, even perfectly cooked potatoes will feel dry. Get the cream wrong and you end up with a loose, soupy mess that never quite seems to set up on the plate. You have to learn how the time between cooking and … Read more

Eggnog’s flavor are shaped by nutmeg. Too little, and the drink will taste flat. Too much, and it can be dusty-tasting or even bitter. How do you know where to draw the line? It depends on how much of spice you use, when you use it, and how that interacts with other ingredients. Get those … Read more

Cocoa is not an ingredient that you treat merely as flavoring; instead, you treat it as a structural element. The amount of cocoa in a recipe alter not only the batter’s character but also its need for liquid. This will also shift flavor from bitter to sweet and back again. A lack of balance between … Read more

There are certain small decisions that affect the entire batch. One of them was getting gelatin correct on the jello shots. Add not enough and your cup will shimmy about until it becomes a puddle, too much and they become rubbery and don’t taste as good as we want. We’re aiming for a small easy-to-scoop … Read more

Almost all curries contains cumin (and most home cooks add it to their curries out of habit rather then based off need). However, what’s right for a quick chicken curry will be overpowering in a coconut korma or thin in a dry bhuna. Why? Because cumin is not an isolated ingredient; its flavor shifts depending … Read more

Cornstarch is the secret ingredient to making cake flour at home. You’ll notice the difference in the crumb. All-purpose flour has plenty of protein to form structure, which is great for bread and cookies. However, the same amount in layer cakes and sponges can make them taste a bit tough than usual. That’s where cornstarch … Read more

Vanilla is a key ingredient in great French toast, particularly when trying to get the measurement just right. To most cooks, adding vanilla to the custard mean pouring until it smells right. That’s fine, except when the next batch do not. One bread soaks up more than another; eggs mute flavors while other ingredients compete … Read more

Vodka sauce is made with varying amounts of tomato paste to achieve a certain final taste. Not enough paste and you end up with a weak thin sauce. Too much paste and your sauce becomes thick and heavy. It is a balance of concentrated tomato, creaminess, and the booziness from the vodka. Most cooks mixes … Read more