Unit Conversion

A certain quantity of milk will produce so many pounds of cheese. Or not. Factors include how much moisture is kept, protein content and the fat content. And then there is that amount of curd remaining suspended in whey. Knowing this make it simple to plan for a batch. The final weight of your cheese … Read more

Using coconut flour instead of wheat means you’re not only scooping differently, but also that you have to adjust the remaining ingredient to make sure your finished item taste good and holds up properly. Since coconut flour is primarily fiber, plus it sucks up moisture fast a few tweaks can be necessary when swapping flours. … Read more

Mashed potatoes with sour cream are a no-brainer, and yet they transform dish without requiring much focus. The sour cream give them a subtle tanginess; they’re never flat-flavored. Also, it gives them body, a quality that can’t be had with butter alone. Even when they cool down a little, they remain velvety. Getting the amount … Read more

Chili made with cornmeal will thicken. As it cooks some of the cornmeal’s starches breaks down and form a gummy substance that thickens the chili. If your chili needs thickening, this works like a charm. But if you add too much, you have a paste in your pot. Too little means your pot remain watery. … Read more

When you sprinkle a handful of grated parmesan on top of something, do you think about what’s inside? Grated parmesan is mostly parmesan (duh), but it also contains some other thing, specifically, an ingredient called cellulose which keeps it from clumping together. Cellulose are derived from wood pulp, and while it makes the product shelf-stable, … Read more

Shepherd pie benefit from a bit of tomato paste, which is what you find out through trial and error as most home cooks do. Brown the meat, then add your veggies, pour over some stock, and…hmmm, it’s kind of watery. Drop in a spoonful of paste for body, something that even a generous splash of … Read more

While green bean casserole can be a holiday meal staple or even a weeknight side, a few splashes of soy sauce makes the entire flavor equation different than before. Soy sauce increase the saltiness (a lot), and also provides a savory note that is often missing from mushroom soup. It’s a tricky balance, too much … Read more

In vodka sauce, however, it’s all about the cream. While most home cooks are able to properly cook their tomatoes and let their vodka cook off, the sauce is often still too thin and sharp tasting. Add the cream. It fills in the blanks, but only when added at just the right ratio (not too … Read more

A popular parmesan substitution is nutritional yeast. However, it’s not an equal swap: Parmesan have a salty bite, some fatty richness, and that tangy zing from being aged, whereas nutritional yeast give more of a light-savory flavor. Depending on your intended use, account for this when measuring out how much you need. Enter the type … Read more

The heart of nasi lemak is coconut milk, without this part, your rice will taste incomplete, as if it were merely an afterthought. This is also why getting the coconut milk correct are so important: it’s not just a matter of flavour but also one of liquid balance. Because coconut milk plays dual roles, providing … Read more