Horehound has been used as a medicinal herb for a long time. It goes by several different names including houndsbane and white horehound. Horehound’s name may have come from old English words that indicate a plant with fine hairs but it may also have originated with the name of Horus, an ancient Egyptian god. Many […]
Cooking With Corn Starch: The Dos And Don’ts
Corn starch is made from the endosperm of the corn kernel. It is one of the most effective thickeners — about twice as effective as flour — and has the benefit of being affordable. But it’s not perfect. It has a few noteworthy limitations. In order to use it like a pro, you will need […]
What Are Good Spices For Chicken?
What herbs and spices go well with chicken? The simple answer is just about all of them. Chicken — especially chicken breast — is the ultimate blank slate protein that works well with most of the items in your spice cabinet. Lemon pepper The combination of tart citrus and heat goes well with many food […]
Cooking With Cinnamon Basil: The Dos And Don’ts
If you are familiar with Mediterranean dishes, you will already know how enjoyable regular sweet basil — also known as Genovese basil — can be if you use it correctly. Cinnamon basil is a relative of sweet basil but it contains methyl cinnamate, unlike sweet basil. Methyl cinnamate is the compound that gives the cinnamon […]
Cinnamon Basil: The Mexican Basil
Cinnamon basil is a variety of Ocimum basilicum, which is the sweet basil that you often see used in Western cuisine. The cinnamon basil variety is also called Mexican basil and some historians speculate that it might be native to Mexico where it is called albahacar. Sweet basil is a relative of mint and most […]
Eight Delicious Bronze Fennel Uses
Both bronze fennel and regular fennel both belong to the same family as carrots, dill, and parsley. The herb comes from the Mediterranean region where it has been used for millennia. The bronze form of the herb is not quite as popular as its greener cousin but it has a similar flavor and plays almost […]
Pickling Salt Vs. Kosher Salt: SPICEography Showdown
Pickling salt and kosher salt give your food a salty flavor. What’s more, they are both great options for a cleaner salt taste. Does this mean that they are exactly the same and that you can switch them out in dishes as you like? Not exactly. There are a few things that you will want […]
What’s A Good Pickling Salt Substitute?
Pickling salt is used to provide flavor, but it serves an even more practical function in that it helps to kill bacteria that can make you sick. The latter function means that you have to take your substitutes seriously since pickling comes with the danger of botulism. Not every salt or salt-like product can do the same […]
Cracked Black Pepper Vs. Ground Black Pepper: SPICEography Showdown
Cracked black pepper is a term for coarsely ground black pepper. Ground black pepper typically means pre-ground and refers to black pepper ground at the factory and packaged in small cans or shakers. Both come from the same dried drupe that we call peppercorns, so they start out with exactly the same properties. Though, as […]
Pickling Salt: The Perfect Salt For Pickle Brine
Historians believe that the practice of pickling food may have originated around 2400 BC. The Mesopotamians may have been the first to pickle foods but some sources claim that it actually began in one of the world’s earliest cities called Mohenjo Daro, located in present-day Pakistan. The original purpose of pickling was to preserve foods that were out […]