There are two primary types of bacon: Bacon cut from the belly and from the back. What we call Canadian bacon here in the States is cut from the lean pork loin, just below the fat-back portion. This bacon made from the loin is more like ham than bacon. The type of bacon we primarily … Read more
Most of us buy our carrots with the green tops removed. Carrots with the greens still intact are not as widely available as carrots with the greens removed. However, you may sometimes find them available. Are carrot greens edible? Yes! They are perfectly edible. Carrot greens are eaten in many countries, but not in the … Read more
Most home cooks assume that “from scratch” is the culinary gold standard, but when it comes to pumpkin pie, the opposite is often true. If you try to bake a pie using a standard orange Jack-O’-Lantern (a “field pumpkin”), you are headed for disaster. These pumpkins are bred for carving, not eating, and their flesh … Read more
Many fruits and vegetables turn brown when cut or otherwise damaged. Among these are apples, potatoes, pears, bananas, avocados, peaches, eggplants, apricots, and mushrooms (not a fruit or vegeatable). This process, is called enzymatic browning. It occurs due to reactions between oxygen in the air and compounds in the exposed plant cells that cause an … Read more
There is an old kitchen legend that cooking wine was born in the Middle Ages to keep thirsty cooks from tippling on the job. While the history is fascinating, the modern reality is a bit more bitter—literally. If you’ve ever wondered why your homemade reduction tastes more like a copper penny than a French bistro, … Read more
There seems to be a lot of debate about the difference between molasses, treacle and a product called “golden syrup.” Apparently, this debate is not new but has been going on since the 1800s. Nobody today seems to really know the difference, but many claim there is one. Treacle can range from light to … Read more