Kaffir lime leaves are the leaves from the kaffir lime plant (Citrus hystrix), otherwise known as the makrut or leech lime. The plant produces a small wrinkly lime and aromatic leaves. These leaves are used extensively in Thai, Indonesian, and other South East Asian cooking to give a lemony aroma and taste. See also: What […]
Specialty Foods
Is Your Balsamic Vinegar the Real Thing?
Do you have a bottle of aged balsamic vinegar in your cupboard right now? Chances are that if you bought it for five or ten bucks from the grocery store shelf, the bottle of stuff in your cabinet claiming to be balsamic vinegar is not really what it purports to be. In preparation for this article, […]
What is the Official State Snack of Maine?
During my first visit to Maine (which I loved, by the way), we had some lobster (or lobstah), which I didn’t care for, not being a lobster fan. We also had some great pie, picked some fresh blueberries and made blueberry cobbler, and enjoyed many other treats. I also got some Moxie soda and enjoyed […]
A Completely Black Chicken, Inside And Out?
The Ayam Cemani of Indonesia, Black Skin, Organs, and Even Bones The Ayam Cemani of Indonesia is black. I would say the Ayam Cemani chicken, but this would be redundant, as ayam is the Indonesian word for chicken. A black chicken is not so unusual. My grandmother had black chickens, from time to time, on her chicken […]
Difference Between Real and Fake White Chocolate
What is Real White Chocolate? If you are looking for real white chocolate, the first thing you need to know is that white chocolate is not actually chocolate. Chocolate is always a brown to black color. White chocolate is a white confection that is used extensively in candy and dessert making, however. Although it cannot […]
Best Rice for Risotto
The best rice for risotto is Carnaroli rice. I’ll bet you thought I was going to say arborio rice, didn’t you? Another contender is Vialone Nano. Before I explain why carnaroli is better, let’s talk about why we need special rice to make risotto in the first place. See also: What Kind of Rice Do […]