Home Chef Cooking Tips

Believe it or not, there are actually a few things on your Holiday table that are quite healthy for you. If you happen to be the one hosting the family gathering this year, make sure these in your pantry, and they find their way onto your table.
Roasted Nuts
Nuts are heart healthy for two reasons, protein [...]

Photo by Howzey
Despite what your dentist might say, sweeteners are staple ingredient that belong in every pantry. Most commonly used in baking, sugars are also an essential ingredient in soups and sauces (to counter the tartness of other ingredients). Depending upon the origin of the sweetener, it will add a characteristic flavor to each recipe. Below is a [...]

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All recipes require some type of flavoring or flavor enhancement. The most common method of flavoring is the simple addition of salt and pepper, but there are several other spices and herbs that should be in your pantry for their versatility.
Herbs
Herbs are plants, or parts of a plant, that are used for their aromatic [...]

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Tomatoes (Whole or diced)
Tomatoes are used extensively in Italian cuisine and are an essential ingredient for most sauces. Containing the natural antioxidant Lycopene, and vitamins A and C, they are both healthy and nutritious. Depending on your cooking  preferences, you can purchase either whole plum tomatoes (in my opinion the most versatile, which due to their ‘meaty’ [...]

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All Purpose Flour
This is a must for every kitchen. Flour is the main ingredient for bread, which is a staple food for most parts of the world. All purpose flour has an intermediate gluten level which makes it so versatile (high gluten bread flour is ‘tougher’ and holds its shapre, while the lowest [...]

Milk
Milk is essential ingredient of any kitchen pantry, not only for its many uses in cooking but also as a beverage. As an excellent source of calcium, milk is used extensively in baking (cakes, cupcakes, pancakes) and sauces (bechamel, alfredo, cheese sauces). Besides, where else are you going to dunk your favorite cookies?. Milk is available in several [...]

One the best things about knowing how to cook is that once you learn the basics, you are only limited by your imagination (and to a lesser extent your taste buds). So after I had become familiar with the simpler cutting, measuring and preparing techniques, to the point that I was capable enough to follow most  recipes, I [...]