The exotic flavors of Chinese five-spice powder delicately glaze the ingredients for this stir-fry. The spice is a pungent mixture of star anise, cinnamon, cloves, fennel seed and Szechwan peppercorns. It creates an intriguing flavor in many Chinese dishes. You can use it to add a new flavor to other rice or vegetable dishes.
Most Asian...
One of the items on a chef’s Top 10 list of favorite ingredients caught my attention: No. 9, Sriracha. Its admirers call it “rooster sauce” for its bird on the label. The chef’s list identified it as the world’s best condiment. I couldn’t agree more.
So what is it exactly? Drum roll, please. Sriracha is a hot chili sauce, originally from...
The Department of Agriculture’s dietary guidelines now includes soy products and soy beverages, but the recommendation can leave some home cooks quivering like a block of silken tofu at the thought of trying to incorporate soy in daily life.
But soy — and what to do with it — has come a long way in the past 20 years. And given the health...
Back in the day, when we didn’t worry so much about bacteria and other evil things growing in our food, we made deviled eggs from Easter eggs. No matter that they had been hidden in the yard for hours or nestled in a basket for a day. We didn’t want to waste a dozen eggs, so we deviled them or chopped them up for egg salad. Never mind that blue...
CHICAGO — Remember when farmers markets were merely a weekend diversion, a cute little niche in the food chain where you could pick up fresh beefsteak tomatoes or sweet corn?
Well, farmers markets have grown up. No longer under anybody’s radar, they are now an important element in the way people shop and eat, exerting their influence on...
