Explore practical guides to everyday cooking ingredients, including how to choose, store, prepare, and cook them. Learn how ingredients behave in the kitchen, how their flavor and texture change during cooking, and the best ways to put them to use.
Sweet potatoes are naturally sweet, earthy root vegetables that work in everything from breakfast hash and soups to roasted side dishes, curries and baked goods. Their texture changes dramatically depending on how you cook them, which makes them one of the most flexible vegetables to keep in the kitchen. This guide covers how to choose…
Tomato paste is one of the most concentrated tomato ingredients in the kitchen. A small amount can deepen sauces, soups, stews and braises, especially when the paste is cooked before liquid is added. The key is knowing when to add it, how long to cook it and what to do with the leftover paste when…
Coriander can refer to different parts of the same plant, which is why recipes sometimes seem confusing. In the United States, the fresh leaves and stems are usually called cilantro, while the dried seeds are called coriander. In many other English-speaking places, the leaves may simply be called coriander. The fresh herb and dried seed…
Ginger can taste hot and sharp, citrusy, floral or warm and sweet depending on its form and how it is cooked. Fresh ginger, ground ginger and candied ginger are all useful, but they are not interchangeable in every recipe. Fresh ginger is especially useful in savory cooking, sauces, marinades and drinks. Ground ginger disperses easily…
Pork gives home cooks an unusually wide range of cuts and cooking methods. Lean tenderloin can be cooked quickly, shoulder becomes tender with longer cooking, ribs reward low-and-slow heat, and ground pork readily takes on the flavors of a sauce or seasoning blend. The key is matching the cut to the method. This guide explains…
Nuts can do much more in the kitchen than add a little crunch. Toast them and their flavor becomes deeper and more aromatic. Chop them into salads and roasted vegetables, grind them into sauces, turn them into nut butter or flour, or use them in everything from cookies and quick breads to savory main dishes….
Green beans are quick to cook, easy to pair with other ingredients and useful far beyond the holiday table. They can stay crisp and fresh in a salad, blister in a hot oven, soften gently in a braise, or become part of a stir-fry, soup, pasta or egg dish. The biggest challenge is not cooking…
Goat cheese can be fresh and creamy, crumbly and tangy, bloomy-rinded, blue, or firm and aged. In American markets, the familiar soft log is only one style, but it is an especially useful ingredient because it can be spread, crumbled, whisked into dressings, warmed over vegetables or tucked inside chicken. This guide focuses on how…
Red bell peppers are sweet peppers, not hot chile peppers. They have thick, crisp walls, plenty of moisture and a naturally sweet flavor that becomes even richer when they are roasted, grilled or sautéed. That makes them useful raw as well as cooked. Although bell peppers belong to the same broad pepper family as many…
Learn how to cook cruciferous vegetables with confidence. From broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, spinach to kale and other nutrient-rich favorites, this guide covers preparation techniques, cooking methods, flavor pairings, and recipe inspiration to help you make the most of these versatile vegetables.
