Presentation is a key factor in the success of any meal, dessert or drink. Your guests see what you serve them before they ever get a taste, making it important to present each dish beautifully to get your event off on the right foot. Fruit...
Oranges are one of nature's best sources of vitamin C. In fact, according to Sunkist, just one medium orange provides 130 percent of your daily recommended intake of vitamin C. The same medium orange offers 3 grams of fiber, despite being only 80...
Lime sour is a cocktail mixer that you can use in alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. If you are having a party and planning to mix a lot of drinks, sour mix saves you the time of having to juice your citrus for each drink. A bottle of lime...
Blueberry cobbler is a classic summer treat, but you don't have to wait for the brief blueberry season -- or pay top dollar for imported berries -- to enjoy it. As long as you've got a good recipe for cobbler topping or crust, you can use readily...
Cod is a mild flavored fish that has a soft and flaky texture. The delicate flavors can easily be overpowered if you prepare it with too many added ingredients. Using too many ingredients can also cause the cod to take on a mushy texture which is...
Lemon zest is the yellow outside part of a lemon, and it is commonly used in dishes to add intense, bold lemon flavor. Lemon peel encompasses the whole outside of the lemon, including the white skin, and it is generally only used for decoration...
Cheesecake dates back to ancient Greece and Rome. The Empire Cheese Company began producing Philadelphia brand cream cheese in 1880 and marketed it in foil wrappers. In the 1900s, the combination of cream cheese, cream, eggs and sugar heralded the...
Freshly grated orange rind gives off a strong citrusy aroma, and incorporating it into some recipes adds both fragrance and flavor. In particular, baked goods such as cookies, cakes and muffins often call for grated orange peel to perk up the...
Tilapia is a light, white fish that tends to be inexpensive. This makes tilapia fillets an excellent choice for baking at home. Seasoning baked tilapia can occur on two levels, what you add prior to cooking and what you use after the fish bakes....
Pan-seared tuna steaks are incredibly quick and easy to prepare on the stove. The fish is traditionally cooked to medium-rare. Top salads with a pan-seared tuna steak to add an excellent source of protein, omega-3 fatty acids and other nutrients....
Some people eat salmon because of its status as a "superfood"; others because it's just plain delicious. Both are good reasons. The health benefits of salmon cannot be overstated. It's rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which lower your risk of heart...
Cakes that include lemon ingredients can range from light and fluffy chiffon cakes to thick and dense pound cakes. While ingredients may be similar, the texture of the cake varies depending on the amounts of individual ingredients, as well as how...
Orange peel, known to cooks as orange zest, is a versatile seasoning with nearly limitless uses in cooking and baking. Practically any food that supports an orange or citrus flavor can be seasoned with orange zest. The key to cooking with orange...
Yams are often confused with sweet potatoes because they both have a deep orange color. Yams are a different type of tuber that are often cooked with brown sugar to make the popular candied yam recipe that shows up on Thanksgiving tables. Yams are...
Black raspberries are small, mounded clusters called drupes that are about 1/2 inch in diameter and height with tiny hairs. Unlike blackberries, which retain their cores when picked, black raspberries are hollow inside, leaving their cores on the...
A center cut pork loin is prone to drying out quickly with overcooking. If you have the option of roasting a pork loin in a convection oven, use it, because it saps less moisture out of the meat. The added advantage of roasting a pork loin in a...
Chinese cooks seek a balance of flavors -- sour, bitter, sweet, spicy and salty -- textures, colors and cooling or warming qualities in every dish. Cooling "yin" ingredients grow above ground and have less sodium and more potassium than "yang"...
Baking powder is a leavening agent that helps cakes rise. Cakes that don’t call for baking powder — or some other leavening agent — are typically cheese- or milk-based. Cheesecake doesn’t require baking powder, but many...
Black beans are a healthy source of protein and fiber that can enhance the flavor and nutrition of your favorite meals. These tiny black beans are also low in calories and fat and can make a nutritious side dish to accompany grilled meats or...
Guacamole, made from mashed avocado, diced onion, tomato and hot peppers seasoned with cumin and cilantro, makes a delicious accompaniment to Boston butt roast, rolled pork loin roast, ground pork or pork sausage for a weeknight dinner, Cinco de...
Ginger root, which is the rhizome of the ginger plant, has a strong and spicy flavor and is used in a variety of recipes. According to the American Cancer Society, ginger can also be used to treat the symptoms of some health conditions. Consult a...
An ingredient in curry powder and a less-expensive alternative to saffron, turmeric's yellow color and warm, chicken-soup flavor enhances curries, soups and stews. Warmer and spicier than paprika, yet cooler than a Hungarian wax pepper, turmeric...
Cuts from leaner portions of an animal can lose tenderness and flavor in mere minutes during cooking. Wrapping lean meats such as pork in bacon, herbs or the leaves of various plants preserves some tenderness and adds a little flavor, but...
Tilapia is a very mild-flavored white fish with a slightly firm, yet flaky, texture. Due to the mild flavor, adding too many additional ingredients will overpower the delicate fish and cause the dish to be inedible. Keeping the ingredients simple...
When oranges were first cultivated, orange peels were highly valued. People extracted essential oils from the peels to use in medicines and remedies for indigestion and other illnesses. Orange peels are a source of health-promoting carbohydrates....
The verdict on citrus fruits and cancer is still out; nevertheless, a healthy dose of citrus fruits and citrus juices is an effective way to improve immune function and increase protection against DNA-damaging free radicals. Ultimately, adding...
If you use lotions and toners,and have access to a grocery store and a blender, you don't need to shell out $130 for an ounce of La Mer moisturizing cream. Home-made skin care formulas can often do everything pricey drugstore products can, but for...
Szechuan peppers, or Sichuan as the Chinese government requests, enhance suan la tang -- hot and sour soup-- and mapo doufu, a spicy dish of pork and tofu chunks, among other classic Chinese dishes. The Tien Tsin and Thai chili pepper varieties...
Essential oil production is an expensive and complex process. It often takes several pounds of raw product just to make 1 oz. of essential oil. As a result, aromatherapy products, which contain these oils, are also expensive. But it is possible to...
