Culinary News
Category: Ingredient Spotlight
Salt Selection
A good chef will have a multitude of different salts in their arsenal. Kosher salt, common salt, or table salt is very important in cooking for balancing, fusing and bringing out flavors within a dish, but it doesn’t necessarily bring in a new flavoring element on its own. There are other salts that are used for adding flavor …
Night Of The Radishes
Night of The Radishes, or La Noche de Los Rabanos, is a celebration that falls every year on December 23rd. This annual event (Wikipedia) takes place in Oaxaca Mexico and has many events centered around all things radish. We’ll use any reason to celebrate food and drink so this is an opportunity to list all the radish items …
Citruses You Should Be Using Right Now
Citrus season is upon us and now is the time to find many unique citrus varieties out there. We have put together a list of hard to find varieties that are great for using as an aromatic. Adding lemon, lime, or orange juice and/or the zest is essential for balancing flavors in many dishes. A …
Dungeness Crab Season
Dungeness Crab season is here and off to a strong start. The boats have been lining up at the docks on the west coast and the fishermen are eager to unload their haul. This is one of the best starts to the dungeness crab season in recent memory so we should see crab around for …
Alternatives For Traditional Pasta
With so many people requesting gluten-free items, chefs are looking for creative alternatives for pasta. We have compiled some ideas for the times when regular pasta won’t work and you’ll need to find a substitute. A great substitution for egg noodles is Yuba (pictured on left), the skin that forms and rises to the top when …
National Kale Day
It is the first Wednesday in October so it is officially National Kale Day and we want to help you celebrate. We’ve seen kale rise in popularity dramatically over the past few years as diners look to healthier alternatives. Lately you can’t go anywhere without finding a kale salad on the menu and it’s one of …
Ingredient Spotlight: Tomatoes
We are in the midst of a very good tomato season this year. Many varieties of heirlooms are going strong right now and we are seeing dry farmed early girl tomatoes available sooner then usual in the west. Also look for Italian varietals such as San Marzano Tomatoes from specialty sellers and Creole Tomatoes in …
Ingredient Spotlight: Chilled Soups
Summertime is here and you are probably not thinking about soup, but you should be thinking about chilled soups. Many of the summer vegetables that are available right now can be used for a decadent cold soup. Fruits that are out now such as berries, stone fruit, and melons can also be used for a …
Ingredient Spotlight: Summer Squash
There are many colorful varieties of summer squash and zucchini thriving at the markets right now. Summer squash is a versatile vegetable and there are lots of creative ways to prepare them. Many of the young summer squashes can be plated even without seeing any heat. Here are some great ways for using them raw: Squash Carpaccio- Thin slice squash, …
Happy Caesar Salad Day (and 4th of July)
July 4th is National Caesar Salad Day. This day will probably get lost in the shuffle as most people will be celebrating America’s independence by throwing everything imaginable on the grill. Since you already have the BBQ fired up for the 4th of July, reserve a little space on the grill to make a “Grilled …