turkey

Have you been thinking about brining your holiday turkey, but uncertain about how to pull it off? Good news: Brining is a lot easier than it sounds. Continue reading →

November is the month of turkey in the United States, with countless families planning their Thanksgiving meal around a whole-bird main dish with all the trimmings. Continue reading →

If you’ve ever tasted spicy chocolate with chili pepper, you know how good it is. A traditional Mexican flavor pairing, this dynamic duo is making its way around the world in pastries, ice cream and even meat dishes. Continue reading →

I just love summer fruit, especially apricots. This golden fruit is related to the plum and the peach and is native to northern China and other areas of Asia where temperate weather conditions support the propagation of these fruits.

InIsrael, where I grew up, it is believed that the apricots were abundant there by the year 3000 BC. I guess through the centuries, the apricot made its way along the trade route like many other precious commodities did during those ancient days.
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In Ancient times, the spice trade was a melting pot of activity with its daily bustle of merchants selling their goods to distant travelers, bringing news from across the far reaches of East Asia all the way to the markets of the Middle East and Northern Africa. To this day, spice markets still exist in some parts of the world where the tradition never wears off. The fragrant smell of spices wafting through the air still excites the senses compelling you like a magnet to follow the scent to the spice merchants stalls.

For the past 350 years, the spice bazaar is still going strong in the high-domed ceiling of the Istanbul Spice Market in Turkey. In fact, this is a country that can boast the heaviest use of spices. Continue reading →

For those of you who have not ever tried brining meat or poultry, then you might want to consider doing so this Thanksgiving.

First of all, brining is an age-old process using a mixture of salty water to preserve or add flavor to food. Salt is a natural preservative so back in the days of yore, the salt was used on long sea-voyages to prevent food from decaying.

Today, brining has taken on another purpose; it is a great method of tenderizing meat, poultry or fish, while infusing flavor and locking in the natural juice. Brining is widely used for other foods such as cheese, olives, and certain vegetables.

The amount of brine used depends on the size of the meat or poultry. By using smaller quantities of salt along with other herbs and spices in the brine mixture, the end result will be a moist and flavorful dish, whether it is turkey, chicken or pot roast. Continue reading →