FOOD FOR LIFE

Sushi (すし, 寿司, 鮨) is the Japanese preparation and serving of specially prepared vinegared rice (鮨飯 sushi-meshi) combined with varied ingredients (ネタ neta) such as chiefly seafood (often uncooked), vegetables, and occasionally tropical fruits. Styles of sushi and its presentation vary widely, but the key ingredient is sushi rice, also referred to as shari (しゃり), or sumeshi (酢飯). Sushi can be prepared with either brown or white rice. It is often prepared with raw seafood, but some varieties of sushi use cooked ingredients, and many other are vegetarian. Sushi is often served with pickled ginger, wasabi, and soy sauce. Daikon radish is popular as a garnish. Sushi is often confused with sashimi, a related Japanese dish consisting of thinly sliced raw fish or occasionally meat, and an optional serving of rice. History Sushi originates in a Southeast Asian dish, known today as narezushi (馴れ寿司, 熟寿司 – "salted fish"), stored in fermented rice for possibly months a...

A croissant is a buttery, flaky, viennoiserie pastry named for its well-known crescent shape. Croissants and other viennoiserie are made of a layered yeast-leavened dough. The dough is layered with butter, rolled and folded several times in succession, then rolled into a sheet, in a technique called laminating. The process results in a layered, flaky texture, similar to a puff pastry. Crescent-shaped food breads have been made since the Renaissance, and crescent-shaped cakes possibly since antiquity. Croissants have long been a staple of Austrian and French bakeries and pâtisseries. In the late 1970s, the development of factory-made, frozen, pre-formed but unbaked dough made them into a fast food which can be freshly baked by unskilled labor. The croissanterie was explicitly a French response to American-style fast food, and today 30–40% of the croissants sold in French bakeries and patisseries are baked from frozen dough.Croissants are a common part of a continental b...

Pronounce it: truff-ill The black Perigord truffle isn’t the only truffle. Truffles lauded as Black Diamonds and as having the most heavenly of scents and tastes refer only to a single variety, the true black truffle tuber melanasporum; this variety is widely known as the Perigord truffle because this area of south-west France is considered to produce the best. Once available to harvest by the kilo and thus used with the same liberality, the Perigord truffle is now considerably less common. While making it thus even more prized, the rarity and appeal also means that minor varieties can be sold to the uninitiated without in anyway explaining that (a) the flavour of these is considerably less anyway or (b) that it has been further lessened by cooking and then might have been enhanced with artificial flavours such as onion or garlic. If you are not buying fresh truffles, read the label very carefully. Dried porcini mushrooms are invariably a more rewarding choice. Availa...

Pronounce it: ta-ra-gon A popular and versatile herb, tarragon has an intense flavour that's a unique mix of sweet aniseed and a mild vanilla. The leaves are narrow, tapering and slightly floppy, growing from a long, slender stem. It's a key herb in French cuisine (it's an essential ingredient in sauce Bernaise), and goes very well with eggs, cheese and poultry. Choose the best Go for fresh-looking leaves, with no discolouration or wilting. French tarragon is considered to be the best - its flavour is more subtle than the coarser Russian tarragon. Dried tarragon is also available. Or, for a ready supply, keep a pot on your windowsill, or grow in your garden or window box. Prepare it Wash, then use whole sprigs or strip the leaves from the stalks and use whole or chopped. Store it Fresh cut tarragon should be wrapped in damp kitchen paper, placed in a perforated bag and stored in the fridge. It will last for around 4-5 days. Dried tarragon should be kept ...

Pronounce it: van-ill-ah The sun-dried seed pod of a type of climbing orchid, vanilla has an inimitable soft, sweet fragrance and flavour. The labour-intensive process involved in hand-pollinating and nurturing the flowers, together with the long drying time necessary makes it a highly prized - and highly priced - ingredient. The rich, sweet Bourbon-Madagascar vanilla, from Madagascar, accounts for 75 per cent of the vanilla on the market. Vanilla from Tahiti and Mexico makes up the remainder, but is much harder to get hold of. Long, black, thin and wrinkled, vanilla pods contain thousands of tiny black seeds, which are used to flavour mainly sweet dishes, and go particularly well with chocolate. The presence of tiny black specks in a vanilla-flavoured dish is confirmation that real vanilla has been used. Choose the best Look for fragrant, very dark brown, almost black pods that are slightly wrinkled, but still supple, with a slightly oily, shiny surface. Length is an i...

Pronounce it: wort-er-mel-on Thought to have originated in Africa, watermelons are distinct from musk melons such as cantaloupes, ogens, charantais, galia and honeydew in that they are very watery and have a far less intense flavour. But there are compensations - they can grow to up to six kilogrammes in weight, and their crisp, sweet flesh is phenomenally juicy and refreshing. Watermelons have a hard green, sometimes striped, rind (which is sometimes used to make pickle) and, inside, the pink or red flesh is dotted with black seeds, which can be toasted and eaten as a snack. The flesh itself is always served raw. Availability They are imported all year round, but are at their best from mid June to late August. Choose the best Ripe melons should sound hollow when shaken or slapped, and feel heavy for their size. The rind should be dull and shouldn't give much when pressed. Look for symmetrical melons and avoid those with cracked, spoted or bruised rinds...

Pronounce it: wah-sarb-ee The Japanese answer to horseradish, wasabi is related to watercress and grows in a similar way, with its roots in water. The root is pale green in colour, and either grated and used fresh, or dried and made into a powder or paste. Fiery and spicy, it's one of the main flavourings in Japanese food, and is most commonly served with sashimi or sushi. Although it's not as harsh as horseradish, it's pretty pungent, so be careful not to use too much. Choose the best Powdered wasabi and tubes of wasabi paste are the easiest to get hold of and the most convenient to use. You can also find fresh wasabi root in some Asian stores. Prepare it Fresh wasabi should be washed, peeled and grated like horseradish. Powdered wasabi can be reconstituted with either water or soy. Put 1 teaspoon in an eggcup, add the same volume of tepid water or soy, and mix to a firm, clay-like paste. Then stand the eggcup upside down for around 10 minutes to allow the...

Pronounce it: yee-st Types Of Yeast Yeast comes in two forms: (1) Fresh Yeast (also called Compressed Cakes) and (2) Dry Yeast (also called Dehydrated Granules). Fresh yeast is soft and moist and is mainly used by professionals. It must be refrigerated or frozen, as it is highly perishable. Fresh yeast needs to be proofed before using. Dry yeast is fresh yeast that has been pressed and dried until the moisture content makes the yeast dormant (until mixed with warm water). Dry yeast has a much longer shelf life than fresh yeast and does not need to be refrigerated unless opened. Once opened, dry yeast needs to be stored in the refrigerator away from moisture, heat, and light because it deteriorates rapidly when exposed to air. Save TYPES OF DRY YEAST There are two types of dry yeast: (Regular) Active Dry Yeast and Rapid-Rise Yeast. Though there are some minor differences in shape and nutrients, Rapid-Rise Yeast is (pretty much) the same as Instant Yeast and Bread Machine Yeast. This ...