Gourmet Ingredients

Black Peppercorns (piper nigrum): traded as currency, gifted to royalty, fueling the spice trade. Which gourmet peppercorns also make perfect hostess or holiday gifts?

Nov 23, 2009 - Jacqueline Church

Gourmet shops and catalogs carry them. "Foodoirs" trace their history. Farms reestablish the US crop. Chestnuts are enjoying a comeback and deserve a place at your table.

Oct 14, 2009 - Jacqueline Church

What happens when cookbook meets family dysfunction meets Father's Day? Meet the "Foodoir"! Part cookbook, part memoir, it's a rich, growing, new-ish genre.

Jun 18, 2009 - Jacqueline Church

Hand-picked, fire-roasted piquillos peppers are gems of the Spanish table. Luscious, umami-rich. "Fifth taste" pops in three satisfying tapas. Perfect for summer dining.

Jun 8, 2009 - Jacqueline Church

Joining the black food trend is this new Korean import: Black Garlic. So intriguing and delicious, this "new" food is likely to become a pantry staple.

Mar 21, 2009 - Jacqueline Church

When a chef develops into a tea expert, the high tea ritual becomes a series of tasty delights. From a tea-infused apertif through tea scented treat after treat.

Mar 4, 2009 - Jacqueline Church

Natural, award-winning sauces, smoker bags, and a "green" business, too? Big Acres helps you through the end of winter with some sweet-hot chiles and a miraculous mole.

Feb 17, 2009 - Jacqueline Church

When life (or a relative) gives you lemons, make lemon cookies, roast a capon, or toss up Haphazard Gourmet pasta. Meyer lemons are versatile, delicious winter citrus.

Dec 30, 2008 - Jacqueline Church

Patchwork Pâté strikes the right chord for gourmet entertaining. Rich, elegant and dedicated to delighting. Pâté is welcome at the holiday table, great for gifts, too.

Dec 12, 2008 - Jacqueline Church

Master Chocolatier and former ICU nurse Diane Pinder is still making people happy. Now, it's with chocolates as opposed to needles and meds. We feel better already.

Dec 8, 2008 - Jacqueline Church

The secret to excellent risotto at home is choosing the right ingredients and using proper technique. In a few steps, creamy, satisfying, perfect risotto is yours.

Dec 3, 2008 - Jacqueline Church

Heirloom rice, sustainably farmed by the Koda Family. Delicious product with a rich history - of American farming traditions, an immigrant's innovation and perseverance.

Nov 25, 2008 - Jacqueline Church

Whether building a gourmet cheese platter, selecting cheese knives for gifts or creating luscious cheese fondue, seek an expert advisor such as Boston's Ihsan Gurdal.

Nov 12, 2008 - Jacqueline Church

A reader asks: what is Chadon Beni? Another wants to know about jerk sauce. What roles do achiote and culantro play in Caribbean recipes we are beginning to love?

Aug 12, 2008 - Jacqueline Church

Lemongrass is a staple in Thai cuisine. Its citrusy fragrance flavors easy lettuce wraps for cool summer dinner. Lemongrass simple syrup elevates summer drinks, too.

Aug 11, 2008 - Jacqueline Church

Cucumbers and watermelon both provide refreshing summertime menu options. They might even save your life. Containing 90% water adds to their appeal as the mercury rises.

Jul 22, 2008 - Jacqueline Church

Like its close relative the cucumber, watermelons are a warm-weather treat. But a lifesaver? Maybe - at the dinner table.

Jul 20, 2008 - Jacqueline Church

Buffalo is making a comeback from near extinction. Rediscover the original red meat. Low-fat, grass- fed, sustainable bison. Dinner's served!

Jul 4, 2008 - Jacqueline Church

"Americana in a bottle" Shagbark Hickory Syrup represents the best of both worlds: a great tasting, versatile product and a charming and utterly unique history.

Apr 15, 2008 - Jacqueline Church

Sweet, meaty, delicious and sustainable. Florida Stone Crab are a dream for seafood lovers.

Apr 12, 2008 - Jacqueline Church

Unlike pancetta or bacon, guanciale takes its flavor not from smoke but from wine, herbs and special fat from the pork jowl. It gives them back to this classic dish.

Feb 10, 2008 - Jacqueline Church

Warming winter soup is easy and comforting on a cold night. Classic technique of potato-water base

Jan 19, 2008 - Jacqueline Church

Go local? Fresh, a frozen supermarket bird? Organic? Kosher? Natural, free-range or free-roaming? It's enough to make you eat ham instead. Deciphering the choices.

Nov 11, 2007 - Jacqueline Church

They stay in bed all day, are huge drinkers, and wait for their meals to come to them. They imbue us with a sense of life's possibilities. Aphrodisiacs, too? Possibly.

Oct 10, 2007 - Jacqueline Church

With temperatures dropping, it's the perfect time for another Shabu Shabu meal. My husband ordered Mishima beef, or did he?

Feb 22, 2007 - Jacqueline Church

Coconut oil has been touted as being a miracle cure for a variety of ills and as a dangerous dietary source of saturated fat. But is coconut oil truly healthy or unsafe?

Dec 7, 2009 - Bridget Coila

The health benefits of salmon are well known, but which type of salmon is better, what is the difference between fresh or preserved and how should a fresh fish be chosen?

Nov 24, 2009 - Jane Lapon

Gourmet cooking oil labels can be confusing, with things like "cold pressed" or "filtered" leaving consumers unsure what to buy. This guide helps clear up the confusion.

Nov 23, 2009 - Bridget Coila

Black garlic, a form of fermented garlic that is reportedly super rich in antioxidants, also happens to be a current darling of top chefs and foodies.

Nov 23, 2009 - Barbara Jezior

Christmas baskets are most appreciated when they are personalized. Choose wine and cheese or champagne baskets and add something personal to suit the recipient's tastes.

Nov 19, 2009 - Lyn Rasmussen

Cooking with nut oils, from peanut oil to pecan oil, can add a unique flavor to both gourmet and everyday dishes as well as providing healthy nutritional bonuses.

Nov 15, 2009 - Bridget Coila

Fennel is known for its aniseed flavour and its celery-like texture, but its versatility and its nutritional value are what make it such an ideal vegetable.

Nov 12, 2009 - Jane Lapon

Slightly tangy with a much more pronounced lemon scent and taste, Buddah's Hand not only adds great flavor to your food, It can be used as a room freshener!

Nov 6, 2009 - Jackie Milligan

Shrimp is among the most popular seafood choices on the market, but buying fresh shrimp - rather than frozen - comes with its share of hazards.

Nov 3, 2009 - Jeremy Suizo

Chefs like Rachael Ray are helping to make broccoli rabe more popular. Learn about this leafy vegetable and find out how to prepare it like the pros!

Nov 2, 2009 - Sarah Zahn

Fall brings a host of edible mushrooms to farmers markets, specialty grocers and supermarkets that go far beyond the traditional button mushrooms of a past generation.

Nov 1, 2009 - Linda McDonnell

Fish is viable diet addition which is easy to prepare and to obtain in most supermarkets. But It is important to be educated about this fish to make the best purchase.

Nov 1, 2009 - Michelle Barrett

Loved as an aphrodisiac, feared for food poisoning, the oyster is in fact mostly safe and very nutritious but the real secret lies in knowing how to deal with them.

Oct 15, 2009 - Jane Lapon

Whether opened or not, most oils and condiments do have a shelf life, but it may not be as short as one might think.

Oct 9, 2009 - Jane Lapon

There are numerous ways to incorporate goat cheese into existing recipes, as a way to lighten the dish instead of heavier cheeses.

Oct 1, 2009 - Alia Luria

There are many different cooking oils available, and aside from cost and quality there are other important things to consider when deciding which oil to use when cooking.

Sep 27, 2009 - Jane Lapon

Gourmet oils, vinegars and other luxury food items can be costly, but which ones are actually worth paying extra for?

Sep 15, 2009 - Jane Lapon

Bored with recent dinners? The book 1001 Foods You Must Try Before You Die provides a multitude of food options to tantalize even the most jaded tastebuds.

Sep 11, 2009 - Karen Edwards

Caviar is one of the most expensive and elite of gourmet foods. What is the difference between black caviar and red caviar? What is sevruga, osetra, beluga or avruga?

Sep 9, 2009 - Victoria Anisman-Reiner

Vanilla sugar is simply sugar that has been infused with the scent of vanilla pods. Here are some tips as to how it is made and how it can be used in the kitchen.

Sep 4, 2009 - Jo Romero

Natural Unrefined Sea Salt has been produced in Maldon since Saxon times, and is praised by celebrity chefs including Jamie Oliver and Nigel Slater.

Aug 26, 2009 - Joanne E. Brannan

Whether eaten fresh on its own, pickled or dried, no one can deny the luscious texture and flavour of the mango, which makes a welcome addition to any fruit basket.

Aug 3, 2009 - Beverley Ann

No matter what your budget, you'll find something tantalising to take home for the pantry. Chocolates, condiments, spelt - there's something for every palate and pocket.

May 8, 2009 - Beverley Ann

Eggs have gotten a bad rap over the last few years yet recent science has proven that not to be true.

Feb 27, 2009 - Stuart Stein

In ancient times a distinction was made between a substance that increased fertility versus one that simply increased sex drive.

Feb 8, 2009 - Stuart Stein