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