Smoked sea salt is what the name says it is: sea salt that gets some of its flavor and color from the smoke. Think of it as a granular form of liquid smoke that provides saltiness along with a smoky taste. Smoked sea salt is easy enough to make at …
Mexican cooking draws its influences from Native Mesoamerican and Spanish culinary traditions. It is a truly colonial cuisine that emerged from the Spaniards’ conquest of the Aztecs. It was the Spaniards who introduced chicken into the Native Mesoamerican diet. Before their arrival, the Aztecs ate mostly grain and vegetables with …
Pokeweed is also known as poke sallet (sometimes spelled salet) or poke salad. A few native American tribes used it as food but most considered it medicine. It has continued to be a traditional food in parts of the Appalachian region but is not widely known outside of that part …
Elderberries are seeing a resurgence in popularity mostly because foraging has become a trend among foodies. Like any foraged food, there is a good side to elderberries and one that is not as good. The good side is that elderberries are tasty and nutritious. The bad side: using elderberries can …
Stevia is widely considered to be a great sugar alternative. It is both an effective sweetener and healthier than sugar. That said, there are quite a few differences between stevia and sugar. It is easy to ruin a recipe by simply switching out sugar for stevia if you are unaware …
Spirulina has been a culinary ingredient for centuries. Spanish colonists came across the Aztecs harvesting and using it while exploring Mexico. The Kanembou people in Chad are believed to have been using it all the way back in the 9th century. These days, spirulina is seen as more of a …
Chickweed is also called chickenwort. It got its name because chickens and other birds love it. The fact that it tastes like corn silk may have something to do with their affinity for the herb. Chickweed is full of nutrients including a high level of vitamin C. And it’s an …
Witch hazel is a large shrub that can grow up to 20 feet tall and that may have multiple branching trunks. It is not related to the hazelnut (which is genus Corylus) despite a resemblance that may account for the shared name. In comparison to the hazelnut, witch hazel’s culinary …