Fruit platters can be creative, fun to make and appealing. My tips on fruit platters are: Use seasonal fruit, they are well priced and at their peak in terms of taste, look and nutrition. One or two bite sized pieces are ideal, if the fruit is too big, then it is difficult to handle and […]
My top avocado tips: Shoppers tend to squeeze and manhandle avocados in stores, damaging and bruising them. Rather buy hard avocados and ripen at home, by wrapping with a newspaper. Once ripened, and there are no plans for immediate use, then you can slow further ripening by storing them in the fridge. Rather than tossing out an overripe or […]
I have been buying my meat and vegetables from the same 5 suppliers for years, the longest being a 20 year relationship. Connecting with your suppliers is important and has huge benefits. Not only do you develop a relationship, know who and how your food is being handled, but over time you also get to know delivery days […]
I enjoy adding herbs to my cooking but, fresh herbs are not always available. It is easier to pick from my pots and visit friend’s gardens or buy those herbs that I do not have. Rinse the fresh herbs with cold water, pat dry and freeze in labelled containers. I normally slice basil before freezing it. Some herbs such as bay leaves, curry […]
With all the chopping, dicing, slicing and cutting that happens in the kitchen, every cook professional or not, should have a decent set of knives to work with. I have a set of four knives and my preference are knives with serrated edges, some people function better with smooth edged knives. Work with what you […]
I spend a life time cooking and sometimes, I feel like an effortless light snack, which I buy from the market and street vendors. My list of snacks includes: Tiger nuts: Rinsed and soaked overnight in water to rehydrate them African cherry: Star like fruit, packet with sweet flesh Watermelon: Slices of sweet, crisp watermelon Tangerine: Juicy and easy to […]
I was recently asked to do a kitchen audit for someone and 90% of their spices had expired and had to be thrown out. Over time, the flavour of the spices deteriorates and my rule of thumb is to not keep spices for over 2 years. It is important to store your spices in air tight containers – […]
It is important to know your guests food preferences when inviting them over. There are cultural and religious restrictions, combined with allergy and dietary food preferences ranging from vegans, diabetics to a lactose or gluten intolerant guest. I think it is polite to ask guests, but don’t give high maintenance guests room to change your entire menu […]
Read the entire recipe and gather all the ingredients required, this is to avoid realising that there is an ingredient missing and having to stop halfway through. Start prepping your ingredients, by peeling, measuring, cleaning, chopping and mincing according to the recipe. Once the prepping is done, then follow the recipe step by step. Remember […]
At one point or another, we burn food and it is one of the most annoying things that can happen in a kitchen. My first reaction is to salvage what I can and immediately pour cold water into the pot to soak overnight with a teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda and dishwashing liquid. By morning the burnt contents have softened […]
The quality of the ingredients impact on the overall quality of the dish. Wherever possible try to use organic meats, vegetables and fresh herbs. One can also freeze or dry their own herbs.
Before I use eggs, I always place them in a bowl filled with water to test for freshness. If they remain at the bottom of the bowl, then they are good to use. If not, then I discard them immediately!
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