Mom Cooking Tip 163

To thicken tomato sauce made from fresh tomatoes, stir in 1 tablespoon tomato paste near the end of cooking.  It will give the sauce more body and extra flavor.

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Why Are They Called Lava Cookies?

How do certain foods get their names?  Consider Toad in the Hole, a British concoction featuring sausages baked in a flour-egg batter that puffs up in the oven.  Could it be named after the character Toad in “Toad of Toad Hall,” a play written by A.A. Milne of “Winnie the Pooh” fame?

Question for Mom

Are fresh ginger and ground ginger interchangeable? – Stephanie A.

I used to think they were, but after doing some research I discovered that the answer is NO.  Ground ginger is the spice of choice for baking.  I’ve often used it in stir-fries, soups and casseroles, and it provided a good flavor. So I seldom go to the trouble of peeling and dicing fresh ginger.

I did wonder why fresh ginger didn’t seem to add much flavor, but

Chewing Through Memory Lane

Chopped  Vegetable and Barley Salad

For most of my adult life, I have maintained a notebook of recipes I like.  Every once in a while, when temporary amnesia sets in, I flip through it for ideas.

Mom Cooking Tip 162

Bake a fruit pie on a rimmed baking sheet.  That way if the juices overflow, they won’t get on the floor of the oven.

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Basmati Rice: What Is It and How Do I Cook It?

Before Indian food became popular in the U.S., basmati rice was hard to find except in Indian specialty stores.  Now in California, at least, it’s available everywhere.  It’s more expensive than long-grain American rice.  A grain of basmati rice is a little longer and skinnier than long-grain American rice and, to me, tastes better.

What’s special about basmati rice?  Some rice tastes blah when it’s not covered with sauce.  Basmati rice has a slight nutty flavor and can be served as a plain side dish. However, it also goes well with sauces and is commonly requested in Indian recipes.

Simple, Cheap and Tasty – What’s Not to Like?

I have to be in the mood to make an appetizer—especially if no company is coming for dinner.  But I will make an exception for White Bean Spread because I like it so much.  There are just 4 ingredients, plus some slices of crusty bread, although even stale bread taste good with a dollop of this spread.

If you want to feel like you’re really cooking, you can buy dried white beans and cook them yourself.