My Chicago Cookbook Tour for Ramadan Cooking
I am so incredibly excited to announce that I’ll be touring the Chicagoland area to talk about the recipes in my cookbook, Summer Ramadan Cooking! I’ll…
How to Make Quick & Warm Salad Dressing
When you make a nice batch of eggs or meat in olive oil or butter, but don’t use up all the oil then it’s a really good…
5 Ways to Re-Use Pistachio Shells
Once you’ve had your healthy dose of pistachios for the day, don’t throw out those precious shells! Here are a few ways you can re-use…
Zaffron
Zaffron, also known as azafran or osfer, are actually the threads of the safflower plant and serve as a common alternative to the expensive threads of the crocus flower, saffron. It does…
Roasting Chicken in an Upright Rack
One of the most useful tools I have in the kitchen for roasting chicken and other small birds is this type of upright roasting rack…
Standing Graters
This tool is something that belongs in every household kitchen. It can be used to grate cheese, vegetables like carrots or zucchini, onions (to produce…
Substitutes for Alcohol in Baking
Using alcohol in baking is widely done in many types of desserts, but there is a wonderful array of very good quality substitutes that are…
Substitutes for Alcohol in Cooking
Although it may be debatable to some whether or not alcohol really does burn-off in cooking, the issue remains to be something many people simply…
Substitutes for Pork in Cooking
This is probably one of the most commonly asked questions related to halal cooking- how do you substitute pork in so many recipes where it’s…
Steaming Basics
Steaming is universally known as a healthy method of cooking because little fat, if any, is needed in the process. One of the oldest known…
Oven Roasting to Perfection
Larousse Gastronomique: The World’s Greatest Culinary Encyclopedia, defines roasting as “cooking meat, poultry, game or fish by exposing it to the heat of a naked…
How to Poach Eggs and Other Foods
If you’re trying to avoid foods cooked in oil and want something a bit different from steamed foods, poaching is a great option, especially for…
How to Perfectly Saute Any Food
In the culinary-filled language of French, the word sauté literally means “to jump”. That’s exactly what some foods do when heated in a pan, turning a beautiful…
Braising: The Art of Embracing Slow Food, Good Fat, and a Healthy Cooking Method
Despite the popularity of fast food, the concept of slow food has recently made a comeback. Thanks to those in the culinary world who encouraged…
Basic Techniques for Summer Grilling
Indirect heat and distancing food from charcoal is technically called barbecuing, whereas grilling puts food right on the flame, giving it the flavor everyone seems…
Tips For Baking Perfectly Every Time
Most people love to eat homemade baked goods, but if you aren’t the one making those goodies, the work involved in order to get things…
Sejouk (Spicy Sausage)
Sejouk (also known as sudjuk, sujuk, or merguez) is a spicy version of sausage that is common in Middle Eastern cuisine, stemming from places like Morocco, Algeria,…
Quail Eggs
Quail eggs are tiny eggs that can be cooked just like your average egg, although some chefs like to add it raw to many dishes.…
HOW TO USE PRESERVED LEMONS
If there’s one ingredient that says “Moroccan cooking” it’s preserved lemons. They’re smaller than most lemons found in the U.S. and also sweeter. Traditionally preserved…
Ostrich Eggs
Ostrich eggs might not even be on your radar as anything other than what you might see at a zoo, but kid you not they…
