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Numerous nut butters can be made by grinding a nut until it turns into a smooth, creamy paste. Many consumers are familiar with peanut butter, which is technically a legume butter, since peanuts are not true nuts. Almond butter is another common variation, made with almonds instead of peanuts. Other butters made with tree nuts include cashew butter, pecan butter, hazelnut butter, macadamia butter, and walnut butter. Some seeds such as sunflower seeds and sesame seeds are also used to make butters.

True wasabi is a spicy, root-like plant, part of the mustard family, and native to Japan. The entire plant may be used for flavoring, but it is the root portion that is ground into the familiar green, pasty condiment. Wasabi is somewhat difficult to grow and takes from 18 months to three years to reach maturity. These two factors make true wasabi pastes and powders expensive, ranging from $50 US Dollars (USD) to $100 USD per pound.

Pak choy is a vegetable which has been cultivated in China for thousands of years. In addition to being widely used in Chinese cuisine, this vegetable is very popular in other parts of Asia as well. Many English speakers know pak choy as bok choy or pak choi, thanks to disagreement about how the Chinese word for this vegetable should be transliterated. Whatever you call it, this is a very versatile, tender, flavorful vegetable which can be used in a wide assortment of dishes.

Onions that are going to be caramelized traditionally are chopped into strips or large pieces. This can be beneficial while cooking, because the onions will reduce in size and smaller pieces might burn. The pan used for cooking the onions generally has a thick, heavy bottom to ensure that heat is distributed evenly and to prevent hot spots that could burn the onions.

According to legend, brie first became famous when it was declared “a delicacy” by France’s Emperor Charlemagne, who reigned from 768 to 814. Nearly a hundred years later, it was crowned “the King of Cheeses” at a European cheese-making competition at the Congress of Vienna. These accolades are mostly owing to the cheese’s uniformly creamy texture, its rich taste, and its smooth, even flavor.

A ding sauce is usually made from only a few ingredients. These include sliced almonds, butter and sugar. The almonds are toasted in the butter to enhance their nutty flavor. The sauce is commonly used to coat chicken but also can be used on shrimp, tofu or stir-fried vegetables.

Cashews are the seeds of the cashew tree, Anacardium occidentale, native to Brazil. The seeds are often mistakenly classified as nuts, and most cooks treat cashews like nuts, especially since they behave like nuts in the kitchen. For people with allergy issues, the distinction between nut and seed can be very important, as some people who are allergic to nuts are not allergic to cashews.

Garlic (Allium sativum) is from the Alliaceae family like its close relatives chives, leek, and onions. The edible herb most commonly associated with the name is the bulb of garlic cloves that is found underground, below the leafy, scallion-like growth. Hardneck and softneck are the two basic varieties. One key difference is that hardneck sends up a flower stalk, called a scape, which is another edible portion of the plant. The scape is less well known in the U.S., possibly because most grown for commercial use is softneck.

Almost every culture has its own version of 'fast food', and in Greece that honor goes to the gyro sandwich. A gyro sandwich (pronounced YEER-oh) consists of various rotisseried meats, salad vegetables such as tomatoes, lettuce and onions, along with a yogurt-based tzatziki sauce. These ingredients are placed on a hearty form of grilled pita bread and served as a wrap sandwich. In some countries, a gyro sandwich may also contain french fries or mustard. The type of pita bread may also vary, from the pocket style to a greasier round flatbread.

Pumpkins are some of the most easily recognizable types of winter squash. They typically have an orange or yellow hue and a thick skin. Most pumpkin varieties are tough and flavorless, except for sugar pumpkins or pie pumpkins. These are smaller and sweeter than other varieties and can be used in pumpkin pie and other recipes.

Oregano is rich in antioxidants and vitamin K. Fresh oregano is not only delicious, but surprisingly nutritious. Antioxidants are believed to prevent many types of cancer and fresh oregano has 12 times more antioxidants than oranges, when compared pound for pound. Vitamin K helps to keep the cardiovascular system healthy. Other nutrients found in oregano include vitamins C and A, iron, and manganese.

The health benefits of walnuts are numerous and have been well-documented by the American Food and Drug Administration (FDA). They help reduce heart disease by providing healthy doses of “good” fats like omega-3 fatty acids and they been shown to lower bad cholesterol. Walnuts have also be shown to lower C-Reactive Protein, which is a strong indicator of heart disease. Combined with their heart health benefits, walnuts are also high in vitamins like B-12 and Vitamin E as well as in magnesium, protein and antioxidants, which have been shown to help prevent a wide range of health problems, including cancer.

The border separating Wisconsin and Illinois may just seem like a dark line on a map to some, but to many residents of both states it is a philosophical and cultural divide known as the Cheddar Curtain. Arguably not as divisive as the original Iron Curtain, the Cheddar Curtain delineates a shift from the pastoral farmlands of Illinois to the dairy country of Wisconsin. Once visitors have crossed the Cheddar Curtain, their paths are bound to intersect with a cheese product eventually.

Vegetable proteins normally contain complex sugars which may inhibit the protein from being absorbed. When choosing a vegetable-based protein, purified powders that contain no sugars to ensure maximum absorption are recommended. Selecting proteins with very few additives promotes easier digestibility.

Rosemary is a Mediterranean evergreen shrub which is widely cultivated all over the world for its aromatic and flavorful leaves. Gardeners also use this plant as a topiary or large ornamental bush, because it can get quite large, and produce many white, light blue, or pale purple flowers. In addition to use in cooking, rosemary is also used in cosmetics and in aromatherapy treatments, as well as in sachets to keep garments smelling sweet and fresh. The herb is available in fresh form in some specialty stores, as well as in in whole dried and powdered forms.

Greek yogurt is a type of yogurt that is celebrated for its very thick and creamy texture. The process for making it includes extra steps that result in its thickness. It has about the same creamy texture as sour cream, and provides an excellent substitute. It has recently become more increasingly available in the US, because the taste and the lack of bitterness make it a wonderful treat.

Balsamic vinegar is a thick, sweet-smelling vinegar that is made from pure and unfermented grape juice, which is known as must. Several varieties of grapes can be used to create balsamic vinegar, but the Trebbiano grape, which is native to Modena, Italy, is the most common. Another variety that is commonly used is Lambrusco. Ancellotta and Sauvignon are sometimes used as well. This type of vinegar is often used in cooking, as a salad dressing or as a topping for vegetables.

Basmati rice is a fragrant, long grain rice that features prominently in Indian, Pakistani, and Middle Eastern cuisine. It can be either white or brown, but both typically have a uniform color and consistency before and after cooking. The rice can be eaten on its own or used as a base for a number of different savory and sweet dishes. It is the central ingredient in rice pudding, for instance, which is typically served as a dessert, but is equally essential to a range of meat dishes, stews, and vegetable presentations.