Author: Scoffo
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Maillard reaction
All about one of the most important chemical reactions you’ve never heard of – your food would be a bit less colourful and a lot less tasty without it!
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Cream
What cream is and how to understand the terms for the various types of cream in different countries.
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Gluten
Gluten is a protein found predominantly in wheat, rye and barley. It may also be present in other cereals, either as a natural component or as a result of cross-contamination during harvesting. Therefore, anyone with a gluten-intolerance might be wise to check that any other cereal they purchase is in fact gluten-free. Gluten’s main culinary…
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Coeliac disease
Coeliac (sometimes spelled celiac) disease is a lifelong autoimmune disease where the body’s immune system reacts to gluten, a protein found in wheat, barley and rye. The body’s reaction to gluten causes damage to the lining of the intestine, preventing the body from absorbing important nutrients. Symptoms can include bloating, diarrhoea, nausea, wind, constipation, tiredness,…
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Vegan diet
Veganism is the practice of abstaining from the use of animal products and the philosophy of rejecting the status of animals as a commodity. This extends to all lifestyle choices, eg choosing household products, clothing and cosmetics which are free from animal products and which have not been tested on animals. In particular followers of…
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Amaretto
Amaretto is a sweet, almond-flavoured liqueur which originates from Saronno, Italy. There are several commercial brands available notably Disaronno and Lazzaroni. It can be drunk on its own, with ice, in coffee or used as a cocktail base. It’s also used for various culinary purposes, to add flavour to both sweet and savoury dishes. At Christmas…
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Panettone
Panettone is a type of sweet bread loaf which originated in Milan, Italy. It’s often found at Christmas, New Year and other celebrations in Southern Europe and Latin America. It’s pictured on the left above, with stollen on the right. Panettone takes a long time to make as the dough is cured, in a process…
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Banana
Nowadays this tropical fruit is an everyday household ingredient but historically it was perceived as an exotic rarity. Even just after World War II rationing, it was considered to be a rare treat. Bananas probably originated in Southeast Asia, and from there to the Middle East and then on to Africa. From there, Spanish and Portuguese…
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Baguette
A baguette is a long, thin loaf of bread. It’s commonly known in English as a French stick. It’s made from a lean type of dough which is defined by French law. The dough traditionally contains wheat flour, water, yeast and salt. Some baguettes are made by using a ‘poolish’ – a starter dough to…
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Bagel
The bagel, also spelt beigel, is a bread product which originated in the Jewish communities of Poland. Traditionally, it’s made of a yeasted wheat dough shaped into a ring, which is first boiled and then baked. These days some bagels are steamed before baking, thus eliminating the boiling stage. This process results in a dense,…