Category Archives for "Condiments"

Getting Grilled: Guaranteed Ways To Thicken BBQ Sauce

By Rose | Condiments , Sauce

If you go outdoors and smell the delicious aroma of sizzling food cooking on the good ole’ grill wafting through the summer air, then you can be assured that the BBQ season has well and truly arrived. And we all know what that means: a jolly good time with friends and family. It’s great to see the children playing by the pool while the adults chat and soak up the beautiful summer sun. And of course, let’s not forget the fantastic meat being served up in the backyard. Nothing beats this. It does not matter which part of the world you live in, everybody, from all walks of life, loves a good BBQ party.

What really excites me is getting the grill all fired up so that I can cook up a wide array of meat with some of my seriously delicious BBQ sauce. We all know the quality of the meat is very important, but so is your BBQ sauce. A good slather of sweet and tangy BBQ sauce will turn you into a grilling legend in the eyes of your loved ones.

The secret to making a good BBQ sauce is its thickness. In fact, the thicker the BBQ sauce is, the more flavor it will give to your meat. A good coating will stick better to whatever you are cooking, give a caramelized crunch to your ribs, and a bolder, deeper flavor to your meat.

After all, there is nothing quite as disappointing as a watered down BBQ sauce. It’s really tough to see fantastic cuts of meat being wasted by a sub-par sauce. I swear a thousand butchers weep every time a piece of meat is grilled with watery BBQ sauce, so I have written this article for all the butchers and aspiring grillers out there! I want to share these five guaranteed ways to thicken BBQ sauce with you all.

Smoked Paprika Substitutes: 4 Excellent Options To Explore

By Rose | Condiments

Are there any smoked paprika substitutes that you could use if this spice suddenly went missing from your kitchen rack? To find out the answer to this pressing question, let’s start by examining this spice and joining the discussion.

If you have an excellent Spanish background, you are probably familiar with pimenton. This is the Spanish terminology for smoked paprika. They use it in a variety of delicacies, such as stews, soups, and their iconic paella, which contains lots of smoked paprika!

Although smoked paprika is not a primary kitchen ingredient, as your daily cooking adventures can generally do without it, there are particular recipes that require this powdered spice. If you want a dish with a smoky and spicy tang, then smoked paprika is the perfect choice.

But as you don’t use it frequently, this ingredient will not always be available in your spice rack. Don’t blame yourself for this, and instead focus on the fact that it can be replaced by a number of alternatives. Yes, smoked paprika can be substituted with some selected spices. Here are they…

The Best Harissa Substitute: 6 Options You Shouldn’t Miss

By Rose | Condiments

Harissa is undeniably an exotic ingredient. Just like smoked paprika or chili paste, it is not something that is either staple or ordinary. Therefore, finding the best harissa substitute can be difficult, especially if you are not aware of how this ingredient works.

The very first time I came across harissa paste was when a friend of mine introduced me to her roasted chicken recipe. She had included harissa and peas in the dish, making it more pleasurable to the tongue. After that I made sure this ingredient was present in my spice rack.

But just as with other condiments and spices, harissa is not always available. After all, it is a regional ingredient that is only common in the Middle East and North Africa. Outside of these places, it is a rare find.

Fortunately, there is a way out of this problem. As long as you know all the potential alternatives to this spice, your life in the kitchen will be less stressful. Before revealing all of these recommended substitutes to you, I will first of all discuss the overall nature of harissa.

Chili Paste Substitute? Here Are Some Ingenious Options!

By Rose | Condiments

What makes a good chili paste substitute? It is an interesting question, as our desire for spicy dishes is seemingly insatiable.

Of course, there are a lot of spicy ingredients that can provide this particular flavor, such as curry powder and garam masala. However, for those who want to get a “generic” and “all-round” spice, then chili paste is a good option. It is easy to get in the market, as it’s pretty common, and you will definitely want it in your kitchen’s spice rack. But sometimes, things just don’t go on your way and however badly you want it for your Asian dishes, this ingredient is sometimes unavailable. I was appalled when this precious spice went missing from my kitchen last week. However, it did not really dishearten me because I knew how to find alternatives to it.

If you know all the possible substitutes for chili paste, you will never have to worry anymore. After all, a creative mind and a pair of ingenious hands will allow you to create culinary wonders. For starters, here are some “surrogates” to chili paste, if it is missing from your spice rack.

6 Cardamom Substitutes That You Probably Don’t Know

By Rose | Condiments

Cardamom is a spice that is made by grinding different seeds from plants that are part of the Amomum and Elettaria genera. Most of the time, the cardamom plant produces seed pods. It also comes in two varieties: black cardamom and green cardamom. Green cardamom is the most expensive. In fact, it is amongst the costliest spices you will find in the markets today, especially when it comes to price-per-weight calculations.

Because of this, a lot of people who have grown accustomed to the taste of cardamom are looking for potential alternatives. Of course, the most obvious option is black cardamom. However, it is not that common. Fortunately, there are a plethora of ingredients out there that mimic the taste and quality of cardamom.

Here are some of the suggested substitutes that you can use.