The Oils

Lets talk about oils. Yes, I know there are some who regard "oil" as a bad word. I'm not kidding, I know people like that. Anyway, when used in moderation, its actually good for you and of course, helps your food taste better.

Lets go through the list of more common oils we find in our stores here and their uses:

Extra Virgin Olive Oil - Great fruity flavor, best used in salad dressings, dips and sauces. Or for drizzling as a finishing touch to a dish. Not recommended for frying and over the stove cooking, mainly for 2 reasons, it has a low smoking point and strong flavor. The fruity flavor can alter the flavor profile of your dish.

Extra Light Olive Oil - Extra Light does not mean healthier. It just means extra light flavor. As opposed to Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Use as you would regular vegetable oil. For pan frying and roasting.

Vegetable Oil - May come from various sources, soya-bean, palm, corn, sunflower, canola etc.. General use oil for over the stove cooking. For frying, sauteing roasting etc. For a healthier choice, I prefer using Canola oil.

Grapeseed Oil - A great neutral flavoured oil, use as you would vegetable oil, but it is rather costly, I do not use it generally and Canola Oil does what I need it to do.

Peanut Oil - A great oil for high heat frying and deep frying. Reason being, peanut oil has a high smoking point. Meaning, it takes a higher temperature to "burn" or "smoke" peanut oil as opposed to other oils.

Flavoured nut oils, like macadamia, walnut etc.. - These are best used for drizzling over dishes, salads and some desserts.

Sesame Oil - Rich fragrant oil from toasted sesame seeds. Used for drizzling over Asian dishes (Chinese mostly) and sometimes in marinades as well.

You generally do not need to spend a lot just to have every type of oil in your kitchen. Know the oils and what you need them to do and just stock up on whatever you need. I personally have Extra Virgin for salads, Vegetable Oil/Extra Light Olive Oil for over the stove cooking and sesame oil in my pantry.

Chicken Stock - White and Brown

Stocks are the secret weapon in many kitchens. They help add flavor and texture to dishes and sauces. You can purchase it from the store/supermarket or you can make your own. It is rather hard to come by a pack of pre-made stock no salt or msg (AKA: Yeast extract, yes some food labels use this term). Although I think some speciality stores do carry organic ones without salt or msg in them. I do sometimes use store bought stock out of convenience. Be careful using store bought stock as it can throw off the seasoning process (due to the salt/sodium content), especially if the dish requires a lot of reducing.

Home made stock is awesome and you can freeze it for months, taking it out only when you need to use it. The trick is freezing it in portions. You can use an ice-cub tray or small containers. Just remember to leave room for expansion of the liquid (about 20% space) or it'll break your container.

You will need to prepare what is referred to as Mirepoix (pronouced "meer pwah") in culinary lingo. I believe its a French Term meaning a rough cut of  Onions, Carrot and Celery. Its a base for countless soups, sauces and dishes.

( I adapted these stock recipes from chef Tom Colicchio's recipes)

Buttercup, its not butter! Its a flower....

Not entirely sure if this qualifies as a kitchen tip but I really feel the need to post this article.

I have had friends hold this in their hand and exclaim "This is butter!".  It makes me really sad that shrewd marketing/packaging wins out yet again.... This brand of spread that has been on our supermarket shelves for a while now.

Buttercup does not indicate butter anywhere on the pack

I do not know if they (the brand owners) are doing this on purpose, but the packaging is really misleading and people are actually falling for it!

People, do NOT buy this brand if you need/want butter. Especially if you are baking and your recipe calls for butter. It will likely ruin your attempt.

You go home thinking that you got a good deal, buying butter at half price. Think again. More like half butter at full price.

The list of ingredients in Buttercup's luxury spread.

It lists palm oil as the first ingredient. Ingredients are typically arranged from the highest proportion to the lowest. I am of the opinion that its closer to being margarine than butter. If you are against processed foods, this is way more processed than genuine butter. Also, palm oil does not strike me as particularly luxurious either.

The Blades

Let's talk about blades! This post is a tip for those of you who are wondering about what knives you need for your kitchen. If you are asking yourself "which blades do I really need to get my kitchen started?" then this Kitchen Tip is for you.

In my humble opinion, you really only need 3 knives. These 3 would be able to cover almost all of the cutting jobs you will ever do in your home kitchen.

I like to call them my 3 primary blades.

From Top to Bottom: 1. Chef's Knife. 2. Paring Knife. 3. Bread Knife.

 First off, the quintessential chef's knife. This will be your best friend in food preparation. This baby will handle over 90% of your cutting jobs in food prep. Invest in the best one you can afford. Most importantly, get one that feels good in your hand. It should feel comfortable and steady while you are holding it. Ideally, the blade should be about 6-8 inches in length.