Pie Crust (Pâte Brisée) - Step by Step

November 12, 2011 | Posted in Basic Techniques | 6 Comments

Making pie crust, or pâte brisée, from scratch is easy as pie. Seriously. It’s not rocket science. Ok, some store bought pies may be good but once you make your [...]

A Perfect Classic Sponge Cake

April 14, 2010 | Posted in Basic Techniques, Desserts | 57 Comments

You’ve probably heard it before. Maybe you’ve said it to yourself about sponge cakes: “My cake didn’t rise a bit. It was one big gooey mess. Dense and tasteless. It [...]

How to Skin Raw Almonds

June 12, 2009 | Posted in Basic Techniques | 5 Comments

Some recipes call for use of skinned almonds. This is very easy to do at home. Here’s how:
1. Put the almonds in a pot and pour boiling water over them [...]

How to Make Saffron Water / Zeferan Demi

March 12, 2008 | Posted in Basic Techniques | 1 Comment

Saffron (in Azeri: Zeferan) is widely used in Azerbaijani cuisine to add flavor and color to the food. When buying saffron, go for threads instead of powder, as they stay [...]

How to Peel Chestnuts

March 11, 2008 | Posted in Basic Techniques | 7 Comments

Chestnuts are widely used in Azerbaijani cuisine, especially in Rice Pilaffs. They make a perfect snack when roasted, too. Here’s how you peel them to use in your recipes.
1. [...]