Latest news with #homecooking
News.com.au
16 hours ago
- Entertainment
- News.com.au
People are just realising Worcestershire sauce has ‘hidden' ingredient
Worcestershire sauce is a condiment often used to add flavour to dishes such as pasta, casseroles, pies, and even Bloody Mary cocktails. But it's only recently that people have discovered its key ingredient, and it's completely blowing their minds. The tangy sauce is typically made with water, vinegar, brown sugar, golden syrup, salt, tamarind, spices, onion powder, and garlic powder. However, people have been left stunned to find out that the sauce also contains a rather polarising ingredient – anchovies. The revelation came to light after a mum and home cook shared her take on a Caesar salad, which she declared was 'picky child approved' as it contained no anchovy fillets, unlike a typical Caesar salad. Diana Konfederat instead added a dash of the brown condiment to the salad's dressing, saying, 'this has anchovies in it'. 'Please don't come for me for not using fresh anchovies,' she added. 'I don't like them, my kids don't like them.' Although thousands were keen to recreate her version of Caesar salad dressing, many were shocked to discover that anchovies were hiding in the sauce. 'Wait a second. I had no idea Worcestershire sauce had anchovies in it,' said one user. 'I just ran to check my sauce – and yes. I haven't eaten Caesar dressing since I've learned it's in there and all along I've been eating this. I'm dead,' admitted a second. 'My mind is blown, Worcestershire sauce has anchovies?!' yet another commenter exclaimed. 'Never knew that Worcestershire sauce contained anchovies,' a fourth added. However, several admitted they'd always steered clear of Caesar salad because of the fish, but were pleased to discover that Worcestershire sauce could be used to recreate that delicate, salty, fishy taste. 'YAY I've always wanted a non-fishy Caesar recipe,' one user wrote. 'This looks bomb – I hate anchovies, so this I could do,' someone else said. Anchovies are included in Worcestershire sauce to impart a deep, savoury, and umami flavour. This umami, frequently characterised as a 'meaty' or 'brothy' taste, arises from the fermentation process and the natural compounds present in the anchovies. The anchovies are matured in vinegar, which helps in breaking them down and releasing these flavour compounds and contributing to the sauce's distinctive character. As a result, many Worcestershire sauces aren't vegan. However, if you are vegan or simply don't like anchovies, plenty of fish-free Worcestershire sauce brands exist. Vegan Worcestershire sauces include ingredients like molasses, tamarind, and vinegar to give the same complex, delicious flavour without the fish. For example, the home brand Woolworths Worcestershire sauce contains no anchovies, nor does the Coles home brand version. Popular brand Lea & Perrins does, however, contain anchovies.
News.com.au
3 days ago
- General
- News.com.au
The 'hated' ingredient that changed how I beef stew forever
I've never liked anchovies. They look slimy, feel hairy and taste salty – which, you have to admit, is pretty terrifying. But, I digress. My sister is an incredible home cook, especially when it comes to indulgent wintery food. Curries, casseroles, soups and stews: I always know where to go when I need a bit of comfort. For years, I've been requesting a particular Italian beef dish whenever I visit her. Introducing poposo, the best Tuscan beef stew Not only does this dish have the best name ever (say it with an Italian accent to really appreciate it), but it's absolutely delicious. It's rich without being too full-on and the beef just melts in your mouth. This recipe was written by Jill Dupleix, one of Australia's most legendary food writers of all time. And it's safe to say her dish has also been given legendary status in my family. The secret to this incredible beef stew If I tell you what the magic ingredient is that gives this dish all its power, you probably won't believe me. I didn't believe my sister either when she first told me they were in it (embarrassingly, a few years after I started claiming it as my all-time favourite dish.) Anchovies. That's right, I could go so far as to say I hate the slimy-yet-hairy little things – but when they're added to a sauce, they are powerhouses of flavour. When cooked, anchovies melt and add an umami intensity to anything you add them to, without any fishiness. How to use anchovies to boost flavour Melted into olive oil with chopped garlic? You've got yourself the ultimate 3-ingredient pasta dish. Disintegrated in butter to be tossed with just-cooked broccoli? Best-ever side dish. Added to the sauce in a humble Italian beef stew? Life made. Why add anchovies to beef stew? The introduction to Jill's beef peposo recipe pre-empts what other anchovy haters might be thinking. 'You may be tempted to skip the anchovies,' it predicts. 'Don't! Anchovies may not be to your taste on their own, but when you add just a few to this recipe they really do make a difference.' 19 beef stews the family will love But the recipe writer and I are not the only people who think this stew is the best thing since, well, beef stew without anchovies. Tuscan beef stew: the rave reviews Our members have given this recipe 4.9 out of 5 stars and keep leaving glowing reviews: 'THIS IS AMAZING! and so simple… this dish has the heartiness and richness (or Oompf!) that I have been searching for in casserole/stew recipes… I think it's thanks to the anchovies.' – kalexno 'I made this today and was thrilled with the result. I actually prepared it this morning (to just prior to adding the water) and didn't cook it until four hours before I wanted to serve it, so it marinated for the day. I believe this made it extra delicious.' – blackcatsx One cynical reviewer wrote: 'Why the anchovies?' and another member leapt to its defence: 'Anchovies add a rich depth to the flavour. They don't taste fishy at all.' Well said. How to make Jill Dupleix's Tuscan beef stew Jill uses beef shin in this recipe, which is beautifully rich in flavour when cooked slowly. Rosemary, tomato paste, red wine and garlic bring all the Italian vibes. And then, there's the anchovies. After 4 hours of bubbling away on the stove, the meat will fall apart, the sauce will thicken and all the intense flavour of the anchovies will permeate right through the entire dish. It seasons it almost like salt, stock or soy sauce would. Jill recommends ladling the beef stew over creamy polenta. I've tried it with buttery mash or just in a bowl with a spoon and some crusty bread. Get Jill Dupleix's peposo Tuscan beef stew recipe (and don't forget the anchovies). And, if you want to amp up the cosiness factor, I recommend serving it with creamy mashed potato, just like the recipe below.
Washington Post
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Washington Post
How I learned to stop stressing and just have people over for dinner
For years, whenever I invited people over for a meal, it was a Big Production. I favored showstopping dishes, such as bo ssam or sides of poached salmon with elaborate mousseline sauces. Even regular dinner parties sometimes had themes. I sweated the small stuff. Once, I found myself scraping a frozen block of fresh-squeezed grapefruit juice with a spoon to make a granita, a process that left me and my tiny kitchen covered in a sticky shower of pulp just minutes before guests were expected to arrive.
The Independent
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Co Antrim woman's passion for posting traditional cookery skills a hit on TikTok
A Co Antrim grandmother with more than three million likes on TikTok has spoken about her passion for keeping traditional cooking alive for the next generation. While the social media platform was initially best known for showcasing dance moves, Cheryl Smyth has amassed millions of views from across the world whipping up local favourites in her kitchen in Carrickfergus. Some of the 58-year-old's most popular videos include stew, roast dinners, braised steak, 'marry me' chicken and sausage rolls, and attract viewers from Canada, Australia, New Zealand and France as well as Northern Ireland. Her bakes also include a chocolate cake inspired by the Roald Dahl book Matilda as well as traybakes, pineapple creams, scones, sticky toffee pudding, wheaten farls and treacle farls as well as old-school jam and coconut sponge and meringues. Her channel Cheryl Bakes Cakes is growing by around 10,000 followers a month since she started in January 2024, going on to hit 100,000 by December, and now at almost 170,000. One of her first videos was surviving a gale during Storm Isla in January 2024, but soon expanded to cooking with the encouragement of her children. Cheryl told the PA news agency she is incredibly touched by and motivated by followers who tell her she has taught them things their own parents were not able to. 'I'm just a person next door type, but I do things they can all relate to, and I'm teaching them how to cook, and how to cook good traditional meals on a budget,' she said. 'You'll see my life going on in the background, my dogs, people walking in while I'm baking, my husband, it's just a real person in a real kitchen making real food. 'I actually had a message recently from a girl who said her mum had passed suddenly, how she missed her and that actually I was teaching her things her mum never got the chance to do. 'I've had lots of those comments, that I'm the mummy someone didn't have or the great aunt, and for me, that's my measure of success when someone says that to me. 'I'm so grateful that just being me seems to connect with people.' Cheryl, originally from Larne, also lived in Zambia and Canada as a child before her family returned to Northern Ireland. She worked as a personal assistant before becoming a full-time mother when her first son was born, and has since also raised her birth children and foster children for the last 31 years. While many creators with growing followings on social media aim to make it their full-time job, Cheryl said she is focused on helping people develop their cooking skills. She said she has also turned down scores of opportunities to collaborate with companies and sell products, which she says she has no plans to do. 'If you see me promoting a nice Chinese takeaway, I bought it. If I eat a nice Chinese takeaway I'll talk about it, but I stay away from the paid promotion,' she said. 'I am not doing this for money, it's just for enjoyment. 'Eating out is becoming a treat these days, so for me it's about showing people how to easily feed their family well with really nice food that's good for them, and saving your money to have a takeaway as a treat. 'That's just how I was brought up and now I do it too. 'I'm always being asked about doing a cook book, but I just say this is my living cookbook, and you get to ask me questions and I can reply to you. I'm just not financially motivated at all.' She has recently started a new series focused on being able to feed your family for a fiver, and has even teamed up with a butcher in Ballymena to create a £25 meat pack to help people cook on a budget. Cheryl also said she is adapting to being recognised when she goes out, from people asking for pictures with her to telling her that they cooked her various recipes with great success. 'Nobody wants a smashed avocado any more, and a hundred ways to do it, they want a piece of soda bread and nice slice of ham,' she said. 'Our breads are so easy to make, it's one bowl, no rising, no yeast, stirred with a knife, put in the oven or the griddle, and they're incredible. But she stressed: 'I don't want anybody to think I am something that I'm not – I'm just a normal girl in a house who knows how to cook, who was taught by my granny and my mum, and now I do it too. 'For me, it's just good fun and I love what I'm doing.'
BreakingNews.ie
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- BreakingNews.ie
Co Antrim woman's passion for posting traditional cookery skills a hit on TikTok
A Co Antrim grandmother with more than three million likes on TikTok has spoken about her passion for keeping traditional cooking alive for the next generation. While the social media platform was initially best known for showcasing dance moves, Cheryl Smyth has amassed millions of views from across the world whipping up local favourites in her kitchen in Carrickfergus. Advertisement Some of the 58-year-old's most popular videos include stew, roast dinners, braised steak, 'marry me' chicken and sausage rolls, and attract viewers from Canada, Australia, New Zealand and France as well as Northern Ireland. Her bakes also include a chocolate cake inspired by the Roald Dahl book Matilda as well as traybakes, pineapple creams, scones, sticky toffee pudding, wheaten farls and treacle farls as well as old-school jam and coconut sponge and meringues. Her channel Cheryl Bakes Cakes is growing by around 10,000 followers a month since she started in January 2024, going on to hit 100,000 by December, and now at almost 170,000. One of her first videos was surviving a gale during Storm Isla in January 2024, but soon expanded to cooking with the encouragement of her children. Advertisement Cheryl told the PA news agency she is incredibly touched by and motivated by followers who tell her she has taught them things their own parents were not able to. 'I'm just a person next door type, but I do things they can all relate to, and I'm teaching them how to cook, and how to cook good traditional meals on a budget,' she said. 'You'll see my life going on in the background, my dogs, people walking in while I'm baking, my husband, it's just a real person in a real kitchen making real food. 'I actually had a message recently from a girl who said her mum had passed suddenly, how she missed her and that actually I was teaching her things her mum never got the chance to do. Advertisement 'I've had lots of those comments, that I'm the mummy someone didn't have or the great aunt, and for me, that's my measure of success when someone says that to me. 'I'm so grateful that just being me seems to connect with people.' Cheryl, originally from Larne, also lived in Zambia and Canada as a child before her family returned to Northern Ireland. She worked as a personal assistant before becoming a full-time mother when her first son was born, and has since also raised her birth children and foster children for the last 31 years. Advertisement While many creators with growing followings on social media aim to make it their full-time job, Cheryl said she is focused on helping people develop their cooking skills. She said she has also turned down scores of opportunities to collaborate with companies and sell products, which she says she has no plans to do. 'If you see me promoting a nice Chinese takeaway, I bought it. If I eat a nice Chinese takeaway I'll talk about it, but I stay away from the paid promotion,' she said. 'I am not doing this for money, it's just for enjoyment. Advertisement 'Eating out is becoming a treat these days, so for me it's about showing people how to easily feed their family well with really nice food that's good for them, and saving your money to have a takeaway as a treat. 'That's just how I was brought up and now I do it too. 'I'm always being asked about doing a cook book, but I just say this is my living cookbook, and you get to ask me questions and I can reply to you. I'm just not financially motivated at all.' She has recently started a new series focused on being able to feed your family for a fiver, and has even teamed up with a butcher in Ballymena to create a £25 meat pack to help people cook on a budget. Cheryl also said she is adapting to being recognised when she goes out, from people asking for pictures with her to telling her that they cooked her various recipes with great success. 'Nobody wants a smashed avocado any more, and a hundred ways to do it, they want a piece of soda bread and nice slice of ham,' she said. 'Our breads are so easy to make, it's one bowl, no rising, no yeast, stirred with a knife, put in the oven or the griddle, and they're incredible. But she stressed: 'I don't want anybody to think I am something that I'm not – I'm just a normal girl in a house who knows how to cook, who was taught by my granny and my mum, and now I do it too. 'For me, it's just good fun and I love what I'm doing.'
