All in Ingredients

Robust Black Tea

Robust Black Tea

Shari Sweeney
Food & Beverage, Culinary Education, Ingredients

Let’s discuss an ingredient that when brewed becomes one of the most consumed beverages in the world, and that ingredient is black tea! This is quintessential to breakfast because it’s served alongside another popular beverage which is coffee. Black tea is served in many ways and used in daily rituals worldwide. It can be served as a simple cup with cream, sugar, and snacks for afternoon tea, steeped with spices to make a chai tea as well as brewed on the stovetop and served in a large pitcher with lots of sugar, ice and a slice of lemon on the side to make southern sweet tea.

The Joy of Sweet Basil

The Joy of Sweet Basil

Shari Sweeney
Food & Beverage, Ingredients, Culinary Education

Let’s talk about one of my favorite herbs of all time...Sweet Basil! It’s the first herb I grew on my balcony when I was in college and it started my love for gardening. When I see this beautiful herb, it makes me think of spring and summer because of its amazing smell and taste! Sweet basil is one of the most common herbs you will see in your grocery stores, farmer’s markets, and garden centers. It’s widely used in an array of culinary dishes as well as it’s used in many ways for it’s medicinal properties…

Peeling & Deveining Head-On Shrimp

Peeling & Deveining Head-On Shrimp

Shari Sweeney
Food & Beverage, Ingredients, How Tos

Let’s talk about how to do something that most of us detest...peeling and deveining head-on shrimp! It can be a rather cumbersome task and it’s worth it to ensure your meal is top-notch!

Dealing with head-on shrimp can be a bit intimidating to some because you’re seeing everything such as eyes, antennae, legs, and all! However, there is a bonus to purchasing head-on shrimp, which is the ability to use them in multiple ways. Once you peel the shrimp you can of course eat the meat in a myriad of delicious ways. You can also save the shells and heads to make a flavorful seafood stock that is perfect for sauces, soups, and stews. Let’s say you peeled some shrimp for dinner but you didn’t have the time to make a stock. You can always store them in the freezer and make the stock at a more convenient time in the future.

The Mild-Mannered Shallot

The Mild-Mannered Shallot

Shari Sweeney
Food & Beverage, Ingredients, Culinary Education

Let’s talk about Shallots, shall we?!

When you’re in the grocery store or the farmer’s market, have you ever seen some palm-sized brown clusters that are nearby the onions and garlic? If so, these are called shallots! They are like the mild-mannered cousin of the sharp flavored onion. When you are choosing shallots, you want to find a tight cluster that is firm when squeezed. Once you bring them home, they can last for weeks in a basket on your countertop. However, it’s preferable to store them in a dark, cool, and dry place with great ventilation for longer storage.

The Versatility of Heavy Cream

The Versatility of Heavy Cream

Shari Sweeney
Food & Beverage, Ingredients, Culinary Education

Heavy cream is an amazing ingredient that is versatile beyond measure. It is used to make so many of our favorite comfort foods like ice cream, whipped cream, creme fraiche, ricotta cheese, caramel and so much more. You can even make your own butter at home by churning heavy cream in your stand mixer! This would be something fun to do to pass the time and you can even add some fresh herbs to make a compound butter for your steaks and roasted veggies. Yummm!