Focus on Berries
A summer staple, and one of the only fruits children willingly eat – berries hardly need an introduction! And while we cannot argue that they are perhaps best when freshly picked and ripe from the garden, the best thing about these bite-sized fruits is their versatility. Summer may only last for a few months, but […]
Anything but Basic
As in most areas, kitchen capabilities start with some basic building blocks – fundamentals that every home cook needs to know. Ok, so you know where the kettle is and how to turn it on, but to know instinctively how to make a white sauce, a bread dough or a sponge mix is a basic […]
Fibre Up
It turns out that eating what you can’t digest is actually good for you. Well, in some cases at least. We have been told a lot of things about our diet ever since childhood, including many appeals to up our fibre consumption. In fact, fibre is apparently so important that our mothers told us the […]
Low Fat – Fact or Fiction?
Low-fat foods seem to be a conundrum, a paradox and maybe more. The very reason we eat is to stockpile energy and resources, much the same way as a camel stockpiles water. So, eating low fat seems to be a little counterintuitive – doesn’t it? For example, low-fat milk is said to be 97 percent […]
Back to Breaks
So often, when we think we have everything together, life throws us a curveball. An unexpected illness, a change of employment, a new home or even a new baby and, abruptly, everything changes. When you’ve been out of the entertaining loop for any amount of time, the thought of hosting a meal again can be […]
Gluten Free 2.0
Gluten-free is the new normal for so many these days. Aside from those with a coeliac condition, leaving this wheat protein out of our diets can leave us feeling more energetic and less prone to ‘carb-coma’, the sleep-inducing attack that generally occurs after high intakes of bread and other carb-laden foods. Let us take a […]
Becoming a Mumbai Maestro
We do love our Indian cuisine here at El Gusto, but for many cooks who haven’t unlocked the spicy secrets, curry consumption is limited to the take-out across town. If you’re always up for a good vindaloo but not sure where to start, join us on a journey to the Fabled Land – from your […]
Tis the Season to be Thirsty
For our readers in the Southern Hemisphere, the leaves are turning a russet red as V’s of migratory birds straggle across a crisp sky, and you might well be sipping a mug of something piping hot as you read this. Meanwhile, snowdrifts are melting into glistening puddles in the North, and crocuses are parading in […]
Picnic like a Pro
Who doesn’t love a picnic? Camp chairs littered across the grass, chilly bins and coolers taking up prime table space and a slightly distracted dad minding the bar while the patties burn unhindered. Just add friends, family, a bottle of sunscreen and plenteous mosquitos, and you’ve got yourself the perfect’al fresco‘affair. Oh, and don’t forget […]
Snack Attack
Most of us don’t really need to create our own snacks, not when supermarket shelves and indeed our pantries, are often lined with boxes of this or packets of that. But if you are ever looking for a healthier canapé, something new and a bit different, or just some tasty nibbles to stifle the boredom […]