Hot smoked paprika is a spice made from dried, ground red peppers that are smoked over an oak fire to give them a deep, smoky flavor and then blended with hotter peppers or cayenne for a spicy kick. It's a staple in Spanish and Hungarian cooking, used to add a fiery, smoky, and rich red color to dishes like paellas, stews, and rubs for meats. The level of heat can vary, so a little goes a long way, and you can find it labelled as pimentón picante or pimentón de la Vera. What it is Smoked peppers: The spice starts with red peppers (such as Jaranda peppers) that are dried and smoked over oak wood fires, which infuses them with a unique smoky flavor. Spicy kick: To make it "hot," the smoked peppers are ground with hotter chiles, or the hot ribs and seeds of the peppers may be included during grinding. Unique flavor profile: It has a bold, fiery, and deeply aromatic flavor with a characteristic smoky edge that is different from sweet or regular hot paprika. How to use it Spanish and Hungarian dishes: It's a key ingredient in Spanish dishes like paella and romesco sauce, and is also used in Hungarian cuisine. Marinades and rubs: Use it as a rub for meats like pork, chicken, and ribs, or add it to marinades for a smoky flavor before grilling or roasting. Soups and stews: Stir it into soups, stews, and sauces to add depth, warmth, and a touch of heat. Dips and toppings: Add it to hummus for a smoky twist, sprinkle it on roasted potatoes, or dust it over avocado toast. Go easy: Because it can be potent, it is often recommended to start with a small amount and add more as needed to achieve the desired heat level.

Rum is a distilled alcoholic drink made from sugarcane byproducts, such as molasses, or directly from sugarcane juice, by a process of fermentation and distillation. The distillate, a clear liquid, is then usually aged in oak barrels. The majority of the world's rum production occurs in the Caribbean and Latin America. Rum is also produced in Australia, Portugal, Austria, Canada, Fiji, India, Japan, Mauritius, Nepal, New Zealand, the Philippines, Reunion Island, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Taiwan, Thailand, the United Kingdom and the United States. Rums are produced in various grades. Light rums are commonly used in cocktails, whereas "golden" and "dark" rums were typically consumed straight or neat, on the rocks, or used for cooking, but are now commonly consumed with mixers. Premium rums are also available, made to be consumed either straight or iced. Rum plays a part in the culture of most islands of the West Indies as well as in The Maritimes and Newfoundland. This drink has famous associations with the Royal Navy (where it was mixed with water or beer to make grog) and piracy (where it was consumed as bumbo). Rum has also served as a popular medium of economic exchange, used to help fund enterprises such as slavery (see Triangular trade), organized crime, and military insurgencies (e.g., the American Revolution and Australia's Rum Rebellion).

Unwaxed lemons are lemons without a wax coating, making them ideal for using the zest, as they are often sold for both cooking and vegan purposes. While they are free of the artificial wax, they may have a natural fungicide coating for preservation, so it's important to wash them thoroughly before use. You can find unwaxed lemons at most grocery stores, often labeled as organic or specifically marketed as "unwaxed". Benefits and uses Edible zest: The peel can be used for zesting in recipes for cakes, biscuits, and other dishes. Suitable for vegans: Since there is no wax coating, they are suitable for vegan recipes. Versatile cooking: They are a staple for adding a bright, tangy flavor to marinades, dressings, roasted meat, fish, and sauces. Garnish: They make a refreshing garnish for drinks.

Dulce de leche sauce is a rich, creamy, and sweet caramel sauce made from slowly simmering sweetened milk until it thickens and caramelizes. It has a deep golden-brown color and a flavor that is a mix of sweet milk and caramel. This popular South American condiment is used to top desserts, fill pastries, and can be drizzled over ice cream or fruit. How it's made Stovetop method: Slowly heating and stirring milk and sugar for several hours to reduce the liquid and caramelize the sugars. Baking method: Baking sweetened condensed milk in a water bath until it thickens and darkens in color. Common uses As a dessert topping In baked goods like cakes, pies, and brownies As a filling for pastries Drizzled over ice cream, crepes, or toast In drinks like coffee or tres leches cake

Salmon is the common name for several species of ray-finned fish in the family Salmonidae. Other fish in the same family include trout, char, grayling and whitefish. Salmon are native to tributaries of the North Atlantic (genus Salmo) and Pacific Ocean (genus Oncorhynchus). Many species of salmon have been introduced into non-native environments such as the Great Lakes of North America and Patagonia in South America. Salmon are intensively farmed in many parts of the world. Typically, salmon are anadromous: they hatch in fresh water, migrate to the ocean, then return to fresh water to reproduce. However, populations of several species are restricted to fresh water through their lives. Folklore has it that the fish return to the exact spot where they hatched to spawn. Tracking studies have shown this to be mostly true. A portion of a returning salmon run may stray and spawn in different freshwater systems; the percent of straying depends on the species of salmon. Homing behavior has been shown to depend on olfactory memory. Salmon date back to the Neogene.

Processed cheese is a food product made from cheese and other unfermented dairy ingredients mixed with emulsifiers. Additional ingredients, such as vegetable oils, salt, food coloring, or sugar may be included. As a result, many flavors, colors, and textures of processed cheese exist.

Cucumber (Cucumis sativus) is a widely cultivated plant in the gourd family, Cucurbitaceae. It is a creeping vine that bears cucumiform fruits that are used as vegetables. There are three main varieties of cucumber: slicing, pickling, and seedless. Within these varieties, several cultivars have been created. In North America, the term "wild cucumber" refers to plants in the genera Echinocystis and Marah, but these are not closely related. The cucumber is originally from South Asia, but now grows on most continents. Many different types of cucumber are traded on the global market.

Grape leaves are the young, edible leaves from a grapevine, widely used in Mediterranean, Balkan, Middle Eastern, and Caucasus cuisines for dishes like dolma (stuffed grape leaves). They are prepared fresh or preserved in jars and offer a unique, tangy, citrusy flavor to recipes with a tender texture when cooked.