Pitted dates are dried dates from which the pits (seeds) have been mechanically or manually removed, making them convenient for snacking and cooking. They retain the natural sweetness and flavor of the whole fruit and are a versatile ingredient for baking, smoothies, and as a natural sweetener. Key characteristics Pits removed: The main characteristic is the absence of the hard seed in the center. Convenient: This makes them ready to eat or use in recipes without any extra preparation. Versatile: Pitted dates are used as a snack, blended into smoothies, baked into goods like muffins, or used to make a natural date paste. Sweet and chewy: They have a naturally sweet, caramel-like flavor and a chewy texture. Nutritious: They are a source of fiber, natural sugars, vitamins, and minerals such as potassium, calcium, and magnesium. How to use them Snack on them: Enjoy them straight from the package. Add to breakfast: Sprinkle them over yogurt, porridge, or add them to smoothies. Bake with them: Incorporate them into cakes, pancakes, or energy balls. Create a sweetener: Blend them with a little water to make a natural date paste for a sugar substitute.

A corn arepa filled with mozzarella cheese is a warm, crispy, golden-brown corn cake with a gooey, melty mozzarella center. This version of the popular Latin American street food is a favorite in both Colombia and Venezuela. Key characteristics Crispy on the outside, tender inside: The arepa patty is cooked on a griddle or skillet, giving it a toasted, golden exterior while the inside remains soft. Stuffed with cheese: A generous portion of mozzarella is stuffed into the center of the cornmeal dough before cooking, so it melts as the arepa heats up. Simple ingredients: This dish is made from a few basic ingredients, including pre-cooked cornmeal (masarepa), water, salt, and mozzarella cheese. Versatile: Cheese arepas can be eaten for breakfast, lunch, or a snack. They can be enjoyed plain or with other toppings and condiments. Colombian vs. Venezuelan versions The way the cheese is prepared inside the arepa can vary slightly depending on the regional style: Colombian style: In some Colombian cheese arepas, the mozzarella is mixed into the dough itself before cooking. Sometimes, extra cheese is also added as a filling. Venezuelan style: Venezuelan arepas are often split open after cooking to create a pocket for the filling, including mozzarella or other ingredients like shredded meat and avocado. Arepas con queso vs. Arepas de choclo There are two main types of cheese arepas: Arepas con queso: These are savory arepas made from pre-cooked white or yellow cornmeal. They have a more traditional, toasted corn flavor. Arepas de choclo: These are Colombian arepas made with fresh sweet corn kernels in addition to masarepa. The addition of sweet corn gives them a sweeter flavor profile that balances the salty cheese.

Molasses is a thick, dark syrup that is a viscous byproduct of the sugar-making process from sugarcane or sugar beets. It is produced by boiling the juice to extract sugar crystals, leaving the molasses behind. Different types of molasses are created from successive boiling and extraction processes, resulting in varieties like light, dark, and blackstrap, which have varying flavors and nutrient levels. How it's made Juice extraction: Sugarcane or sugar beets are crushed to extract their juice. First boiling: The juice is boiled to produce sugar crystals, which are then removed. Byproduct creation: The thick, dark syrup left over is molasses. Repeat processing: The process is repeated, and each subsequent boiling and extraction creates a different type of molasses. Types of molasses Light molasses: Results from the first boiling, it is the lightest in color and sweetest in taste. Dark molasses: From the second boiling, it is thicker, darker, and less sweet than light molasses. Blackstrap molasses: The most processed, resulting from the third boiling. It is the darkest, thickest, and most bitter, but also the most nutrient-rich, containing higher levels of minerals like iron and potassium. Uses and characteristics Flavor: It has a rich, bittersweet flavor that is used to sweeten and flavor foods and drinks. Nutritional content: Molasses is a source of minerals such as calcium, potassium, and iron, though it should still be consumed in moderation due to its high sugar content. Culinary uses: It is used in many recipes, including baked goods, barbecue sauces, and is what gives commercial brown sugar its color. Non-culinary uses: In some cases, sugar beet molasses is added to animal feeds because it is too bitter for human consumption.

Falafel are deep-fried fritters made from ground chickpeas or fava beans, herbs, and spices, popular in Middle Eastern cuisine. They are often served as a street food, stuffed into a pita or flatbread with vegetables, tahini sauce, and pickles. Falafel can be made at home by shaping the mixture into balls or patties and frying them until golden brown and crispy.

White vinegar is a clear, colorless liquid made from fermented grain alcohol that has a high concentration of acetic acid, making it useful for cooking, pickling, and household cleaning. It is also called distilled vinegar or spirit vinegar and is often used as a substitute for apple cider vinegar in baking when a less potent flavor or lighter color is desired. Culinary uses Baking: Used to provide leavening and can be a substitute for apple cider vinegar in baking recipes. Pickling: Its high acidity makes it ideal for pickling vegetables and other foods. Marinades and dressings: Can be used as a base for marinades and dressings, though its strong flavor may be too overpowering for some dishes. Cleaning and other uses Household cleaner: A popular and inexpensive disinfectant for cleaning surfaces, removing stains, and deodorizing. Laundry: Can be used as a natural fabric conditioner and stain remover. Gardening: Can be used to kill weeds. Coffee makers: Can be used to descale and clean coffee makers. Differences from apple cider vinegar Origin: Apple cider vinegar is made from fermented apples, while white vinegar is made from a variety of grains, such as corn, or other ingredients like potatoes. Flavor and color: White vinegar is clear and has a sharp, tart flavor, while apple cider vinegar is brown and has a more fruity flavor. Composition: Apple cider vinegar contains a small amount of potassium, but both types have a similar acetic acid level and are acidic and should be used with care.

Black pepper (Piper nigrum) is a flowering vine in the family Piperaceae, cultivated for its fruit, known as a peppercorn, which is usually dried and used as a spice and seasoning. When fresh and fully mature, it is about 5 mm (0.20 in) in diameter and dark red, and contains a single seed, like all drupes. Peppercorns and the ground pepper derived from them may be described simply as pepper, or more precisely as black pepper (cooked and dried unripe fruit), green pepper (dried unripe fruit), or white pepper (ripe fruit seeds). Black pepper is native to present-day Kerala in Southwestern India, and is extensively cultivated there and elsewhere in tropical regions. Vietnam is the world's largest producer and exporter of pepper, producing 34% of the world's crop, as of 2013.

Smoked salmon is a preparation of salmon, typically a fillet that has been cured and hot or cold smoked. Due to its moderately high price, smoked salmon is considered a delicacy. Although the term lox is sometimes applied to smoked salmon, they are different products.

Ras el hanout or rass el hanout (Arabic: راس الحانوت‎ raʾs al-ḥānūt, pronounced [rɑʔs ælħɑːnuːt] (About this soundlisten)) is a spice mix found in varying forms in Tunisia, Algeria, and Morocco.[1] It plays a similar role in North African cuisine as garam masala does in Indian cuisine. The name in Arabic means "head of the shop" and implies a mixture of the best spices the seller has to offer. Ras el hanout is used in many savory dishes, sometimes rubbed on meat or fish, or stirred into couscous or rice. There is no definitive composition of spices that makes up ras el hanout. Each shop, company, or family may have their own blend. The mixture usually consists of over a dozen spices, in different proportions. Commonly used ingredients include cardamom, cumin, clove, cinnamon, nutmeg, mace, allspice, dry ginger, chili peppers, coriander seed, peppercorn, sweet and hot paprika, fenugreek, and dry turmeric. Some spices may be particular to the region, such as ash berries, chufa, grains of paradise, orris root, monk's pepper, cubebs, dried rosebud, fennel seed or aniseed, galangal, long pepper. Ingredients may be toasted before being ground or pounded in a mortar and mixed together. Some preparations include salt or sugar, but that is generally not the accepted practice. Garlic, saffron, nuts or dry herbs are generally not included, as they are usually added to dishes individually, but some commercial preparations, particularly in Europe and North America, may contain them. The composition of ras el hanout differs somewhat from the Baharat spice mix, but they differ more by the types of dishes they are associated with and by region rather than the ingredients in them. Although used by Berber people, it should not be confused with "berbere" spice mix from Ethiopia. Certain supposed aphrodisiacs, including the notoriously dangerous "green metallic beetles", cantharides, have appeared in many Moroccan prescriptions, but these seem to be irrelevant for flavouring purposes.