Sybaritica

Gourmet Garden™ Basil Paste in a Tube

Gourmet Garden™ Basil Paste Review

Commercially produce spice and herb pastes can be a boon to home-cooks in terms of ease of storing, handling, and all-around convenience, but when it comes to taste, many fail at reproducing the full flavor and nuances of the fresh article. Gourmet Garden™ produces several herb and spice pastes, one of which is the recently reviewed Lemon Grass in a Tube. The Lemon Grass product did rate high for convenience, but it was marked by a weak and insipid flavor profile. The Basil Paste, I am happy to report, is far superior.

**Gourmet Garden™ Lemongrass in a Tube**

Gourmet Garden™ Lemon Grass Paste Review

Fresh Lemon Grass is not easy to source for many North American home-cooks, and the dried varieties, whether in whole stalks, slices, or chips, are pretty much all but useless. Buying paste is a convenient option for most of us and Gourmet Garden™ have certainly enhanced the convenience by packaging theirs in a tube. I purchased a couple of these to do a test run.

Basic Dumpling Wrapper Dough

The Basic Dumpling Wrapper Dough we are making here is of the unleavened, wheat flour variety. It is probably the most common dumpling wrapper dough all around the world, especially among home cooks. You will find it in such diverse types as Chinese Jaozi, Xiaolongbao, and Wontons, as well as the Korean Mandu, Japanese Gyoza, and the internationally ever-popular ‘Pot-Stickers’. The ingredient list is very short, as you will see, and virtually anyone can learn how to make a versatile dough with this extremely simple little recipe.

Got an octopus to use and not sure what to do? Not to worry… Follow along here and learn how to prepare octopus by for use in all sorts of dishes.