From kaffir lime leaves to shiitake mushrooms The Australian Women's Weekly ranks the best Asian inspired ingredients.

Question I was given a tagine as a present from my daughter and am a bit nervous about cooking on my stove top. Can I put it in the oven? Answer Tagine is the Moroccan word that refers to both the conical earthenware vessel and the food prepared in it. The tagine is used for […]

Question I’ve got a recipe here for an Asian-style fruit salad and it calls for rambutans and lychees — I don’t know what they are or where I can buy them! Please can you help me. Answer Rambutans and lychees, native to south east Asia, are close relations in the wonderful world of tropical fruit. […]

Question It’s that time of year and I’m busy in the kitchen preparing Christmas treats galore, however, I’m having trouble achieving the perfect Christmas fruit cake. After it’s cooked, I find that the bottom of the cake is burnt and the top of the cake has large cracks in it. Can you tell me what […]

Question What is celeriac? Answer Celeriac, a member of the celery family, is a tuberous brown-skinned root with white flesh that has a very earthy, more pungent celery-like flavour. Sometimes called knob celery, celeriac is the cooking celery of Northern Europe. Although it’s not winning any awards for prettiest vegetable, it’s very versatile — it […]

Question What is buttermilk and how do you use it? Carolyn Axelsen, via email Answer The name buttermilk was originally the term given to the slightly sour liquid left after butter was churned from cream. Today, buttermilk is intentionally made from no-fat or low-fat milk to which specific bacterial cultures have been added during the […]

Question I have been hearing about a root called galangal, similar to ginger root I think. Would you mind telling me how it is pronounced, if it tastes like ginger, if it’s used like ginger and if I can grow it in a pot. J Madden, Mudgeeraba, QLD Answer Also known as Ka, Thai or […]

Question What is quince? Answer Quinces are in season at the moment so now’s the time to make the most of this unbelievably delicious fruit. Some people draw breath at the long cooking times but if ever “good things come to he who waits” had credence, it’s with the quince. Take one hard, yellow-green, nondescript, […]

Question Which part of the lemon grass do you use or do you use all of it? Answer A tall, clumping, sharp-edged aromatic tropical grass that both smells and tastes of lemon, lemon grass comes by its English name naturally. It arrived in our kitchens by way of Southeast Asia, where it is an essential […]

Question An english recipe I have calls for crème fraîche, I do not know what this is and where do I buy it? Answer Crème fraîche, a French variation of sour cream, is a mildly acidic, high fat, slightly nutty tasting thick cream. Before dairy products were first pasteurised, crème fraîche developed naturally when the […]