Published on August 2, 2024

What hides in the seemingly dull, dry and small flavour firecrackers called spice? We’re unpacking the spice cupboard to understand the heat, flavour and flair that it adds to your winter dishes.    A spice as old as time  Ancient recipes contain essential ingredients that make up the foundation of their authentic flavours. Our curry feature […]

Published on August 1, 2024

Cook-in sauces are a cost-effective way to efficiently whip up a low-effort meal. For MK’s Test Kitchen, we’ve put large brands to the test. In the ring The team tasted two brands from the following sauces to find out which one came out on top: Sweet & sour sauce Royco Sweet and Sour cook-in sauce, […]

Published on July 31, 2024

There’s more to life than spaghetti! We dive into the different pasta shapes and show you how to partner each with the perfect sauce.    1. Penne  These short, straight tubes work best with chunky or meat-based sauces as the sauce fills the tubes, making every single mouthful a flavour explosion.  2. Fusilli  Shaped like short […]

Published on July 31, 2024

Making pasta dough from scratch can be interactive and fun! Traditionally type 00 flour (a very finely ground flour with the texture of baby powder) is used, but cake wheat flour works well, too.    Homemade pasta dough  Serves 4-6  Use this dough to create tagliatelle, lasagne sheets or ravioli.   Place 1 cup flour onto a […]

Published on July 3, 2024

A well-stocked pantry is the key to quick and easy meal preparation. With the right staples on hand, you can whip up delicious dishes without the need for frequent grocery trips. Here are five essential pantry staples to always keep stocked.   Canned tomatoes  Canned tomatoes are incredibly versatile and can be used in a variety […]

Published on July 1, 2024

Cooking is a fun and rewarding experience, but it can also be time-consuming and stressful when you’re in a rush. With these 5 clever hacks, you can simplify your kitchen routine and make meal prep more efficient.    Prep ingredients ahead of time  Preparing your ingredients in advance is one of the best ways to streamline […]

Published on June 14, 2024

Suit up (or rather armour up) with mineral and vitamin-rich ingredients such as garlic, ginger, turmeric and more to help keep the sniffles at bay.  Powerhouse picks  Keep your immune system strong with these nutrient-rich ingredients:   Leafy greens  Leafy green vegetables (such as spinach, Swiss chard and kale) are iron-rich and packed with vitamins C […]

Published on June 14, 2024

Frying meat that has a fat layer, such as steak, doesn’t need more than salt and pepper to be exquisite – if cooked right. There’s one pitfall many people see: the all-important fat is forgotten when cooked. Here’s how to render (cook out) the fat while adding tons of flavour to your steak!  Step 1: […]

Published on June 14, 2024

Making pastry from scratch changes your end product entirely, and this recipe doesn’t have to include hours of folding, rolling and shaping to give you that classic, crispy-layered buttery flakes that it’s known for.  Cheat’s rough-puff pastry  Makes about 400g  Rough puff pastry is super easy to make because the idea is to not blend […]

Published on June 14, 2024

Adding butter to dishes not only adds flavour, but helps with the caramelisation process in cooking. Remember, butter burns quite quickly so keep some lemon juice on stand-by.   Why it works  Caramelisation is a cooking reaction that intensifies flavour. It also adds a hint of nutty sweetness that compliments savoury dishes very well.  Our forever-favourite […]