Agar Agar (or Kanten)

You may come across this white powder (sometimes called kanten in recipes) and wonder what to do with it. It is 'vegetarian gelatine', produced from a seaweed from SE Asia (its name is the Malay word for jelly and the word repeated makes it plural) and has a few advantages over gelatine:

• it is odourless, tasteless and colourless

• it will set liquids quickly at room temperature and will stay set even in hot weather

• it is from a plant rather than animal origin (gelatine is usually made from the bones, hooves and horns of cattle)

• it may be used to help soothe digestive upsets and can give a feeling of fullness for people on low-kilojoule diets.

Use agar agar carefully as contact with cold will cause it to set instantly. Dissolve it (l tablespoon for every 4 cups of liquid) in hot water and stir well to dissolve or bring to the boil and simmer l minute. Mix into warm fruit or liquids and stir in well. Leave the mixture to set. This will occur as soon as the temperature reaches around 50C.

ANCHOVIES/SARDINES (or Ikan Bilis)

These small fish have always been popular because they add a distinct fishy taste to dishes and this is perhaps their main function, rather than to provide nutrition. Canned or bottled anchovies can be very salty and packed in oil and may be rinsed or patted dry before use to reduce these.

An alternative is to  use dried anchovies (ikan bilis). These are much tinier than regular anchovies (1-2cm) and are usually sold whole, dried and in packets, in Asian stores. To use, roast them in the oven, or fry them quickly with a tiny amount of oil in a heavy frypan until they are crisp. They are a traditional garnish for SE Asian dishes, but are good added to many recipes – scrambled eggs, salads or risotto.

Fresh sardines are now becoming available and these are delicious boned – just cut off the head, gut them if necessary, slit down the belly and press firmly, cut side down, on a board to loosen the backbone, which you then tear off using the tail as a handgrip. They may then be crumbed and lightly fried for 2-3 minutes depending on size, baked or grilled.

Arrowroot

The name for this powder, now used for thickening dishes, is said to have come from a Red Indian word aru aru meaning 'meal of meals' because it is so easily digested. Once used to treat poisoned arrow wounds, some say its name could have come from the Indian word araruta or flour root. Today it is especially good for those who cannot tolerate wheat or corn, taking the place of the more commonly used thickener cornflour. Use less though – l teaspoon to a cup of liquid ­ but treat it the same way. Dissolve it first in a little cold liquid before stirring into the rest of the hot dish. Bring it to the boil as you stir and add it at the end of cooking and do not overcook it as it loses effectiveness at prolonged high heat.

Artificial Sweeteners

Aspartame, saccharin, cyclamates, and sucralose are all non-nutritive sweeteners that are the subjects of many tests and statements. Saccharin, 30 times sweeter than sugar, was banned then allowed again in the US, and cyclamates are still banned there.

Both are available in Australia. Sucralose is made from sugar, but is 600 times sweeter, has no joules yet tastes like sugar with no aftertaste. Aspartame, 180 times sweeter than sugar, has been declared safe by the USFDA, although tests and controversy continues. Its taste advantage is that it lacks the bitter after-taste of saccharine. Cyclamates are often added to saccharine to mask this flavour.

Asparagus

A member of the lily family, perhaps no food tastes more different fresh than canned. The tougher base of asparagus should not be used. Bend each spear near the base and the point where it snaps easily is the part to discard. If you use a microwave, a simple way to cook a bunch of asparagus is to stand it in a glass 1/3 filled with water and covered by a sandwich bag. Cook on Full Power for 2 minutes for bright green tender tips.

Asparagus is a diuretic and a laxative but it has been thought to soothe bee stings, improve eyesight, and even ease toothache. Its name probably comes from its feathery leaves which were once called 'sparrow-grass'. The stalks contain sulphur, so if you don't want to ruin the taste of your wines at a meal, add grated cheese when you serve it – to the asparagus, that is.
Use them:

• sliced and tossed through a stirfry
• dressed lightly with salt-reduced soya sauce, minced garlic and ginger
• lightly blanched and sliced with salads or pasta
  
  

Avocado (sometimes called Alligator Pear)

Why do they put Cholesterol Free stickers on avocados? No plant product has cholesterol, although some have saturated fats, and that is what the avocado growers should be telling the world: avocados contain a mono-saturated oil rather than a saturated one, and as such are right up the top of the list for goodies, along with olive and canola oils, in cholesterol-lowering diets.

From a tree that is related to the bay tree, avocados had their debut on the international scene when first served to Cortez in l519 in Mexico. The locals had been enjoying it there for about 8500 years, so it was about time to let the rest of the world try it. Avocado flesh also browns if exposed to air, so keep the cut sides covered or brush with lemon juice. Store them in a refrigerator, or ripen them at room temperature by putting them in a brown paper bag with an apple. Avocados are generally described as a fruit, even though mostly they are used in savoury dishes – salads, Mexican foods, dips, or with seafood – and there are different varieties that ripen during the year. Most common are the Fuerte which has a thin smooth skin, while the Hass has a rough purplish skin.

• mash the flesh with a little lemon juice and coriander to serve as a dip or sauce with Mexican foods
• mash it to spread on sandwiches
• while it may be cooked and served hot, prolonged heat will make the fruit bitter. Add near to serving time.
  
  

BACON and HAM  (also Gammon)

Supposedly Genghis Khan's men at one time left a side of pork lying forgotten by the seashore. The next day they discovered that the side which had been in touch with the salty sand was pink and did not spoil. Next time, you could be sure that they turned the meat so that both sides were treated. This discovery freed them to travel more swiftly and pillage longer, which may not have 'saved the bacon' of the local residents.

Curing of today's bacons and hams is strictly supervised but bacon may contain as much as 44% fat and a 70g serving will have  around 1500mg sodium. Ham may have even more fat, up to 49%, but a little over half the salt. And if you've been wondering what gammon is, it is just hot ham, otherwise identical to regular ham. People on low-fat and low -sodium diets need to be particularly careful of both meats, trimming off visible fat and draining the cooked meat thoroughly.

An alternative is turkey ham which is 93% fat-free. There is also a concern about nitrates and nitrites used as preservatives for cured meats as they have been linked to some forms of cancer.

BAKING POWDER and CARB SODA (Baking Soda and Bicarbonate of Soda)

Baking powder is actually a compound of cream of tartar and bicarbonate of soda and is added to cake and biscuit recipes to make the result lighter textured. American recipes often call for double acting baking powder which releases carbon dioxide both in the mixing and baking stages.

Both substances contain a sizeable amount of sodium (baking powder has 340mg per teaspoon, carb soda has 810mg per teaspoon) so people on low-sodium diets should look for salt-free baking powder or should use an alternative.

Other ways to raise cakes and breads:

• yeast can raise teabreads unless the mixture is very sweet or fatty. Use about l tablespoon of dry yeast to every 3 cups of flour or dry ingredients, and allow time to rise before putting the mixture in the oven
• stiffly beaten egg whites or yolks may be gently folded into light sponge mixtures

BANANA

Technically a berry, bananas are one of the world's favourite fruits and are said by the Koran to have been the 'apple' offered to Adam by Eve in the Garden of Eden. That pair would most probably agree with the Malay proverb 'the banana doesn't bear twice' meaning once bitten, twice shy. It is actually the tallest herb in the world growing to around ten metres in height.

Bananas can be used in a variety of ways – mashed for babyfood or sandwiches, pureed in 'smoothies', baked or barbecued in their skins, flambéed, halved in banana splits, or sliced to accompany curries or salads. A close relative, the plantain, is starchier and not suitable to eat raw – best to bake it whole, or deep-fry the slices.

Brown speckles on the skin only mean a banana is ripe, and refrigerating it, while it may cause the skin to go entirely black, does not affect the flesh. Exposed flesh will darken on contact with the air, but brushing with lemon juice will protect it. Over-ripe bananas may be used up in cakes, muffins or fritters, or the mashed flesh may be frozen in small amounts to be used later in baking.

BARLEY

Barley, an ancient grain, was eaten for potency, vigour and strength by Roman gladiators. Regular soldiers were given daily rations of wheat though, and only cowards, who no doubt were thought to need it, were singled out to receive the less palatable and obviously different barley rations.

The people of Pakistan call it 'medicine for the heart' and only lately have claims of the value of barley bran as a weapon against cholesterol made this seem true. Pearl barley has had this important bran removed, so instead it is better to use bran flakes, grits or flour, or to add the bran separately. Gluten sensitive people should be aware that barley contains gluten and those with sensitivities to other grains may find that barley may also cause problems.

Barley water, the cooled liquid remaining after boiling whole barley, was once given routinely to invalids as it was thought to aid recovery. Today barley is better added to breads or used risotto-style in pilafs or casseroles. It may be cooked like brown rice, one cup barley to three of water and takes over an hour until tender, yielding about 3 1/2 cups.

BEANS

Pythagoras, the Greek philosopher, sage and mathematician, forbad his soldiers to eat broad beans, because he thought they caused disease. A small minority of people have 'favism', a sensitivity to them, and perhaps Pythagoras was a sufferer because he allowed himself to be captured and killed rather than escape through a field of them. The Romans dried the beans and used them as voting counters - white beans for yes, black for no. Both colours make good sense nutritionally though, for the dozens of types of beans are good sources of minerals, soluble fibre (thought to help reduce blood cholesterol) and protein and can be used in a variety of ways.

Beans may be soaked overnight then finished by cooking the next day, or you can do it all in one day by placing them in a large pan with plenty of unsalted water – salting causes the beans to harden and take longer to cook– then bringing them to the boil. Turn off the heat and allow them to sit, covered for 1 1/2 hours or more, then bring to the boil again and simmer for another hour or until the beans are tender. If flatulence is a problem after eating beans, try discarding that initial soaking or cooking water, thought to contain the rogue enzyme responsible for this discomfort, and proceed with fresh water for the second step.

• Adzuki beans (also called aduki and azuki) are small reddish beans which, when cooked, have a sweet flavour. They are often used as fillings in Asian desserts and breads, but can be used in stirfries, soups  and other dishes.

• Black beans, popular in Chinese cookery, are small, shiny black beans and are most often sold canned, already cooked. In this form they are very salty and should be rinsed before use.

• Black-eyed beans are often called for in US (particularly southern) recipes. They are small and cream-coloured with a black spot.

• Blue peas are not so common here but are known as 'mushy peas' in England because they cook down to a mush. They have a bluer colour than dried green peas.

• Borlotti beans are speckled red beans, available fresh in season, and very like the smaller saluggia bean.

• Broad beans or fava beans, come from the Middle East, and are also available fresh in season. Dried they are large and flat and brownish, turning a dull grey-green when cooked.

• Brown beans are ideal in Dutch bean dishes and are brown but much like a haricot bean.

• Cannelini beans are small and white and most often used in Italian dishes. They are very similar to the Great Northern Bean used in the USA.

• Chickpeas (garbanzos) are used in Middle Eastern, Spanish and French cookery and are rough textured, round and pea-shaped.

• Haricot beans are small and white and are vital to the French cassoulet as well as commercial baked beans.

• Lentils vary in colour from tiny red ones through yellowish dhal to larger brown, sometimes called green, lentils. They do not need soaking and cook in about 30-40 minutes.

• Lima beans, large, flat and white, are sometimes called butter beans and are ideal in soups and casseroles.

• Mung beans are shiny small green beans, ideal for sprouting at home, and the split ones cook into a dhal common in Indian cookery.

• Pinto beans are often used in Mexican cookery, and sometimes called 'Mexican strawberries'. They are plump and pink with darker speckled markings, not unlike the larger borlotti beans.

• Red kidney beans are shiny, red and kidney shaped. They have a floury texture when cooked and are ideal for Mexican cookery.

• Soya beans are perhaps the most versatile of all beans and are processed in dozens of ways. They are small and round and a creamy colour, although a rarer black variety is available.

• Split peas may be green or yellow and cook more quickly than most dried beans, becoming mushy and making them ideal for soups (such as ham and split pea) or to thicken stews or casseroles.

BEEF

Last year we each apparently consumed an average of 36.4kg of beef, we are told by the Bureau of Statistics and while red meat has had bad press over the years, the newer lean varieties that have been developed mean that cholesterol is often as low as the more traditional lean meats – chicken and fish.

Today's nutritionists, rather than excluding meat entirely, favour a 'meat to the side of the plate' regime, where meat is used more as a garnish, a flavour enhancer or an adjunct to the more beneficial carbohydrates in a meal. Rather than the more traditional 125g-250g serving, 30-60g per person might be a better choice. But how can you do it?

• Freeze portions of trim beef and slice very thinly without thawing, then add to vegetable stirfries, rice or pasta for an instant and balanced meal.

• Meatballs or rissoles may be 'extended' by using equal quantities of cooked barley or brown rice, rolled oats or wholemeal breadcrumbs. Chopped mushrooms add a juicy 'meaty' feel and can stand in for extra meat, but you will need to add some breadcrumbs or an egg to bind the mixture.

• Thinly sliced cooked beef that has been warmed in the oven or microwave or lightly sauteed in a non-stick pan can be tossed through main dish salads

BEETROOT

For centuries the only part of beetroot, related to spinach and swiss chard, that was eaten was the leaves. Like any green leafy vegetable, they are rich in calcium and vitamin A, but the rich red (an unusual colour in the vegetable kingdom) root was left alone.

Try it grated raw in sandwiches and salads, but eat it immediately as its colour will dye other foods used with it if left too long. In Europe a cousin with a white root is used to provide sugar and even the red is sweet and delicious, although super-low in kilojoules (30kJ per 25g). Beetroot may be eaten grated, cubed or sliced as a hot vegetable and a little grated orange rind will bring out its earthy flavour. You can puree it and add to cakes or muffins, and in chocolate cakes it adds a rich colour. To cook, keep it whole, untrimmed and unpeeled.

Chop the leaves off leaving a couple of centimetres of stems at the top otherwise the colour will cook out. When it is tender (after about 20-30 minutes depending on size) and cool enough to handle, the skin, top and roots will slip off easily. You may want to wear rubber gloves as the colour will temporarily stain your hands.

BOK CHOY and CHINESE GREENS

There are an increasing number of varieties of greens available in fruit and vegetable markets and many can be used interchangeably. They are all members of the brassica or cruciferous family and as such are valuable in the diet. Some say that this is essential to helping the body ward of cancers and other diseases of the digestive tract. They contain good amounts of vitamins A, B and C, as well as potassium, iron and calcium. All cabbages keep well if refrigerated.

Choose firm, crisp heads and use them in stirfries, sliced thinly to add to meat, vegetable or rice dishes and to substitute for regular cabbage in coleslaw. Chinese cabbage has an interesting mild celery flavour that works well in combination with pineapple in a salad or stirfry, and is delicious lightly braised. Add the chopped green leaves of the more leafy varieties to any Asian meat or vegetable dish, adding them just before serving and cooking them only for a couple of minutes. They can be cooked to substitute for spinach or cabbage too if you like.

BRAN

Bran is a general term to describe the coarse outer cellulose layer surrounding most grains. At one time most bran was routinely removed in the milling process to provide the consumer with white flour and polished grains. Later the nutrients found in the germ (also lost in milling) were replaced in bread but it was some time before nutritionists realised the benefits of fibre in the diet, believing it to be most beneficial in helping the body cope with excess cholesterol. For a time wheat bran was seen as the complete answer, but more recently  the benefits of barley, rice and oatbran have been recognised.

Each has a slightly different nutritional composition and underlines the reason why today we are advised to eat a variety of simply prepared, unrefined foods. It should be stored in a cool dry place. Bran can be returned to the diet in a number of ways:

• sprinkled over breakfast cereal
• used instead of or with breadcumbs for crumbing foods to be fried
• added to bread, cake and biscuit mixtures
• added to streusel or crumble toppings for cakes, pies and desserts