Cilantro which is a popular ingredient in Salsa is used widely throughout the world. In the Western world it is called cilantro and in the Eastern part of the world it is called coriander. They are both the same herb. At one time in the United States, cilantro was also known as Chinese parsley and it does belong to the parsley family.

In Argentina, a popular condiment is known as Chimichurri sauce and no one in Argentina would think of serving a meal without Chimichurri on the table. Chimichurri is made with parsley, garlic, olive oil, salt and vinegar. It is not hot like salsa can be, but it certainly can be pungent because of the garlic. Every restaurant and every family has their own version of Chimichurri; there are probably as many versions of Chimichurri as there are salsas.

Salsa is made in many forms. It usually is made with tomatoes but it can also be made with just onions and cilantro as the main ingredients; there is mango salsa, peach salsa, and pineapple salsa. Then there is Mule Driver’s salsa which is made with extreme amounts of chili. Mule Driver’s salsa and Zhoug compete with each other for heat. They are both made with extreme amounts of Chilies and the hotter the chilies the better.

Chilies which are popularly used in salsa are Jalapenos and Serranos. Jalapenos are hot but they have more of a tang than the absolute hot heat that the Serranos have. As a rule, the smaller the chili, the hotter it is. When you are handling chilies you need to be careful because once you get the capsaicin (the heat element in chilies) on your fingers it is very difficult to get off and you need to be careful not to touch your eyes, nose, mouth or other bodily orifices. It is best to use gloves when handling the chilies. The hottest portions of the chili are the seeds and the ribs inside.

Other cultures that have a form of salsa, although not called salsa are Italian, Caribbean, Vietnamese, Moroccan and Spanish. If you go to a good Italian restaurant they will usually bring a dish of Bruschetta (Bruschetta is actually slices of crusty bread) which will be diced tomatoes, garlic, basil and olive oil. Over time the name has been given to the dipping sauce and that is what most people think of (other than Italians) when you mention Bruschetta. It is very tasty and goes well with meat, chicken and pasta dishes as well as being an appetizer.

In the Caribbean they have Mango Relish which can have red onions, cilantro and chilies in addition to the Mango as well as orange and lime juice. This relish goes very well with seafood dishes. In Vietnam they have Nuoc Cham which is made from garlic, chili and fish sauce. It is served at almost every meal in Vietnam and is the equivalent of the Argentine Chimichurri Sauce which is also served at almost every meal in Argentina.

In Morocco they serve a tomato, onion and preserved lemon salad which is a popular dish. Not exactly a salsa, but it is comparative to one. The tomatoes and onions are diced. The lemons are preserved by packing tightly with salt and being allowed to ‘pickle’ for several days or even weeks. When used, the pulp is removed and the peel is usually cut up into small pieces. Preserved lemons add a delicious touch to many dishes.

In Spain, there is Romesco Sauce. Romesco Sauce usually served with meat or fish dishes. There are many types of Romesco but they are usually made with toasted almonds, tomatoes, hot pepper sauce, parsley and olive oil. Other ingredients are added, depending on the use it is intended for. Romesco is not usually served as an appetizer as are salsas, but they are similar and often served with fish or meat dishes.

Salsa or its equivalent is a dish with never-ending possibilities. It is delicious and can be made hot or not, depending on the taste buds of the person preparing it or who it is being prepared for. Try your hand at making your own version of salsa. Be original and don’t think you have to stick to any format. You never know what you may come up with! Maybe the next great condiment!

Soy Sauce – Soy sauce originated in China around 3,000 years ago. Basic soy sauce is made by fermenting soy beans with water, salt, and specific types of molds. Sometimes other substances like wheat are added. There are many different varieties of soy sauce. Every country and region seems to have their own variation on the basic sauce. But all soy sauces are brown, salty, and earthy. They can be added to stir fries, soups, and can be used as a marinade. Soy sauce has been incorporated into more western types of recipes as an ingredient in barbecue sauces and other uses. Standard soy sauce is very salty, and contains over 900 milligrams of sodium per tablespoon. It can be a problem for those who need to restrict their sodium intake. There is a low sodium soy sauce that cuts the sodium per tablespoon by roughly 30%. Whatever type of soy sauce, use sparingly until you become more familiar with it as it can overwhelm a dish if overused.

Sweet and Sour Sauce – A mainstay of Cantonese cooking. It can be used to cook with or for a dipping sauce. As with soy sauce, there are many different versions of this sauce but the basic sauce is made with vinegar and honey or sugar. This sauce can be bought ready made in most grocery stores, but it is quite easy to make at home.

Hoisin Sauce – This is a dipping sauce and is also used as Chinese barbecue sauce. It has a very salty and sweet flavor. It can be used in stir-fry recipes as a thickener as well as for its flavor.

Plum Sauce – A thick sauce similar to Hoisin and used in the same ways. It is tangy, sweet and spicy and is often made with vinegar, sugar, chili peppers and plums. Some Plum Sauces have a slightly smoky flavor to them.

Oyster Flavored Sauce – The original of this sauce was made by cooking down oysters and adding salt to the mixture. The modern version is made with oyster extract, caramel for color and thickened with corn starch. It is very thick, salty and savory, a perfect sauce for adding to beef or pork. If used with chicken it can overwhelm the chicken flavor. A dollop added to a stir-fry can really add a lot of flavor to the dish.

Duck Sauce – A type of sweet and sour sauce usually made from apples, but can also be made from plums, apricots, or peaches. Salt, vinegar, chili peppers and ginger are also added. It is usually very thick and translucent with an orange color. This is used primarily for a dipping sauce and is very sweet, tart and fruity.

Rice Wine Vinegar – This is a vinegar made from rice wine. It can be clear or various shades of red and brown. It is not as acidic as Western vinegar and it has a slightly sweet taste, so when a recipe calls for rice wine vinegar, do not substitute regular vinegar. It is used as an ingredient in many of the sauces previously mentioned, as well as for cooking and for dipping.

Sesame Oil – Sesame oil is extracted from sesame seeds, and is used in South India as a cooking oil. In Chinese and other cuisines it is used as a flavoring agent. Regular sesame seed oil is amber in color and has a nutty flavor. Dark sesame seed oil is made from tasted sesame seeds and is darker and has a stronger flavor. All sesame oils have a robust flavor, so only a few drops can flavor a pot of soup or stir -fry. Use too much, and it can easily overwhelm the dish. Always add sesame oil towards the end of the cooking process. If it gets too hot and burns the flavor is ruined.

Sriracha Sauce – A chili sauce made from jalapenos, salt, sugar, garlic and vinegar. The original Sriracha sauce of Thailand is different than the more common Sriracha found in most markets in the United States. Also known as rooster sauce because of the rooster on the bottle, this sauce is known around the world and is made in the United States by immigrants from Thailand. This is without a doubt my favorite chili sauce of all. It is a tad bit sweeter and not as acidic as Tabasco, and goes good with eggs, stir-fry, almost anything. When cooking with Sriracha, some of the heat is lost but the flavor remains. It is great stir-fried with shrimp or chicken.

* Buy many kinds of fruits and vegetables when you shop. Buy frozen and dried, as well as fresh fruits and vegetables
* Experiment with new types of fruits and veggies
* Keep a fruit bowl, raisins or other dried fruit on the kitchen counter and in the office
* Keep a bowl of cut-up vegetables on the top shelf of the refrigerator for snacking
* Add fruit to breakfast by having fruit on cereal
* Choose fruit for dessert and use frozen fruits for smoothies
* Add fruits and vegetables to lunch by adding them in soup, salads, or cut-up raw
* Add extra varieties of frozen vegetables when you prepare soups, sauces, and casseroles

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For over 37 years Metro Supply has been providing All of Your Wholesale Pricing on Restaurant Equipment, Restaurant Supplies, Bar Equipment, Bar Supplies, Janitorial Equipment, Janitorial Supplies, Janitorial Paper Products, Green Seal® Industrial and Institutional Floor Care Products, Commercial Kitchen Equipment, Kitchen Supplies, Restaurant Depot & Food Service Equipment all in one place. If you are unable to find your foodservice items, please feel free to contact us at MetroSupplyCo@charter.net.

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While “5 a day” has traditionally been the mantra for fruit and veggie consumption, researchers found that those who consumed eight or more servings were 22 percent less likely to die from heart disease than those who consumed three or fewer servings a day.

Even among those who couldn’t manage the eight servings, more fruits and veggies consistently meant a lower risk; for every additional serving above two per day, researchers observed a four percent decrease in the rate of heart disease deaths.

Though past studies have linked the consumption of fruit and vegetables to heart health, many remain skeptical as to whether these foods have a direct protective effect on the heart. Given the size of Tuesday’s study (over 300,000 participants from eight different European countries) and the strength of its findings, some doctors feel that it may erase and remaining doubts concerning fruits and veggies, and cardiovascular health.

In the U.S., the recommended consumption of fruits and vegetables has often been promoted as “five a day”. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention moved away from that recommendation in 2007, to a more flexible approach, dubbed Fruits & Veggies – More Matters.

Instead of a flat recommendation of five servings a day, the new program changes recommendations based on age, sex and activity level. For a 40-year-old sedentary man, recommendations are now two cups of fruits and three cups of vegetables a day; for a sedentary woman of that age, the recommendation is 1.5 cups of fruit and 2.5 cups of veggies.

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Wine is made up of water, grape acids, tannins and alcohol. All of these players, individually and together, affect the final result. Alcohol itself is tasteless, but it affects the release of flavour and fragrance molecules from the other components. It helps fats to dissolve and penetrate the food, bringing out hidden flavours. This is a chemical reaction that “ordinary” liquids, like water or stock, or even fats such as butter or oil cannot achieve. For this reason, when wine is added to the pot it should be allowed to simmer, uncovered, so that the alcohol and some of the volume evaporate. Never add wine at the end of cooking.

When red wine is made, the seeds and the skins are in prolonged contact with the grape juice, so red wine is rich in tannins. White wine is low in tannins because the juice does not come into contact with the skin and seeds during fermentation. Thick-skinned grapes (such as cabernet sauvignon) will result in tannin-rich wine, in contrast to thin-skinned varieties (like merlot).

White wine is low in tannins because the juice does not come into contact with the skin and seeds during fermentation. Thick-skinned grapes (such as cabernet sauvignon) will result in tannin-rich wine, in contrast to thin-skinned varieties (like merlot).

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Fruits are highly perishable and so the ability to create juices and store them was of significant value. Some fruits are highly acidic and mixing them with additional water and sugars or honey was often necessary to make them palatable. Early storage of fruit juices was labor intensive, requiring the crushing of the fruits and the mixing of the resulting pure juices with sugars before bottling and capping them.

Orange juice and coconut water remain by far the most highly consumed juices on the market and are there because of their valuable nutrients and hydration abilities.

Chocolate is manufactured from the cocoa products (nib, mass, cocoa and butter) together with sugar and other ingredients according to type.

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Concession equipment and restaurant equipment are pretty diverse areas of business, with the product range available to you from professional online retailers including crockery and cookware, cutlery, air purifiers and extractors, barbecues and stove tops, bar accessories, bus and service carts, coffee machines and espresso makers, dishwashers, display cases, drink dispensers, display refrigerators, walk-in and chest freezers, ovens, ice-makers, meat cutters, fruit juicers and shelving, to name just a few. The good online retailers have access to the full range of kitchen equipment that any other seller does, and with their limited requirement for warehousing and inventory space, they are often able to supply you with a much wider product selection than the competition.

Good sellers have access to a wider range of manufacturers also, and as there is no shortage of specialized articles of kitchen equipment, there are hundreds of respected brands to supply good quality equipment for your restaurant or concession stand. With such a wide variety to choose from, competition allows you to make the best selection according to your needs while being guaranteed a cost-effective price-point. Sellers who have access to a wide range of manufacturers evidently have built up a degree of credibility in the business.

As mentioned, one of the ways online retailers of concession equipment cut costs is to reduce or eliminate storage costs. The best retailers do maintain some warehouse facilities by shipping orders first to their own building before moving purchases onto customers. This allows you an extra level of quality assurance from manufactured defects. Some sellers elect to include shipping costs in their list price, ensuring that you pay nothing above the advertised price, even for postage and handling within the US.

Despite the many perils of conducting business online, there are respectable kitchen equipment retailers online who maintain the same shipping, returns, and warranty policies as competing wholesalers who operate conventionally, allowing you restitution in the event of concealed damage during shipping, or premature equipment breakdown. Dealing with a reasonable company who can offer some recourse is always preferable to forcing a point in a dispute by going through credit card companies or the courts, as may be required when dealing with amateur online retailers on fraud-ridden auction sites.