You do not have to have stock to make soup as long as the other ingredients provide flavor. You can also make a quick stock to use in a specific recipe. Chop a selection of vegetables such as carrots, celery,

Adding egg to thicken a soup is a little tricky as it will curdle or scramble if overheated. Beat one or two egg yolks (or whole eggs) in a bowl and stir in a little of the hot soup. Then

Garnishes should look attractive, be edible and complement the flavor of the soup. Some typical examples include a sprinkling of fresh herbs or spices on a thick, rich soup, or more robust croutons or cheese on a lighter soup. Here

Any oil or fat can be used to saute the vegetables for soup. Butter, meat or poultry dripping, olive oil or vegetable oil, will all give their individual flavors to the soup. Margarine does not provide such a good flavor

The easiest solution is to reduce the soup by simmering it without the lid to evaporate some of the liquid, but this can take some time and could concentrate the seasoning too much. Alternatively, thicken it with cornflour, or arrowroot

Add some unsalted stock, milk or cream, which will dilute the flavor as well as the saltiness, or add a large peeled and halved potato and simmer for 20 minutes: the potato will absorb some salt as it cooks. Remove

It all depends on the treatment. Hot smoked fish and seafood such as eel, kippers, mackerel, mussels, oysters, trout and tuna has dry, firm flesh and looks as though it has been cooked. It does not need further cooking. Cold-smoked

With an electric slow cooker, the heat is gentle so you can leave the food for long periods without ever having to stir it. Slow cookers are perfect for the tougher, cheaper cuts of meat. But meat with a high

It is not a good idea to freeze shellfish at home. The freezing process damages shellfish more than many other foods, and even commercial freezing - which is much faster than anything that can be achieved in a domestic freezer

Semolina is a coarse flour, usually of wheat or maize, which is left behind when the finer flour has been sifted out. Durum wheat semolina is used in Italy to make commercial pasta. It is too hard to use on

Arame has a particularly high calcium content and can be bought already shredded in a dark-green tangle. Very strongly flavored, it is used in Japanese miso soup and a small amount makes an exciting addition to mushroom or seafood risottos

is a haze one, as many spices are themselves seeds. The distinction seems to be made between those that impart their flavor to other foods (for example, caraway, celery and mustard), which are regarded as spices, and those that retain

In theory you can, but you must collect it from a shoreline free of pollution. Laver weed, also called red laver or tangle, is used to make the laver bread in Britain. It is the same variety called nori in

Seaweed is quite delicious, with a pleasant fresh saltiness reminiscent of the sea. Vegetarians have always recognized the importance of sea vegetables, which are a valuable, and inexpensive, source of concentrated essential vitamins and minerals. They also rely on carrageen

Scallops, classified by their shell size, range from 7.5 to 10 cm up to the great scallops available in the northern hemisphere, which can grow as large as 15 cm. The coral, or roe (eggs), is prized for its sweet

Sauces made with vegetable stock can be made more lively by the addition of strong flavorings such as chili, garlic, ginger, plenty of fresh herbs or a splash of wine, and thickened if you wish with pureed vegetables. The versatile

Most sauces can be made ahead and kept warm in a bain-marie for up to an hour. When you need the sauce, raise the heat, stir it until heated through and smooth, then simmer for a minute. Sauces can also

The peanut sauce, also called satay sauce, is widely available but making your own is more satisfying and will taste more authentic. Most commercial brands of satay sauce leave out shrimp paste, a fundamental ingredient, because it does not have

Yes, but only a few fish stand up to being skewered in this way. Use fish with firm flesh, such as ling and jewfish. These can be cut up in the same way as meat and poultry, but the pieces

Satay can be prepared one day ahead. Marinating for longer results in even more succulence and a richer flavor than meat not treated in this way. The satay can also be grilled or barbecued in the morning to serve in