At farmers markets, vendors are just beginning to display normal-looking fruits with unusual names — pluots, plumcots, apriums, apriplums — that sound more like orbs of the astral variety than edible delights. So what are they anyway? Keep reading to find out. Read more

The debate over whether a gas or electric oven is better may not be a new controversy, but this burning question always manages to get people going. Interested in which is more eco-friendly or chef-worthy? Keep reading for a little more information about the difference between gas and electric ovens. Read more

After I made corned beef this past week, I realized that I knew absolutely nothing about it, other than the fact that it's absolutely delicious. What, exactly, makes it different from that other deli favorite, pastrami? Corned beef and pastrami are both beef cuts that have been cured and cooked. But that's where the similarity ends. Although brisket is commonly used for both, corned beef can also Read more

Ever wondered how Dutch process cocoa differs from natural cocoa? We've got the answer: both types of cocoa powder are unsweetened, but Dutch process cocoa is treated with an alkalizing agent to neutralize its natural acidity. Created by Dutch chocolate maker Coenraad Johannes van Houten, the process results in not only lower acidity but also a milder, less bitter taste and a darker color. So Read more

New Orleans cuisine: boy, it may have a richly-colored heritage, but unless you're from around there, it sure can be confusing. Not only is it hard to keep track of which dishes are Cajun and which ones are Creole, but those rice dishes can be pretty tough to keep straight! So gumbo, jambalaya, étouffée: what's the difference, anyway? Think of jambalaya as a distant relative of paella. It's got Read more

Ranch dressing happens to be the number one selling salad dressing in the United States since 1992. But what exactly is this creamy concoction that we seem to love to pour all over salads, pizzas, and wings? The dressing, which started out as a simple buttermilk-based dressing enjoyed by cowboys, was made popular when Hidden Valley Ranch began serving and selling the dressing in 1952. Ranch is Read more

Finger foods, starters, appetizers, hors d'oeuvres: call them what you will, but in the days leading up to yet another New Year's Eve celebration, they've been the talk of every media outlet food section. In reading them all and planning my own Saturday festivities, I've come to wonder: is there a difference between appetizers and hors d'oeuvres? Although both are meant to foster an appetite and Read more

Often times recipes that call for parsley will specify which kind to use, but when they don't, how do you know whether to use flat leaf or curly leaf parsley? The general consensus among cooks and culinary enthusiasts seems to be that flat leaf (also known as Italian) parsley has more flavor and should be used in recipes that call for parsley. The curly leaf variety is less flavorful and is Read more

Peking duck, pekin duck . . . goose! Only one letter separates a "Pekin duck" from a "Peking duck," so the terms are often used interchangeably. But one paltry letter can be a big poultry difference; these words are both descriptors of ducks, but they're definitely not the same! A Pekin duck is a breed of duck. Also known as a Long Island duck, this domesticated descendant of the Mallard has a Read more

Regardless of how you spell it, whiskey and whisky are essentially the same spirit, created from a mash of fermented grains. On an initial glance, the difference between the two words just looks like an personal preference, or at worst a harmless spelling mistake. But the debate surrounding the one-letter difference between whiskey and whisky has a tendency to make die-hard bourbon connoisseurs' Read more