Costa Rica

10 Essential Culinary Techniques Every Home Cook Should Master

Your cooking improves fastest when you build a reliable foundation of technique rather than relying on recipes alone; these ten skills will make meals faster, tastier, and more confident. Knife skills: Practice holding the...

Smokers have a higher level of harmful bacteria in the mouth – new study

Yvonne Prince, Cape Peninsula University of Technology; Glenda Mary Davison, Cape Peninsula University of Technology, and Tandi Matsha-Erasmus, Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University A recent report by the World Health Organization (WHO) estimated that...

The Art Of Plating – Turning Everyday Meals Into Culinary Masterpieces

Culinary
It's in the small choices you make on the plate that a humble meal transforms into something memorable. You can treat plating as a language: color, texture, and placement become your vocabulary. When you approach a dish with intention, even simple ingredients sing. You start by thinking of balance. Place the main element slightly off-center to create visual interest, then add supporting components in varying shapes and sizes. Use height to catch the eye-stack, lean, or layer elements rather than laying everything flat. Negative space matters: leaving empty areas gives each item room to be noticed. Your palette should include contrast. Combine bright vegetables with neutral proteins, add glossy sauces against...

Teens see social media algorithms as accurate reflections of themselves, study finds

Nora McDonald, George Mason University - Social media apps regularly present teens with algorithmically selected content often described as “for you,” suggesting, by implication,...

Salty foods are making people sick − in part by poisoning their microbiomes

Health
Christopher Damman, University of Washington - People have been using salt since the dawn of civilization to process, preserve and enhance foods. In ancient Rome, salt was so central to commerce that soldiers were paid their “salarium,” or salaries,...

“The Ultimate Guide To Understanding Culinary Terms And Methods”

Culinary foundations give you the language and confidence to follow recipes, improvise, and master techniques in your own kitchen. By learning common terms and hands-on methods, you can decode instructions like mise en place, al dente or fold so you know exactly what action to take and when to act. Basic terms you'll meet often include mise en place (organizing ingredients), al dente (firm to the bite), chiffonade (thin herb...

A Beginner’s Guide To Building Your Culinary Skills From Scratch

Skills grow when you practice deliberately in the kitchen, and you can develop a reliable foundation by approaching learning as a series of small, repeatable habits. Start with safety and cleanliness: wash hands,...

Smokers have a higher level of harmful bacteria in the mouth – new study

Yvonne Prince, Cape Peninsula University of Technology; Glenda Mary Davison, Cape Peninsula University of Technology, and Tandi Matsha-Erasmus, Sefako...

Are you one of the millions about to have cataract surgery? Here’s what ophthalmologists say you need to know

Allan Steigleman, University of Florida and Elizabeth M. Hofmeister, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences Cataract surgery is one...

Knife Skills Made Simple – The Cornerstone Of Great Culinary Practice

It's the foundation of every great dish: when you control the blade, you control texture, speed, and presentation. You...