Home cooking has undergone a paradigm shift in the past twenty-five years. An industry of TV shows, books and flavor gurus has arisen like an airy soufflé, dedicated to helping the home cook create restaurant-quality feasts from the comfort of his or her galley kitchen. One of the outcomes is a better understanding of the techniques, tools and ingredients professional chefs use to make food taste great. But questions linger about certain mysterious ingredients, not least of which is “What the heck is a shallot?”… Read more »