Category Archives: Condiments

We love a good relish or sauce here at Burnt My Fingers… truth to tell, sometimes the condiments are more important than the underlying meal.

Recipe: Niter Kibbeh (Ethiopian clarified butter)

Posted on September 10, 2019 by Burnt My Fingers

Niter Kibbeh is the cooking medium for many Ethiopian dishes, providing a flavorful undertone to more aggressive spices. It should be fragrant, herbaceous in taste but without the heat of berbere or other red pepper. The recipe is very flexible … Continue reading →

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Recipe: Seafood Cocktail Sauce

Posted on August 22, 2019 by Burnt My Fingers

Why pay for an expensive bottle of seafood cocktail sauce that takes up room in your refrigerator, when you can make your own as needed with ingredients you already have on hand? Inspired by this recipe from Kitchn. Makes ¾ … Continue reading →

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How to present a pickle plate

Posted on May 7, 2019 by Burnt My Fingers

It irks me that places are charging $4 or so for a “pickle plate” the size of a saucer with 3 or 4 choices. I would rather go to Tommy’s Joynt in San Francisco, where there is a pickle jar … Continue reading →

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Recipe: No-Sugar Cocktail Sauce

Posted on March 7, 2019 by Burnt My Fingers

Commercial seafood cocktail sauce contains both refined sugar and corn syrup. Who needs it? This no-sugar cocktail sauce gets all its sweetness from the concentrated umami of the tomato paste. As a bonus, you can stop before adding the last … Continue reading →

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Recipe: Sichuan Pickled Vegetables

Posted on October 25, 2018 by Burnt My Fingers

Here is a taste of the treats which await in Fuchsia Dunlop’s Land of Plenty. My only modification was to use wine instead of vodka, since I feared too much alcohol might slow the fermentation. (It got just a little … Continue reading →

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Recipe: Maple Apple Butter

Posted on September 11, 2018 by Burnt My Fingers

When windfall apples are all over your yard and you have a gallon of maple syrup in the pantry, you make Maple Apple Butter. The long caramelization plus the mystery spice (it’s cardamon) produce a grown-up cousin to applesauce. Spread … Continue reading →

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Recipe: No-No Caesar Dressing

Posted on July 17, 2018 by Burnt My Fingers

Awhile back we took on the challenge of getting rid of the egg in caesar dressing to make it safe on long picnic days. Now we’re going further and getting rid of the anchovies for those who hate our favorite … Continue reading →

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Recipe: Halal Guys White Sauce

Posted on June 26, 2018 by Burnt My Fingers

After all the speculation (and intentional misdirection) Halal Guys White Sauce proved surprisingly easy to copycat. It’s just mayonnaise with a bit of extra tartness and ground black pepper. Makes 1 cup. Ingredients: 1 c mayonnaise (I use Hellman’s/Best Foods) … Continue reading →

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Recipe: Granny Shimer’s Pickled Beets & Eggs (from Jake Bryan)

Posted on June 21, 2018 by Burnt My Fingers

Reader Jake Bryan was kind enough to share his grandmother’s Pennsylvania Dutch recipe for pickled beets and eggs with onion. Only modification I’ve made is the salt content: Jake uses 1½ t per pint. (But he tells me his granny … Continue reading →

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Recipe: Bacon Fat

Posted on March 27, 2018 by Burnt My Fingers

Many dishes (especially beans) benefit from a tablespoon or two of Bacon Fat, aka Bacon Grease. But, like pita, bacon fat is one of those ubiquitous ingredients it’s hard to find a recipe for. Problem solved. Makes 4 T, which … Continue reading →

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