Sauces & Dips How-Tos

How To: Make a basic pastry cream

Chef Michel Richard demonstrates how to make a pastry cream; A basic sweet pastry cream, used as a pastry filling! He mixes sugar, salt, milk, egg yoke, and corn starch to make this cold pastry cream. Make a basic pastry cream.

How To: Make bechamel classic French sauce

Bechamel is one of the classic French "mother sauces" and the starting point for most cheese sauces and gratin dishes. If you've ever made baked macaroni and cheese, you've probably made bechamel. A blend of white roux and scalded milk, bechamel is one of the easiest French sauces to make.

How To: Make roux the classic thickener

If you like to cook, you've probably made roux, the classic thickener for soups, sauces and stews, hundreds of times -- even if you didn't know you were doing it. Roux is equal parts flour and fat -- butter or oil, ususally -- combined into a smooth paste over heat.

How To: Make a simple sherry vinaigrette

Chef John shows you a fantastic, all-purpose salad dressing using sherry vinegar. The second is a technique that makes emulsifying a dressing a fast and easy process. The reason I like sherry vinegar so much is that combines the complex, tartness of really good wine vinegar, with the rich, sweetness of balsamic vinegar. The vinaigrette shown today literally goes great with everything; whether it’s under a delicate filet of poached fish, over a grilled steak, or with an avocado salad, as you s...

How To: Prepare wasabi dipping sauce

This very simple (and fat free) dipping sauce is a great all-purpose condiment for many things. It is wonderful with spring rolls and it is delicious Asian dumplings, pot stickers, etc. The ingredients you will need are wasabi powder, seasoned rice vinegar, shiracha hot sauce and soy sauce.

How To: Make dashi

Dashi is a key ingredient in many authentic Japanese recipes. Follow this expert led guide to find out how to make it the right way. A great place to start if you are preparing a Japanese meal. Enjoy this Dashi recipe. Make dashi.

How To: Prepare sweet and sour sauce

Sweet and sour sauce is tasty with stir-fried meats or as a dipping sauce. Learn how to make this flavorful sauce at home. Ingredients needed are rice vinegar, brown sugar, ketchup, soy sauce, corn starch, water chooped green pepper and chopped pineapple. You can serve it over a stir-fry, or use it as a dipping sauce for dumplings or egg rolls. This is an Asian sauce.

How To: Make healthy guacamole dip appetizer

Guacamole is a healthy and delicious appetizer, snack, or spread. Learn to choose and cut avocados, then combine them with a lime-based marinade for a delightful balance of flavor. Guacamole is only as good as the avocado that you buy for it. You really want your avocados soft but not too mushy. So that's how you would shop for an avocado. The next thing that you would do is take the pit out. If you're finding that the pits are really not coming out of the avocado, you have an avocado that is...

How To: Make a quick tomato sauce

Once you see how quick and easy this Italian tomato sauce is to make, you will never have a reason to eat tomato sauce from a jar again. This is a recipe you can put together in 15 minutes, the same amount of time it takes most pasta to boil. You will need the following ingredients for this recipe: olive oil, onion, garlic clove, dried basil, salt and a can of diced tomatoes.

How To: Make pineapple salsa

This fruity salsa blends the sweet taste of pineapples with spicy vegetables. Enjoy it with corn chips or over chicken or fish. You will need cilantro, garlic gloves, white onion, red pepper, jalapeno pepper, juice of a lemon, salt and pepper, for an execellent twist on a traditional Mexican sauce.

How To: Make mole verde

Chef Zarela Martinez demonstrates how to make mole verde. This sauce with slight tartness is perfect for tamales. It is a traditional green ground sauce with tomatillos. Make mole verde.

How To: Make a hummus plate

Watch this instructional video to learn how to create a hummus plate. All you have to do is to leave the middle of the plate empty and then top it hummus. It's quick, it's easy, and very delicious.

How To: Make clarified butter quickly and easily

Clarified butter separates the butter fat from the milk solids and water. This method is a quick and easy way to achieve this goal. All you have to do is heat the butter, strain , and store! You will need 8 3/4 ounces of butter, a saucepan, spoon, sieve, cheese cloth that is slightly damp, and a bowl. Make clarified butter quickly and easily.

How To: Make infused oils

Infused oils are oils that have the taste of either herbs or spices combined with their own flavor. They are simple to make but add another dimension of flavor to many dishes. For parsley oil you will need parsley leaves picked from stems and vegetable oil. For curry oil you will need curry powder, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, a crumbled cinnamon stick, and canola oil. You will also need a saucepan, frying pan, tea towel, sieve, cheese cloth, blender, bowl of iced water, spoon, bowls, and cl...

How To: Make coriander chutney and cucumber raita

Two delicious condiments which make perfect accompaniments to Indian dishes or anything else that you choose. You will need fresh coriander, deseeded green chilies, cloves of garlic, cumin powder, juiced lemons, salt, sugar, coconut milk, plain yogurt, cumin seeds, finely chopped spring onions, roughly chopped coriander and mint leaves, peeled and finely chopped cucumbers, a blender, airtight jar, mixing bowl, mixing spoon, and cling film. Make coriander chutney and cucumber raita.

How To: Make Thai peanut dipping sauce

Thai peanut sauce can be used as a dip for vegetables or as a sauce for meals. Try this easy version that uses real peanuts. Ingredients needed are brown sugar, water, dark soy sauce, sesame oil, tamarind paste, fish sauce, chili sauce and dry roasted peanuts.

How To: Make chile paste

Chef Michael Lomonaco demonstrates how to make chile paste. This flavorful paste, which may be stored and used in many dishes, uses a combination of chilies to give it a complex flavor. This may be used as a marinade or paste to season meat. Make chile paste.

How To: Make basil pesto sauce

Chef Roberto Donna demonstrates how to make pesto sauce. Basil, olive oil and garlic are merged to form this fragrant, bold sauce, ready to top a variety of dishes. It is assembled in a blender. Add salt to taste. This has a lighter garlic taste. Make basil pesto sauce.

How To: Make hot fanny sauce

Chefs George Germon and Johanne Killeen demonstrate how to make hot fanny sauce. Intensely browned caramel, onions and a jalepeno pepper are combined to create a spicy sauce; perfect on steak, chicken or ribs. Make hot fanny sauce.