Mo Maruf

Yes, black-eyed peas are beans in the legume family, though many cooks still file them under peas because of the old common name. The mix-up starts with two naming systems. Plant science puts black-eyed peas with cowpeas, which are legumes grown for edible seeds. Everyday cooking kept the word “pea,” so the same food can […]

Yes. The classic shortening includes soybean oil, and many Crisco sprays use canola oil, though some products also mix in palm or olive oil. People use “Crisco” like it names one single fat. It doesn’t. Crisco is a brand line, so the answer changes with the package in your hand. If you mean the classic

A floating hard-cooked egg was usually older before cooking, though trapped air and shell cracks can skew the test. Set a boiled egg in a bowl of water and the result can look odd. One egg lies flat. Another stands up. A third drifts to the top like a cork. That movement gives you a

Barley and wheat are different grains, though both belong to the grass family and can sit side by side on the same shelf. Barley and wheat get lumped together all the time. That mix-up makes sense. Both are cereal grains. Both can be sold whole, cracked, rolled, or milled into flour. Both show up in

A “use by” date points to last best-use timing, while a “sell by” date tells stores when to pull stock from the shelf. You’re in the grocery aisle, turning a package over, and two little words start a whole debate in your head: use by and sell by. They sound close, so it’s easy to

No, for most people these lemon packets are fine in water, though the acid can bother teeth, reflux, or a sore mouth. True Lemon gets asked about a lot because it sits in an odd spot. It isn’t a fresh lemon, and it isn’t a sugary drink mix either. It’s a shelf-stable packet that gives

Yes, Arborio rice is a risotto rice, while risotto is the creamy dish made by cooking rice slowly with stock. People mix these two terms up all the time, and it’s easy to see why. Arborio turns up in many risotto recipes, so the grain and the finished dish start to sound like the same

Yes, corn is a cereal grain because maize is a grass grown for its edible, starchy kernels. Corn trips people up because it changes roles depending on when it’s picked and how it’s eaten. On the cob at dinner, it often feels like a vegetable. Dried and ground into cornmeal, turned into polenta, or popped

No, original stacked potato crisps are high in sodium and low in fiber, so they fit better as an occasional snack than a daily staple. Pringles can fit into a normal diet, but they are not the kind of snack that gives you much back nutritionally. You get crunch, salt, and convenience. You do not

A slow-cooker soup built with vegetables, beans, and lean protein can be hearty, budget-friendly, and easy to prep ahead. Crock pot soup earns its keep on busy weeks. You toss in a few solid ingredients, let the pot do the work, and come back to dinner that feels settled, warm, and worth eating again the