To make the garlic paste and ginger paste, please refer to the recipes on Cookidoo®.

Replace cinnamon sticks with 3 tbsp ground cinnamon.

This recipe can be doubled or tripled to meet your requirements.

Use any white or light crusty bread such as baguette, ciabatta, wholewheat bread or bread rolls.

This fragrant blend is similar to a traditional Madras curry powder, perfect to enhance flavours in curries or when you are looking to add warmth to a meal.

Refer to the table of functions inside The Basic Cookbook for other types of cheese.

Icing sugar can be stored for long periods of time in an airtight container.

Use to grease all forms of baking pans and silicone molds. Coat the form and refrigerate until ready to fill and use. Grease bowls for proofing bread, coat your hands before kneading dough, it won't stick. Smear some on the Thermomix® lid to help prevent discoloration when using turmeric or making tomato sauce. Put some on kitchen knives and they'll slide through dough without sticking. Use on pizza stones, stoneware and cast iron cookware.

Thanks to its long shelf-life, Five spice powder is perfect to have on hand and use at a moment's notice when an added hint of aromatics is required.

Unbaked shortcrust pastry freezes well. Freeze dough partially rolled out for faster defrosting in the refrigerator.

Icing sugar can be stored for long periods of time in a sealable container.

Grind for longer for finely ground coffee or grind for less time for a coarse grind.

You can store LSA in a sealable container in the refrigerator for up to 3 months.

Sautéeing onions at high temperatures enriches the flavour and caramelises the natural sugars. These sugars leave some residue in the base of the mixing bowl (similar to when you sauté in a frying pan).

This useful, aromatic blend of ground spices varies regionally, but something common to all recipes is that the ingredients are toasted before being ground. The toasting process heightens the flavours by releasing fragrant oils. This frequently used base brings warmth and flavour to many dishes, including rogan josh. Freshly ground in your Thermomix®, it will transform any dish.

Traditionally garam masala is used as a finishing spice. By adding at the end of cooking, it heightens the flavours of your dish. Use it in soups, stews, curries, even sweet biscuits.

This baking powder is a gluten free alternative to many commercial brands.

Umami is referred to as the fifth taste. It is a mixture of sweet, sour, bitter and salty, the other four tastes. Umami helps enhance the flavour of most foods.

Porcini mushroom salt makes a lovely table gift for friends and family at Christmas time. Transfer salt into small jars and tie with festive ribbon or gift tags.

For a milder seasoning, omit or reduce the amount of chili flakes and peppercorns.

This fajita seasoning mix works well in any Tex-Mex recipe (e.g., Chicken Fajita Soup, Black Beans, Texas Coleslaw, Tex-Mex Turkey Soup and Fajitas).

To prepare jar: place 500 g water into mixing bowl. Place jar and lid upside down in the centre of the Varoma and steam 20 min/Varoma/speed 1. Leave to drain - do not dry or touch the inside surfaces. Alternatively, thoroughly wash jar and lid in hot, soapy water. Rinse by pouring over with boiling water. Prepare for filling, if needed, by placing on a clean tea towel in a roasting pan and heating in the oven at 100°C/212˚F until required.