They are three of the most common ways to buy tomatoes, but are these three forms of tomato interchangeable? The Short Answer While all of these are tomatoes, they are prepared and canned differently. Diced tomatoes are chopped up, stewed tomatoes are chopped and cooked, and plum tomatoes are peeled whole tomatoes. The Long Answer Tomatoes […]
Is Tomato Paste Tomato Sauce?
They’re both tomato based so is rubbing some tomato paste on your meatballs the same as pouring tomato sauce over it? The Short Answer: No, tomato paste and tomato sauce are not the same. But tomato paste is a key ingredient in most tomato sauce. The Long Answer: As an Italian American, I scoffed when reading […]
Are Tomatoes Vegetables?
Are tomatoes vegetables, or are they fruits? Scientists and lawmakers disagree. The Short Answer While many botanists insist that tomatoes are a fruit, the United States Supreme Court legally declared them a vegetable in the late 1800s. The Long Answer At some point we’ve all heard that Snapple bottle cap piece of trivia, “tomatoes aren’t […]
Is Bruschetta the Topping or the Bread?
Bruschetta is a favorite appetizer at dinner parties the world over. But does the word describe the bread or the toppings? The Short Answer The word bruschetta is describing the bread and not the toppings. The Long Answer As an Italian American, I’ve had my fair share of bruschetta. When I realized that this was […]
