Ají (sauce) Ají (sauce) Ají is a spicy sauce that often contains tomatoes, cilantro (coriander), ají pepper, onions, and water. Recipes vary dramatically from person to person and from region to region, depending on preference. Ají has been prepared in Andean countries such as Bolivia, Colombia, and Peru since at least the time of the Incas, who called it "uchu". In Colombia and Ecuador, for example, food is traditionally mild, so ají can be added to almost any dish to add some flavour and spice. It is usually added to other foods such as chugchucaras, soup, chorizo, or empanadas. In Chile there
Basting (cooking) Basting (cooking) Basting is a cooking technique that involves cooking meat with either its own juices or some type of preparation such as a sauce or marinade. The meat is left to cook, then periodically coated with the juice. Prominently used in grilling, rotisserie, roasting, and other meat preparations where the meat is over heat for extended periods of time, basting is used to keep meat moist during the cooking process and also to apply or enhance flavor. Improperly administered basting, however, may actually lead to the very problem it is designed to prevent: the undesired loss of moisture (drying