Latest Cooking Answers

By what method, other than heat, can I cause the alcohol in a liquid to evaporate?

If boiling and other heat methods cause a deterioration of flavor, What is the fastest way of accelerating the evaporation rate of alcohol in a liquid like beer

How much water to put in my pasta pot?

My pasta pot/steamer did not come with directions telling me how full to make it. It seems to boil over or not have enough water to cover the pasta. It is a l

How long can I leave a freshly baked cheesecake out before it goes in the refrigerator?

We just baked a cheesecake and are heading over to family's house for the rest of the evening. Is it ok to leave the cheesecake out for 6 hours or so before bei

How to keep fresh-squeezed fruit juice?

Is there any way to keep fresh-squeezed fruit juice (especially apple or orange) for at least one week without losing taste and vitamins in it? Would a jar wit

Mascarpone left outside fridge overnight - still usable?

I forgot the mascarpone yesterday, so it sat in my bag in the living room for half a day and the night, instead of in the fridge. The question is, of course, i

When is it necessary to put foil over a pie's crust?

In the past, when I have made pumpkin pie, I have never put foil around the edge of the crust of the pie. Yesterday, I baked a pie with someone else, and they

Use of pizza stone in gas oven

I have a new gas kitchen stove. The oven seems to burn so easily. I have a thermometer in there and it is registering the temp that I have the oven set on. I

Uneven baking in a convection microwave oven

I'm just starting to learn to bake. I have a convection microwave oven and I've read at a lot of places that a convection microwave can be used for baking. But,

What makes a souffle rise?

A successful souffle is usually one that rises high above its own vessel. What active ingredients / parts of a souffle (regardless of the type of souffle) typic

Suggestions for convenient and safe methods of transporting a few meals without a vehicle?

I'd like to prepare a few meals for a cousin who recently gave birth. She lives about an hour and a half away, and I will be walking and taking public transport

Why does strata have to come to room temperature before baking?

I've made strata a few times before, usually for brunches where I have a number of guests coming over and don't want to spend all my time in the kitchen. I alwa

Does adding oil to pasta water reduce the tendency to boil over?

I know that adding oil to pasta water doesn't keep the noodles from sticking--much better to do that after cooking. I also know that there's no need to cook pas

At what temperature should monkfish be prepared?

At what internal temperature should you aim for monkfish to be properly cooked? According to this recipe, it should be at 145F (63ºC). Does anybody know a

Extent of poultry denaturing via freezing(ice crystal formation)?

I am told that during freezing ice crystals rupture vessels in poultry and denature them. This causes the poultry to have larger pores and so when cooking thin

What makes coffee grinds sink in a french press?

We use a press pot to make coffee at home, and usually after a 3 minute steep, the grounds are floating at the top, but with this one bag of beans we got, they

How to minimize the impact of unpopped kernels and kernel shards in popcorn?

I've always had a fear of eating popcorn. The idea of breaking my tooth on a popcorn kernel is terrifying, the thought of getting a kernel shard lodged between

Is this crab meat cooked?

I purchased a small container (8 oz) of frozen crabmeat. I do not know if it is cooked or not. The contents appear to be grey (it's a clear plastic tub). The c

What makes a chewy brownie?

I've tried many different brownie recipes and most of mine bake to a cake-like consistency. The brownie holy grail for me is crusty top chewy brownies. What can

How to keep the surface of the cake from splitting? [duplicate]

Possible Duplicate:How do you make a cake lift equally and minimize doming? Or is it natural for it to happen because the top layer

How to use cast-iron teacup?

I love my cast-iron teapots; however, for Christmas, I received a set of teacups to match my latest acquisition. Do I pre-warm them like I do the pot? Or is the

What was wrong with using White Truffle Oil?

On the show "Chopped", a contestant was running out of time to finish his entrée (using the mystery ingredients: gingersnaps, sweet potatoes, farina and

Searing after sous viding - what temperature?

I just got a sous vide supreme for christmas and I am super excited to use it. Many of the recipes I have seen online suggest to sear the meat after cooking to

Should chicken be cooked beforehand while making pizza?

I was just wondering if I can arrange raw chicken on the pizza base and cook everything along or if I should cook the chicken first separately.

How to effectively drain frozen vegetables?

When using frozen vegetables, even if I let them unfreeze overnight, I am finding that they then render quite a bit of water when cooking. How can I drain veget

How to make a frothy icing?

I bought a tin of ready-made chocolate icing from the super market. But it's very dense and viscous while I prefer the more airy kind of icing the cakes from th

Should syrup or pastry be cooled when pouring on to Baklava?

When making Baklava, should you let the syrup or pastry cool before pouring the syrup over pastry?

Unsure why foam sauce doesn't hold

I experimented for with xanthan gum for the first time tonight. I made a sauce which was about half roasted peppers, half savory stuff (lamb stock, beef broth,

Is it true about a dull knife being more likely to cut you?

I've heard people argue that a dull knife is more likely to cut you than a sharp one. The argument is that you are more likely to cut yourself by applying too

What's the best way to learn what each seasoning is?

For example, Iike cayenne pepper is spicy and marjorum has a smoky flavor. I just want to learn the different flavors of each seasoning, so I can know exactly w

Why does Béarnaise separate as opposed to crème brûlée or lemon curd?

When making creme brulees in the oven, they are heated to something like 100° C, or over. When making bernaise, heating it like that is a sure way of making