Latest Cooking Answers

Cold Smoking in the Tropics - Condensation

I am determined to find a way to cold smoke in the tropics. The obvious problems we face here are a high outside air temperature (avg. 35° C) and high humi

Why is yeast used in bread making?

This question arose today at lunch, and we tried to explain it in various ways: It gives the soft (spongy) consistency; It improves the nutritional content; It

How can you pre-bake coca (pizza)?

The Spanish coca is related to the pizza, so I guess the question can apply for both. Normally I bake it in about 20 minute, should I take it out after 10 minu

Why proof a baguette seam side up

Why do i need to proof the bread seam up if i pinch the fold? Most of the recipes say to do this on the couche and then roll over and slash . I don't see any d

What's best: boil eggs in advance or just before use?

If I want to eat a hard-boiled egg every day of the week, should I boil them and store them (refrigerated) all at once or should I keep raw eggs in the fridge a

Is the root/rhizomes of ground elder edible?

Ground elder is a terrible weed with delicious leaves. But is the root edible too? Wikipedia: Aegopodium podagraria, commonly called ground elder, herb gerard,

Why does my ganache keep breaking?

I'm making truffles, and my ganache keeps coming apart. The chocolate acts like it's overheating, but it's not. I've confirmed the temperature of the water in t

What are the correct simmering times for chicken/vegetable stock?

I recently read that cooking stock for more than about 2 hours negatively affects the flavor, and eventually vitiates the vitamins due to heat degradation. Thi

How to create homemade special coffees [closed]

I got bored with my regular coffe "Nestcafe Classic" or "Nestcafe 3 in 1". Are there tutorials how to create some awesome coffee? I don't mind

Are chillies hotter when they're ripe?

This answer might vary between types of chillies, but I'm curious to know when they're hottest.

Corelle Visions Covered Versa Pot 1.25 L

Can the Corelle Visions Covered Versa Pot 1.25 L be used on an induction cooker?

Why are poblanos sometimes called pasillas?

Background information: poblano peppers are one of the most common peppers in Mexican food. Pasilla peppers are something entirely different - the dried form of

Can dried peppers get hotter with aging?

I have some dried hot peppers which are over a year old. These are hybrids, part chile de arbol, but less hot so that I can use them for mixed company. A frie

Do Chilis Ripen "off the vine"?

In light of the question Are chillies hotter when they're ripe?, in particular – @ElendilTheTall's answer. I am wondering if chilies continue to ripen aft

How to make caramel sauce that doesn't taste bitter?

Tonight I made a simple caramel sauce by using: 1 cup granulated sugar 6 tbsp butter 1/2 cup cream I caramelized the sugar (without any water), stirring cons

How long can I store mole?

I'd like to have a go at making some kind of mole, but all the recipes I have seem to make big batches. How long can I keep mole for, either in the fridge or fr

Why should you remove the core of garlic?

I have read it is better to remove the core of a clove of garlic. I actually see no reason for doing this. Does it have a different flavor, or is there some oth

How can I get the most smoke flavor from Lapsang Souchong tea?

When I open a bag of Lapsang Souchong tea, it has an overpowering aroma of pine smoke. After brewing, there is still a smokiness in my drink but it is far more

Can I use citric acid instead of lemon juice when canning?

I am making wine jelly and have run out of lemons. I have some citric acid in the pantry. Can I use the citric acid instead? The jelly calls for half a cup of l

What is an elegant way to serve whole duck livers? [closed]

Duck livers fried in butter are my favorite "chef's snack". I sometimes opt for roast duck for dinner so I can have my 4:00 treat. I've rece

Can I use an induction cooker to restore silica gel's water absorbency?

It was mentioned in an answer to my previous question that silica gel can be heated in the oven to restore its water absorbent properties. I only have access t

Does Domino's use rennet-free cheese?

Does Domino's pizza's use mozzarella cheese for their pizzas? If so,is it also rennet-free?

How can I thin out my ice cream mixture?

I'm trying to make a McFlurry/Blizzard-like dessert in my blender, but the ice cream isn't coming out at the consistency I'd like. I tried adding milk, but that

To refreeze or to refrigerate?

Due to my busy schedule, I've started preparing all my meals on Sunday and cooking one a day for the rest of the week. It's generally defrosted chicken or meat.

How To Get Flavour Into Dried Grains And Pulses

All those things you have to soak, you would think you could infuse some flavour during the soaking. I've tried all sorts of ideas, vegetable stock, herbs, spi

Cooking messy foods in a bamboo steamer without a cleaning nightmare

For example, chicken. I have tried: chicken directly in steamer: chicken gunk goes everywhere, including between the woven bamboo slats. chicken in a colander

Ready to eat food not suitable for microwave

I bought a pre-made cornish pasty fromt the supermarket. The packaging says it can be eaten hot or cold, which presumably means it is already cooked. But the pa

Why does my oven take so long to heat up?

My modern whirlpool electric oven take forever (about 20min) to heat-up to 200C. This seems similar to other electric ovens I have used in Ireland. Hoever, w

Spare Ribs: spacing out the soak and the grill

A specific recipe I like for preparing ribs involves a slow four hour soak at 250 degrees in the oven and then a grilling period. I was wondering, how badly is

"Banging" cookies half way through baking

So I found a recipe for cookies which calls to "Bake the cookies for 10 mins, taking the tray out halfway through and banging sharply on a work surface covered