Latest Cooking Answers

Can you make strawberry extract at home?

I know you can make vanilla extract, using vodka and vanilla pods. But can you replace the vanilla pods by pieces of strawberry? I'm not sure whether the vodka

How to best store cupcakes?

When I put them in the fridge, they developed a kind of a moist surface by the next day. Should I just leave them outside in an air-tight jar? If yes, then for

Should I delay adding barley when making vegetable barley soup?

When adding barley to a soup (usually with some combination of vegetables), should I add the barley later than the rest of the ingredients?

How can I clean my peeler?

I have a peeler that I've been using for a while. It's gotten quite rusty and dirty. Of course, I can toss it at this point and start with a new peeler... But i

Extracting colour out of strawberries

Are there any techniques which I can use to get the colour of strawberries condensed in a way that doesn't contain the flavour? I am looking to colour cakes in

Are strawberries really dyed?

I stopped by a farm stand last weekend, and found the strawberries were rather pale looking. I commented on this, and the farmer assured me that this was no wor

What should I look for in strawberries at the market?

When I'm selecting strawberries at the market or farmer's stand, what should I look for to indicate the most flavorful berries? I don't need the strawberries t

Eucalyptus tea: is it safe to drink?

I have a big Eucalyptus Gunnii (If I am not mistaken) tree just out my door. It smells splendid and I have always wanted to know if I could make tea out of its

Vermouth for use in Drinks - can I freeze it?

I have a well stocked bar at home so from time to time I mix some drinks. Many popular drinks list Vermouth (e.g. Noilly Prat) as an ingredient. Basically, Verm

Homemade Golden Ginger Ale

I recently made some homemade ginger ale. It was good, but it really tasted more like ginger beer. I was hoping for a flavor that tasted a bit more like golde

What is the secret to baking bread with a very fine crumb?

I've noticed bread purchased from the local baker always has a very fine crumb. How is this achieved??

Is there a preferred tequila age for Strawberries Por Mi Amante?

I'd like to soak strawberries in tequila for a Por Mi Amante. I'm not concerned about the brand, but I'm curious if there is a flavor difference as a result of

Is it safe to store hot tea in PET bottles?

Every morning I bring with me a small PETE (from some searches it seems to be the same as PET plastic) bottle (an ex coke bottle) containing hot tea. Is it saf

Is there a discernible difference in taste between aeropress and chemex / pour-over?

Using the same coffee beans with the same grind, I can definitely tell a difference between cups of coffee made by drip-machine, chemex, and french press. Chem

Why does brining work with dry heat methods and not wet heat methods?

If you brine chicken in a high saline solution and and then cook it using a dry heat method it will come out salty. IF however you do the same thing and then c

Cookies end up Rubbery

I've been trying to make cookies the usual way : All Purpose Flour + Eggs + Butter + Powdered Sugar + Chocolate Powder > Mix till Semi-Solid Batter > Put

Oven Temperature: How to be sure the selected temperature is correct.

I suspect that my - fairly new - oven gets too hot, so I bought an oven thermometer, which confirmed this. So I called the supplier. They say that in order to

Can I bring sausages on a plane? [closed]

I'd like to bring some raw Italian sausages with me when I fly from NYC to Seattle. Is it legal to pack sausages and/or ice in a carry-on? Wi

Salmon patties with cream cheese?

So, I have this jarred salmon here, caught up in Montana in 2010 I believe, cooked (not sure how) and sealed in a mason jar since. I opened the jar yesterday an

How to get chocolate of chocolate covered strawberries shiny?

Yesterday, I made strawberries covered with chocolate. Both my strawberries and milk chocolate were at room temperature. I heated the chocolate in the microwav

what's the smoke point of a hybrid oil?

I saw at the store there's a new cooking oil composed of 80% canola oil and 20% olive oil. They offer it for frying and seasoning. What would be the smoke point

What is the lesser evil, degassing too early or too late?

Suppose that I have made bread dough and it is supposed to be degassed around 90 min after kneading (t+90). Suppose that I have to leave home at t+30 and will b

Can cashews go bad? If so, how do you tell?

We have a tub of cashews that seems "off:" they smell a little different and taste a little different than we're used to. They don't smell or taste rancid (to

Defrosting chicken breasts in marinade

I want to defrost chicken breasts and would like to marinate them. Since time may be an issue, can I place frozen chicken breasts in zip lock bag with marinade

Why would using oil make muffins less sweet?

I've been wondering, what makes muffins less sweet when using oil? (instead of butter?) In this case, a muffin mix tells me to use butter. The alternative (to m

How can I avoid limp strawberries?

When using strawberries to make a preserve (canning process), they become limp and lose colour Is there a way to avoid this?

flash fire from self-cleaning oven

We have a self-cleaning oven (GE). We put in some stewing beef in a roaster into the oven at 300F for 45 minutes. After about 20 minutes there was smoke coming

How much rice should I cook per person?

I would like to know how much rice I should cook per person. Preferably in some "fast" measurements - like cups, spoons, etc. It would also be nice to know how

extracting banana flavour for an iced coffee

Now that the sun has started to shine in the frozen north I can start thinking on using my espresso machine for some cold drinks. I was thinking of a banana ic

how to make indian chilly chicken [closed]

how to prepare Chilly Chicken. Its basically an indian recepie. Its my favourite dishes too. Please help me to make chilly chicken. I ever pr