Latest Cooking Answers

Storing oil coated and unrefrigerated egg

Is there any truth to coating eggs with oil, placing them in the cartons upside down and then not storing them in the refrigerator - will make them last a few m

Should patina be burned (wok seasoning)

I just seasoned my wok for the first (three) times with vegetable oil. I noticed that the wok smokes a lot (as expected). What I find troubling is that the pati

What can be used as a wrapper with minimum taste?

I'm creating a recipe, which is essentially a duck parcel. The problem I have is how to make a parcel. Filo pastry worked but is too dry. I then read Giorgio

Vanilla Extract Vodka Quality

Most of the recipes and guides I have read for making vanilla extract say to use cheap vodka or whatever is available; however, if I am going to have it on my s

What's the proper procedure of making ghee?

I'm often making ghee for my cooking. However, I've never seen how it's done, I've only read how to do it, I'm having some doubts about its preparation. Should

Yeast for pizza doughs

We are interested in a good quality year-round yeast so we don't have to switch brands or adjust too much according to season.

Baking 'Master' Recipes

I have a question for the seasoned bakers out there. In a nutshell, I'm wondering if there are 'master' recipes for cakes, muffins, etc. Perhaps it's a little b

Induction interface disk

Most of my cookware is aluminum. I've seen induction interface disks, but they are quite expensive. Would it work to use a small cast iron griddle as an interfa

Using noodle cooking water to loosen sauce?

One of my guilty pleasures is perusing my wife's Real Simple magazine for recipe ideas and cooking tips. In the March 2013 issue one of the cooking tips has me

Colored cake without food coloring?

I'm wanting to make a layer cake for a birthday WITHOUT food coloring. Specifically, I'm wanting to make red and blue. Could I add raspberry juice or puree to a

How can I get rid of garlic breath? [closed]

I personally do not enjoy eating garlic, but some people in my family do. I really dislike the smell, and I care for them. I do not want to be

Substitute for ground crayfish?

I love crayfish flavor, and love to add ground crayfish to most sauces and stews. However I now live in an area where this condiment is scarce to unavailable.

Alternative to Food Grade Silicone

I recently bought a new meat grinder and they recommend washing it with hot water, drying it completely, and spraying a food grade silicone to prevent the stain

Help buying a copper pan

I heard that the best frying pans for steak are copper. Most are way too expensive but these are cheap in comparison. For example, this is three times the price

My ginger is moist and floppy... has it spoiled?

I have a piece of raw ginger root which I bought a couple of weeks ago and stored in the produce drawer of my fridge. I always store my ginger root this way, an

What happens to boiled pasta if you use too little water?

There are almost always guidelines on pasta packages for the amount of water you should use when boiling. Sometimes I'd like to use a pot that's on the smaller

Are there visual differences between regular and decaf coffee?

I once asked a waiter at a restaurant how he managed not to mix up cups of regular and decaf coffee when bringing them to various tables. He replied that he cou

Spoiled garlic ok to use?

I bought a 3 pound bag of peeled garlic. Some of them have white mold on them. Should I throw the lot away or pick through the bad ones & discard?

Substitute Quinoa Flour to All-Purpose Flour

If the recipe calls for 1 cup All Purpose Flour, how many cups of Quinoa flour should I use to completely replace All-Purpose flour?

How to clean utensils used to cook raw ground beef that have been left in the sink overnight?

I cooked some ground beef yesterday and by the time evening came was too zonked to do the dishes. Now it's the following evening and they are still in the sink.

If the recipe says simmer beans for 3 hours, can I just turn up the heat and cook faster?

I just got home from work, and tonight is my night to cook. Unfortunately, I just realized this recipe for Mexican beans says I should simmer the beans for 3 ho

Is horse meat safe to eat?

It's been in the news lately about horse meat being disguised as beef. Is this really that serious? Is horse meat unsafe? Or is it just taboo because horses

can a person taste the difference between coffee that has been ground 8 hours prior to brew vs 12 hours prior to brew?

I have read the other threads and understand that the fresher the bean the better. Also that the closer to brew the better. This question directly relates to th

Freezing Bouchon Bakery Macarons. Whole cookie or just the halves?

I'm making the macarons from the Bouchon Bakery cookbook and it recommends freezing them for 24 hours before letting them come back to room temperature for eati

Are smoothies and milk shakes the same things with different names?

I put banana and milk in the blender, and drink it when everything gets mashed up properly. I call it milk shake with banana. Is that called a smoothie? Is t

Why do I need over ripe bananas for banana muffins?

Okay, I won't use prefer to use raw bananas for sure. But, I wish to understand why are over ripe bananas required for the muffins. Why won't ripe (yellow) ban

What helps against astringent mouthfeel from spinach or chard?

Spinach and chard dishes, if prepared from fresh veggies, have a somehow astringent mouthfeel, that can be unpleasant. Does anybody know what exactly causes thi

Why did my roast beef turn out chewy and not tender? Where did I go wrong?

I recently made an Oven Round Roast in the oven and I followed directions quite well. I would really like to know where I went wrong. The roast was 1.4kg and r

Can I do anything to make my gas oven better?

I have an old gas oven at home which is generally pretty rubbish at most things. The temperature in the oven is wildly off compared to what the dial says it sh

How to sprout quinoa (and other grains) safely

I've recently begun sprouting my own grains but I've found (no matter the method I use) that they tend to be too...crunchy? My boyfriend described my last batch