Latest Cooking Answers

Stacking cakes without bases

I am going to be making a two tier birthday cake for my daughters 2nd birthday. The bottom will be a Vanilla sponge covered in Fondant icing. The top tier will

Substitute for flaked coconut

I would like to bake an Italian Cream Cake. Most recipes call for sweetened flaked coconut and a few shredded coconut. I readily have fresh grated coconut and

preserving hot peppers without damaging heat

How is this possible? My garden is starting to produce but I don't yet have enough to make into hot sauce. It would be easier to mske a large batch at the end o

preservation of uncooked dill pickles

I have used an old German dill pickle receipe forever that doesn't use a water bath. I make brine and boil, pour over prepared jars, put on heated lids and leav

Is it true that even quality knives with wood handles can warp and be contaminated with bacteria?

I was at Bed Bath & Beyond and I spoke to one of the employees about knives with wood handles. She said that wood handles are no good because they warped fr

Stainless steel cookware scratches

Is it true that one should not use stainless steel utensils on a stainless steel pot or pan? I had to get rid of some old pots because my food started have a m

What to do if pan/pot is burning (with or without food)

To minimize the damage to an over heated pan (be it with or without food), do I let it cool off? Run it under cool water? Or is there different approach I'm sup

Polenta problem

I made a "feta herb loaf" from a cookbook with recipes of a British author. The recipe called for "polenta". So I made some polenta by boiling water and mixing

Are fluted knives a gimmick?

I haven't been able to find a post specifically on fluted knives, so hopefully this isn't a duplicate. I was wondering if fluted knives actually work. I came a

Stock: Canned, Bouillon Cubes and Powder

What are the Pros and Cons to each one? Most of the time I am making vegetable soup. Thanks

Why get a chef's knife or santoku if I don't eat meat?

If I don't eat meat, is there any reason why I would choose a chef's knife or santoku over a vegetable knife (e.g. Japanese vegetable knives or Chinese cleavers

How do I make buckwheat pancakes without non-stick cookware?

Recently I tried to make buckwheat pancakes, but failed miserably. I tried heating the stainless steel pan (about 12" in diameter) for a few seconds on medium h

Dry cured chicken with bad odor

I dry cured some chicken for three weeks: I cut chicken breasts into 1 inch slices, usee 10-20% salt and rubbed thoroughly. I left it to dry cure for 2-3 weeks.

How to prevent salt from releasing from dry cured chicken?

I have dry cured some chicken slices with a lot of salt. I will cook it in a soup however I do not want the salt to be released/come out of the chicken. Is it

How accurate are kitchen scales?

I read about weighing coffee to the 0.5 gram, but what's the margin of error for a typical 5kg/11lb kitchen scale?

I have a jar of Hannah's Pickled Sausages. What now? [closed]

Having never eaten a Pickled Sausage and yet I now have a jar of Hannah's Pickled Sausages. What now? I have never been severed any in my nei

Why are oil bubbles when cooking bacon only around the bacon?

When bacon cooks it is in oil. The oil does not bubble anywhere except the edges of the bacon. Why?

Chocolate: difference between "Cocoa Mass" and "Cacao"?

There isn't much diary products in my country. So cheese, double/heavy cream, baking chocolate etc are hard to find. Some shops that specialize in baking sells

how long do you have to cook lemon curd for?

How long does lemon curd have to be cooked in order to ensure a good set? if pectin is being used, what type of pectin is suitable?

How can I make lemon and chilli liquid to have with hummus?

A few weeks ago I had hummus at the famous Abu-Hassan/Ali-Caravan place in Jaffa, Tel Aviv. When you order hummus there you also get a small bowl of lemony chil

How to thicken garlic dressing

Nineteen times out of twenty when I make a salad dressing from olive oil, salt, dill, garlic and apple cider vinegar, blended in a pint measuring cup with an el

How to replace polenta in Mexican Polenta Casserole recipe

The recipe asks for one 16 oz. package of precooked polenta, but I only have yellow corn grits (uncooked, from Bob's Red Mill - also labeled as polenta). How mu

Cooking dried corn

I'm trying to cook some dried corn that normally is meant for popcorn. I've soaked it 36 hours using bottled water and then rinsed it multiple times with tap w

Is foreigner-grade VB sold within Australia?

As a gift, a friend of mine was given a collection of Australiana. It included some iconic Australian foods, some other knick-knacks, and a can of Victoria Bitt

Why did my red chili powder turn brown?

When fresh , it was pure red in color. But after a couple of months it turned brown. Its home made so no case of adulteration.

What are the crunchy bits on top of Thai mango with sticky rice?

My favorite Thai restaurant makes a fantastic mango and sticky rice dessert, and it seems like it'd be pretty simple to recreate at home. I've searched around t

White stains and stainless steel cookware

I know this question has been asked before in some form or another, but I can't seem to find a definitive answer. I've looked on SA, chowhound, martha stewart,

Removing oil bubbles from bolognese sauce

I am making bolognese for dinner tonight. In the past I have had trouble with oil in the sauce giving it a not very nice oily texture. I tried to limit the amo

Can I use a gas oven spring form in my electric oven?

I have ordered a spring form online. The package arrived and on the packaging it says "especially for gas ovens". I don't have a gas oven, but an electric one

What is the correct temperature for storing home-made frozen yogurt?

I have made frozen yogurt for the first time yesterday. It was stored overnight in the freezer at -18°C (-0.4°F). When I checked it this morning it had