Latest Cooking Answers

Milk instead of water for sourdough?

I have a nice, healthy Type 110 wheat-based sourdough starter that I use to make bread and pancakes. I've recently discovered that it may be possible to feed t

How to freeze your own produce & meals, without cell wall break down?

I've just spend 30 minutes reading online, and got a bit frustrated. I want to be able to freeze my own grown vegetables & even meals to a very high standar

Help with sourdough bread

I've been experimenting with whole wheat sourdough bread for a few weeks now. My starter uses T110 wheat flour at 100% hydration, and bubbles nicely. I make the

Is it safe to eat the white “dots” in peaches?

As you can see there are white "dots" where the seed used to be. Is it OK to eat them? What are they, anyway? (I was worried they're some parasite or diseas

At which temperature Parmesan cheese must be transported?

I bought a piece of Parmesan cheese over internet. When it arrived (in a styrofoam box) I measured its temperature and it was 17,8° C (64° F). I think

Can I eat white vinegar if it has tons of deposits in it?

I have a bottle of white vinegar on which it says that the presence of deposits is normal. My problem/concern is that there are LOTS of deposits. What are they?

How does a sourdough sponge work?

I'm trying to learn more about sponges in breadmaking. Most recipes that I've found for sourdough bread don't use a sponge. What does it add? Also, what's a g

How to preserve and ship home made mayonnaise

I am trying to preserve home-made mayonnaise so that it can be shipped to family and friends, without the hassle of putting it in dry ice packs or the like. Is

Why does Mexican food taste dissonant with balsamic vinegar?

I assayed an attempt at hot sauce the other day by cooking 3 pounds of peppers (jalapeno and hungarian wax) in olive oil and balsamic vinegar for about three ho

What is the white swirl in my bread and is it safe?

I just bought a loaf of wheat bread and in an attempt to use it I noticed that there are thick white "swirls" throughout the whole loaf. I thought it might b

Ma Po Doufu without Pork

In China there is a famous dish called Ma Po Doufu 麻婆豆腐 and most of the recipes I find online have pork. I was wondering if anyone k

Where do all the tough old birds go?

The first comment or answer that says "Alaska" will be promptly downvoted. Seriously though, I keep hearing about the superiority of "stewing hens" for stocks

Why does the fat on my chicken broth sometimes solidify, sometimes not?

I've been making chicken broth pretty much the same way for decades. I cut up a whole chicken, cutting through the bones of all but the breast and thighs (to re

Why is milk powder used in bread machine recipes?

In a bread machine bread recipe, why is milk powder included? And is milk powder needed? I have baked several loaves without milk powder. When the bre

What are the acceptable methods to thaw food items?

What are the proper ways to thaw foods? Are there any advantages or disadvantages to them?

When smoking, is temperature consistency more important than exact temperature?

I am smoking ribs in a charcoal smoker. The smoked rib recipe that I am following instructs smoking the ribs at 225°F. My smoker is maintaining a temperatur

Refrigerated lunchboxes turn soggy

When I steam vegetables or boil rice I leave it to cool off for a few hours and then put it into a plastic lunch box and then into the fridge. After a day the v

Subsitute in this kale and grape recipe

In this recipe, they list grapeseed oil. I don't have grapeseed oil and if I were to purchase it, I don't think I would use it that often. I have safflower oil,

Seasoning Cast Iron Pan but without Using Bacon or Lard [duplicate]

I just purchaced a new cast iron pan, it is my first. I was wondering if there is a way to seaon it but without using bacon (I do not eat baco

What are the differences between fresh beans and dried ones?

I recently came across some fresh black beans at my local farmer's market. It was the first time I had seen black beans that weren't either canned or dried. I'

What is causing my sauerkraut to smell sweet?

I've been fermenting a batch of sauerkraut and it's been going for about a month. It's tasted great and has just recently started to develop some winey flavors.

Gluten Free Thin Crust Pizza - Tips and Explanation?

we have a gluten-free pizza crust recipe that works out pretty well. Since I'm relatively new to GF (we recently found out that my wife has Celiac), I'm curious

What is the purpose of adding oil when cooking scrambled eggs on non-stick pan?

Today I had… hard conversation with my girlfriend whether to use or not oil (semi refined sunflower) when cooking scrambled eggs on a non-stick pan. My

How long will egg yolks keep?

I have one recipe that calls for several egg whites, and no egg yolks that I plan to make soon. I have other recipes that call for more yolks than whites (which

How do i select a gin to use in making sloe gin? [closed]

I have some sloes, collected from beside a bridleway in the depths of Essex. Naturally, i wish to make some sloe gin. There are many gins. Th

Cooked beef roast covered with red coloring

After cooking a beef bottom round rump roast, a red coloring is covering, and penetrating, the meat. The roast was purchased at a reputable grocery chain and p

Why brewed coffee in a pot needs a lid?

Coffee in an electric drip brewer (a model like this) goes all murky brown and opaque very fast, when the pot is left without a lid. With lid, it stays transluc

Making dumplings without a snug lid

I'm making Chicken and Dumplings for dinner tonight but I had forgotten that I loaned out my usual Dutch oven, I won't be able to get it back in time. That leav

Can anyone identify this chocolate?

A recent date left this for me to find...a surprise gift, how sweet! I'd love to know just how sweet :) It's 1 3/8 inches, 3.5 cm thick. The larger piece weigh

How to make chocolate mousse that will set?

I have experimented with chocolate mousse lately. I use a recipe I think is taken from Ferran Adria. It consists of 120 mL cream 125g 60%+ chocolate 4 egg whi