Latest Cooking Answers

added more yogurt to curry - can I fix it?

I've accidentally added more yogurt than I should've (I tipped the box of yogurt rather than spoon it out) and now the flavour / smell of yogurt and its sournes

How to keep celery crisp?

I like celery, but it seems to go limp very quickly when I buy it. What's the best way to store it to keep it crisper longer?

When using fresh corn in place of canned or frozed, should I cook the corn first?

I have a couple recipes that call for frozen or canned corn. If I want to use fresh corn instead, should it be cooked first or will it cook with the rest of th

Knife heat treatment

I visited a chef knife shop and spoke to the owner. He mentioned that he didn´t like Shun knives because they become dull so quickly due to bad heat treat

Coca Cola's Secret Recipe

If only two executives know the secret recipe of Coca Cola at any one time, and it is so well guarded, then how do they manufacture Coca Cola in plants without

Tetrasodium pyrophosphate

How do I use this ingredient in making marshmallows? I've tried all other recipes and they just don't come out like the store bought ones. They also don't roast

How do chefs come up with recipes for good food?

I have been cooking for some time now, but I have always been a sort of recipe follower. I know the basic composition of flavor components (sweet, sour, umami,.

Out of Salt! But I've got a seasoning blend. How do I figure how much to use?

I'm making fried chicken. I'm sort of following a recipe that adds 1 TBS salt and other seasonings to buttermilk to brine the chicken, and then adds 1 tsp salt

Can flour be used interchangeably with starch?

I don't know if the question I'm asking is suitable for this site, but can the word flour be used interchangeably with starch?

When adding eggs to scratch cake batter, why are you supposed to add them one at a time?

When making a cake from scratch I have always added my eggs one at a time, mixing in between each, because this is how I learned from my mother. I just can't re

How can I clean white burn marks in the center of my glass top burner?

I have this glass top burner for almost 5 years. It was fine until I cooked food in Aluminum Pot and Aluminum frying pan... the base of these pots leaft white m

Will mustard seeds soften in a sauce?

do mustard seeds melt into a dish if they are an ingredient in making a sauce? if not, would they be strained out after a specific lenght of time? Do they get

How many hours can you store raw eggs in warm car?

I many times wonder if I can buy eggs now because not going directly to home. The temperature in cars is often very high (probably more than 40 C at direct sun

Sous-Vide Chicken Thighs - Effect of temperature swings?

Perfect fried chicken is the Great White Whale in my kitchen. It seems I've tried everything, well almost everything, I have not tried sous-vide. I'm still on

Why does my pan always splatter when I make chicken breasts?

I've been cooking for myself since summer started and have been pan-frying a lot of chicken breasts in Sunflower oil. They taste great, but from about halfway t

Is there a difference between tepid water and lukewarm water?

Is there a difference between tepid water and lukewarm water? Are the terms interchangeable?

Why has my honeycomb toffee set in layers?

I made honeycomb toffee today, but it's set in 'layers'. The top is crispy and bubbly, as it should be, but there's a layer on the bottom of chewy sticky toffee

How does irradiated beef spoil?

So I usually buy irradiated beef. From what I understand, the beef is packaged, sealed, and the absolutely blasted with radiation. I'm a nuclear engineer for

How can I avoid getting swindled? How can I detect polyphosphates in fish fillets?

Fish fillets are treated with polyphosphates for several reasons, but mainly to increase their weight (and hence the profit). According to this FAO paper: The

Is "medium white sauce" a usefully distinct term?

I am familiar with a basic white sauce, or béchamel, and know how to make it. I recently came across a recipe (circa 1950's) that calls for 1 cup medium

Why does my rice smell?

I don't understand why my rice smells like eggs.. We have a new rice cooker that we used for two months now. I wash it, but should I deep clean it? Also, I put

How far in advance can I prepare a fruit cup?

My work used to sell fruit cups that were simply just plastic cups filled with cut fruit pieces, no syrup or anything. I quite liked having a mini fruit salad l

Can I substitute unsweetened cocoa powder for unsweetened baker's chocolate?

I'm using a recipe for chocolate crinkle cookies and it calls for 4 squares of unsweetened baker's chocolate. Can I substitute cocoa powder for the baker's cho

How to extend the freshness of salsa?

I often make salsa containing tomato, onion, garlic salt, green pepper, red pepper, lemon, and salt. I store it in a Glasslock container in the refrigerator. By

How do I stop my pans from boiling over?

Yesterday the wife and I decided to boil some potatoes in a normal non-stick pan. We added salt, potatoes and boiling water. We put this on an electric hob,

Can an opened pack of dried yeast be stored for later use?

I purchased a 25 gm active dry yeast. It says to use it with 500 ml flour. However I just want to make a couple of pizza bases, 100 gm each max. So can I use 40

Smoker Ideas, something between Ribs and a Brisket

Got my smoker going and the food is turning out descent.. smoked ribs and a beer can chicken quite well so far. I'm thinking of trying a brisket, but that seems

What are speed ovens (combo microwave / oven) good or not good at?

We're considering a speed oven as a 2nd oven, probably 27". Our main range is an all gas 30" range. What are those microwave / traditional ovens combo good at?

Smoking a whole duck - when to remove from heat?

I am going to be smoking a duck on my grill in the next few days, and I'm finding a ton of conflicting information. I was hoping you all could help sort it out.

How can I concentrate citrus juice at home?

I used to make no-bake pies as a kid that consisted of whipped topping, condensed sweetened milk, and frozen lemon- or lime-aid concentrate (thawed) mixed toget