Latest Cooking Answers

Cooked meat diaper: toxic?

I accidentally left the meat diaper underneath my roast in a slow cooker. After 8 hours, the diaper is mostly disintegrated. I am able to fish out fragments, bu

Why don't other grain proteins behave like gluten?

There are many excellent explanations here (and elsewhere) of what gluten "does." What I haven't seen anywhere is an explanation of what makes gluten so specia

Green tomato soup calls for creme fraiche. I cannot have creme fraiche. If I add heavy creme will it be ok?

I want to make green tomato soup but the recipe I have calls for creme fraiche. I cannot get creme fraiche. Will using heavy cream as a substitute smooth out th

What is the meaning of "cream of X" in a soup?

I have often had "cream of tomato" or "cream of mushroom" soup. But I still have no idea how the recipe or preparation differs from "normal" soup. What is the

Is it better to fry or grill a steak? [closed]

Whenever I cook steak at home I usually grill it, but is this as good as frying? I have usually grilled so it is not cooking in the juices a

Freezer warmed to -6C. Safe to eat the food?

My freezer recently warmed to -6 degrees Centigrade during a long power outage from its usual -18C. It's now on its super freeze cycle and cooling back down aga

When freezing prepared meats, is it better to freeze the meat separate from the sauce/gravy?

I am making a corned beef with a glaze to be eaten next week. Is it better for me to freeze the meat + gravy together, or to freeze the meat in one container an

Extract v flavoring

What is the difference in measurements when using flavoring vs. extract? I.e.: orange flavoring vs. orange extract. I've used the extract but there is an alcoho

Is sourdough more resistant to mold than other breads?

My partner works at a restaurant where they serve sourdough as the bread you snack on to tide you over while perusing the menu. They are closed Sundays, which m

Extrusion pasta maker versus roller: which one makes the best pasta?

Roller pasta makers require you to work the dough by hand and then run it through the roller multiple times. Some extrusion pasta makers don't even require mixi

Does Turkish Delight have to be this difficult?

At the weekend I made some Turkish Delight based on the recipe featured in a recent BBC series called "Sweets Made Simple". Simple maybe, but highly effortful.

Soaking fruits in fruit juice [closed]

Can I soak fruits in fruit juice for a fruit cake? If yes, do I need to boil the juice? Thanks a lot.

Is Japanese kasutera the same foodstuff as Korean kastera?

The Japanese term カステラ (kasutera) and the Korean term 카스테라 (kastera) are etymologically derived from the

Should I wait until the oil smokes when frying eggs?

Making ordinary fried eggs, I heat up the (soy bean) vegetable oil. I usually use the smoke as an indicator of being in enough temperature to pour the eggs in.

Coating meat in flour before browning, bad idea?

For a long time, before browning meat that would then braise, I've coated it in flour as to ensure the right consistency for the resulting sauce. Are the downsi

Making lemon oil from vodka

I recently made some lemon oil. Here's how I made it (question at the bottom): I took the zest of about 12 lemons, packed it in a half pint jar, filled it to t

Why does my homemade mustard thicken only some of the time?

For the first time in many years, there are enough red bell peppers in the harvest for me to make this recipe for roasted red pepper mustard, which I have made

How long is marinated raw chicken breast good for after it's been vacuum sealed?

I have been marinating a large batch of chicken breast in eggs and spices. I'm going to put bread crumbs on them before cooking. I'm wondering, if I were to bre

Runny Cookie Dough

Roasted Peanut Cookies It is raining outside and the water drops are pelting my window.Warmed some milk and gathered some pots to bake some cookies Flour

Do fava beans need to cook longer than other kinds of beans?

I typically cook my beans a total of 1:45h - 2h after soaking them overnight. On a couple of occasions, I noticed that did not make fava beans as tender as oth

Why does oil reduce the effectiveness of Japanese waterstones?

I've read in several places that oil should not be used on Japanese waterstones, but none of the sources explain the reasoning behind this. What, if any, damage

Using a Jelly Bag

I am attempting to make Sea Buckthorn jelly (as in jam jelly rather than gelatin jelly), but am having an issue with straining the juice. Here's what I have do

Gas grill compared to regular (high end) oven

I've always been a charcoal guy, but as I'm thinking about buying a new grill I've looked at gas grills, with the convenience of cleaning, speed etc. But I st

How can I make my sourdough crust chewier?

I'm making sourdough bread and am pleased with the results except that the crust is too hard and crunchy. Inside it's great, moist and a good even crumb. It mak

How to keep frozen puff pastry dough keep its shape

Whenever I cut semi thawed frozen puff pastry dough with a round cookie cutter, the shapes turns oval when I bake them. How can I prevent this?

Can you call the stuffing you put in Turkey "filling"? [closed]

They seem a bit similar to me, but a lot of people argue that the answer is "stuffing" and that you can't call it "filling".

What is the smoking point of salmon fillet oil?

What is the smoking point of salmon fillet oil cooking in oven (baked in a foil parcel)? (could be a range) There is one Q&A at What is the best time and t

What is the liquid often ladled onto the grill top in restaurants?

At some restaurants, I've often seen the cook place something like vegetables onto the grill top, ladle a small amount of liquid on top of them and then cover i

Why do bread and butter pickle recipes call for onions, mustard seed, and celery seed?

I recently made a jar of bread and butter pickles. I understood most of the rationale behind the ingredients and directions in the recipe - the cucumbers are sa

How long can I keep a dough made with powdered skim milk outside the refrigerator at room temp. before it goes bad because of bacteria?

I want to keep my dough where one of it's ingredients is powdered skim milk, as long as I could out side fridge before the milk goes off. How many hours are pos