Latest Cooking Answers

Why do red kidney beans come in 410g cans?

I live in a fully metric country. Every single canned vegetable or pulse comes in a nice round number - and generally 400g of it. Except for red kidney beans -

What is a "raw smoked" gammon (or ham)?

In many recipes I've come across the term "raw smoked gammon" (sometimes also "raw smoked ham"). English is not my primary language, so such terms are sometimes

How can I remove a stuck liquor decanter stopper?

I had a decanter half full of vodka that has sat in my basement for about a year unused. Now the stopper is stuck on the decanter. How can I get the stopper off

What kind of pan is this? (photo) How would you use it?

This is antique or at least vintage (family heirloom). It looks like it might be some sort of double-boiler? The bottom part is ~ 9.5" diameter and ~ 2" deep a

Raw Kale - Korean side dish

I'm trying to get more raw veggies in my diet in general and Kale is such a good one. I recently had a raw kale side dish at a Korean restaurant that may or may

What is Canadian-style sour cream?

I recently bought a container of what was labeled "Canadian-style sour cream" at a produce market in the Bay Area. Being from Canada, I was curious to see what

Which cooking method gives the leanest bacon?

I've recently discovered the joy that is baking bacon. It's made me curious: does baked bacon render out more fat than pan-fried? How about microwaved?

How do I properly wash bugs out of green onion?

How do I remove bugs from the inside and outside of green onions? I don't want to split open the green onion just to remove them, and washing them thoroughly in

Why don't oyster crackers contain oysters?

I perused the ingredients list of a bag of oyster crackers and to my surprise they don't contain any oyster ingredients at all. Since then I have looked at a m

How long does cooked garlic keep in fridge?

I was wondering how long cooked garlic (in this case with pasta and a tiny bit of olive oil) keeps in the fridge. I always wonder about garlic (or onion) with o

Softening nougat candy

Is there a way to soften nougat candy (Brach's peppermint)? I live in a dry climate , have had them for a year, and don't want to break any teeth. On the othe

What else can rid the fishy smell of fish besides Casein?

ATK says TMAO binds to casein but is there a dairy-free alternative that can bind to TMA?

What direction must one stir molten chocolate?

I vividly remember molten chocolate was supposed to be stirred in one direction; there was even a name for this procedure. My friend, who used to work (sales) a

Can I use parchment paper for all cookies

I would like to know if I can use parchment paper for any kind of cookie?

Do pan "pores" exist, what are they, and what are their effects?

There are a number of common cooking lore techniques which revolve around the idea of "pores" in the surface of a pan. Two of the ones I've heard most often:

Vacuum-packed cheese question (botulism)

Vacuum-packed cheese, stored in refrigerator for awhile (2-3 weeks), then placed in freezer. Cheddar and Provolone. Any risks, especially in regards to botulis

dealing with curved ribs in a flat rib recipe

I'm trying to make a pork rib ragu, and the ribs I have got are rather... curled. the recipe doesn't really specify which ribs to get, but in the video they're

Where to look for Vintage Cookbooks in Spanish?

I'm trying to find some vintage Cookbooks printed in Spanish from the 30's, 40's and 50's for a present. After many google searches I can only seem to find vint

Blue/green mold on sourdough starter

I have been following instructions from KAF to start my own sourdough. On day 3, some small patches of blue/green mold appeared on the surface. The starter was

What kinds of grocery stores tend to carry guava?

I cannot find guava in the grocery stores near me. The only grocery store that was selling guava closed last week and since then I have been to Food Lion, Wegma

What is the difference between a Jus, Sauce and a Gravy?

I've just booked my Christmas meal. This included Sausage, mashed potatoes and an Onion Jus. Why Jus and not Gravy? Begs the question, What is the difference

Does wrapping banana stems actually prolong their life?

I've seen a few times the suggestion to wrap the stems of bananas to prevent them from ripening. Yet at least one person who was espousing this admitted it was

How can I be sure I'm buying the right KitchenAid beaters?

My daughter has a KitchenAid Architect stand mixer. Through a series of moves, she's misplaced the wire whip and the dough hook and I'd like to get her replacem

How long can melted chocolate last?

I would like to know how long melted chocolate can last in a freezer? My wedding is in 4.5 months and would like to start now to melt chocolate for the party fa

Why would you place potatoes on salt when baking in the oven?

Several of my recipe books call for baking potatoes on a layer of (rock) salt, e.g. I'm currently following one for gnocchi that has this very instruction. Se

How can I safely re-heat a chicken pie without burning the crust?

Last night I made a chicken pie with ham, cheese and other awesomeness inside. However, I'm worried about re-heating it safely for consumption. I estimate there

What tastes like marigold?

I'm looking to make Georgian Satsivi (example recipe), which has a complex unique flavour that is hard to describe. The recipe asks for marigold as an ingredie

What to do with grapefruit seeds?

I have several grapefruit trees and get tons of grapefruits almost year round. When I eat the grapefruits, which is fairly regular, I typically eat a good amoun

Is my ragu missing an ingredient?

I'm following a recipe for a pork rib ragu that calls for one onion, 2 carrots and one stick of celery along with 500ml of stock. It suggests that I let this si

Why are my beets not fermenting?

My first attempt (RAW BEETS) - large mason jars, 2 tbsp sea salt, water up to 1" below lid. After a week I opened the lid to "burp" the gas out, but there was