Latest Cooking Answers

Why does caffeine taste bitter when added to tea?

Black tea contains about 40 mg of caffeine. When adding 80 mg of caffeine powder, the tea tastes bitter. Why doesn't caffeine that is already in the tea or in

Why does some cookie recipes both put sugar and brown sugar? Also can we use sweetener like stevia instead of sugar in recipes?

Why does some cookie recipes both put sugar and brown sugar? What is sweeter regular sugar or brown sugar? Also can we use sweetener like stevia instead of suga

How to bake 3 large pans of lasagna in a regular size oven

I need to bake 3 large pans of lasagna in our conventional regular size oven. The pans are "13 x 9 x3" in size so I will need to use two oven racks.

What's wrong with my iSi soda siphon, and how do I fix it?

I am the happy owner of a soda siphon which I've used for the last three years on a near-daily basis to make sparkling water for sundry use at home. It appears

Is it safe to cook pork chops that thawed on counter overnight? [duplicate]

Is it safe to cook pork that thawed on the counter overnight?

Roasting a frozen Creole Pork Leg?

I have a cookbook from Panama and the directions are sometimes missing or can be very broad. I'm a new cook so I need exact directions. I've tried Googling too

Sweet rice recipe help? Panama cook book recipe

This is from my vague Panama cookbook for "Sweet Rice." It's a side dish, not dessert. Ingredients: - 4 or 5 coconuts (Google says 1 coconut is 1 or 2 cups of c

How to mount a ham?

I bought a Serrano ham on sale. It's the whole pig's leg, and it comes with a kind of a stand. However, the stand was delivered in pieces like IKEA furniture, b

Black Beans - Toss the soak water?

I'm making a two pounds of dry black beans by: Sorting out the rocks, dirt, malformed beans Washing any dirt or mud from the remaining beans Soaking for only

What is the difference between regular (vege. oil) and butter recipe cake mixes?

Many commercial cake mixes use vegetable oil, but I have seen some (usually 10% or less of what the store carries) that are "Butter Recipe". These use butter i

How can one use Thai basil stems and flowers?

What parts, besides the leaves of Thai Basil, are usable? I am making Thai Basil Chicken (Gai Pad Krapow) using the leaves but can I use the stems and flowers

Starters vs Entree

I've been watching Hell's Kitchen USA and they have Starters/Appetisers, Entrees and Desserts. In Australia, we have Entree, Mains and Desserts, so its very con

How to make sugar glass without corn syrup or cream of tartar?

I'm trying to make a relief sculpture copy out of sugar glass. I don't live in the US, so the corn syrup is not easily available. I read in multiple recipes tha

How to know whether the oven's door has loosened and leaking out some energy or is as tight as it was when new?

The child had been playing with the oven door without my knowledge for some time. How to know whether the oven's door has loosened and is leaking out some energ

Cooking peanut butter cookies, is there any adjustment using crunchy vs. creamy?

I assume most recipes call for creamy. Should I use more crunchy? Should there be a cooking adjustment for time or temp?

Reverse engineer the Perfect Japanese Omelet

I've come across this video of a very impressive japanese omelet and I've been trying to understand how it's done and what do I need to make it at home. I've s

Baking in gas oven does not brown the top

I need advice from those who bake in gas oven without fan. I bake on the middle rack and have an oven thermometer(my oven is -20 deg off). My cakes get baked da

Is there a quick, easy, mess-free way to peel an orange (or grapefruit)?

Just what the title says, I don't enjoy getting my fingers all messy and I don't like getting a lot of pith. Is there a better way than just...peeling?

Is this yeast classed as instant yeast?

I want to do this recipe which contains these ingredients for the bread part.. 250g/9oz strong white bread flour, plus extra for dusting 5g salt 8g instant yea

What is the meaning of the term whole grain?

Often I have read that whole grains are healthy. So, what is a whole grain and what is a non-whole grain? The Pasta I have says "Durum wheat" as the ingredient

Flank Steak Sous Vide - Blood Spots?

I got a SV wand for X-Mas, so have been doing alot of that this month. I did a flank steak today, which I cut into 3 parts, 3 bags, and did at 52 Deg C for 4 h

dehydrating food with a vacuum chamber

I've been considering buying a food dehydrator, mostly for fruit, maybe some jerky. I know that a conventional food dehydrator can take a while, 12-24 hours. I'

Why does microwave popcorn burn?

I've been experimenting some with do it yourself microwave popcorn, and some trouble getting the 'burn time' right has led me to a question that I can't find a

What is the impact of high heat on wine?

I usually use wine in my tomato sauces, which are usually slowly simmered on the lowest heat setting. I'd really like to make this recipe from The Pioneer Woma

Baking Turnips But are coming out burnt or soggy

I have tried baking turnips but they turn out very soggy or burnt. Any ideas? Below is the recipe I was using. Oven 350 Turnips Olive oil Rosemary I baked th

Why did my sweet potato hash turn soggy when frying in a non-stick pan, and crispy in a cast iron?

I was making a sweet potato hash for pizza topping the other night, and tried to fry the first batch in a non-stick pan. The hash never crisped up and was soggy

What were the primary reasons for different livestock consumption habits of countries and cultures?

Whilst visiting a friend in Germany recently he told me that the prevalence of pork in the German diet was because the winters often killed cattle and beef was

How do I avoid chunks of butter in non-homogenized milk?

I bought a half-gallon of non-homogenized whole milk for something different. I gather that I need to shake it to mix the cream with the milk, but towards the e

Making saucisson sec from salami at home

I bought a peppercorn salami a few days ago. I would like to make from it what the French call "Saucisson sec" in their world of Charcuterie, essentially cur

Sous Vide long cook meat prep?

Do I need to do anything special to prep a flat iron steak for an overnight SV bath? I have seen some references to dunking in boiling water for anti microbial