Latest Cooking Answers

Why add vanilla extract after removal from the heat, and what about fake vanilla extract?

Recipes for pralines, for fudge, even for hot cocoa say to add vanilla extract only after removing the dish from the heat. Why? Does that apply to artificial v

Alternative to low calorie spray for frying sausages?

My wife has recently decreed that we are to use low-calorie sprays instead of oil. For the most part, these seem fine. However, I have been through several di

How to keep saute pan hot without it burning for searing fresh greenbeans or zucchini

Im working in a restaurant that has pan-seared greenbeans and sauted chopped zucchini with onions&peppers. It seems were constantly waiting for the damned v

Choc pudding, cook & serve hasn't thickened

I cooked it for 30 min over medium high heat, stirring frequently. I used 2% milk. It didn't thicken completely, but eventually I removed it from heat, thinking

How much does one cup of fresh spinach weigh? [closed]

How much fresh spinach is in one cup? When I read articles they always say eat "1 cup of spinach", but I don't know how much spinach that is.

Substituting Lard for Soy Shortening

how do I convert my cake recipes from shortening to lard-I live at 6000 ft altitude. The lard is hydrogenated and has more water so it needs adjustment. I'm at

Can I candy pomegranate?

It seems that making candied fruit is easy: cut it thin and boil in sugar syrup until ready. I'd like to make candied pomegranate, keeping the seed-surroundin

when do I tenderize my steak?

I have a roller meat tenderizer and I was wondering do I roll over the meat before I marinate it or after? Or does it even make a difference of when I do it?

What exactly is essence?

The most popular is the Brand's Essence of Chicken, but there are also other products that are "essence", like "essence of fish" and even "essence of beef". The

Why does a cake recipe call for 2 tbsp of hot water?

This is my sponge cake recipe, I would like to know why add the 2 tbs of hot water 4 egg separated 1 tsp vanilla essence 3/4 cup caster sugar 1/2 tsp bicarbona

How to compensate for the unavailability of Italian basil in authentic Italian pasta sauce?

I'm making my own pasta sauce from fresh tomatoes but unfortunately Italian basil (ocimum basilicum pilosum) is not widely available in my country. Here are my

When is it OK to crowd the pan?

I am reading some books on cooking technique and often see the guidance "don't crowd the pan" when sautéing or pan frying, so that food cooks by browning

How to make good looking cake pops?

I've tried to make cake pops a few times but they never came out as beautiful and tidy as the pictures I found on the web. I would love to try more and more to

Why does lemon juice thicken condensed milk?

Or is it the other way round? For instance when making a cheese cake. Anyways, the more chemical the explanation, the better!

Can I slow cook a 3.25 beef roast for 4 hours on high, refridgerate in the crock pot overnight and then cook on low again in the morning for 4 hours?

Can I slow cook a 3.25 beef roast (not browned) with vegetables for 4 hours on high, refrigerate in the crock pot overnight, and then cook on low again in the m

What does "natural" actually mean?

More and more I see "natural" or "all natural" labels on the slightly-cheaper alternatives next to "organic" products, and I find it somewhat confusing. I know

Why "Yeast Extract"

I'm having dinner at a popular burger joint, and the have their house seasoning on the table. It includes "Yeast Extract". What would be the reason to include t

What are the advantages of vanilla sugar?

When/why would one use "vanilla sugar" instead of just plain sugar along with vanilla extract and/or beans/pods, particularly in recipes and baking? Is it just

How to properly clean a bundt mold without ruining the surface

I usually do the suggestions in my previous question for seasoning the Teflon coated (non stick) bundt pan (buttering and flouring) and I have no problem with t

Can Kale be hot like horseradish?

I just made a fruit smoothie with Kale, banana, Apple, blueberries, vegan protein powder, chia and flax. It was like drinking a smoothie with

How do I finely process/puree a large amount of chillies?

I have a large quantity of chillies that I would like to make a hot sauce out of. But firstly I would like to create a really fine puree out of these chillies,

Do quality adjectives have a standard?

So some cheese products I buy have nutritional information on the outside that say things like "Good source of Calcium", or "Excellent source of Calcium", or "G

Why did my steak marinade not make a difference?

I recently discovered the joy of cooking and I have no idea what I'm doing but I've been experimenting. Recently, I took two beef shoulder steaks, both just un

How many ounces is a British "tin" of tomatoes?

If I have a British recipe that lists "1 tin chopped plum tomatoes," how many ounces is that? In British English, does "tin" usually refer to a specific size? I

Homemade liquid sweetener from Stevia

I am using Stevia Hermesetas. Can I make liquid sweetener from Stevia powder for diabetic dessert - sweet soup with fruits and jelly? Any requirements during co

Why don't most non-East Asian varieties of rice stick together?

Having tried a number of different kinds of rice, I've noticed that the only ones that seem to have grains that "stick" together are white varieties often used

Which fruits and vegetables should be kept in a fridge, and which outside?

I'm a bit unsure about which fruits and veggies should be kept outside the fridge and which inside. It seems that apples, oranges, and bananas, are normally kep

Can the duration of the whistle determine if food inside a pressure cooker is cooked

Building upon this question, I was wondering if the duration of the whistle can be used to determine if the food inside a pressure cooker is cooked. As suggest

How does rub or marinade actually seep into meat?

This morning I began crockpotting my first (ever) pork butt in an attempt to make pulled pork. In preparation of this, two days ago I smeared the meat with a sp

Making chocolate covered strawberries without parchment paper

What can I use to set the strawberries on to cool if I don't have parchment paper or a cooling rack?