Latest Cooking Answers

What is the best variety of rice or preparation of rice to use in soup?

I've made chicken rice soup several times in the past and I've always ran into an issue of the soup coming out too starchy/thick because of the rice. Or in the

Should dry salami develop green mould?

I recently (5 weeks ago), purchased a set of dry salami from a food festival. I kept them in the plastic bag that they came in; however, when I recently checked

Siphon for testing new recipes: 250ml or 500ml? [closed]

I already own two 1 litre ISI siphons but they are too big when I'm developing a new mousse or recipe in general. I don't have a restaurant, I

Is there a way to experience pepper's endorphins effects without the burning sensation?

When preparing dinner, my friend and I sometimes argue over the amount of pepper. It is often ‘too hot’ for him while I enjoy the heat effects (endo

Do pressure-cooked vegetables really have nothing else to give? [duplicate]

Yesterday, I watched an episode of Good Eats, where Alton Brown made broth by pressure-cooking mirpoix and beef for about 50 minutes. At the

Chicken and Beef stored in the freezer not entirely frozen - safe?

Recently (four days ago), a friend gave me a large chicken leg and some beef chunks for me to use at some point to cook with. Both of them were raw, but totally

Can I un-seal canned tomato sauce, and re-seal after further cooking?

If I canned tomato sauce and all the jars sealed perfectly, can I open them, cook the sauce a little more, and do the process over again? I had some of the sa

Why boil octopus with wine cork?

I saw a recipe (in Croatian, check out if you understand) for making octopus salad that says boil the octopus with a piece of wine cork. The article doesn't ex

Optimal stirring technique: I read that stirring liquids in a straight line is better than in a circle, but I can't find any references

I remember reading that some scientific researchers in Japan (I think) discovered that when it came to stirring liquids, moving a spoon back and forth was more

Do I have to cure a fresh ham before smoking?

I have a fresh ham. Do I need to cure it somehow before I put it in the stove-top smoker?

Effect of carbonated water on the rising of the dough?

Some recipes suggest to add carbonated water instead of milk or water. Does this practice accelerate the rising of the dough and why?

What is an appropriate humidity for separating curds and whey?

Does anyone have guidelines for an appropriate humidity for separating curds and whey to make cheese (I'm doing it from kefir)? Specific temperatures are availa

Are my cookies cooked?

I've just recently started baking and I'm finding it quite enjoyable. I am now changing some of the recipes a little bit to suit my tastes better. A problem i

Re-baking cookies?

I have just made a batch of peanut butter cookies using a recipe based on shortbread. I have left them to cool and they are still slightly doughy in the centre

How do packaged cookies stay good for so long?

How come packaged cookies, even those without preservatives, don't go bad after a few days and have such long shelf lives? Is it because of the packaging? Espec

When freezing jalapeños, can I leave the seeds in?

When cutting up the jalapeño, can I leave the seeds in them if I just lay them on a tray, freeze, then put them in my Seal a Meal? Do you think I need to

what is the difference between thick and liquidy cupcake batters?

I've seen cupcake batters that are thick and scoopable with an ice cream scoop and I've seen cupcake batters that are very liquidy in nature. What is the differ

Black Diamond cheddar, wedge not wheel

I bought some Black Diamond cheddar today and it came in a large wedge of black wax. By large I mean it was maybe 12" x 8" x 8" thick. A really big wedge. Also,

How can you change flavors in store-bought frosting?

I'm in a time crunch and I bought pre-made frosting for some cupcakes I'm bringing to a potluck (I know, shame on me. The cupcakes are homemade at least.). Beca

Safety with vacuum packed food [duplicate]

I left a vacuum packed chicken casserole from Whole Food out four hours. Is it safe? The car ride from store is included in the time. Our hou

reheating improperly stored pasta sauce and meatballs [duplicate]

My meatballs and pasta sauce were left out in 55F temps for 18 hours. I'm guessing I should toss the homemade meatballs with commercial pasta

How to know when bread/cake is bad

I have recently opened a air tight package of castella. It, however, is expired by about a year and a half, but, other than being a little bit dry, it tastes fi

How do I tone down the intensity of raw onion?

How can I tone down the intensity of raw onion? Some onions have a more acute taste and smell than others of the same type, and I would like to avoid them in sa

What is dry cottage cheese?

My grandmother's recipe for cheese filling for kolacky calls for dry cottage cheese. What is that and where might I get some?

Coconut milk/cream vs cow milk in recipes

I want to know if I can freely substitute coconut milk and/or cream for cow milk in dessert recipes. The reason I wish to substitute is to try new flavors and

Why aren't glass spoons used for eating?

Why aren't glass spoons used for eating? It seems it would solve the problem of metallic taste with some foods.

Smoke coming from oven

I like to bake chicken breasts in a glass container with a layer of vegetable oil at the bottom. I bake at 500 degrees for about 20 minutes. Once I rubbed a

Why do we like dessert, but not extremely salty, sour, umami, or bitter foods alone? [closed]

This is a "soft" question that's been bothering me for a while. When cooking savory dishes, we usually try to balance out the five basic flav

Baking soda for soaking chickpeas [duplicate]

This source claims that adding baking soda is crucial when soaking chickpeas. Is this true, and if so, what is the reason that this works?

Can I save time by baking banana bread using the convection setting of my oven?

I am following a banana bread recipe that calls for you to heat a conventional oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and cook the banana bread batter for one hour.