Latest Cooking Answers

How do you stop limes from drying out?

I bought a bag of limes and decided to leave them out on the table in a bowl after the last bag dried out in the fridge. They also dried out super-fast in a ver

Steamer with single vent instead of bottom holes

My family has owned a stainless steel steamer for a long time with a single raised vent to let steam into the upper compartment. It's great because there's no w

Dutch savoury spices and herbs

My family has been trying to work out my late Dutch grandmother's soup recipe since she lost it to dementia. If you have any ideas on herbs and spices to try to

What causes odd off-flavor/smell in tofu?

I have found this only very occasionally in Tofu. (Maybe about 3 or 4 times, ever: that would be something betw. 5-10%?, I imagine) I don't think the Tofu is s

May I use cacao butter in place of coconut butter?

I'm out of coconut butter and am making fat bombs that call for coconut butter. I have plenty of cacao butter on hand. Can I use that instead? Thanks!

How do I remove a sheet cake from a pan?

I am trying to create a double layer 12 X 17 inch sheet cake. How do I get the cake layers out of the pan and placed one on top of the other in whole pieces wi

How long is too long to presoak grits?

I presoaked 1 C of Quaker Old Fashioned grits last weekend, but didn't get a chance to cook them. They have been in the fridge all week in the same water. Is it

Brining Pork Turns Meat Grey

I brined a boneless pork chop in 4 cups water 1/4 cup Kosher Salt 1/4 cup Sugar for 18 hours. When I pulled the meat out there were some spots that looked slig

How to achieve a flexible consistency on ice cream? (photos attached)

I'm an amateur ice cream maker. I've tried to emulate this ice cream without success: it is thick and flexible; the texture reminds me of melted marshmallows ye

What does it mean when chia seeds are bitter?

I have bough some chia seeds in bulk and when I add liquid their gel have a bitter, almost chemical taste. What does it mean (bad quality? stale?) and how can I

Is there a reliable source for clean dry beans?

When I clean and sort a cup of dry beans it takes a long time and I find myself discarding a good tablespoon of dirt, rocks and beans that don't look right. The

Are the NAAN flatbread {from simply chef} ok to eat without warmed up in the microwave or oven?

So I was getting something to eat. I didn't think they had to be warmed up. So yea is it safe to do that.the ingredients are enriched wheat flour, wheat flour,

Why does pressure cooking of chicken eggs make eggs easier to peel?

In an experiment, I cooked a 12 organic chicken eggs from the same batch: A) 6 in boiling water and B) 6 in a pressure cooker: 6 eggs in a basket which is

heavy cream and half-and-half substitute

I am trying to make ice cream and it calls for 3 cups half-and-half and 1 cup heavy cream. I don't have either but I do have one gal of 2% milk If I can make

I don't have a large cutting board, but I do have a large table with a wood top

So I want to start making bread, specifically, brioche. But I don't have a large wooden cutting board. I do, however, have a table with a wooden top. Are th

New cast iron has gotten strange color

I just got my first iron cast. I went to remove the wax and I am now in the middle of seasoning it. So far it has gotten oil and 200°C at 1 hour, two times

Does cooking olive oil remove bacteria?

I think some water got into my olive oil bottle, which can make bacteria grow. I'm thinking of using that bottle for frying or baking, would that make using it

English Breakfast vs Ceylon tea

Which tea is stronger, i.e. gives a better puch for a wake up? I know that English Breakfast is a mix which among others includes Ceylon, and I read that Ceylon

Should I par-boil my pickled potatoes before roasting them?

I am attempting to make some pickled fries, similar to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CnRvRDUtgY4 However, I don't have a frier (nor do I want to fry on the s

Bake frozen pizza without a tray - will it melt and drip?

How can frozen pizza be baked in an oven without a tray, without running the risk of melting like in the picture below (found on teh internets)? Or does that ju

Cooking Belgian Waffles in waffle iron

My waffle iron does not cook Belgian waffle enough (they are not brown on the outside but are cooked on the inside) at the recommended temperature and time. wha

Storing cooked potatoes in the fridge

So I read that storing raw potatoes in the fridge causes the starch to turn to sugar (which I don't want). So I store them in the pantry shelf. But what about c

How can I prevent little balls of oil in my ice cream when I'm using milk + butter instead of cream?

So I found a substitute for cream and I used it in ice cream: I put 14 oz of milk and 1/2 cup sugar and 1/3 cup butter and 2 caps vanilla extract heated it to

What is the use of different blender speeds?

I've recently taken to blending smoothies in a 500 Watt blender with pulse, low, and high settings. I get that a higher power setting spins the blades faster bu

Flour protein and browning

I use the following recipe (based on this Serious eats article) for a sicilian style pizza: 500 g All Purpose Flour 2 tbsp oil 10 g kosher salt 5 g rapid rise

Is "krapfens" commonly used to designate donuts?

"Krapfen" is a German word which means "donuts". I wonder if the term "krapfens" is commonly used in English to refer to donuts or if it may be pretty odd. I ha

Ratio of cream/butter to cheese in Alfredo with high fat cheeses?

I would like to substitute ricotta in Alfredo with mascarpone. However I found doing that greatly affects the texture of the Alfredo making it too greasy and le

What ingredients can I add to food or gum recipes to add grittiness without any carbs?

I have a sugar free gum recipe that I'd like to add some grittiness to so that it scrubs teeth while it's being chewed. I need help finding an ingredient to add

Can I double cook apple? When making, say, Apple Crumble?

I am new to cooking. I like to cook in batch because I want to come down to kitchen and pop something in microwave and return to my desk. I only like apples

Chemistry of different brands of baking powder

The Clabber Girl FAQs say: Rumford Baking Powder's reaction is approximately 70% with moisture (or in the bowl) and the rest when heat is applied. Clabber G