Latest Cooking Answers

Why are my Baguettes so flat?

I'm a professional private cook in Rio de Janeiro. I also teach here. Fresh bread is a major part of my teaching regimen and I have successfully taught my stude

Can I add lemon zest to a shortbread cookie recipe?

I would like to use a shortbread recipe for making lemon short bread cookies, this recipe only uses sugar and butter and doesn't use any eggs or milk, I was thi

Choux pastry recipe spreading and deflating

I tried this recipe for choux pastry, but it turned out too thin and the scooped dough spread on the tray before I could put them in the oven. They started to r

How long does flour and oil last?

I made some cloud dough for my daughter (made of 8 parts all-purpose flour to 1 part olive oil) and I was just wondering how long you think it would last. I am

Frying pan Teflon damage

I have a problem. Let's say I buy a frying pan for about 130 EUR. But after 5 months of using it 3 times a week, it looks like the photo. What am I doing wrong

Baking things into cupcakes!

I've seen many things on the web of people baking things into cupcakes, whether it be a pre-baked heart cake shape into a cupcake or a hershey kiss and I have s

Frying Pans Smoking

I am new to this forum and needed some advice if possible. I have both T fal and Faberware pans that within the last month or so seem like there is smoke (yet

How should I read a thermometer when it's got an extra indicator line?

The last time I got my candy thermometer out of the drawer, I noticed that there was an extra line of red above the normal column. It looks like there's a "b

A salad chopper I can put in the dishwasher?

You probably know these kind of gadgets that help you cut vegetables quickly: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01C7069MI/ref=s9_topr_hd_bw_bjuyUN_g79_i1?pf

Why aren't my vanilla beans imparting vanilla flavor?

Has anyone noticed the lack of vanilla flavor in vanilla beans? I have tried several varieties, from different countries and suppliers. While there is a hint

How to make cake mix less sweet

I recently made a simple box cake, the one where you just add water and oil to the mix, but once I ate it I thought that it was way too sweet. I looked up how t

Simple way to pit plums

I have a large amount of small plums, and have spent hours pitting enough to make a crumble. I cut them in half and squeezed the pit out. Is there an easy way t

When cooking tomato sauce for a long time, should you add water?

I know tomato sauce should be cooked for a long time to develop flavor. To prevent it burning you have to stir constantly, though I find it burns on the stove (

What to do with cheese that has fermented after vacuum packing?

While in England two weeks ago I bought a Wensleydale cheese with cranberries that was freshly vacuum packed. Over time, the pack filled with air (without break

Vacuum Seal Meats with Bones that could be sharp

I am interested in vacuum sealing things like bone in pork chops and t-bone steaks for sous vide cooking. Is there a technique to keep the bones from puncturing

What does this chart mean when it says "lbs per round" or "lbs per sqare/rectangle"?

From http://howtocakeit.com/blogs/cakes/48185153-how-to-make-ice-and-decorate-yo-yo-s-chocolate-cake-like-a-pro: What do the different columns mean?

When whipping cream, does its state continually cycle through various states? Is there a dead end at whipped butter? Or does something else happen?

I was attempting to make butter by whipping heavy cream in my Kitchenaid stand mixer. I noticed that cream was getting grainy (as the fat was globbing into butt

Is burnt ceramic frying pan safe to use?

I've been using a Bergner ceramic frying pan for a month and it has been ok up until today when I decided to cook beef burgers on it. After I was finished the c

Possible to make sourdough starter quickly?

I was hoping to use a recipe that requires sour dough starter tomorrow for dinner. When looking online for recipes I found several, but all of them required se

What are the triangular shaped markings on asparagus called?

An Asparagus shoot has triangular shaped markings on it. I'm wondering what they're called and why there there (if possible)

How can I salvage burned apple crumble?

I made apple crumble in small ramekins earlier today. I tasted one and the crumble felt a bit dry and not sweet enough, so I added white sugar on top and put it

How do I reduce the sugar in this recipe without affecting the taste?

How do I make my Italian sweet sauce be lower in sugar without affecting the taste? Last time I made it I was 5, as a result there is a lot of bugs that I need

Microwave oven grill heating element not glowing

Recently I have purchased a sharp branded convection microwave oven. When I tried to make grill, I found that the heating element for grill which placed at ceil

How to use oleoresin capsicum (chilli extract)?

How do you use the food additive oleoresin capsicum? How to enhance its spiciness? I made a few attempts with 1-2 drops per person in dishes already spiced wit

Juicing nectarines

What would be the most effective way of getting most of the juice from nectarine pulp? It seems too thick for a coffee filter and the metal screen I have is sma

How to preserve curry paste

I want to preserve curry paste in bottles could you please help me to find out the right amount of additives use in it

Strange bacteria-like substances in honey

We bought honey from the store today. I just realized there are strange bacteria-like substances inside it. What are they? Is it safe to eat?

Care Instructions for PTFE Nonstick Pan: Function of First Use 'Seasoning'

After purchasing a PTFE nonstick pan, I noticed something in the Use & Care Instructions with the product for first use: Before using your cookware for

Are cans dishwasher safe

I use canned food from tins from time to time (cat food, chickpeas etc.). I need to clean them before throwing away as I don't have that many recyclable items t

Does brown rice or white rice expand more when cooked?

Which expands more when cooked: brown rice or white rice?