Latest Cooking Answers

Food safety of China-imported kitchen utensils

I am considering ordering a few silicone kitchen utensils from China (like this). However, I am concerned about their food safety. The seller assures that the t

Why was sauteed spinach watery?

I sauteed some spinach in a little oil and when eating the oil with spinach I noticed the oil tasted a bit watery and I could have sworn I saw water(likely from

Where is oil going in grilled chops?

I grilled some fatty lamb chops hoping I could get the oil and use it as part of a sauce. However after cooking I relaised there was only a very little amount

Arby's Roast Beef - what cut of meat?

What cut of meat does Arby's use in their roast beef sandwiches? Looking at the slices (see: https://arbys.com/desktop/images/the_meats/beef_n_cheddar.png), th

How to separate fats from liquid and where do unsaturated fats go?

If you have some liquid from roasting, stew or soup etc and you want to separate the fat, I believe the normal methods is to get a spoon and remove it from the

How to preserve vitamin of fruit juice when making fruit jelly?

To create a jelly, I always use hot water to dissolve synthesized-flavored gelatin. Today, I want to create a more exciting jelly. It uses real orange juice.

how to quickly dry out home made marshmallows?

I just made home made marshmallows for a birthday party in 7 hrs. How do I dry them out quickly? I used Ina G. recipe, she suggests to sit overnight, but on lin

Is it safe to leave mint leaves in unrefrigerated in water overnight?

Instead of drinking plain water, I would like to start drinking water with mint. I plan to put several leaves of mint in a 1.5 liter bottle filled with tap wate

Tramontina lid stuck to pot

Loved my tramontina 3 piece induction system from Costco until this happened. Was boiling some eggs as I do every morning and had done for 9 days in a row with

Why do some recipes call for kneading pie/tart dough?

I've have read many times that pie dough is meant to be held sparingly to avoid creating gluten, but kneading the pie dough does exactly that. So, what is the m

Should I lightly boil or steam meat (eg, beef) before searing?

The common technique I know of is braising, or, basically, sear the meat (eg beef, pork, chicken), 2 minutes per side, then add liquid, cover, and put in oven a

How do I avoid duck ending up tough?

I bought a small wild duck and I don't know how to cook it. I read that duck meat may be tough and hard to keep the meat tender after cooking. How do I avoid th

How can I test if I've added baking soda to my cake batter?

I have prepared some cake mix and while I know I added baking powder, I don't remember whether I have added baking soda in it! Is there anyway to check this (of

Why is my purple sweet potato brown?

So, I've seen a previous question about brown spots in purple sweet potatoes, but I have baked a potato that actually has a large brown... area. Is this spoilag

Cake cooking times

I usually cook a fruit cake in one tin which takes 1 hour to cook, I want to split it into 4 smaller tins how long should the cooking time be reduced by?

Risotto preparation

If I was going to prepare 100 portions of a basic risotto part way to finish later on in saute pans for different flavours, how would I go about doing this? Wha

Is it sufficient to wash utensils, which have touched chicken, with soapy water

In the kitchen, I am very health conscious and try to prepare and store foods with care After working with a whole chicken, I usually wash the chopping board a

How to add paprika flavor to mayonnaise without paprika color

My homemade mayonnaise is always a little "flat" tasting compared to commercial. Most commercial mayo includes paprika, which I do not. How does one add paprika

Cooking pasta: when to salt?

So, I have always been salting the water first when cooking pasta. Another amateur cook friend insists on salt after boil because it raises boil temperature els

Sheet pan/baking tray convention outside the US?

In this video, a Frenchman visits New York and buys a half sheet pan, which he appears unfamiliar with (both the term and the device itself) despite being an ex

Cooling multiple items on a sheet pan rack

Do I cool items coming out of oven above or below items that have not gone into oven yet?

Herb infused oil - what went wrong

I tried to make herb infused oil, but not matter how long I blend it it's still bitty. I used 250ml of grapeseed oil, 15g of basil, 15g of chives, 15g of parsl

Store homemade kefir with paper towel on top or close the lid normally?

I made my first batch of kefir with a paper "breathable" towel over the top of a glass container. If I want to store the output in refrigerator, do I have to ma

What is the best method for stick-free cooking of bacon in a stainless steel pan?

I recently made the switch from the non-stick pans to stainless steel. If it helps, I also have a natural gas stove-top. I began cooking bacon and did not add

Substitute actual vodka for storebought vanilla extract

True vanilla extract is vanilla split vanilla pods steeped in vodka for four months. I have never had a taste nor a whiff of this. Can I assume that the vanilla

The Perfect Smoothie - Liquid Milk versus Powdered Milk

I recently attempted to make myself a Strawberry Milkshake Smoothie (as what is defined here, that is, no ice cream used) and failed miserably. This made me won

What can I do with leftover "Sweet and sticky" marinade?

I've been cooking SWEET ‘N STICKY BAKED CHICKEN DRUMSTICKS, though instead of marinading the chicken, and baking it separately while reducing the marinade

Almond milk: pasteurize almonds and water before sealing?

I make almond milk regularly. One time, my whole-almond soaking period extended to 4 days instead of the usual 2 days. This batch soured and curdled sooner than

"Sludge" at the bottom of matcha/green tea latte

When I get a green tea latte from Starbucks, the drink is uniformly mixed from top to bottom, no matter how long it takes me to drink it. I prefer to make my ma

bleach cleaning on chopping board.... dangerous?

I had used bleach on a sponge to clean a floor of paint. My boyfriend, then used said sponge to clean our wooden chopping boards. I remembered this today and de