Latest Cooking Answers

Energy usage of an oven

Does it take more energy to heat an oven to 350 degrees from cold or to leave it at 350 degrees for one hour?

Is it ok to ignore the skin on top of my stock?

When I make a stock, I generally skim the foam for the first few hours, and usually it stops showing up. But as I've increased my cooking time, I've started to

Can infrared light in electric / induction cooktop hurt eye?

Can infrared light in electric / induction cooktop hurt eye? I use them a lot and was wondering if it could end up hurting my eyes somehow. I read around that i

How to keep Hollandaise sauce from "setting" before serving

I have been making Hollandaise sauce using a Gordon Ramsey recipe (https://youtu.be/vyd6PluAH3k); and while it is good and tasty, if I don't make it as the very

Recommendation for thickening agent for use in basil seed drink, to prevent seeds from collecting at the bottom

I was wondering what might be a good choice for a flavorless and clear thickening/gelling agent for use in a home made basil seed drink. I am trying to imitate

Smoked Pork Butt Question

I’ve smoked two pork butts for 11 hours and they’re done- but I’ve not supposed to serve for 7 hours. My plan is to keep itv warm in the oven

Is it okay for preserved lemons to float?

I just a couple days ago started a batch of Moroccan preserved lemons, using a combination of recipes from 2 books I own and a few online. Basically, near-quar

Additional dipping sauces for cheese fondue?

I have the fondue set pictured below (picture is of the box of the set): I will be using it for the first time and see that on the picture of the box there a

How did grease get in under cooktop on stove?

Even though I don't fry things often somehow there is grease all along the gap between my gas cooktop and the rest of the stove (above the knobs) which I sudden

Thawing different meats [duplicate]

I was in a hurry, put a pork butt and beef brisket in the sink with water and ice to thaw. (overnight) they were still cold this morning. Is i

What are the tasteful herbs served with dizi in Iran?

I’ve tasted Iranian dizi and loved the herbs that where served with it. Leaves look like basil and have a minty taste. Does anyone know what it is? Thank

What happens to cheese below 0°C and above +8°C?

What happens to cheese if I transport it in cold temperature (below 0°C, up to -20°C) for 5-7 hours? What if it's at +10°C for 5-7 hours? Can it g

Baking Soft Boiled Eggs?

For various reasons I have to bake yolks to the consistency of soft boiled eggs, what is a good temp and time to do this?

How can I make hazelnut essence, or some strongly hazelnut-flavoured liquid, without using sugar or alcohol?

It is possible to make a very flavoursome liquid by infusing roasted hazelnuts in vodka or brandy. Can this be achieved without using alcohol or sugar?

Why cool creme brulee?

Why bake, cool then torch the crème brûlée? Why not skip the cooling? Is cooling for setting? Cooling for 4-24 hours is in almost every rec

How can I pick the correct avocados for guacamole? [duplicate]

I tried to make guacamole the other day and it completely failed because some of the avocados that I bought were not ripe. How can I know whic

How do I prevent mold growth in homemade chili-infused olive oil?

Twice I have tried do this but both times I ended up with mold in the bottle. What am I doing wrong? I use dark glass bottles (originally for wine) that I ster

Why wine _before_ butter in shrimp scampi?

According to this recipe: To make shrimp scampi you want to first cook the (marinated) shrimps in olive oil, then remove them, then lightly brown garlic sli

How can I use corn meal more efficiently when making pizzas?

When I make pizzas, I put down a bunch of corn meal on my wooden pizza peel. I then put the shaped dough onto the peel (corn meal), add the toppings, and slide

Does shortbread ship well?

I'm planning on shipping shortbread to another state, and it may take 3-5 days to arrive to the destination. It's a fairly butter-rich cookie: 3 sticks butter,

Want to bottle and sell a marinade/sauce [closed]

I have a marinade recipe I want to sell to local small stores but I don’t know the logistics of how to make the product last with shelf

breaking off chocolate from a block of chocolate

We buy a block of callebaut chocolate that is five Kg. We are not commercial. I'm looking for a easier way to break off the amount we need it's a block around

How long can powdered coffee remain fresh?

So, I hadn't had coffee for a long time. Plus, I was feeling a little sleepy in the morning so I decided to have a glass of coffee. It tasted a little different

Low tech strategies for keeping food warm

I need to cook food from the middle ages and bring it to school for a project. How can I keep the food warm without using innovative appliances?

Are long brines neccesary for sous vide?

I'm looking at a recipe which calls for two weeks of wet brining followed by 48 hours of sous vide for beef tongue. I've seen similar recipes for other tough cu

How do you make a smooth and creamy apple custard?

I've been trying to figure out how to make a creamy custard ( like for a creme brulee) infused with apple (or any kind of fruit/berry) while keeping a creamy te

Bold Setting on Coffee Maker

I have a 12-cup programmable coffee maker (of the now - defunct Sears variety) and used the "bold" setting to brew a stronger coffee for a specific recipe. But,

Muffins are fluffy, but crumbly

I just made muffins, which turned out to have a great flavor and density, but are very crumbly. I followed this recipe, and made the following substitutions:

Home-made soy milk

Yesterday I went to a chinese supermarket and bought a bag of dried, white and unprocessed soy beans because I wanted to make my own soy milk. I took about 100

How does the industry conserve their smoothies

I was wondering how companies like Innocent (smoothies) or basically any juice manufacturer keep their liquids fresh so long while my smoothies are bad after a