Latest Cooking Answers

Is margarine necessary for my brownies?

I recently got a new cookbook and it recommends margarine for brownies instead of butter. I have never baked with margarine before and my brownies always seem t

Fruit identification - Fruit bought in China

Does anyone know what this fruit is? I bought some from a lady in Yangshuo, China. It’s sweet and crunchy. Tastes a bit like an apricot mixed with a peach

How do I know if food left at room temperature is still safe to eat?

If I left food out of the refrigerator for some period of time, is it still safe? If I left it out too long, can I salvage it by cooking it mo

Why is pork pink after roasting to 205 F? [duplicate]

I have browned then roasted a 6 lb. pork shoulder in a covered pan in an oven set to 275 F for 5+ hours. The results were excellent , very ten

What causes the chemical taste in commercial bakery products?

Over the last 10 years or so, I’ve noticed a chemical taste in most commercial bakery goods (not packaged factory ones but rather the in-store bakery at a

Are fermented home-canned berries safe?

I just opened home-canned blueberries and blackberries. They are probably 5 years old, and taste like alcohol. Are they safe to eat? I don't know anything about

I burned some sweet potatoes in my new microwave- is the microwave ruined?

I put two small purple sweet potatoes in the microwave for 12 minutes and they burned in my new microwave. My dad claims I destroyed the microwave because I bur

What is the best way to keep the quality of fried food while being delivered? [duplicate]

How does one keep fried food hot while staying crispy for delivery? There are plenty of heating bags but I need one especially for French frie

Oven setting for pizza

Which Oven setting should I use for making pizza.

Different sourdough starter behavior based on starter composition?

In general, what are the different "behaviours" of sourdough starter, based on their composition, all other things being equal?For instance a 100% white flour s

Botulism risk with oil

I've been reading about oil infused with raw veg and herbs and how it can give you botulism, and now I'm worried that when I use oil when preparing any vegetabl

Why is bolognese cooked for so long?

Most bolognese recipes advise to simmer the sauce for 4 hours, some even advise to simmer longer than that. Until I heard about that, I had a recipe, which was

Duck breast; Trouble crisping skin

I scored skin, started in cold, cast-iron pan, but as skin and breast contracted the major center of breast seemed to rise a tad from griddle and would not brow

1 baking pan, dough for 2 loaves. What do?

I am making bread from this recipe for 2 loaves. The recipe calls for placing the dough in the baking pan and leaving it for 1 hour until the dough doubles in s

What is the minimum amount of sugar needed for getting the desired texture in this banana marmalade?

I've been trying to make banana marmalade(1) with the least amount of sugar possible. I've tried the following basic recipe - with variations in the amount of s

How can I reduce the richness of my homemade chocolates?

Context: I've recently gotten into making homemade chocolates. So far I've just been melting the stuff in a microwave according to directions and putting it int

How to roast potatoes in the oven to make them crispy?

What is a good way to roast potatoes in the oven in a way that they get crispy ? At the moment this is how I do: I start from raw potatoes (I never got why I

Quantities of salt and MSG for a chicken stock substitute

I am making a stew, so all I am after in the stock substitute is some saltiness and umami. What would be the correct ratio of water, salt and MSG for this purpo

Finishing chicken thighs under broiler

Rather than pan-searing chicken thighs after sous vide cooking, is broiling in the oven an option to crisp the skin?

Plums are sour. Why are prunes sweet?

Plums are sour (especially the peel). Prunes are dried plums (with the peel, I presume). Then why are prunes only sweet, with no sourness? Note: I'm asking abo

What can I substitute for soda pop in a sweet pork recipe?

I was looking up sweet pork recipes and every one of them call for Coke or Dr. Pepper. I avoid soda as much as possible because of questionable ingredients: s

Chuck Steak or Chuck Roast for Stew

I have 4+ lbs of beef chuck steak in my freezer. I was wondering if I could use those to make beef stew, or if I would be better off with beef chuck roast. The

How to prepare vegetables for a sandwich that can last for several days in a fridge?

I'm not much of a cook but neither am I a complete stranger to the kitchen. I like to prepare sandwiches to take with me to work in a box. Since I do it often,

Canned tomatoes with too much vinegar

I canned some tomatoes using vinegar but now the taste in my pasta sauce is too acidic. Is there anything I can do to correct this in my sauce?

How to determine amount of mother starter to use to build a levain for STIFF/dry sourdough starter?

I have a healthy, active dry sourdough starter (50% hydration). Most of the recipes I want to use it in, ask for anywhere between 100 g, 150g and 200 g. How muc

Baking Jiggly Cheese cake in microwave oven convection mode

I am planning to try out this recipe.. http://renilskitchen.blogspot.com/2018/11/jiggly-fluffy-japanese-cheesecake.html?m=1 But the trouble is, it mentions ch

Wrong cleaner on wooden cutting board

After cleaning our wooden cutting board, we using wipe it with mineral oil to help preserve it. Today, we accidentalky sprayed Weiman Stainless Steel Cleaner an

What is this waxed root vegetable?

I recently ordered a grocery delivery from Whole Foods, and as I was ordering I noticed they had rutabagas, which I've never had before, so I decided to try the

Where are the missing speeds in my KitchenAid mixer

I have an artisan KitchenAid mixer, model KSM150, everywhere on the internet, including in the KitchenAid site it says that there are 10 working speeds, but the

Raw vs Cooked Egg Yolk Color

Why do egg yolks change color from orange or dark yellow to yellow or light yellow when cooked, esp. hard boiled?