Latest Cooking Answers

What's the purpose of sugar in a pickling solution?

This might seem like a dumb question, but I am going to make a pickled pepper relish of sorts that is really just chopped carrot, onion, and habanero pepper coo

How to broil a rack of goat ribs

It's football playoff time, and I have two racks of goat ribs. My cooking plan is to wrap the ribs in foil and broil them. Any recommendations about what to do

Resources that explain the science of cooking?

I have been cooking for a while now, but its mostly what I picked up watching others cook. Now, I am an engineer by profession, and it seems there ought to be a

What can I do with extra sourdough starter?

I recently made a sourdough starter from wild yeast, but the process I followed for making it resulted in a lot of starter. Instead of throwing it away I'd li

Is there a measurable difference between fresh and dried minced garlic?

For example, I just tried a recipe for Rosemary Potatoes last night that called for a tablespoon of minced garlic. I believe the recipe may have referred to it

How to store brown sugar without it becoming hard?

I put a clothes pin on my opened bags of brown sugar and keep them in a dark pantry at room temperature. Since I don't use it very often, it becomes hardened.

Questions about cookware set

I am looking for a new set of cookware. Being a graduate student, I don't earn much money, so I'd like to know if there are some suggestions about what ar

Is there any substitute for saltpeter / sodium nitrate in corned beef brine?

I realize there is another question about corned beef from scratch, but the answers don't really cover my question. Many recipes for making your own corned beef

Hygiene-wise, need to clean grill/broiling tray after each use?

Hygenically speaking, is it necessary to clean an outdoor barbeque grill and/or an oven broiling tray after each use? Thoughts: Many people don't clean their b

Turning raw/baking cocoa powder into instant cocoa (Kaba/Nesquik)

The question on Dissolving cocoa powder in milk describes the two common workarounds for making chocolate milk with raw cocoa powder. While obviously it works e

Is there a vegetarian gelatin substitute that is as strong as gelatin?

I've made several mold (shaped) desserts with both gelatin and gelatin substitutes, and the substitutes have always failed to hold the shape of fully domed choc

What is hot raspberry puree?

I have a caramel recipe that calls for hot raspberry puree to be added near the end of cooking. I'm assuming that the seeds are supposed to be removed, so how i

How do I infuse fruit flavor in ganache?

I know to infuse the flavor of citrus fruits in ganache, I can simple boil the cream with the zest and strain it out. What about fruits that have juice but don'

What materials would work for a waffle iron?

I'm somewhat curious if I could make myself something like this (though without the retro enclosure, at least initally): While cast iron would probably be th

How do I use the clock on my Ilve oven?

I recently bought an Ilve oven second-hand. I can't figure out how to use the clock/timer functions. The oven is 10-15 years old, and all the manuals I have f

Can one use chocolate fèves/callets/nibs for tempering?

I usually buy Valrhona chocolate in blocks, but at this moment only the fèves/callets/nibs are available to me. Is it possible to temper these nibs or ar

What organic grains can I substitute for self-rising (Gold Medal) flour?

My nine (7) year old step-daughter is expecting to help me make Chicken and Dumpling today. I have the recipe for the stew, my question lies in the dumplings:

How to make a good homemade Croquette

I've been working on Croquettes and I still don't get it. There are a good number of things too keep in mind for making them right. However, my last batch was a

Freshly Ground Beef vs. Store Bought

What is the benefit of grinding your own beef via a food processor or grinder compared to just buying ground beef in the super market? Is there some magic fres

Why throw salt over a barbecue before cooking?

At a recent barbecue in Chile, I watched the chef throw large handfuls of salt over the charcoal a few minutes before placing on the meat. What would be the re

Is all sausage considered a "Processed Meat"?

Over the years, I've read a lot of health information that says processed meats are some of the worst foods for you from a fat, sodium, and nitrate intake persp

How to make my pasta less brown?

I really like making pasta, but I've found that most of my recipes have these sorts of ingredients: Pale yellow pasta Brown mushrooms Brown tempeh or tofu (or

Tips for getting a meat loaf to come out just right?

I'm very new to cooking and honestly don't enjoy it all that much, but I am trying to expand my skills beyond very simple foods like tuna helper and chicken, so

How to lighten (or make less dense) pizza dough

We're currently using 500g strong flour 1tsp salt 1tsp yeast 325ml water This produces a usable / edible dough, but we're finding it very "dense" or "heavy".

Preserving Home Made Pasta

How would one go about doing this? Is it safe to freeze?

Overpressurizing a cream whipper?

This might be considered off-topic, but thought it was worth asking, as I have no idea where else to ask -- I'm trying to make something forcibly eject from a

Making airier icecream

I've been working on improving my home made ice-cream and was wondering if anyone knew how to get more air into the mix. The ice-cream is great right out of th

Substitute for lemon grass in curry dish

I have a meal planned in a few days and it calls for lemon grass. Problem is I've been to the store a couple of times and they don't have it. (the store is

What is the best approach to cut carrot into thin strips?

So I went to Subway™ and saw that their carrots are cut into thin strips. I can never do this with any knives. So what is the best way to cut carrots into

What are the fundamental differences between citrus fruits that necessitate different cooking techniques?

I used to cook pastries and tarts quite a bit, and one thing that always intrigued me was how recipes vary in their treatment of citrus. For instance, if you m