Latest Cooking Answers

Cooking fruit with or without sugar solution

Why does fruit retain its shape when heated in sugared water but break down when heated with just plain water?

Why are many chinese sauces so dark?

I've noticed that many sauces used in chinese cooking (hoisin, oyster, bean etc.) are relatively dark, and often black in color. What's the reason these sauces

Cheapest place to get bulk chocolate?

Where do I buy good quality (for truffles) chocolate in bulk quantities (> 3 lbs)? The prices I'm seeing for Valrhona, etc on Amazon reach nearly $15/lb and

Saucepan in the oven?

I am cooking some meat for tonight, and my girlfriend put the saucepan into the oven. It seems to be working fine, but I wonder what the advantages and disadvan

What is the proper way to dispose of a kitchen knife?

How do you throw away a kitchen knife (or for that matter, any knife)? It seems extremely dangerous to just throw it in the dumpster, even if it's wrapped up re

Is cheese or pasta a good source of protein?

I am eating "Wheels & Cheese": As you can see, there's literally nothing but cheese and pasta here. The nutrition facts on the back says that there's 11g o

Reheating rice for 25 guests

I am having a party. I have no rice cooker. I plan on cooking the rice the day before. Is it possible to reheat it and have it taste good? How to?

Carrot Pie: custard or stew?

So I have a plan to experiment with making a carrot pie. I can think of two approaches to this. One would be to create a custard. Carrots aren't very starchy,

The secret to Pringles like potatoes

Some context: I'm not a cook, hardly even a good amateur, this considered: I would like to know if it is possible to, with everyday cooking accessories, make s

Chilling? How can I quantify that?

This question seems slightly ridiculous, but I'm a noob, so bear with me. In this oft-referred to recipe for making ice cream, what does "chill-completely" mea

What are the differences between candy thermometers and meat thermometers?

I know that meat thermometers generally won't handle as high a temperature range as candy, but I'm only planning to make caramels and fudge (so soft ball and fi

how to fix pudding that got extra sweet?

i have made the chocolate pudding and accidentally added loads of sugar..now it is too sweet n too sticky..what can i do with it except throwing it out?

How long will a sourdough starter last between feedings?

I'm using a sourdough starter from the recipe in Peter Reinhart's Artisan Breads Every Day and I have gone through several of the rebuilding cycles with it. It

Why did my mozzarella turn out like ricotta?

I bought my wife a mozzerella kit for christmas, and we tried to make it last night. We followed the directions pretty closely. I supposed we could have removed

Should a [Ceramic] mug be left covered or uncovered during the tea bag steeping process?

I make tea by submerging a tea-bag in a ceramic mug, covering the mug for about 5 minutes, and then removing the tea bag. My question is: Is it advantageous to

Breakfast vegetable

Culture exchange Dinner party tomorrow night with Japanese exchange students. I have been asked to bring a vegetable dish to this "Breakfast For Dinner" theme.

How to make hot dog buns or sandwich rolls with a soft crust?

Whenever I make sandwich rolls, the crust ends up too thick and too crispy. I've tried a few things, such as a moister dough, but I can't seem to get a combinat

Meals to cook using a whole chicken

I recently started buying locally-grown chickens. When it comes to buying chicken this way, it seems my only option is to buy a whole chicken. Right now I only

How do Thai People Make Peanut Sauce?

I'm interested in making my own Thai Peanut sauce. However, every recipe I see online says to use peanut butter. I like Thai Peanut sauce I have in restaurants

Chocolate Shot Glasses

I know, right? Sounds awesome. Here's what's up: For Christmas I got one of those do-it-yourself molds for making ice shot glasses. My idea is pretty simple: M

Does chili paste require refrigeration?

A recipe I am planning to make calls for chili paste, which I have never used before. I found some in the grocery store (it is Sambal Oelek ground fresh chili p

What's the best time and temperature for tenderness when baking red potatoes?

Lately I've gotten into baking Red Potatoes with butter and spices and I've found I enjoy them when they are nice and tender. What's the best temperature for b

How to avoid 'fake tasting' fruit

I made a batch of cherry ice cream last night and for some reason it seems to taste like I have used cherry flavouring/syrup rather than the actual cherries wh

Smoked ham roast: what do I do with it?

My girlfriend's parents recently gave us a bunch of pork from my girlfriend's grandpa's farm. The bacon and sausage we know what to do with but there's also a h

Can I still eat this fish? [duplicate]

I just found a couple of salmon fillets in my freezer that seem to have been there for about two years. Are they still edible, or should I bin

Homemade pizza left out overnight

We made homemade pizza last night. We made extra, uncooked, pies, and accidentally left them out overnight. As soon as I noticed, I put them into the freezer ju

Should I preheat a pan, or start the cooking timer immediately?

I'm getting ready to heat up a pre-prepared meal (the ones that are kept in the freezer), and the instructions say to place in a pan and cook on high heat for t

How do I cook for just one person? any good cookbooks? [closed]

Being single again, I'm thinking it's time I learned how to cook for myself, problem is knowing how to cook, and buy, buying being a significa

Citrate buffer and pH range question

What is the range of pH that requires the addition of sodium citrate as a buffer? Does wine, specifically port wine, require buffer?

Bitter roasted beets

I just roasted some beets in the oven (as usual) but they turned out really bitter. Any idea why or what can I do to save them?