Latest Cooking Answers

Why running tap water over mussels not kill them, but soaking does?

Why doesn't rinsing mussels with tap water kill them like soaking does? I know running water over mussels takes very little time, compared to soaking them, but

Chili beef fat substitutes

I'm working on a vegetarian version of a brisket chili recipe. It takes 20 hours to make, so effort involved is not an issue. I need a substitute for brisket fa

With which of these 9 cheap dull knives ought you practice sharpening on Shapton Glass Stone 1000 Grit 5mm?

My grandpa needs to practice how to sharpen knives with his Shapton Glass Stone 1000 Grit 5mm. So he compiled these 9 dull, but cheap and fully expendable, kniv

Tools used to spread oil for crêpes

Making crêpes on teflon-coated cookware makes it possible to fold the fat (butter, ..) inside the mixture, and to use no fat while cooking. But some may w

Mushrooms, beef, long cooking and bitterness

I tried two long-cooking beef dishes starring mushrooms, an ossobuco of veal and beef breast. The directions went by basically cooking the ossobuco (after cutti

Debeard or purge mussels first?

In the process of cleaning mussels, should I be letting them purge, then remove the beards? Does the order not matter? I ask because I don’t want to give

Can you make goulash using winter squash instead of cabbage?

I am really craving goulash today, but I don't have any cabbage. However I have a winter squash, its orange inside, quite like a pumpkin, but not quite a pumpki

Deep fryer oil guidelines

Where can I find food safety guidelines on how to handle reusing deep fryer oil several times for a variety of different foods. I imagine that oil used only for

Oven semi-baked semi-fried potatoes starting from raw (for the lazy cook)

The objective of this question is to avoid spending time in front of the stove, moving a stove-top method to the oven to enable, in particular, quadrupling the

Is there a quintessential Italian hot sauce?

Fill in the blank: Franks is to America what Cholula is to Mexico what Sriracha is to Vietnam what ______ is to Italy. One of my recipes which is a spin on Oric

Baking personal sized chiffon cake

I want to make individual sized chiffon cakes however most recipes call for a tube pan. Can I expect the same results (light and fluffy) if I divide the batter

How does cutting a pork shoulder affect cooking time?

I have an approx. 10 pound pork shoulder that I would like to smoke on a charcoal grill. Recipes commonly list that you should smoke a shoulder for about 60 to

What is this for? A burger-press?

I've "inherited" this thing a long time ago, and I have no idea what it is. It consists of a cylindrical porcelain bowl with the words "Mason Cash England" stam

Can freezer jam not be frozen if sealed?

I make my jam in sterile jars and use a freezer jam recipe. I then seal using a hot water bath for 15 minutes. I know you don't need to seal it but I always do.

Adding salt to a marinade to brine?

I have a marinade I really love for chicken that has a base of pineapple and lime juice, aromatics, and a little canola oil. There's no salt in the marinade and

What is the difference between 100% whole wheat pasta and 100% whole wheat couscous?

I google the ingredients list and one says 100% durum wheat the other says 100% whole wheat. I still don't see any difference? Does anyone else? If they are the

What is the difference between cream cheese and sour cream?

Let me be clear: I am not asking about their applications. I know some really good recipes where you use one or the other. I know you can replace them with each

How critical is it to store spices in constant temperature?

A typical bit of advice on the subject says: Store your herbs and spices in a cool, dry place. The ideal temperature is one that remains fairly constant, avera

Why is my baguette type bread coming out almost flat?

I bake bread almost every day. Mostly French baguettes, old stretch and fold every 45 mts. method for 1st proofing, couche for 2nd rise. Make sourdough too. B

Dried beans, cooked in an acidic sauce, haven't softened enough - can I do anything now?

I know why my beans haven't softened - I was adapting a recipe (that calls for tinned beans) to use dried - and there's vinegar in the sauce. I soaked an assor

Caramel Sauce Hard Crack

Every time I have tried to make caramel sauce (with the wet method) it has been going fine during carmelization, but then everything just seizes up into a rock

What is the absolute maximum salt-to-water ratio of a brine for Lacto-Fermentation

There are various lacto-fermentated sauce or pickle recipes making use of a salty brine. And depending on the food item that's going to be fermented and also de

How to predict and adjust the spice level of dal?

I have made countless recipes from popular Indian books and when I taste the end result, I always feel like the dish needs more spice. For example, I tried a re

Is there ever an advantage to using a light-bottomed pan?

I have seen many recipes where cooking with a heavy-bottomed pan is advised, as the heat is distributed more evenly and avoids "hot spots". With that in mind, i

What's 香茜 or 芫荽 in English?

Many Hong Kong Cuisine restaurants use 香茜 or 芫荽 in soup dishes. Please see the picture below. Are 香茜 or 芫Ő

How does one glue together fried onions with an edible, savory adhesive?

I'd like to make a bar that consists of fried, crispy onions (also known as “Bawang Goreng”) that are glued together. The glue should be edible and

How much caffeine is in matcha powder?

I would like to know how many milligrams of caffeine are there in a gram of dried matcha powder.

Best way to make pizza with limited options?

So essentially I have three options since I only have a microwave oven(with convection and a grill) and something called as a "gas tandoor". A gas tandoor is li

Do restaurants always cook chicken to 165F throughout when frying on cast iron? [closed]

I'm new to frying chicken. When I grill it, I use an instant thermometer to check the temperature and get it to an internal temp of 165. Howev

Do quiet induction burners exist?

I've owned and used a variety of counter top induction burners, ranging from 1200-1800 watts, including popular, well reviewed brands. Between the electronic wh