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Which is a typically American way of seasoning spaghetti and other pasta? When I visit the States I see a lot of pasta and spaghetti in the supermarkets. I wonder which is the typical seasoning (sauce or similar) used by Americans when they cook spaghetti. Of course, when they don't cook Italian-style.	I might refer you to this video, where Malcolm Gladwell talks (a little bit) about spaghetti, and how Americans prefer to eat it. Apparently, companies doing market research found that Americans say they want "real Italian pasta sauce," which is somewhat thinner than "American style," but actually prefer eating the chu...
Differences/Similarities between cinnamon and nutmeg I read a while ago that nutmeg and cinnamon are really similar and you can easily substitute one for the other. Yet many recipes call for both cinnamon and nutmeg so it seems like there must be some kind of difference. What are the specific differences between cinna...	Try to remember where you read that. And then don't read them anymore. If you find your nutmeg and cinnamon tasting at all similar, they've both turned to dust and should be discarded. And next time, buy whole nutmeg - it tastes much better freshly-grated, and keeps much longer without turning into vaguely-spicy-bitter...
How to clean mushrooms? Some people say cleaning with water removes the taste from mushrooms. But if I don't use water the mushrooms will carry a lot of dust. Do you have any techniques for cleaning mushroom so I don't eat crap but don't spoil the mushroom?	I find that brushes and even paper towels are too rough on mushrooms. I use cold running water and gentle rubbing by hand.
Should I purchase and use a grease or oil splash screen? I use a sauce pan often for grilling chicken or frying bacon, and a lot of grease tends to splash out. There are fine mesh screens available with a handle designed to cover the pan without creating a seal. Are these a worthwhile investment, or do they just wind ...	They are one more item to clean, but they are a lot easier to clean than the walls and stove. I have several in different sizes - very worthwhile in my opinion.
Pepper spice varieties How many varieties of edible pepper spice there are? I know white, black, green and pink pepper, but I'm sure that around the world there are many more varieties. There is a comprehensive list or a book devoted to pepper and receipts with pepper?	So far, the best reference I found is Wikipedia. Black pepper (Piper nigrum) has the following varieties: Black pepper White pepper Green pepper Orange pepper and red pepper Cubeb (Piper cubeba), or tailed pepper Long pepper (Piper longum) Sichuan pepper (Zanthoxylum) Pink peppercorn (Schinus molle, Schinus terebinth...
How can I make cheap, smooth homemade Alfredo sauce? I've tried making Alfredo sauce several times based on a few online recipes. It generally comes out pretty tasty, but also with one flaw: the sauce is grainy or gritty because the grated Parmesan cheese doesn't fully melt. Doing searches online, most people seem to...	The real stuff is expensive because it's still actually cheese. If you're gonna use the canned stuff, you're probably better off just leaving it out entirely (or sprinkling it on top at the table as-desired...) It doesn't take a lot of cheese either - it's pretty strong stuff. You can probably get away with just a few ...
Best meat replacements for a vegetarian/vegan? Let's compile a list of vegetarian/vegan meat replacements. Generic replacements: Seitan Tofu Tempeh Quorn Quorn Vegan Alternatives Paneer TVP Commercial fake meats: Tofurky (Roasts, Sausages, Deli Slices) Lightlife Morningstar Worthington Foods Boca Simple Truth (not...	Pardon my rampant vegerianism, but the trick is not to substitue meat at all. I generally get my nutrition from other sources, without using meat substitutes at all. Unless I really feel like a certain recipe that I used to like back in my meat-eating days. Use beans, lentils and whole grains for protein. Use nuts, see...
For Pizza cooking at home. What is the best alternative to the pizza stone? For Pizza cooking at home. What is the best alternative to the pizza stone?	Unglazed quarry tile. Preferably 3/4" to 1" thick.
How do you remove the pit from a mango? I've only attempted this once, and it was a complete disaster. Can anyone provide some tips for a beginner?	Hold the mango upright - so the place where the stem was is at the top. Turn the mango so the widest side is facing you. The pit mimics this same shape - it's tall, wide, and not very deep. Cut all the way around as though you are creating two halves, one whole piece facing you, and one facing opposite. Go ahead and...
Removing fat from a recipe If I see a recipe I like and it includes a marinade or sauce where butter or oil is a significant ingredient, is there any way to substitute that fat and preserve a similar taste and texture? For example, I recently cooked a citrus shrimp recipe and simply skipped 90% of the recommended oil ...	It depends entirely on the recipe and how it will be used. Fat can work as a medium for flavors and heat, to provide texture (especially in the case of emulsification), and for its own flavor. Blindly removing it from a recipe may "work", but leave you with something quite different from what was originally intended - ...
How can I keep meringue pie-topping from falling? Nothin' better on a hot summer afternoon than a slice of cold pie... And nothin' says "summer" like a great big fluffy meringue topping over that slab of rhubarb/lemon/banana custard. Unfortunately, mine haven't been turning out that way. They bake up nicely, but fall...	Piet Huysentruyt (a famous Belgian chef) advices to break and split your eggs, keep the egg whites in the fridge for a day or two, get them out and use them if they reach room temp. And yes, in meringue, moisture is your enemy! It can help you, if you bake the meringue, to put a wooden spoon between your oven door, so ...
How can I tell if a fish can safely be prepared "crudo"? Is there something you can look for? Am I left to the seller's word and my own discernment?	Well, your discernment is indeed what you are looking for. You want really fresh fish. The usual advice for detecting really fresh fish apply. It can't hurt to have a fish source that you have good reason to trust.
How to fix food that got extra salty? How to fix food that got extra salty? I imagine this depends on what the food is. With spaghetti, you can add water or change water if you detect it on time. But what about grilled meat? Or a tomato sauce?	Determine correct ratio of food to salt. Add more food until proper ratio is achieved. Or just serve extra beer with it.
How do you clean a seasoned cast iron skillet? I have a seasoned cast iron skillet, and I don't want to mess up the seasoning when I'm cleaning it. What do I use and what don't I use to get it back to clean? I've heard not to use soap and to make sure it is dry, but nothing beyond that.	Kosher salt and a small amount of vegetable oil. Scrub the pan with the salt on a rag or paper towel, if there are stubborn bits mix a couple drops of oil with the salt, wipe dry with clean towel. If you use a wet method to clean the pan re-heat it after cleaning to make sure it is completely dry before storing.
What's the easiest dough for a Lemon Pie that still tastes good? What dough would you recommend for when you need to wrap up a lemon pie fairly quickly?	Well... Pie dough? Flour, fat, salt and water. I recommend lard for flavor and texture. Alternately, a graham cracker crust can be had by putting the crackers into a plastic bag and rolling with a heavy rolling pin until fine crumbs. Then mix in butter, press into a pan, and bake until fragrant.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of various sugars/substitutes? Such as: Splenda Artificial Sweeteners Sugar "In the Raw" Honey Stevia Molasses Can they be used interchangeably in recipes or do they have to be used at different proportions?Aside from nutritional differences, can I expect drastically differe...	I can tell you a few things about artificial sweeteners! Alot of artificial sweeteners look nothing like sugar (in terms of their chemical makeup) and have very different properties. Most are also sweeter than sugar (sometimes by a factor of hundreds) so in the packets, you will find that they come along with alot of o...
How do you properly cook a steak? I love steaks so much, that I would like to get a green card and live in the States just to enjoy good steaks whenever I want. When I try to cook a steak at home (I live in Italy), it always turns out burned outside and almost totally raw inside. Actually only a thin layer is cooked (...	You can use the rule of thumb method to measure the "doneness" of the steak: You loosely touch one of your fingers with your thumb depending on how well done you want it, and the tension of the muscle of your hand below the thumb will be the same as how the meat should feel when you press it.
How can I prevent pan fried chicken from becoming too chewy? Every time I cook boneless/skinless chicken breast in a pan over the stove-top it seems to end up slightly chewy. What am I doing wrong?	Simple - you're just overcooking it. A very common fate for chicken breast.
Is there any difference between chopped and crushed garlic in cooking? Often recipes say to chop garlic, but I usually cheat and just crush it as it's quicker. Is there any difference in doing this? Will it have much of an effect on the flavour of the dish?	Chopped and crushed garlic have different flavors in dishes. The smaller the pieces the garlic is made into (with crushed being super small), the more pungent and bitter the flavors. Several food bloggers have reported their experiments on testing the differences. This sounds surprising, but members of the Allium ge...
Unnecessary kitchen gadgets: a reference There are a lot of advertised tools and electronic gadgets for every field; the kitchen is no exception. In my experience, there are a lot of useful tools for specific purposes (a garlic press, for example) but there are also a lot of seemingly useless ones. A useless gadget or...	For reasons I have yet to understand, my parents once bought me what I would have to describe as a manual food processor. I am not talking about a hand blender, nor am I talking about a chopper (which is what you'll find if you try to google "manual food processor"). It is literally a crank-operated, plastic-encased ...
Precautions making carpaccio I saw in TV chefs making carpaccio. They get a nice raw meat and fillet them in thin pieces. Then they make a sauce and side dishes. Isn't eating this raw meat dangerous?	Well, I usually add quite a lot of fresh lemon juice on it. This acid environment should kill most pathogens. However, you have to use the most fresh meat possible, when I eat raw meat (very common in Italy) I eat it the same day I bought it from the butcher. Tell to your family butcher that you're going to do carpacci...
What is the functional difference between imitation vanilla and true vanilla extract? When baking or using vanilla, most recipes call for vanilla extract. In the supermarket you can find imitation vanilla flavoring for less money. Obviously the imitation is meant to be as close to the real thing as possible, but: Is ...	Yes, you can detect the difference. How much of a difference will depend on the quality of both the imitation and of the real thing. That said, it's difficult if not impossible for me to pick out the differences in baked goods. So I keep both around, and use the (much cheaper) imitation stuff for baking, and the real s...
How do you open a coconut? Without killing yourself or others?	The best way to open a brown hairy coconut, not a fresh green one (assuming you are right handed, I imagine that sinister people can reverse the instructions, but I've not tried it). First image the coconut is a head, everything is related to this, so the visualization is important. The three holes are the eyes and ...
What vegan substitutes are available for cheese? Suppose I want a cheesy-tasting sauce that is vegan. How could I obtain this flavor (or something close to it) without using any actual milk or cheese?	Many vegans use nutritional yeast as a cheese substitute. There are also "vegan cheeses" that are available. However, check the ingredients closely as many fake cheeses contain casein and thus are not vegan. Some vegan cheeses will melt and some will not. I've never tried them in a sauce. Here's a link to The Vegeta...
Why do burgers sometimes fall apart on the grill? Sometimes when cooking a burger I have had it completely fall apart for no apparent reason. Is this due to using a ground meat that is too lean? I don't add anything to the meat and don't spend too much time working the meat in forming the patty.	In addition to the fat content, making sure the meat is cold while forming can help.
How should I care for my knives? I've finally put down the money to buy a quality knife and it's sharpness is amazing! How do I take care of it so that the edge lasts and the knife stays sharp?	Technique Always use a cutting surface made for a knife, particularly a wooden chopping board/block. Avoid contact with hard surfaces such as metal, glass, or stone; these will quickly cause dulling or even chipping of most knives. Also avoid cutting frozen items, for the same reason. Use the dull end ("top") of the ...
When baking, is it better to use a gas or electric oven? I'm looking for an oven and wanted to know if there is any difference between a gas or electric oven when it comes to baking things like cakes, biscuits and scones?	For baking cakes and breads it is important to control the humidity in the oven. In early stages of baking one typically needs the humidity to remain in the baking chamber, which is hard to do with a gas oven. Two of the bakeries near my house use electric ovens with brick lined baking chambers; the other uses gas. E...
What safety precautions should be taken when attempting to flambe at home? Is this one of those things that unless you've been taught by an experienced person and you know what you're doing you probably just shouldn't try? If I did want to try, what precautions should I take? Is this a valid cooking method or is it mo...	Flambe is a valid cooking method. It allows you to flash off most of the alchohol from your chosen liqour but keep the flavour. I'd suggest that you have a wet towel at hand or a fire blanket in your kitchen if you're going to embark on this cooking technique as a first timer. Also don't run your extractor fan above t...
Can cheesecake be cooked without a spring-form pan? I don't have a spring form pan but I watched a show where they seemed to cook their cheesecakes in regular pans. Is this possible or did I just not notice that they were in fact spring form pans? I like cheesecake but don't really have the space to add another specia...	Alton Brown says never to cook a cheesecake in a springform pan. He uses a regular pan and lines it with parchment paper so that the cheesecake won't stick to the bottom.
What is the difference between various cuts of steak? I'm sure each has their own differences in texture (and cost) but don't really know exactly what they are or what they are best used for. I like bone in ribeyes so I haven't bothered to try experimenting with other cuts such as: Boneless Ribeye T-Bone New York Str...	There are a number of sites that provide diagrams and information on the different cuts, one fairly extensive resource is Beef Glossary - Different Beef Cuts , Diagram, Types Of Meat Edit: Made a change due to comment.
Onion soup: How to chop the onion and what kind of cheese to put in it? What is your preferred type of cut for the onion in onion soup? And how do you put the cheese? A deep chunk submerged in each plate, on top? What kind of cheese do you like?	When I make French Onion soup I slice my onions very thin. It also helps to use a small onion so the pieces aren't so wide. For the cheese I use gruyere cheese. It should be grated. In order for the cheese to cook properly you need to have some stale french bread. It should be toasted lightly on both sides and then sli...
Substitution for Suet in Christmas Pudding I'm interested in making a traditional Christmas pudding but I've never seen suet available in the stores around here. Assuming I can't find any, what would be a good substitution?	For Christmas pudding, there really is no substitute. In some recipes it's possible to use finely grated, very hard, unsalted butter, or a vegetable shortening, but the results are just not the same.
What are some good substitutes for salt for those on low sodium diets? I try to keep my sodium intake fairly low to ensure that my blood pressure doesn't get too high. Salt is such a common part of cooking, and it's especially difficult to cook Asian-style food without a lot of salt due to its reliance on salty sauces...	There is no substitute for salt. Sorry. It has effects on the tastebuds and the body that cannot be replicated. However! They can be approached to a degree that most people will find interchangeable. Acids can mimic the flavour-enhancing qualities of salt in a big way. The more acid you have in a dish, the less salt yo...
How thoroughly do you need to clean the inside of a chicken before baking it? My wife's family breaks apart the inside and cleans out what is in between the bones. My family just rinses the inside and then bakes it. Do you need to be super thorough when cleaning a chicken or is the baking process going to kill all the...	Providing you don't leave anything unpleasant inside the cavity a good rinse under the tap is good enough. As you surmised, the process of cooking the chicken will kill all the bacteria. Just make sure it's cooked correctly :)
Does it take a special type of blender to make smoothies? Or am I just doing it wrong? I have what I consider a typical blender that you might find in any American kitchen. It's a glass container with a cross shaped blade. The problem I have is that pieces often get underneath the blade and don't get blended at all. W...	Ahh, the complexities of blending. Have you tried pulsing the smoothie? Short bursts tend to stir up some of the stuff that sneaks below the blades.
What is the difference between various types of flour? Is there a difference between the various types of flour that you see in the stores (i.e. Cake, Bread, and All-Purpose? Is it really necessary to stock 3 types of flour in my pantry or is this just a scheme from the manufacturers to get more money?	There are actually quite a few differences between the different types of flour. The number of different types you store will really depend on your particular requirements. All purpose (or plain) flour is a blend of different types of wheat and has a relatively low protein content. Bread flour is typically made from a ...
My Baba Ghanoush is too watery I tried cooking Baba Ghanoush for the first time and though tasty I didn't quite get the expected results. It was watery instead of creamy like the ones I had had. I used equal parts of eggplant and tahini and a bit of lemon juice and garlic. Now I wonder if I used too much eggplant or I...	Sounds like you didn't roast sufficiently or not sufficiently hot. The outside should be really charred, and the inside will be not so watery.
How does the way that I cut my garlic affect the taste of my food? I've seen recipes that called for coarsely chopped garlic and recipes that called for finely chopped or minced garlic. What affect does that cut have on the final taste of my dish? What about crushed garlic?	@Adam A is close -- it's not an issue of surface area on potency, it's an issue of damage to the garlic. The 'strong' taste of garlic comes from a reaction as chemicals are released so they can mix (alliin and alliinase) When you cook the garlic whole (as you would for roasted garlic), you will never get this reaction...
Mayonnaise Substitutes I love pasta salads, tuna salad, sandwiches, and sauces; but I don't really like the texture of mayonnaise or the feeling I get after eating mayonnaise. What mayonnaise substitutes have you found work well? For what dishes do you believe your substitute to be appropriate?	MiracleWhip, of course... If it's just the taste of the oil that bothers you, you can easily make your own mayo using whatever oil you wish. A cheap extra-virgin olive oil makes a delicious mayonnaise, IMHO. Otherwise, use vinegar. It's a great general-purpose condiment, can be flavored easily, and there are plenty of...
Soup is too salty! I made a mistake with my lastest batch of chicken soup, and it's too salty to eat. Is there any way to save it?	Make a second batch of Soup and under salt it, then mix them.
How can I make macarons with "feet" in my oven at home? I've tried many macaron recipes, and all have tasted very good. The problem is they always end up as a meringue, or looking like cookies. They usually don't have the "feet" that macarons are known for. My success rate on every recipe I've tried is about 1 in 6...	http://joepastry.com/index.php?title=troubleshooting_macarons&more=1&c=1&tb=1&pb=1 The point of leaving the cookies to sit on the pan is to dry out the skin so it'll solidify better. I'd suggest resting longer (up to 50 minutes) or using a hotter oven.
What is the best way to store stock in the freezer? What is the best way to store stock in the freezer? I can think of ice cubes and plastic bags, but am looking for other ideas. Also, what would be the optimal portion size?	When I want to freeze portions of almost anything liquid (including stocks and sauces), I use a covered ice cube tray like OXO Good Grips. Just spoon it into the tray and throw it in the freezer. Easy! Keeps very well, and makes it very easy to portion out later. The OXO product is my favourite, but it's not too har...
Resources for determining cooking substitutions Judging from the number of questions tagged substitutions, this is a common thing to ask. Are there any resources to find substitutions, and what circumstances those work under? For example, applesauce can partially substitute for oil in muffins (because the oil is fo...	This one from AllRecipes.com is pretty comprehensive. I remember finding one a long time ago that was laid out in categories though. Maybe someone else can find it.
What cookbooks do you always come back to? Like me, there are probably a lot people on here that have a lot of cookbooks, but I find I keep coming back to the same 1 or 2 books to give me the basis of most of the stuff I cook. For me, I find myself coming back to the Jamie At Home book and Jamies Italy but I'm interes...	Definitely the Joy of Cooking. It's not a convenience cookbook for people with busy schedules or low patience - the majority of recipes in there are geared toward flavour and not specialty diets or quick prep times - but at least 9 out of 10 recipes I try in there have near-perfect flavour and texture. IMO, this shoul...
What are the best potatoes for baking? What are the best varieties of potatoes to use for baking with a roast that will give a nice golden brown finish on the outside? [Edit: to clarify, I'm from Australia and we don't really distinguish between baking and roasting potatoes. What I'm referring to here is "roasting" po...	Your clarification means a lot -- "baked" potato in the U.S. tends to be a whole potato cooked on its own, where the insides become fluffy and creamy, and is done with larger starchy white potatoes, or sweet potatoes work well, too. Roasted potatoes, on the other hand, tends to be (in the U.S.) be smaller "new" potato...
What is the best flour to use for pizza dough? I've been making pizza dough and the recipe says to use "good quality flour" but I'm not sure what it means? Are there differences in quality between different types of flour and how can I tell?	What do we look in a pizza dough? There are many styles of pizz
How can I keep pasta from sticking to itself? Whenever I boil pasta (specifically spaghetti), it always sticks to itself before I'm ready to use it. What can I do to avoid this without it becoming mushy (which happens if I keep it in the water)? Of course, if I happen to have the sauce done by the time the pasta is re...	Italian here :) I know that the oil is a well known trick everywhere ... but Italy. The main problem about pasta is that people just tend to cook it too much. The cooking time for pasta should be between 8 and 12 minutes, above this number it will be sticky. Spaghetti is the quickest kind of pasta to get ready, so just...
Making (or substitute for) ricotta cheese? Some of my favorite dishes call for ricotta cheese, be it anything from a lasagna to cannoli. Arguably, this is a very easy thing to find in the States (and presumably elsewhere), so I'd never thought about it. But, living in Japan, I have yet to find it anywhere - supermarke...	Joe mentioned tofu as a ricotta substitute when making cannoli; I recommend it for lasagna as well. I love my mom's lasagna, and I only found out as an adult that she uses soft tofu instead of ricotta. Now, I do the same.
What are good references for Gluten free baking I have several members of my family who are GF. Baking for them has become a real challenge. I'm looking for good references to learn to understand how to work with this limitation in my baking. What are good references (online or print) for good GF baked goods?	This is a very subjective question. For example: I find the recipes on Gluten-Free Goddess to use excessive Xanthan Gum (bouncy balls do not make good cupcakes). That being said I highly suggest you start with the basics and make your own flour to learn the balance of how different flours effect the texture and flavor ...
I want to make my own cheese. How do I get started? I've seen people do their own mozzarella and it seemed easy. Any tips on how to get started (equipment, ingredients, recipes)? What about blue cheese and other stronger cheeses?	Making Mozzarella is not fantastically difficult, but certain things during the process are critical, probably the most important is temperature. If it's your first time making cheese, you might find the buying a 'starter kit' the easiest way to get up and running. These will provide you with all the important items y...
What's the best way to store potatoes and maximize their shelf-life? What's the best place and way to store potatoes so they keep fresh longest?	Best thing to do is to keep them out of the light in an cool dark dry place. I usually put them in a hessian bag to try and keep the moisture away. Don't store them in the fridge or anywhere that gets direct sunlight.
What is a good fish for cooking crumbed / battered? I love cooking fish in a batter or crumbed. I usually use flathead which is nice, but I would like to know what other fish works well when being cooked in a batter or crumbed?	When I fancy fish and chips I tend to use either cod or haddock and create a rich beer batter. Serve that with some home-made chips and you're set. If I want something lighter, but still with a crust, I'd tend to go for mackerel. If that's not available, I'd be looking for seabass or snapper.
Why should I soak beans before cooking? Every recipe says I should soak beans in water overnight before cooking. Why? I did some experiments. I have tried soaked and unsoaked beans from the same batch. There was no difference in cooking time, taste, structure or color. Even farts were the same! Also, one time I read a...	One reason is to remove some of the indigestible complex sugars that cause gas. Another reason is that beans are dirty, so you're just cleaning them with the soaking. If the recipe wants the beans to be cooked in the water used for soaking, the washing needs to be done before the soaking. On top of that the soaking can...
A vegan alternative to Quorn? It seems that almost all meat replacements in the UK have eggs. Are there any good vegan alternatives?	Also see @Pulse's answer. Check out the China town for 'vegetarian food', they have all sort of fake meat from chicken to beef, from abalone to fish, all made of modified tofu fibres.
What's wrong with using spin dryer to dry lettuce? I love lettuce salad. I eat it very often. I bought a spin dryer, which I find very handy and I use it all the time. But recently I heard Gordon Ramsay saying that you should never use a spin dryer, that it will destroy the lettuce. Is that true? How is it destroying ...	I think the thing boils down to how much you need to get from the lettuce. If you demand the best of the best performance for your salad, you want to blot it dry with paper towels, so that the texture is best preserved and the appearance is undisturbed. For my purpose, in my kitchen, a salad spinner saves money (the pa...
Fresh basil storage How should fresh basil be stored? The packaging suggests that the optimal temperature is around 50°F, but I can't think of anywhere in an average kitchen at that temperature. A pantry is too warm, and a fridge is too cold. So which of the two is lesser of two evils? I recently had a whole pack get ...	From StillTasty. This site has done wonders with helping us extend the life of our fresh herbs To store fresh basil: (1)Trim the ends and place basil in a glass containing about one inch of water; (2) Cover with a loose-fitting plastic bag and leave at room temperature; (3) Replace water when it gets cloudy. Refrigera...
Did I store these potatoes incorrectly (found a bug inside)? I have a 3 pound bag of 'Idaho' brand potatoes that I bought a few weeks ago. They all looked good (firm and no sprouts) when I went to get them the other day except for one. This one had a white patch on it about 2 centimeters in diameter, and then a small ...	Potatoes and the plants foliage are a feast for a lot of insects, some good some not so good, but as far as I'm aware none that will do you any harm. As bmargulies said, don't worry overly about it. If you're 'really' interested, you can take a look at this site, see if you can spot your 'badguy' :) Potato Homepage
Can I use any sort of pumpkin for pumpkin pie? When I'm making a pumpkin pie, does it matter what sort of pumpkin I use? Are the specific varieties that are more suited to pies or can I just use any pumpkin?	You may use all sorts of pumpkins and squashes (a Cucurbita moschata or Cucurbita pepo may be called either, depending on variety) to make a pie. The Halloween types may not be the best choice: they tend to be stringy, not very sweet, and sometimes over treated with pesticides. Instead look for the small varieties (ar...
Slow cooking without a slow cooker I frequently hear people telling me about how wonderful their slow cookers (AKA "crock pot") are. In many cases they're right - meat that tends to come out tough in normal cooking comes out very tender from a slow cooker. But do I really need a slow cooker to pull this off? It seem...	Your best bet would be a dutch oven on a low to medium low heat in the oven. You could use a regular pot in the oven, but you'd need to stir it regularly (maybe every hour) to stop everything from sticking to the sides and burning.
How can I tell whether an egg has been hard-boiled, through the shell? At my workplace, there's a mysterious carton of eggs in the common refrigerator. Nobody I've asked knows whether they're raw or cooked. Is there a way to tell, without cracking one of the eggs open?	Take an egg from the carton and 'spin' it on the work counter. If it spins, it's cooked, if it does anything else, it's not.
How can I tell if fish is fresh? I love fish, and I love cooking it. The thing is, I don't have any idea how to buy fish. Considering common fish in a grocery store (salmon, whitefish, tuna, grouper, etc.), how can I tell a good specimen from a bad one? When the difference is not clear, which way should I err? Is ther...	As a rule of thumb for a whole fish, and not a fillet - the gills should be bright red the skin/scales should be bright and shiny like metal this fish shouldn't really smell of anything except 'watery' the flesh should rebound quickly when pressed the eyes should be bright and clear really fresh fish is also quite sli...
How do I cook ribs Chinese style? I love Chinese style ribs. They seem to have a sweet plum flavour/fragrance to them and the meat seems to be caramelised. I'd like to try this at home, how are they prepared and cooked?	When cooking Chinese ribs, they are usually boiled down... (I am a cook from Hong Kong) We usually cut the ribs bone-attached into small cubes before cooking, quite unlike the western cooking style. stir-frying: Usually we stir-fry the rib with a sauce of choice; black bean and chili is my favourite. One can also use...
Cookware, copper or cast iron or just buy the right tool for the job? I'm thinking of replacing my motley collection of cheap non-stick and bargain basement steel pots and pans. I'm considering either replacing with cast iron (Le Creuset is probably the best known of these) or perhaps pushing the boat out and investin...	Copper can be useful for certain tasks due to the its metallic properties (heats quickly, distributes heat evenly, etc.), however I would not call copper pans good "all-purpose" pans. As for cast iron, you mentioned Le Creuset, and again I would tell you that they are more of a specialty manufacturer. They make some ve...
How do I make a "baking powder" substitute in a pinch? Every once in while we run out of "Baking powder". What would be a good recipe for a substitute that you have used that works well?	On the off-chance that you have no baking powder, but you do have baking soda and cream of tartar, you can make your own baking powder: 1 teaspoon baking soda 2 teaspoons cream of tartar 1 teaspoon corn starch (optional) Mix it all together and use it immediately. Reference: http://frugalliving.about.com/od/condiment...
Which is better to sauté with, stainless steel or Teflon? Lots of times in recipes, they'll specify using a stainless steel pan, but I find the non-stick aspect of Teflon to be an advantage. Is stainless steel really better, and if so ,What about it makes it a better choice?	Also, you can get uncoated steel a lot hotter than you can get teflon (which will break down -- it's basically plastic). So you can sear meats at a much higher temperature than you can cook them on teflon. For some things it doesn't matter, like sweating vegetables, but anything where you want to get some real heat inv...
Daikon in place of pasta I remember seeing somewhere that one could use daikon in place of pasta, but I can't seem to find how one would prepare it. Have you done this? If so, what should I be aware of when I try it out?	I think that someone was pulling your leg. You might be able to turn daikon into long, stiff, strands for decoration, but I don't think that any cooking process will yield something mistakable for pasta. In fact, the recipe that the OP posted in an answer describes the situation as 'daikon posing as pasta.' The texture...
How much salt should I add to a dish? I find it hard to figure out how much salt to add to dishes. I'm always afraid I'll make it too salty. Recipes always call for salt to taste, but what does that mean? Is there a good rule of thumb?	I've noticed that salty food has somewhat of an addictive quality; people who eat a lot of it (i.e. fast food or other processed food) tend to bury their meals under a mountain of salt, whereas people such as myself who do a lot of home cooking hardly use (or want) any. "Season to taste" means pretty much what it sound...
Why is sugar a wet ingredient? The last time I checked, most sugar is really dry (unless it's something like brown sugar). So why is it categorized as "wet"?	Sugar is not really a wet ingredient, it's just treated as one in certain types of baking (i.e. cakes). When making a cake or other "fluffy" baked good, you want a fairly small amount of gluten to be produced, otherwise you'll get a chewy texture instead, and you definitely don't want a cake to be chewy like bread. Dis...
How can I chop onions without crying? Onions are an excellent addition to many dishes, but cutting them can be frustrating when they make you "cry" all the time. Does anyone know any tips or tricks to help minimise the tears when chopping onions?	Can't comment directly due to rep limit, but I'm not sure Ryan Elkins above is correct. I'm fairly certain both allinase and LFS are found throughout the layers, though the "core" might contain a higher concentration. Certainly there's no gas contained in the central bulb. There's a couple of basic strategies for avoid...
What is the proper ratio of heavy cream to chocolate for a thick ganache? Most recipes on the internet call for a 1:1 ratio that I've seen but this ends up being rather watery. I want a thick chocolaty ganache. Is there anything special that needs to be done to achieve this other than adjusting the ratios? Right now I...	Normal ganache is 1:1 indeed. You can make a more caramelly one by adding honey and butter: try 14 oz cream, 12 oz chocolate, 2 oz honey, 6 oz butter diced into small cubes. Boil the cream and honey together, pour over the chocolate, stir until melted, melt in the butter.
Knife chopping through bone or coconut Is it ok to use a chef knife to chop through bones (not too big, like chicken or pork ribs) or a coconut or will it ruin the knife permanently? I've done that on occasion and it did not seem to suffer damages but may be it's just that I haven't done it enough.	A good-quality cleaver can be the right tool for both jobs. Make sure it's properly constructed with the metal of the blade running all the way through the handle, though, or else you risk the handle snapping and the blade going flying during a strike. For the coconut, the technique is actually to roll it along the bla...
What varieties of potato would be good for chips / french fries? What varieties of potato would be good for making chips / french fries that can be cooked in a deep fryer to give a nice golden crunch on the outside, but still be nice and fluffy in the middle?	The potato is probably not as important as the method. Simply frying them will not get you the fry you want. Basically you boil them, then double fry them. Here are the steps for The Perfect French Fry: Ingredients 2 pounds russet potatoes (about 4 large), peeled and cut into 1/4-inch by 1/4-inch fries (keep potatoes ...
How do I make semisweet chocolate more liquid? My wife and I were making some dipped cookies in semisweet chocolate. But the chocolate was too thick. We tried cream and butter to improve the coating of the cookies, the results did not turned out. What could I add to semisweet chocolate to allow it to smoothly coat coo...	Ganache is made from chocolate and heavy whipping cream. You could add hot cream to the chocolate until you get the consistency you are looking for.
Substituting garlic powder for garlic salt? I love using garlic powder but I also see recipes call for garlic salt. I thought that you could just add garlic powder instead of garlic salt (which of course is sold separately!) and then just add some actual salt if necessary. What is the difference in doing this as oppos...	Taste-wise there will be little to not difference in the result. Just be careful to use the proper ratio of garlic to salt (generally 3-to-1 salt to garlic powder).
How do you decide what temperature to bake at? What is the logic behind the choice of temperature for baking? Obviously if you're following a recipe it will say what temperature to use, but I'd like to understand the reasoning behind it. Is it a matter of density (thicker foods need to be cooked lower to reach the ins...	If we had a magical (or 4d) oven that could heat up the inside of the food all at once and uniformly, the baking rule would be simple: bake batters and doughs at 100°C / 212°F until dough expands and dries, and then increase to 150°C / 302°F to brown. Any recipe that followed it would take way longer (several hours)...
How long should I saute garlic? I always have trouble figuring out how long to saute garlic for before adding it to a dish. How do I know when it is ready?	Not long at all. Usually 1 minute is enough. If it starts to turn brown, it's been in there too long.
How to prepare stuffed peppers? I've prepared peppers stuffed with beef and rice a number of times, but they never turn out quite how I would like. How should I cook the peppers so that they end up soft and flavourful, but are not overcooked to the point they are falling apart?	I pre-cook my peppers -- after I've cut them open, I let them roast in the oven for about 10-20 min, upside down (so they don't end up with a pool of water in the bottom). I then pull them out once they've softened up a little bit, fill them, and put them back in to warm through and melt any cheese, then switch it to ...
Is it possible to preserve color in steamed vegetables? When I steam green vegetables, like broccoli, they come out bright green. A few minutes later though, and they have darkened and dulled. Is this a symptom of cooking them for too long or is there some other way to preserve the bright green color?	Typically, vegetables will lose their colour if they are over-cooked, so it's probably worthwhile cooking them for a shorter period of time. Usually steaming is a great way to preserve the nutrients and colour of vegetables, as is stir-frying rapidly. Different kinds of vegetables contain various pigments in their ski...
Why is carrot juice so sweet? Certain brands of carrot juice taste sweeter than any raw carrot I've ever eaten, yet are made only with carrots, with no added sweeteners. Are carrots sold in supermarkets just not ripe enough?	If you juice your own carrots you would see how sweet carrots actually are. When you juice a carrot, you are extracting the liquid portion (which contains the majority of the sugars) from the cellulose. Since the cellulose is somewhat flavorless — it tastes pretty much like paper pulp — you are essentially creating "c...
Keeping the bubbles in sparkling gelatin desserts I've had a few attempts to make gelatin desserts (jelly if your English) using sparkling wine. While I get the flavour of the wine coming through I struggle to keep the bubbles. Is there a technique for doing this?	As Chris says, its to do with the setting time of the gelatine vs the bubbly. Ensure all of your containers are chilled (maybe even frozen? - I put mine in 3/4 hours before making the actual dish) before you add the (chilled) champagne and get it into the bottom of the fridge as quick as you can. I suspect though canno...
Rule of thumb for cooking or baking different quantities? I often want to cook double quantities from that stated in a recipe - say, twice the quantity of pasta bake or casserole (all in one dish), or two cakes instead of one (in separate tins). Is there a rule of thumb for extending the cooking time from that stated ...	The answers that exist are incomplete, somewhat misleading, or too specific. The amount of time that you will need to bake items depends mostly on the following factors: Major factors The shape of the item, especially its thinnest dimension (usually height for a cake or casserole) The temperature of the oven Minor fa...
Best chopping board material for meat I've heard that using a wooden chopping board for cutting meat is not very hygienic as it is a porous material. If that is the case, then what would a chopping board ideally be made out of when chopping meat?	In fact it's the porous nature of wood that makes it ideal for preparing meat. There was a test done a while ago, which showed the bacteria are drawn into the wood and no longer replicate; in fact they die relatively quickly. Personally, I can't stand plastic boards, they're hell on good knives and although they're non...
Why should I "rest" meat after cooking? I often read in recipes that I should "rest" meat after it has been cooked but what does resting the meat actually do?	There are a couple of reasons why 'resting' meat is a good idea. First, as the meat cooks the muscle fibres contract, which forces the juices out. Letting the meat rest helps the muscle fibres relax so the juices are re-incorporated into the meat and not lost on the chopping board, which would happen if carved immediat...
Do I need to use sterilized jars straight away? When making jams and preserves you obviously need to sterilize the jars. After the jars have been sterilized do you need to use them straight away or can you sterilize them in advance and keep them for when you're ready to use them?	You should be packing the jars while they are still hot, for rawpacked or hot-packed products. For hot-packed products, this helps avoid the risk of the jar breaking. For great instructions on how to can at home, see the National Center for Home Food Preservation.
Can I re-use rice if it has been used for blind baking? I often use rice when blind baking... and then I throw it out which is obviously a waste. Am I able to keep the rice and either use it again for blind baking or even to cook and eat later?	Whether using rice or beans (I've used both) you first want to line the pastry dough with parchment paper or foil and then place the beans or rice on top. You can re-use either over and over. I have dried beans that I've been using for more than a decade. Just let them cool completely before placing into a coffee ca...
What can I use for a Crème brûlée if I don't have a blow torch? I've always wanted to make a Crème brûlée but I don't have a blow torch to burn the top with. Is there anything else I can use to get that nice crunchy caramel on top?	Follow these steps and watch very carefully... Set your oven on Broil (high) and put your rack on the top shelf. Let the oven get nice and hot (3-7 minutes). Fill an oven safe dish with crushed ice and water and place your dishes into the ice/water bath. The cold bath should keep the custard from cooking, but the...
Good video on separating eggs Could anyone point me to a good video on cracking an egg and then separating the white and the yolk? I need to improve my technique. For every few eggs that I crack I end up with little bits of egg shell in the white that I then have to pick out.	I find the site startcooking.com particularly useful for some quick videos that are narrated clearly, photographed neatly, and generally are better in quality than those found on Youtube. Here is the video at that site: http://startcooking.com/video/295/Crack-and-Separate-an-Egg That said, there are many such videos on...
What's the best way to season a cast iron skillet? I just purchased a new cast iron skillet. What's the best way to season it? And if I need to re-season an old pan, is the process any different?	First, there is no difference between seasoning and re-seasoning, unless you need to do some extra work to remove rust (see instructions below). In fact, for new cast iron, scouring is also usually a good idea since you need to get off whatever wax or protective oil the manufacturer or seller may have put onto the cook...
How can I check if a blind baked dough is done? Often, when I'm blind baking things, I'm always unsure whether or not the dough is finished. I always put a piece of foil between the crust and the rice. Is there an easy way to check the middle of the crust, or do I need to rely on timing or remove the rice on top to se...	assuming you put a piece of foil between the crust and rice, just lift up an edge to check it..
What can I substitute for eggs in cookie recipes? I'd like to make some biscuits (cookies), but I have no eggs, and I don't want to leave the apartment. Can I use something else instead of the eggs? I'd like answers that will work for most cookie/biscuit recipes. (Editor's note: yes, there are also plenty of cookie re...	There's a replacement, but it's not an ingredient most people have sitting around -- flax seed. I use it when I'm cooking for a few of my friends who are vegans. Grind up some flax seed in a coffee grinder. For each egg, take 1 TB of flax seed meal, and 3 TB of water. Stir it up and let it sit for a while -- it'll g...
Proper olive oil tasting technique I'm looking to buy some really nice olive oil from an artisan shop near my home. Is there an appropriate olive oil tasting technique, similar to wine? If so, what is it, and what dimensions of flavor and texture should I be mindful of?	There's a fairly comprehensive "How to Taste" resource here: The Olive Oil Source: How to Taste
Why does frozen food seem to have lost its original taste and texture after reheating? I usually freeze my leftovers. Then, when I reheat them, the flavors are diminished - less salt, less chili, less everything. Any ideas why?	There are a variety of factors at work here: Freezing foods "improperly" (i.e. not flash-frozen, not vacuum-sealed) causes ice crystals to form within the food, damaging the molecular structures. This is what causes many frozen leftovers to become "mushy" or change in texture. Again due to the formation of ice and the...
Cooking away alcohol When you cook with wine or spirits, when does the alcohol cook away? Obviously high temperatures will do it, but how low of temperatures will work? Also, does it vary by the type of alcohol?	You will never fully cook away alcohol, only reduce the amount. See Alcohol retention in food preparation, or for the quick table, see wikipedia. They covered this on an episode of America's Test Kitchen, and concluded that surface area matters -- a wider vessel would cook off more alcohol; it wasn't just a function o...
Recommended cooking uses for applejack? I recently had a recipe that called for applejack (apple brandy) in the glaze. Now I've got a bunch of this stuff lying around, and I'm looking for cooking applications for it. Can it be substituted for regular brandy in recipes? Are there any particular situations where you wou...	Apple brandy goes particularly well with pork chops or pork tenderloin. It would also be a good substitute when a dessert calls for brandy, such as Baked Fruit (maybe Pears?), or an apple cake.
Preparing eggplant with less oil I love cooking with eggplant (or aubergine/brinjal in your specific English flavor). However to get rid of the bitter taste and slightly spongy texture, I end up using huge amounts of olive oil, which tends to make the dish heavy overall. I've had some success with grilling the eggpla...	Put salt on the eggplant and let it sit for an hour to drain out the bitter fluids. Rinse with water afterwards to remove the salt.
When is a cooking oil not appropriate to substitute for another? Frequently recipes call for a particular kind of oil for making use of certain characteristics (taste, heat tolerance, health, etc.). It's well known you can substitute cooking oils in most cases (vegetable oil for canola oil). Are there circumstances in...	Actually, there are really only a few oils you can substitute for each other, at least without any significant side effects. The oils which generally are used interchangeably are peanut oil, canola/rapeseed oil, and sunflower oil. These oils have similar smoke points, don't impart any really noticeable flavour, and te...
Where do I buy food additives (not in bulk)? I occasionally want a pure food additive for various reasons (pure potassium chloride for sports drinks, pure MSG for everything), but I can't find any decent places to get them except amazon.com. Now I'm looking for disodium inosinate, and even Amazon doesn't have that. I ...	Hey guys, since the question was posted they opened up Modernist Pantry, which specifically caters to this need. They supply chemicals for molecular gastronomy in consumer-sized portions. For $10 or less apiece, you can order small amounts of emulsifiers, gelling agents, foaming agents, etc. They also have spherifica...
How can I learn to sharpen my Japanese knives properly? I have a couple of nice Japanese kitchen knives, and a whetstone in two grades. I can sharpen them reasonably well using the stone, but does anyone have any good tips for improving my sharpening skills?	The Japanese Knife Company has a couple of good tutorials on their website. http://www.japaneseknifecompany.com/sharpening-guides . Update from Joe: They have videos on many different ways of sharpening knives (diamond steel, wheel, water wheel, stone, water stone, single sided blades). If you check their YouTube cha...
Is it ok to use a metal turner in a wok? Is it ok to use a metal utensil when turning or serving food in a (seasoned, steel) wok? I suspect that the wok surface may get scratched, but it doesn't seem to cause any problems so far; is it always better to use wood or do the scratches not matter?	Most good woks I see today are carbon steel. Those things can take a ton of punishment and are very difficult to damage. In fact, a wok chuan, which is a "scoop" that's a bit like a metal spatula, is not only OK to use, it's an essential part of Asian cooking. Wooden utensils just don't have the right shape or, well...
How to peel peaches? What is the best/easiest method to peel peaches?	By far the easiest method is to use a pan of hot water and a bowl of ice water. Essentially, bring a pan of water (enough water to cover the peach to a boil. Meanwhile, with a sharp knife, make a small 'X' shaped incision in the top and bottom of each peach. When the water is boiling gently place a few of the peaches ...

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