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What is the ratio of baking soda to water for lentils? I am soaking lentils and need to know how much baking soda to add per cup of lentils. Previously, I had to cook lentils for about 2 and 1/2 hours to get the desired softness of the lentils. It was suggested to add baking soda to the water while soaking lentils. H...	None. I have recently discovered that lentils do not require to be soaked prior cooking - and nor baking soda. I have already detailed this in an answer but I am not sure how to find it and link to it. I try and I will edit this. Another point is that the producers recipes were all clear about this : they recommend a m...
Method of sharpening knives with steel The following is an extract from 'How to Cook Everything' by 'Mark Bittman' about sharpening knives: An electric sharpener is the best, easiest, and most expensive way to keep knife blades sharp; even moderately serious cooks should consider this a worthwhile investment. T...	A steel is used to realign the edge, allowing it to slice cleanly. Sharpening a blade removes metal to produce a new edge on a dull blade. The process of realigning the edge is also called 'honing'. My electric shapener has three slots to perform various levels of sharpening. One of them is just to hone the knife. The ...
Marinate sundried tomatoes with ethanol overnight? One of my favorite meals is an oil pasta with sundried tomato, pork belly, and broccoli. When I make it, I put a cap or two of scotch after adding the tomatoes and it really makes it shine. I'm preparing this in advance and wondering if there was anything wrong with l...	There are certain flavor components of foods that are more or less soluble in various liquids. It turns out that some of the flavor components of tomatoes are, indeed, soluble in alcohol. That is the genesis of recipes that add a small amount of vodka to tomato sauce. Vodka is flavorless, the alcohol evaporates, and...
How to dehydrate chili at home? Chilies have different temperatures for dehydration. Does anyone knows what temperature to use for Tabasco and Habanero? And the duration of the process?	As Alton Brown teaches in an episode of Good Eats 'heat' is not the key to dehydration, but rather air flow (you can skip to about 12:00 in). What you need is the "Blow Hard 3000" (A Box fan and a stack of air filters, the cheap ones are fine). He recommended (and I have tried and was successful with a variety of meats...
Chunky Peanut Butter So I'm at home and unable to go out to the store to buy Chunky Peanut Butter for a almost instant no-bake cookies. Does anyone know if there is a possible substitute to use?	One solution is to make your own peanut butter. If you have peanuts (preferably roasted; if you have raw peanuts, toss them in the oven on a baking sheet in a single layer at around 350 F for about 10 minutes, maybe with a tbsp of peanut/vegetable/canola oil), throw them in a food processor or blender and let it rip. ...
What is the difference between a brie and a brie de meaux? Often in the supermarkets, you can find lot's of brie cheese, but also "brie de meaux". What is the difference between the two cheeses. Is it just a different level of protection or do the production methods/ingredients differ? Is there a difference in taste o...	From cheese.com: Brie de Meaux, named after the town of Meaux, is a French cheese produced in the region of Brie, located 50 kilometers to the east of Paris. [...] Brie de Meaux, an AOC cheese should be matured in the regions of Seine-et-Marne, Loiret, Aube, Marne, Haut-Marne, Meuse and Yonne. See also Wikipedia. So ...
homemade fermented soy sauce safe raw? I am fermenting homemade soy sauce for the first time, and followed this generic recipe (that has no pictures). Technically I made tamari, because i did not to put wheat / gluten into the mix (just soy bean, water and salt) http://www.wikihow.com/Make-Soy-Sauce I am about 3 weeks...	Pretty much all the commercial soy sauces, after fermenting is done, press the mash, and the final step is to pasteurize the sauce. This not only kills mold and bacteria, it also alters the flavor in a favorable way, as well. Cook's Illustrated: Brewing a Better Soy Sauce For both safety and for a better homemade produ...
Can water kefir grains be turned into milk kefir grains and if so how? I make water kefir but would like to try milk kefir, can I convert my water granules to milk kefir granules?	It might be technically possible (with a lot of work) to get water-kefir "grains" (or, more correctly, SCOBY, a Symbiotic Culture Of Bacteria and Yeast) to survive on milk, although I'm not sure what kind of drink that would produce. But if your question is, as I suspect, whether you can turn the water-kefir SCOBY into...
How can I move from subscription boxes to recipes successfully? As a beginner baker, I find services where they deliver a box of pre-portioned ingredients with instructions how to bake a cake very useful (and fun!). However, I find that I get kind of lost when I have to bake a cake on my own. I just assume that is due...	What you will find helpful is the concept of "mise en place" Mise en place (MEEZ ahn plahs) is a French term for having all your ingredients measured, cut, peeled, sliced, grated, etc. before you start cooking. Pans are prepared. Mixing bowls, tools and equipment set out. It is a technique chefs use to assemble meals ...
Sauerbraten with a 1.1 pound beef rump roast The recipe I'm using says to roast a 3.5-4 pound sauerbraten roast at 325F for approximately 4 hours. I'm making the recipe quite a bit smaller with a 1.1 pound roast. Should I change the cooking time/temperature? I'm new to roasts, so I really appreciate any insight!	Sauerbraten is meant to be cooked low and slow (schmoren), not like an American roast which has to be removed from the oven as soon as it reaches a target internal temperature. Keep both the oven temperature and the 4 hour time, do not remove it after it reaches the target temperature. For some background, read SAJ14S...
Lebkuchen/Printen I've been trying (and failing) for years to make good lebkuchen or printen. I am OK with the flavour, as I have a good recipe for the spice mix to use, but the 'biscuits' invariably turn out far too hard and brittle, nowhere near the sturdy but pliable, chewy stuff you buy. I wonder if anyone can hel...	The first thing to look at when sweets come out far more brittle than it ought to be is the sugar used. There is a reason syrups are used in the "professional" recipes - these syrups (honey, inverted*, probably some varieties of glucose-fructose, corn syrups, molasses...) will crystallize far less than table sugar, and...
What constitutes the majority of meat? Looking at 100g chicken breast for example, I see that ~30g is protein and ~4 is fat. What is the rest of the 100g piece made of? Is that all connective tissues? Fiber? Something else?	It's essentially just water. You can directly see this in the full USDA nutrition facts (link is for "Chicken, broilers or fryers, breast, meat only, cooked, roasted"). Per 100g, there is 65.26g of water, 31.02g protein, 3.57g fat, accounting for 99.85g. The rest is probably just trace nutrients and rounding errors. Yo...
Proof dough with only 1/2 of flour? I would like to ask if it's possible to proof dough using only 1/2 of the flour, then adding the rest of the flour with the rest of the ingredients. The basis for my question is this video, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ij4snv_9ro4 After quite some time just admiring the above vi...	'Proofing' in the context of breads actually has multiple meanings. Proofing 'the yeast' is also known as 'Fermenting' and is To make sure active dry yeast (not quick-rise yeast) is alive and active, you may first want to proof it Proofing 'the dough' on the other hand refers to the final rise dough undergoes, w...
Plant-based sources of Vitamin B-12? Vitamin B-12 deficiency (used to be called "pernicious anemia") is a risk of being a vegan. Are there any plant-based sources of Vitamin B-12? If not, why? Can one "grow" Vitamin B-12?	Vitamin B12 is stored in the liver and muscle of animals, and is also passed on to eggs and milk, so these are good sources for non-vegans. Humans produce B12 in the gut, but cannot absorb it. Many other animals produce it in the gut too, so unwashed plants that have been fertilized with animal feces may be a source of...
I need a translation from Moroccan to English My mother brought some spices back from her holiday in Morocco but I can't seem to find a translation of them they are Cuorre Pikante Pimante Negra Pimante Rojo Kanela Comeno 7 Especais Mexta Jengebre Courcuoma	After a quick googling and just looking at the words. Cuorre Pikante : Crushed Red Pepper Flakes Pimante Negra : Black peppercorn. Pimante Rojo : Pink peppercorn. Kanela : Cinnamon Comeno : Maybe the brand name of the 7 spice mix ? 7 Especais Mexta : 7 Spice mix. Jengebre : Ginger Courcuoma : Curcuma/Turmeric
How do green jackfruit and hearts of palm compare for vegan pulled pork/carnitas/barbecue? I have been reading a lot about the latest vegan meat substitute choices, but I'm having trouble deciding between green jackfruit and hearts of palm. I am wondering what the advantages and disadvantages of each are. Why I might ...	As a veg/vegan for 24 years, I've used both and prefer jackfruit. Hearts of palm typically come canned and quickly turn to mush if you do anything but slice them up. Whereas jackfruit has a much better, meatier consistency. I've done BBQ pulled "pork" sliders with jackfruit and they were awesome. You can buy it canned ...
Cut food with fork and sharp knife - metal in food? I cut up some sausages with a fork and a fairly sharp knife then wondered if the knife cut the fork and tiny bits of metal got in the food. The fork looks a little scratched/barely gouged but may be partially from regular wear and tear. Should I never use a fork whe...	This shouldn't be an issue. From a practical perspective you need a fork to hold food in place, without one the food would slide around. You aren't going to get metal in your food if the knife contacts the fork when cutting, no matter how sharp it is, unless your fork is made of a soft metal of some kind. If your fork...
Is using a frying pan to boil water for pasta a good or a bad idea? I just found out how my girlfriend makes past	She uses a (non-stick) frying pan to boil the water. I told her she should use a cooking pan. When she asked why I did not have a response. After some internet searching I still have no plausible arguments, it just seems absurd.
What went wrong with my bread? I made challah earlier today and the texture is a bit off- it's slightly too dense and not as fluffy as it should be. The recipe I used calls for only yeast, not baking soda. Any idea what I should do differently next time? Edit: The recipe I used was this, but without the apple filling ...	I think you got very close, just a couple of tweaks are necessary. Generally the reasons for a dense loaf are that the dough is too dry and/or inadequate gluten development. If you have reduced the liquid in the recipe by adding less honey and not replacing it with something then you will have less gluten development b...
too many hot chilli peppers in my Italian Beef! I put way too many hot chilli peppers in my Italian Beef! What can I do to tame it down?	The only things that could really work without modifying the recipe: pick out the peppers, if they're whole and not thoroughly cooked in add a lot more beef, so it's diluted down to a reasonable heat level Otherwise, a couple options, which can be combined: add something creamy/fatty to cut the heat, e.g. sour cream...
Vegetable mill versus using a food processor for vegetables What is the advantage of using a mechanical vegetable mill (the utensil which in Italian is called "passaverdura" or "passaverdure") as opposed to using an electric food processor for vegetables? The only thing I could think of is that a mechanical vegetable ...	The advantage of a passaverdura (or passe-vite in French, also known as Foley Mill in the US) is that like you said it will, depending on the coarseness of the screen, keep back undesired matter, such as pips, skins and strings. Personally, I use it mostly for apple sauce and also mashed potatoes (they achieve a higher...
Is it safe to eat cod that has a pink color? I recently purchased cod from the market and it sat in my fridge for a couple days and i'm not sure if it was spoiled before i froze it. I left it in the freezer for about two weeks. Yesterday, I started thawing the fish and it has a pink color to it. What causes this and ...	It is very difficult to tell someone else it a food item is good or safe, and the normal advice, especially with meats and seafood, is when in doubt, throw it out. In this case, there honestly is too many unknowns. The wording of the question: it sat in my fridge for a couple days and spoiled i froze it Sounds as ...
Do these two types of mouli graters do the same thing? I would like to know whether these two types of mouli graters found in the internet do the same thing, work the same way, or are actually used for different types of food. How do they differ in terms of what they can prepare and how they work mechanically? The big...	Those two are quite different. The first is for soft food: The "wings" push the filling through the mesh, pureeing the food and holding back tough bits like pieces of fruit skin or seeds. It's the same principle as pushing food (chunky soup, cooked fruit...) through a sieve with a ladle or large spoon, just a bit more ...
What to do with ginger leftover from ginger ale production so I have been experimenting in ginger ale brewing lately and I have been following a method which involves fermenting the ale as always (ginger, water, sugar) and then discard the ginger before bottling. But as a good ginger lover, I found it to be a pity to ...	I have used excess ginger by candying it- I boil it for about twenty minutes in a simple syrup, when I take the ginger out of the syrup I place it on a cooling grate and let it cool completely. I then roll each individual piece in turbinado sugar(I have used white sugar too.) To store I place it in a plastic bag with a...
Is convex surface normal in cast iron skillet? I am new to cast iron skillet. I have cooked with it several times and found the Lodge 12" cast iron skillet has a convex surface which is not observable unless you pour oil on it. When I cook, the oil move to rim of the skillet and makes the center short of oil. Is it no...	Pans should be completely flat, and producers are usually very good at getting it right. Even very cheaply made pans are usually sold properly flat. What you describe sounds like you warped your pan. When you heat a pan on a burner that is too small, it becomes convex when viewed from above, if you heat it on a burner...
Canned Stewed Tomatoes without lemon juice I'm making stewed tomatoes & forgot to put the lemon juice in before sealing the jars. Will they still be ok or should i start over?	Unfortunately you should start over. The lemon juice (or citric acid) is necessary to get them acidic enough to prevent botulism growth, since tomatoes aren't quite acidic enough on their own. That means completely starting over, in particular clean and re-sterilize the jars. You can reuse the lids, though. It does mea...
We have 2 almond trees but we cannot crack the shells because they are so hard. What am I doing wrong We find it impossible to crack the almond shells on our almonds from two trees we have. What are we doing wrong?	I don't think you are doing anything wrong, some almond shells can be notoriously hard, depending on the species. Maybe you are used to having soft shell almonds and your trees produce some hard shell variety. Soft Shell Almonds Hard Shell Almonds Make sure they are ripe and dry enough (no fresh pulp around it), gree...
Should truly fresh steak (i. e. still purple) have a smell? I recently purchased a strip steak from my local grocery. Got home and noticed that the other side (the side that was face down at the deli) had a section that was noticeably purple. If I get really close, there is definitely a smell, but it's not a great s...	I ate the steak and was fine. I think it was just an non-oxidized portion of steak. I let it sit in the refrigerator for an hour or so before it I ate it and it's color changed from purple to red, so I'm inclined to think oxidation.
What are the qualities of a good French Bread? I have tried a couple different recipes, and the best tasting (in my opinion) are from Betty Crocker and Fannie Farmer. I was just wondering what are the qualities of a good French Bread?	From Retrodor: The Bread Decree issued in France on September 13, 1993, defined the characteristics of the baguette de tradition française, the traditional French loaf. This baguette resembles the best of those made in the 1930s, when the baguette reached its peak in the major French cities. The Retrodor stands out in...
Can you boil spinach with less water? I usually boil spinach in quite a bit of water. The spinach becomes tiny upon boiling leaving quite a bit of water with nutrients in it. What is the least amount of water I could say boil 100g of spinach in? If I could boil the spinach and be left with just a small layer of green...	You don't have to use any water at all. Just heat it in a pot or pan, stir to keep it from only cooking on the bottom. It'll likely release enough water to end up essentially steaming itself, and yes, it'll be green water you can drink if you like. You can also steam it if you like. If you use a very small amount of wa...
How to make curry always come out dry\easily remove extra water? When I cook a curry I add water to help it cook and stop burning if it goes to low etc. However I prefer my currys to be dry i.e where most water has evaporated. I know you can just cook with less water to begin and cook slow or always watch the curry a...	I always just let the curry simmer in a pot with the lid off to let the water evaporate more so I have thicker curries. The other option (and this is what my Indian family does) is to pour the liquid (so leave out the potatoes, chicken, whatever..) into a smaller pan and bring it to a rolling boil for a while to reduce...
What is the difference between "European Butter" and American butter? I am in America, recently I noticed in my grocery store in the last year or two that there is a type of butter called "European Butter". Is "European Butter" really different from regular butter, yes/no? If yes, what is the difference between regula...	Most butter in the US is sweet cream butter, meaning that the cream is not cultured before it is churned. European style butter is cultured by adding bacteria to the cream and giving it time to thicken and acidify before churning. This results in subtle flavor changes. European style butter also has a slightly higher f...
Sous Vide danger zone for vegetables I know about the danger zone for Sous Vide cooking (Pasteurization etc.) My question is - is it only relevant for meat / pork / poultry, or is it relevant for vegetables too ? (Both greens and root vegetables)	The issue with the "danger zone" has to do with bacteria that are on the food. There are 2 issues. fresh food may have harmful bacteria on it. This is more likely by meat, but vegetables can have them too (this is why you wash off that apple before you eat it) Getting up to 140 degrees kills off everything. any bact...
I need to keep blacks beans and rice warm. In about an hour I need to leave with a pot of black beans and rice. I don't have a crock pot, but I do have a cast iron pot with lid. To keep it all warm can I put it in an iron pot, and put it in the oven at 375F. Am I going to burn it if I leave it there for an hour? Shoul...	I would place cooked beans and rice in a warmed pot (cast iron is good) and then place it in your oven set at its lowest temperature...Maybe 175F, and certainly below 200F. At 375F your rice and beans will continue to cook.
do szechuan peppercorns get stale? I've got some Szechuan/Sichuan peppercorns that don't make my lips numb or tingly, even when I just chew on several of them for 10 seconds or so. I would expect that they would. The jar smells good. Are they old? Low quality? (Or am I immune to the chemical?)	It's impossible to say for sure as senses are subjective, however there may be nothing wrong with it. Sichuan pepper comes from a completely different plant than black pepper, it's actually in the citrus family, and is more aromatic than spicy. You should get more of a spicy, slightly citrus note rather than it blowing...
Onion smell getting on fruits I use a recently-purchased bamboo large-and-heavy cutting board to cut/chop/dice/slice veggies and fruit. However, my routine is such that I typically dice a red onion at night, and a green apple for breakfast. I've noticed that the red onion smell and, to some extent, taste gets on my g...	My experience is that washing doesn't effectively get rid of onion or garlic odors from cutting boards. Either get another - maybe lighter weight and cheaper - cutting board for fruits, or flip your current board over, and use the "bottom" side for delicately scented items, etc. Mark the "top" side with an "o" for "on...
Does anyone know what kind of pan this is? I have a friend who has this pan. What is it used for?	Your friend has an omurice pan. Omurice is a type of Japanese omelet. From Wikipedi
Granola - how to reduce sugar I make a mean granola. It's full of inclusions (dried fruit, seeds, nuts) and oats, rice crisps, etc. I bind it all together with oil, sugar and honey. I want to reduce the sugar content of my granola, but when I do so, it turns more into a muesli where it's all kinda free-flowing instea...	One good method that can help you get solid results is grinding some of the oats in your recipe into oat flour. Grinding the oats allows the starches in the oats to absorb liquids, which then swell and solidify when baked. This is the same way that all cookies and the like get their solidity, by starches that set. My ...
Baking Sirloin in Oven on Pizza? Ordinarily when we make pizzas we throw all of our toppings on and then put raw chicken right on the pizza. Put it in the oven at 425 for about 30 minutes and it's good to go. This week, the supermarket was out of the chicken we normally buy, so we decided to mix it up and try sirloin....	I would think that if you were using fresh sirloin and the pieces were small enough you would be alright using the method you mentioned. I would think that if you were to pre-cook your sirloin and then cook it on top of the pizza for that long you might get tough sirloin. I would suggest cooking the sirloin until just ...
How can I cut the flavour of Worcestershire sauce in a completed Asian dish? I was following a Chicken Yakisoba recipe that looked good. I ended up doubling the sauce because I had added extra cabbage and other vegetables. The sauce called for: 1/4 cup soy sauce 1/4 cup worcestershire sauce 2 Tbsp ketchup up to 1...	I have never encountered this problem but I would suggest making up a batch of just the sauce, omitting the Worcestershire sauce and maybe going a little light on any of the other ingredients that would contribute a high salt content. I would make sure to cook the sauce till the raw flavor is gone, then I would add tha...
Self-made fatty dough separates in refrigerator, how to prevent I'm not sure if this dough has a specific name in English, it consists of 3 parts (by weight) flour, 1 part fat (mix until it consists of small crumbs) and 1 part water (+salt, mix until it's smooth). Used either to wrap around some filling, or as the bot...	I have had this problem before too, and the only solution I have encountered is to freeze the dough you want to store, this requires a bit more planning as you will want the dough to thaw completely before you use it. The best way I have found to thaw the dough is covered on the counter or placed somewhere it can rest ...
New oven still puts out terrible odor 5 days after buying? I recently bought a new convection oven/microwave/grill combo made by Sharp. The user manual said for first time use to run the convection oven at max heat (230C) for 1 hour, which produced a verybad odor but I felt like this was normal. Now, even 5 days later...	It is a normal experience that every time you use a new appliance with a heating device, you will smell something weird like burning plastic. I recommend you to read on the link below on some tips of getting rid of chemical residue (smell) from your new oven. https://www.cnet.com/how-to/why-you-should-always-burn-in-yo...
I accidentally put aluminum foil in my microwave, how can I clean the scorch marks? I have a microwave/grill combo and I accidentally had aluminum foil inside when starting the microwave function. By the time I realized it was already sparking and left brown scorch marks on the inside. The inside walls of my microwave...	Check your microwave's owner's manual for a cleaning procedure and follow it. If there isn't one, I'd try the procedure recommended by Samsung which I've summarized below: Sprinkle baking soda over the interior of the oven and rub the entire thing with a damp cloth. Wipe clean with damp cloths. Make a 1 : 8 vinegar ...
Best way to remove fruit flies from your kitchen I have a confession to make. I was lazy, I didn't think it would cause any harm, but it did. And now they are back. The fruit flies have taken over my kitchen, and I need help fighting them. Story: I was preparing a must for homebrewing a batch of forest fruit wine. Thi...	Fruit fly trap ! Put some strong smelling vinegar, like apple cider vinegar, in a glass and make the trap by making a cone with a sheet of paper. The strong sweet smell will attract them and they won't be able to get out of the glass.
Substituting pancake mix for flour Can I use pancake mix (just whole wheat flour and baking powder ingredients) instead of regular flour to make a cake? (I have a recipe for whole wheat chocolate cake). Would I just leave out the baking powder or add less baking powder? Thanks!	Are you sure that's all that is in your pancake mix? You normally have some baking soda, baking powder, oils, salt, sugar, corn starch in there (You'll find all of these in Bisquick, plus some conditioners to make the gluten stronger and things like that). Possibly some egg and milk products depending on the type of mi...
Is "high" on a slow-cooker supposed to mean 300 F? I was following a recipe for slow-cooked meat and potatoes. The directions say to cook on "high" for 4 hours. My slow-cooker, however, has a temperature range which ranges from "warm", to "150", to all the way beyond "500" degrees Fahrenheit. After some internet res...	When I started researching sous vide cooking some years ago, I created a little database of slow cookers on the market and researched the temperatures of different devices. Interestingly, slow cookers are wildly different: low temperatures ranged from 190F to 275F and high temperatures were correspondingly wacky. There...
Can raw honey look dark and runny? I have purchased Safa raw honey. They have written that their honey is: 100% Pure & Raw Raw Unheated Unfiltered This honey is runny and dark in colour (almost black). It has some residue in it. This website shows raw honey that looks like a paste: http://www.hibeautiful.net/directo...	That seems normal. All the "raw" means is that it was extracted from the honeycomb without significant heating. It's liquid to start with in the honeycomb, so it's normal for it to still be liquid when you get it. I don't know if I'd call it runny, it should still generally be a pretty thick, slow-flowing liquid, but i...
How to proceed when you have a marinade of beef in spices, tomato, vinegar and onion? I followed this recipe of beef vindaloo, last night, triple checking everything written there. Since I don't have a spice grinder, I put the chopped onions, chopped tomatoes, salt and spices in a mixie and converted it into a fine pa...	A couple things to keep in mind - Using less vinegar in the marinade: is the purpose of the marinade to infuse the beef with flavor and tenderize it? Or is it mainly (or additionally) to apply a coating/paste/sauce to the surface of the beef, that is expected to stay on the meat, to a certain extent? Keep in mind a ...
Is it possible to do slow cook things using a sous vide machine? My question is the exact opposite of this one. I'm considering getting a sous vide tool like this one. I'm wondering what's preventing me to use it as a slow cooker? Like, would it make sense to use the sous vide thing to circulate water in a bain-marie,...	Sous vide cooking is often at low temperatures, for long periods of time. But, you lose out on things like evaporation which can be essential for slow cooked meals or certain types of flavor development. You can't do things like stir food in a sous vide setup easily. So you have to be careful with what recipes you conv...
Can ginger root that's gone bad hurt you if you eat it? We use ginger root with a mixture of lemon and other ingredients. Can ginger root that's gone bad hurt you if you eat it?	Sure. Most foods can cause you damage if you eat it when spoiled. E.g. if its grown moldy, you don't know if the mold is a safe to eat one or not.
How can I smoke something without a smoker I am looking to smoke some meat for my chili, but the problem is, I have no smoker. I understand there are products like liquid smoke, however, this didn't create the taste I wanted or really much of one for that matter (I used a good 1/4 of the bottle too). Is there a way ...	I have successfully smoked with apple wood chunks wrapped in foil in my outdoor grill. The trick is to find a setting that will maintain ~300 F using 1/2 of the burners. Then place the foil-wrapped chunks on the hot side and the meat on the cool side. The wood will begin to smoke after 10 minutes or so. Keep checking p...
Why is my whipped cream dispenser stuck? I recently purchased a whipped cream dispenser (specifically, this one), but it's been giving me some trouble and I don't know if it's just this one or they're all like this. What I do: put in the prerequisite amount of whipping cream (1 cup), powdered sugar, and vanilla mix t...	I have several of these and what you are describing is a common occurrence. As cream is either 'whipped' mechanically or put under pressure with a NO2 cartridge bubbles become trapped in the cream to 'fluff' it up. As the now whipped cream is allowed to rest the bubbles will slowly rise to the top and allow the gas to...
What do I search for when looking for unsweetened recipes? This has frustrated me immensely. I want to find recipes for things like savory granola that contain neither added sugar nor any kind of sweetener like rice syrup. However, recipes on the internet seem to include some kind of sweetener despite saying they are...	As pointed out in the comments, the correct search term is "savory." Keep in mind, however, that while chefs often create savory versions of typically sweetened items, those versions usually have sugar or other sweeteners in them. In granola, for example, we understand it generally as a sweet breakfast or snack item....
Adding uncooked rice to a slow-cooked stir fry I'd like to make this slow-cooked chicken stir fry recipe. It is suggested that it be served with rice. But I know rice itself can be made in a slow-cooker. If I don't mind having the rice already mixed together with the stir fry, can I simply add 2 cups of uncooked bro...	You can certainly add rice to the slow cooker--but it will end up more like a rice stew, rather than a stir fry ("slow-cooked stir fry" is also an oxy-moron--the recipe that you link to is in fact a vegetable and meat stew with a vaguely asian flavor profile and has nothing whatsoever to do with a stir-fry). However, t...
Should I clean the pan between batches of browning I am a proponent of browning meat at high temperature to get the maillard reaction prior to whatever remaining cooking steps there may be. I usually use a large stainless steel pan and a quantity of food small enough such that once added the pan doesn't cool down much...	I don't think there is a definitive answer to that. You could remove some of the fat and small residues between batches to prevent them from burning. You can also lower the temperature, it will take a little more time to brown the meat. This recipe suggest to deglaze between batches and keep the juices for later use in...
Substitute for chickpeas in Thailand I can't find chickpeas. What would you recommend instead when making falafel?	I have personally made felafel with split peas (both green and yellow) as well as chickpeas and several other types of bean. I have not tried red beans as I don't like them. While not exactly the same as chickpea, the split pea felafel were felafel, not something unrecognizable as felafel, though the green ones were qu...
Turning toasted, non-crumbly whole wheat bread into breadcrumbs I've got some toasted 100% whole wheat homemade bread that I would like to turn into breadcrumbs. How can I do that? It doesn't crumble easily.	A coffee grinder or food processor both work well. Drying the bread at low oven temperature will aid the crumbling.
Braided bread: how to prevent ropes from springing back I've been making challah regularly for years and would like to find a way to make the ropes longer before braiding so the end result can be a longer loaf, but they always shrink up. I've read that letting the dough rest will accomplish this but I have not had luc...	Patience, my friend! If your dough springs back, you are in fact doing everything right. A good dough will be elastic, that means you can stretch the ropes to a certain point and beyond that, it will return to the original length - and after that, start tearing. If you leave the dough alone for a few minutes, the glute...
Why does aluminum foil on a pizza stone ruin the pizza? I have a pizza stone and I have a problem with burned dough sticking to it. So I tried to use aluminum foil on the stone for easy cleanup. I wrapped the stone as tightly as I could with the foil and then used it according to the instructions. The foil ruined the...	To understand what's happening here, we should first have a look at what a pizza stone does. A pizza stone is made from a semi- permeable material with a high thermal capacity, or, plainly put, can store heat and soak up humidity. This means it ensures constant heat at the bottom, plus it buffers the wetness of the dou...
How do I safely caramelize honey without fully burning it? Background: I am going to make a bochetomel, which is a type of mead that utilizes partly caramelized honey to impart a smokey/slightly burnt taste to the finished product. The honey I have bought for this was expensive local produce, and I would like to avoid...	A candy thermometer is pretty much always the answer when it comes to candymaking, which includes caramelizing sugar. Assuming the soft ball stage is indeed the best for brewing, all you have to do is keep track of the temperature: the soft ball stage is at 112-116C/234-241F. While you can certainly buy specialized can...
Which types of bread are well suited for overnight proofing and what adjustments are needed? I bake simple white loaves quite often. Usually my recipe is a very basic one, like this Classic white loaf from BBC Good Food. I have also experimented with increasing the hydration of the loaf. Sometimes at the end of the d...	When you consider overnight proofing in the fridge, the first and probably most important change is the amount of yeast. Your sample recipe is a very mainstream yeast-rich one (and even for non-fridge preparation I personally would use less and proof a tad longer). For overnight proofing, the rule of thumb is 1-2% fre...
Is there a difference in gnocchi between baking, steaming, or boiling potatoes? I’m looking to make gnocchi. Lydia Bastianich says in her cookbook that we should boil the potatoes. Bryan Talbot says that we should bake them with a little bit of salt.	There are several styles of gnocchi. For potato gnocchi, use starchy, russet potatoes. Boiling, steaming, or baking will all work. I prefer baking, as it is easier to control the moisture content when mixing with eggs and flour. Pass your cooked potato through a ricer or food mill before adding eggs and flour (thou...
Is horseradish and Wasabi the same thing? Is horseradish and Wasabi the same thing or are they different, what are the differences in taste and texture, if there are indeed any?	They are different plants -- two different members of the mustard/cabbage family. Both have a similar sharp, pungent flavor and penetrating aroma, but wasabi is generally considered to be more potent. In prepared form, horseradish is somewhat coarsely grated, while wasabi is ground to the finest possible paste. Some (...
Why does water evaporate from curry better when you off the gas then heat again? When I cook curry I often try to make it dry. When I try to simmer the water off I notice the water takes time to go and sometimes when i think its done i still see a little water in it. However I notice that if I make a watery curry, wh...	Liquid in the pan actually does evaporate more quickly with boiling; however, you may be pulling more water out of your ingredients for a variety of reasons ie salt or acid is drawing off water. Or ingredients packed together in pan (mushrooms esp get watery packed together) Surface drying of veg (not immersed )during ...
Baking a tall cake in a regular pan I need to make a thick one layer cake (3-4") but I don't have a pan that deep. Can I use parchment to add height?	Yes, you can do this like: ...though I would recommend multiple layers around. That said, why is it that you "need" to do it this way rather than in layers? The actual baking of an 'extra thick' cake is likely to leave with cake that is over done at the edges and under done in the center.
substituting rosehip solution for lemon juice/citric acid Syrup recipe calls for citric acid, 3Tbsp. I want to use rosehips to achieve the same degree of tartness. 3Tbsp equals 2 1/4 cups of lemon juice. I can boil/steep dry rosehips to that subjective degree of tartness... ...or is there a more accurate way? Rule of ...	This is going to be difficult to boil down (excuse the pun) to an objective guideline, even a rule-of-thumb. The problem is the wide variation in the acid content of rosehips. This academic paper (which looked at varieties grown in Poland, but is fairly representative of what I can find; for similar examples see abstr...
yeast-less pita bread sometimes inflates I started making pita flat breads at home using only whole wheat, water and salt. I usually make it really fast by putting all the ingredients together and start giving it a roudish shape straight away. Then I just put it in the frying pan both sides for a couple minutes. Now, ...	Puffing is caused by steam evaporating inside the dough. The gluten matrix holds the steam in, especially after you've cooked it on one side. If you cut into the puffed dough, you'll notice that a lot of hot steam escapes. Be careful when you do that. You can burn yourself. I speak from experience. Besides, the texture...
Pie with 2 different fillings Good evening all. I am going to try something tomorrow night, I wanted to see if anyone had done anything similar to give me some hints. Background: I enjoy making a buttermilk custard pie. I enjoy making shoofly (molasses) pie. I enjoy eating them together- they sort of give a "buttermi...	Frankly, I'd be too lazy to fiddle with a "separating wall" shell - partly because unless very well supported its likely to collapse during blind baking anyway. My tool of choice would be a small cake ring or, in a pinch, a strip of aluminum foil, folded a few times and shaped into a circle. Place the ring on the preba...
No Lava in my Pressure Cooked Lava Cake! I tried a youtube recipe for making lava cake in a pressure cooker. It really turned out very good except there was no lava, just cake. I think it was because I over cooked it. I'm not really sure. I preheated the water and then proceeded to pressure cook. I only pressure cooke...	For lava cake, cooked using any method, there is a relatively fine line between perfect and over cooked. It appears that you crossed that line.
enamelled pot with a chip on the outside on the bottom I have an enamelled pot with a chip on the outside on the bottom. This isn't a problem, is it? It is about an inch long and maybe an eighth of an inch wide.	It should not be a big problem. Just be careful not let the exposed area rust, Clean and dry thoroughly.
What is the purpose of proofing dough in several stages I've seen several recipes for various doughs that have several (usually 2) stages of proofing. Start by just letting the dough to rise in a bowl. Separating the dough into the desired number of pieces, set the requested form/shape, and let the dough rise again. ...	There are three steps in bread making commonly referred to as "Proofing" The first step is also called fermenting (or proofing the yeast, which, I believe, is not what you are asking about). The first rise (also called proofing or bulk fermentation) is about increasing the volume. This is the primary breeding period fo...
Can I boil a peeled egg again? I prefer my eggs hard boiled. But sometimes I end up with boiled eggs that have runny yolks, either due to my own carelessness or the overeager nature of the house help. Is it okay to boil eggs after they have been completely peeled? Will the results be close to a normal hard boiled eggs...	I poach eggs, remove and chill them in an ice water bath to stop the cooking and then 'reheat' them in the simmering/boiling water right before getting ready to nap them with hollandaise and then serving them. (to aid in creating mass quantities of eggs benedict to be served at the same time) I suspect that you can fu...
Why wait for some hours before filling any food into a new freezer? User manuals of some freezers indicate that for the first few hours after switching on the new freezer, one should not put any food into it. For instance, I am looking at a specimen that requires me to wait for 6 hours before starting to fill it. Note...	Most of the "cold" in a freezer isn't stored in the air. It's stored in the contents of the freezer, and in the walls (air has a very low volumetric specific heat). However, the thermostat controlling the compressor works off the air temperature. If you start filling a freezer before it's had a chance to properly coo...
Can handmade pasta be more than just flour + eggs? I'm getting into making my own pasta, and the recipes I see are basically: Mix eggs and flour together, roll/cut/cook I'm wondering if there are ways to make the pasta any fancier/tastier? Or do we simply stick to flour and eggs, and put the flavours into the sauce ...	Traditional pasta such as you describe uses semolina flour and eggs, but many recipes also call for milk. Buttermilk or sour cream is often used in vareniki. Spaetzle recipes often call for nutmeg. Rice noodle recipes don't use either wheat flour or eggs, but use rice flour, water, and an additional starch such as tapi...
How to keep insides of calzone from being too runny I have cooked calzones with differing results. Sometimes it comes out that the insides of the calzones are too runny, even after cooling. Some things I have done to ensure a dry, solid center are: Use egg(s) Use cheese Squeeze the ricotta with paper towel I feel l...	Cook's Illustrated really has the definitive guide to making calzones which aren't soggy. Since that one requires a subscription, check out Serious Eats recipe, which does not, although it doesn't have as much of the science behind making crisp calzone. To summarize their points on avoiding water: No eggs Drain the r...
How many green onions are in a bunch? I have a lot of green onions but my recipe calls for a small bunch. Roughly how many green onions would I find in any of the following? Small bunch Normal bunch Large bunch	Well, I can at least show you what ALDI in Germany considers a bunch: It weighs about 200g and if I wrap my hand around it, my finger touches the middle joint of my thumb, which according to JBergen's comment, makes it a medium bunch. And in this bunch are.... Seven onions! But the exact number is probably not really...
curdled 1/2 & 1/2 in Keurig-type coffee When I buy coffee (either decaf or regular) at the convenience store and add 1/2 & 1/2, it lasts for several days and several re-heatings without curdling. BUT when I make Keurig-type coffee using ANY of several different brands I buy at the supermarket, my coffee won't last u...	The little 1/2 & 1/2 containers are ultra-pasteurized, so that they can be stable at room temperature. Ultra-pasteurized milk products will not curdle. This is why you cannot make cheese with them. It is also possible that the Keurig coffee, being better roasted and sealed, is more acidic, but it is far more likely t...
Bakers semi sweet chocolate bar I feel like a real dummy but I need some help. I have a recipe that is calling for 8 oz of semi sweet chocolate finely chopped. I'm thinking that means a semi sweet chocolate bar chopped up. I read where a lady said each square is an ounce of chocolate but on the box it says there i...	Bakers Chocolate used to come in 1-ounce squares, but doesn't anymore. This has caused me some confusion (and unexpected recipe results!) in the past, since decades of recipes specified chocolate quantities by squares, rather than by ounces. I have no idea why they made the change. But, the solution/workaround is to go...
What can I substitute for lady cream peas without noticeable flavor change? I was emailed a recipe by a friend -- she'd like me to cook a Strawberry and Lemon White Bean Bundt Cake. One of the ingredients is going to be a problem, though: 1/2 pound Camellia Brand Lady Cream Peas, cooked and drained The cooked peas a...	Camellia brand has a store locator for it's products and the OP was able to find the lady cream peas at a location close to her. For anyone who isn't able to find them, butter peas are a good option. I've seen them fresh, frozen, and canned. Other acceptable substitutes could be cannellini (white kidney) beans or great...
Pumpkin pie lacks aroma? Every year around this time I try to make pumpkin pie. We don't have that many varieties around here so I use a fresh butternut squash that I bake and then puree. However, if the cooked squash is sweet and aromatic, when combined with the other ingredients for a pie, it loses that aroma and tu...	Pumpkin pie where I come from (USA) is made with these big round orange squashes (we call them "pumpkins", but I believe that term is used for different things in some other countries). Unlike butternut squash, or other members of the squash family, our pumpkins aren't considered to be delicious cooked by themselves, a...
What is the difference bewteen stewing and boiling? I've read different definitions for what stewing is. I've read that it means to cook at a simmer(i.e. below a boil) but I've also read it means to cook in water in a pot with a lid. If the latter that could still mean it is boiling since the water has been added to ...	‘Boiling’ usually means a rolling boil, where all the liquid is at the boiling point. In a simmer, small bubbles of steam will occasionally rise from the bottom of the pan, but the liquid as a whole is below the boiling point. Stewing entails cooking for a long period of time at a simmer.
Can a rice cooker be used to evaporate remove all water in a soup? Suppose I cooked a soup and now wanted to evaporate/remove all water from the soup leaving behind fat, oil, minerals etc. Could I place the soup liquid in a rice cooker, switch it on and expect it to have the desired result? If not why not? Is there ...	Just to be clear, you want to remove all the water from your soup? In other words, you want to make dehydrated soup powder, or a solid disk of dehydrated soup crust, out of your homemade soup? The way I understand rice-cookers to work is they shut off as the temperature begins to climb above that of boiling water. Pre...
What makes dumplings ("knödel") mushy and sticky ("patzig")? We just returned from a restaurant that served "dumplings" in a cheese sauce. This was an Italian restaurant. My wife didn't like them. They were the size of baby carrots, or baby meat wieners. She had expected the baseball sized ones. But the worst acc...	The international dumpling clan is a quite diverse family: They come in a lot of sizes, from tiny, bite-sized gnocchi to huge, family-sized serviettenknödel and are made from a wide range of bases, like ricotta, potatoes, stale bread, breadcrumbs... If you were in an Italian restaurant, you probably were served some ...
Controlling variables in homemade yogurt Making yogurt at home is a fairly straight-forward process. Heat milk to 180F (82C), cool that milk to at least 110F (43C), add live cultures, usually in the form of yogurt with said cultures, incubate, then chill. There are several variables in the process, some of which are...	I've been experimenting with goat milk yogurt - changing things up one variable at at time. I've been able to get a consistently creamy texture with 10 minutes at 195, one hour at 120, and then lowering to 86 and incubating until it reaches a pH of around 4.3. A lower pH or a higher incubation temperature result in a m...
Does my electric stove heat up quicker on the highest gear? I have an electric stove with the gears 1-6. When I want to, for instance, boil some water I always put it on gear 6 and then leave it like that until the water is close to a boil, and then I reduce it to gear 5. However, today it crossed my mind: Does it act...	Yes, it will bring you to a boil the quickest. Many heating systems we encounter in everyday life have thermoregulation, and it is counterproductive to run them at full blast at the beginning. For example, an AC unit will "know" on its own to run all the time until it reaches the target temperature, and then start tur...
Is there a reason to not just cut chestnuts through before cooking them? Most instruction on cooking chestnuts (I'm going to boil them specifically) tell you to score them with an X. I know this is so the steam from the inside has somewhere to escape. If I'm fine with just having halves/quarters of flesh, is there a r...	I've only ever roasted them, and there, you do want to score them at least enough to create a weak spot, since heat above boiling temperatures will come into play and they will burst. In roasting them, I think they'd be more prone to drying out if halved first. A small serrated knife is a better choice than a big chef'...
Pepperoncinis vs Banana Peppers I have never known there to be a difference, until stumbling upon Papa John's extras menu where pepperoncini is listed separately from banana peppers. When shopping, usually I find the names to be interchangeable. For example, if you go to Subway here in the US and ask for pepperoncini ...	I find them to be quite different, actually. The pickled banana peppers you find at sandwich and salad bars are usually cut in rings. They have a sour but quite sweet flavor that I like a lot. I don't usually define these as being "hot" at all. They have thicker flesh than pepperoncinis. I could eat these things all d...
Would cooking a leg of lamb for 12 hours be a problem? I found a nice recipe for a leg of lamb. It is however supposed to be baked for four hours. It would be more practical for me if I could let it bake for 12 hours (overnight) -- would 12 hours vs. 4 hours be a problem? I was planning to seal the pot and set the ov...	It shouldn't be a problem. I would probably use a lower cooking temperature however. Start with a highish temperature of about 180-200C, to bring the meat out of the danger zone quickly, then lower it to 80-90 for a long slow cook. You will probably want to introduce some liquid to the pan to avoid it all drying out.
Is this a bad apple? I cut my apple open this morning and found that it had an unexpected consistency emanating from the core. I couldn't find much about what's going on here other than maybe this is some kind of mold (seems unlikely). What's going on with this apple? This particular apple was part of an Amazon Fresh...	This appears to be watercore, specifically radial watercore, from the image you have posted. It should be safe to eat, according to this site and this site. According to an article from Washington State University, watercore is a disorder of some apple variants, which can cause the internal flesh to appear glassy [shi...
Nut-free "Almond Paste" filling How can i create a closely matched "Almond Paste" (for croissant) without using almond meal/paste/butter/products/etc? I have a nut-free almond flavour that should be okay for the flavouring component, looking more for a texture match here. Any ideas?	I wouldnt't do a starch-based "paste" (it will be a pudding) because it will have a completely wrong texture, way too creamy. My first choice would be a bean paste. Make it with white beans instead of azuki to get a color more suggestive of marzipan, and add more sugar than usual to distract from the bean taste. A clo...
Why is my meat still tough after hours of cooking? I have been cooking this meat in 200-250f for hours. But its still very tough. It doesnt stand the fork test. Why? Could it be because the collagen needs lower temperatures to break down?	When you're cooking something like a steak, or a prime rib roast and aim for a cooking temperature of say 135ish, you want it to be medium rare. The goal isn't to break anything down. Collagen starts to break down slowly above 160F, and will melt much more rapidly closer to 180F. Further more, iff you have any cut of ...
Dented can of iced tea fizzed when opened I just opened a can of iced tea that got dented about a week ago I think from hitting the ground. It fizzed a bit when opened, like soda sort of and sprayed on my hand, after that it was flat. It's apparently not carbonated (Brisk). This is not a botulism risk is it? I put it ...	It fizzed a bit when opened, like soda sort of and sprayed on my hand, after that it was flat. I see this happen all the time with cans of uncarbonated drinks, e.g. Arizona iced tea. Even though the drink isn't carbonated, the cans seem to be pressurized to some degree: an unopened can is quite firm and hard to squeez...
Culture fresh buttermilk with yogurt I would like to try culturing fresh buttermilk that I get from whipping butter. I would like to ask if storebought "cultured buttermilk" is done exactly like homemade yogurt, but with fresh buttermilk? Thus, would the methodology be as follows? (1) heat buttermilk to simmering (2) ...	You seem to have gotten the process backwards. You don't culture the buttermilk. You culture the milk, then whip the butter, and the rest is cultured buttermilk, at least if you are going for traditional buttermilk. If you want modern buttermilk, you don't whip anything, just culture the whole milk and consume the resu...
Measuring temperature of diced chicken I purchased an analogue instant-read meat thermometer (link to the precise product). I fried some diced chicken in a little lime juice and olive oil in a frying pan on a medium-high heat. I periodically measured the temperature by sticking the end into the centre of a piece of ch...	Here's a technical explanation as to what happened. An analog thermometer works on the principle that different metals expand more than others when heated. There is a bi-metallic strip in the pen part of the thermometer in the shape of a spiral coil, which is attached to a piece of metal which turns the pointer. The ou...
Is there a word for the flavour shared by onion, spring onion, shallot, leek, and chive? Among the flavours of onions, spring onions, shallots, leeks, and chives there is one that they share. Is there a name for it?	Conversationally, "oniony". Everyone will understand that, and tend to say it naturally. In a more serious cooking context, you could also get away with "allium flavor", though likely not in everyday conversation. There are a lot of alliums, including onions, garlic, scallions, shallots, leeks, and chives, so if you re...
Can I bake Nutella? I'm wanting to use Nutella in my cookies. However, I'm not sure if it's okay to bake Nutella under these conditions: Undiluted – I wouldn't mix the Nutella with any other ingredients Not exposed – the Nutella would be baked inside the cookie, in a pocket in the dough 190° Celsius (375° Fahrenheit)...	I have no experience with cookies, but I DID bake Nutella as a filling in bread-dough, and a friend of mine made nutella-cupcakes. In neither case was there any issue, and both versions extend the 10-minute-mark. Just let the cookies cool down some before biting into them. Hot Nutella is... well, HOT!
What are the consequences of not rinsing hermetic lentils prior to use? There are these hermetic boiled green lentils that I've been eating for a decade. They are great in salads, etc. The text on these boxes is in Scandinavian languages. It basically says, among other things, that they are ready to eat, boiled green...	The only consequence is that you will eat the liquid in which they were. They will taste different with it. Also, if you cook them, they may be more prone to sticking, because of starch and other stuff sticking to the surface. This is not an issue in salads, though. You probably already know the consequences anyway, s...
Arby's Roast Beef - what cut of meat? What cut of meat does Arby's use in their roast beef sandwiches? Looking at the slices (see: https://arbys.com/desktop/images/the_meats/beef_n_cheddar.png), they don't seem to have the muscle fibers I would expect to see in beef (e.g. https://www.eatdrinkri.com/wp-content/uploads/...	The "Arby's we grew up on" was a Steamship Round. That is the entire "round primal" shown in diagram. However, several years ago they went to a processed version in order to make production more uniform, I believe it is likely still 'mostly' round that has been pressed and shaped. You are unlikely to find a steamship ...
Food safety of China-imported kitchen utensils I am considering ordering a few silicone kitchen utensils from China (like this). However, I am concerned about their food safety. The seller assures that the tools are made of "100% Food Grade Silicone" and food safe symbol (fork and wine glass icon) is there - however a...	"100% something" can mean "nothing else was intentionally added", while the material might still be contaminated, eg by using raw materials (or auxiliary chemicals that are not considered part of the product) that were neither of food grade purity nor processed to ensure they are. It can also be a rounded up value - 99...
Why was sauteed spinach watery? I sauteed some spinach in a little oil and when eating the oil with spinach I noticed the oil tasted a bit watery and I could have sworn I saw water(likely from spinach) in the oil while it was frying. Am I doing something wrong when cooking, can you explain these results? As far as I u...	There is a lot of water in spinach. It's 91% water. Raw spinach is 91% water, 4% carbohydrates, 3% protein, and contains negligible fat (table). In my experience, sauteeing spinach still requires a good amount of cooking time to actually cook off much of the water and usually still requires draining it or squeezing i...

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