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How do I choose frozen fish so that it doesn't release so much water? I bought a package of frozen, individually wrapped, vacuum-sealed pacific cod fillets (about 150-200 grams each) from what I thought was a reputable brand (and not the lowest price) in my nearest supermarket, and attempted to pan-fry it. I defrosted ...	There is no way for you to recognize whether a piece of frozen fish or meat in the supermarket was flash-frozen or not.
What is a tourne knife used for? For my birthday, I was given a collection of more or less esoteric knives, such as two mezzalunas (one with one handle, and one with two), a sicle knife and a tourne knife. My question is this; what is the latter, the tourne knife, used for? <Q> Also known as a "bird's beak", it's used...	They can also be used in many ways for the same purpose a standard paring knife is used: peeling, slicing small items like garlic cloves, and so on.
What makes the Pillsbury canned biscuits puff up? What is it in canned biscuits that makes them puff up immediately upon opening the can yet stops them from raising further? What kind of food voodoo is at work here? Please explain the food science behind this and what additives cause this effect in the "food". <Q> You'...	It could be achieved with almost any leavening, but I suspect it's baking soda or baking powder, and not yeast.
How do I get crispy but thin bread crust? On a handful of occasions I've had bread in a restaurant where the crust is thin but very crispy, almost as if it had a couple layers. It looks crackly and gives easily to pressure. It's not a thick hard-to-chew crust. The inside is wonderful and soft. I'd call it "Italian brea...	Par-baking bread, freezing it, and then baking it to the correct color tends to give bread a very (sometimes excessively) crisp crust. So, you'll either need a pro oven or a steam modding (which only works on an oven with vents, unless you are prepared to drill a hole into the oven cavity). I recommend www.thefreshloaf...
Would it be advisable to partially pre-grill hamburgers and freeze so that they can be pan fried when a customer orders? I have a small restaurant and we serve hamburgers. But we are trying to speed up service and thinking of ways to do that. We don't have a commercial grill, so heating up a grill takes too much time. ...	As far as par-cooking your burgers in advance, don't do it. You will lose juiciness, I know this from experience.
How can I color pasta during cooking or afterwards, preferably using natural coloring? My daughter asked me if I could make her red bowtie pasta in honor of Matt Smith as Dr. Who. I'd rather not use an artificial dye. Either way, how would I go about coloring the pasta itself? Assume that I am starting from store...	I just saw a video where someone mixed the cooked pasta in gel food coloring , and it took on quite vibrant colors.
How do I keep my melted candy windows in my gingerbread house from cracking? I have melted hard candy in the windows of my gingerbread house, two days later the candy is cracked. Tried it again, using more candy, but it cracked again. The gingerbread wall with the windows was baked and sat for two days before the har...	I like to make my own sugar glass. It could be that glueing a tough, flexible film to your sugar windows will absorb some physical tension or jolting effects, and/or prevent drying out which leads to cracking. I also put a light under my houses so it looks like someone is "home".
Why do my cakes turn mouldy? My cakes get really mouldy/sticky within days if I don't refrigerate them during rainy season or when it's too hot. My cakes pass the skewer test before coming out of oven. This has happened for most of the recipes I have tried. I try to make my cakes with lesser sugar and wholewheat floo...	The cake can also absorb water from the air if it is very humid (you mentioned the rainy season).
First-Aid Kit for Kitchens No one is immune to injury in the kitchen. Cuts and burns especially are common and can be severe. I love cooking with kids and I feel that it's my responsibility to be prepared for potential accidents. Accidents happen in professional kitchens too, and dinner service doesn't stop because the...	Medicated creams or ointments to fight infection on cuts are good. One of the best things you can have doesn't come in a tube, it's an aloe plant - the best thing for mild burns is first to put under cold water to cool the skin and then apply fresh aloe.
Jalapeno condiment for pho There is a little pho place right around the corner that I just love. They have condiments on the tables including what appear to be just fresh sliced jalapenos in vinegar. They don't seem to be cooked nor do they seem to have been given any time to "pickle". The proprietor's English goes sou...	The answer is rice vinegar, a little sugar, a little salt (not so much salt and sugar as to make the vinegar seem like "seasoned rice vinegar" as for sushi, just a pinch of each) and time .
Keeping bananas fresh for longer Is there any way to keep bananas fresh for longer? We tried putting them in the fridge but their skins turn black very fast. <Q> Store them in a well ventilated place. <S> Cool (15 degrees Celsius) and dark will probably do them good too. <S> And buy green bananas. <S> Your bananas a...	Bananas will ripe after being plucked, no matter if on the tree or not.
What's the name of the black-brown decoration sauce used in French cooking? When my boyfriend and I visited France a few months ago, I noticed that a lot of savory dishes were drizzled with some black-brown colored sauce on top (see picture I took, which is a plain risotto). The sauce tasted fairly sweet and not salty....	It could be wine or balsamic, or any other dark liquid, really.
What can I do with the fat skimmed from chicken stock? Two days ago I prepared some chicken stock. During the preparation, I took care to skim the grayish foam (as per procedure) and all went well. I usually freeze it for future use but this time I didn't have the time, so I put the stock in the fridge. Later on I not...	For example, you can use it to fry foods, or instead of butter in creating a roux, when you would like the chickeny flavor it provides.
How to keep fried fish warm and crispy during transport to venue? I frequently cook for my choir and I wanted to serve fried fish. The problem is I have to cook the food at home and transport it to the church. How do I keep it warm and crispy for about an hour after its cooked and during transport? Additionally, what ...	For crispiness: keep the fish on a cooling rack and well ventilated no matter what - even when using steam tables, which should be fine for this purpose.
Can I use flavored beers in beer bread? I'm making beer bread and only have blue moon or leineys lemon shandy. Would these work without a fruity flavor overpowering the bread? <Q> I've made rather good bread with Hoegaarden, so I assume any witbier like Blue Moon would be fine. <S> There is a noticeable flavor contribu...	I've made beer bread with Dreamweaver Wheat (gave it a sweet banana-like flavor), Sunshine Pils (a nice savory hoppy flavor), and Guinness (a darker bread with those dark bread flavors).
Cause for Popovers not Rising in Oven? Today, I was inspired to make popovers. I followed this recipe, " Foolproof Popovers " but substituted the white flour with whole wheat white flour. As for the rest of the directions, I carefully followed all the details: melting the butter, brushing it and preheating the the ...	A hot oven is not enough for pop overs, you need well preheated containers. It is not only the tin which makes them rise well; being dropped in sizzling hot fat does them good.
Do I need to peel a red kuri squash? I was just preparing red kuri squash for a soup, and as usual during preparation I snacked some pieces. The skin did not seem very thick and I took a bite of a piece with some left on it. While it was a bit harder than the skin of an apple, it wasn't really that hard. I hope keep...	More precisely, most Japanese are content to eat most Japanese varieties of squash unpeeled (maybe rough peeled where knobs are present).
How to keep a green smoothie from getting 'frothy'? I've been making a lot of green smoothies (using a Vitamix), and they have a tendency to end up with about 2 inches of undrinkable froth/foam at the top. It seems a higher percentage of veggies vs fruit makes it worse, and spinach is particularly bad. 2 questions: ...	Pulsing the blender a few times at the end might get rid of some of the froth. For problem #2, you can Reduce the sources of insoluble fiber (leaves, peels, apples) Ideally a healthful oil such as flaxseed oil or coconut oil, but if you don't want to impart any flavor regular neutral cooking oil will work.
Can I make a good pizza in a home portable oven? I have a portable small oven with a max temperature of 250°C. There are two hot bars, one at the top and the other at the bottom. First of all, I'm not sure that I can get good pizza in that. My crust never gets heated much, it looks like the base is not heated when i...	The Sicilian style pizza works extremely well in a toaster oven.
How long is garlic butter safe, and why is it not a botulism risk like garlic in oil? I've been making garlic butter for years, storing it for months at a time. When I read that garlic-in-oil can grow dangerous amounts of botulinum toxins after similar lengths of time, I wondered how safe garlic butter is and why. Ev...	Garlic butter should be safer because you make it by chopping up garlic and cooking it in butter.
Best apples for apple pie I am making an apple pie for the first time this Thanksgiving. I was wondering what the best apple was for apple pie. There are so many to choose from. <Q> Some of this is a matter of opinion, as you must decide what type of apple pie you like. <S> Do you want one with discernable applie s...	Alton Brown likes a combination of Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, Braeburn and Golden Delicious.
Are dark walnuts ok to eat? I bought a bag of walnuts from the local farmers market (in NZ), but some of them are dark colored on the outside and almost black inside. Is this normal and are they ok to eat? Also noticed some of them are slightly open. <Q> I'm not sure what causes it and what food safety issues may be i...	The book is available for limited preview / purchase for anyone further interested in the topic, but I think the short answer is they'll taste nasty (regardless of any safety issues) so probably best disposed of and maybe complain to the supplier if you got too many in that state and ask for their comment.
How to reheat a baked potato? How should baked potatoes be reheated in order to most closely approximate fresh-from-the-oven quality? <Q> Sadly, baked potatoes are one of those foods that are only truly at their peak when first baked. <S> Your better bet, however, is to give them a new life, for example as potato p...	Either re-baking them or microwaving them will give the least bad results for reheating.
How to boil away water from a sauce without it splashing? When "slow cooking" a certain recipe, I need to keep a lid on the pot, or the sauce slowly but surely splashes all over the place. However, with the lid on, the sauce retains much more water than I like. How can I boil away the excess water, or otherwise make ...	You can also purchase a splatter guard, which is like a flat sieve or mesh that you can place over the top of the pot to reduce splatter without blocking air flow although these are more typically used to reduce the splatter from frying.
How important are eggs for a muffin recipe? I have not actually read Michael Ruhlman's Ratio. I know that he describes a basic muffin as 2:2:1:1 of flour, liquid, egg and fat. Prior to discovering Ratio, I only ever thought of a muffin in terms of dry:wet ratios, fat as adding richness, and egg (depending on recipe) ...	The amount of eggs needed will depend on the type of liquid and the type of flour used.
When carefully separating eggs, what to do with the chalazae? I separate eggs with my hands, I'm pretty good at whites going one place and yolks going another. What's got me stumped is the chord. It seems to want to stay with the yolk, but it tends to hold on to quite a bit of the white. Should I let it stick to the yo...	In mayonnaise, I almost never bother removing it because separating the chalazae while keeping the yolk intact is hard to do. Sometimes you should remove the chalazae even if you're not separating the eggs.
What is processed meat? There is inconsistent terminology surrounding what is considered "processed meat". Some take any meat that has been smoked, cured, or possibly dried to be "processed", while others are consider "deli meats" that have added preservatives (nitrates, eg) for longer shelf-life, stability, and color ...	AICR/WCRF expert report and its updates defines processed meat as “meat preserved by smoking, curing or salting, or addition of chemical preservatives.”
How much dried lemon zest to substitute for "zest of one lemon"? Most recipes that use lemon zest call for "zest of one lemon" or some such amount. To avoid the bother of organic lemons that invariably go bad before I use them and having to fiddle with zesting I'd like to use dried zest soaked in lemon juice instead. ...	Lemons vary a great deal in size, but the recipe probably means one tablespoon of fresh zest, which is normal for "medium" sized lemons.
Can you replace whole eggs with only egg whites when baking pumpkin pie? I am going to be baking a pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving but me as well as several family members are currently losing weight together... I'm already replacing the sugar with stevia to dramatically drop the calorie count. BUT, the recipe calls for 4...	Pumpkin pie is basically a custard, removing the yolks could change the texture of the pie. Considering replacing some not all the eggs in your recipe unless using an egg substitute.
Melted chocolate inside the cookies What kind of chocolates are used to make the lava-cookies? How can i keep it in liquid state inside the cookies? Thank you. ps. Sorry, my English is as bad as my baking skill. <Q> Assuming the cookie you mean is basically a filled chocolate chip cookie baked in a muffin tin with a...	If you have used a brand of chip that is true chocolate (with cocoa butter, not a replacement fat), you may have some success reheating them in the microwave, to remelt the chocolate.
What's the best way to stack a three-tiered wedding cake that is not covered in fondant/marzipan? I have baked the layers of a wedding cake and am left wondering as to my best stacking approach. It is a fairly dense sweet potato cake with buttercream frosting and I am worried about it sinking into itself. All of the vi...	Typically, each layer would be on a cake round (or in your case, square), supported by dowels through the layer below.
How can I turn my muffin batter into the natural blue color from blueberries? I'm trying to make blueberry muffins, and I will be folding the blueberries into the batter as well. How can I turn the batter slightly blue without adding excess blueberries? The recipe i'm using calls for 1 1/2 cup of blueberries. <Q> The s...	I have found putting my blueberries, I use frozen, into the liquid for a few minutes before adding the liquids to the dry ingredients will give your muffins a nice blue color.
What is the difference between saute and caramelizing toppings? I'm a huge fan of cooking up grilled onions, peppers, mushrooms, and many other toppings . When I worked at a local sub shop I was always the one volunteering to grill up some onions and saute the portobello mushrooms. When I made the mushrooms and the ...	To caramelize means to brown the sugar in the ingredient.
Can I blend hot soup in a ninja? I want to make broccoli cheddar soup tonight and it says to blend the stuff after you add the broccoli. I have a blender but it sucks and would rather use my ninja. Can I put hot liquids in this? How do I deal with venting the steam? <Q> According to the manual of the Ninja Professional...	Unlike the Oster Versa Performance, any Blendtec, or Vitamix blenders, there does not exist a version of the Ninja blenders that attain high enough speeds to actually make hot soup from cold starting ingredients.
a good substitute for pineapple when cooking a ham I want to make a Dr. Pepper glazed ham, which calls for pineapple juice. Unfortunately, my child is allergic to pineapple. What can I use to replace the pineapple juice and pineapple bits on the ham? <Q> Pineapple brings a touch of acidity, sweetness, and general fruit...	For the juice, I would recommend basic orange juice, perhaps cut with a little extra lime juice for complexity and acidity.
How to go about reducing sugar in a butter cake recipe? Recently I made some cupcakes that turned out mostly great. However, even other people than me – I have an aversion towards overly "sugary" desserts – said they were fairly sweet, and for me it seemed to obscure the other flavors. (The other flavours being vanil...	In conclusion, reduce the sugar, it won't hurt, plus it's healthier and the sugar won't overpower the more delicious and expensive ingredients in your recipe.
Can a loose leaf tea basket be used for steeping/brewing coffee? Is it possible to brew a good cup of coffee by steeping freshly ground coffee in a tea basket? Would the time amount be the same as for a french press (4 minutes)? It seems like it would technically work, but I couldn't find any personal accounts of its e...	Not mentioned here, but tea steepers are excellent for making cold brew coffee. This technique does indeed work but I found it not as flavorful as other methods (specifically, french press which is my usual method).
Does oil/butter help rise the dough? When I'm baking regular white bread: wheat flour+water+yeast. I often find my first rise to do well, but my second rise halts prematurely. It does not double. I think/guess the reason is mostly because of a drying out effect on the outer layer, impeding the rise. I don't think it ...	Adding butter or oil to the mix won't significantly prevent the dough from drying, but it will make it more supple (to a point) and make the finished bread softer.
What is the difference between roasting and toasting? Specifically, I have a recipe that calls for toasted peanuts. What is the difference between roasting a peanut and toasting a peanut? I can find roasted peanuts at the store, but not toasted ones, so I will probably try and toast my own at home, but don't know wheth...	The difference between roast and toast is simple, really: roast means to expose something to dry heat (in the west, usually in an oven) and to cook whatever it is right through; toast means to brown the outside of something, either held over a fire (as in marshmallows) or placed under a dry heat source such as a grill ...
What should I look for in an alternative to crème fraîche? I have lots of great recipes that call for crème fraîche, but for some reason, it's very difficult to find it in my neighborhood. I hear that sour cream is an acceptable substitute. However, in my view, if whoever originated the recipe wanted to use sour cream,...	In my experience, neither sour cream, nor yoghurt will taste as good as crème fraîche if the recipe calls for it.
Does spoiled milk make any ingredient? Bear with me here, My roommate insist that she wants to keep her spoiled 2% milk in the fridge, it's been 1 month! That thing look disgusting. To my knowledge, you don't use rotten milk for anything/ingredients. So before I throw it out, is there something I don't know of that pe...	The only thing that is even remotely possible in my mind is to use it akin to buttermilk or sour cream (which are intentionally fermented products) in baking.
Making tea - milk first or tea first For those who take tea with milk, opinion seems very much divided about whether to add milk to the cup before the tea or vice versa. I have seen some suggestions relating to the milk protecting the fine china when the hot tea was poured, and even suggestions relating to killing bact...	I always assummed something a bit the oppsite of MandoMando; When pouring tea into milk, when only a bit of tea has entered the cup, the milk/tea ratio are similar, so the tea can only heat the milk up a bit, then more tea being added brings the temperature up.
Can I defrost chicken to separate then refreeze? If I buy a large quantity of chicken frozen together, can it be thawed, separated, then refrozen safely? <Q> Refreezing meat usually results in a horrible, mushy texture, because of the cell damage caused by freezing. <S> Look for individually vac-wrapped parts if you ca...	Technically if it was defrosted in safe conditions you could refreeze without too much fear of contamination , but that's not the main issue - quality is.
Is there any way to make single cream to double cream? Whipping cream is hard to find where I live in India. We have a dairy brand named "Amul" which sells cream of butterfat content of 25% and cannot be whipped! Whipping cream has about 35% fat content but its not available here. Can I add butter in it to increase the...	It looks like you CAN add butter to milk to make whipping cream
When should I press garlic and when should I chop it? I just found out they make fancy devices for pressing garlic. However, I'm unsure of when I should use this. When do chefs press garlic and when do they chop it? Is there a rule of thumb that needs to be followed? Also, why does only Garlic and Ginger get pressed? <...	Garlic presses are convenient mostly for home cooks doing small quantities, who like the pureed quality of garlic it creates, or who hate peeling garlic.
What edible solution can I cover bread in to make it waterproof? My partner and I are working an entrepreneurial project for school, and we decided to make a sort of edible water bottle. We decided we would make it out of bread, which we would cover in some solution and leave to dry to make it hard and waterproof. We...	In my childhood they used to sell a candy bottle made of Carnuba Wax with colored sugar water in it. Chocolate : so long as it's not a hot liquid, it'll resist water for quite a while.
How long can I keep bread dough in the refrigerator? If I've made some dough and want to bake it later, how long can I store it in the refrigerator? Do I need to do anything special to make that work out? Are there any types of bread it won't work well for? <Q> You can refrigerate all kinds of yeast-bread dough. <S> Ri...	All of the answers you got were excellent, but if I could add a suggestion: Once you’ve kneaded the dough and packed it (for this trick, you need a zipper bag), get as much air out of the bag as you can, seal it tightly, and place it in an ice water bath for a few minutes before putting it in the fridge.
How can I achieve flavorful, gelatinous pork broth economically? It's that time of year, bean soup and split-pea soup are winter favorites of mine. I don't really care if the soups contain actual meat chunks, but I find the flavor absolutely essential to the soups. I also love what the gelatin does for the mouth feel. ...	The best way I've found to do it is to make stock with all the bones left over after you've eaten ribs. If the amount of gelatin you want isn't there you can simply add unflavored gelatin, it's very inexpensive and easy to use. Many chefs would recommend adding stock vegetables like onions and carrots at the beginning,...
Better kinds of knives for elderly persons? I'm doing research for my culminating undergrad project on what kind of knives are appropriate for elderly persons, aged about 65-75 years old, and I've got three main questions: A gerontologist told me that the elderly usually prefer smaller knives, but why would that be? ...	Carbon steel will hold a better edge, but you need to care for the knives. There are companies that make knives for different impairments and these should be investigated but there are as many different levels of skill in senior citizens as there are senior citizens and to try and say that one size fits all just will n...
What is the effect of adding eggs to a pastry dough? As I understand it, making dough is really the process of hydrating flour so that a gluten network can be formed and the dough structure emerges.Pastry dough usually adds butter in order both to reduce the amount of gluten formed and also to interleave sheets of fat ...	- it causes a slightly better color and browning and it adds the richness of flavor in the fats of the yoke of an egg.
How can I modify my hot sauce to make it Shelf Stable? I would like to be able to can and then sell my own hot sauce. The hot sauce I make is a low acid meat (ground beef) and tomato based sauce. I had sent it in to get a shelf life expectancy, and was advised the acidity level was too low and the only way I could make...	While you can add things to your product to make it shelf stable, most of them are either going to be prohibitive to use at a small level or they will significantly change your sauce. Low acid products must be pressure canned.
Using dark rum instead of white rum If my recipe calls for white rum and I only have Jamaican rum can I still use the same measurements? <Q> Many times, white rum is specified so as not to change the color, so you have to decide if this is an acceptable change for whatever you are making. <A> It really depends on the r...	Yes, but you may get a slightly different flavor, and certainly a different color in the final dish.
First onion or first minced meat? When making e.g. spaghetti sauce, do I: first sweat the onions and then add the minced meat? first brown the minced meat and then add the onions? do both at the same time but in different pans and add them together afterwards? What are the advantages of preferring one of the opti...	I have been told that the reason for cooking the garlic/onion first is to "layer" the flavors.
How can I make whole wheat bread and biscuits with out the bitter taste? When I use the command recipe to make biscuits using an organic whole wheat flour it has that bitter brown wheat flavor. how can I change it, or what can I add tot he recipe to make it taste better, more like using white flour? <Q> Part of the pr...	A simple way to reduce the bitter flavor without decreasing the overall nutritional benefit of eat whole grain bread is to substitute whole white wheat for some of the traditional whole wheat called for in the recipe.
What kinds of apples are suited to be filled with cranberries and baked? During the holidays, an apple cut in half and filled with cranberries or cranberry sauce is a commonly served item in Belgium. I want to make this too this year, but I'm not sure which kind of apple works best here. I can imagine that this is opi...	Any crisp eating apple will do
How long can I refrigerate cookie dough? I made the made the mistake of making my neighbors these cookies peanut-butter-oatmeal-chocolate-chip-cookies . Every time I see either neighbor they thank me again for the wonderful cookies, "Oh they were So Good!" hint hint I'm breaking down and making them another batch to...	Cookie dough can keep for a week in the fridge as long as it doesn't start to dry out.
My bread cuts doesn't expand the way I like I can't seem to get that final rise in the oven. I would expect and prefer the cuts to show a more prominent rise. This bread is - 310g water- 501g bread flour (13%protein)- 12g salt- 20 grams fresh yeast. Cold water and other ingredients. Machine pounding it for 14 minut...	One of the most important points is that you don't want your bread to be absolutely fully proofed before you bake it.
Are there any risks using a non-microwavable plastic plate in the microwave? We have some plates we bought from Target a few years ago that we frequently use in the microwave. These plates are listed as not being microwave safe. Does that mean that they could cause health issues if we use them in the microwave, or do...	Either way, it is not a good idea to use a plate which is not microwave safe in the microwave.
Why did my caramel come out grainy? I made caramel on my induction cooktop. The temperature was correct, but the caramel texture is grainy, like all of the sugar didn't dissolve properly. Do I need a different thermometer? I used a Wilton clip-on stainless steel mercury thermometer. Or does the cooking time need to be ...	I solved the problem of grainy caramel made with condensed milk by: taking the grainy caramel off the cooktop and decanting the entire batch into my high power blender (2200w) for 3 minutes on the highest setting.
Why will my dense, concentrated stock not solidify to jelly? I boiled all the bones from a roe deer for stock and got about four litres all of which was solid when refrigerated. I took half of it and left it in a pan in the bottom over of an Aga for two days to gently evaporate and become more dense. The result turns ...	The nature of the organisms which grow in gelatin solutions and gels depends upon a number of factors.
How can I mask the flavor of frozen vegetables in soup? Sometimes it is nice to just grab ingredients from the pantry / freezer and throw things into a pot for a quick "homemade" soup. Typically quick soups like this utilize a mixed bag of frozen vegetables. Unfortunately, I can often taste that the vegetables were fro...	You may optionally choose to saute the vegetables before adding them to the soup to get some additional flavor development (this will reduce the total time they need to cook in the soup).
Should eggnog be chunky? So I was making a little holiday drink. Little nutmeg, cinnamon, a shot of brandy, and eggnog. The eggnog was brand new, but when I poured it, I noticed it was chunky =/ I did not shake it before first pouring. Was this the cause of the chunky eggnog? Is the eggnog bad? What causes eggnog to ...	Eggnog should be a homogenous thin custard.
Frying mustard oils in indian tempering (tadka) Many Indian recipes call for a quick frying of mustard seeds until they start popping. If the oil is really hot the mustard seeds pop right away - But as I'm always afraid letting my oil get to the smoke point, I sometimes add the mustard seeds when the oil is not hot eno...	I generally heat the oil and when its hot, remove the pan from heat or lower the heat to quite a bit while I add the mustard seeds.
How to prolong the life of chillies in a refrigerator? Last week I bought a packet of green chilli from an Asian store, the really hot ones. I only used 5 of those and had about 20-25 still left in the little plastic bag (with holes). I just kept it refrigerated but within 4 days, there was mold growing on the stem of ...	Wash the chillies and let them air dry or pat dry with a paper towel.
Is condensed milk the same as sweetened condensed milk? Is condensed milk the same as sweetened condensed milk? I have a fudge recipe that calls for condensed milk and I can not find strictly condensed milk, only sweetened condensed milk or evaporated milk. <Q> Sweetened condensed milk has a very high sugar content, ...	In my experience, "condensed" milk refers to the sweetened product, and "evaporated" milk refers to the unsweetened product. Technically no, it is not the same thing.
Substituting Chicken Breast for Chicken Legs in Korma I am looking at Madhur Jaffrey's Chicken Korma recipe as given at http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/creamychickenkormawi_90196 ; however I only have chicken breasts. In what manner should I modify the final simmering process or the spice/flavor balance or make up f...	If I were making this stew with chicken breast, I would replace some or all of the water called for in the recipe with chicken stock to reintroduce those flavors.
Ceramic cup seems to be cracked internally, is it safe to use? I have a large ceramic soup cup which appears to be internally damaged after being rinsed with cold water while hot: Is this cup still safe to use, or is it likely to shatter or otherwise fail during use? <Q> That is called crazing. <S> It is a crack or...	If dishes have any cracks, even tiny crazing, you should think of them as unsafe for foods and eating, any kind of foods, even dry foods. The crazing (cracks in the glass sealing the ceramic) in a cup, does not give us cause for concern that the cup might break and spill hot liquid onto a person, because that will not ...
Lyle's Golden Syrup tin design, why is it like this and how to clean it Lyle's Golden Syrup has a distinctive lid design, in which the top of the tin has a lip. This inevitably fills with syrup and makes the whole thing stickier than it needs to be. Is there a reason for this design? My first thought was that it was to...	If the lid is well sealed, you could run it under some water to dissolve any caked on syrup, and then dry...
Replacing whole milk with sweetened condensed milk for cheescake I am making a no bake cheesecake. It calls for milk but I just ran out. Can I substitute with sweetened condensed milk? <Q> Sweetened condensed milk is approximately 40% sugar, so you would need not quite double the sweetened condensed milk, and you would...	The thing is, sweetened condensed milk may have a cooked down taste, so you may not get the same pure creamy flavor that you would from fresh milk.
Egg substitution in Indian meatball recipe I am cooking for a dinner party in a couple of days and one of the friends is allergic to egg but the 2 recipes I found and like ask for eggs. The recipe that mum uses also asks for eggs to bind the meat so the meatballs do not lose shape and breakdown when boiling in the curr...	In basic a meatball recipe, the egg whites do help bind the meatballs together, but they are not essential.
Is it ok to keep reusing a water bottle indefinitely? I have a 1.5 liter plastic water bottle (the disposable kind) that I keep on a shelf by my bed. I fill it every night before bed, and generally nearly finish it by the morning and refill it when I wake up. I recently noticed that I've been using the same bottle for ...	Secondly, reuse of plastic water bottles can lead to bacterial contamination unless washed regularly.
Why does Tomato Sauce (ketchup) require refrigeration but Barbecue sauce (like Worcestershire sauce) does not? We have two types of sauce we put on our sausages. Tomato Sauce (Australian - ketchup equivalent) and Barbecue Sauce (Australian - mix of ketchup and Worcestershire sauce). The Tomato sauce indicates it ne...	The answer is simple - tomato ketchup does not need to be refrigerated provided it is in a glass bottle - it's only the ones in plastic which advise they need to be kept in the fridge after opening.
How do I cut an acorn squash? A recipe I have been learning requires acorn squash wedges. I have been using my 8" chef knife to make a shallow cut in the outside, then kind of jabbing it with a small knife like carving a pumpkin until I have enough of a cut to split it in half. How should I cut acorn squash into wedge...	Using a sharp chef's knife, chop into the side.
Can you freeze egg noodle pasta? I recently made fresh egg noodle pasta. I made too much! Can I freeze it? I have tried freezing other kinds of pasta but am skeptical of freezing egg noodle pasta. What should I do? <Q> Yes, you can freeze it. <S> Per Eat By Date , it should last 6-8 months when frozen. <S> The egg...	You can also freeze balls of the dough and then take it out and thaw about an hour before using it to make "fresh" noodles as needed!
How do I clean burnt milk from a glass-ceramic stove? I have a glass-ceramic stove (Ceran), and I did spill some milk on it, which of course instantly burnt itself onto the surface. It seems resistant to any mild way of removing it, and I'm not sure how harsh I can try to remove it without damaging the glass-ceramic s...	Then I put down baking soda with enough water to make a paste and it came right up very easily with paper towel.
Can I put raw ground beef in the crockpot when making chili? When making chili in the crockpot, must the ground beef or turkey be precooked, or can I just throw everything in and cook it all day? <Q> There are two different issues: safety, and flavor. <S> From a safety point of view, assuming you don't overload your...	You certainly can add raw ground beef to the crockpot.
Is there an edible, vegetarian substitute for sausage casings? My research( basically wikipedia ) shows that natural sausage casing is made from a layer from the intestines of animals such as sheep and cows. The alternative to natural casings are artificial casings. The most common edible kind is the collagen casing, t...	As you also mention that part of your issue is not wanting to eat intestines, there are also collagen casings which are more readily available, but aren't vegetarian. If you really want an edible casing, they do exist, just enter 'vegetarian sausage casing' into your preferred internet search engine, and you should fin...
Is it possible to freeze Eggplant Parmesan? If so, better to freeze before or after baking? I made a delicious eggplant parmesan dish last night and now my wife wants to repeat it and then freeze it for another occasion. What's the best advice for freezing it? Is it better to freeze it before or after baked? Here are...	I have had success breading eggplant and freezing it raw.
How should I store eggs in the refrigerator? We just bought a new refrigerator, and it came with the obligatory open egg tray container, which went promptly into the recycle bin--which got me thinking. I have never understood the purpose of this accessory, as I keep my eggs stored in the original carton. What is the ...	The best way to store is in box, each morning as you pass them turn the box over as this will help keep the yolk in the middle of the eggs!
Multitasking with oven ( roast and potatoes) I am trying to roast potatoes to a crisp skin texture while making a roast in the same oven. When I am making a meat roast, I want to make a potato side dish with it. However, when I put the potatoes in the same tray as the meat, the meat juices cover the potatoes and they ...	In the UK it's traditional to par-boil the potatoes until they start to get tender, then drain them and rough them up before roasting them in oil or fat for about 45 minutes.
Why exactly is thawing via hot water bad? I read all over the internet and labels that you shouldn't thaw with hot water? However, tons of people leave meat to get to room temperature, so how is thawing with hot water bad? For instance, when I buy some Pork Loin and it's kinda frozen, I run it under hot water for 5 mi...	Thawing in hot water is unsafe for exactly the same reason that thawing on the counter is unsafe. It is COMPLETELY SAFE to defrost a frozen cut of meat in ~140 F water as long as it is 1" or less in thickness...
Difference between different brands of same oil I was at the supermarket just now, and there were 2 types of refined canola oil, with very different pricing. Is there any reason to believe that the cheaper one is of different quality? I mean both are oils refined from canola seeds, so I'm wondering if the pricing is on...	Still, it is possible that they are from different producers, and have a different quality standard of refining applied; one may be more aromatic than the other (which is a defect in a refined neutral oil).
When should food colouring be added to part of a batch of bread dough? I recently made coloured swirled bread, in which different colours of dough (in my case a coloured and an uncoloured piece) were rolled together and baked in the same loaf to give an interesting novelty appearance. When I put it into the oven the po...	So therefore, I'd add the color before or during the first kneading; if nothing else, it'd get better distribution.
How do I get homemade mayonnaise to taste like store bought mayonnaise? I recently made a batch of homemade mayonnaise, having found myself with left over egg yolk from another recipe. I decided not to flavor the mayonnaise with any mustard. The mayo ended up tasting like mostly oil. I decided not to use mustard since ...	To imitate the 'non' taste of a commercial mayonnaise, you would have to use a neutral oil (sunflower is good), a very mild mustard to help emulsifying, and less acid than most recipes for home-made. Try adding white pepper instead of black pepper and see where that gets you.
What types of alcohol will make meat tender when marinating? When marinating meat for Russian "Shashlik"(BBQ) some people marinate meat in alcohol. My uncle prefers to use beer when preparing pork. My Georgian( this Georgia ) friend uses red wine, which was the only ingridient I was able to get out of him. His BBQ is a...	It is a myth that Alcohol or Acid make the meat tender. Buttermilk and Yogurt are great for long term marinades, as those enzymes break down proteins very well.
Cutting cold butter into flour - which mixer attachment should I use? I have a kitchenaid 6 quart stand mixer and a large family of nine. At the moment we're using coupons to buy biscuit dough, but I wanted to look at the time and effort to make our own. Not just for cost savings (though that would be nice) but more ...	Another way is to use the food processor, pastry blender or dough blender. The paddle should be used for this.
Squashing cookie balls vs slicing them I have two cookie recipes that I plan to enter into a competition. Both of them call for dropping balls of cookie dough onto the sheet pan and then squashing them to 1/4". If I want to make the dough ahead of time and freeze, can I roll the dough into a tube and freeze that way ...	The squashed cookies will be more irregular at the edges and perhaps show more texture on top. If done with a fork, it can result in a more craggy surface, resulting in additional browning on top.
Using Sourdough Breads to reduce Fructans Short version: How can you minimise the fructan content of a spelt sourdough loaf? Is using a freshly rebuilt starter (low acidity, low sourness) ok? Is 9-10 hours of proofing enough, or should I retard the proof? Long version: Hi guys, my sister is on a low FODMAP diet, whic...	The starter will have had a longer cumulative fermentation period to break down fructans, and if your starter has the appropriate culture, it will be more effective at breaking down the fructans in the added flour of your final dough.
What vegetable might be called a Worchester? When I was young, my parents would put a vegetable in our stir fry that they called a Worchester. I recently found out that this doesn't actually exist so I've been trying to determine what they were feeding me. My girlfriend thinks they might have been a variety of radish. ...	Traditionally it is called “ oyster plant ”, ...
What temperature of water will kill yeast? In other words, what is the maximum temperature of water I can use in yeast bread dough? I don't proof the yeast, I use rapid dry yeast and I just add it to the other ingredients and knead it in. <Q> There are multiple temperature points per yeast family might be of Interest: ...	I'd mix the water from the hot and cold taps to get something that feels comfortably warm when you put your hand in it, and you should be fine. Different strains of yeast have varying tolerance temperature, on both the high side and the low end.
Which caffeine-free tea herbs have tannins? I like both the flavor and the social rituals associated with tea, but I don't want to consume caffeine on a regular basis, so I only drink it rarely. And I don't like many of the popular herbal teas. I recently indulged in a cup of flavored tea in a Turkish style tea salon...	Oak adds tannins to the liquid, and the oak chips sourced for home-brewing are chosen to be food-safe, and the flavor is probably both generally good and also neutral, or perhaps I mean flexible, for it to work with so many different brewed drinks.
Using my own wood for smoking? I have some apple and fig wood from trees that were pruned yesterday. The pieces range from sticks the diameter of your finger to about 3" in diameter. How can I use these? Do they need to dry? For how long? Do I need to remove the bark? <Q> Ideally, wood for smoking needs to be chipped,...	No special treatment is necessary (soaking, chipping etc) Just a handful of twigs or leaves will often be better than some tree trunk chipped up.
How long should I knead bread dough by hand? Is there a general rule to the amount of time I knead dough? Some recipes will say "until it is considered soft and smooth". Regardless of what the recipe claims, I am kneading the dough for a minimum of ten minutes when it asks for it. <Q> Time isn't the main factor, gluten...	You should knead the dough until the gluten is sufficiently developed to give the dough elasticity, and the final bread good structure.
What ingredients make powdered sugar not gluten-free? I am looking to start cooking more things gluten free for my girlfriend, and have heard that powdered sugar may or may not be considered gluten free. What do I need to look for in the ingredients to keep powdered sugar gluten-free? <Q> The simple answer to your ques...	Since most brands of powdered sugar don't contain any ingredients that would normally contain gluten, look for the line "This product is processed in a facility that also processes wheat".
What can I use as a replacement for ricotta or cottage cheese in a lasagna? I really cannot take the texture of ricotta or cottage cheese in food, to the point where I will gag when it is in my mouth. However, most of the recipes I have seen for lasagna involve using one or the other. Is there something I can use as ...	Use any fresh cheese like fior di latte, bocconcini, or fresh mozzarella with a little bit of fresh parmesan.
What causes a cake to sink in the center? I just pulled an Italian specialty cake out of the oven and was disappointed to see that it has sunk badly in the middle. It's not to be frosted or layered, so it might still be quite good, but what could have caused the sinking? Here's the recipe, but I deviated considerably i...	A possibility would be that your cake ended up being too moist with liquid.
Ideas for a banana dessert crust, gluten free I came across a nice little dessert consisting of sliced bananas sandwiching peanut butter. My kids would love it, but I have a youngin and he's gluten-free. Worried handing him raw bananas as he'll a mush them up, so I want to put a crust of sorts on it to contain, or at ...	The easiest answer is a gluten free graham cracker.
How does soaking liver in milk work? Soaking liver in milk is said to be a common technique that supposedly helps to remove impurities, softens flavour, and tenderises the liver. I tried it, and the liver turned out alright, but it got me wondering: how does this work? What's the chemistry behind it? Exactly what's...	What I noticed is that the blood from the liver would seep out into the milk and the liver would have absorbed some of the milk.
Help with thinly slicing garlic I buy bulk peeled garlic. When I bring it home I always throw some in the food processor and freeze it in single use aliquots. That's fine for daily kind of use, but for fancier stuff I really like garlic thinly sliced. Unfortunately, what used to be easy is becoming more difficult. My h...	The most safe way would be to choose big cloves, and only slice about half of the clove, using the other half for something else, so plenty of garlic remains that allows a proper claw grip (using a knuckle to guide the blade on while holding the garlic down with a finger that is several mm away from the blade).
How to open a can of olive oil? I have a 900 ml can of Saloio olive oil. I lack any idea of how to open it. The top of the tin is more-or-less seamless (see photo), and lacks any sort of indicator as to how this may be accomplished. At the rim, the metal on the top folds over the outside of the tin, and I've tried w...	I find that using the corner of my clever nearest the handle to make small holes on two of the corners of the can is best, for me anyway.

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