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Cooking over an open flame at home Is it doable to cook over the flame of a cooking gas stove at home. Is it dangerous? Couldn't it be even better as an open fire over coal or wood, since gas is cleaner? <Q> It is similar to cooking over a propane grill. <S> Gas grills often have stone or ceramic bricks in them to help...	If you want to char a pepper or some bread and get the 'grill' feel, that should work fine.
How to protect honey jar from ants? Is there any technique to prevent ants from getting into a honey jar? The outside of the jar is covered with dead ants every day. Currently, I am wiping the surface of jar with a wet cloth before opening the lid, but I still see dead ants inside the lid, too. (They are not in the ...	You have to put the honey jar in foil so that the ants can't smell it. Keep jar in a bowl full of water. Make sure the bag is tightly sealed.
Chocolate chip cookies with whole wheat flour I don't have all-purpose flour at hand right now, so I'm thinking of making chocolate chip cookies with whole wheat flour. What difference will this make in terms of texture/taste/cooking time? Also, if I sift the flour using a very fine sieve, will it make the cookies bet...	It's not recommended to use pure whole wheat flour for baking, except where you want the effect (as in pumpernickel, for example).
Horizontal cuts when dicing an onion Should you make horizontal cuts (parallel to the board) through the halves of an onion before dicing? <Q> Yes. <A> It really depends on what size of dice you're going for. <S> For a smaller dice, I'd recommend at least one horizontal slice, as it prevents you from ending up with...	The standard method is to make 2 or 3 horizontal cuts (depending on the size of the onion), then 3-5 vertical cuts, then slice to form dice.
Can I substitute vegetable oil for olive oil? I have vegetable oil but my recipe calls for olive oil. Will it make a difference to use the vegetable oil? Also, what would the conversion be? I'm trying to make a homemade pizza crust without yeast and this oil situation has me stumped. <Q> You can substitute vegetable oi...	Substituting vegetable oil for olive oil will make no difference in pizza dough.
How to use and store galangal? I keep a whole hand of ginger in the freezer, not even wrapped. I microplane it into whatever I'm making and it works great. Is it OK to treat galangal the same way? If I use it in recipes that call for ginger, is it a one to one substitution? Is there any way I should treat it different...	Galangal and ginger cannot substitute for each other without significant flavour profile differences in the final dish.
Getting a cast iron skillet surface smooth I've had a Lodge cast iron skillet for about a year. A few months after I bought it I seasoned it with too much oil (I learnt later) and the surface developed some 'bubbles' that later started flaking. I've used it almost every day and while it is fairly non stick (I can fry e...	The pan in your picture has not taken the seasoning in the best possible way, it could have been smoother without the thicker parts.
How can I keep flies out of my kitchen? I'm very concerned about food safety, but at the same time, I like to keep windows open when I cook to get in a lot of fresh air. Unfortunately, this has the bad effect of allowing flies to swarm in. Lately, I've been having to cook with all my windows closed, and this makes th...	A few fly traps can help matters tremendously.
What dish?: Japanese chicken skewer wrapped in a green leaf and sour red sauce In Japan, at two occcasions, I had chicken skewer with a green leaf wrapped around it, and in it was also some red sauce with a sour taste. Is there a specific name for this dish? Ultimately I'm looking for what kind of leaf (maybe Shiso/per...	The menus described the dish as chicken breast yakitori wrapped in shiso leaves.
Is there no use for high temperatures in ovens? I'm about to buy a new oven. I can buy one which is able to steam the food, or one without. The one with steam (a nice, but not necessary feature) only goes to 230 °C / 446 °F, while a regular one to 275 °C / 527 °F. The salesman claimed that no one needs anything highe...	There is lots of use for high temperatures.
What is the difference between noodles and pasta? Is pasta just a fancy name for noodle? Or is pasta always an Italian style noodle?Is all pasta noodles? Or the other way around? This may be more of a language question than an actual food question... <Q> I think the problem here is that the definitions overlap quite a...	Rice noodles like ramen are noodles but not pasta.
What to do with dehydrated potatoes tainted black? I had many potatoes I wanted to preserve for a long time. Usually the potatoes I keep in my kitchen get rotten after a month or two (and I don't have a cellar to keep them cool), I decided to dehydrate them. So I grinded them in a food-processor and put in a food-dehyd...	Since now they're dehydrated you sould regenerate them with a liquid and then you can try to cook them (maybe some puree)
When coating raw meat with flour, does leaving it for a period of time make the flour 'disappear'? I recently trying the flour coating trick before frying it so my meat can withstand more temperature and does not get dried up so easily inside. However, when I rolled the meat with all-purpose flour so it became white, ...	When you coat meat with flour and let it sit for a period of tome, the flour will absorb some moisture from the meat and appear less white.
Can I use garlic leaf for cooking? I planted a garlic clove and now I have a nice garlic plant. The question is: Can I use the leaves to season food safely? The leaves smell like garlic and I wonder if it's okay to use them dried, like oregano and other seasoning herbs. I don't know if will taste like garlic, or if it...	You will use the fresh garlic leaves in any (mixed in ingredients) dumplings.
Why does my bread smell like vinegar? I have some bread that should still be good for few days that now smells like vinegar. There is no mold, ect. on it that makes it look bad. It is store bought whole grain bread with some oatmeal, if that matters. Personally, I've never known bread to smell like vinegar, even whe...	Other options are that the bread picked up a normal sourdough-esque bacteria and just smells sour without having actual acetic acid.
Do professional cooks use measuring cups and spoons? I watched some TV shows showing cooks working in their restaurants. I use measuring cups and spoons when cooking almost everything, but do not see any of the TV cooks measure anything. They mostly just grab things and throw them in. Do skilled cooks have no need for...	You rarely need to measure ingredients, except for baking, once you're pretty competent.
How to absorb/remove excess water that you've added to a dish? My cooking style involves putting a bunch of ingredients (e.g. chicken, rice, mushrooms, tomatoes) in a pot, adding water and seasoning, turning on the heat, and coming back half an hour later. (Don't steal my techniques please.) The problem is that this ...	Always lowball the amount of water Make a corn starch 'slurry' by mixing cold water and some corn starch, then add that to the hot dish that still cooking.
How to remove the excessive saltiness from gammon? I've tried a few time to roast gammon, typically my method is to soak the gammon and then roast for a few hours. The result is typically just this side of editable. I've even tried boiling it first (after a suggestion that this removes the salt), but to no avail. Do...	If you still find it too salty, go ahead and try boiling briefly in fresh water (blanching) after soaking, and then plunging in ice water before you continue to glaze and roast.
Using sal ammoniac (ammonium chloride) for salting fish Has ammonium chloride have ever been used in any culture/cuisine instead of regular salt for salting fish, or for curing meat in general? How about pickled vegetables or any other food? If no, why not? I was wondering because I like the taste of salty liquorice,...	A cursory internet and pubmed search did not yield any historical/traditional/cultural food-ties to this quaternary ammonium salt compound for me. Personally, I would not feel comfortable using this in a home setting because it can be toxic in small quantities.
Is a steak OK to eat if it fell down, but I cooked it afterwards? If I am cooking steaks at a grill and one of them accidentally falls down on the floor/ground, is it safe for me to wipe it and cook it for a certain amount of time (till it is pretty well done) and then eat it? Or should I throw it away? <Q> Sure it's s...	So your steak will be safe to eat, and if you season it well, nobody will tell the difference. This depends completely on the context. If it's an interior floor surface that is usually kept clean, you're unlikely to suffer any ill effects.
Best tool for quickly cutting vegetables into a salad? I like eating a salad for lunch, but would like to somehow optimize the time it takes to cut the vegetables. My salad usually contains tomatoes, cucumbers, bell pepper, carrot, etc. I could buy an electrical blender, but the end result is usually not as tasty s...	I would STRONGLY advise a GOOD chef's knife.
Is all bee's honey the same? At the supermarket, I found many different brands and varieties of honey. Each came from a different place, but most were marketed based on flower-type. I bought a few different brands, but could not identify a difference. Does the taste of honey vary depending on which flowers the bees li...	The color, flavor, and even aroma of a particular variety of honey may differ depending on the nectar source of flowers visited by the honey bee. There are, or were, supermarkets which stock multiple distinctly different honeys.
How can I make my Oreos crispy again? Someone 1 didn't re-close the Oreo bag properly, and now the remaining cookies are kinda... not-quite-crispy. They're not soft , but they have this chewy side to their crunch. If these were ordinary cookies, I'd pop them in the oven for a few minutes, but I have this thing where...	Maybe you could try with some small chemical dehumidifiers and seal them with the cookies in a bag for a while. To reapply filling, heat filling in microwave in 5second intervals until filling is soft and pliable. As they cool, they should harden.
Making baking powder substitute with baking soda and powdered citric acid I have no baking powder, but I do have baking soda and powdered citric acid. Can these be combined to substitute for 1 teaspoon of baking powder? If so, how much of each would I use? <Q> Yes, I have found several sources that say that citric aci...	From separate containers of baking soda and citric acid, add baking soda at 1/3 the amount of baking powder required then citric acid at 1/2 of the amount of baking soda already added.
Chosing 2 pans - the most versatile solution I'm mot a noob cook, but it's the first time I'm buying myself a proper kitchenware. I have a hard time deciding which frying pan would be the best form me. In fact I'm pretty much set on buying 2 pans, as it seems there is no one pan that cover all the situations. I cook p...	If I could only have two pans, those pans would be a high quality 12 inch stainless steel skillet, and an enameled cast-iron Dutch oven.
Chinese alternative to Olive Oil? I'm actually in china and here olive oil is expensive and difficult to be found.I need it to fry slightly onion/garlic for ex. to prepare tomato sauce. What can I use as alternative? <Q> Nothing else is going to taste like extra-virgin olive oil, but extra-virgin isn't necessary for c...	I bought some rapeseed oil, this is the only thing I was able to find ( since I don't know chinese and my first concern was to find a 100% vegetable oil ... ).
Why is fish not considered as meat? While reading a thread on cooking , an old question popped into my head: I am an Asian and had no problems with dishes with both meat and “fish.” But some of my elder German friends say that meat and “fish” don't fit. Why is fish not considered as meat? And what kind of species are...	Fish doesn't fit in any other food group besides meat because it is an animal.
How to peel, cut and prepare prickly pears without getting the thorns in your skin? Peeling the cactus pear fruit, or better in known in some grocery stores as the prickly pear (or Tuna, Indian fig) can be painful, because of thorns on it. The skin of the fruit is covered in tiny needles (called glochids ). They’re ...	Wearing welding gloves also works well to handle the fruit To remove most of the thorns before hand, hold the fruit lengthwise between your fingers and gently rub the skin over loose sand.
Vegetable "jam" with salt instead of sugar My bread baker has a program for preparing jams. The recipe says to put 3 cups of fruit with 1 cup of water and some lemon juice. This tastes great and it is also preserved well for over a year. Now I would like to use the baker for preserving vegetables in the same way. I ca...	Preserving vegetables can be done with or without preservative agents like sugar, salt, and acid
How to add more toppings to frozen pizza? I generally buy frozen Pizza Margherita in store for making a quick lunch if I am running out of time. However, I don't really like the taste of the baked Pizza because it is just Tomato and Cheese. I am a vegetarian and I would like to add toppings but when? Should I directly ...	Fresh mushrooms sound fantastic, but raw ones will make a frozen pizza soggy, so do stir-fry them first for 1-2 min.
What would be an alternative cooking technique for the Orion Cooker to get more tender ribs? After cooking my first batch of baby back ribs on the Orion Cooker, I found that they were more "Kansas City Style", as opposed to what I like (fall off the bone). So although the Orion Cooker is exceptionally fast (1:15 for s...	Reducing the amount of charcoal used in the Orion Cooker and cooking longer can produce a more tender result.
Do tinned foods go off (stale)? This morning I found a tin of baked beans with a best before date of August 2014. A colleague of mine told me that it's perfectly safe to eat, and that tinned foods never go off. Can this be true? Do tinned foods last forever? <Q> Assuming the can was canned properly and has not be...	So long as food is stored around room temperature then it would be safe to eat for many years.
What is the rate of loss of vitamin C in fresh vegetables? If I keep fresh vegetables in the fridge, how quickly is vitamin C lost? What is the rate of loss in percent per day, or any other relevant measure? <Q> Can we scientifically measure the exact amount of the reduced form of vitamin C in produce over time? <S> Ye...	To put it simply, it's lost exceedingly rapidly .
Can I make fried chicken without a deep frier? I've made southern style fried chick before and really enjoy it but found using all the oil to be quite expensive. Could I: A) Pan fry it? (I know this one is a stretch but could it work if the chicken breast was precooked?) B) Only make it so the oil covers half the chi...	Find a nice heavy cast iron skillet, fill it around halfway with oil, and then fry your chicken and rotate it in the pan as needed
What's the fastest way to cook oatmeal porridge? I often eat porridge for breakfast, and the way I've been cooking it is by adding oats & milk/water to a bowl, putting it in the microwave until it boils, and waiting for it to cool. The problem with this method is that the whole process takes 20-25 minutes, mostly due ...	When I want to have oatmeal porridge, I cook it in my rice cooker.
Is sourdough more resistant to mold than other breads? My partner works at a restaurant where they serve sourdough as the bread you snack on to tide you over while perusing the menu. They are closed Sundays, which means any leftover bread on Saturday evenings goes home with the employees (since it can't be sold as day-...	The short answer is yes, sourdough breads are generally more resistant to fungus due to the fermentation process of the sourdough starter.
Extrusion pasta maker versus roller: which one makes the best pasta? Roller pasta makers require you to work the dough by hand and then run it through the roller multiple times. Some extrusion pasta makers don't even require mixing the ingredients before placing them in the machine. I have a hard time believing that th...	I make my pasta dough in my food processor, and the pasta is as good as I have ever had. In terms of producing a quality product, both excel as long as one is using correct ingredients, good technique, and quality tools.
How can I make my sourdough crust chewier? I'm making sourdough bread and am pleased with the results except that the crust is too hard and crunchy. Inside it's great, moist and a good even crumb. It makes great toast too, but I would sometimes like a chewier crust. Could the oven be too hot? I'm baking at 200 C Fan (t...	(1) The best way to insure a softer crust - at least softer on the surfaces that are exposed in the oven - is to brush the dough with milk before baking it.
How often should knives be sharpened? I've a Wusthof classic ikon knife which i've had for about 5 months, it seems to be losing it's edge. It's regularly honed with a grooved honing rod, but I'm unsure if I'm doing it correctly. I've watched several videos on how to do this, keeping the blade at a constant angle of ...	For a home cook: Honing should be done before or after heavy use or once every couple of weeks, depending on how finicky you are about the blade itself.
Is there such a thing as a bone cleaver? When I was growing up, my mother had a massive, MASSIVE cleaver that she kept in the kitchen. It was immense and heavy. My father had gotten it when he worked in a butchery. This cleaver has since been lost to us. I would like to find something similar. When I asked her what the...	While, most commonly found Chinese cleavers that you'll find are "vegetable knives", they also make bone cleavers.
Is there any advantage to resting (banana) bread batter? I make several different types of breads (apple, banana, etc.). All of them have some commonalities, which includes that they start out life as a batter, don't require yeast (baking soda and hot water does it), and use normal (not gluten-free) flours. What I can...	Because of this I would say that there is no advantage, but in fact a disadvantage to resting a quick bread. Resting allows for the formation of gluten (kneading accelerates that process, but time also contributes to the formation of gluten).
Grinding dried chiles in a mortar and pestle? I purchased some dried chile peppers from a local market thinking that I might be able to grind them up in a mortar and pestle. That completely failed - the peppers didn't grind at all, and instead mushed up. Is there any way to grind peppers in a mortar and pestle, or is ...	I use a cuisinart mini mate chopper/grinder for all my spice milling needs.
Why do we eat unripened chili peppers? Many types of peppers, such as Anaheim peppers, poblano peppers, serrano peppers, and jalapeño peppers - are red when fully ripe and green while immature. However, most of the time I've seen these peppers for sale, they're sold when they're green (unripened). Is there a particula...	I have heard about few recipes where it asks for green and (wet/not dried) red peppers because of taste variations.
What is an alternative to chicken broth for Mexican rice? A recipe for Mexican rice calls for chicken broth. Where I live, this is difficult to buy and expensive. Is there any alternative? <Q> Some recipes might be pickier, but Mexican rice is almost certainly the kind of thing where the broth is just there to add a bi...	Chicken Ramen packets work great, just add a little bit of cumin and garlic in some form.
Clear cauliflower and blue cheese soup - how to get it clear I am trying to recreate a Cauliflower and Blue Cheese soup I had many years ago (at a ski resort - the private chef wouldn't tell/sell me the secret recipe) . All the recipes I have tried end up being thick cauliflower 'glue'. They're more towards a paste/s...	I would suggest making a sort of consomme by making a broth and then passing it through a muslin or cheesecloth.
Burned Cookies - Now what? I made Cookies and they are burned at the bottom. What can I do to remove the burned layer without destroying the cookies and keeping as much as possible from the good parts? I was thinking of sand paper but I fear this leaves a taste from the "sand" and may be even not healthy. <Q> First o...	You don't want anyone eating sand paper grit, and I'm not even sure what it would do. But I have managed to save some dry cookies by using more bread slices. When that happens with toast I just use a dull knife to scrap the burnt part off.
Do I have to peel red potatoes before baking them? I recently made some potato wedges in the oven. I shared this recipe with my relative, who admonished me for not properly peeling the red potatoes before baking them. She claims that there are disease and viruses that lie on the skin, so peeling it will get rid of it....	It's true that in the former USSR it was embedded into the culture to peel potatoes before eating them. Absolutely no peeling necessary.
Do I add salt to my sunny side up eggs before, during, or after cooking? I was wondering if it makes any difference to the taste, texture, or any other factor. I tried googling but there are very few resources and some of them are contradicting. If anyone could enlighten me, that would be great. Thanks! <Q> (1) Tas...	When you salt your eggs DOES affect taste because it affects the way your tongue comes into contact with the salt.
Are there special considerations for making a pie with the express intention of freezing? This past weekend we visited Rodale farm's organic apple festival, and we spent all of yesterday canning. We also have several peaches from making a batch of fruit ketchup. We still have about 1/4 a bushel of apples left, so I was...	The main concerns we have is the apples juicing too much in the pie, so we assemble and freeze them as fast as possible.
How to shell macadamias without a special tool? I know you can get tools like the Bonk and MackaWhacka specifically for shelling macadamias but I've very rarely had them handy when I've needed to do it. In the past I've sat macadamias in a little hole in the cement outside and smashed them with a hammer but it would m...	If you have a large locking pliers I'd try that as well. I found that boiling the nuts for 15 minutes softens the shell If you make a hole in a piece of foam and push the nut into the middle, place on concrete and hammer the top.
Is a longer defrost better than microwave defrosting? I was taught the idea that if you let frozen meat thaw out over night then it is better for the end product that defrosting it in the microwave? Does this have merit or is it just an old wives tale? Also does cooking frozen meat effect the taste or will it just tak...	Defrosting in the fridge is typically better than thawing in the microwave ...
Is there any way to salvage an old rusted wok? Hello Seasoned Advice: I cannot find an answer on any previous posts here relating to woks about what to do if the wok is Already Rusted. I found this wok in my husband's house when I moved in - he has no idea where it came from or how long it's been there. I have no info...	Since you had what sounded like a pretty good amount of rust to start with, I would recommend a thorough cleaning with steel wool to ensure that you have removed all of the rust.
Bread breaks in the middle while in the oven Would like to ask a question based on your experience in bread making. We have made in our house several loafs of bread in various shapes and sizes and with many different methods, manually, robot assisted, etc. Right now, the one we are doing involves Bio German Spelt 630 f...	If your gluten network in the dough is over-established, your baked bread will bake-up dense and dry and could conceivably split through during baking.
When should garlic be added to the pan to get maximum pungency? When you crush raw garlic and use it as seasoning for vegetables, is it best to put it the pan first and let it begin to cook before adding any other ingredients, or is it best to add it later on? Which order is best if you want the garlic flavor to be s...	In order for garlic flavor to be strongest, you should mince the garlic and cook it briefly.
When sauteing should I put onion or garlic first? Most of the dishes here in the Philippines involved sauteing. But I am a little bit confused on what should I put first, are there any advantages on it? Questions: Should I put onion or garlic first whenever I am conducting a saute? What are the advantages of puttin...	Garlic burns easily, especially when finely chopped or crushed, so in general should not be fried as long as onion. Examining your questions in order: The general rule is onions first.
What can be used as a substitute for potassium nitrate as a preservative? I want to substitute another preservative for an Italian antipasto recipe. The original recipe calls for granulated potassium nitrate (saltpetre). I had a 16oz box, but it's empty now. What can I use instead? <Q> Nitrates and nitrites have very f...	If you cannot find any place to purchase more saltpetre, you could choose another antipasto recipe from a trusted source, looking for one which uses a different preservation method, for example canning. Celery juice works really well.. except that it's high in nitrates that then break down into nitrites in the curing p...
What is the best way to infuse mint into a tomato sauce? I want to create a tomato based mint sauce. I have access to fresh mint. What is the best way or the best time while cooking the sauce to incorporate the mint? Are the flavor components in mint water or fat soluble? <Q> Mint likes oil. <S> And it likes water. <S>...	If the tomato part of your dream sauce needs cooking, keep your cooking time to a minimum to make sure your tomatoes don't lose their bright acidic taste - throw-in the mint at the end.
Is there a way to tone down the flavor of celery in an Oyster Mushroom Chowder? I just created an oyster mushroom chowder with a cashew-cream base for my vegetarian wife who can't do dairy. It turned out OK, but I overdid the celery and it tested strongly like cream of celery soup. Is there any way to cut back the fl...	yea there is!I find that Irish potatoes, and tomatoes(are the two things l keep around to) diminish celery flavor, if it ends out overpowering a cooked recipe.
What are different methods of preserving chillies? I've been given three chilli plants: Bulgarian Carrot Jalapeño Scotch Bonnet I'm not going to be able to use them fresh before winter arrives. What methods of preserving would be appropriate for chilli?What would be the effect on them in terms of taste, textur...	Pickling Pickling works better for thick-walled peppers, like the jalapeños. Scotch Bonnet and other thin-walled varieties freeze particularly well, although thick-walled ones can be frozen as well.
Quick flavour for fresh popcorn I'm a great fan of popcorn, and I recently acquired a popcorn maker. It's the sort that spins the kernels in a drum and heats the metal until they pop. However, I've had difficulty flavouring them. When I used to make popcorn years ago if I wanted a quick flavour I'd just sprinkle on sa...	Another fun thing for popcorn is cheese powder
baking time versus number of items in oven I doubled a recipe for apple cake, and filled two 13x9 pans. Into the 350F wall oven they went. Recipe estimates 50-60 minutes. 60 minutes later, probe comes out pretty damp, and cakes are more than a bit jiggly. Easy enough, bake a little longer. What's going on here? Do tw...	If you're baking them upper/lower in a small oven, I believe that heat absorption would probably create areas of lower temperature above both pans that wouldn't even out well without convection.
Rice with worm and possibly their eggs I bought a bag of brown rice from a store. After having opened and used for a while, I found there were moths flying in the house. At the same time, I found worms in the rice. I suspect that the moths are from the worms(rice-size, white body, dark head). I guess but am not sure if...	While these moths are indeed mostly harmless, contaminated and infested food should be thrown out.
What would be the effect of doubling the egg in this bread? A lot of my bread recipes are for two loaves, I never want two loaves, I usually barely make it through one. I like this recipe a lot: • 3/4 cups warm water (170g) (110 degrees) • 1.875 cups (293g) bread flour • 3/4 teaspoons salt • .375 cup (40 g) mi...	While adding that extra half egg won't bring your recipe into Challah territory, it will advance your bread's texture, color, and flavor along the spectrum in the Challah direction.
Should I add vegetables and spices in the stock-making stage of pig-knuckle soup? I'm toying with the idea of making some soup - just a simple one. The recipe call for boiling/simmering a pig-knuckle for about four hours together with a laurel-leaf. Afterwards the stock/fond is strained, the meat stripped from the kn...	Making the stock without vegetables in it will give you a clear broth with a simple pork flavor and the vegetables will be distinct in it.
Is there a way to stop marshmallows from melting off the stick? Does anyone know of a good way to keep marshmallows from melting off the roasting stick when making smores? Not just sliding off, more like when you use a hot roasting stick and then put the marshmallow on it, it just spins around the stick and does not ro...	If you're purposely 'slow-roasting' it for a more gooey effect, then also skewering a small hemisphere of screen wire (before the marshmallow) will keep the marshmallow in place even after its adherence to the skewer is compromised and make removal much cleaner as well as prevent it from falling into the fire accidenti...
Did I just almost start an oil fire? I wanted to make some burned onion rings, so I chopped up some onions and let it cook in oil on the stove. Heating the oil was taking a long time so I decided to leave the oven alone for a bit. I came back after hearing the oil making crackling sounds and I immediately turned off t...	Without having been there, I can't tell for sure, but I don't see how you can have gotten it hot enough.
Can you warm biga in a microwave? This might seem like barbaric question, but is it possible to bring refrigerated biga up to "frisky" temperature in a microwave, without damaging it? I'm too impatient to just let the warm room take care of it... Thoughts? <Q> Impatience is very hard to reconcile with baking bread (or...	Yes, but the trick is not to have the dough in the microwave when it's on: place the dough into a wide, shallow bowl, and wrap it tightly with plastic wrap.
What can I subsitute for Aluminum foil in the oven? I am allergic to Aluminum I am allergic to Aluminum and have always had a problem with what else I can use to line baking dishes or pans in the oven and toaster oven. Can you give me an idea of what else might be oven proof for this use? I used to just leave it and sc...	You can also find silicone baking sheets which work well for cookies, but don't necessarily help with cleanup for spills (the liquid gets around the sheet, and still bakes onto the pan).
Can a blunt knife be sharpened? The knives I have just come from a second hand shop, and are quite blunt. Is it possible to sharpen them using an ordinary sharpening stone/steel, or is there a point that they are 'too far gone'? <Q> You will not be able to sharpen it with a steel as per Ching Chong's answer. <S> You ...	If the blade is totally blunt you will need a reasonably coarse one to bring the edge back, and a finer one to refine the edge.
What kind of tray or tray coating to use for pretzels? I've been making traditional German pretzels with a lye bath, but the pretzels tend to bake onto the baking sheets. I've tried a few different kinds of trays, all with less that perfect results. Non-stick coatings actually stick to the bottom of my pretzels andg...	You need a Silpat ! Aluminum reacts badly with lye, so be sure that nothing you use with the lye contains aluminum. Pretzels don't adhere as strongly to silicone baking mats but they don't just fall off those mats either.
Crispy pork belly, how can I cook the inside more? I recently discovered that there is an Asian market in my neighborhood. I was thrilled to discover it. I ended up purchasing a bit of pork belly cooked on-site and highly recommended by the owner. She said (rightfully) that her pork belly was crisper than any pork bell...	You will want to slow roast the pork belly if you want the interior meat to render.
How to keep bags from floating in a sous vide supreme I have had a few items float a little in my sous vide supreme machine. Mostly veggies. How do I keep them from floating up and stay submerged? <Q> Two things cause bags to fill with air during low temp cooking. <S> The expansion of air that already exists in a pro...	Best result was using a set of thongs to both keep bag secure and to keep the food submerged.
How to a prevent spoon from falling into soup? When preparing a soup, the spoon which I use to stir the soup with, often falls in. Is there any way to prevent the spoon from falling into the soup? <Q> The obvious solution is to not let the spoon in the pot. <S> While you may just let it rest on the pot, you can also us...	Use a clean and empty plate to rest your spoon on by laying the spoon head on the plate.
How can I keep my buttercream from becomming grainy? I am making buttercream icing, but the powdered sugar does not dissolve with the butter and shortening. The icing is grainy. How can I prevent this? <Q> This can have different reasons. <S> How long did you mix it? <S> The transition between grainy and creamy can c...	I have been getting the best results with room-temperature butter.
Can you brew black tea in a macchinetta? If I use black tea leaves (not grounded leaves like in commercial teabags), and place them in the macchinetta (either instead of a coffee, or with the water). Is the brewed result going to be any good? Will it damage the macchinetta? Is it going to extract the tea properly from...	A macchinetta does tend to extract more flavor and caffeine from coffee grounds than non-pressurized methods like drip brewing, so a similar effect with tea leaves wouldn't be shocking.
Can I substitute a stainless steel pot for the traditional iron dutch oven? I have very limited options in my kitchen, and while the dutch oven is the preferred method for getting an 'oven spring' while baking sourdough, I do not have a cast iron pot to do it. IF stainless steel is a good substitute, should I consider...	Just a stainless steel pot would probably transmit the heat too quickly resulting in and uneven baking of your bread.
Can I prepare wasabi powder in advance? I've got this little 30 gram container of "wasabi" powder. I'm on a little kick of trying to perfect my sushi rolling technique, so I'm likely to use it up within a month or so. It's just the typical Japanese export to the USA, mostly horseradish with a tiny bit of actual wasabi ...	I believe it will last for a month if properly vacuum sealed and stored correctly, and if it does not get openend regulary.
How to mix cream to increase its fat percentage? In my area the typical type of cream you can get is the one for whipped cream. It contains a fat percentage of about 35%. Some recipes call for higher fat percentages like 50% and up, so I'd like to mix in other things to up the percentage. The things I seem to have av...	There's only one thing that's typically sold with a high enough fat content that you'd be able to mix it into other dairy to get 48-50% fat ... butter.
What is a good substitute for Farro? I saw this ingredient (farro) listed in a recipe that I was interested in making; however, I've never seen nor heard of it before. Could you explain what it is, please. What can I substitute for Farro? <Q> Farro is a grain, a bit nutty, usually cooked to soft, but with toothsome bo...	Most farro enthusiasts would say that there is NO substitute for farro. It would help if you clarified what type of recipe you were interested in making - in the absence of that information, I would suggest you consider barley if you're making a soup and quinoa if you're making a salad.
Does store-bought Kombucha spoil? If so, how can I tell? I recently bought Ginger Kombucha for the first time in a reputable health food store. I'd never heard of it, but my doctor feels the probiotics will help my chronic digestive problem. Because of the strong taste, I only drank a small amount each day. I did this ...	When they say "probiotic", what they mean is that there are microbe cultures present in the kombucha. You'll want to stick to purchasing an amount that you can drink within a week or so, but don't worry overmuch if it has a slightly vinegary tang and odor.
How to remove the flavor from whisky stones? I made the mistake of buying these awesome whisky stones (soapstone) to chill my drinks. Besides the fact that they don't cool the drink down a lot, they acquire a freezer taste and ruin the flavor of the beverage. How can I eliminate this taste? I tried to wash them with ...	There are much better whiskey stones out there that have a much better cooling power and have no taste. You can scrape and polish off some of the surface with stuff like green scrub pads (e.g., "Scotch Brite"), regular cheap sandpaper, and maybe steel wool or so.
How to see if cast iron cookware is enameled? I have found a cast iron grill manufactured by the French company Le Creuset. This cookware is probably around 20 years old and you can see a picture of the same model below. I'm wondering if this grill is enameled cast iron or raw cast iron. Indeed, if it's raw cast iron...	From the photo, you have a raw cast iron grill pan - we can tell, as it has been misused and the seasoning mostly removed.
Will swapping the red wine in my spaghetti bolognese with port wreck the dish? We were out of red wine when cooking spaghetti bolognese today, but eyed off the port as a possible substitute. We decided against it but were left wondering. I imagine you'd have to halve the quantity because it would be too strong. I thoug...	Port is a little sweeter than ordinary red wine so it will change the taste but not, in my opinion, in a bad way.
How to make sure that potatoes are boiled properly? I once boiled some potatoes of average size, by inserting a fork into them I thought they were boiled properly but cutting them in half, I saw the center is still raw with a lighter color. So how should I know it's enough boiling? <Q> You would probably do best to che...	When baking whole potatoes I like to pick one up and squeeze it in my hand. Thermometers will provide the best accuracy for any method of cooking.
My chocolate-chip cookie expanded after baking I have been making the same chocolate-chip cookies for a while. Last week, after baking a batch and removing from the oven, they expanded and became flat. Usually they stay in the same shape when removed from the oven, (thick and chewy) this time is the only time my cook...	Another one could be, since air will cause cookies to spread, you don't want to whip too much air into the cookie dough when you're creaming the butter and sugar together.
how early can I put food into a slow-cooker? I am considering getting a slow-cooker. I leave for work by 8am, return about 4pm and feed my family dinner about 5pm. Can food sit in the slow cooker that long?Thanks. <Q> Yes. <S> A typical slow cooker's low setting ranges between 8-10 hours, which is within the range ...	So I think it's fair to say if you cook for 8 hours and then leave on warm for 1 hour that it will be perfectly fine to eat.
What is water temperature after electric kettle switches off? My tea preparation prescriptions says to prepare it using water heated to 96 Celsius degrees. When water heated in standard, typical electric kettle reaches this temperature? Is it (always?) immediately after switch turns off? Or is it 100 Celsius degrees...	At sea-level pure water will be 100C at a full boil, the temperature will drop immediately when it's no longer being heated.
Can refrigerated shredded mozzarella cheese go bad if the refrigerator door was left open overnight? A bag of shredded mozzarella cheese was in my refrigerator. The door to the refrigerator was left partially open overnight. Can I still use this cheese or should I discard it? <Q> Just use it sooner rather than later (w...	Almost certainly the cheese is fine, but it may grow moldy a bit faster than it would have otherwise. Cheese was left out for years hanging from the ceiling before refrigerators were even thought of, so go ahead and eat it with your crackers or by itself - my thoughts.
Leaving the ladle in the soup considered harmful? There's this belief in my family that leaving the ladle in the soup is bad , but nobody actually seem to know why it would be bad; it's really just a persistent piece of family lore. I never really cared one way or another, but it really started bugging me now that I'v...	If the ladle was made of aluminium (or aluminum, if you prefer), then it would be a bad idea to leave it in anything acidic, as it could contaminate the food with aluminium salts, which may (it's controversial) be implicated in Alzheimer's.
Why is delivered pizza often oily? Forgive the heresy, but I've recently had some pizza delivered. I noticed it was quite oily, and I have seen and heard horror stories of pizza basically drowning in oil. This does not happen when I make pizza myself, even with salami on top the amount of oil is small, and certainly n...	Oils can often be emitted from the cheese, pepperoni, meats, etc. Delivery pizza is oily because it's been kept hot.
Sour pickles with Calcium Chloride? I've read that putting grape leaves with your brine will help pickles stay crunchy. But those are hard to find. I've also heard that Calcium Chloride does the same thing. Bubbies uses it, in fact. It's on their ingredients. I got a can of Pickle Crisp (it's just Calcium Chloride) an...	You can use Calcium Chloride to keep your pickles nice and crunchy!
Ate steak with the layer of fat kind of undercooked, is it dangerous? I bought a nice steak from a very good butcher yesterday. It was marinated in garlic and oil. Tonight, I cooked it for about three minutes on each side (probably more). The layer of fat on the steak, when I cut into it, was still kinda pink. It lo...	As far as why eating steak like you mentioned isn't hazardous, given your description, it was cooked at least medium. On the fat story, raw fat should also not cause any harm, although I don't think that eating raw fat can be appeticing (Raw fat only tastes good on biltong :-)).
Käsespätzle like the ones in Bavaria I'm really impressed how here in Bavaria people can cook some delicious things... Well I fell in love with Käsespätzle. I keep having trouble making them just like at the restaurant, where no matter what, the chef doesn't want to tell me his secrets. I basically buy the Spätzle at ...	As far as cheese having crunch, the key there is to not stir it while it is getting a bit brown, either under the broiler or on the stovetop (or both, to get crunchy surfaces on both the top and bottom).
What is the difference between Paris ham and French ham? My supermarket sells two kinds of pre-sliced ham. One is called Paris-style and the other French-style ham. Both kinds of ham are from the same company and the names are no indication of where the ham is made. Are these names widespread terms to used describe d...	French ham is slowly cooked in just-simmering water and is seasoned only with salt.
Is unsour sour cream too new or too old? My supermarket only has one supplier of sour cream, so I always buy it. It appears to be made by a small company. All last year, when I purchased the product, it appeared like any sour cream you can purchase in the US. But during the last 3 times, the taste and texture was diff...	As sour cream is quite stable and rarely curdles even if too old, it could have happened through heating.
How to protect roasted coffee powder from degrading during daily use? I have to buy coffee roasted powder in 100gms packet. I use 1 tablespoon on coffee per day. I do keep the coffee in an airtight container and then in an opaque cover. How should I protect remaining coffee from damage from air when I use some coffee...	Repack the coffee into many small containers and place some in the freezer for use at the end of the week (assuming your freezer temperature remains relatively consistent) An electric coffee grinder is small, inexpensive and easy to use.
Fire under electric stovetop element I was cooking and I saw flames shoot up from under the oven element ... why might this be, and what can I do to prevent this? I wasn't too concerned because it wasn't the food that was on fire but rather just something under the element, and fortunately the stove is metal, so there ...	If you haven't cleaned your oven lately then you can get grease flaring up when the element gets very hot.
How can I cut a tomato without a knife? I am trying to make a salad but I can't find a knife at my work. Is there a way I can cut the tomato without a knife? <Q> I'd just cut it at home that morning and bring it. <S> If that didn't work out, I'd bring a pocketknife. <S> I'm sure you can kludge things, but really, rip...	Baring that almost any kind of thread will do the job with the right back and forth motion. I'm seriously questioning suggestions to use common non-foodie objects like office scissors, business cards, keys(!), rulers and fingernails to cut tomatoes.
What's the best container to ferment vegetables? I'm brand new to fermenting. Popular purchases are Ohio stoneware crocks and A German style air-lock ceramic crock for fermenting the harvest. (pictured in order below) I'm interested in smaller batches. I don't mind scraping off surface mold as the ferment develops....	The key is to use food safe products and avoid material that is worn or cracked, which could harbor bacteria... Mason jars are ideal for small batches. I've used the harsch crocks myself - for longer ferments (3-8 weeks).
How to make my graham cracker bites crispy/crunchy? I am attempting to make crunchy graham cracker bites (think granola but made from graham crackers). I wanted to use the recipe below as a base: 2 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs 1/3 cup sugar 1/4 cup mashed banana 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted Preheat...	Again, since I haven't tried your recipe or made similar baked goods, this can even possibly be something counterproductive, but try to cook things in the oven with a container ( made of metal or other appropriate material made for the oven of course ) with water in it; you put said container on the "floor" of your ove...

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