Split (1)

train · 95.7k rows

source stringlengths 620 29.3k	target stringlengths 12 1.24k
What is ideal temperature for baking cupcakes? I baked two batches of cupcakes at 180˚C but both collapsed in the middle. I guessed I must have used a little extra baking soda in the first batch so I used lesser amount of baking soda and baking powder in the second batch. The cakes rose nicely for first few minutes (I ...	The most common reason for cupcakes to sink is an oven temperature that is too high. So try dropping your temperature a bit, and be sure to use an oven thermometer .
Do you need to rinse vegetables that can be peeled? When using garlic or onions - is it redundant to rinse them in water, being that you take off multiple layers before preparation? <Q> While I don't always practice what I preach, in the interest of food safety, I would recommend rinsing any vegetable or fruits before ...	It is absolutely important that you rinse fruits and vegetables before consuming them raw , even if you are going to peel them!
Substitute for pumpkin pie filling I have a recipe for a French Toast Bake which calls for 30 ounces of pumpkin pie filling. I am looking for something I can substitute since my family is not crazy about pumpkin flavor. Any ideas? <Q> Puree of chayote with (nutmeg / clove / allspice / cinnamon / just sugar) <S> (ho...	Of course, you could also probably substitute pudding of various flavors, or some other kind of sweet mash (perhaps sweet potato , or squash - though that does taste similar to pumpkin, or perhaps some starchy fruit).
How to release pungence out of onion for salads without cooking? I have been making a pretty standard Mediterranean-style potato salad but replacing the standard vinegar with lemon juice, which I like better. However, I noticed that, when used, red wine vinegar does more to soften the uncooked union and seems to rele...	What I personally do is cut the onions half and put them in a bowl of cold water and then after chopping them, marinate them with lemon juice for a longer period of time.
Best way to clean copper pots? I got an awesome set of copper pots as a wedding gift. They are amazing, but the direct flame has created aggressive burn marks and discoloring. I'm aware that this is always going to occur. Is there a way to restore the original color? <Q> First you need salt, then you need an acid. <S> ...	Buy a few pounds/kilos of barley malt extract, dissolve it in a LARGE pot of water, boil, immerse your pans, take them out shiny.
How to Remove Excess Water from Chicken/Other Meats Prior to Cooking? Here in the UK, supermarket chicken and other meat cuts are infused with water to bulk them up prior to sale. So, when frying or browning the meat, I often end up half boiling it from all the water that comes out and I end up having to spoon the exc...	You can salt the chicken a few hours or a day in advance of cooking it (you don't need a lot of salt, just whatever you'd normally use to properly season it), and store it uncovered in the refrigerator on a small rack over a plate.
Wok clean up after every use I wanted to ask, if i really have to clean up the wok after every use. You see those black spots on it ? Am i doing it wrong? Or.. is it ok to leave it so? Just fyi, this wok costs about 230 eur. Thank you for your advices. <Q> You are seeing oil polymerisation, otherwise known as seasoning...	If you really enjoy using the wok then get some brillo pads and over a few sessions the oil stains will come clean with some elbow grease.
Scaling up water for cooking soup I'm cooking soup as a starter for Christmas dinner. I've made this soup before and I used 1.5 litres of water for 4 servings. I'm making 12 servings for Christmas day so that should be 4.5 litres of water required if I just put in 3 times as much of everything. I'm not sure if I've co...	Based on all the variables at play, the best solution is to add the amount of water you think is close to what you actually need.
How can I turn rolled oats into flour without a food processor? I don't have a proper food processor, just a little baby-food-sized one, so when I made Alton Brown's all-oats oatmeal cookie recipe before, I used half oat flour and half rolled oats. They were perfect, so I'd like to repeat them for my friend with celi...	If you have a coffee grinder, that's also a possibility - it is intended to turn beans into powder, this is just a different grain.
What is the texture of grilled swordfish? Purchased and grilled swordfish steaks, as usual, but the texture was very gelatinous(squishy) and raw feeling, though the color was opaque after cooking. Taste was bland and rubbery. The fish was marked Fresh, as opposed to the usual "previously frozen"What is wrong? <Q> You m...	I agree with the others that your fish was probably not so fresh.
What makes rice come out chewy and how do you prevent it? I find that sometimes my rice will come out chewy no matter how much water/more cooking time I add. What makes rice come out chewy and how do you prevent it? <Q> I use par-boiled long grain rice, and DO NOT pre-soak or rinse it. <S> Put your rice into a good h...	I usually rinse a few times the rice to remove dirt and excess starch (makes for a fluffier rice).
What are the options when looking for gluten free chapati? Hi does anyone know where I can buy gluten free chapatis or what is the best method of making them and storing them without any preservatives? <Q> I use ivory teff tortillas from La Tortilla Factory as a gluten-free substitute for chapati. <S> They are someti...	It is possible to buy gluten free flour from most supermarkets these days, or health food stores.
How to substitute peanut butter for peanut butter chips I'm making a Peanut Butter Blondie recipe, and I'm trying to make it healthier for a Health Class my son is in. The recipe calls for 2 cups of peanut butter chips and I want to use natural peanut butter instead. How would I convert 2 cups of chips to an amount of ...	Peanut butter chips can be melted... think peanut butter fudge.
How to cook scallops that will prevent them from becoming too rubbery? What will prevent pan seared scallops from becoming too rubbery? I find that cooking them in the cast iron skillet has not created a tender texture. <Q> It sounds like maybe you cooked them too long. <S> Searing the perfect scallop requires a few ...	Scallops should be seared in a heavy pan.
I'm pretty sure these aren't scones, but what are they? We've made a type of deep fried bread in my family for years, which we've called "scones". I'm fairly certain these aren't actually scones, and have no idea what their name would properly be. The recipe is very free-form, and uses whatever bread dough happens to ...	Everywhere else in the world scones are biscuit-like pastries. This is a staple of Balkan cuisine.
When grinding flaxseeds in a coffee grinder, is it safe to add some water inside? http://www.drdavidwilliams.com/how-to-relieve-constipation-naturally/ says Flaxseed is inexpensive and you should be able to find it at your local health food store. Keep in mind that if the seeds aren't crushed, ground, or broken, t...	Coffee grinders are designed for dry grinding, not wet grinding.
I never succeed in thickening sauces with pasta water. What am I doing wrong? Every cook praises how starchy pasta water is great for thickening sauces and helping the sauce cling to the noodles. But no matter how much pasta water I add, it never thickens the sauce.Yesterday I cooked one pound of pasta in a liter of w...	Adding pasta water to your condiment pan has the benefit of helping the condiment form an emulsified sauce that adheres to your pasta.
Why arent my pancakes browning correctly? I am using a cast iron pan and all of my pancakes are coming out like this. I leave them on and they get crispy on the outside and cook through but they do not brown. I tried turning the heat up and that just burns them in splotches. Then I tried a lower heat and they turn gold...	If nothing else helps, you can even add a pinch of baking soda to a baking powder recipe, not for leavening but just for browning. If this is a baking powder recipe, consider using only milk instead of any buttermilk or yogurt. An alternative would be to find a better working recipe and follow it instead of adjusting y...
how can I mince a small amount of meat? I want to be able to mince a small amount of meat for steak tartar to eat right away. I want the mince to be fresh each time, so mincing more in advance and storing is not an option, no matter what you do, the meat will never be as fresh as stored in a large piece and minced just...	If you've got a robust enough cutting surface, mincing in the Chinese fashion, with one or two moderately heavy, sharp meat-cleavers, is very fast and easy to clean up, with no waste.
Accidently mixed instant and cooked pudding packages I'm making the layered pudding dessert and without looking I dumped an instant pudding mix and a cook and serve pudding mix in the same bowl. I am now staring at said bowl in horror. Too late to scoop and separate. How do I save this? Was my last two packages! <Q> up...	and I just heated it in the microwave for 8 mins stirring every 2 mins ( as per cook and serve microwave directions) and it worked.
How to salvage hardened peanut butter from jar bottom How can I salvage hardened peanut butter from the bottom of the jar? Is there anything I can put in it that will soften it but also add to the taste, or at least not affect it negatively? <Q> As long as the peanut paste at the bottom of the jar hasn't gone rancid, I...	I usually try to keep re-mixing the jar as I use it, so I haven't really tried this, but I'll bet if you stir in a little peanut oil, that dry peanut-plaster would soften up and become like its old self again.
I recently tried to make sourdough with my starter, it didn't rise. Why is there still a crumb? I started and cared for my first sourdough starter for 6 days, had a decently active starter. It would rise noticeably, maybe 1.3x after feeding. I made a basic sourdough recipe using my starter. It's obvious that my starte...	Try keeping your dough in nice room temperature and far from air circulation and drafts.
How do you keep dehydrated broth (powder) from clumping? I have some dehydrated store-bought broth mix (chicken and vegetable) that has clumped into a large solid block. I haven't been able to find any information on the Internet about how to fix this. I suspect it is a matter of hydration (too hydrated or too dehydra...	Put the stuff in a sealed, heavy-duty plastic bag and whack on it with a rolling pin or a heavy bottle until it is in smaller lumps, then use your hands to break them down into the original powder. Add something to the container to absorb excess moisture.
Allergic to the whole pepper family - what can I use in its place? I am allergic to the whole pepper family including black pepper. I don't know what to use as a substitute. I don't eat salt, so that's out. I am having to check every item that I buy to make sure it doesn't have pepper any it. Can anybody give me some ...	Watercress has an amazing peppery flavor and is a great addition to salads!
What are the keys to leopard-spotting pizza crust? What are the most important factors to achieving leopard-spots on pizza cornicione? I've tried so many different things but still can't get to the level of consistent leopard spots that I've seen others create. I want a pale crust except very distinct charred leopa...	You might make your dough from a preferment or a series of them, so the yeasts have time to develop better and will be more active, or you might use more yeast in general to make the dough rise more quickly to form bigger, irregular bubbles instead of small even ones. The spots have to be cooking, and scorching, before...
Fudge as a cake layer? I have seen countless recipes for cakes that involve a fudge frosting, a soft, gooey layer of fudge that goes between layers of sponge. I have yet to find any cake/sweet recipes where traditional fudge, the type you make or buy in blocks, is used as a layer in a cake. Why is this not done? Does...	I have to agree with the other answers and comments that traditional fudge could be awkward as a layer in a cake.
How can I grind sesame seeds in my coffee grinder better? When I grind sesame alone or with flax seeds, I can see that many of the sesame seeds are not ground. When I grind several things together including sesame, flax seeds and mixed nuts, like walnuts, almonds, and cashews, the powder becomes more stuck together, ...	Grinding sesame seeds manually isn't as hard as grinding the other nuts/seeds that you're mentioning
How can I thicken heavy cream without changing the flavor? I am trying to make a thickened heavy cream that would be the same texture as "Creme Fraiche", but have not yet come to a desirable solution. As you guys know Creme Fraiche has a tangy taste similar to Sour Cream which is not what I am looking for. Please advis...	You could try making clotted cream.
What type of Paprika If a recipe calls for "paprika", what type should I use? Does it mean Hungarian, Spanish, California? Also, what type, Hot, Bittersweet, Sweet? <Q> If the recipe is just asking for "Paprika", they want generic paprika labeled as such. <S> Like this: According to the McCormick website , this is...	When a recipe tells about Paprika, it generally means, "whatever" paprika you want. The recipe you are following and your intended outcome will drive the decision on which to choose.
Sous vide a whole chicken : temp/time? I have a butterflied chicken in the fridge that is marinating in a mojo mix. I have read many times to SV it at 148f.But what about time? I would like the bird to be uniformly cooked and the meat to be juicy but not stringy. What do you think would work best? <Q> This is a very...	Sous vide chicken can work well, but white meat and dark meat are generally preferred when they are cooked at significantly different temperatures.
Irish Coffee harder to get right than Baileys Coffee? On a cold winter's day I was in a Irish-themed pub/restaurant and ordered an Irish Coffee . Some time later (could have been half an hour or longer), the waitress comes with all the stuff other people at the table ordered but she was terribly sorry to tell me that ...	Again with Irish coffee, anyone with legal ability to make and serve a drink would be able to get you that.
What is queso (the sauce/dip)? Is it short for Chile con Queso? Queso is the Spanish word for cheese but (in the US) it is often used to refer to a cheese-based dip or sauce for tortilla chips. When I google "what is queso?", Google says "short for chile con queso". Looking it up on Wikipedia leads to a disambiguatio...	The popular cheese dip, chile con queso, is melted cheese with chile peppers.
My chicken soup always ends up with bones I'm an avid crock pot-ter. My favorite recipe by far is my dad's famous chicken soup. It calls for bone-in chicken. I usually use drumsticks because that is what my dad uses, but I ALWAYS end up with a ton of little pieces of bone in my soup and it makes this amazing soup kind ...	If you're using very meaty bones, or even whole birds, you can salvage the meat by picking it off the bones, and adding it to your soup (though most of the flavor will be cooked out of it.)
How much do egg yolks and whites weigh, in grams? I have an Italian recipe that has been translated to English. The recipe calls for 360g egg whites and 240g yolks. Can anyone tell me how much this is? <Q> The rule of thumb to divide an egg is: 60% egg-white 30% yolk <S> 10% shell <S> So it depends on t...	Average accepted weight for a large egg in Canada, (w.o shell) is 50g, 30g white and 20g yolk.
How to make less salty Fermented Black Bean Stir Fry I recently tried a variant of chinese stir fry using Lee Kum Kee Black Bean Garlic Sauce. I liked the flavor, but the end result was significantly saltier than I prefer. The rough recipe I used was: 2 Tbsp black bean garlic sauce 5 dried peppers 1 Tbsp garlic 1...	There are two ways to reduce the saltiness of the finished dish: reduce the amount of salt you put in (in this case difficult, as it is in the sauce, so you'd have to put in less sauce) or increase the amount of water that stays in the finished dish.
How frequently should I feed my sourdough starter? I am growing my first sourdough starter. It is a week old, but it isn't very active. My concern is that I might be feeding it too frequently or too infrequently. I could see it going either way. The process I have been using is to (initially) combine 100 grams of Brea...	If I recall correctly, I fed the starter every 12 hours for the first week, then every 24 hours for the next week.
If I want my garlic to taste in a very specific way (with bite or without bite) what should I do? I don't always want my garlic to taste the same way. Sometimes I want only the deep umami flavor without the bite (so I let it cook more) and sometimes I look for a strong garlic bite presence in the dish. I know it depen...	Garlic strength is mainly down to how much you cook the garlic, and how finely you chop it (different varieties of garlic notwithstanding).
How to mince garlic efficiently without the garlic sticking to the sides of the knife? Whenever I mince cloves of garlic on a cutting board, it sticks to the sides of the knife making it a tedious task? Is there anyway to prevent this from happening when using a knife to mince garlic the old-fashioned way? Otherwise, I...	I have read that sprinkling some salt on the minced garlic as you chop helps alleviate the sticking, but you may not want extra sodium in your recipe.
Are cockroaches a usable source of protein? Bear with me, this is an entirely serious if not necessarily particularly practical question :) In The Damage Done , perhaps the best known notionally non-fiction Thai prison story (and, apparently, soon to be a movie ), there are a lot of disgusting, gruesome and/or on oc...	These plain roasted cockroaches make a great snack to munch on or can be added to your favourite dish.
Does it matter which goes in the glass first when having half/half tea? I drink half/half tea. Half sweetened, half unsweetened. I think it tastes better when I put sweetened in the bottom of the glass. A friend says that's silly. It all mixes together. Is my imagination making me think it tastes better when sweet goes...	In both cases, the outcome is the same - you have some reasons to like the drink sweet first better. My personal opinion: When sweet tea is added first (like they do at about every restaurant here in SC since I’ve been here 20+ years) it will just sit at the bottom of the glass (since tea sweetened with sugar is much h...
How to keep shallots from overpowering vinegarettes Most recipes call for minced shallot in a basic vinegarette. However, whenever I use it, the taste of shallot overpowers everything else in the dressing, leaving an aftertaste that usually lasts through to the next day. I've tried reducing the amount of shallot, but...	let the dressing rest for a day or two before using, so the flavors meld better simmer or heat the dressing, if the other ingredients can take it, to speed along the melding If you get that taken care of, you should be able to then reduce the amount and find what you want.
Groceries left out on the counter I accidentally left my groceries out on the counter for an hour. Some frozen fish and frozen fruits and vegetables. Are they still good? Especially the fish? <Q> It's all still safe, given that it was only an hour. <S> Even very perishable food like fish and meat is safe for 2-4 hours ...	If the fish is still a little frozen you can go ahead and put it in the freezer. They'll still be safe, just not as good.
What size bowl for bread I have a bread recipe for 1 loaf of bread I want to try. Does it matter what size of bowl I use to let it rise in? I normally bake 2 loafs. Can I use the same bowl? I have a friend that told me it is to big and my bread wont rise correctly. I love her to death, but she really doesn't know eve...	Many bread recipes use two rises, one after mixing ("bulk rise"), one after shaping and before the bread goes into the oven.
Why are chickpeas sprouted before grinding them into flour? I am about to make (or at least try to) my own chickpea flour. Having had a good look around, my understanding is that I need to sprout my chickpeas first. My question(s) therefore: Why do I have to sprout my chickpeas? Do I have to sprout my chickpeas? W...	Beyond even anti-nutrients that are neutralized by sprouting, there are other changes that take place during sprouting that make it easier for us to digest our seeds/legumes/grains.
Technique for peeling boiled potatoes This recipe calls for boiling Yukon gold potatoes with their skins on, then peeling them. I don't really know why, I just decided to follow it. I find that I am unable to peel boiled potatoes in any reasonable amount of time because they are soft, slippery, and very hot. I have...	As far as I can tell, boiling with skin will taste better / the potatoes will loose less starch into the water.
What can I substitute for hot Korean chili oil in this pork noodle recipe? Our local supermarket sells fantastic pork, normally also on offer. Yesterday I bought a kilo of cubed pork (magro). Yesterday we had kebabs, today perhaps Asian. So, I've thought about making this Korean noodle dish . I have never been that...	I would use any asian Chili oil.
How do I wash the "pokey" side of a box grater? I have this box grater, and one of the sides is "non-directional" (not sure what this is called) -- that is, the pointy "blade" things are on every side of the holes: Close-up: The fibers you see are from ginger. My question is: How do I clean this side of the grater...	Simple enough, but certainly a nuisance: soak a little in soapy water using a plastic bristle brush, clean the inside then take the brush and lightly but quickly scrub the outside using a circular motion rinse, check and repeat as necessary Note: There are also special grater things specifically for woody mature ginger...
Do tomato-based sauces change/enhance flavour when left in the fridge? I cooked some green beans in a tomato-based sauce then ate some and left the rest in the fridge 3 days ago. I tasted it today, and it was better than I remember: is this a known phenomenon or am I not remembering right? <Q> This is also true of stew...	Most sauces, tomato based or not, will improve in flavour after being left overnight. It is a well known phenomenon.
Boiling potatoes with vs. without skin It seems I got me thinking ... When boiling potatoes in water or a steamer , what, if any, is the effect of peeling the potatoes before vs. after the cooking process? Does it matter at all whether they are peeled before or after? wrt. to taste in general wrt. to "texture" ...	I like the flavor and texture of the skins, even in mashed potatoes, and unpeeled potatoes are less prone to becoming waterlogged. Also, maybe it's my imagination, but I think unpeeled ones are bit more acidic, Tip:After they are cooked, it's easier and quicker to peel the skins of, just run them under cold water while...
Does cooking octopus in salt or pastry crust produce juicy octopus? I've been reading up on octopus preparation and the different methods used to tenderise the meat. Rustic recipes call for a good beating against a rock until soapy, others talk of a long boil or braise. Papaya has been mentioned as has a pre-cook freez...	If you pre-slow-cooked the octopus and made a gravy out of the cooking liquid, you could definitely get in into a pastry crust.
Chilis that taste like habanero I like the fruity taste of habanero a lot (the red ones if that matters). But I usually get stomach pains after eating them (not that it stops me). Are there any chilis that taste similar to habanero but burns less/are easier on the stomach/have less scoville rating? <Q> Allepo pepper ha...	From the excellent book Grow For Flavour there is actually a chilli called the Trinidad Perfume which is specifically cultivated to have the same flavour profile as a Habanero without the heat.
Soften fats for buttercream I am trying to make a stable buttercream and I am using butter and shortening [in the UK we call it trex or cookeen]. However, in this cold weather the fats are not getting to room temperature. What is the best to soften them? I don't own a microwave. <Q> I have had to deal with this s...	What I do to get the butter up to temperature is to cut the butter/shortening up into cubes and submerge it in warm water.
How to get rid of chili-peppers on fingertips? When I cut chili-pepper, it takes more then a day for the chili to disappear from my fingertips. It is particularly hurtfull when I put in my contactlenses. Is there a way to get rid of this chili more quickly? <Q> Capsaicin, the active compound in chillies, isn't soluble ...	Washing your hands in oil, then removing the oil with soap can help.
I am unable to eat tomatoes. What can I use instead, especially in soups? My digestion doesn't like tomatoes, and all the soup recipes I like call for them. Is there anything I could substitute? <Q> There is an alternate product available that does not contain tomatoes. <S> It is called Nomato . <S> It is describ...	Nomato sauces are a delicious natural alternative to traditional tomato based products.
Safety and quality of low-price imported beef sold in US supermarkets As a recent resident of Southern California, I noticed in a supermarket very impressive looking sirloin strip steak for $4.99 per pound. Regular prices in other markets range from 10.99 to 29.99. The beef at this incredible price is from Mexico. Is ...	I live in Mexico and the beef here is generally better than what I had in the US. Imported products must meet the same labeling requirements as domestically-produced products. The flavor is quite acceptable to me, and I don't consider it "off" in any way.
Is there any advantage to cooking steak on the bone? My local butcher sells ribeye and sirloin steaks from Basque and Galician dairy cows on the bone. All of their products are fantastic but I question what effect cooking it 'bone-in' has. Is there any advantage - in flavour/texture/ease of cooking- to cooking steak ...	When I have purchased steak, the bone-in has been less expensive than a boneless steak of the same weight of actual meat, cut, and grade of meat.
Make Pepperoni out of Regular Salami So, i really love pepperoni pizza, and want to make it at home. However, in my city, i can't find pepperoni for sale in the market (i don't live in the US). So, i was wondering, can i make something similar to pepperoni by seasoning regular salami? If the answer is yes, what seasoni...	You can marinade salami in the pickling liquid of canned pepperoncini around 10 minutes for that slightly off-sour taste and bite.
Why avoid olive oil in Gotham Steel pans? Background Gotham Steel is a ceramic coated titanium pan. It's the brand with the commercials where they put a mixer in the pan, supposedly to show that it doesn't scratch if you use metal utensils. The coating makes the pan non-stick, slippery even. It comes with the fol...	They're saying that, since they are made to be non-stick specifically so people don't need to use ANY oil, they don't generally recommend using it, at all.
Can Freshly Caught Fish Remain "Fresh" for 2 to 3 Days in Refrigerator? I have often heard that fresh-caught fish, properly stored in a refrigerator, will remain fresh for 2-3 days. Does this mean that the fish can be considered fresh, stored in this manner, by counting the number of days from when it was removed from...	In my opinion 2-3 days is really just a guide to remind people that fish is highly perishable, more so than most animal proteins.
Is the advantage of wagyu and other fine beef obliterated when formed into minced burger patty? The best thing about wagyu and similar cuts is its fine marbling. I've recently seen a 'wagyu-beef-slider' on a menu at an upstanding and well respected establishment. Upon internal reflection of appetizer selection (which...	Marbling is not the only factor.
Used sesame oil instead of soy sauce - can I rescue marinade? I am making panko chicken, for which I marinate the chicken in low sodium soy sauce and lemon. I ran out of the soy sauce and needed an additional 2 tbsp of it. I remembered I had bought a small bottle of it but it was a different brand. I accidentally poure...	You don't need to rescue the marinade, sesame oil isn't going to ruin it, just add more soy sauce to get the saltiness you need.
What can substitute for the non kosher ingredients in bolognese sauce? I am trying to make bolognese kosher for my family and struggling. Here is the list of ingredients I hope to find a substitute for: Pork Pancetta Heavy cream Milk Parmigiano Reggiano <Q> None of those is a necessary element in bolognese; find ...	In the original italian recipe of " Ragù alla bolognese ", pork is optional, there is just beef mince simmered with red wine until reduced, some vegetables (carrot, onion and celery), tomato sauce, and absolutely no compulsory dairy products (cheese is added on personal taste when the dish is served).
A different name for Manitoba flour? I'm currently in Greece, I'm trying to find some Manitoba flour but it seems nobody here have ever even heard the name. And I asked in bakeries and restaurants, too, just to be sure to find it. What a different "term" for Manitoba could be? I already checked for the translation and...	Manitoba flour, also called Farina Manitoba, is a strong flour with a high protein content.
Do I still add sage? I have a recipe that calls for 3/4 tsp of "Italian seasoning" plus 1/2 tsp sage. My Italian seasoning already has sage in it although I am aware that some do not. My question is do I still add the 1/2 tsp sage as it may be overpowering in sage, or do I just increase the Italian seasoning from 3/4 t...	If you really aren't a fan of sage, leave it out entirely!
How long should I let my tea cool before adding unpasteurized honey to it? I like having my tea with honey. I always buy unpasteurized honey rather than pasteurized honey, to benefit from the healthful enzymes it contains that are destroyed by the pasteurization process. I have heard that unpasteurized honey should n...	Use green tea and let it get down to room temperature, add honey and then cool in the fridge or pour over ice.
What provides the acid for leavening in this banana bread recipe? I have made this banana bread recipe a couple of times. The ingredients are: All-purpose flour Salt Brown sugar Baking soda Bananas Butter Eggs My understanding is that baking soda requires some acid such as milk or yogurt to provide leaven...	Most of the ingredients in this recipe are acidic.
Using food as a cooking fuel to cook other food? I was thinking about it and we use charcoal, gas, wood chips, etc to heat our food; for obvious reasons and since they burn for a long time. But what if, for example, you set a few steaks on fire and use those steaks to cook a hamburger? Would it improve the taste of th...	If you just want the concept, there are pasta sauces involving egg or egg yolk where the heat from the pasta is the only thing that cooks the egg. It's possible to smoke meat using nuts or herbs, and fish can be baked on a huge slab of rock salt, but other than that, people don't really bother.
Adding sauce without microwaving the chicken I brought the InnovAsian chicken and broccoli frozen food and missed an instruction. I added the sauce before microwaving the chicken. But the instruction says to microwave the chicken before adding the sauce and add the sauce and microwave another few minutes. What I want...	Cooking the sauce in the microwave is not going to make it unsafe to eat.
Mothballs in food cabinets I tossed mothballs in my kitchen cabinets about a month ago, now everytime I open cabinets all I smell is mothballs, and the food smells like mothballs too. Can I eat the food or should I throw it away? <Q> Mothball is a mild poison. <S> msds Contamination via vapor to food may only be ...	Toss contaminated food As others suggest, toss the food as mothballs are toxic by design, being made of: naphthalene ( CDC report ) 1,4-dichlorobenzene ( CDC report ) Diatomaceous earth
How to "toss to coat" ingredients in a sheet pan? I've been trying new recipes lately, and I often see instructions along the lines of: Put ingredients in sheet pan Drizzle oil over ingredients Add seasonings to ingredients Toss to coat I understand the purpose of this is to evenly coat the stuff in the pan with...	Drizzle oil over the ingredients and then pick them up with your hands and move them around to rub over each other and get evenly coated.
How can I address watery eggs in a microwaved breakfast sandwich? My blessed wife fixes me batches of breakfast sandwiches consisting of a sandwich thin, some ham and egg whites and freezes them. It's a great breakfast, except for the fact that as it defrosts in the microwave, the egg whites release a huge amount of wa...	And it might make it easier, working with a sturdy and already frozen egg patty, to dust the egg in cornstarch or wrap it in rice paper or something, if you want another layer to absorb moisture with.
How do I convey an order for over medium eggs without runny yolks? I'm not a chef; I'm a (new) waitress and a few days ago a customer ordered her eggs over medium, but she didn't want the yolks runny. She was very insistent on this, and said she would send them back if they were runny so I put the order in as over hard...	You could just have a cook that is not good with eggs. Just turn in a ticket for medium well and scratch out the medium before you give the ticket to the customer.
How to modify a bread recipe to accomodate longer proofing times? I used to bake a lot but since I've switch jobs, I do not have enough time in the evening anymore. But I work really close from home so I can go home for lunch if needed. My idea is to start the bread in the morning before work, then return for the seco...	You could buy a used refrigerator for the purpose of bread proofing, ferments, preferment's, sponges, sourdoughs etc.
Can a fish living in fresh water be called seafood? Pangasius (Wikipedia) says: Pangasius is a genus of medium-large to very large shark catfishes native to fresh water in South and Southeast Asia. ... In 2011, Pangasius was sixth in the National Fisheries Institute’s "Top 10" list of the most consumed seafo...	Seafood just means edible aquatic life, i.e. fish and shellfish in general.
How to make home made jam retain the fruity taste? Today I made a pulp of 2 strawberries, half apple, 4 orange pieces, and 1 teaspoon jaggery. The pulp was tasting fruity. To make jam I put the pulp in a frying pan and cooked on low fire for some time till some of the water dried up. The resultant jam was not thick...	Make a fresh fruit (raw) jam that isn't cooked, which will not require a lot of added sweetener Fruit generally contain all 3 sugar types, the majority often being fructose.
How to prevent light-colored macarons from browning? I have a problem with baking yellow macarons, or any light coloured macarons. The yellow (or any light colour) ones always brown, always! I tried lowering the temperature, I bought the best colours I can get in the UK. The colours are powdered, to reduce the liqu...	So watch out for baking soda and other alkaline ingredients that are not adequately neutralized by acidic ingredients.
Why did my green tea muffins turn black? I made green tea muffins following the recipe here . I like my muffins moist and fluffy, so I added banana as suggested by the recipe and replaced half of the baking powder with baking soda. I also added a teaspoon of rice vinegar to activate the baking soda. Right before b...	Bases remove some acid ions and allow darker base ions to color the product.
Is there any point in considering sous vide for unskilled newbie cook? I was considering sous vide as a present for someone, but - being wholly unfamiliar with that cooking method myself except it being trendy - don't know how use(ful\|less) of a present that is for them. Is there any point in considering sous vide for...	Unless that person has expressed an interest in beginning to practice the sous vide cooking technique, it sounds to me like some other gift would be more appropriate.
What causes butter to "hiss" in the frying pan until I shake it? When frying an egg, I drop about a tablespoon of room temperature butter in the frying pan and turn it on medium flame. As it's melting, it starts to make a hissing sound, and bubbles a bit. Then, I take the pan and give it a shake, spreading the butter a...	The hissing and bubbles are due to the butter's water content turning into vapor.
Does there exist a chemical-free, homemade substitute to deli? Kids eat cold cuts cheerfully, whether alone or in sandwiches. I avoid salamis as their (saturated) fat content is conspicuous and alarming, but even the better ones, such as capocollo, are still filled with chemicals, with MSG, sodium erythorbate, and sodi...	If you are not interested in curing meats, smoking them may be another option: things such as smoked turkey breast are common deli meats too.
Best knives that don't need regular sharpening I'm looking for a knife that doesn't need to be regularly sharpened. The knife is for someone who has damaged wrists, and they find it difficult to have to continuously sharpen their knife. <Q> Ceramic knives will hold their edge 'forever', but are brittle. <S> As long as ...	Also, sharpening it when it is new can be advisable: Very few knives come with an optimal edge when they are new.
Which varieties of milk cheese are raw food? Which varieties of milk cheese are raw food? I mean the well-known varieties of cheese, not the many varieties small vendors can have that are only known in small areas. I think that a good definition of raw food cheese is that it's made of unpasteurized milk and it's not h...	Fresh cheeses are never made of unpasteurized milk (with the exception of illegal cheeses).
Why do you need raw milk to make butter? I was reading about making butter at home and all the recipes called for raw (I presume this means unpasteurised) milk. Why is this? They also said to wait for the cream to separate from the milk. I've never seen this happen - is there something about pasteurisation that stabi...	If you are starting from milk rather than from cream , you will need to get non-homogenized (or unhomogenized ) milk.
How to pump same amount of paste every time? I am not sure if I am on the right site for this, but here it goes. I have a friend, named Jason, who makes a hot sauce for a company he runs. It is very pasty (made of pepper flakes in an oil). The problem is, when Jason makes a batch, he's got to continually stir up the b...	When I consider pumping pasty things with flakes in them and dispensing a known amount, a peristaltic pump is what comes to mind.
over salted an uncooked steak I seasoned uncooked rib steaks yesterday (using a truffle sea salt). cooked 1 today and it was way too salty. How can I salvage the 2 remaining steaks. I cooked the 1st steak in the oven broiler.Thanks <Q> You could try "reverse brining", using a low salt beef stock to eliminate or reduce ...	You can also drop slices in an over-salted pot of soup, stew, or in a casserole.
Possible Wine Substitutions for Sherry When Making French Onion Soup I am making French onion soup, and it calls for sherry. What would be a good substitute for the sherry? <Q> Yes, you can. <S> (I usually use wine, in fact). <S> Note that sherries are a fortified wine <S> , so you may want to add a small amount of...	I sometimes use cider and a splash of brandy or rum as a substitute for sherry
Shortbread with a snap I would like my shortbread to have more of a "crunch" snap to it; to also allow it to travel and not get damaged. Is it too obvious to say cook for longer, or do I need to add more flour? My recipe is as follows: 1034g flour, 924g butter, 462g caster sugar and 264g corn startch. Oven temp 150 ...	A bit more flour will certainly help, but your method should also be considered.
Bananas - too many - so how can I preserve them? It must be banana season as the supermarkets are full of them at silly prices. I am beginning to think that I have come across and tried every banana recipe known to mankind. Is there a method of preserving banana? The weather here is quite dry so I have thought about...	You don't often see banana preserves (chunks of fruit bottled in a syrup) because the ripe fruit falls apart when cooked and the under ripe fruit doesn't have a strong or pleasant enough flavor. You can fry them. You can make marmalade.
Why are there bitter bits in my cake? I made a vanilla cake from scratch using this recipe and when I removed it from the pan, I noticed little brown lumps along the bottom and edges the size of BB pellets. I tasted one of the spots, thinking it was burnt sugar, but it was very hard and very very bitter. I think i...	Some baked goods, like pancakes or biscuits, intentionally under mix to keep things tender.
Why does this entire carton of eggs have 2 yolks each? I got chills this morning making breakfast as I cracked open 6 eggs in a row, all having 2 yolks each. I've read this is caused by an anomaly that is considered normal in an egg here and there. I guess the question is, is a whole crate of double-yolk eggs a "b...	This brings us to the second possible factor: you will tend to find more double-yolk eggs in cartons of extra-large and jumbo-size eggs.
Can pho be served ice cold? Is pho ever served ice cold similar to that of Korean mul-naengmyeon? If so, does it have a special name? <Q> A (somewhat south) Vietnamese not currently in Vietnam chiming in ^^ : <S> Apart from some exceptions (like cà phê sữa đá ) <S> I have the impression that there are no traditio...	I'm not sure how authentic it is, but I was able to find an often repeated dish referred to as Cold Soba Noodles with Vietnamese Pork that is in a way more like mul-naengmyeon than Pho because it's made with buckwheat noodles.
Is there such thing as "active dry sourdough-variety yeast"? Apologies in advance if this is a stupid question, or if it doesn't sound coherent, but: Is it possible to buy sourdough yeast, ready to use? You can easily find "active dry yeast" for sale in supermarkets. I realize this regular bread yeast is a different ...	In short, if you start a sourdough starter, you'll start with whatever is a) on your flour and b) in the air around you.
What kind of bread lasts long? My aunt lives in Venezuela. They don't have basics like bread or meat. I have been mailing her food like crackers and canned meat. I want to mail her some type of bread. I don't know what kind would last the longest. <Q> The classic "long-lasting bread" is rather like a very hard cracker ...	You go with an industrial bread with a lot of preservative.
Method for including bacon in an otherwise vegan chili? So I've got a vegan chili I make on a regular basis that I think is pretty darn good, but I'm always looking for ways to make it better. (I'm not actually vegan. Obviously.) Last time I included bacon and bourbon but the effect was... not what I had hoped. The bac...	I'd say you need to cook the bacon in step one with the onions, peppers et all... don't use any other oil, just let the bacon fat render out.
What's the best way for inexperienced cook to finely cut cabbage? I really like home-made pickled/fermented cabbage (russian style; which is bigger slice size than typical Sauerkraut; I would say 1mm thick). But I'm not a great cutter - I am very slow and find it quite difficult to do good even fine cut of a whole head...	To make it easier, try slicing the whole head of cabbage in half, so that you have a flat surface to slice the cabbage. If you do much food preparation and cooking, a mandoline is very useful to have. As I said in the beginning: have someone show you how to efficiently handle a knife.
How can I make a last-minute birthday cake without using artificial flavor or color? My dad's birthday party is tomorrow, and I do not know how to decorate his cake. He does not eat foods containing artificial flavoring or coloring. What are some methods I could use to accomplish this last-minute effort, and still su...	Drizzle a series of lines across the top of the cake, then swipe across the lines with a toothpick to get the fancy effect seen commonly on Napoleon pastries. Find edible decorations for that pop of colour.
What's the best way to warm a baguette? I baked French bread recently. They were crusty outside and moist inside. Delicious! I froze a few. How should I heat them so they're as good as when they were freshly baked? <Q> I spray mine with a little water and then put it in my toaster-oven at 400 (F) for a few minutes. <...	If you want it warm or hot then I find wrapping it in tin foil and putting it in a hot oven for 10 - 15 minutes (adjust depending on whether it's still frozen or not) is quite good.
How long before intended date of use can a ham be purchased? Hams are on sale now (end date of sale 4-11). I want to bake my ham on the 16th. Seems to me I would be cutting down on "eating time" for the ham. What do you think? Thanks. <Q> I don't believe it will make any difference, and here's why - You may be buy...	So, if you have a ham expiring on the 16th, you can eat it until the 16th. If this is a product intended for being eaten as-is, then the date is the latest eat-by date.
Sushi/nori/yaki paper - out of date? I make a lot of sushi. But, as I buy the paper/wrapper in 100's, sometimes I do not use it in what might be considered good time. I have searched and searched the packet for a sell or eat by date but there is none. Is this OK to use even though I bought it about 8 months ago, and...	My instinct is that it's very dry, so it will last for years without going rancid or becoming inetable, if kept in a climate that's not super humid (or kept in the fridge which is very dry air). So although I would use it out of date (and probably have) it's likely to be past its best having been open so long.
Overheated stainless saucepan - food now sticks I overheated my Stellar stainless steel saucepan. It is discoloured and if I poach an egg in it, it sticks. Is there any way of restoring the surface? <Q> Googling "Stellar non-stick stainless steel saucepan", I read that it has a coating of polytetrafluoroethylene or PTF...	First clean the pan from burned-in remains and mineral residues using vinegar or citric acid – if it's thick and hard, bring the vinegar in the pan to boil, then let it soak for a day or two before you scrape off the burned stuff.

Subsets and Splits

No community queries yet

The top public SQL queries from the community will appear here once available.