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How to cook tubular ground beef using only disposable items? How do I cook ground beef (in those 1 pound tubes) using only disposable items? Details: I can cook pizzas in my oven by putting them directly on the rack. I can cook chicken and toast bread by putting down a sheet of aluminum foil, and setting the chick...	I would suggest the easiest way to cook ground beef with only disposable items is a grill.
I'm baking an acorn squash. How long should I bake it for? I'm baking an acorn squash. How long should it bake for and at what temperature? I also noticed on the spaghetti squash question that those are baked sliced face down. Should acorn squash bake face down too? <Q> To roast acorn squash, set your oven to 350 and r...	I think that for oven cooking 350 degrees for about 30-40 minutes would work well. I normally roast cut side up, unless I am using some kind of sauce to go with it.
How can I emulsify cod liver oil, or otherwise mask its taste? Background I have some cod liver oil to take a supplement, but the taste is sufficiently unpleasant that I am not sure how to finish the bottle off. In the past, I have found emulsified cod liver oil fully tolerable, even pleasant, and I would like to kn...	I am making a fish oil emulsion using whey protein isolate. " you can try using gelatin you can find in all supermarkets.
How do you coat almonds in wasabi and keep it spicy and crunchy? (my wasabi paradox) I've been trying to make wasabi and soy sauce almonds, like the ones you find at the store (Blue Diamond) but the only recipe I've found (food.com) is very underwhelming. Despite using varying increasing amounts of wasabi, the spicy ...	I think if you sprinkle the wasabi powder between the almonds cool down, the powder will stick on the almonds and should give you the kick you are after.
What is meant by "cook until the oil separates" in Indian curry recipes? A lot of Indian curry recipes have a step where you're told to cook an onion-tomato-spices mixture "until the oil separates". Despite having tried cooking such recipes a number of times already, I still haven't really figured out what is meant by ...	Oil is separated in curries normally after you have cooked spices or sauces for ~10-15 mins.
how do I make my goat cheese creamy? I tried to make goat cheese following the recipe below, I did not use any buttermilk although a comment indicated that could be done. I kept the milk at the desired temperature for 10-15 minutes with no curdling occuring, took off the stove then added the reccomeneded amount of lemo...	To have soft creamy goat cheese for croutons for a salad, let the cheese come to room temp, put in either the Kitchen Aid mixer or a food processor, add a couple of tablespoons of heavy cream, fresh cracked pepper, process and fines herbs which are tarragon, parsley, and chervil.
Camping stove to supplement an electric hob I've got basic electric hobs in my kitchen which do a fine job - but a lot of cookbooks suggest that certain things would be best done on an open flame/gas hob (i.e. anything involving a wok). My flat isn't piped up for gas and I can't afford the expense of replacing my hob ...	Camping stoves are generally not safe for indoor use.
How to brew tasty tea with hard water At our new home, we have hard water. I had thought that the teabags I was buying were just weak, but the internet seems to indicate that the hard water will actually change the taste of the tea to a more chalky taste with some residue. Two suggestions I have come across are eit...	In the UK you can buy loose tea/tea bags specifically for hard water .
Should I peel and devein whole shrimps? I bought some precooked whole shrimp. Do I need to peel and devein them before eating or is it possible to leave this step out? I intend to saute them in garlic butter. <Q> I disagree with Daniel, you can absolutely eat the "vein" in a shrimp. <S> Whole un-peeled shrimp are cal...	If your shrimp are going to be fairly dry after cooking (which is not true in this case) then its easy to peel them after the fact. Yes you need to devein them.
Looking for meal-planning / grocery list software I'm looking for software (either PC-based, or web-based) that can be used for meal planning and generating shopping lists. What I'd like is for it to store recipes that I have, including their ingredients. At the beginning of the week, I would like to select recipes and...	"Gourmet Recipe Manager is an application to store, organize and search recipes.
How do I season my new pizza stone? I just bought my first pizza stone. The instructions that came with it recommend that I wash it thoroughly with plain water before using it for the first time. Is there anything else I should do to it to season it so it lasts and performs optimally? <Q> I've never done anything in ...	Do NOT season your pizza stone, EVER!!! While you don't have to pre-season most stones these days, you can speed up the natural process by: Wipe the new pan with a wet cloth (no soap) Dry in oven (low heat)
Why is my chuck roast dry? Our chuck roast came out tender but dry. Why? We used the Beef in Barolo recipe from Americas Test Kitchen: - 2 lbs chuck roast seasoned with salt and pepper - Cooked at 300*F for 3 hours in a full bottle of red wine and veggies - Pot was covered in foil and lid on top - Turned the meat ...	If you want your chuck roast to fall apart similar to pulled pork, you have to take the internal temperature of the meat up to around 190-195, in order to render all the fat and connective tissue.
How do you keep ebelskivers from sticking? My sister bought me a cast iron ebelskiver pan, and I've not had much luck with each of the batches I've tried. They always burn or stick. I'm hopeful someone might have a tried-and-true technique for making them, and possibly a family recipe :) <Q> There are a number of thi...	Just to add on to the above answer (which is spot on): Add an oil coating after your pan has heated to cooking temperature completely, just before you add batter.
Tips for cooking something "bacon wrapped"? Whenever I cook something "bacon wrapped" the bacon comes out a little undercooked for my taste. Should I be half-cooking my bacon before I wrap it onto something that I'm going to bake? <Q> Yes you can. <S> The term is called par-cooking . <S> Just fry it briefly in a sk...	I find boiling it for a few minutes works nicely, as frying can make parts of it too crisp to wrap effectively.
Bread Dough Dried out in Fridge Last night, I mixed and worked some dough and put it in the fridge overnight. I didn't account for enough rise, and it rose out of the bowl and out from under the plastic wrap covering it. The edges of the dough which are exposed to the air are hard. Can I just trim this part off and ...	I think if you knead the dried out part back into your dough, and spritz in a little more water, then let it come back to room temperature, it will be rehydrate and be fine. If it is 25%, go ahead and cut it off.
How can I use white pepper without having the odor dominate the food flavour? I received several different pepper (spice) for christmas. One of them is a white pepper. Whenever I use (very) little of this white pepper in my dishes, the odor/flavor is very dominant cutting out all other flavors. How can I use this peppe...	Since this pepper is so strong for some reason, I would advise that you only use it in dishes that rely on the pepper flavor to the exclusion of others, say steak au poivre, or pepper pot, or salt and pepper scallops.
Which onions to use and how to cook them for an Indian curry recipe that specifies "fry until deep pink"? One of the curry recipes in the book "50 great curries of India" says "Heat the oil in a cooking pot and fry the onions until deep pink." I think I know what it means when a recipe says "until deep brown" (which ...	I use Spanish yellow onions when cooking Indian food in the US.
Substitute Cayenne Pepper for Black Pepper My recipe calls for Black Pepper. I have Cayenne Pepper. What ratio should I use to substitute to get approximatively the same "heat"? I realize that the result won't be quite the same. I am fine with that. <Q> You can't really substitute cayenne pepper for black pepper. <S...	Regarding the amount of "heat" in the recipe, I'd agree with @justkt that you'd want to go with 1/8 to 1/4 (at most) of the specified amount of black pepper if substituting cayenne.
Does milk (fat) change in Winter? I've noticed that, all of a sudden, my chocolate chip cookies are spreading more than usual. I was wondering if the (organic) butter that I'm using could be affected by the season. <Q> Over the winter, the cows are fed hay or corn, while over the summer, they're pastured, so get fresh...	I don't know about weather, but non-factory produced milk changes with the season because of the feed, which will affect your butter .
Cooking chicken in a risotto without it drying out I was following a recipe for a chicken risotto, which said to brown the chicken (breast meat, cut into small pieces, maybe 3/4 of an inch or so) in the pan after browning the onions, and then add the rice and stock to the same pan afterwards (so the chicken was in the ...	Whenever I make risotto, I usually cook everything but the rice and some aromatic vegetables separately and add it towards the end of cooking.
How can I keep a cheesecake from cracking? I've been making cheesecakes for a while and they always end up cracking on the top. I was told to try putting a pan of water in the oven with it to keep the humidity up, which might help a little, but then it tends to crack when it's cooling. Am I overcooking? Or baking at...	Whenever I bake a cheesecake I tend to do the following: start with a short period, 10 minutes say, in a hot oven 220C (425F) then take the temperature right down quickly (leaving the door ajar to aid cooling) to a slow/very slow ~130C (260-270F) for about 40 minutes, or until it feels springy. DO NOT over-mix.
How do you drain Velveeta Rotini & Cheese with Broccoli, without losing the rehydrated Broccoli? Rotini & Cheese is a variation on Kraft's shells and cheese. It's actually kind of like an upgrade because you get small pieces of dehydrated broccoli in addition to the mac and cheese. Halfway through the cooking process...	One option is to line your strainer with cheesecloth , which will keep just about anything from getting through. A fine mesh strainer certainly won't let rehydrated broccoli through.
What can I do with extra sourdough starter? I recently made a sourdough starter from wild yeast, but the process I followed for making it resulted in a lot of starter. Instead of throwing it away I'd like to use it, and then once it gets down small enough I won't have to worry about having so much to use. What can I...	Making sourdough pancakes (which can be almost all starter with a little extra flour and fat/egg added) is a good idea if you really like sourdough flavor.
What's the purpose of sugar in a pickling solution? This might seem like a dumb question, but I am going to make a pickled pepper relish of sorts that is really just chopped carrot, onion, and habanero pepper cooked briefly in a pickling solution and jarred. In reviewing several recipes for pickled peppers, all use vin...	Sugar is a natural preservative, and makes the flavor milder (not less hot if these are hot peppers, but reduces sourness of vinegar and saltiness of salt.)
Is there a measurable difference between fresh and dried minced garlic? For example, I just tried a recipe for Rosemary Potatoes last night that called for a tablespoon of minced garlic. I believe the recipe may have referred to it being freshly minced, but I have some dried minced garlic on hand (in a little shaker, l...	Fresh garlic, like other fresh ingredients, will release its flavor more quickly than the dried counterparts. It changes by the way you prepare it: minced tastes/smells different from sliced or mashed in a mortar & pestle
Hygiene-wise, need to clean grill/broiling tray after each use? Hygenically speaking, is it necessary to clean an outdoor barbequegrill and/or an oven broiling tray after each use? Thoughts: Many people don't clean their barbeque grills all summer long, inpart because it "seasons the grill". Hygiene-wise, this seems...	Purely from a standpoint of food safety, I'd say it's not necessary to clean a grill grate or broiler pan after each use.
What materials would work for a waffle iron? I'm somewhat curious if I could make myself something like this (though without the retro enclosure, at least initally): While cast iron would probably be the best material, I'm not sure if I can easily obtain a billet of the proper size (likely would machine the iron), so...	There are other non ferrous metallic materials such as copper, ceramic is probably not such a good idea, gold might work for the person who had everything, silver would probably tarnish and need to be polished now and then. Cast iron is very brittle and would be very difficult to shape after casting without breaking, I...
What organic grains can I substitute for self-rising (Gold Medal) flour? My nine (7) year old step-daughter is expecting to help me make Chicken and Dumpling today. I have the recipe for the stew, my question lies in the dumplings: I am aware that I can replace 1 1/2 cups of self-rising flour by adding 1 1/2 tsp bakin...	Unbleached, organic white flour is a good choice.
Why throw salt over a barbecue before cooking? At a recent barbecue in Chile, I watched the chef throw large handfuls of salt over the charcoal a few minutes before placing on the meat. What would be the reason for this? <Q> <A> Possibly they were using it to slow the coals a bit. <S> Salt doesn't really burn (though...	Salt is a good means to control/suppress flames and flareups without having a cooling effect on the coals.
Is all sausage considered a "Processed Meat"? Over the years, I've read a lot of health information that says processed meats are some of the worst foods for you from a fat, sodium, and nitrate intake perspective. Then I read that Sausage is a processed meat, which, makes sense. Is all Sausage considered a "Processed...	Sausages are necessarily "processed" meat, in that the meat is not in its original form.
How to make my pasta less brown? I really like making pasta, but I've found that most of my recipes have these sorts of ingredients: Pale yellow pasta Brown mushrooms Brown tempeh or tofu (or ground beef if you prefer) Spices that make things even more brown (generally allspice, garlic, oregano, and thyme) What ...	Besides vegetables, which have already been mentioned (I'm partial to brocolli myself, and peas in primavera, or even some julienned raw bell pepper at the end for extra crunch, not all spices are brown -- A dusting of paprika when serving could add some extra color. And, if you have the time and patience (lot of time,...
Tips for getting a meat loaf to come out just right? I'm very new to cooking and honestly don't enjoy it all that much, but I am trying to expand my skills beyond very simple foods like tuna helper and chicken, so I thought I would try making a meat loaf as the next step. However, since I've never made one before, I'm...	Don't squish the meat or work it too much while you're mixing it; you'll end up with a rather dense meatloaf.
Substitute for lemon grass in curry dish I have a meal planned in a few days and it calls for lemon grass. Problem is I've been to the store a couple of times and they don't have it. (the store is a block away and I don't feel like driving all the way to the next one to look) The dish is curry spiced noodles, basi...	Recipes in some of my cookbooks call for lemon zest as an alternative.
What is the best approach to cut carrot into thin strips? So I went to Subway™ and saw that their carrots are cut into thin strips. I can never do this with any knives. So what is the best way to cut carrots into thin strips (like french fries)? <Q> The style of cut is called julienne. <S> True, a mandoline can make ...	When in a hurry and not feeling up to julianning carrots, I often have success using a vegetable peeler to peel off thin strips of carrot. If you have a food processor, try the large grating disk.
Cooking fruit with or without sugar solution Why does fruit retain its shape when heated in sugared water but break down when heated with just plain water? <Q> It is a case of osmotic pressure. <S> If you heat it in plain water, the sugars inside the cell want to cross the cell membrane and try to equalize their concen...	When you soak fruit in sugar, you are replacing the water in the fruit, which helps to preserve the fruit.
Cheapest place to get bulk chocolate? Where do I buy good quality (for truffles) chocolate in bulk quantities (> 3 lbs)? The prices I'm seeing for Valrhona, etc on Amazon reach nearly $15/lb and that is ridiculous. Any preferred vendors? Thanks! <Q> In the world of high-end chocolate, Valrhona isn't even the most expen...	Or you can get one of Felchlin's Grand Cru chocolates for about $10 per pound. I have used Chocosphere in the past - good customer service, but their prices are not as competitive as they used to be.
Saucepan in the oven? I am cooking some meat for tonight, and my girlfriend put the saucepan into the oven. It seems to be working fine, but I wonder what the advantages and disadvantages of this method is compared to just using the stove? <Q> Generally oven cooking gives a more even, surrounding heat rather than the d...	If there are many things happening at once, putting a pan in the oven can be convenient, but it is also out of sight, so if there are stages that need to be monitored, it calls for extra vigilance.
What is the proper way to dispose of a kitchen knife? How do you throw away a kitchen knife (or for that matter, any knife)? It seems extremely dangerous to just throw it in the dumpster, even if it's wrapped up real well. <Q> I agree on the Goodwill thing, but it pains me to think of putting tape on a knife blade -- s...	Another alternative, if you're really disposing of it, and don't mind dulling the blade, is to poke it into a piece of corrougated cardboard.
Reheating rice for 25 guests I am having a party. I have no rice cooker. I plan on cooking the rice the day before. Is it possible to reheat it and have it taste good? How to? <Q> When making rice for a large group, you should take a hint from the restaurants and do it in the oven in a large roaster or baking pan. ...	A quick way of reheating a large amount of rice from the fridge (I guess you pre-cook all the rice prior) is to make fried rice. Make Rice dumplings - you may have heard of Chinese rice dumpling which is usually made of glutinous rice, but you can use short grain rice instead which is sticky enough.
What are the differences between candy thermometers and meat thermometers? I know that meat thermometers generally won't handle as high a temperature range as candy, but I'm only planning to make caramels and fudge (so soft ball and firm ball) and that's within the range of the meat thermometer that I already own. Al...	If your meat thermometer is accurate and responsive you will be fine using it. Candy thermometers are, as you may have guessed, mostly used to measure temperature of a sugar solution whilst cooking.
how to fix pudding that got extra sweet? i have made the chocolate pudding and accidentally added loads of sugar..now it is too sweet n too sticky..what can i do with it except throwing it out? <Q> Do you have the ingredients necessary to make more? <S> You could make a second batch, without adding sugar, and combine...	I ended up making frozen pudding pops out of them.
How long will a sourdough starter last between feedings? I'm using a sourdough starter from the recipe in Peter Reinhart's Artisan Breads Every Day and I have gone through several of the rebuilding cycles with it. It's been working fairly well for me and I have been refreshing it every week. It is stored in an airtig...	I've had mine sit for six months or more without feeding and still have life in it.
Why did my mozzarella turn out like ricotta? I bought my wife a mozzerella kit for christmas, and we tried to make it last night. We followed the directions pretty closely. I supposed we could have removed a bit more whey at some early steps. It also got up to 112F instead of the called for 105F before letting the curd...	I normally use raw milk to make mozzarella, but I have also used pasturized non-homogenized milk with no problem. I saw that someone posted not to stir the curds too much or you will end up with rocotta, this simply is not the case. I believe it to be my stirring technique and temp.
Should a [Ceramic] mug be left covered or uncovered during the tea bag steeping process? I make tea by submerging a tea-bag in a ceramic mug, covering the mug for about 5 minutes, and then removing the tea bag. My question is: Is it advantageous to cover the mug during the steeping process, or should I leave the mug u...	Covering the mug may help insulate the tea/water, keeping it hotter.
How to make hot dog buns or sandwich rolls with a soft crust? Whenever I make sandwich rolls, the crust ends up too thick and too crispy. I've tried a few things, such as a moister dough, but I can't seem to get a combination of a hearty bread and a soft crust. Questions: I'm baking at 425, is this too hot/cold? Will i...	If you're doing something like using some amount of whole grain flour in the buns then you're going to get a chewier crumb and crust just because of the recipe you're using. I looked at a couple of recipes and 400°F seems to be the temperature that most recommend. You can get special hot dog pans that are shaped on the...
How do Thai People Make Peanut Sauce? I'm interested in making my own Thai Peanut sauce. However, every recipe I see online says to use peanut butter. I like Thai Peanut sauce I have in restaurants, but I HATE peanut butter. So when I see a recipe that uses peanut butter (which also has tons of extra crap in it that...	Satay sauces are essentially just peanut butter sauces, roast some peanuts, grind them, then add to some lightly fried shallots and garlic, with chilli, soy sauce, lemon juice, salt, sugar
Does chili paste require refrigeration? A recipe I am planning to make calls for chili paste, which I have never used before. I found some in the grocery store (it is Sambal Oelek ground fresh chili paste ), which seems to be more liquidy than, say, tomato paste. I only need 1/2 a teaspoon, however, so I will have ple...	I don't know if it technically requires refrigeration, but I've always kept mine in the refrigerator and had it survive for at least 6 months with no noticeable degradation.
What's the best time and temperature for tenderness when baking red potatoes? Lately I've gotten into baking Red Potatoes with butter and spices and I've found I enjoy them when they are nice and tender. What's the best temperature for baking red potatoes for tenderness? How long should they be baked for? <Q> It depe...	I bake it at 375 for about an hour or until tender.
Smoked ham roast: what do I do with it? My girlfriend's parents recently gave us a bunch of pork from my girlfriend's grandpa's farm. The bacon and sausage we know what to do with but there's also a hunk of meat labeled "smoked ham roast" that we're not quite sure about. We've made a beef roast before so we were think...	Typically you would roast a ham with a glaze, then eat it in thin slices -- either hot with vegetables, or cold in sandwiches/salads.
Can I still eat this fish? I just found a couple of salmon fillets in my freezer that seem to have been there for about two years. Are they still edible, or should I bin them? <Q> I agree with yossarian, if I question it, I chuck it. <S> Although in this case, the salmon probably will not harm you, it might just tast...	Freezer burn may dry the fish out in spots, but it is still safe to eat.
Homemade pizza left out overnight We made homemade pizza last night. We made extra, uncooked, pies, and accidentally left them out overnight. As soon as I noticed, I put them into the freezer just in case they were still good. What do you think? Will they kill us? TIA! EDIT: There are yogurt cheese, peppers, and oni...	You will not always get sick after eating pizza left out for 12+ hours, but when the food happens to be cross-contaminated that amount of time is enough to brew a large colony of nasties, enough time that heat will not necessarily kill the entire colony. When in doubt, throw it out.
How can I make granola that clumps? I am trying to make granola that holds together in small clumps. I have had limited success. Any hints or suggestions? I have used rolled oats, but had better luck with instant or cut oats along with some whole wheat flour mixed through it. I use butter, half honey and half brown s...	If your recipe contains any oil or other fat, reduce or eliminate it; the primary purpose of that ingredient is to reduce the natural clumping. In other baking recipes, gluten does a lot of the "clumping"; oats are naturally gluten-free, but the instant oats you buy are probably processed in the same plants as other wh...
How to prevent cucumbers from tasting bitter? I am a cooking dummy and I hate bitter cucumbers. :) Help! <Q> The biggest thing you can do is peel it. <S> It's also usually more bitter at the stem end, so you might want to start from the other end, and possibly ultimately discard an inch from the stem end if it really i...	If a cucumber's bitter, it's much more in the peel than in the flesh. I peel them and then soak them in cold salt water for a half hour - the salt seems to take out the bitterness and still leaves them crunchy for salads or sandwiches .
Cheeses similar to queso fresco Queso fresco is one of my most frequently purchased cheeses; among other things I like it crumbled over salads. I do like a lot of common salad cheeses - crumbly goat cheeses, blue cheeses, and feta - but I often want something more mild. Unfortunately, queso fresco is not quite so comm...	Ricotta salata, a firmer version of ricotta, isn't too sharp, but it's quite salty.
Chicken in Tin Foil in the Oven: Any tips or advices on spices or wrapping? [I'm an amateur that experiments.] I recently realized I like chicken wrapped in tin foil after using salt, pepper and oregano on it, in 250C for up to 2 hours. Also, I used sliced lemon on parts of it [during cooking]. However, I wonder if ...	You could also switch to parchment paper, which is the original for cooking 'en papillote' (in paper).
Why do different pasta shapes taste different? I've noticed that even when I buy two different pasta shapes of the same brand (and so presumably the exact same recipe), they still taste subtly different, to the point that I consistently prefer the tastes of certain shapes of pasta. Is there any basis for this, or am I ...	Different forms of pasta are going to have different surface-to-mass ratios, which will affect how the pasta cooks; the cross-section may affect how much starch gets rubbed off as the pasta boils.
How to beat one or two egg yolks? Many sauces and pastries call for beaten yolks. You need to beat yolks well, till they are thick again and are lemon-colored, so using mixer is a must. But if you need only one or two egg yolks, regular mixers are too big for the task. What I'm currently using is a battery-driven micro...	I think a great option for beating small amounts, if you don't just use a whisk, is a hand-cranked egg beater.
Tips on tossing a frying pan I see it done by TV chefs, or just people who are more experienced at me with cooking; as they're cooking they rarely use a spatula to turn or mix the contents of their frying pan, but rather toss the contents of the pan instead. Are there any techniques to tossing food in a frying pan wel...	Start with a mid-sized pan, as larger pans are actually more forgiving when catching, but too large makes it heavy and difficult to get a good flip.
How can I make my seitan a bit firmer? I tried my hand at making homemade seitan the other night, and it was pretty good - my only complaint was that it wasn't as firm as I would have liked it to be. These are the steps I followed (based on "Basic Seitan Recipie" instructions on the back of a vital wheat gluten box) ...	The way I do it now is wrapping it in tin foil then steaming it
What does the Cinnamon in my coffee turn into? I few years ago I put Cinnamon in my coffee. After a few hours (I'm a slow coffee drinker) I started to take my last sip and a big clump of mucus hit my tongue and I almost puked. After recovering, and almost getting into fist fights with several co-workers (They loved pul...	Cinnamon flavors can be added to coffee without ending up with sludge in your cup by adding the cinnamon to the brewing chamber or by adding cinnamon extract or cinnamon essential oil to the brewed coffee.
How good a substitute is callaloo for spinach? I have seen some good recipes using spinach and have heard over and over that callaloo (amaranth) can be used in place of it. There is confusion about callaloo the plant and callaloo the dish I am refering to the plant amaranth. I have never tasted spinach and I can not...	I've had callaloo substituted in recipes, for instance spinach quiche is normal but
Why does frozen bread sort of taste different? If I buy a packet of bread: And put it in the freezer, in it's packet, when I take it out to defrost it tastes different, sometimes drier as well. Why is this? I would of thought moisture would be locked into the packet. <Q> Over the short term moisture is "locked into...	As bread freezes moisture from the bread often condenses and freezes on the inside of the packaging.
How the heck did people in the olden' days learn to beat eggs and other laborious tasks? Did they have whipped cream in the olden days before electricity? I think that they might have. I'm sure I've seen a portrait of Henry VIII munching some of that creamy goodness before. But what on earth caused someone to whisk ...	Accident and/or trial and error, with a bit of 'evolution'.
What can I do with shredded wheat shreds? At the bottom of the box of shredded wheat squares, there's quite a bit of 'loose' shredded wheat; it used to be in cereal form and is now just loose. What interesting recipes or dish modifications can you suggest? One idea was a sort of crisp/struedel topping, (mix with butt...	If you have the cinnamon shredded wheat left over, you could use it on french toast right after you dip the bread in the egg/milk mixture, and before you put it in the pan.
How long can you keep chocolate, and what is the best way to store it? For instance, I have some bars of Valrhona I use for chocolate tarts and pastries, but I haven't been doing the dessert thing in a while. How long does chocolate last before losing flavor (or does it)? And once it gets that white stuff on the outs...	Stored correctly, chocolate can last for a very long time, due to its extremely low moisture content.
culinary difference between dill and fennel Many salmon recipes use Dill ( Anethum graveolens ) as the usual ingredient as condimentary herb. In my place, I have fennel ( Foeniculum vulgare ) available outdoors, so I opt to use it instead. And I like it. Why is it never mentioned as a substitute? what is your op...	You'll find that chefs don't generally choose substitute herbs based on how much they look like the original but on comparable flavor, so though fennel fronds look like dill, that's about the end of their comparability.
What are good instructional cooking TV shows? In the spirit of Aaronut's comment on my answer to TV Programs like Good Eats , what are good shows for people to really learn about cooking (the science behind cooking; the history and cultural significance between dishes), rather than just watching a chef prepare their f...	America's Test Kitchen (PBS) and Cook's Country (PBS): Explain the techniques that they've used to improve dishes, and have occassional segments explain the science behind cooking processes. Deep Fried, Live!
How necessary is it to marinade meat before making jerkies? So I just got myself a dehydrator, for the purpose of making jerkies. I was thinking of just seasoning the meat lightly instead of marinating them, which takes considerably more time, needs more sauce and a bit more effort. Would it make a lot of difference?...	Marinating your meat makes it safer primarily by introducing it to salt, which kills bacteria.
What is 'Bread Improver'? I purchased a bread maker years ago and am happy with the bread I make with it. I was at a cooking supply store and saw Bread Improver for sale in a jar, apparently for bread makers. What is it? Does anyone else use it, and what does it do? <Q> The idea is to give bread a similar texture and ...	Bread Improver is a mix of various acids and enzymes that serve to strengthen the gluten in the flour and feed the yeast, both of which yield a better loaf.
Recovering from Over Salted Sauerkraut I recently finished my first batch of sauerkraut and tasted it only to find that it's way too salty. In referencing the original recipe, I realized that I used the amount of salt recommended for 5lbs of cabbage but I only had 2.5lbs. What, if anything, can I do to salvage the sau...	I too made sauerkraut that was too salty, by adding more water and salt when the level of liquid dropped. Adding more cabbage and letting it ferment some more is also an option, although the twice-fermented parts can end up rather mushy.
Using carob as a substitute for cocoa I've found a source of powdered carob. I've read that it is a substitute for cocoa, and I was wondering how this works out practically. Is it a one-to-one substitution, or should I only use it in conjunction with cocoa? <Q> While you can certainly substitute powdered carob for coco...	You can substitute carob powder one-for-one in recipes that call for cocoa powder.
How can you pipe hot melted candy into free-form shapes? I recently made free-form candy swirls out of chocolate-like coloured candy. When I got to the point of putting it into my disposable plastic piping bag, I had to wrap it in a tea-towel in order to work with it because it was so hot. The candy didn't melt throu...	If the wafers solidify before you're ready, or are gunked in the tip of the bag, you can gently remelt the wafers in warm water. You can try using heat resistant gloves meant for grilling.
Buttermilk pancake mix is green? I like making buttermilk pancakes but usually the batter is too much for one day, after I put the mix in the refrigerator, the mix was a greenish color the next day. Does anyone know if this means it went bad or is this just a characteristic of buttermilk? <Q> Mold doesn't grow that fas...	The change in colour might also indicate a change in the flavour.
Preventing white sugar from clumping in the canister We store sugar in a ceramic canister, and we get some clumping. Restaurants in humid areas that will often add grains of a rice to a salt shaker to stop clumping. (The rice acts as a desiccant and absorbs moisture, keeping it away from the salt; I believe the salt ...	That said, I found a wonderful product called Dry Spice that is especially made to put in with sugar, spices, almost everything. Another solution is to save the little silica dessicant packages that come in many prescription drug packages.
How long should I cook pork for (at 100° C)? I have a pork shoulder cooking in the oven right now at 100° C (212° F). I was planning on roasting it for 7 hours, will this be long enough to cook it safely? I saw the FDA chart about minimum internal temperatures - but am not sure how to translate that to oven temperat...	Strictly from a food safety perspective, 7 hours at 100°C will very probably get you to where you want to be. If I were to offer some advice, I'd say crank up your cooking temperature by about 25-30%.
Will using a knife sharpener reduce the lifetime of my knife? In the long run, is it better to regularly use a knife honer instead of a knife sharpener once in a while to keep the edge sharp? <Q> You should use both. <S> Knives have a very thin ragged edge (the burr) that is too small to see, which gets pushed over fro...	The heart of the matter is that you can end up "thick behind the edge" if you overuse a sharpening device that imposes a fixed angle (that means anything guided).
What's an easy to use juicer that juices oranges as well as other fruit? I would like to buy a juicer for making fruit juice, including orange juice. But the juicers that I've seen fall into one of two categories: Work for all fruits, but you have to peel oranges. Work only for oranges without peeling (just juice h...	I'm going to recommend either a Vitamix (or other hard-core blender style) if you are OK with pulp, and the spin extraction style if you do not want pulp.
Cooking up onions, without oil For a while now I have been trying to reduce my intake of fried food, or food otherwise cooked with oil. However I still make a lot of things with onions, and I end up sautéeing them with vegetable oil. If I use a non-stick pan, can I sautée onions without oil? What are some techniques to...	Cooking onions in a non stick pan without oil would probably be more akin to grilling.
Should Chorizo Be Peeled Before Cooking? For years I've been chopping up Chorizo and cooking it, with no other preparation. I've recently been told that I've been doing it wrong and should peel the Chorizo first. It's pain to peel, and I've not noticed any difference. What is the skin of a Chorizo sausage made of, and...	If you are using the cured, ready to eat chorizo you should take the skin off as it will be tough. It really depends on what you're cooking with it.
Can I substitute Glucose Syrup for Sugar in cake recipes? I need to bake a cake without fructose, so all forms of granulated sugar and most syrups (including honey, agave & maple syrup) are out. I've heard of granulated dextrose but can't find it. I'd like to use Glucose Syrup instead of sugar but need to know how to a...	You can get pure powdered glucose aka dextrose:
Do I need to cook the meat filling before stuffing ravioli? I been making ravioli this past week (3 types, butternut squash, various fungi, and spinach for those interested). Now I'm onto the meat. Its a pork, beef, and veal mixture. My question is, do I need to cook the mixture before stuffing into the ravioli? If ...	yes, because the short time the ravioli stay in the boiling water is not enough to cook the meat.
How do I defrost frozen flour tortillas? There is a wide variety of suggestions about how to thaw frozen flour tortillas. What works best? <Q> I buy tortillas in bulk (36 to 48) at a time. <S> I freeze them because even our family of 6 won't go through them fast enough if left in the refrigerator! <S> I stack them wit...	The microwave is good for this sort of thing.
My hand mixer came with dough hooks, can I knead dough with it? I bought a fairly inexpensive (<$50) hand mixer a while back, and when I was organizing the kitchen I came across a set of dough hook attachments for it. I thought dough was too heavy for a hand mixer's tiny motor to knead, but if that's the case, why di...	I just used the dough hooks with my hand mixer, I found it surprisingly easy to hold (the counter rotation of the hooks meant the forces mostly cancel out) and my mixer didn't seem to have any trouble going at any speed through my reasonably dense dough.
What should I look out for when cooking with truffles? My birthday is coming up, and we saw some black truffles at Whole Foods, so we thought it was time to try cooking with this rather expensive ingredient. I've never cooked with truffles before, and it's $30 worth for a dinner. That's probably the single most expensi...	I have used truffles to good effect in omelettes, cream sauces, and shaved on top of certain roasted meats or fish.
How do you make tomato paste? I have a garden every year and would prefer to use my own tomatoes for all my cooking. I can them and make sauces, but haven't found a good recipe that describes the technique for tomato paste. I need it to be thick like you buy at the store - I use this for sauce dishes, etc that I don'...	I'd take a tomato puree and cook it down to thicken somewhat, then spread it in a shallow sheet pan and cook it slowly in the oven at maybe 250-275F. I'd sort of stir/turn/
hard crack candy coming out too sticky I've made a few batches of hard crack candy, but so far every batch i've made has come out stickier than I'd like. by too sticky, i mean that the candies will stick to the parchment paper i store them in so hard that the two become inseparable. this happens even in the freezer. ...	Cream of tartar softens the candy, corn syrup will prevent it going "sticky" at room temperature so easily. I'd try sealing a few pieces in an air-tight container along with some dry rice (or better, silica gel packets) and see if that works better.
Does cooking wine go bad like regular wine? I bought some cooking wine last week and made a delicious meal with it. I only used half a bottle, so the other half is still in my pantry. I know that regular wine goes bad after about a day where as regular alcohol (rum, scotch, etc) doesn't really go bad at all. I loo...	The salt content of the wine is much higher than drinking wine, which will preserve it longer . It will still "go bad" eventually. I once bought a cheap bottle of wine at Trader Joe's and was surprised to find that it tasted sour when I opened it.
Making madeleines without the special pan? I don't have the special pan or any cupcake or muffin tins. Can I just plop spoonfuls on a cookie sheet? Does anyone know whether I have to alter the recipe? If so, how? <Q> I have never made madeleines myself, but looking at the recipe and reading Elendil's concerns about t...	These look like something I would love to make, so I did a little research and a few people said they poured the batter into a sheet pan (in a very thin layer) and then cut them into squares after.
How to complement a dish? I really love cooking the "main feature" of a meal... I love doing the meat - steak, chicken breasts, you name it, I love it. But when it comes to making the rest of the meal, I always draw a blank. I end up resorting to the same old thing that I know everyone loves (steamed asparagus, seaso...	You could certainly get a cookbook of side dishes and learn some new favourites, but what might be more useful is a book that teaches you about flavour combinations and menu planning.
How to prevent sticking and get a nice searing on scallops When I am searing scallops, they often stick in the pan and most of the time, they are very hard to turn. I use only a little oil 1-2 tablespoons. Am I not using enough? <Q> Without knowing your exact method it's hard to say what's going wrong, but 1-2 tbsp o...	Most likely, you're not heating your pan enough before placing the scallops in. Use more oil than you think you need.
What can I do with leftover wine? We don't really drink wine in our house, so we only ever buy a bottle for cooking. Typically whatever meal we have made requires ~1/2 bottle. How can I incorporate the rest of this wine into some other simple meals without resorting to any particularly fancy recipes? <Q> The quickest ...	Wine is excellent for deglazing a pan and making a pan sauce . Similarly to stock, I also wouldn't recommend using wine in anything that you plan to refrigerate or freeze for a long period, for a different reason obviously - because it can go sour over time.
How to blanch and peel nuts? I recently blanched and peeled the "skin" off 500g of shelled pistachios and 500g of almonds. For the pistachios I poured boiling water over them, waited a minute, strained, and then rubbed the nuts in small batches in a clean cloth to pull the skin off. For the almonds, I tried the same ...	For easy peeling of the almond's skin, it's better to soak it in cold water overnight.
What is the glaze on a bakery-style fruit tart? I am looking to re-create a bakery-style fruit tartlette. I was wondering what the glaze on top of the fruit tarts you find in US bakeries is and how you can create it at home. I have heard that it's just heated apple jelly, but I imagine that might change the flavor of ...	I've seen a lot of tart recipes that call for melted apricot jam/jelly as the glaze.
Instant coffee with only milk? I like milk. So I thought of doing milk with instant coffee. I mean, I have coffee here but it says I should use water. I always use it with water and put a little bit milk. Can I also use only milk without any water? <Q> Milk is mostly water. <S> Instant coffee will dissolve just fi...	Making it with milk seems to take away the bitterness and only leave the coffee flavor and whatever creamer I have added. I personally don't like the taste of coffee that has been brewed in water.
What is the purpose of tempering chocolate? What is the purpose of tempering chocolate? If I'm dipping something in chocolate, can I get by with just melting the chocolate? <Q> Chocolate is an odd substance when it comes to melting and hardening. <S> When chocolate hardens, its melting point will end up being just a...	The simplest explanation of the effects of tempering chocolate is that the melting temperature increases when the chocolate crystallizes so it melts in your mouth and not your hands.
What's the best pasta, and cooking approach, for making pasta salad? I love the pasta salad you can buy in shops and would love to be able to make something comparable. The part that I love the most is the dense, thick pasta that comes in these salads. When I try to reproduce this at home by making standard pasta sha...	I mostly use spirelli in pasta salads, but other thicker pasta works as well.
How long should Lamb leg steaks be cooked for? Is there a rule of thumb for the weight or cut? I'd prefer to err on the side of well-done, as I want to serve it to my toddler. <Q> Treat it like beef steak. <S> Super-hot pan, slap it on, keep pressing it with your finger, when it feels very firm, it's well done; about...	Cook until it is falling apart tender.
How to find a competent knife sharpener I have a santoku that I will be wanting to get professionally sharpened in the next few months. This is the first knife I've owned that was reasonably expensive so I want to make sure I take care of it. Are most professional knife sharpening places familiar with the differences i...	Generally, Japanese knives benefit from being sharpened over a waterstone, a formation of natural stone or a pressed stone slurry that, when wet, will form a slurry that gently and consistently abrades your knife edge to sharpen it very fine. You might also check with restaurants in your area--some of them might have a...
Do you have to refrigerate Pickles? So last weekend the wife and I got a huge jar of pickles at Costco. The thing is bigger than a gallon of milk (the wife really loves her pickles). There really isn't any room for it in the fridge, but no where on the jar does it say 'refrigerate after opening', but I've always kept...	I do know that unrefrigerated pickles aren't as crunchy as the same ones that have been kept cold, so that could be a consideration too.
What do I need to know when moving from an electric hob to a gas hob Soon I will be moving into a flat with a gas hob, and I've only ever had experience with electric hobs before. What do I need to be aware of in terms of the differences between them? I've heard that gas hobs tend to heat up more quickly - is that the...	Electric plates at full can be hotter than gas hobs at maximum.

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