Latest Cooking Answers

Alternative to Marsala?

Is there a good alternative to Marsala wine? particularly in this recipe

How can I keep hot food hot when transporting it?

How can I keep hot food hot when transporting it, e.g. to a friend's house or a potluck? I usually just give up and take cold food, but I'd li

Which types of apples are considered to be "quick-cooking" apples?

In my great-grandmother's recipe for Open-Face Apple Pie, she writes, "Cut apples in eighths if they are not quick-cooking." I assume that this means some apple

Why does my steak turn out well done when the temperature probe says it's only rare?

Is it because I used a poor cut of meat? Did I not cook it fast enough? Should I have removed it from the heat sooner? Is my cut too thick? Is my temperatur

What are the ranges of Pork Temperature that are flavorful and safe?

USDA guidelines for Pork state that you should cook it to 160F. I have heard over the years that you can undercook from that, which seems desirable, as 160F is

Can you purée without a food processor?

I'd like to experiment with making purées (particularly carrot and parsnip, if it matters), but I don't have a food processor or any other mechanical mix

Are Chives and Green Onions the same thing?

Is it OK to substitute one for the other?

Is there any way to sous-vide without a machine

I live in an apartment and have limited space to store kitchen gadgets. I don't really like the idea of having a machine that is dedicated to one specific task.

How to store homemade granola?

I enjoy homemade granola, but my recipe makes quite a bit. Sometimes I use it all quickly, but sometimes not. What is a reliable storage method? Should it be f

Are garlic butter and garlic oil interchangeable?

When eating something like crab, garlic butter seems to be a Western thing while garlic oil is Asian. Is it just a personal preference thing, or does it matter

Is it possible to extract the allergens from shellfish?

What exactly is it in shellfish that people are allergic to, and is it possible to extract those chemicals from them?

How do I impart "extra" flavor with Sous Vide cooking?

I've been cooking Sous Vide 2-3 times a week for about 10 months now, and I absolutely love it. The control of temperature and time makes for some really intere

What flavor should you highlight from an oyster?

I've noticed some seafood restaurants put so much stuff on baked oysters, it completely overpowers the oyster. You could have baked a napkin, and it would have

Should you add some salt to flour when baking?

I was always taught to add a pinch of salt to flour when baking (mainly cakes / muffins and puddings). I have recipes that specifically mention adding salt and

How can I get my puff pastry to rise?

When I made chicken pot pie, the filling was fine but the puff pastry on top didn't puff up though it did cook through. How can I remedy this? The pastry was

Is it cost effective to make your own roast beef sandwich?

Seeing how expensive deli meat is it sure seems like roast beef sandwiches would be cheaper to make if you did your own roast and sliced it thin. Are there any

What vegetables hold up well for making vegetarian pot pie?

I am trying to make a vegetarian pot pie, but so far I was not successful. I tried with carrots, peas, and cauliflower, but the pot pie was not that good.

How do the various methods of roasting beef compare?

I can think of 3 ways to roast beef: Rotisserie Oven Regular Oven BBQ What are the pros and cons of each?

Do bananas ripen better in rice sacks?

Okay, I know the title is a little ridiculous, but I swear I am not making this up. When I was a kid, my parents bought a lot of rice and a lot of bananas (amo

How can brown stains be removed from pots and pans?

I haven't been cooking for long — recent college grad — so I'm doing a lot of experimentation and making a lot of rookie mistakes. One of them is s

The difference between green, red and yellow bell peppers

Is there any difference between green, red and yellow bell peppers, barring the color? Normally when I buy a pack of 3 I always leave the yellow till last. It'

Cups v. weighing scales - is there an historical explanation?

Broadly speaking UK recipes will specify amounts by weight (lbs/ounces or metric), whereas American recipes will specify amounts by volume (cups). Is there an

How should I clean my propane grill?

My propane grill needs to be cleaned, how should I go about doing so?

Is frozen crabmeat OK to use for crab cakes?

I have some frozen precooked crab meat that I was going to use in a sauce for pasta but thought maybe crab cakes would be a nice change of pace. Does the fact t

What is the difference between Greek yogurt and plain yogurt?

One of the ingredients of a recipe is Greek yogurt. May I replace it with plain yogurt? If I do it, what is the difference that I would immediately note?

How does one begin to create salsa?

Let me start by saying that I am not a cook by any means. Now, I love salsa and I always have, but mostly I just get store brands. I've had homemade salsa befo

Does grenadine need to be refrigerated?

I've been looking for a bottle of Rose's Grenadine for quite a while without luck, so when I saw a big ol' liter of Llord's at the liquor store, I grabbed it. I

Achieve crosshatch on grilled pork chop?

I know that putting a crosshatch on a pork chop won't increase its flavor but I like the presentation. Generally, I either rotate my chops too early or too late

Standard weight conversions for converting cups of flour to grams of flour?

I hate the idea of measuring flour using something as imprecise as measuring scoop. What numbers do you treat as definitive/authoritative/canonical for doing w

Is it safe to eat raw fish?

Raw chicken is generally considered not safe to eat. A lot of people eat sushi/sashimi though, and they are made from raw fish. So, how come that's safe (if it