Latest Cooking Answers

Why baking powder in rotis?

I just ate a store bought roti (a flat Indian bread, like a tortilla) and baking powder is a listed ingredient. Why does a flat bread need baking powder? Ther

What does "contains 2% or less of" mean?

In the US, food labels are required to provide an ingredients list. One common phrase on labels is "contains 2% or less of." For example: "Pork, water, contai

Should you "rest" a roast?

I recently made roast beef that cooked for ~ 8 hours. I took it out of the crockpot and let it sit for about 10 minutes. Then I sliced it into pieces and we ate

Can I cook couscous for a chicken dish in my crock pot at the same time as the chicken?

I'm wanted to make a lemon garlic chicken in a crockpot and I'd like to serve it with couscous. Is there a way to cook the two together? I know I can cook the c

Are there other parts of a Lobster that are edible apart from the Tail and Claws?

I was thinking of the innards - specifically the white parts inside of the main body and what looks like eggs.

When used for measuring ingredients in cooking what is the difference between a "dry ounce" and a "liquid ounce"?

I've seen numerous recipes that call for measuring "liquid ounce" but at the same time telling you to measure something like flour as "dry ounce" - I've even se

Why do yolks break so easily (sometimes)?

Separating eggs without breaking the yolk isn't one of those problems that keeps me awake at night. Nevertheless, there are occasions where I can't get a single

Can you freeze apples?

What is the best way to freeze apples? I am planning on cooking with them when they defrost.

Freeze-drying fruit at home?

Is it possible to freeze-dry fruit at home without expensive special equipment (or get the same dryness otherwise)? Especially I want to get the fruit to the cr

How to keep fresh lemon juice for a week without a change in its taste?

Are there any way to preserve the juice of lemon for, say, one week without a change in its taste? Even deep-freezing it makes it little bit bitter!

Making Dumpling Conserve Better

When I make Chinese or Japanese style dumplings I often make too many and then store some for the next day When I reheat them, they always go a bit strange and

Techniques for cooking beef shin in the piece

I have a large (1.5kg/3lb) piece of beef shin, in the piece with skin on. I normally use beef shin for stews, but I would like to try slow-roasting or pot roast

Powdered milk in bread recipe

I have a book with several bread recipes that call for 1-2 tablespoons of powdered milk. This isn't something I usually use and I was thinking substituting it w

What's the difference between a Stromboli and a Calzone?

On the east coast Italian restaurants (or pizza shops) sometimes offer both Strombolis and Calzones. Sometimes it seems that Calzones are a 'type' of Stromboli,

How to make a brittler, harder chocolate coating?

I'm not sure whether this is a duplicate of this question partly because that question seems to be dealing with making your own chocolate. Which I'm not doing.

How do I butter popcorn without making it soggy?

I've tried buttering my popcorn in the past, and it always turns out inconsistent. A few pieces will be soaked with butter, and others have no butter on them at

Pulled Pork in a slow cooker. To brown or not to brown?

I'm going to make some barbeque pulled pork in a slow cooker. I've done it a few times with some good results, but I'm always looking for ways to improve. Here

Cream based substitute for milk

I typically have heavy cream on hand but not milk so I'm frequently in need of a method to substitute the milk in recipes with cream. It seems to me that addin

How should swordfish be prepared?

I just purchased one pound of swordfish filet and never cooked swordfish before and have minimal experience cooking fish. Any suggestions on preparation? Also w

How to safely grill meat/fruit/veggie skewers

This weekend we grilled kebabs with steak, onions, peppers, and big pineapple spears. No ill effects, but I noticed that the pineapple was still cool where it

Grilling burgers: flip once, or keep flipping?

When grilling burgers I usually flip several times, but have recently been advised to cook forever on once side, flip once, cook and be done. Is that the best

When basil gets brown spots, is it still usable?

When I store basil in the fridge, sometimes it gets brown spots. Is it still usable? Is that valid also for Thai basil? Throwing it all away after 2-3 days seem

Is there any way to revive popcorn that is making too many duds?

I've got some popcorn that I've had for a while, and when I try to pop it, a lot of the kernels remain unpopped. Is there anything I can do to revive it, or doe

When does the rule "only flip meat once" not apply?

Title says it all and this is not just a burger question, what about those steaks, chicken breasts, pork chops on the grill?

How can I get salt to stick better to buttered or oiled popcorn?

I make popcorn with butter or olive oil, but still when I add salt, especially kosher salt or coarse sea salt, it won't stick. Is there anything I can do to get

What are other uses for Vegemite or Marmite besides as a spread?

My Australian friend introduced toast with butter and vegemite to me. Recently I saw an episode of "Chopped" on the food network and one of the ingredients in

Can I clean enameled cast iron with steel wool?

I've got a new enameled cast iron skillet that I've been cleaning with stainless steel wool along with a standard dish rag. It occurs to me that scratches in t

Why can applesauce be used in place of oil?

In many recipes, mostly desserts, it is suggested that you can substitute oil with applesauce to reduce the fat content. But why applesauce? Is there something

What can be done to thin chocolate for dipping?

I have been dipping chocolates for many years. I recently tried a new brand of chocolate that has a fantasic flavor, but it is thicker than I'

Fat contents from different types of ground beef when drained

At the grocery store, they've got different types of ground beef: ground round, ground chuck, ground sirloin, etc. They each have different fat percentages.