Latest Cooking Answers

How do you correctly use a meat thermometer?

I have two meat thermometers. I bought a second one because I thought the first one was resulting in overcooked meat, however the new one is doing the same! The

How to make omelettes extremely quickly

When you hear of people making extreme quantities of omelettes in record time (think: contests), is there a special technique one needs to master in order to do

Is dry rub necessary in making bbq ribs?

Normally when I make bbq ribs in the oven at home, I have to prepare the ribs approximately a day ahead. I usually cover the ribs with a dry rub mixture (made o

Can I use the green part of leeks for stocks?

Most recipes call for the white and the inner green parts of leeks. I feel like I'm wasting half leek. After googling a little, I've found some people consider

Is there a way to tell if a pumpkin is going to be good for cooking?

It's the season for pumpkins and I was wondering if there is a way to tell if a pumpkin was going to taste good enough to cook with. I guess this is a similar s

What method can I use to cook pumpkin seeds so that they turn out crunchy?

I've always enjoyed eating the pumpkin seeds when I buy them at vendor, but whenever I try to make them at home in the oven, they always seem to turn out either

What's a good substitute for cilantro?

I have several friends with the soap gene (cilantro tastes like soap to them), my father's allergic (it gives him a headache) and because of a lifetime of avoid

Are Turkish Bay Leaves "Normal" Bay leaves?

I recently saw a recipe that called for Turkish Bay Leaves. Is this any different than the kind I would find in a standard spice bottle labeled "Bay Leaves", or

How do you get a nice yellow gravy color when making a chicken pot pie?

I'm making a chicken pot pie. Taste is decent, texture is good, however the appearance of the 'chicken gravy' inside is more....dull gray like than a more vibra

Can I repair a cake tin which has started to leak?

I have a cake tin (the sprung false bottom type) which, although the bottom seems to fit quite well, has started to leak when I pour cake mixture into it. Is t

What is the point of a baking rack?

I notice when I bake cookies (usually chocolate chip or peanut butter) the recipe often says "place on baking rack to cool". Because I don't have one, I just pl

How should one go about reheating pasta?

Ok, so, I know the answer, "You shouldn't, because it's easy to make it fresh." But on occasion, I end up making too much pasta, not having enough sauce, etc.

Cookware and methods for large quantities of rice

On my next Catering job, I was asked to cook a large amount of rice. I will probably use about 15 to 20 cups of Basmatti or Risotto rice. For the Basmati, my

What are the primary differences between Ethiopian and Eritrean food?

As far as I can tell based on restaurants in the US, the cuisines of Ethiopia and Eritrea are quite similar. Are there any characteristic differences between th

Does marinating break down proteins the way brining does?

Brining makes meat tender because the salt (and some sugar) breaks down proteins. Shouldn't a salty/sugary marinade do the same thing?

Is there a safe way to remove items that have fallen into a Garbage Disposal?

I've always been told to never reach into a garbage disposal, for obvious reasons, but always seem to drop items in that I don't want to risk ruining the blades

Can lemon juice concentrate be used after the use-by-date?

My lemon juice concentrate's use by date passed a few months ago. It was kept it in the fridge the whole time. Is it still safe to use it?

What is Fondant?

I read about candies that have "fondant" in the middle used as filling - what is it? Are there other uses for it?

How to clean a burnt cast iron pot?

I have this cast iron pot that my friend completely burnt. I was wondering what might be done to save this pot. I realize that this question seems similar to th

How to measure food acidity

I am asking about a method or a trick to measure (or guess) how acidic is food. Please don't suggest any expensive tool; this will be for home usage only.

Keeping bugs out of rice

Recently, a sack of whole grain organic rice that we bought became infected with small black bugs. We bought the rice in the bulk bins at the same organic super

Frozen veggies meets gumbo = flavorless. How to add flavor?

So, last time I made gumbo, I got the veggies chopped (onion, celery, green pepper, and garlic) and then realized I had prepped twice as much as I needed. I f

What's the US equivalent of double and single cream?

I can find whipping cream, half and half, and even clotted cream where I'm staying in the US but not double or single cream, are these familiar terms or is ther

Looking for a rice cooker, steamer, deep fryer, slow cooker combo that can cook rice and steam at the same time

I know this is slightly crazy, but I am a minimalist. I try to get by on as little "stuff" as possible. Basically I want a rice cooker that can steam my veget

Are there any substitutes for Shortening?

I was specifically thinking about the Crisco shortening that is used in baking.

Would the same mixing principles that apply to paint work for Food Coloring variations?

If I wanted to create different shades using Food Coloring, is there a different method of mixing them or would the same principles apply as with paint. Is the

I would like to make my own food coloring with natural vegetables, what is the technique?

I read that you can use Beets to make a natural Red food coloring, how would I go about doing this?

What alternatives are there to tomato based pizza sauces?

I know someone that can't eat citrus foods or foods with high acidity so when it comes to pizza this means having it with no tomato based sauces. So far this me

Cast iron pan flaking

My cast iron pan has started to give off tiny black flakes after 3 months of use. Are these dangerous in any way? Are we ingesting iron? There are patches on

What is the preferred method for sanitizing the kitchen?

I'm aware of a number of ways for sanitizing. Soap. Ammoniac. Bleach. Sodium bicarbonate. Which of these is the preferred method of sanitation? Which concentra