Latest Cooking Answers

How do I make a cheese, sausage, cracker spread?

I'm not sure what types of cheeses, crackers, sausages are needed for a holiday spread. What types of cheeses and sausages are acceptable use for this type of t

How to identify turkey liver

Making turkey gravy - the recipe says to not use the liver. How can I identify the liver from the magical bag of turkey bits? I ended up with 4 things. The fir

Is it safe to fully cook a stuffed turkey the night before thanksgiving?

If I empty the cavity of stuffing after I cook it thoroughly, and reheat the turkey and stuffing separately the next day, will its consumption be hazardous?

What are the best suggestions for cutting gloves

I've never used a cut proof or cut resistant glove but I think it may come in handy when using a mandolin slicer or prepping a bunch veggies. Any suggestions o

how long to cook a turkey per pound

I'm cooking a turkey for thanksgiving for the first time. I've got a beautiful 11 lb turkey and according to the websites I found, I should cook it for about th

For reheating stuffing in the oven, how long would you bake it and at what temperature?

I've made Bread Stuffing with Fresh Herbs from Cooks Illustrated this year for Thanksgiving, and I'm going to need to reheat it to serve. It cooked for seventy

Chop nuts before or after toasting?

I have a recipe that calls for toasted chopped pistachios. I'm wondering if I should toast them whole and then chop them up, or toast them chopped?

can i bake pine nuts?

I was thinking of adding pine nuts to a caneloni filling, but wasn't too sure if the heat would make the nuts release anything nasty.

How to melt butter most conveniently?

Many cake recipes say to add melted butter and mix it in. In my experience butter needs to be melted to a temperature of about 50-70 degrees Celsius to be soft

Can I make pancakes with waffle mix?

It's thanksgiving, bought pancake mix to enjoy on a cold morning with the family. It had bugs in it from the store. I have waffle mix, but my iron is MIA. Can

Botulism, Garlic, Cold pressed Olive oil and mason jars

I make a product I invented called Maybe It's Marinade. Cold pressed extra virgin olive olive, pressed garlic as the base in three varieties, AoliOliO, Dill and

Is there any truth to the idea that you shouldn't multiply seasonings when multiplying a recipe?

I often hear cooks discuss that idea that if you are multiplying, say, a recipe for 4 to be a for 32, that you shouldn't multiply some herbs, spices, or salt. I

Why is my gravy opaque?

I only started making gravy a year or two ago, so I don't fully understand the process, although I appreciate the taste. As I was making gravy for Thanksgiving,

My stock is too sweet

As part of my Thanksgiving preparation, I made a chicken and turkey stock by first roasting the bones and then cooking them very low for a few hours. About an h

If I have much lower than normal humidity, how should I change the amount of flour that dough needs?

I made some rolls that came out dense, rather than light and fluffy, and with much thicker crusts than I would have preferred. After the second of 3 rises, the

How can I judge the extra amount of water to use if I am cooking rice with extras in in my rice cooker?

I love my rice cooker. I also like rice with stuff in, makes an easy quickish dinner. I sometimes cook up some stuff, say mushrooms, chilli and garlic fried i

on proper thermometer poking?

When you use a thermometer and poke a large hole in the meat, can you use the same hole to accurately gauge temperature later on?

Dangers to continuing to cook an unfinished torte?

I made the mistake of assuming a torte would be done when the timer went off. I removed it from the oven and turned off the heat. Forty minutes later I discov

What is meringue powder?

I've got a recipe that asks for meringue powder and I have no idea what it is. So my question is what is meringue powder and what purpose does it serve in recip

I need help to plan a Menu: 10 people, dinner with lovely friends at home

I am planning to prepare a menu for friends at home, on saturday. I need it to be easy, relatively fast and tasty. Following this rules (and being italian) I n

Fannie's Books and Derivatives

I am a bit wary of Amazon reviews so I am asking here, are these books useful today? useful here means; are there any objective scientific practices outlined i

Why do red onions turn blue or green when cooking sometimes?

I cooked a pot of beans with some red onions last night. Today for lunch when I got them out of the fridge, all of the onions had turned a blue/green colour!

Garlic Powder vs Garlic

I have a recipe that calls for garlic powder to taste. Is there any reason why I couldn't use regular garlic? Is there a time when garlic powder is preferable

why roast marrow bones at 450F?

Many of the recipes for roast marrow bones suggest a short (20min), high temp roast. Are there any reasons to cook them at such a high temperature instead of, s

What is the best way to clean an electric fryer?

I have a Rival RCF15 fryer. I lost the manual and can't find a copy online. It has a fixed metal reservoir for the oil. It has a removable basket. I remember th

What are the options for thawing a frozen turkey?

I'm aware of a few methods (many days in the refrigerator, hours under cold water, etc.) for thawing a whole turkey before cooking it. However, I don't know how

using medium chilli powder instead of kashmiri chillis, what ratio should be used?

I have a recipe for making a madras, and it suggests substituting chilli powder for the chilli's, but doesn't suggest how. Wondering of anyone can give me a po

Why use chopped tomatoes and tomato paste/puree?

I have seen a number of recipes that call for a tin of chopped tomatoes and some quantity (usually a tablespoon or two) of tomato puree (USA: tomato paste). Wha

How do you properly defrost frozen fish?

I recently bought a package of frozen cod that contains about 6 pieces. How do you go about properly defrosting them? Thanks.

How to dry out mash - added too much milk

I was just making some mashed potatoes and slipped when adding milk, adding probably 50% too much. The mash is now very liquid. Whats the best way of saving i