Latest Cooking Answers

Cooking Chicken in Cooker Versus Pan?

I usually cook Chicken curry in pressure-cooker so that it gets done fast. I usually get advice for expert cooks that its better to cook it in a pan on low heat

How can I check if my flour is self-raising or plain?

If I have some unlabelled flour in the cupboard, is there a way I can determine if it is self-raising flour or plain flour, before cooking with it and just chec

Ultimate Grilled Cheese : Keeping it together

Maybe it's called something else, but to me a grilled cheese sandwich with extra stuff in it is an "ultimate". The extra stuff I'm referring to is generally tom

Resources that explain the science of cooking?

I have been cooking for a while now, but its mostly what I picked up watching others cook. Now, I am an engineer by profession, and it seems there ought to be a

How should chicken breasts for a chicken salad be cooked?

Most of the recipes I've seen for Chicken Salad simply call for "cooked chicken". ...okay, but how? Should I bake it? Blanch it? Sautee it? Grill it? Wha

How can I tell if the food inside a pressure cooker is done cooking?

I've been looking into getting a pressure cooker since it works on the premise of increasing the boiling temp of water thereby cooking things more quickly. Oper

How to substitute flour with nutritional yeast

I am planning on making a pretty standard (read: whichever pops up first in Google) recipe for Broccoli Cheddar soup; i.e. brocolli, cheddar, chicken stock, and

Refrigerating Clam Juice

Most store-bought stock/broth packaging contains some claim like "refrigerate after opening, and use within 7-10 days". My bottle of clam juice makes no claims

First time Flambe

So trying to impress someone the other night i tried a flambe. I probably got in over my head, but it looks so cool when you see someone else do it so i though

Is there any way to "Salt" unsalted cashew pieces?

I picked up a bag of cashew pieces from the bulk bin last night got home and realized they were of the unsalted variety. Which are good but for a snack not quit

How much coffee do I need to grind per 4 cups of coffee?

If I want to make 4 cups of coffee (in the pot), which is actually 2.5 cups if I put it in a regular liquid measuring cup, how much coffee should I start with?

Overwhelmed by cheese

I have been trying to improve my skills in the kitchen by watching some professional chefs on television, I have a serious problem though, many of the recipes t

Steeping coffee in milk

I'd like to add coffee to my hot cocoa recipe, but I'm not interested in using instant coffee. What do you all think is the best method- maybe I should heat my

What's the secret for Chinese fried rice?

I see a lot of recipes for fried rice, but never seem to be able to give the gorgeous lightly browned color (and therefore flavor) to my rice. This is before

Why do some pies call for two crusts, and some do not?

Most fruit pies call for two crusts, whereas most custardy pies do not. However, my apple pies with one crust or two or substantially the same. Is the number

How long will grease (from bacon or roast) keep in the fridge?

I kept all of the bacon grease from making bacon this weekend, and now I have a jar of solidified grease in the fridge. How long can I use this to impart bacony

Describing the taste of Illy coffee and similar brands

I'm no coffee expert - I can't describe flavours well, but I know what I like. And I'd like to learn to describe tastes better. Illy is my favourite coffee (f

Why use metal cake pan instead of silicone one?

I've been using silicone cake pans in my electric oven for a while and they work great and cakes come out easily and washing then is also very convenient. Howev

How do I distribute pastry in a tube pan?

Recently I tried to bake a cake in a silicone tube pan. I evenly distributed pastry over the bottom of the pan and put into the oven. While the cake was baking

Are fresh, raw cashews different from store-bought?

I have a pen pal in Brazil (is it still a pen pal if we e-mail? anyway...) and knowing that I like nuts sent me some cashews. Apparently there is a cashew farm

Should I leave the peel in citrus sugar?

I made citrus sugar a couple of weeks ago and am planning on giving portions of it to friends. I figure they can use it baking, tea, margarita glass sugar, etc.

How long does a fruit and sugar mixture last?

I made a sauce with frozen rhubarb and raspberry mixed with sugar and reduced it until there is hardly any juice left. I put the leftovers in a sealed container

A question of Fishmonger basics and fish processing and handling?

I went to a fishmonger for the first time yesterday and I have a few basic questions. Should the place smell like fish? I have been informed that it should not

When creating a recipe, what determines whether 2 ingredients will go well together?

Over the weekends when I have more time to play in the kitchen, I often experiment by putting things together just to see how they taste/interact with each othe

What juicer is best for leafy greens and vegetables (like carrots)?

There are many juicers out there and not any one juicer is best at juicing everything. I am specifically interested in juicing leafy greens and vegetables like

Utensil materials - plastic, metal or wooden?

I'm just starting to cook for myself in college, and I'm curious what the best material of cooking tools are for pasta in a metal pan and stir fry in a non-stic

How to make "honeycomb" less sticky?

I made "honeycomb" (otherwise known as hokey-pokey, not real honeycomb) using this recipe: http://www.nigella.com/recipes/view/hokey-pokey-36 It tastes delicio

roast duck leg with plum sauce

I'm thinking of roasting some duck legs on a bed of plums, much like the recipe here does with breast. However, it suggests simply blending the bed of plums onc

How to mix pasta and sauce evenly?

When I make pasta I usually try to finish it by mixing the freshly drained pasta with sauce in my saucepan, adjusting the thickness a little bit with pasta wate

How to prepare eggs in shape suited for bagel?

I often buy an egg bagel from the local coffee shop. The egg is cooked to a shape that is perfect for the bagel. From my observation it is a scrambled mixture t