Latest Cooking Answers

Making Subway-like salads at home w/ zero work

I often buy salads at Subway because I'm lazy. However, I'm also cheap, and Subway's markup on salads is quite high. I want to buy items at a supermarket and

How warm must dough be in order to rise?

While making some focaccia this afternoon, my wife said, "sure the house is 'warm'; it'll be fine." One hour later, no rising. It may be worth noting that our h

How can I ensure food safety if my cooking utensils have touched raw meat?

Twice in the past week or so, I've wondered whether my cooking utensil was still clean enough to cook / serve with. Here were the situations: Cooking ground sa

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

What is the source of the very strong flavour in some bad fats (or dairy products?) that only some people can taste?

It's a very, very strong flavour (like hot chili peppers in potency and ability to linger). It tastes nothing like any food I know - I've thought of it as kin

Substitute fresh garlic instead of garlic powder?

I have a recipe that calls for garlic powder, but I only have fresh garlic on hand. What ratio should I use to substitute?

Is granulated sugar (American) the same as caster sugar (UK)?

I have an american cake recipe which includes 'granulated sugar', would this be uk caster sugar? It is for the stage when you beat in with the butter?

Fire side cooking

Last week we had a pretty strong winter storm which knocked out our power. We have an electric stove which of course puts a cramp in cooking. However i do hav

Shredded steak for south east asian dish

I have a recipe for Nasi Goreng, which calls for 1/2 lb of shredded raw rump steak. I'm not sure how one goes about shredding steak - any suggestions?

How well do frozen oranges peel after frozen?

I was wondering if freezing an orange would make it easier to peal and remove most/all the pith. I want to make an orange smoothie, so having it frozen would b

Oven Jerky a Possibility?

I was thinking a lot about comments on my posts that claimed that the oven would dry out foods meant to be cooked on a stove. This got me thinking that I could

What do I do with mildly fermented maple syrup?

Our organic grade A maple syrup, bought in bulk, has gone slightly fermented in the fridge. If I were still in college, this would be great, but I am a bit olde

Most efficient technique to prepare milk and butter for proofed yeast?

I have a recipe for rolls where 1/4 cup cubed butter is added to 2 cups of warm milk. The butter / milk mixture is added to proofed active dry yeast, and then

Condensed cream of mushroom over chicken and rice

I was thinking about doing a baked dish with chicen and rice covered with a can of cream of mushroom soup. I'd like some advice. I was just planning on kinda

What is the best way to make Kopi Luwak coffee?

I received a bag as a gift and want to take the proper measures to brewing the best cup of coffee possible.

How do I make paneer firm and chewy like in the restaurant?

Recently I've taken a liking to Indian cuisine and am trying to replicate the curry experience at home. The biggest problem I'm having is with the paneer cheese

How can I make perfect sticky rice?

I have a couple of weeks off of school, and thought I would try my hand at some dim sum, specifically lotus leaf wraps, but first I need to figure out how to ma

What ingredient gives vlaamse mayonnaise that special kick?

I love Dutch frites, and I particularly like the Flemish Frite Saus called vlaamse mayonnaise that they serve at the Frite shop called VleminckX Sausmeesters on

My bacon is a mess

A few days ago, I tried cooking bacon on the stove for the first time, following the directions on the package to a T. I left it in the frying pan for 3 minutes

How can I make the best use of prime beef?

I generally buy Choice grade beef, but will sometimes spend the extra money and buy Prime. How should I prepare Prime beef so as to take proper advantage of th

Adjusting the baking time for large cakes?

How long should I bake a 13" (330 mm) sponge cake? Which gas mark should I use?

Recreating New York street vendors' "halal chicken over rice"

New York City is filled with carts selling all sorts of food, but the most common ones are the halal carts. They each have their own recipes, but all have the s

Kitchen safe touchscreen recipe reader

I think it would be nice for me to have a rugged computer based networkable device with a touch screen mounted in the kitchen to bring up those difficult recipe

What type of frying pan does not warp?

I have a glass smooth-top stove. Every large frying pan that I have bought so far has almost immediately warped so that the bottom is no longer flat. They all e

How much does a "large" potato weigh?

I have a recipe that calls for "6 large baking potatoes." So the question becomes, what is considered the average size of a large baking potato? I've looked on

How to Flavor Homemade Gum Drops

For favors that I am making for an upcoming party, I'm looking to do some old-fashioned homemade gum drops. I have found a recipe that looks do-able. It calls

Should I brine a goose?

I've had really good luck with brining turkey & chicken. I am making goose for this Christmas and have found mixed suggestions on whether to brine the goose

Can I brine a self-basting turkey?

I was planning to brine my turkey but I realise that I bought a self-basting turkey. According to most websites, brining a self-basting turkey is a big "no".

Is it really necessary to properly heat oil in a pan before frying veggies?

As an example, we often lightly fry onions in (preferably) Olive Oil before adding them to any number of dishes, such as scrambled eggs for breakfast. My talen

How to cook a fish to make its bone as soft as those in sardines?

When eating fish, accidentally swallowing the bones is a nightmare for me. Currently, eating sardine is the only solution due to its soft bone. I am worried t