Latest Cooking Answers

What are some good tips or techniques for using a carbon steel wok on electric coil range?

I was just given a carbon steel wok for christmas. I used it to cook my first stir-fry vegetable dish and I noticed on that the directions indicated to cook on

Cooking food directly on oven rack

Is it common to cook food directly on the oven racks? I often do this (with a container for drippings) and was wondering if this is common or if there is a bet

When to heat oil in dutch oven?

I have an enameled cast iron dutch oven. I thought the pamphlet that came with it said not to heat the cast iron dry -- I could be imagining things, though. P

How to cook pelmeni in the microwave?

Is it possible to cook pelmeni (пельмени) — Russian meat dumplings — in the microwave without any pr

How many racks of lamb can be made into a crown roast?

I am serving 6 adults for Christmas dinner, and have 4 racks of lamb, each about 1.25-1.5 lbs. I believe 3 racks will be enough, but I bought another just in ca

How to make big, fluffy "Mexican-style" flour tortillas (without using any special machinery)?

Flour tortillas are so bloody expensive (and rare!) outside of the U.S. so I'd like to make my own. A friend taught me how to make some ages ago, but I stopped

What causes sticking and what can I do to reduce food sticking to my cast-iron skillet?

I enjoy using my cast-iron skillet, but how can I minimize the amount of food that sticks to it while cooking? I apply oil after cleaning, and for the most part

What temperature to cook a pork tenderloin at?

What temperature do you normally cook a pork tenderloin at? I was searching on the internet and saw anywhere from 325°F (165°C) to 450°F (230°C

How do I cook beetroot

I've just pulled some beetroot out of my garden. I've never cooked beetroot before so would love a few suggestions.

Measuring glucose syrup without wasting it

Glucose syrup is a liquid sweetener used in a lot of candy making. Unfortunately, it is incredibly thick which makes it difficult to measure. Imagine corn syrup

How can I prepare bread dough to be cooked the next day?

I'd like to make some fresh bread for breakfast tomorrow, but don't particularly want to wake up at 5am to mix and prove the dough. How could I make the dough t

Can you sharpen a ceramic knife?

Can you sharpen a ceramic knife?

Is salt important to the texture of dough?

Does salt have any effect on the texture of doughs? My mother in law has gone on an ultra low salt kick and has taken to not putting salt in anything. This inc

What causes the black discoloration on this plastic electric teakettle?

In the break room at work, there is a tea kettle that has some unappealing discoloration. I would like to use it, and lots of people do, but I find it terribly

What is the difference between coffee grinds/beans labeled as "espresso coffee" and ordinary coffee?

I was reminded of this curiosity just moments ago when I got a craving for coffee and couldn't find any normal coffee beans/grounds (owing to the fact that I do

Do I need to season a stainless steel saute pan?

Okay, I received a nice stainless steel saute pan for Christmas and in looking around online there are people that say I need to season it. Most of the techniqu

How to prepare salsify (schwarzwurzeln) to minimise sap?

This morning I tried cooking salsify (aka Schwarzwurzeln) for the first time. It needs to be peeled before cooking, which I did rapidly and with a bowl of wat

Browned butter + roasted flour = baking magic?

I love the flavour of browned butter, and I've tried baking sable cookies with roasted flour (delicious). Is there a good reason why, in a bog-standard chocolat

Beef: Red on the outside, brown on the inside

Take bright-red ground beef and put it in a freezer for a few days. After taking it out and letting it thaw, it looks fairly red on the outside, but brown on t

What is the point of heating milk/cream for making Creme Brulée?

In creme brulée, does milk/cream really have to be brought up to simmering point before being adde to the egg/sugar mixture and being put in oven in bain

How to cook tubular ground beef using only disposable items?

How do I cook ground beef (in those 1 pound tubes) using only disposable items? Details: I can cook pizzas in my oven by putting them directly on the rack.

I'm baking an acorn squash. How long should I bake it for?

I'm baking an acorn squash. How long should it bake for and at what temperature? I also noticed on the spaghetti squash question that those are baked sliced fac

How can I emulsify cod liver oil, or otherwise mask its taste?

Background I have some cod liver oil to take a supplement, but the taste is sufficiently unpleasant that I am not sure how to finish the bottle off. In the pas

Are there significant differences between different brands/models of immersion blenders?

I'm thinking of purchasing a new immersion blender as a gift for somebody that has a very old one which is quite literally being held together with duct tape.

How to Reheat Beef Tenderloin?

I have a Tenderloin that was roasted to medium and seared. How can I best reheat it without it getting dry and tough?

How long can I hold brown rice between boiling and steaming?

I use a technique from Cooks Illustrated for cooking my brown rice. I simmer for 25 minutes and then steam for 10. It gets a nice consistent result. But how lon

Do onion savers differ from other storage methods?

Santa got me an onion saver this year. It's essentially just a plastic container for a cut onion. Does this differ in any meaningful way from a plastic bag or T

How do you coat almonds in wasabi and keep it spicy and crunchy? (my wasabi paradox)

I've been trying to make wasabi and soy sauce almonds, like the ones you find at the store (Blue Diamond) but the only recipe I've found (food.com) is very unde

Stainless Steel Pan -- gray bottom. Why?

Just started using a stainless steel pan. First thing I cooked in it was bacon followed by some fried rice. Stuff stuck to it, but a quick soak and it all came

Royal icing - how important is accurate measuring?

Making royal icing today, for a rather overdue Christmas cake. I always end up with too much icing sugar, based on my normal recipe which asks for 4 large egg