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35
votes
4answers
2k views
What is the difference between baking soda and baking powder?
And can I use one in place of the other in certain recipes?
26
votes
7answers
3k views
What is the difference between various types of flour?
Is there a difference between the various types of flour that you see in the stores (i.e. Cake, Bread, and All-Purpose? Is it really necessary to stock 3 types of flour in my pantry or is this just a ...
22
votes
8answers
371 views
Cues to a reliable or unreliable recipe?
Over on this question about measurements we got into an interesting discussion about recognizing reliable recipes. What cues do you look for to recognize one you would trust? This is a community wiki ...
21
votes
8answers
9k views
How do I pound chicken (or other meat) without making a mess?
Despite my best efforts, my kitchen (and sometimes the chicken) always looks like a war zone after pounding 8 or 10 breasts. Maybe this is just a messy job, but I think there must be something I'm ...
20
votes
4answers
2k views
19
votes
3answers
424 views
When, if ever, are dried herbs preferable to fresh herbs?
Sometimes I see a recipe call for dried herbs. If I have access to fresh herbs, should I go fresh instead? Is there any benefit in using dried herbs with some recipes?
17
votes
3answers
2k views
What are the differences between different types of onions, and when do you use them?
I used a recipe for a mean black-eyed-pea salad this past weekend which called for a red onion. Since I wanted extra onion flavor in the salad anyway, I decided to pick up a Vidalia onion to throw in ...
16
votes
2answers
499 views
How can I tell whether an egg has been hard-boiled, through the shell?
At my workplace, there's a mysterious carton of eggs in the common refrigerator. Nobody I've asked knows whether they're raw or cooked.
Is there a way to tell, without cracking one of the eggs open?
16
votes
3answers
683 views
What makes fleur de sel different from regular salt?
Fleur de sel is the salt from the top of the pot when you heat salted water.
But what makes it different from the rest of the salt in the pot?
14
votes
5answers
756 views
Am I missing something with Beer Can chicken?
I've tried beer can chicken a few times, BBQ and in the oven, but it doesn't seem overly special to me. I am not sure if I should also be covering the chicken with some kind of sauce, but the chicken ...
14
votes
7answers
461 views
where can I find ancient ages/middle ages recipes and preparation techniques?
I always had an interest for recipes from ancient ages (ancient Greece, Roman empire) and middle ages (i.e. after the fall of the Roman empire until the Renaissance). It's nice to experience what ...
14
votes
7answers
6k views
Is canned or jarred minced garlic substantially different from fresh garlic?
I am always in favor of fresh ingredients when possible. I recently discovered that minced (and crushed and chopped) garlic is available in very inexpensive jars in the produce section of the grocery ...
14
votes
5answers
857 views
How do I get the burnt aroma off burnt food?
I sometimes burn the bottom of the pan due to carelessness or not stirring enough. The burnt smell tends to persist even after I seperate out the un-burnt bits. Is there any way to fix this?
14
votes
2answers
328 views
Why do so many cheeses have artificial ingredients?
Here in Europe (and perhaps only in Spain) I've noticed that most of the cheeses (hard and soft, but more often hard) contain a interesting list of artificial additives in the ingredient list: ...
12
votes
3answers
3k views
How much difference is there between brands of flour?
How much real difference is there between flours (specifically all-purpose) such as King Arthur, Gold Medal at a considerable savings and a store brand which is even less expensive?
12
votes
2answers
435 views
What makes steel-cut oats different?
I've seen several people insist that steel-cut oats are better than regular oats. What makes them different?
11
votes
14answers
7k views
Why does my chicken breast become so dry?
When I roast a whole chicken, I always make sure that my chicken is cooked to the proper temperature. Quite often, this results in juicy legs and thighs, but dry breasts.
Is there a reason the ...
11
votes
7answers
778 views
Is raw milk healthier than pasteurized?
Obviously, pasteurization is useful since it reduces organisms in the milk, but how frequent were milk-related illnesses before pasteurization, and what other nutrients and flavours are lost in the ...
10
votes
3answers
925 views
What are the differences between the grades of maple syrup?
You can get maple syrup in different grades, but what defines the difference between the grades? Why is one syrup grade A and one grade B?
10
votes
4answers
727 views
Is it possible to patent recipes? [closed]
We live in a world full of intellectual property. For a long time now, engineering has used patenting to secure monetization from a particular invention. However, many "soft", e.g. untangeable, topics ...
10
votes
5answers
1k views
Are there culinary applications for carrot tops/greens?
The family members who taught me to cook have always tossed carrot tops/greens into the compost pile or the trash (and my regular grocery store carries carrots without tops), so I've never really ...
10
votes
2answers
1k views
Light vs Dark Brown Sugar
Is there a practical difference between light and dark brown sugar? I ask b/c I've seen many recipes specify one or the other. Do they really behave differently in some way?
10
votes
5answers
5k views
Beer batter fish, keeping the breading from peeling right off while eating?
A few months back I made beer-batter fish. I don't remember the exact recipe I used but I think I got it from foodnetwork.com. I fried in vegetable oil at 350. Everything came out OK, but the ...
8
votes
3answers
232 views
Difference between natural and organic
For products such as bread, state they are either natural or organic, what is the difference?
8
votes
3answers
8k views
What is the difference between pancetta and bacon?
I see pancetta next to the bacon at a local butcher and was wondering what the difference was between the two?
8
votes
4answers
482 views
Saving pasta water
When making pasta, I often use small amounts of pasta water as an addition to sautes or to lengthen sauces. I have thought of saving more of the pasta water to refrigerate and use within 2 or 3 days, ...
8
votes
1answer
779 views
Can you substitute capers for green peppercorn?
Can you substitute capers for green peppercorn? I'm making a sauce for a roast.
7
votes
9answers
536 views
Additional ingredients to homemade pasta? [closed]
I would like to make interesting, unusual home-made pasta. I am looking for ideas on what to add to the pasta dough to add colour and taste (especially taste).
Well-known additions include:
puréed ...
7
votes
3answers
342 views
A steak story: dry crust
I followed all of the tips. Prime sirloin, taken out an hour before cooking. Salted thoroughly 30 minutes prior. Patted dry with paper towels. Thrown on a high (650) degree grill for two minutes ...
7
votes
4answers
242 views
My Baba Ghanoush is too watery
I tried cooking Baba Ghanoush for the first time and though tasty I didn't quite get the expected results.
It was watery instead of creamy like the ones I had had.
I used equal parts of eggplant and ...
7
votes
2answers
1k views
How does one soften sun dried tomatoes?
Some packs of sun dried tomatoes come a bit too hard to chew. How do I soften them for use in a salad? Should I toss them?
7
votes
2answers
1k views
Why do different pasta shapes taste different?
I've noticed that even when I buy two different pasta shapes of the same brand (and so presumably the exact same recipe), they still taste subtly different, to the point that I consistently prefer the ...
7
votes
4answers
210 views
Removing fat from a recipe
If I see a recipe I like, and it includes a marinade or sauce in which butter or oil is a significant ingredient, is there any way to substitute that fat and preserve a similar taste and texture? For ...
7
votes
2answers
4k views
How do I use no-boil lasagna noodles in a normal recipe?
How do I convert a normal lasagna recipe to use no-boil noodles? Do I need to add extra liquid or just make sure that the dish is covered really well?
6
votes
2answers
355 views
What are the major differences between yams and sweet potatoes?
I was just wondering what the major difference between yams and sweet potatotes. I know yams are more orange and I love yams!
6
votes
5answers
2k views
Which foods generally create a problem of gas or acidity? [closed]
I am found of eating various dishes. But I have a gas problem, a little heavy food will create gas. So I need to be very conscious about my eating habit. So, which cares I should take while cooking ...
6
votes
3answers
1k views
What does “contains 2% or less of” mean?
In the US, food labels are required to provide an ingredients list. One common phrase on labels is "contains 2% or less of." For example: "Pork, water, contains 2% or less of: salt, spices, sodium ...
6
votes
4answers
4k views
How does crepe batter differ from pancake batter?
What are the different ingredients in crepe mix versus pancake mix? I'd like to try my hand at making crepes from scratch...
6
votes
6answers
860 views
Flaky pie crust for sweet fruit pie: butter, shortening, lard, or combination?
I specify sweet fruit here because I think there would different good answers for a savory or a custard based pie.
6
votes
2answers
3k views
How to make wasabi paste? [closed]
I have just returned from a dinner in a Japanese restaurant where I tasted Wasabi.
I would like to know which are the ingredients of this sauce, which is the recipe and if it easy to make.
6
votes
3answers
93 views
How can I adjust my recipe for étouffée to prevent the addition of okra to it from making the dish too gummy?
This is my recipe for étouffée:
4 Tbsp butter
4 Tbsp flour
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup minced bell pepper
2 toes minced garlic
1/2 cup chopped green onion
3 Tbsp chopped parsley
1/2 ...
5
votes
3answers
3k views
What type of sausage for bangers and mash?
On a recent trip, I ate at an authentic Irish pub that served the best bangers and mash I've ever had. As there's nowhere around town that regularly serves the dish, I've decided to try my hand at ...
5
votes
3answers
444 views
Looking for a recipe generator [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
How does one find recipes given an ingredient rather than the recipe name?
I'd like to get a recipe by given food (fridge content;)...
5
votes
1answer
6k views
Where can I find a quality comparison for Zwilling Knives?
I'm trying to find comparisons between various knives from Zwilling. I know the difference between the lines: JA Henckels International tends to be of different build quality as compared to Zwilling.
...
5
votes
2answers
266 views
How do I make my cheese “crackers” less greasy?
To provide my diabetic guests with a low-carb option for dipping, I make cheddar cheese "crackers" by melting small mounds of cheddar on a silpat at 400° F. Once the cheese has started to bubble ...
5
votes
2answers
776 views
Are there certain kinds of salts that work best for baking (cakes, bread, etc)?
As there are different kinds of salts which contain different minerals, is there a kind of salt that is better to use when baking?
Does the kind of salt depend on what I am baking?
5
votes
1answer
190 views
What is the name of this chicken soup dish?
I've been making this simple chicken soup dish for years. I learned it from my dad, who got it from my mother, and who knows how far back it went beyond that. But, I really don't know what its called. ...
5
votes
2answers
5k views
Milk vs. Dark vs. Semi-sweet vs. Bitter-sweet chocolate?
What's the difference between the following chocolates?
Milk
Dark
Semi-sweet
Bitter-sweet
If a chocolate only lists the % cocoa solids used, can I figure out which of the above types it is?
4
votes
3answers
618 views
How to tell the proper amount of oil to use when sautéing vegetables and meat?
A common meal That I make in a pinch is Italian sausage with peppers and onions. I'll cut up a few red and yellow peppers, a whole onion, and throw it in a pan with some olive oil. Once the vegetables ...
4
votes
2answers
2k views
How much dry ground ginger do I substitute for fresh grated ginger?
I don't use ginger enough to really justify getting it fresh, so how much of dried ground ginger should I use in recipes that call for fresh grated?
