All Questions
27,085
questions
17
votes
4
answers
108k
views
What would be a good substitute for rice wine?
I like to prepare various Asian dishes and one of the important ingredients I use is rice wine; unfortunately, it's become difficult to obtain lately, and sherry, which is sometimes used, never was a ...
- 7,131
26
votes
14
answers
128k
views
How to stop meatballs falling apart when frying
I tried cooking meatballs as a change to what I usually cook but I found that they didn't stay together when being fried.
I made the meatballs with about 500g of mince, a chopped onion, some herbs ...
- 361
0
votes
0
answers
2k
views
Can I freeze egg whites?
I saw this question and it got me thinking, can I freeze egg whites, and if so is there anything I need to bear in mind when doing so?
- 11.3k
9
votes
6
answers
1k
views
Which thickener should I use for fake spaghetti out of fruit juice?
I would like to experiment with flavoured 'spaghetti' by taking a juice and gelling it in spaghetti shape, so I could have beetroot strands that I could use in a pasta dish.
Anyone done this? Got any ...
- 11.3k
13
votes
2
answers
17k
views
How to recover jam that has set too hard?
Every time I make jam I always manage to set it too hard. Is there any way to recover it once it's done this?
- 3,462
21
votes
4
answers
34k
views
Garlic turning green?
When I try to make garlic bread or, in general, something where the garlic is not in a liquid, it sometimes turns green while cooking! It's worth noting that the taste doesn't seem to really be "off", ...
- 1,617
12
votes
6
answers
988
views
Peeling tomatoes
I have a recipe that calls for peeling tomatoes. I've found elsewhere that this is often done by boiling them and letting the skin lift away during that process.
Is there anything else that can make ...
- 4,929
7
votes
2
answers
57k
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?
- 1,113
4
votes
3
answers
227
views
Best variety of garlic for slow cooking?
Take a couple of heads of garlic, sit them in some oil with spices, and cook for an hour or two, then spread it on bread. It's great...with the right kind of garlic. With the wrong kind, you'll be ...
- 13.2k
31
votes
5
answers
14k
views
What is the difference between sea salt and regular table salt?
I often sea sea salt sold in grinders to be used at the table, with comments about how it tastes better. What sort of taste differences would I notice using sea salt vs table salt, and what other ...
- 6,203
4
votes
3
answers
5k
views
How to melt glucose?
I recent backed a pie that included glucose and the recipe pretty much only said melt glucose...nothing about how to use it which lead me to much agony :)
So the question is ... is there a common ...
- 755
208
votes
6
answers
82k
views
Translating cooking terms between US / UK / AU / CA / NZ
This post is an attempt to keep track of the terms that differ between dialects of English or exist in some dialects but not others: British (UK) / Australian (AU) / Canadian (CA) / American (US) / ...
12
votes
4
answers
7k
views
Arborio and Risotto
I ran out of regular rice the other day, and subbed in some arborio (the traditional risotto rice). I figured it would serve well enough, since it's a tough variety, and I planned on a multi-stage ...
- 13.2k
29
votes
6
answers
394k
views
When is it necessary to cover food with aluminum foil during baking/roasting?
Often a recipe calls for covering a dish while it bakes. I understand that this can help to trap steam.
How do you know when it's necessary to use aluminum foil when baking a dish without a recipe?
...
- 2,490
44
votes
5
answers
35k
views
When making sushi, why do you have to rinse the rice?
I'm interested in learning to make my own sushi.
Every guide I have read has stressed that the rice has to be rinsed thoroughly.
The bags of rice I generally buy say not to rinse the rice in order ...
- 2,490
8
votes
6
answers
29k
views
What's the best way to defrost ice-cream/sorbet quickly?
I made some sorbet at the weekend, and realised just when we were due to serve that I had forgot to take it out of the freezer to soften, and so it was rock hard.
What is the best way to bring it to ...
- 11.3k
11
votes
4
answers
3k
views
How to make - succulent - Bruschetta?
What ingredients do you need, and what steps to perform to make Bruschetta?
While on honeymoon in Tuscany we got bruschetta with chopped tomato and herb topping, on crusty bread (I think there was ...
- 547
4
votes
3
answers
5k
views
Making my meringues form peaks
Last week I made a meringue icing for my cupcakes and had problems making my meringue form peaks. This makes me ask what are some of your tips/tricks? What do you do or add to your egg white mixture ...
- 4,576
17
votes
2
answers
9k
views
How can I cook a perfect deep-fried Mars bar?
I've seen on Internet the description of deep-fried Mars bar (dish originated at chip shops in Scotland), and I wonder how can I do it at home.
- 4,603
4
votes
2
answers
18k
views
Alternative to arrowroot
I have a lovely recipe (for stir-fried tofu) that uses arrowroot as its thickener. This is easy to use, and adds a nice subtle flavour of its own to the dish. However, I am now living somewhere where ...
- 653
16
votes
9
answers
78k
views
How can I fix a hollandaise sauce after it has split?
I made a hollandaise sauce on the weekend and it split so I threw it out and started again but I was wondering if there is anything you can do to save it once it splits?
- 5,518
9
votes
5
answers
15k
views
What are alternative gelling agents to gelatine? And what are their properties?
I recently was making some orange jelly which was going to be dipped in chocolate. I couldn't use gelatine to set the jelly as it returned to a liquid below the temperature of the melted chocolate. ...
- 11.3k
56
votes
3
answers
38k
views
13
votes
7
answers
3k
views
What's the best way to cook brown rice?
Apparently the ratio of water to rice for brown rice is 1.5:1. I simmered my rice for about half an hour with the lid on the pan and the rice was still hard and the water nearly all gone. What am I ...
- 1,065
11
votes
5
answers
15k
views
Cooking cakes with Pop Rocks / Space Dust
I want to build a cake with Pop Rocks / space dust. Has anyone got any ideas on how I would do this? If I add the Pop Rocks straight to my cake mixture, then I believe it'll just react. Any ...
- 424
46
votes
9
answers
28k
views
What's the right way to hard boil eggs?
I find I always have trouble scaling the amount of time the eggs should be boiled, cooled, etc. for different-sized batches of hard-boiled eggs.
I've heard a variety of "folk lore"-type rules for how ...
- 2,220
8
votes
3
answers
21k
views
Ground beef storage and use past sell-by date
When I buy food it's at least a few weeks worth, and I bought some ground beef the other day with the intention of using it over a couple weeks. I have a couple questions regarding storage:
I use ...
- 1,019
26
votes
13
answers
51k
views
How do I flip an egg when preparing it "over easy"?
I tend to break a lot of yolks when preparing eggs over easy. I also can't do it too fast, making it hard to cook multiple eggs at once (they tend to overcook).
Sometimes the spatula I'm using doesn'...
- 6,203
13
votes
2
answers
3k
views
Is it safe to deglace a cast-iron pan?
I've heard that pouring a cold liquid into a very hot cast-iron pan can destroy it (because it's more brittle than a steel pan for instance). Is that true or do most of you deglace in cast-iron pans ...
- 1,083
8
votes
4
answers
7k
views
Can I make my own chestnut puree?
I've got a recipe that calls for chestnut puree. I live in Australia and it's proving difficult to find. Chestnuts on the other hand are pretty easy to find so I googled around to see if I could find ...
- 5,518
37
votes
4
answers
8k
views
What oil or fat to use for different purposes?
I understand that one of the main reasons to use different kinds of fat or oil is the temperature at which it burns, e.g. an extra-virgin olive oil to fry a steak wouldn't work. Taste is also a very ...
- 1,083
8
votes
3
answers
10k
views
14
votes
2
answers
19k
views
Is it ok to use a metal turner in a wok?
Is it ok to use a metal utensil when turning or serving food in a (seasoned, steel) wok? I suspect that the wok surface may get scratched, but it doesn't seem to cause any problems so far; is it ...
- 653
13
votes
3
answers
1k
views
How can I learn to sharpen my Japanese knives properly?
I have a couple of nice Japanese kitchen knives, and a whetstone in two grades. I can sharpen them reasonably well using the stone, but does anyone have any good tips for improving my sharpening ...
- 653
7
votes
6
answers
7k
views
Where do I buy food additives (not in bulk)?
I occasionally want a pure food additive for various reasons (pure potassium chloride for sports drinks, pure MSG for everything), but I can't find any decent places to get them except amazon.com. Now ...
- 2,837
32
votes
4
answers
113k
views
When is a cooking oil not appropriate to substitute for another?
Frequently recipes call for a particular kind of oil for making use of certain characteristics (taste, heat tolerance, health, etc.). It's well known you can substitute cooking oils in most cases (...
- 2,898
10
votes
6
answers
3k
views
Preparing eggplant with less oil
I love cooking with eggplant (or aubergine/brinjal in your specific English flavor).
However to get rid of the bitter taste and slightly spongy texture, I end up using huge amounts of olive oil, ...
- 454
5
votes
3
answers
1k
views
Recommended cooking uses for applejack? [closed]
I recently had a recipe that called for applejack (apple brandy) in the glaze. Now I've got a bunch of this stuff lying around, and I'm looking for cooking applications for it.
Can it be substituted ...
77
votes
7
answers
274k
views
Cooking away alcohol
When you cook with wine or spirits, when does the alcohol cook away? Obviously high temperatures will do it, but how low of temperatures will work? Also, does it vary by the type of alcohol?
- 4,929
15
votes
2
answers
27k
views
Why does frozen food seem to have lost its original taste and texture after reheating?
I usually freeze my leftovers.
Then, when I reheat them, the flavors are diminished - less salt, less chili, less everything.
Any ideas why?
- 547
12
votes
1
answer
541
views
Proper olive oil tasting technique
I'm looking to buy some really nice olive oil from an artisan shop near my home. Is there an appropriate olive oil tasting technique, similar to wine? If so, what is it, and what dimensions of flavor ...
- 2,345
16
votes
3
answers
14k
views
What can I substitute for eggs in cookie recipes?
I'd like to make some biscuits (cookies), but I have no eggs, and I don't want to leave the apartment.
Can I use something else instead of the eggs? I'd like answers that will work for most cookie/...
- 1,195
6
votes
3
answers
2k
views
How can I check if a blind baked dough is done?
Often, when I'm blind baking things, I'm always unsure whether or not the dough is finished. I always put a piece of foil between the crust and the rice.
Is there an easy way to check the middle of ...
- 901
85
votes
10
answers
111k
views
What's the best way to season a cast iron skillet?
I just purchased a new cast iron skillet. What's the best way to season it?
And if I need to re-season an old pan, is the process any different?
- 1,648
14
votes
4
answers
362
views
Good video on separating eggs
Could anyone point me to a good video on cracking an egg and then separating the white and the yolk? I need to improve my technique. For every few eggs that I crack I end up with little bits of egg ...
- 12.1k
33
votes
8
answers
125k
views
What can I use for a Crème brûlée if I don't have a blow torch?
I've always wanted to make a Crème brûlée but I don't have a blow torch to burn the top with. Is there anything else I can use to get that nice crunchy caramel on top?
- 5,518
14
votes
6
answers
71k
views
Can I re-use rice if it has been used for blind baking?
I often use rice when blind baking... and then I throw it out which is obviously a waste. Am I able to keep the rice and either use it again for blind baking or even to cook and eat later?
- 5,518
5
votes
2
answers
2k
views
Do I need to use sterilized jars straight away?
When making jams and preserves you obviously need to sterilize the jars. After the jars have been sterilized do you need to use them straight away or can you sterilize them in advance and keep them ...
- 5,518
36
votes
3
answers
14k
views
Why should I "rest" meat after cooking?
I often read in recipes that I should "rest" meat after it has been cooked but what does resting the meat actually do?
- 5,518
0
votes
0
answers
1k
views
Can I freeze egg yolks?
Sometimes when making recipes that require just egg whites, I don't know what to do with the yolks so I just throw them out. Instead of throwing them out, is it possible to freeze them and keep them ...
- 5,518