Seasoned Advice
Seasoned Advice

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1500 questions
35
votes
17 answers

Can I boil pasta in a pasta sauce?

Is it ok to boil pasta in pan with a pasta sauce? Is there any reason to boil pasta separately (and then add the sauce)?
Tuomas Hietanen
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35
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7 answers

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 scheme from the manufacturers to get more money?
Covar
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35
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9 answers

What should I cover bread dough with while it's rising?

If you let (bread) dough rise, the recipe always asks to cover it. Years ago, I read to cover it with a wet towel. Nowadays, I see more and more recipes that ask for plastic wrap (aka saran or cling wrap). The towel lets air through, the wrap does…
Mien
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35
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9 answers

Does ceramic non-stick cookware "fail", and if so, how?

I've heard of pans with ceramic non-stick surfaces; it seems some reports on internet say they may "fail" in about 6 months. How can these pans "fail"? Do ceramic-coated pans require non-stick-friendly devices? Normal nonstick surfaces fail by…
anonymous
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35
votes
4 answers

Why are baking measurements such nice round numbers?

I've heard over and over that when it comes to baking, measurements cannot be ignored, and you need to be very precise. This question covers how precise a measurement of flour should be, for example. But if getting your baking just right requires…
Tesserex
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35
votes
4 answers

What did European/American historical cooks do with the egg whites?

I do some historical cooking out of old cookbooks, like Amelia Simmons' American Cookery or The Art Of Cookery Made Plain and Easy. One thing I've noticed is that these cookbooks use way more egg yolks than whites. For example, I prepared an 18th…
FuzzyChef
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35
votes
12 answers

Is there any cleaning utensil that is comparable to fingernails?

As you know, sometimes the best scraping tool in the kitchen for cleaning up is your own fingernails. The only thing I know of that compares in terms of effectiveness is metal, but you shouldn't use metal on many things, such as cast iron or…
BVernon
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35
votes
3 answers

Why does frozen food still have an expiration date?

In a below 0°C environment, no bacteria or fungi may grow. How could time "spoil" frozen food? edit: More concretely, I have lobsters and pizza dough that stayed really long in my freezer, are they completely useless now?
Fermat's Little Student
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35
votes
8 answers

Fry onions and garlic before adding to the sauce?

I am making a tomato sauce for pasta but I am not sure whether to put the garlic and onions into the sauce raw or to sauté them first? What would be the difference in the taste, does one have more depth?
Definity
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35
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5 answers

Can a pizza stone be fixed after soap has been used to clean it?

We bought a pizza stone from a thrift store (so at least it was cheap). Unfortunately we cleaned it with soap before reading up on how to clean them. I know, rookie mistake. Is there any way to fix it or should I just toss it out and consider it a…
Steve Hiner
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34
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6 answers

Is there any truth to the idea that you shouldn't multiply seasonings when multiplying a recipe?

I often hear cooks discuss that idea that if you are multiplying, say, a recipe for 4 to be a for 32, that you shouldn't multiply some herbs, spices, or salt. I've never understood any reason why this should be true. Maybe something to do with…
Michael Natkin
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34
votes
1 answer

Is it safe to drink grain alcohol mixed with snake blood?

I was in Vietnam recently and I took a shot of grain alcohol mixed with blood from a freshly killed cobra. That was close to a month ago and I didn't die or get sick, but I'm wondering how dangerous this was. The cobra was definitely of the…
USER_8675309
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34
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4 answers

Shelf life of spices

The common wisdom I've heard is that dried herbs and spices: have a shelf-life of about a year or 2 keep best in a cool dark place will release more flavor when crushed That's fine but some spices are expensive. We have over different 50 jars on…
Dinah
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34
votes
6 answers

Why do American supermarkets only carry lamb and not mutton?

When I go to the supermarket I do not see much, if any, mutton, just a lot of lamb. So, I have postulated some possible explanations: mutton (the meat of a sheep) is being sold as "lamb", mutton tastes weird to Americans so all of it is…
Drisheen Colcannon
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34
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6 answers

What is the function of this shallow, 19-divoted, eared cast iron piece?

This piece was given to me a few years back by someone who picked it up at an estate sale. At the time I cleaned it up, re-seasoned it, and promptly forgot about it. At first blush I thought maybe it was an escargot pan, but on further attention the…
rheone
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