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1500 questions
33
votes
5 answers
Why should a stock be simmered and not boiled?
Anthony Bourdain's Les Halles cookbook says that a stock should NEVER be boiled, why is this? Does the higher heat extract bitterness or something else undesirable?
It seems a little strange because the bones used to make the stock were previously…
Ryan Anderson
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7 answers
Is it true that moldy jam/pickles are good to eat if you mix the mold into the rest of the mixture?
Everyone in my family says that when you see white mold on jam or pickled goods, you shouldn't bother with throwing away or removing the mold. All you have to do is to mix it back into the rest of what's in the pot. Here is an example:
I would like…
Bar Akiva
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33
votes
2 answers
Why did James Bond heat up the knife for his foie gras?
I was reading Fleming's Casino Royale and ran into the following curious detail, when describing James Bond's meal:
Later, as Bond was finishing his first straight whisky ‘on the rocks’ and was contemplating the paté de foie gras and cold langouste…
DVK
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33
votes
14 answers
How do I butter popcorn without making it soggy?
I've tried buttering my popcorn in the past, and it always turns out inconsistent. A few pieces will be soaked with butter, and others have no butter on them at all.
Perhaps there is a way to get the butter flavoring without drizzling butter on…
Brian Ortiz
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33
votes
4 answers
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 (vegetable oil for canola oil).
Are there…
JYelton
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33
votes
8 answers
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?
lomaxx
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33
votes
5 answers
Is it safe to boil water in a microwave?
Our electric kettle broke. So this morning I used the microwave to boil water for the first cup of coffee.
Only thing is - the water in south Africa is not really the best of quality when you get it from the tap. I presume using a kettle kills of…
Pork Chop
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33
votes
6 answers
What is the correct water to pasta ratio?
I have heard one should use a lot of water when cooking pasta; how much water should I use?
avpaderno
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33
votes
5 answers
Why would you place potatoes on salt when baking in the oven?
Several of my recipe books call for baking potatoes on a layer of (rock) salt, e.g. I'm currently following one for gnocchi that has this very instruction.
Searching yields many recipes, but I can't really find the "why" of it, nor what it…
Jeroen
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33
votes
12 answers
Do pan "pores" exist, what are they, and what are their effects?
There are a number of common cooking lore techniques which revolve around the idea of "pores" in the surface of a pan. Two of the ones I've heard most often:
(1) When heating a pan where sticking is a concern, one should wait until the pan is hot…
Athanasius
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33
votes
12 answers
Slow cooking without a slow cooker
I frequently hear people telling me about how wonderful their slow cookers (AKA "crock pot") are. In many cases they're right - meat that tends to come out tough in normal cooking comes out very tender from a slow cooker.
But do I really need a…
Aaronut
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33
votes
4 answers
Is it safe to eat a cooked steak that (briefly) touched the plate that was holding the raw meat?
So I just finished preparing a perfect-looking steak, and as per usual, my apartment's hypersensitive smoke detector decided to go off. Not wanting to put the steak back into the pan, in one brilliant flash of boneheadedness, while I was scrambling…
Aaronut
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33
votes
8 answers
What is the best flour to use for pizza dough?
I've been making pizza dough and the recipe says to use "good quality flour" but I'm not sure what it means? Are there differences in quality between different types of flour and how can I tell?
lomaxx
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33
votes
8 answers
Is it safe to eat raw eggs?
I have a friend that is training for a marathon and he drinks 6 raw eggs before running (Yes, like Rocky) - is this safe?
AttilaNYC
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33
votes
16 answers
How to rest meat but not let it get too cold?
Having read this question I am persuaded that resting meat is good for its flavour. But if the meat has a good temperature straight after it's been cooked, it seems as though it will be too cold after resting it for a few minutes.
How do you rest…
bryn
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