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1500 questions
29
votes
2 answers
What exactly is "Japanese" Salt and Pepper?
On a recent trip to Kyoto, I was eating at a Beef Katsu restaurant and one of the spices they made available for seasoning was described as "Japanese salt and pepper".
The spice blend was mostly white/black/gray in color, with no red.
The blend had…
ChaseMedallion
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28
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5 answers
Can I deep fry food in butter instead of vegetable oil?
I was wondering if it is possible to deep fry food that would normally be fried in vegetable oil in butter or lard instead? Will the result be different?
caesar
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28
votes
5 answers
Why is it faster to reheat something than it is to cook it?
In my experience it takes less time to reheat a cooked item than it does to cook it. This is true for every single different "type" of cooked item I can think of. (Meat, soup, pasta, beans, etc etc).
It's quite common for me to use the microwave to…
Pod
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28
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11 answers
How might I roast coffee at home without investing in an expensive roasting machine?
Tired of the bland supermarket beans and too poor to sate my thirst at the local roaster, so I've ordered 20lbs of green coffee beans online...
But, now what do I need to do to turn them into The Life-Giving Elixir? Not interested in crowding my…
Shog9
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28
votes
4 answers
Wok preparation and caring
What is a good technique for initially seasoning a wok, keeping it seasoned, and preventing rust?
statenjason
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28
votes
7 answers
How did people transport food before aluminium foil was invented?
I know this question does not concern cooking, however I wondered how people transported their food before aluminium foil was invented (circa 1900, which is not too long ago).
Did people in the middle ages only carry preserved food with them on long…
B.Swan
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28
votes
5 answers
Blowtorch - hardware store vs kitchen store. Is there a difference?
When looking for a blowtorch for the kitchen, you can buy some reasonably expensive tools. When looking for a blowtorch for plumbing, you can buy some reasonably cheap tools.
The price is different. The look is different. The principle is the same.…
BaffledCook
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28
votes
10 answers
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 question since it has no definitive answer. I'll…
Michael Natkin
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28
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2 answers
Which vegetables to use for stock?
Which vegetables and/or fresh herbs should be used when making vegetable stock?
Are there any vegetables/herbs that should be avoided?
Can parts of vegetables that would otherwise be discarded be included (eg. potato peel, carrot tops, onion skins)?…
SarahVV
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28
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3 answers
Food safety when tasting from dish
When making a dish, I of course taste it through out the process of cooking until its done. I have been extra careful - Each time I taste from the dish I use a new spoon - This means that I have to have ALOT of spoons ready all the time, and have to…
dan12345
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28
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4 answers
I want to make my own cheese. How do I get started?
I've seen people do their own mozzarella and it seemed easy. Any tips on how to get started (equipment, ingredients, recipes)? What about blue cheese and other stronger cheeses?
Curry
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28
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3 answers
What parasites are problematic in sous vide?
Obviously, one should use only clean ingredients. However, especially with game and river/lake fish that's rather difficult.
What are parasites that should be taken into account in sous vide cooking, or any other tightly controlled low-temperature…
Olli
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28
votes
5 answers
Ways to learn to season food correctly?
What is a good way of learning how to season food correctly? Are there some foods which are particularly bland until seasoned correctly that can be used to 'educate' your palate as to what is correctly seasoned?
Sam Holder
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28
votes
9 answers
Parmesan rind: should I use it, or trash it?
I grate my own Parmesan cheese (and others). When I get down to the rind, I usually throw it out. Is there a use for it?
avpaderno
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28
votes
4 answers
How do you make General Tso's chicken as generally found in the Eastern USA?
I realize this is a recipe request, but I'm hoping that the supplemental information will be enough to let it through. I also realize it's rather localized and apologize to all of those who don't know what I'm on about.
So, I am a huge fan of…
hobodave
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