Seasoned Advice
Seasoned Advice

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1500 questions
21
votes
2 answers

How does velveting work?

The Chinese technique of velveting works. It creates a lusciously tender bit of meat, and I'm a complete advocate of making the small additional effort. If you've ever done it, you're already a believer, it's amazing. (I usually do it this way…
Jolenealaska
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4 answers

What does it mean to "fold in" an ingredient into a mix?

I see this in baking recipes, but I've never been quite clear on the difference between mixing and "folding."
Sam Hoice
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21
votes
8 answers

How did people make bread before sugar was 'discovered'

Modern recipes (as far as I know) for bread includes sugar. Sugar gives the yeast a food source, which supports it growth and allows yeast to give bread many of its qualities. It hit me the other day that sugar (produced from sugar cane) is a…
Hoytman
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21
votes
11 answers

Are there books describing the general principles of cooking?

Perhaps my question is too weird, but whenever I read a book on cooking, it's just a list full of recipes. There are a lot of examples but there are no explicit laws or general principles of cooking - here I must admit that I don't browse this kind…
Red Banana
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21
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2 answers

Is smell a bad way of determining whether meat is still good?

I have always relied on my sense of smell to determine whether meat (most often chicken) is bad and I thought it was reliable. However, I have just heard that [1] smell is not always reliable, since some of the toxins produced by bacteria won't…
Ben
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21
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4 answers

How do I cook and hold pasta for 200 people?

I am making spaghetti dinner for 200 people. I am not sure how to make 20 pounds of pasta ready for a three hour dinner. I thought about a steam table and cooking all the pasta and putting it in a steam table. Would that work, or is there a better…
James Kemp
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21
votes
8 answers

Are cooked shrimp shells edible?

Some Chinese shrimp dishes like the spicy garlic shrimp is served with the shell still on but head removed. Since the shell was on during cooking, the seasoning is all over it. Are you supposed to eat the whole shrimp with the shell, or remove the…
Thierry Lam
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21
votes
2 answers

Do nuts ever go bad?

I have some walnuts I found in the back of my cabinet that are probably 5 years old. The packaging says best if used by 2010. I tasted them and they taste alright, maybe a little tartish but I don't mind. I was wondering if walnuts and other nuts…
amphibient
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21
votes
11 answers

How to make yogurt without any existing yogurt

How does one make yogurt when there isn't any existing yogurt to use as a starter?
Error 454
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21
votes
8 answers

Is it ok to store open cans in the fridge?

I'd been taught growing up that you should never store canned food in the fridge in the open can. Is there any scientific basis to this, or is it just an old wives tale? What types of foods should not be stored in their can once open? Would olives,…
Jessica Brown
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21
votes
4 answers

At what point should carrots be thrown away?

We tend to buy a big bag of carrots from the supermarket (mainly because it's cheaper than a small bag), but usually these are starting to go soft halfway through the week. My current rule of thumb is that I'll cook them until they are so soft that…
Paul Michaels
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21
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2 answers

Is it okay to use aluminium foil instead of parchment paper while baking cookies?

I don't have access to parchment paper or even butter paper for that matter. I just read on a website that it'd be okay to use aluminium foil as long as I apply a coating of grease on it. And also since aluminium conducts heat faster, will I need to…
Uday Kanth
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21
votes
3 answers

Is white vinegar the same as White Wine vinegar?

Is white vinegar, aka the stuff just labelled as "vinegar" in the US and which I use for cleaning my kettle, the same as "White wine vinegar", which I have purchased on accident a time or two? If not, what is white vinegar made of?
Yamikuronue
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21
votes
8 answers

How do you remove the pit from a mango?

I've only attempted this once, and it was a complete disaster. Can anyone provide some tips for a beginner?
user73
21
votes
13 answers

For Pizza cooking at home. What is the best alternative to the pizza stone?

For Pizza cooking at home. What is the best alternative to the pizza stone?
Zepplock
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