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1500 questions
18
votes
9 answers
Fresh basil storage
How should fresh basil be stored? The packaging suggests that the optimal temperature is around 50°F, but I can't think of anywhere in an average kitchen at that temperature. A pantry is too warm, and a fridge is too cold. So which of the two is…
Tesserex
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Is there no use for high temperatures in ovens?
I'm about to buy a new oven. I can buy one which is able to steam the food, or one without.
The one with steam (a nice, but not necessary feature) only goes to 230 °C / 446 °F, while a regular one to 275 °C / 527 °F.
The salesman claimed that no one…
NiklasJ
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18
votes
6 answers
What is the difference between a spring roll and an egg roll?
The final challenge for a recent "Master Chef" was to make spring rolls. It seemed to me that they were really making egg rolls, like I've seen at any restaurant I've ever been to -- Chinese, Vietnamese, Thai, etc.
What is the difference between a…
xenoterracide
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18
votes
5 answers
What are the fundamental sauces that every cook should know how to make?
I'd like to learn to make some sauces and I'm looking for the most common, "standard" sauces that professional cooks all learn how to make in culinary school.
What sauces form the basic "building blocks" of cooking and how are they prepared?
PrAIshanth Hates Stack Overflo
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18
votes
3 answers
How much yeast is in a "package"?
Our Better Homes and Gardens cookbook calls for "1 package active dry yeast" in its pizza recipe, which is less than helpful, since we keep a container of bulk yeast in the freezer. What is the standard volume (e.g. in teaspoons) of yeast in a…
Edward Brey
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18
votes
8 answers
Is soaking beans 24 hours unrefrigerated safe?
It strikes me as an unsafe food practice to follow Cook's Illustrated's advice for soaking dried beans for 24 hours unrefrigerated. I've also seen them suggest you soak steel-cut oats unrefrigerated overnight.
Is there some reason why these…
Jeff Axelrod
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18
votes
14 answers
How can I remove excess fat from stews or soups without refrigerating?
I've read that adding cork (from wine bottles) absorbs the fat. I'm not sure if this works or not.
Are there any other ways to remove excess fat without standing there and spooning out or refrigerating and then removing the solidified fat?
avpaderno
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18
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6 answers
If I'm using milk as an ingredient in soup, how can I prevent it from curdling?
There are numerous chicken stock based soups that also have milk as an ingredient and the milk always seems to curdle - how can I prevent this?
AttilaNYC
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18
votes
2 answers
What is the difference between normal oils and cooking oils?
I am not proficient in cooking but I have one question which I am not able to figure out.
I have read on internet some oils should be used for dressing, other for cooking.
But to me, they all look same. I mean what will happen I use same oil…
user192362127
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4 answers
Is there a way to make delicious donuts with a small amount of oil?
I like donuts but I don't make them at home because for a bowl of donuts I consume a lot of oil.
The oil gets a sweet taste to it afterwards and can't reuse it for cooking something else than cakes. I also don't cook sweets very often and if I…
John
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18
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8 answers
Are there culinary applications for carrot tops/greens?
The family members who taught me to cook have always tossed carrot tops/greens into the compost pile or the trash (and my regular grocery store carries carrots without tops), so I've never really thought about cooking with them before. Today,…
Iuls
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18
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6 answers
How to store hard boiled eggs that are peeled so to avoid moisture build up?
On the weekend I usually make 10 hard boiled eggs and peel them so I can eat 2 every morning during the work week. It's a big time saver in the morning, but when I store them in a plastic container in the refrigerator, a ton of moisture accumulates.…
David
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18
votes
4 answers
Wok patina comes off
I got a flat-bottomed iron wok a few weeks ago at a local Asian supermarket. I seasoned it on my electric stove, based on information I googled up: heated it up, put a thin layer of peanut oil on it, turned the heat down and let it sit for 15…
Tim
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18
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4 answers
What is the alternative to a vine ripened tomato?
Having just had a lovely sandwich of Aberdeen Angus beef, vine ripened tomato and horseradish I was wondering if anyone could explain to me exactly what a vine ripened tomato is?
Since all tomatoes have ripened and all tomatoes grow on a vine,…
StuPointerException
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18
votes
9 answers
I would like to make my own Chicken Stock, any suggestions?
I am tired of using canned broth/stock and would like to make my own - any suggestions as to the proper technique and parts to use?
AttilaNYC
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