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1500 questions
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9 answers

How do Chinese restaurants tenderize their meat?

I eat at a lot of Chinese restaurants now and also while growing up. I often wondered how is it that the chicken, pork, and beef in dishes are always so tender. I can never replicate it when I cook. What do the Chinese chefs use to tenderize their…
milesmeow
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8 answers

What does "bring to a simmer" mean?

First, a confession: I work in software, so I'm probably paying way too much attention to the state of liquid that is "a simmer". That written, I love to cook, and no recipe direction gives me more confusion, sadness, and googling than "bring to a…
Christopher
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5 answers

Does meat need to be washed before preparation?

I don't even remember where I have learned that, but I've always thought it common knowledge: Before a piece of meat gets seasoned, or malleted for tenderizing (sorry, don't know the English word for that), or marinated, or thrown into the pan, or…
rumtscho
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4 answers

Is it normal to see flames inside my self-cleaning oven?

I spilled some sauce in the oven, so I decided to clean it today. I wiped the bottom and glass door, but the rest of the stuff was crusty and stuck to the bottom of the oven. I started the cycle and went about my business. About 15 minutes later I…
Michael Moussa
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3 answers

Is panko just pretentious breadcrumbs?

My local grocery store actually currently sells panko crumbs for more money than beef mince, which to me is incredible. Is there any sort of justification for this or is it just expensive because it is foreign? Maybe there is some culinary…
Neil Meyer
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32
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4 answers

How is rare steak made safe to eat?

The USDA recommends cooking many meats to an internal temperature of at least 145 °F (63 °C) to kill off pathogens. That usually works for me, but the big exception is steak. Whenever I try reaching at least 145 °F (63 °C), I always cook the steak…
BatWannaBe
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31
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12 answers

Digital recipes storage?

What works well for storing recipes digitally? Software and web solutions are both welcome. For me, the ideal solution would accept recipes from different sources (copy/paste, or email) in any format, and would automatically generate ingredient…
Herb Caudill
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2 answers

What is this green, bulbous, leafy vegetable?

I recently received a vegetable, looking like a big green beet with a thick skin. As I don't know what it is, I can't look for appropriate recipes on the internet. The Google reverse image search couldn't help either. Here is the thing:
Heschoon
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5 answers

What is the difference between sea salt and regular table salt?

I often sea sea salt sold in grinders to be used at the table, with comments about how it tastes better. What sort of taste differences would I notice using sea salt vs table salt, and what other differences might using one over the other…
Ryan Elkins
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31
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18 answers

Is there anything I can add to homemade bread to preserve it?

I love making our own bread - we rarely buy shop bought, but it tends to go off very quickly. Part of the appeal is that it doesn't have any "junk" in it - artificial preservatives - which I'm sure contributes to the lovely flavor. Is there anything…
Bluebelle
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5 answers

What should I use for old recipes that call for 'buttermilk'?

Old-school buttermilk is the milk left after churning butter and is not today's 'cultured buttermilk'. A recent answer to the question about what to use for 'sweet milk' mentions : Buttermilk was what was left after the soured milk had been churned…
Joe
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8 answers

Can I learn to like wine?

Wine, especially combined with the right food, seems to be a great deal among gourmets. I'd love to enjoy those highly-praised combinations too, but unfortunately, although I'm 22 years old by now, I still don't like the taste of wine at all. Can I…
MaxD
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6 answers

What is the white dust on red grapes?

I bought some red grapes, and they have a thin layer of white dust on them. What is this? It has no flavor and seems to be harmless, but sources differ on what exactly it is, so if anyone has an authoritative source, I'd be interested to find out.
Yamikuronue
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9 answers

What's the numbering system for spaghetti and does it matter?

When I lived in Italy some years ago I remember an Italian friend explaining the numbering system for spaghetti (perhaps also other long pasta). How spaghetti was sold in Italy with a number indicating its fineness. She told me that different kinds…
Tea Drinker
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2 answers

How does a Miracle Thaw work?

Miracle Thaws are utensils for rapidly thawing foods. Put an ice cube on one and it melts before your eyes, yet the whole thing stays cool to the touch. How do they work? (Inspired by this question: Utensil to thaw meat)
pabo
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