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1500 questions
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4 answers

How do I get caramels to turn out grainy?

Yes, I know the opposite of the usual question. I've been making candy since I was a little kid. My caramels are always smooth and creamy. My partner's father thinks they taste good but that the texture is all wrong. He liked the gritty/grainy…
Laura Thomas
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10 answers

How can I improve the presentation of the food I serve?

Cooking great tasting food is an art of it's own, but to create a restaurant quality dish requires the food to be professionally presented. I have no formal training in cooking and really struggle trying to make my dishes look as stunning as you…
Mark McDonald
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5 answers

What varieties of potato would be good for chips / french fries?

What varieties of potato would be good for making chips / french fries that can be cooked in a deep fryer to give a nice golden crunch on the outside, but still be nice and fluffy in the middle?
lomaxx
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14 answers

What uses are there for basil flowers?

I have tons of basil in my herb spiral. However, this stuff is precious, and I always feel bad when I throw away the basil flowers when I make pesto sauce. Is there a way to use the basil flowers when cooking?
HerbSpiral
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20
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7 answers

Can meat freeze from the inside out?

We received a turkey recently which was meant to be 'fresh'. When it arrived it was frozen on the inside. We are told that the fridge was probably set a bit low so the turkey froze on the inside. I'm not rocket surgeon, but I would have thought…
Mr. Flibble
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3 answers

How can I tell whether an egg has been hard-boiled, through the shell?

At my workplace, there's a mysterious carton of eggs in the common refrigerator. Nobody I've asked knows whether they're raw or cooked. Is there a way to tell, without cracking one of the eggs open?
Andres Jaan Tack
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4 answers

Can/should I use baking soda when cooking beans?

My recipe for hummus says to cook the garbanzo beans with a little baking soda to soften them. Does this work with other legumes? I've often seen the advice against salting the cooking water for beans, as it supposedly toughens them. Will a…
Rob Lewis
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5 answers

What kind of frosting doesn't need to be refrigerated?

I'm looking for a frosting I can leave on the counter (under a cover of some kind) for a few days. What kind of frosting (for a cake or cupcakes) would stand up to this? Ideally, I would like this to be something that I could make from scratch.
KatieK
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10 answers

Why did my attempt at pan-searing beef filets fail miserably?

Background: I am very much an amateur cook; I would consider myself a novice at best, so pardon my ignorance! I decided to try to cook a nice dinner for my family recently. Part of that dinner included some small (~6-7 oz., 1.5-2" thick) beef…
Jason R
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9 answers

What's the best way to make Béchamel sauce?

When I make Béchamel sauce I keep getting different results. Sometimes the sauce becomes too liquidy and never seems to firm up. Other times it might get quite lumpy, despite my use of a recipe that has worked fine in the past. Are there any general…
Willbill
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7 answers

Is there such a thing as "food grade CO2"?

I'm thinking about building a setup to make my own carbonated water. Should I be concerned that I'll be filling up my CO2 tank at Dick's Sporting Goods?
John Berryman
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20
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9 answers

Is there any danger to letting food cook in a slow cooker for a very long time?

I've recently started using a slow cooker and I was thinking about recipes that could be cooked for days. My main concern is if there are any side effects for leaving food cooking for days that would make this plan unfeasible (dangerous to try). …
Lawtonfogle
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11 answers

What can be used as a substitute for tomato sauce in typical italian dishes?

I have a friend that has developed an allergy or sensitivity of some kind to tomato sauce in foods. She has been craving pizza, pasta, and lasagna for a while now and I've been searching for a way to make those sorts of dishes without using…
Aaron Thomas
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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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6 answers

What is each side of a 4-sided grater for?

We own a standard 4-sided grater, but only ever use the side with large holes. What do the other sides do, and what kind of recipes are they for? We have: Medium holes with a cutting edge on bottom (look like large raindrops) Small holes with…
Brian Ballsun-Stanton
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