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1500 questions
96
votes
10 answers
Is it safe to put hot food in the fridge?
I heard that putting really warm food in the fridge right after cooking it is not the right thing to do. It might cause bacterial growth? Is this true?
Snowman
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96
votes
4 answers
Why do grape-flavored foods taste different than actual grapes?
Grapes are one of my favorite fruits, but I typically don't like grape-flavored foods. For example, grape jelly or grape candies (like Jolly Ranchers) have a distinctly different taste. I imagine some of the taste perception has to do with water…
Josh
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87
votes
8 answers
Browning Avocados - What Helps?
Years ago Koobz asked "Oxidized Avocado: What's Going on & How to Prevent It?" That question has been merged with this one because it's dealing with the same issue.
Recently, we had this question: Are limes and lime juice more acidic than lemons and…
Jolenealaska
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85
votes
12 answers
Are rare burgers safe?
On a recent trip to France, I had a burger that was still pink in the middle. I know this is incredibly common in France (and it was delicious!) - but, as I understand it, it would never be allowed in the UK.
I'm aware that common wisdom is that…
Neil P
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85
votes
10 answers
What's the best way to season a cast iron skillet?
I just purchased a new cast iron skillet. What's the best way to season it?
And if I need to re-season an old pan, is the process any different?
notpeter
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83
votes
31 answers
How can I keep pasta from sticking to itself?
Whenever I boil pasta (specifically spaghetti), it always sticks to itself before I'm ready to use it. What can I do to avoid this without it becoming mushy (which happens if I keep it in the water)?
Of course, if I happen to have the sauce done by…
Lee
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80
votes
10 answers
Are there any advantages to freshly ground salt?
Recently, I've seen salt grinders sold in stores. I understand that freshly ground pepper has a plus over pre-ground pepper in terms of freshness and strength. However, salt to me seems like a mineral, as opposed to pepper which is, well, a pepper…
Mennyg
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77
votes
7 answers
Cooking away alcohol
When you cook with wine or spirits, when does the alcohol cook away? Obviously high temperatures will do it, but how low of temperatures will work? Also, does it vary by the type of alcohol?
Dinah
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75
votes
14 answers
Any benefit to buy high-quality meat for a mediocre cook?
Quite honestly, I consider myself a mediocre cook as I am consistently able to make decent dishes. Nothing I ever make is fantastic and almost never terrible.
The question is this: will my cooking benefit from buying higher-quality meat even though…
06d4829aa8
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74
votes
85 answers
What cookbooks do you always come back to?
Like me, there are probably a lot people on here that have a lot of cookbooks, but I find I keep coming back to the same 1 or 2 books to give me the basis of most of the stuff I cook.
For me, I find myself coming back to the Jamie At Home book and…
lomaxx
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73
votes
10 answers
Why did people start using CO2 (instead of e.g. oxygen) for carbonated drinks?
I am curious about why those who invented carbonated drinks chose to use specifically carbon dioxide in the liquid, instead of some other gas (say, oxygen).
(Obviously they wouldn't necessarily have been called "carbonated" if some other gas had…
x457812
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72
votes
7 answers
Why shallots over onions?
It seems that in more advanced cookbooks and when watching professional chefs that shallots are used extensively. They seem to be used in the places where onions are in cookbooks which are aimed at home cooks.
I am familiar with the genetic…
Sobachatina
- 47,517
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68
votes
29 answers
In a tomato sauce recipe, how can I cut the acidity?
It seems that every time I make a tomato sauce for pasta, the sauce is a little bit too acid for my taste. I've tried using sugar or sodium bicarbonate, but I'm not satisfied with the results.
Curry
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68
votes
4 answers
What is the difference between white and brown eggs?
I always use brown extra large eggs, but I can't honestly say why I do this other than habit at this point. Are there any distinct advantages or disadvantages like flavor, shelf life, etc?
shsteimer
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67
votes
1 answer
How long can I store a food in the pantry, refrigerator, or freezer?
How do I know if a given food or ingredient I have is still good, or if I should discard it?
How can I best preserve a food or ingredient?
This broad question is intended as a "general reference" question to quickly answer many how long will food…
derobert
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