Seasoned Advice
Seasoned Advice

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1500 questions
22
votes
3 answers

Does water that's been left to sit and then reboiled taste different from fresh water boiled once?

This may sound like a silly question, but I've always wondered: If I boil some water and use some of it and leave the remainder in the kettle, and then a few days later boil that same water again, will it taste the same as if I'd emptied the old…
Chris W. Rea
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5 answers

Should one always use the whole garlic clove?

When using garlic cloves for pretty much anything, is it ever necessary to cut the slightly brown end off (that which connects to the head), or the middle out? Often times when I peel a garlic clove and cut into it I'll notice that the middle…
Nick
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22
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2 answers

What is the chemical process behind the way you cook a risotto?

Cooking risotto seems to differ from regular rice in two important ways: you stir the risotto regularly you only introduce liquid a little bit at a time What is the effect of these two steps chemically on the rice that yields such a different…
yossarian
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22
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3 answers

Pots and Pans in the dishwasher

Settle a longstanding feud in our household for me: is it safe to put pots and pans in the dishwasher? Assume we have both stainless steel and various non-stick pans. Assume we have frypans, sauce-pots, and larger pots that would conceivably fit,…
Yamikuronue
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22
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1 answer

What is a liqueur?

I was sitting in a hotel bar sipping cocktails with friends last night, and as one of the less well-versed of us was casting an eye over the cocktail list, he idly asked "is vermouth a liqueur?". "Of course not", i snorted; "it's an aromatic…
Tom Anderson
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22
votes
5 answers

Honey changing into unusable, hardened clump

I buy raw, unfiltered honey from the grocery store in jars sold/packed directly by the farmer. When I had used the last jar to about half, I noticed the honey beginning to dry(crystalize?) to the point where I couldn't use the honey around these…
JWiley
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22
votes
11 answers

Tips for Removing Silk from Corn?

Does anyone have any tips for how to easily and quickly remove silk from ears of corn? I find that it takes a long time to pick it all out.
JustRightMenus
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22
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1 answer

How much water does pasta absorb when it is cooked?

How much water will dry semolina pasta absorb when it is properly cooked? For example, how much water would one pound of farfalle or spaghetti absorb? I am guessing the shape of the pasta doesn't matter, just the absolute weight. I am not looking…
SAJ14SAJ
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22
votes
8 answers

First onion or first minced meat?

When making e.g. spaghetti sauce, do I: first sweat the onions and then add the minced meat? first brown the minced meat and then add the onions? do both at the same time but in different pans and add them together afterwards? What are the…
BioGeek
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22
votes
5 answers

Difference between freezer bag and storage bag

We accidentally used Ziploc "storage bags" instead of "freezer bags" to package some meat for the freezer. We noticed this after the fact and it got me thinking: what is the difference? Marketing aside, they both appear to be resealable zipper-like…
Dinah
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22
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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22
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8 answers

How should baking soda be used to tenderize meat?

At some Chinese restaurants, I've had beef dishes where the meat was unusually tender. It also has a somewhat unusual texture, which is hard to describe. I understand that this is a result of using baking soda to tenderize the meat. How should one…
erichui
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22
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5 answers

Fresh milk curdles when added to hot coffee and tea

Came in to work this morning and made a round of coffees, the same as yesterday. To freshly washed and fully rinsed mugs, I added instant coffee, and the milk then filled with boiling water and the milk instantly curdled and all the bits floated to…
Fraser
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22
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4 answers

What are the differences between different types of onions, and when do you use them?

I used a recipe for a mean black-eyed-pea salad this past weekend which called for a red onion. Since I wanted extra onion flavor in the salad anyway, I decided to pick up a Vidalia onion to throw in as well. As I was prepping the salad, I got…
Ben McCormack
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22
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6 answers

Buttermilk substitute?

I've got a recipe that calls for some buttermilk, but none on-hand. Is there some way I could use some common ingredient(s) as a substitute?
Donut
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