Seasoned Advice
Seasoned Advice

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1500 questions
18
votes
3 answers

What should I look for in a new kitchen knife set?

We've had the same knives for a very long time now, and we need a new set. What should I look for (or avoid) in a new kitchen knife set?
CyberSkull
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18
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7 answers

Where can I find ancient ages/middle ages recipes and preparation techniques?

I always had an interest for recipes from ancient ages (ancient Greece, Roman empire) and middle ages (i.e. after the fall of the Roman empire until the Renaissance). It's nice to experience what people who lived hundreds of years ago ate daily, or…
Stefano Borini
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3 answers

Why not cover the pot?

I have noticed some foods, such as quick-prepare ravioli, specifically state not to cover the pot when warming them. Why should the pot not be covered? I am especially interested in knowing when I can break this rule. Specifically, we heat food on…
dotancohen
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18
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9 answers

Do I have to peel red potatoes before baking them?

I recently made some potato wedges in the oven. I shared this recipe with my relative, who admonished me for not properly peeling the red potatoes before baking them. She claims that there are disease and viruses that lie on the skin, so peeling it…
yuritsuki
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18
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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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18
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4 answers

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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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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18
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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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