Most Popular
1500 questions
16
votes
17 answers
Is it possible to bake a cake without an oven?
I don't have an oven; is there any way to simulate what an oven does with any other tools available at my home? In particular I would like to be able to bake cakes.
Santosh Kumar
- 383
- 2
- 6
- 14
16
votes
8 answers
Is Teflon dangerous?
I've read that non-stick saucepans using Teflon are dangerous. Why do so many people still use them including all the professional chefs, and how do you personally feel about using them after reading this?
We are in the predicament at the moment…
vaughan
- 1,135
- 3
- 9
- 10
16
votes
6 answers
Will hard boiled eggs absorb salt through the shell?
In this America's Test Kitchen video they add salt to the cold water when hard boiling eggs.
Would the salt actually permeate the shell and flavor the egg? That seems unlikely to me and is just a waste of good salt.
(Apart from the salt, that method…
Galapagos Jim
- 593
- 2
- 4
- 9
16
votes
5 answers
Do German or Japanese knives hold their edge longer?
I want to buy a chef's knife, but I can't sharpen, and I don't plan to learn it. I will have to send my knives for sharpening, so I obviously prefer this to happen as rarely as possible.
I am leaning towards a Solingen style knife, probably a…
rumtscho
- 142,425
- 47
- 316
- 581
16
votes
2 answers
What effect do different slash patterns have on bread oven spring?
Slashes in bread loaves are designed to promote oven spring but there are many different patterns. Some running the length of a loaf, some in a checkered pattern. I've been told this is to promote oven spring in different directions.
What patterns…
rfusca
- 14,047
- 16
- 65
- 95
16
votes
5 answers
What are the optimal conditions in making wild yeast starter?
I recently learned that I don't need to buy packets of yeast to make bread. I can create a sour dough starter by utilizing the wild yeast floating around in the air. Take a look at this article for more…
Jay
- 8,893
- 19
- 60
- 101
16
votes
11 answers
Why put a stone in the soup?
I was surprised by the added stone in the soup of this question:
"Also, for irony, a large (cleaned) stone is always left in the pot"
What would be the reason for this? For the minerals in the stone? As far as I know, minerals do not infuse water…
BaffledCook
- 13,276
- 25
- 89
- 132
16
votes
4 answers
Does oil evaporate?
The oil is said to be evaporate at very high temperatures but while cooking something in pan with oil, is the smoke that goes upwards because of oil evaporation? If not why does the chambers of chimney get greasy after some time?
Cob
- 161
- 1
- 1
- 3
16
votes
8 answers
Can I continue to age store bought cheese?
I know that many cheeses are considered to be better when aged. After I've purchased a nice block of Parmesan or such, can I continue to age it at home?
Is it practical? Will I get the same result?
rfusca
- 14,047
- 16
- 65
- 95
16
votes
1 answer
How to make deep fried beer?
I remember reading about the 2010 Texas State Fair "Most Creative" deep-fried food winner, who made fried beer. The news stories I've read were all published around that time (August 2010), where Mark Zable (the fried beer inventor) said he had a…
Laura
- 5,249
- 8
- 36
- 65
16
votes
13 answers
Reusing coffee grounds
Besides using it as a fertilizer, how else can I reuse my coffee grounds?
zachary
- 2,409
- 9
- 27
- 40
16
votes
1 answer
What makes a pasta shape pair with a sauce?
Spaghetti goes well with tomato sauce with ground meat. Fettucini goes well with a creamy sauce. Why? What general principles about the characteristics of the pasta and the sauce make them work well together? When is angel hair superior to…
Gregor Thomas
- 733
- 5
- 19
16
votes
3 answers
How to treat your saffron right?
Similar to this question, but not the same (by the way, I like Hobodave's answer).
What's the correct way to treat saffron to get most of the flavor?
I've seen the following methods:
Let the stems soak in a cup of lukewarm water.
Warm the stems in…
BaffledCook
- 13,276
- 25
- 89
- 132
16
votes
21 answers
How to ferment dosa batter?
I have never been successful in fermenting dosa batter properly in the US. I generally soak urad dal, rice and fenugreek seeds for a few hours and grind them together. Even if I leave the batter in 30°C temperature, the batter does not double in…
Avinash Bhat
- 1,772
- 5
- 17
- 18
16
votes
2 answers
What is freezer burn?
What causes freezer burn?
How can I tell if meat has freezer burn?
George Edison
- 437
- 2
- 5
- 11