Most Popular
1500 questions
38
votes
1 answer
What is this cutting spatula with holes? (See photo)
What is this tool? What is it called and what is it for?
It's like a steel angled spatula with a cutting end and holes on the tip. It's not big (see the finger for reference), little more than a centimeter wide in the tip. The cord in the photo is…
dmcontador
- 505
- 1
- 5
- 10
38
votes
7 answers
What was Indian food like before the arrival of the chili pepper from the Americas?
One of the things associated with Indian cuisine is heat from chili peppers. Yet, chili peppers can only have been introduced to Asia from their Central and South American homeland after the Spanish conquests of the 1500s.
What was Indian food like…
immutabl
- 968
- 1
- 8
- 10
38
votes
3 answers
Why do tomatoes get so hot?
Ever noticed how certain foods seem to get a lot hotter than others? I almost never burn my tongue or mouth... except on tomatoes; Pizza sauce, tomatoes in panini sandwiches or spaghetti sauce.
Tomatoes always seem to get hotter and retain their…
Daniel Bingham
- 2,830
- 9
- 29
- 34
38
votes
2 answers
What are the impacts of common pizza dough errors?
I'm diving into the world of making pizzas from scratch, and I'd like to take a systematic approach to the possible mistakes I could make with regards to the dough.
What impact do each of the following errors have on the final taste/texture of the…
anon
- 769
- 3
- 10
- 18
38
votes
5 answers
How do you ensure a tortilla keeps all its contents when making a burrito?
What's the best technique to tuck or close the tortilla when preparing a burrito so that it doesn't come undone when it's time to eat?
Dan
- 483
- 1
- 5
- 6
38
votes
4 answers
Why does pistachio ice cream not taste like pistachio nuts?
I have eaten pistachio nuts (roasted, salted) many times and I like it. I also like pistachio flavoured ice cream, but I don't find it much similar. If it wasn't named like that, I would probably not make the connection at all.
Why is the flavour so…
user985366
- 491
- 1
- 4
- 8
38
votes
11 answers
Why is it necessary to preheat an oven?
Just about every recipe advises to preheat the oven before using it. I often forget this, but luckily this doesn't seem to matter all that much. Hence my question: why would it be necessary to preheat the oven?
Dimitri C.
- 491
- 1
- 4
- 6
38
votes
3 answers
When making yogurt, why doesn't bad bacteria grow as well?
I've been making Yogurt and Coconut Yogurt for a long time. I've always wondered why one can't leave milk out for more than an hour or so without it going off, yet when adding cultures or probiotics all of a sudden this isn't a concern.
Ben
- 381
- 1
- 3
- 3
37
votes
10 answers
How do I add a strong "onion flavor" to the biryani (in restaurant style)?
I've had chicken biryani in restaurants and their biryanis taste extremely different from what we prepare at home. I'm not sure how to describe it except that it's an "onion flavor".
We've got loads of biryani recipes and they're all more or less…
Mugen
- 917
- 3
- 10
- 19
37
votes
3 answers
Is pad thai actually Thai?
More like meta-cooking question, but I believe it fits here better than on travel stack.
All around the world, one of the symbols of Thailand is Pad Thai. And multiple versions of curry.
But when I wander around Bangkok or other Thai cities, I see…
Mios
- 523
- 4
- 6
37
votes
14 answers
How do I prevent an egg cracking while hard boiling it?
Sometimes when I cook hard boiled eggs they will crack in the saucepan, and some of the egg will seep out into the water.
Am I boiling the water too vigorously, or can I add something to the water to prevent it?
LeopardSkinPillBoxHat
- 1,406
- 5
- 15
- 20
37
votes
6 answers
How much juice is in a lemon?
A lot of recipes call for the "juice of a lemon". I keep a bottle of lemon juice in the fridge as this is easier, cheaper and more convenient than buying lemons all the time but my problem is I never know how much juice should come out of a lemon.…
Bluebelle
- 2,539
- 14
- 35
- 34
37
votes
2 answers
Do magnets dull knives?
A friend of mine bought some new, very sharp knives. He has a magnetic strip that he uses to store knives, but he does not put these new knives there because he says magnets dull knives.
Is that true? I've never heard of this. If so, why do magnets…
David says Reinstate Monica
- 623
- 2
- 6
- 9
37
votes
4 answers
What oil or fat to use for different purposes?
I understand that one of the main reasons to use different kinds of fat or oil is the temperature at which it burns, e.g. an extra-virgin olive oil to fry a steak wouldn't work. Taste is also a very important aspect. Can you give a list of the most…
tobiw
- 1,083
- 2
- 12
- 18
37
votes
8 answers
How to test that a knife is sharp enough?
As per the question - how to I test that a knife is sharp enough?
And/or, how do you know when a knife needs sharpening?
Edit:
Yesterday I attempted (I feel quite successfully) to hone my knives for the first time ever (requiring me to purchase a…
DMA57361
- 1,775
- 4
- 23
- 33