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1500 questions
36
votes
14 answers

Why did my grandfather-in-law salt his beer?

My grandfather-in-law was born in England in the 1920s and fought in World War II. Somewhere along the line he acquired the habit of salting his beer before drinking it, which persisted for the rest of his life. I'm as curious about the cultural…
SevenSidedDie
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36
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14 answers

Nonstick cookware or not?

I am looking to replace my >10 year old Calphalon nonstick cookware. I can see the nonstick surface coming off the pans, and am starting to worry about how much of that is getting into our food. I love the ease of cleaning nonstick cookware, but am…
BetsyB
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36
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3 answers

Food temperature "danger zone" - is it really binary?

It's very widely reported (including here) that the food temperature "danger zone" is between around 40°F (4.4°C) and 140°F (60°C) and that if perishable food is at this temperature for longer than 4 hours it should be discarded. In fact this is…
Peter Moore
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36
votes
4 answers

What is the use of this strange contraption on this serving fork?

I just bought an old fork + knife set at a flea market. The kind of big cutlery that is used to cut and serve chicken, roasted meat, whatever. The strange thing is that the fork has a moving part on the top of it. I don't know how to describe it, so…
dim
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36
votes
2 answers

What does a healthy cast iron skillet look like?

I've read plenty about how to restore and season cast iron, but I have no clue whether any of the old cast iron I've inherited could benefit from this. Is healthy cast iron black? or should it be somewhat metallic looking (ie. a bit silvery, like…
Colin K
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36
votes
5 answers

Why is a roux necessary?

A classic bechamel sauce is a roux and milk. Why can’t I just add the flour directly to the milk and cook till thickened, stirring vigorously to keep it from clumping?
mroll
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35
votes
2 answers

Mint vs Peppermint

Are mint and peppermint the same thing? Can we substitute one for the other. How can we differentiate between mint and peppermint?
Iqra Amanat
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35
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1 answer

Is it safe to drink grain alcohol mixed with snake blood?

I was in Vietnam recently and I took a shot of grain alcohol mixed with blood from a freshly killed cobra. That was close to a month ago and I didn't die or get sick, but I'm wondering how dangerous this was. The cobra was definitely of the…
USER_8675309
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35
votes
13 answers

transfer pizza onto stone without sticking

After I have made my pizza and put the toppings onto it, I find that I am unable to transfer the pizza on to the pizza stone in the oven. When I try to do it the pizza goes out of shape, gets folded, the toppings get messed up and sometimes it…
flamingpenguin
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35
votes
8 answers

The secret to hash browns / home fries / breakfast potatoes

I have never been successful in making pan-fried potatoes àla the American diner. It seems like such a simple concept, but they never turn out right! Usually undercooked & oily, with some parts getting burned... Ideally, I'd like to produce potatoes…
TJ Ellis
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35
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2 answers

What is a clove of garlic?

If a recipe calls for 8 whole cloves of garlic, does it mean 8 whole garlics? Or does it mean 8 of the wedges?
Stacie
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35
votes
5 answers

How safe is steak tartare?

How safe is steak tartare? What can I do when preparing it make sure it is safe to eat?
Willbill
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35
votes
17 answers

Can I boil pasta in a pasta sauce?

Is it ok to boil pasta in pan with a pasta sauce? Is there any reason to boil pasta separately (and then add the sauce)?
Tuomas Hietanen
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35
votes
9 answers

Does ceramic non-stick cookware "fail", and if so, how?

I've heard of pans with ceramic non-stick surfaces; it seems some reports on internet say they may "fail" in about 6 months. How can these pans "fail"? Do ceramic-coated pans require non-stick-friendly devices? Normal nonstick surfaces fail by…
anonymous
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35
votes
4 answers

Why are baking measurements such nice round numbers?

I've heard over and over that when it comes to baking, measurements cannot be ignored, and you need to be very precise. This question covers how precise a measurement of flour should be, for example. But if getting your baking just right requires…
Tesserex
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