Desserts & Sweets

Desserts & Sweets Categories

Top Answers

Substitution: orange oil for orange zest

How do I determine how much orange oil to use in place of grated orange peel? What would the ratio be?

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If a recipe calls for rum, can rum flavoring be used in place of the rum, and, if so, what is the amount ratio? For example, if 1/2-cup of rum is needed, how...

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Substitution: unsweetened chocolate for semisweet

Can unsweetened chocolate be substituted for semi-sweet chocolate in a cookie recipe?

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Entertaining

Entertaining Categories

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Tips for writing cookbooks

I will be developing a cookbook for a small country inn over the next year or so and was wondering if you knew of any materials out there that would give som...

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What is foie gras?

How does goose compare to turkey, as far as taste is concerned? Do you know a good goose recipe for the holidays?

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Shelf life of a frozen turkey

How long can you keep a 15 lb. turkey in the freezer?

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How to store pre-made pastry shells

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Diet & Nutrition

Diet & Nutrition Categories

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Safely freezing sage

Does sage become poisonous if frozen? I will be adding it to ground sausage, and then freezing it.

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Vegetarian substitutes for gelatin

As a vegetarian, I don’t use gelatin. But I don’t know what to substitute when I run across it in a recipe.

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Egg-whate safety

Once egg whites have been whisked, do they need to be cooked or can they be chilled and eaten safely?

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Finding lowfat fromage frais

Fat content of tahini

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Herbs, Spices & Nuts

Herbs, Spices & Nuts Categories

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Storing fresh ginger

What's the best way to store fresh ginger? I tried freezing it and it was waterlogged when it defrosted.

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Preserving ginger

What is the best way to preserve fresh ginger?

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How to store fresh ginger

What is the best way to store fresh ginger root, and how long does it keep?

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Home-grown peppercorns

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Science

Drinks

Drinks Categories

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What are tannins?

I drink Rooibos tea, which is an herbal tea made in South Africa - it is caffeine-free. Rooibos and other teas apparently contain tannins. What are tannins? ...

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What is apricot nectar?

HELP! What is apricot nectar? Is it the same thing as apricot preserves? I have a sweet potato and apple recipe that calls for apricot nectar, but I have no ...

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What is Poire William?

I found a recipe for Pears Poire William, and I have no idea what Poire William is. Can you help me?

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Noncarbonated strawberry-lemonade recipe

Is there a specific wine glass for port?

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Seafood

Seafood Categories

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Getting fish in the Midwest

I live in central Wisconsin and dream of fresh seafood - clams, mussels, soft shell crabs, crawfish, all of which we just don't have available in the small ...

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How do you bake fish?

How do you bake sole? What do you put on it (spices, etc.)?

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What are cornichons & goujons?

I found a recipe for Dover Sole that calls for cornichons and goujons. Could you please explain what these are? I think the goujons may refer to pieces of Do...

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Baking

Ethnic/World

Ethnic/World Categories

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Decorating a plate with chocolate hearts

I’m looking for suggestions to paint chocolate hearts on a cake plate.

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Where did the Parker House Roll originate?

Where did Parker House Rolls originate? I am in a class that is asking this question, and I figure that you will know the answer!

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What are blini?

What is the definition of a blini, and what origin are they?

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Meat

Meat Categories

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Baking multiple hams

If you have two hams, both of differing weights, and the directions say to cook at 15 minutes per pound, how long do you cook? Do you add the two weights tog...

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What is brisket?

Could you please tell me what a "brisket" refers to? Is it a particular cut of meat or is it a meat that has been cured in some fashion first?

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What is American Chop Suey?

Years ago a common offering in many small local restaurants in the Boston area was a dish called "American Chop Suey." As I recall it contained ground beef, ...

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Recipes

Recipes Categories

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How to fatten up skim milk for baking

We almost always have either skim milk or 1% milk in the house. When a recipe calls for whole milk can I add light cream to it? If so, what proportions would...

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Hot-Pepper Cheesecake recipe

We saw a reference in an article on leftovers to a Hot-Pepper Cheesecake. It sounds delicious. Will you share the recipe with me?

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How to cook cellophane noodles

How do you cook cellophane noodles?

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Cooking

Cooking Categories

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Preserving jalapenos/jalapeno poppers

I am growing a few jalapeños and chili pepper plants, and they are really producing handfuls! I was wondering if you could tell me how to make those wonderfu...

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What is the history of the stromboli?

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What is Rick Bayless cooking with?

I was wondering if you could tell me where to find an orange oven pot like the one that Rick Bayless uses on his show I have been looking with no luck for a ...

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Safety

Safety Categories

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How long do oils last?

How long will oil last, like peanut oil?

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How to use & store pancetta

I would like to know how long pancetta can be kept after purchase, how it should be stored, and some easy Italian recipes using this product - soups etc.

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Storing soy milk

I am curious about soy milk safety. I know that with cow's milk, one can generally use it one or two days after the "best before" date, without too much trou...

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Sauces & Dressings

Sauces & Dressings Categories

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Keeping sauces smooth

Why does my roux get lumpy when I add liquid? How do I get it smooth?

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Cooking pasta for a crowd

I am planning to serve 40 people a penne pasta with meat sauce entree, along with sliced cooked ham and cocktail meatballs. How much dry pasta and sauce woul...

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How to use Mole Sauce

Can you please tell me how you use mole sauce?

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Dairy & Eggs

Dairy & Eggs Categories

Top Answers

Can you freeze eggs?

Can fresh eggs be frozen for later use (out of the shell, of course)? The best buys in eggs are in a package of 18. For two people, it’s a long time to keep ...

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What is heavy cream?

When a recipe calls for "heavy cream," what should you use? Does canned milk go into this category, or half and half, or whipping cream?

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What is sweet heavy cream?

What is "sweet heavy cream?" It is for a Caramel Cream Praline Apple Pie that I am dying to try.

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Fruits & Vegetables

Fruits & Vegetables Categories

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Different types of potatoes

Would you please explain the different types of potatoes and what they can best be used for – baking, mashing, salads etc.

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Difference: savory & summer savory

What is the difference between savory and summer savory?

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Cucumber varieties

What is the difference between an "English" cucumber and the regular fat waxy green ones? I had a salad of cukes and radishes at a friend’s and it was delici...

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Ingredients

Ingredients Categories

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What are grits?

I just returned from a vacation in the South. What the heck are grits???? And why do people eat them???

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What are pepitas?

Living outside of America, it’s sometimes a challenge to figure out what you call certain ingredients for which we use different names. Could you tell me wha...

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Substitution: all-purpose flour for self-rising

What is the French word for "vegetable"?

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Techniques

Techniques Categories

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Kneading pizza dough

I've tried to make pizza dough and I just can't make it nice and smooth. It's always sticky. Sometime it doesn't even rise.

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Lining a pan with parchment paper

A recipe for a cheesecake instructs one to, "Grease, lightly flour and line the bottom of an 8- inch springform pan." My question is this: what do you line t...

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Keep butter from separating in English toffee

How do I keep my butter from separating when I am making English toffee? The butter fat keeps rising to the top.

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Main Ingredient

Main Ingredient Categories

Top Recipes

Tomato Salsa Recipe

Tomato Salsa Instructions_Step Heat the oil in a skillet and add the onions, celery, peppers, and garlic. Sauté until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the other ingredients, bring the mixture to a boil, co...

25 minutes 2 cups

Clam Broth Recipe by Jasper White

Clam Broth At the fish market, look for clams that are steely gray, not chalky white (the white is a sign of age). If a clam is open, even slightly, push its shells back together; if it doesn't stay c...

10 to 18 minutes about 1 quart (with 1 pound [2 cups] clam meat).

Scampi Recipe

Scampi This Italian dish was originally made, I understand, from small, lobsterlike shellfish called scampi, langostinos or prawns. In America it is often made with shrimp. Either shrimp or langostino...

10 minutes Feeds 3 or 4

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Cuisine

Cuisine Categories

Top Recipes

Chicken Curry/Murgh Masala Recipe

Chicken Curry (Murgh Masala) A Punjabi specialty from North India, this chicken curry is fragrant with cumin and cilantro. It is this distinctive aroma that is often associated with Indian food and tha...

Hush Puppies Recipe

Hush Puppies Hush puppies are the classic fish-fry favorite and really nothing but a spiced-up hoe-cake, dropped into grease instead of fried flat. The variations are endless. This is my tried-and-true...

Mom's Guacamole from Dish: Into the Mix, by Diane Muldrow

Mom's Guacamole Traditional Guacamole is very simple, and uses just a couple of ingredients! But we like to add other ingredients to enhance the flavor. Instructions_Step Cut the avocadoes in half, p...

5 - 8 minutes 2-3 cup

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Dietary Concern

Dietary Concern Categories

Top Recipes

Mom's Guacamole from Dish: Into the Mix, by Diane Muldrow

5 - 8 minutes 2-3 cup

Baked Mushrooms - Broken Bread Recipe

Baked Mushrooms, Broken Bread This recipe was inspired by Mariapaola Dettore's recipe for Funci 'ncartati (mushrooms cooked in foil packages) from her book Sicily. It comes from the Agrigento area wher...

45 minutes 4

Couscous with Asparagus and Toasted Pistachio Vinaigrette

Couscous with Asparagus and Toasted Pistachio Vinaigrette This is a wonderfully aromatic and sensuous dish with textures that range from silky-soft to crunchy. Though this dish is best served hot, it c...

25 minutes 4

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Equipment

Equipment Categories

Top Recipes

Mum's English Matzo Pudding Recipe

Mum's English Matzo Pudding Note: Matzo goes Cordon Bleu! For Passover, matzo replaces the usual noodles in this dessert kugel. Instructions_Step Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Generously grease ...

40 to 50 minutes 8 (pareve)

Beer-Can Chicken Recipe

This Bird's for You Beer-Can Chicken Beer-can chicken has moved from novelty to standard fare for many backyard pitmasters. I first learned about it from the late Hank Lumpkin of Boss Hawg's BBQ in Top...

1-1/2 to 2 hours 4

Chocolate-Chocolate Pancakes Recipe

As we prepared for the photography of this dish, Marc kept asking for more and more pancakes. He said a very tall stack would make a good photo. Then I realized the stack wasn't growing, he had complete...

20 minutes about 30 small pancakes

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Meal / Course

Meal / Course Categories

Top Recipes

Beer-Can Chicken Recipe

1-1/2 to 2 hours 4

Ribbon Sandwich Recipe

Ribbon Sandwiches Steele Instructions_Step Using a rolling pin, roll each slice of bread lightly to flatten slightly. Butter slices of white bread on 1 side and slices of whole-wheat bread on both side...

10 minutes 12 pieces

Chocolate-Chocolate Pancakes Recipe

20 minutes about 30 small pancakes

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Kitchen Tools

Top Reviews

Wüsthof Classic Ikon Santoku reviewed

Comments: Why beat around the bush? Fabulous knife. Incredibly sharp; cuts through meat, vegetables, everything we tried, like butter. Here's what Wüsthof says about its Classic Ikon line: And about t...

by Top-Best.com

Rösle Pineapple Cutter reviewed

Comments: A pineapple is not a user-friendly object. The flesh is amazing, but it is covered with diamond-patterned bumps and an irregular skin, and it has a woody core running down the center. You can ...

by Top-Best.com

Rösle 9-Inch Silicone Coated Locking Tongs

Comments: As an institution, we do not believe in magic. We have also not heard anyone around the office express a belief in magic. Still, we are pretty sure that how these Rösle tongs work. The Rösle ...

by Top-Best.com

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Cookware

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Cleaning

Top Guides

The Best Fruit and Vegetable Brush: Our Review of The Top...

Vegetable brushes are indispensable tools in the kitchen, designed to elevate your culinary experience by ensuring your vegetables receive a thorough and efficient cleaning. In this comprehensive guide,...

by Ginger Cook

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Cutlery

Top Guides

How To Know If A Knife Is Good Quality? (Complete Guide)

With the wide range of options on the market, choosing the best kitchen knife for you can feel like a daunting task. That’s why we’ve put together a complete guide that covers everything from how to kno...

by Ginger Cook

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Storage

Top Guides

How to freeze food Without Plastic: Best & Most Eco-Frien...

It's no secret that we live in a world of plastics. Everywhere you look, plastic dominates everything from packaging to products themselves. Unfortunately, all this plastic has a real-world impact, with...

by Ginger Cook

Freezing Food: A Complete Guide with Everything You Must ...

According to research from ReFed, the United States recently wasted over 54 million tons of food in a single year. To put it into perspective, that’s $408 billion dollars worth of groceries or the equiv...

by Ginger Cook

Can You Freeze Pudding?: Yes! Here's What to Expect

Did you know that pudding is one of the oldest dishes we have today? It dates back to the 17th century. Since then, many pudding recipes have continued to grace our tables. Because of how savory the mea...

by Ginger Cook

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Tips & Hacks

Top Guides

Baking Cookies On Aluminum Foil? Do's & Don'ts

Everyone loves to bake (or eat) cookies, which is why the Guinness Book of World Records has included an entry for the most cookies baked in a single hour. Frank Squeo and Baking Memories for Kids baked...

by Ginger Cook

Can you Cook Eggs in the Microwave? [Complete Guide]

Eggs are a great source of protein, perfect for breakfast, cakes, and other meals. Despite the many efforts to make eggs unhealthy and suggesting you should only eat egg whites, eggs are relatively heal...

by Ginger Cook

How to Cool Brownies Fast and Why It Matters

If you’re a brownie lover, you understand how difficult it is to not slice them right after they’re out of the oven. The enticing chocolate smell, the hot and gooey feel, the irresistible taste… who has...

by Ginger Cook

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Trends & Entertainment

Top Guides

2008: The International Year of the Potato

The United Nations declared 2008 as the International Year of the Potato. In 2007, the global potato industry was worth $350 million and played a significant role in boosting the economies of developing...

by Ginger Cook

Learn the Kitchen Hierarchy: Chef Types and Roles Explained

Commercial kitchens in the hospitality industry can look like well-oiled machines. They are often chaotic and noisy with so much going on it can be challenging to keep track. However, amidst the chaos, ...

by Ginger Cook

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Shopping

Top Guides

Best Canned Sardines To Buy in 2023

Eating canned fish is a handy way of getting more nutrient-rich protein into your diet. Flavorful sardines are both healthy and convenient. Enjoy them straight out of the can as a nutritious snack, add ...

by Ginger Cook

The Best Parchment Papers That Won't Stick

If you've spent regular time in the kitchen baking, you've probably experienced the immense frustration of cookies, cakes, and brownies that simply refuse to lift themselves away from your bakeware. Sud...

by Ginger Cook

8 Best Pizza Dough Mixers - Buying Guide

Whether you’re on the hunt for the best pizza dough mixers for small spaces or products that rival those at your local pizzeria, you’ve come to the right place. We’ve put together a collection of the to...

by Ginger Cook

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Nutrition & Health

Top Guides

Ochef's Ultimate Guide to Fruits and Vegetables

If you’re aiming to improve your health, making adjustments to your diet may be the first step. We often think that eating healthier solely means eliminating foods out of our diet, such as desserts, piz...

by Ginger Cook

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Bakeware

Top Guides

Best Airbrushes to Decorate Cakes like a Pro (Even for be...

We've all been there. You watch your favorite baking show and are overcome by the urge of trying out the cake yourself. Or maybe you just have a relative's birthday coming up. Either way, you put the ca...

by Ginger Cook

Best Proofing Box: How to Proof Bread Like a Pro

Bread proofing, also known as rising or fermenting, is a crucial step in the bread-making process. It is the stage where the dough develops its flavor, texture, and structure, thanks to the action of ye...

by Ginger Cook

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Top Chefs

Joël Robuchon 32 Michelin stars

Olivier Elzer 21 Michelin stars

Alain Ducasse 17 Michelin stars

Gordon Ramsay 16 Michelin stars

Yannick Alléno 13 Michelin stars

Pierre Gagnaire 12 Michelin stars

Martín Berasategui 12 Michelin stars

Enrico Bartolini 9 Michelin stars

See all Top Chefs

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