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 everything you wanted to know about cooking but were afraid to ask (volume 2) (Page 1)
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| Author | Topic: everything you wanted to know about cooking but were afraid to ask (volume 2) |
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yeefan Head of the House |
posted 06-18-2004 08:42 AM
   
Time for a new thread! More answers to those cooking questions you know you should know, but don't...
poppy quote: yam quote: [This message has been edited by yeefan (edited 06-18-2004).] IP: Logged |
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muppet_girl Housemate |
posted 06-18-2004 08:44 AM
Bleautiful! Thanks Household Goddess! 
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lduds Housemate |
posted 06-21-2004 12:22 PM
Does anyone know anything about making homemade vanilla extract? Is really just letting vanilla beans sit in vodka? IP: Logged |
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EmmaNadine Housemate |
posted 06-21-2004 12:32 PM
quote: I think bourbon works better than vodka. At least that is what is used in the vanilla extract I buy. IP: Logged |
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muppet_girl Housemate |
posted 06-21-2004 01:11 PM
Is it ok to eat/cook a white onion once it's sprouted? You'd almost think my onion bin was a garden... Thank you! IP: Logged |
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Epicurus Housemate |
posted 06-21-2004 02:37 PM
Yeah, it's OK to cook a sprouted onion. Garlic, too. It just won't have as much sugar in it as it normally would. [This message has been edited by Epicurus (edited 06-21-2004).] IP: Logged |
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muppet_girl Housemate |
posted 06-23-2004 08:50 AM
Random recipe question #349: I was thinking of making a cottage cheese/ricotta pie. Do you think there would be any harm in adding pudding mix to it to chocolate it up? I mean, what could instant pudding mix do in the oven? Any guesses? IP: Logged |
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k8b Housemate |
posted 06-23-2004 08:56 AM
quote: I've seen cake recipes that call for pudding mix. My guess is that nothing too terrible would happen. It would probably just be really thick...and creamy and delicious! Let me know how it goes. I'm curious. IP: Logged |
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Epicurus Housemate |
posted 06-23-2004 10:07 AM
I'd add whole chocolate chips if you want to give it a little chocolate kick. You could also maybe add some regular old cocoa powder or some melted chocolate. Pudding mix might change the consistency of the filling too much and make it way too sweet. I'm with k8b, though--let us know how it comes out! [This message has been edited by Epicurus (edited 06-23-2004).] IP: Logged |
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Nieci Housemate |
posted 06-23-2004 10:18 AM
What am I supposed to do with duck sauce, really? IP: Logged |
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muppet_girl Housemate |
posted 06-23-2004 10:25 AM
quote: Good point. I'll omit the sugar then. Here goes nothin'! IP: Logged |
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jstrizzy Housemate |
posted 06-23-2004 11:07 AM
quote: dip things, especially fried things. but my boyfriend also uses it in marinades (for chicken) and barbecue sauces (for the sweet/sour flavor). IP: Logged |
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muppet_girl Housemate |
posted 06-25-2004 05:49 AM
OK, experimental chocolate cheese pie is yummy but next time I'll just follow the no-bake recipe (roughly, mix pudding mix with 1 c cottage cheese and 1 c milk in blender, pour into pie crust). The recipe I'd followed included eggs, requiring baking, but then the pudding wouldn't set, and even after 25 mins the pie crust wasn't quite done. Filling is very tasty though. [This message has been edited by muppet_girl (edited 06-25-2004).] IP: Logged |
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Princessjeanne Housemate |
posted 06-29-2004 06:54 AM
Why do recipes call for 12 oz of pasta when it is sold in 16 oz boxes? What am I supposed to do with the extra 4 oz? Save up three boxes worth and have some pasta crazyquilt thing? Sheesh. Ok this is more of a small rant than a real question, but I'd love to hear it if anyone has an answer. IP: Logged |
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quarkiegirl Housemate |
posted 06-29-2004 06:56 AM
hehe. that reminds me of the "superfluous buns" in "father of the bride." IP: Logged |
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jstrizzy Housemate |
posted 06-29-2004 09:34 AM
I don't really have an answer, but I was just as annoyed when a recipe I made called for 6 oz. of cream cheese--it comes in 8 oz. blocks (I could have the #s wrong, but I know I only had to use 3/4 of it)! And I don't really use cream cheese. IP: Logged |
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pollyhyper Housesitter |
posted 06-29-2004 12:33 PM
quote: Some pasta still comes in 12-oz. boxes. I know this b/c last time I went to make a pound of pasta for pasta salad, the box seemed unusually light and I checked it. Also, I do believe cream cheese used to commonly come in 6 oz. So if y'all are using recipes 5+ years old, that could be why. IP: Logged |
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FunPun Housemate |
posted 07-02-2004 08:56 AM
So I'm going to try making fresh pasta this weekend. If I don't cook all of it, what's the best way to keep the rest? I was thinking I could just dry it, then I remembered that there'd be raw egg in it, so I don't know if that would be ok. Would freezing be better? IP: Logged |
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LazyGoddess Housemate |
posted 07-02-2004 09:03 AM
quote: Cream cheese here comes in 3oz and 8oz pkgs. if I need 6oz I just buy 2 3oz pkgs. I seems like every recipe I own calls for some where between 4 & 7oz, though. IP: Logged |
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Princessjeanne Housemate |
posted 07-03-2004 07:13 AM
You can dry fresh pasta, the egg will cook when you boil it later. Otherwise, if you want to eat it in the next couple of days, you can put it in the fridge. But definitely only do that for 2, maybe 3 days at most - when I used to make pasta I found it got wierd really fast in the fridge. Oooh, fresh pasta. Yum. IP: Logged |
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poppy Housemate |
posted 07-08-2004 07:07 AM
Okey dokey, I have a question about grill pans. I thought these were flat pans with slats in them that went in the oven. I looked for one at Target but I didn't find any like that. I found grill pans that go on the stovetop that look like skillets with ridges in them. And I found roasting pans that go in the oven. I don't know what to get. What does eveyone use? I mainly want it to cook fish, chicken, burgers etc. IP: Logged |
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meggo Housemate |
posted 07-08-2004 07:12 AM
I thought roasting pans were those big honkin' - put a whole ham in it kind of pan. The kind my mom used to store that cereal mix in. Grill pans have those ridges. I have one of those and have honestly never used it. Perhaps I should dust it off & give it a go. My question: fennel. I bought a bulb of it because I remember eating it last year and loving it. And I thought I might have either put sour cream or plain yogurt in with thinly sliced bits. But I don't remember. Anyone have any quick tips? IP: Logged |
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sweet tea Housemate |
posted 07-08-2004 07:34 AM
Poppy: The pans you described are broiler pans. They usually come in two parts... the flat piece you described and then a bottom piece that's a little deeper with no openings (to catch the drippings from the top pan). IMO they are one of the best inventions ever... even if they are a pain in the behind to clean. IP: Logged |
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pollyhyper Housesitter |
posted 07-08-2004 07:47 AM
quote: I agree. Why can't they make them just a LITTLE smaller, so they fit in the sink to soak? IP: Logged |
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jh Housemate |
posted 07-08-2004 08:32 AM
How long does cream cheese last? Or spaghetti sauce? The boy and I have varying opinions on how long stuff is good for and either end up being too precautious or carefree/devil-may-care. The boy says that the cream cheese is good until the date printed on the container, which is several months away. But I say that's just the 'use by' date and if it's open longer than a week and a half is scary. I keep trying to pose a situation to him to make him understand, say you got a container of cream cheese and opened it and then it got pushed to the back of the fridge and forgotten for two months. Doesn't it seem obvious that it would be all moldy and gross? Or am I wrong? He figures if you continually use it, it's fine. Same sort of thing with spaghetti sauce. We only use half a jar at a time so then we put the remainder in the fridge. I say it's only good for one week but the boy will continue to use it up to several weeks later. You'd think he'd be more cautious since he's had food poisoning before. What do ya'll say? Is there a website that gives general 'use by' dates for food? Why aren't there obvious 'use within X days' on all packaged food products? I remember seeing one of those news program "exposes" about how people keep stuff in their fridge way too long. Like lunch meat was suppose to be used within a week, salad dressing a couple months. IP: Logged |
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quarkiegirl Housemate |
posted 07-08-2004 08:59 AM
i have no idea, but i would love to know. i feel like i throw stuff away too soon and that i'm wasting it, but am i really? IP: Logged |
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gemini Housemate |
posted 07-08-2004 09:02 AM
I eat anything that doesn't look or smell funky. . . . IP: Logged |
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FunPun Housemate |
posted 07-08-2004 09:33 AM
Yeah, I typically go by the looks ok/smells ok rule, especially if it's something I'm going to be cooking, like tomato sauce. Ooh, unless it's a case of not even being able to remember how long something's been in the fridge. Then it definitely gets the boot. I'd say the date on a product does effectively go out the window once you open it, especially with dairy products. You might want to double check to see if the cream cheese is imprinted with a 'sell by' date or a 'use by' date, which would make a difference. IP: Logged |
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LittleRed Housemate |
posted 07-08-2004 09:44 AM
Not sure about cream cheese because I rarely use it, but I use jarred spaghetti sauce for a long time and don't worry about it (like 2 months) -- is that gross? I don't think it ges bad. IP: Logged |
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Henna73 Housemate |
posted 07-08-2004 09:53 AM
I have used cream cheese that was 2 months old! It smelled fine and had no mold so I went for it. I am still here to talk about it, so that's a good sign. As for sauce, your safest bet would be to freeze the remainder so it will last longer. I love red sauce, so I rarely have any left. The only thing I am really leary about is meat and milk. Most cheeses can be/or are aged so that doesn't bother me. Fruits and veggies usually let you know right away if they are done (slimey, smelly, squishy, etc.). IP: Logged |
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noraneither Housemate |
posted 07-08-2004 10:40 AM
I think tomato sauce can last for a while if you keep it cool enough -- I think the acidity of the tomatoes helps preserve it. I did once get food poisoning from spaghetti sauce, though. I'm pretty sure this was not because of how long I kept it, which wasn't that long, but because I had it too close to the front of the fridge, and I don't think it stayed cool enough. I had a bad hunch about it, and convinced myself to eat it because it hadn't been in there that long. Ugh. Trust your intuition. IP: Logged |
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Merimoo Housemate |
posted 07-08-2004 07:09 PM
I buy 6 or 8 boxes of cream cheese when it's on sale, and my boyfriend hasn't died yet! With cheese, you can generally see the mold if there is any. J often has a 2-week-old block of open cream cheese... The sell-by date is generally the last date that you can open it; how long it stays good after it's opened depends on other things, such as the temperature and humidity of your fridge and how long it's been left out on the counter. I've had spaghetti sauce last two weeks, no problem (home-made would go bad much sooner). I usually just check the lid for mold. Real Simple had an article on when to throw out things a few months ago - maybe someone who suscribes can check which issue? I always use fish within 24 hours of purchase, and ground beef within 2 or 3 days. Actually, most beef within 2 or 3 days - longer than that, and it goes in the freezer as soon as it's back from the store. Chicken, I think lasts a little longer, but you can totally smell when that's turned. IP: Logged |
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jstrizzy Housemate |
posted 07-08-2004 07:18 PM
I'm with the "if it doesn't smell bad and doesn't have mold, eat it" school generally, though I'm somewhat more cautious about poultry/fish/etc. IP: Logged |
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minxx Housemate |
posted 07-09-2004 07:21 AM
I'm also in the smells good/looks good = it's good catagory. I haven't been sick, yet! Just be sure to keep things like opened jars of sauce in the frig. IP: Logged |
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Nieci Housemate |
posted 07-13-2004 06:10 AM
One of my coworkers just brought me a large bag of yellow squash because he knows I love to cook. Problem is...I've never cooked yellow squash. Ever. Do I peel it? What should I make with it? IP: Logged |
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meggo Housemate |
posted 07-13-2004 06:22 AM
quote: Is it butternut or spaghetti? Or is it more like zucchini? IP: Logged |
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Nieci Housemate |
posted 07-13-2004 07:12 AM
It's def not butternut...it's bright yellow, bulbous bottom end, and it's got bumps all over it. 
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muppet_girl Housemate |
posted 07-13-2004 07:16 AM
If it's yellow summer squash (kind of cucumber-looking), then it's great for stir-fries and using in lieu of zucchini. I keep the skin on, that's the good part. (Yes, we're still talkin' veggies here )
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pollyhyper Housesitter |
posted 07-14-2004 07:41 AM
quote: That's a type of yellow summer squash. Treat it as you would zucchini. IP: Logged |
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fluffygurl Housesitter |
posted 07-16-2004 04:28 AM
Exactly how do I go about cooking lemongrass? Ive heard form fellow cultiest that the no point soup with a bunch of coriander and lemongrass makes a yummy thai -ish sauce for chicken. Do I just cut it up and chuck it into the soup as Im making it? Should it wilt when its cooked or should it still have a firm texture? Im confuzzled IP: Logged |
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