What is a 'Mimosa'?-Daniel In the culinary world, 'mimosa' can mean one of three things: A drink, typically served at breakfast or brunch, made from equal parts of champagne and orange juice; A preparation, similar to a deviled egg, where a hard boiled egg is cut in half lengthwise, the yolk is mashed and combined with mayonnaise and... Read more →

I've heard it said that what we buy as buttermilk on the supermarkets now isn't the same as what buttermilk used to be. Can you explain the difference to me? --Strong Back in the day, as my kids would say, buttermilk was the liquid that was left behind when butter was made. The milk would be left stand for the cream to rise, and... Read more →

A colleague and I were recently at a business meeting where lunch was provided. I took a sandwich from the tray, only to be told that one of the lunch wraps was a healthier choice. Is that true? --Greg Since I don't know what was inside the wrap or the sandwich, it's hard to make a complete comparison, but I can comment on the choice... Read more →

When my Mom used to make tea, she would always rinse the pot out with boiling water before putting the tea leaves in, and she always measured out a rounded teaspoon of tea for each person plus "one for the pot." Is there any reason for either of these rules?--Janice First off, I'll bet your Mom was drinking black tea, which includes the... Read more →

Is the soda that is in pop the same as baking soda or bicarbonate of soda? Thank you. --Adell The history by which soda pop gets its name is interesting, if a little confusing. The original sparkling waters were naturally bubbly spring waters. The most notable of these may be Seltzer water from Germany. Generic carbonated water... Read more →

There are so many appliances available nowadays to make coffee. What is the best way to brew coffee in order to get the best flavor?--Sylvia If you like a smooth well flavored coffee without a lot of bitterness, then you want to use water that is just off the boil, somewhere around 200°F (93°C), give or take about 5°F (3°C). Much... Read more →

At work we order ground coffee from our supplier and keep it in a tin in the fridge. Is this a good place to store it?--Monique Two major factors which can deteriorate coffee are oxygen and moisture. If you store your ground coffee in the fridge, then every time you open the can to make another pot you are letting room temperature air... Read more →

Q: What is the difference between Scones and Biscuits? -- Jolene Opinions vary on this question. Most sources avoid the question completely, referring to both as kinds of Quick Bread. In the book Baking With Julia, based on the PBS series hosted by Julia Child, Dorie Greenspan says that "[Scones] are made in a manner similar to biscuits... Read more →

Q: What is the difference between black and green tea? -- Josie Tea, whether green or black, is made from leaves of the plant Camellia Sinensis. Beverages made by infusing the leaves or parts of other plants, such as rose hips, chamomile or mint, are technically tisanes. In making black teas, the leaves of the tea plant are left to wilt... Read more →

OK. I confess, I just don’t get it. Admittedly, I am not a fan of low-carb diets, but I’ll leave the debate to the doctors and nutritionists. Personally, I lean towards "Your lips are the gatekeepers of your hips", also known as "If you don’t eat it, you won’t wear it." But what has me scratching my head today is low-carb peanut... Read more →