I have a recipe that calls for flour and butter and then says to combine them to make a "beurre manié" but it doesn't explain what that is or how it is made. Can you please explain. - Josh Beurre manié (pronounced Burr mahn-ee-AY) is a common way of using flour to thicken sauces, stews or soups. The term means kneaded or rubbed... Read more →

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 →

How do you convert solid coconut oil weight to fluid ounces? -Marleen In order to know how many fluid ounces there are for a given weight of coconut oil, or any other ingredient, the first thing you need is a conversion factor. It turns out that the USDA has a very helpful tool, called their Nutrient Database (http://ndb.nal.usda.gov/... Read more →

I keep seeing cooking references saying that you need to dice your vegetables to a uniform size in order for them too cook evenly. Is that true?-Fred In a word, no. There may be an argument made for an even dice for aesthetic reasons -- a lovely rice pilaf with nice uniform cubes of veggies shows attention to detail and is a thing of... Read more →

Sometimes I make a dish which calls for Gruyere, Jarlsberg or another pricey cheese which is sold in much larger quantities than I require. Can these cheeses be frozen and used later for another cooked dish?-Zender Cheese can be frozen, however freezing can affect the quality of the cheese. In general, higher fat cheeses will freeze... Read more →

I have a great gumbo recipe, except for the okra, which makes it slimy. Is there any way to prevent the sliminess? -Bob (& Kay) I haven't cooked with okra much, only a time or two, largely because it isn't that common in the produce markets I use, but I know what you mean about sliminess. In Ghostbusters II, singing neutralizes the... Read more →

Why is Cream of Tartar so expensive? Can I make my own? - Alice Cream of Tartar (AKA tartaric acid, chemical formula KC4H5O6, Potassium bitartrate) is formed during the production of wines made from grapes. For commercial production the crystals that precipitate out in industrial fermentation vats are collected and purified into the... Read more →

When you cook larger quantities of rice (say, more than three cups dry rice), you need proportionally less water. Can you provide a rule of thumb or a chart? I cook both white and brown rice.-- Marcia I can find no detailed reference for the amount of water needed to cook larger quantities of rice but I notice that the instructions for... Read more →

I have a Christmas pudding recipe that calls for suet. This year, I can't find it anywhere. Can I use butter, or something else instead? --Ruth Christmas pudding is a cake-like dessert made with flour, eggs, suet, molasses or treacle, spices and dried fruits. The word pudding in this context may mean dessert, which is common usage for... Read more →

Help! A family feud has erupted about whether or not lavender is one of the flavors in Herbes de Provence. I think it makes everything taste like hand soap, but my wife insists it is authentic. Which of us is right?--Dave I have checked most of my references on authentic french cooking, including Larousse Gastronomique, Julia Child, and... Read more →