Q: I am planning a shrimp dish which is basically a casserole of black tiger shrimp layered with thin slices of 2 lemons and 1 onion. Over this is poured a butter and herb mixture and then the casserole is cooked in the oven at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. Some cookbooks say that raw shrimp should be cooked in the shell so as not to dry... Read more →
Q: I like baking muffins and cookies and prefer to use whole grains. I'd like to understand when I can make substitutions for white flour. Also, I have a muffin recipe that calls for 1/2 cup each all-purpose flour and whole wheat flour, and 1/4 cup wheat germ. What's the point in that? Why not just 1 ¼ cup of whole wheat flour?... Read more →
Q: I was reading that flax is really nutritious and was wondering if there are any recipes or uses for flax other than in bread? -- Lindsay E. According to Walter Willett, M.D., in his book Eat, Drink, and Be Healthy: The Harvard Medical School Guide to Healthy Eating, flax seed is high in fiber and rich in n-3 (omega-3) fatty acids... Read more →
Q: What is the difference between baking soda and baking powder and how are they used. Can one be substituted for the other? Baking soda and baking powder are both chemical leaveners used to make baked goods such as cakes and muffins. Baking soda has some other culinary uses, not discussed here. In recipes calling for baking powder... Read more →
Q: Bread recipes always say that the amount of flour needed may vary depending on humidity and moisture content, but my automatic bread machine does quite well using the same amount of flour each time. How can that be? The idea that the amount of flour required in a bread recipe will vary because of humidity is actually a kitchen myth. I... Read more →
Q: For our anniversary, I was planning to dip strawberries in chocolate. As I was melting the chocolate in my double boiler, it suddenly turned into a solid lump. What happened? What happened is your chocolate got ‘seized’, and I don’t mean by the culinary police. Seizing happens when water gets into melted chocolate. Only a very... Read more →