I have a question about self-rising flour. I have a recipe that calls for yeast and warm water. I was wondering if I can substitute self-rising flour and avoid all the yeast and it's complications (like water at 110 degrees etc.)? The recipe is for cinnamon rolls. Thank you so much for your help.--Shannon Self-rising flour is a lower... Read more →

Is it necessary to remove the gills in mushrooms while cooking?-- Sneha There are a few reasons why you might want to remove the gills from mushrooms, but none of them is absolutely necessary. If you are making a light colored sauce, such as a mushroom cream sauce, you might want to remove the gills from your mushrooms, particularly... Read more →

I have a recipe for a lemon marble cheesecake that I am making for Easter Dinner. I have several question for you. I would like to make this in a larger size pan but have been unable to find the volumes for any cheesecake pans. Do you have any idea of the volumes on say a 9 1/2 inch, 10 inch and 12 inch springform pans? Also after... Read more →

While you mentioned that cream of tartar, in a properly sealed container, can be kept indefinitely, I used mine last evening and the beaten egg whites did not turn out to be stiff as described in the recipe. I suspect the culprit is my cream of tartar being too old, even though it was kept in a tightly sealed container.-- Lucy Cream... Read more →

I love cooking with caramelized onions. They have a rich, complex flavor which is suited to many applications. They are the basis of dishes like classic French Onion Soup and and Pissaladiere. Caramelized onion can also be used stews and braises, in making bread and as a complement to meat. On a recent trip to France, we discovered a... Read more →

What can I substitute for Gruyère cheese? -- D To some extent, that depends on what you are using it for. In fondue, Emmental would be the standard substitution. If you can't find Emmental, look for generic Swiss Cheese. The Food Substitutions Bible suggests you can also use Comté or Beaufort as a general substitute for... Read more →

Why do you have to add eggs one at a time, or add liquid and dry ingredients alternately in baking? --Mark & Nancy Many cake and cookie recipes start by creaming together a solid fat, usually butter, and sugar. After this they say to add the required number of eggs one at a time, incorporating each one before the next is... Read more →

I soaked a three of cups of dried navy beans overnight to use in a baked bean recipe, and now I see that the recipe only needs two cups of dried beans. Can I freeze the ones I don't need for some future use?--Josh Dried beans that have been soaked can be drained and frozen as is, or they can be boiled first and then frozen. You may find... Read more →

I see a lot dishes at fancy restaurants featuring beef cheeks. What are they, and how are they best prepared?--Alana Beef cheeks are exactly what they sound like. They are the muscles in the facial cheeks of cattle. They are a finely textured meat with some internal silverskin. Following the general rule that the more a muscle is... Read more →

I find that I get inconsistent results when I use gelatin. Even for the same recipe, sometimes it will come out softer or firmer than other times. What is happening? --Sara Gelatin is a protein-based thickening agent used primarily in making desserts, aspics and jellies. It comes in a powdered form which is easy and convenient for... Read more →