A friend of mine brought some fresh vanilla beans back from a trip to Costa Rica. I have never used fresh vanilla beans before. What do I do?--Bev Vanilla is the pod of the Vanilla Orchid. Supposedly, it is the only edible fruit from an orchid plant. I am assuming that the beans you got have been treated and are not fresh off the plant.... Read more →

Why is it that when you blend hot liquids they blow the lid off the blender if you aren't holding it in place?--Dave Actually, the science of this is pretty straight forward. As you know, when you heat a gas, it expands. So, you put hot liquid into the the jar of the blender and put the lid on. At this point you have a near boiling... Read more →

I recently heard a TV chef say that she prefers a certain kind of oil because it has a high smoke point. What is a smoke point, and why does it matter?--Sean The smoke point of any oil or fat is the temperature at which it begins to smoke. This is important because at or near the smoke point, the oil begins to also undergo chemical... Read more →

What is the difference between evaporated milk and condensed milk? Can I substitute one for the other?--Pat Evaporated milk is milk from which about 60% of the water has been evaporated. Condensed milk, or sweetened condensed milk, is milk and sugar which has been heated until about 60% of the water is cooked off. Evaporated milk is also... Read more →

I live at 8500' and am now using gluten free recipes. I usually double or triple the recipe and always wonder if I am suppose to double or triple (whichever I am doing) the baking soda or baking powder. Can you give me some help with this?--Vedina It is not clear from your question whether the recipes you are using are already adjusted... Read more →

How is instant rice made?--Lindsay Instant rice is also known as minute rice rice. It is made by fully cooking regular rice and then dehydrating it to remove most of the moisture. Because it has already been cooked, all that is necessary to prepare instant rice is to simply rehydrate it with hot water. Cup for cup of cooked product... Read more →

Is there something that I can substitute for Madeira wine? --Becky Madeira is a fortified wine from Portugal. By fortified, I mean a wine to which brandy or some other spirit has been added to increase the alcohol content. Although it may be served as a drink either before or after a meal, it also makes a great cooking wine in both... Read more →

A few years ago, I went with my wife, Pat, and my brother and his wife to the Okanagan Fall Wine Festival in the Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada. This is a trip worth doing just about any time. Some Okanagan wines are simply amazing. Many have won Silver and Gold medals at international wine competitions. But one thing that made... Read more →

I like to make homemade stocks and soups. Sometimes there is a thick layer of fat floating on the surface after they are made. What is the best way to remove this?--Karen Depending on the amount of time and energy you have, there are several ways to remove the fat. One method is to use a ladle to skim it off. To do this, submerge the... Read more →

With fresh corn on the cob showing up in the markets, how do I choose the best ones? What is the best way to cook it?--Jason Corn on the cob is one of the vegetables that I insist on picking through to find the best ones. It is so easy to get poor quality. Start by looking at the husks, which should be bright leafy green and feel... Read more →