Why do some Balsamic Vinegars cost a few dollars a bottle while other may cost a hundred dollars an ounce. Is there a difference? --Bryan Traditional balsamic vinegar is the result of a long process that starts with the juice, or 'must', of Trebbiano and Lambrusco grapes being boiled until the liquid is reduced to about two thirds of its... Read more →

Every time I try to make a Beurre Blanc, it separates into a greasy mess. What is happening, and how can I prevent it? --Meegan A Beurre Blanc is a sauce made by reducing a mixture of wine, vinegar and shallots. Butter is whisked into this to form a sauce about the consistency of heavy cream. Other acids and flavors can be... Read more →

What does it mean when a recipe says to cook something until it is "thick enough to coat a spoon"?--Angie The term to "coat a spoon" refers to a simple test to determine when a sauce or custard has thickened enough to use. As the liquid thickens, it becomes less and less runny. At some point, if you dip a spoon into the liquid, it will... Read more →

I wanted to serve iced tea at a party recently, but was concerned that if I used ice to keep it cool, it would become watery. A friend suggested making the ice cubes out of the iced tea. For some reason the ice cubes were all crumbly and grainy. What was going on?--Patricia In essence, you were making a granita by freezing the iced tea.... Read more →

I love to bake home-made cakes, and I always sift my dry ingredients together three times before adding them into the mixer. I do this so that I won't have any lumps and so that I am certain the cake will be well mixed. My mother insists that "over sifting" will make the cake dry and that she has read this in several publications... Read more →

Frequently on weekends, I'll go to the local farmers market. One of the things I like to get is fresh herbs like Italian parsley, basil, tarragon, and so on. What is the best way to store them, once I get them home.--Lina If the herbs are sold in closed plastic bags, you want to let them breathe as soon as possible. The major enemies of... Read more →

One of the secrets to efficiency in the kitchen, whether professional or home, is a technique which in French is called Mise en Place (pronounced 'MEEZ on Plahs'). In some kitchens, the term is shortened simply to Mise. The term literally means to put things in their place. It refers to having things ready before you start cooking. In the... Read more →

Why do recipes for pastry dough tell you to refrigerate it for a half hour before using?--Ashlan There are three reasons for chilling pastry dough before proceeding. First, and most important, is that during the cutting in of the fat, usually butter or lard, and mixing of the dough, the fat has had a chance to soften. If you were to... Read more →

I have a recipe that asks for "tomato concassé". What is it and how is it used?--Julie Tomato concassé (pronounced "kon-kah-SAY") is a dice of tomatoes which have been peeled and the seeds removed. Recipes that use concassé are striving for a finer result, showing that you cared enough about the quality of the final product to remove... Read more →

Different recipes give ratios of baking soda to buttermilk that vary by two to one. Since buttermilk has long been a standardized manufactured product, there should be only one ratio. Do you know what it is?--Earl   If the recipe contains no other acidic ingredients, then the ratio should be about 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda per... Read more →