A friend recently told me that every ingredient should be salted as it is added to a dish when cooking. Really!? --Lynn Cooking is full of a lot of myth and pretense, and perhaps even a little interference from special interests, and salt seems to be one of the big ones, nowadays (see Salt [of the Earth], and Fixing Over-Salted Food... Read more →

If you know my wife, Pat, or even if you don't, click on over to her artist's e-store here: http://pat-katz.artistwebsites.com/ to see some of her beautiful watercolor paintings. "Tucked in my backpack, on a post college trip to Europe over 35 years ago, were a pencil, six small tubes of watercolor, a paintbrush, and a sketchbook.... Read more →

How long can meatball stew be left in fridge after cooking? --Linda A lot of factors can influence how long leftovers can be kept, but generally assuming that the food was properly cooled through the danger zone between 140°F (60°C) and 40°F (4°C), see How Long Can Cooked Food Be Left Out. It should be stored in the fridge within... Read more →

I am making applesauce and then freezing it. The recipes call for white sugar. I was told I need to add this so the apples do not turn brown. Is there something else I can use? I prefer not to use any sweetener. Thank you very much. --Mary Apples brown because they contain an enzyme that causes the flesh to turn brown when it is... Read more →

I was supposed to use all purpose flour in my yeast roll recipe, but used self-rising. What will happen now? --Sarah As described in the earlier post on Self-rising Flour, it is regular flour that has baking powder and and salt added. The exact formulas, including the type of baking powder used, vary by manufacturer. There are two... Read more →

In cooking, a la Grecque means "in the Greek style" and usually refers to food that is served in a sauce made of olive oil, lemon juice, and seasonings such as fennel, coriander, sage, or thyme. The following recipe is derived from one originally published by Jacques Pepin. I like this as a summer or fall salad, since it is best when made... Read more →

We had some cubed steak in our freezer. The freezer went out and the steak was thawed. I cooked the cubed steak and have re-frozen it. Is that safe, or do I need to throw it away? --Robin Assuming that even though the steak thawed out, it remained at a temperature below 40°F (4°C) and for no more than a couplel of days, then you... Read more →

Regular readers of KitchenSavvy will know that one of my quests is to make the perfect loaf of bread. You may have read some of the articles and maybe even tried my Breadmaker Jewish Rye Bread recipe (Hint - you don't need a breadmaker. It is just as easy to make by hand or with a mixer). Well, I just spent four great days at the King... Read more →

Is there an answer to this? If my recipe calls for 2 cups of flour and then I sift it, I have well over two cups.  Do I use it all or just take out the two cups after sifting? --Name Obscured In theory, the answer is hidden in the wording of the recipe. If it says "2 cups sifted flour", then what is needed is two cups of... Read more →

I have a recipe that calls for plain yogurt. I don't have any but I do have plain greek yogurt. How do I substitute greek yogurt for plain yogurt? Do I use the same amounts or do I need to add more or less greek yogurt? --Mellisa Real greek yogurt is usually higher fat and has less water content than regular yogurt. It may also be made... Read more →