Simmering means putting a liquid-like stock water, soup, stew, or gravy into a state where it is hot enough to bubble, but enough to boil. Simmering is a culinary technique that makes the difference between tough or tender stewed meat, soft and fluffy, or hard and chewy rice. What does “bring to a simmer” mean? …
Problems with pasta sticking together in cold temperatures are a common problem for experienced cooks. However, many popular solutions on the Internet are actually wrong. For example, lots of folks add oil and salt to their pasta water when making it to stop the pasta from sticking to the pan. That’s all well and good, …
You found a great new recipe, but it calls for one clove of garlic. You only have a jar of minced or chopped garlic. Are you going to have to make a shopping trip just for one clove of garlic? You don’t have to worry. Just use ½ a teaspoon of the minced garlic. How …
Gummies can be a good snack and they are fun to make, as well. However, I’ve found that making gummies can be a bit more difficult than someone might think. One problem that can sometimes happen when I make gummies is that they can melt. If I follow the recipe and make the gummies correctly, …
What happens to oil when it is used for cooking? There are many circumstances in which oil can evaporate. Many people wonder if oil is used up by the ingredients or if it evaporates. However, as I’ll show later, cooking oil doesn’t evaporate when cooking. Technically, oil breaks down and “cooks off”, but this isn’t …
You found a great recipe for pan-seared steak and started getting it together. Suddenly, you read that you need to add a “knob of butter.” How much is that? Chefs do not agree over how much a knob of butter is, but it is usually less than five tablespoons, or less than a large dollop. …