Questions tagged [ingredient-selection]

Questions about selecting desirable ingredients (e.g. checking fruit ripeness). Please do not use for "which ingredient should I use in my dish" - this kind of question is subjective and will be closed.

The tag is for those looking to improve their "catch" when out picking ingredients, usually at the market. Questions about gauging the ripeness of a particular fruit or recognizing when a particular vegetable is still fresh are welcome topics in this tag.

This tag is not meant for general recipe-modification questions, i.e. "what can I add to X?" Those questions are likely to be closed, unless they focus on a very specific type of improvement. In that case you should a tag that describes the modification instead, e.g. or .

176 questions
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small, medium or large eggs

When I buy eggs, I have trouble deciding which size is the best value. Does any one have any tips?
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Are frozen mussels/clams supposed to be slightly open?

I used to live in a coastal town and never worried about getting fresh mussels, but now I live in inland Ecuador and today bought a bag of frozen clams and a bag of frozen mussels. They all seem to be slightly open, but just a crack, around 1-2mm.…
Lee Gayle
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Plantain were not ready to puree, can they be saved?

I was planning in making plantain empanadas but the plantains were not really ready and after boiling them for a long time and trying to puree them they ended up being only a pile of crumbly plantain little pieces that will not hold together to make…
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What food can contain a hot drink?

Tempered chocolate, thickened caramel, even ice can all be used to produce a container (aka cup, mug, glass) for a liquid which, after drinking, can then also be consumed. Is there an edible material which can be used to create a container for a hot…
Matt W
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What's the difference between carob powder, flour, and kibbled carob?

The whole carob pod, the pulp and the seeds are all edible, but which parts are used for the different core products? Does carob powder contain the entire pod, or just the seeds? Is kibbled carob the same as powdered, just coarser? Is the pulp used…
Dr Stu
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Emulsifier: is it safe to cook mayonnaise?

I'm making some Buffalo wings sauce that calls for cayenne pepper sauce, butter, and oil to be heated together. I'd like to add a bit of mayonnaise (not sure how much -- suggestions?) as an emulsifier. Is it safe to cook mayonnaise? I can't readily…
CookingNewbie
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How crucial is cornmeal?

I have a recipe for bread bowls that are made from scratch and seem to be lacking cornmeal. From the recipe: Place loaves on lightly greased baking sheets sprinkled with cornmeal. Is cornmeal necessary? If it is, is there a substitute? This will…
Liam
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What type of rice vinegar is more often used in Asian dishes?

I occasionally come across recipes that call for rice vinegar, but they don't specify which of the many varieties they mean. Is there a "standard" or implied type of rice vinegar that should be used when a recipe simply calls for rice vinegar? Or is…
NeDark
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Can I use fresh broccoli in quiche?

I have some (not so) fresh broccoli I need use. I'm thinking of making a quiche with it. Most quiche recipes seem to call for frozen broccoli. Can I just use the fresh instead? Does it need any special prep?
miltonaut
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When's the best time to buy a Thanksgiving turkey?

I know this is about buying, not cooking, but gathering your ingredients is the first step, and right now this is the one worrying me most. I'll be cooking the Thanksgiving bird this year, due to my wife's work schedule. I know that in the past…
T.E.D.
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Replacements for baking soda in a cake

Sometimes I wish to bake a cake, but the country where I am in doesn't have baking soda. I have tried using actual soda, but this has limited success and the cake tends to just rise and then fall. I've already read this question on substitutions for…
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What do the base ingredients in pancakes do?

So here are the ingredients for "Dutch" pancakes (which are much like French crepes, quite flat): Flour Milk Eggs Pinch of salt And for more "American" style I guess you also need: Baking powder All the various ingredients contribute differently…
Jeroen
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Substitute directory?

Whenever I don't have an ingredient I thought I had, or it is not sold around me, I often find myself running to my old cookbooks which have substitutes in the back of the book(s). I don't always find a substitute for the ingredient in question and…
Memj
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Difference between French bread and Japanese bread

I have been living in Japan for 1 year now, but I cannot find French bread - baguette - in Tokyo like the one we have in France. Their bread is not crunchy nor crispy at all, and it's chewy, I kind of feel like I am eating a sponge... like old…
Steven
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What everyday ingredient will emulsify rapeseed oil?

I'm about to concoct a batch of Falernum (spiced ginger & lime syrup for adding to coctails), and one of the possible ingredients is almond extract which I've just found out is in rapeseed oil. I bought a Madagascan vanilla extract at the same time,…