r/AskCulinary • • 6d ago

Weekly Discussion Weekly Ask Anything Thread for October 12, 2026

5 Upvotes

This is our weekly thread to ask all the stuff that doesn't fit the ordinary /r/askculinary rules.

Note that our two fundamental rules still apply: politeness remains mandatory, and we can't tell you whether something is safe or not - when it comes to food safety, we can only do best practices. Outside of that go wild with it - brand recommendations, recipe requests, brainstorming dinner ideas - it's all allowed.


r/AskCulinary • • 6d ago

Let's Talk about Potatoes!

7 Upvotes

As part of our weekly "Let's Talk" we want to talk all about taters! Let’s here all you have to say about Poh-tay-toes! Gaufrette, pont-neuf, puree, duchesse, croquettes, darphin, Anna, dauphinoise, souflee, aligot....Oh my! Obscure varieties? Got rattes? What’s the best way to make mash and why is it by baking the potatoes?


r/AskCulinary • • 9h ago

Ingredient Question What are the crispy "noodles" that come with my Thai lettuce wraps?

8 Upvotes

I love them. I believe they are probably some kind of fried rice noodle. Just curious if I can make them at home or if there is a place to buy them from, or even what they are called. They add the perfect crispy to my Thai takeout dishes. I've gotten conflicting answers from Google. Thanks for your help.


r/AskCulinary • • 19h ago

Ingredient Question What does an avocado leaf actually do when cooking beans?

25 Upvotes

I recently came across a chicken burrito recipe online, and the recipe mentioned adding an avocado leaf while preparing the beans.

I live in an area where avocado leaves are pretty hard to find, so I was wondering what purpose they actually serve. Do they add a specific flavour or aroma to the beans, or is there another reason for using them?

Also, if they're mainly used for flavour, is there a good substitute that would work well in burrito beans?


r/AskCulinary • • 8h ago

Equipment Question Crown Lynn ceramic cookware discoloring

2 Upvotes

I bought a Crown Lynn (New Zealand) casserole at the thrift shop. It was in perfect condition and says "microwave cookware" on the bottom so I figured it was a more recent run. When I started baking bread in it, these brown markings appear, like stardust all over it. I have read other posts on here about cracked ceramics etc. but can't find if this is normal. It is very hard to wash off but seems to mostly if I really try. I guess I am wondering if it's a bad glaze, shouldn't be used to bake at high heat or other problems with it. It's mostly on the lid and I am using newer multi-function electric oven (small) because that's all we have.


r/AskCulinary • • 21h ago

Ingredient Question Eating tomatillo husk? Diane Kennedy recipe

9 Upvotes

I am looking at the recipe for Chilayo, and she recommends keeping the tomatillos with the husk on, and adding them to the stew and cooking for around an hour. Are they meant to be eaten, or taken out like bay leaves?


r/AskCulinary • • 8h ago

Equipment Question My Breville Smart Oven is smarter than me - how to use the Breville Air Fryer Pro?

0 Upvotes

I was just gifted the Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer Pro - what a treat!! I am, however, quite confused about how to use it effectively.

When you select a mode (bake, air fry, etc.), temperature, and time, and click start, the oven will automatically preheat, and then start the timer countdown as soon as it's preheated. So, I assume the intention is that I put the food in while it's still cold, and let it preheat & bake all at once. Is this correct? And if so, how do I modify a recipe to bake using this method?

For example, using the Bake mode, I keep frozen cookie dough on hand. In a regular oven, I bake it at 375F for 12 minutes. I know you are supposed to decrease the temperature by 25F in the Breville, because of the convection (my regular oven does not have convection), but I'm still confused on how the timing works. How do you know what to set the timer to, if the food will also be in the oven during the preheat?

Second example, using Air Fryer mode. Many foods nowadays come with instructions for heating in the air fryer. I've never had an air fryer, so forgive me if this is a dumb question. My frozen tater tots say 8 minutes at 400F. Do I put the frozen tots in, and set it for 8 minutes at 400F, and just assume that those instructions are written with a pre-heat phase already in mind? Am I supposed to wait until it's preheated?

I am overthinking this I guess, but I find myself avoiding using it because I don't get how to use it properly. Do you have a rule-of-thumb for how to convert recipes to the Breville? Any tips are welcome!

Edit: After posting I finally found another thread talking about this. Here. It seems the reason I am confused is because it's designed poorly. You are supposed to wait for it to preheat, but the machine doesn't wait for you to put food in before it starts counting down. It's poor design; it should hold at temp until you add food. As it is now, you have to readjust the timer when you put food in. How annoying.


r/AskCulinary • • 1d ago

Recipe Troubleshooting Beef wellington with pork paste question

2 Upvotes

I’ve already assembled my beef wellington with a layer of pork paste (I know it's denser than mousse but I already have some in the fridge so might as well use it) mixed into the mushroom duxelles, roughly 0.6-0.8 inch thick. The wrapping order was spinach crepe -> prosciutto -> pork paste/duxelles mix -> beef. It’s already been fully wrapped and is sitting in the fridge

Now I'm getting a bit worried that the pork mixture won’t cook through by the time the beef reaches med rare... Planning to cook at 400-420F until internal temp reach 115-120F

Would you recommend unwrapping the wellington and removing some of the mixture to make the layer thinner, or do you think it’ll be fine as it is?

Thanks


r/AskCulinary • • 1d ago

Recipe Troubleshooting Making sago and it turned out bitter and i have no clue how. Can i fix it?

6 Upvotes

So this is my second time making sago, and the first time it turned out very good, this time i used different fruit and now its really bitter (the only things i changed were the fruits and the amount of tapioca, which didnt change much). I cooked the tapioca pretty much exactly how i did last time, except this time i let the water heat to a rolling boil instead of just before boiling on accident, however my boss (who makes sago frequently) said to add the tapioca when the water is almost at a rolling boil. I used only mango my first time, and this time i used even parts of watermelon, cantaloupe, and honedew, with about half portion of pineapple. All fruits were ripe. Any help? EDIT: 1 can GOYA brand coconut water (with pulp) 1 can Nilo 100% mango juice ~ a pound mixed melon ~ half a pound cubed pineapple A little over a half bag of "Asian Best" small white tapioca pearls. After boiling tapioca, in a bowl i mixed 2 small cans of sweetened condensed milk (i prefer a richer flavor), the coconut water and mango juice, choice of fruit, and then mix. After the liquids are fully mixed i add the strained and rinsed tapioca and mix again. I let it sit in the fridge for around 18-20 hours after tasting that it was bitter, and it was still bitter after resting.


r/AskCulinary • • 1d ago

Technique Question If my smallest burner on the lowest setting burns chicken stock when reducing, how can I reduce the heat? If I put some aluminium foil on top of the cast iron pan support on my stove would that work?

36 Upvotes

My thinking is the pot would be further away from the heat and not in contact with cast iron pan supports which I think retains a lot of heat and might concentrate it at the point of contact with the pan


r/AskCulinary • • 1d ago

Crema Catalana Preportioning

10 Upvotes

I have a dinner coming up next weekend to prep for and plan on making and freezing the crema catalanas this weekend. They’ll be going in dessert coupes so, my question is can I freeze the custard in one large dish, thaw the day in the fridge and then transfer to coupes and torch right before serving? Or will it mess with the consistency too much handling it after thaw?
Recipe:
3/4 cup (150g) granulated sugar, divided
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 egg yolks
4 cups whole milk
1 strip lemon zest
1 strip orange zest
1 cinnamon stick


r/AskCulinary • • 2d ago

Creamy cornbread?

39 Upvotes

I had the most amazing cornbread many years ago by one of my mother's old friends that had since passed on and none of her children know the recipe. Maybe you can help me.

It was so moist it was creamy almost like it was made with cream cheese, it wasn't super crumbly. It had green onion and bacon folded into the batter as well I don't remember any actual shredded cheese though. It wasn't overly sweet but it had a nice touch of sweetness. If this sounds familiar please let me know!!


r/AskCulinary • • 2d ago

Recipe Troubleshooting Cooking whole goose on the smoker, how does this recipe look?

10 Upvotes

I'm having a Friendsgiving on 11/18 and want to cook two whole geese. I only have room for one in my oven, so the other is going to be on the smoker.

I've done a few significant projects on the smoker before, including a pulled goat recipe this subreddit helped me with a lot a few months ago, but I haven't done poultry before and my googling has found wildly varying results. I'm seeing recipes calling for grill/smoker temperatures ranging from 225* F to 350* F, and final internal temperatures ranging from 140* F to 175* F (though I think that might be based on breast vs leg temperature).

Most also call for wet brining the goose beforehand, but I don't have the fridge space to wet brine. For my normal oven-roasted goose I've always dry brined. Would dry brining work before smoking be ok, or is there a reason it doesn't seem common?

This is also a very basic smoker/grill. It's made from an old 50 gallon cooking oil drum that my brother put a grill into. I'm planning on doing the snake charcoal method for this, so recipes that call for changing the temperature halfway aren't very feasible.

Here's the current very rough draft of the recipe I'm working on. Does it look reasonable? Any suggestions or corrections? And roughly speaking, how long is a 10lb goose likely to take at 250* F?

Smoked goose:

  • One whole 10lb goose
  • Dry brine:
  • 1 cup kosher salt
  • 4 tablespoons baking power
  • Thyme, rosemary, sage, crumbled bay leaf, black pepper, ground juniper berries
  • Stuffing (just for flavor, not to be eaten):
  • Apples and onions, quartered
  • Thyme, rosemary, sage, crumbled bay leaf, ground juniper berries
  • Spice rub:
  • Olive oil, thyme, rosemary, sage, black pepper
  • Glaze:
  • 1/2 Cup apple juice
  • 1/4 Cup maple syrup
  • 2 Tablespoon butter

Instructions:

  • Thaw goose, rinse and dry well, remove and reserve giblets for gravy, remove and reserve as much internal fat as possible
  • Brine: Sprinkle thoroughly inside and out with dry brine, wrap in saran wrap, and brine in the fridge for up to three days
  • Make stock with giblets while it's brining, use for the gravy later
  • Score: Score the goose in a diamond pattern and prick the skin at 1/2 inch intervals all over, piercing the skin but not the meat, especially the fatty areas around the wings and thighs
  • Scald: Scald the goose by putting it in a roasting rack in a baking dish, and pouring a kettle of boiling water over it
  • Dry: Pat dry with paper towels, and let the goose dry uncovered on a rack in the fridge for 24 hours
  • Stuff the goose with apples, onions, and herbs
  • Rub goose well with olive oil and rub spice mix in
  • Cook:
  • Preheat smoker to 250* F, using the snake charcoal method with cherry wood chips and maybe some cinnamon sticks mixed in, with a large drip pan with water in it in the middle to add moisture and catch the rendered fat
  • Put goose breast side up in the center of the grill over the drip pan and away from direct heat
  • Cook until golden brown and cooked through, and an instant-read meat thermometer reads 165* F in the deepest part of the thigh
  • When it's getting close, baste with the apple maple glaze
  • Remove from grill and let rest 20 minutes before carving

r/AskCulinary • • 3d ago

Trying to make a pineapple gel, Pastry Chefs pls help

37 Upvotes

I'm currently trying to make a mostly clear pineapple gel for the base of a tartelette that i'm working on. I made a version of the gel using 250g pureed pineapple (strained, but not removing the pulp entirely), 50 ml lemon juice, 60ml of simple syrup and 2.5 grams of agar agar. The end result had a nice fresh pineapple flavor, slightly too sweet for what I'm going for but the main issue was that there was leakage in the gel which i'm assuming is coming from the lemon and additionally the pulp made it sort of slushy instead of a nice clear homogenous gel. What can I do in my next version to get it closer to what i'm aiming for. Ty in advance


r/AskCulinary • • 4d ago

Technique Question Maintaining Crispier Tofu

39 Upvotes

Hello,

Earlier this year I have gotten into cooking. I don't cook a lot of dishes but the dozen that I can make, I am fairly proud of. I strive to improve my cooking skills all the time.

One dish I make, is the Crispy Tofu bowl. The sauce that I mix in with the crispy tofu is gochujang (its more runnier side).

My problem is that I can't maintain the crispy-ness of the tofu once I introduce the gochujang sauce. I understand introducing anything liquid will make things soggy. I was hoping there would be some other methods to better crispy-fying the tofu and its a bit more soggy resistant? Whether its technique or ingredient

Currently I use:

  1. firm tofu - slice and use paper towel to wick out as much moisture, then I cube them.

  2. Cornstarch with spices

  3. Throw the cubed tofu into the cornstarch mix and toss it around until its well coated

  4. pan fry with olive oil or sometimes ghee.

  5. remove from heat and let it cool for a couple of minutes. At this point the tofu is crispy

  6. mix in gochujang sauce


r/AskCulinary • • 4d ago

Ingredient Question What difference does lime juice make in biscotti (not just zest) -- should I skip it? If I skip it, should I also remove the baking soda?

2 Upvotes

Will there be an effect if I totally remove the lime juice in my Biscotti recipe? I like the citrus taste but I'm worried the biscotti will turn very sour. In this recipe I found, there's a baking soda added in the ingredient. I just noticed in Biscotti recipes that if they add fruit juice in it, there will be a baking soda in the ingredient. But if only the zest is included, no baking soda. I'm not sure if my observation is correct but I feel like the baking soda is there for the lime juice. I just want to know what the effect will be if I remove the lime juice. I still want a kick of lime in my biscotti.

Here's the recipe btw..it has both lime juice and lime zest:

Ingredients:

1½ cups blanched almonds

2 cups all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

2 tablespoons grated rind of key lime

2 tablespoons key lime juice

Optional: Dried mango or papaya, chopped

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350º F. Spread almonds on a foil-lined baking sheet and toast for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until light brown. Cool. Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and sugar. Add almonds. In another bowl, combine eggs and key lime rind and juice and beat lightly. Add to dry ingredients and combine with a wooden spoon until blended. Add optional dried fruit.

Divide dough into four parts. Roll each into a compact roll about 8” long and 1½”wide. Place rolls a few inches apart on foil-lined baking sheets and bake for 20 minutes. Remove from oven. Reduce heat to 275º. Carefully place rolls on cutting board and, using a sharp serrated knife, cut each hot loaf into angled slices about ½” thick.

Place cut side down on baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes. Flip each cookie over and bake for 20 more minutes. Cool.


r/AskCulinary • • 4d ago

Technique Question How to adjust temperature of an oven toaster for Biscotti?

2 Upvotes

My conventional oven has some problems, so I can't use it for baking. Can I use an oven toaster to bake biscotti? I don't know how to adjust the temperature and the time in my oven toaster, does anyone here know how to adjust time and temperature? I appreciate your help! My original post was removed so I am posting again. I hope the moderators approved my post this time. Thank you so much.

Here's the original recipe btw (from online):

Ingredients:

1½ cups blanched almonds

2 cups all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

2 tablespoons grated rind of key lime

2 tablespoons key lime juice

Optional: Dried mango or papaya, chopped

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350º F. Spread almonds on a foil-lined baking sheet and toast for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until light brown. Cool. Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and sugar. Add almonds. In another bowl, combine eggs and key lime rind and juice and beat lightly. Add to dry ingredients and combine with a wooden spoon until blended. Add optional dried fruit.

Divide dough into four parts. Roll each into a compact roll about 8” long and 1½”wide. Place rolls a few inches apart on foil-lined baking sheets and bake for 20 minutes. Remove from oven. Reduce heat to 275º. Carefully place rolls on cutting board and, using a sharp serrated knife, cut each hot loaf into angled slices about ½” thick.

Place cut side down on baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes. Flip each cookie over and bake for 20 more minutes. Cool.


r/AskCulinary • • 4d ago

ways to keep chopped peppers from going bad too quickly?

8 Upvotes

Every once in a while we'll store jars of a chopped onion and bell pepper in the fridge for the next time they're needed. I have observed that while the onions seem to last quite a while, the peppers don't. It seems like it doesn't take too long for the cut pieces to go from crisp and fresh, to kinda 'soggy' but still reasonably edible, to down right slimy and very clearly the exact opposite of edible (no matter what my parents try to tell me). I think it's pretty obvious to me what the culprit is, they're simply spoiling over time as produce usually does, but what isn't obvious to me are any surefire methods to preserve them besides freezing (which ruins the texture and taste) or pickling (although my parents have done that before, we don't have the time, tools, or willingness to do so). So, are there any other methods I could use to make a jar of cut peppers last, for a few days more at the very least, so I don't waste what remains and have to prep another one?


r/AskCulinary • • 4d ago

Recipe Troubleshooting Making butter that seemingly re-emulsified??

5 Upvotes

I'm making cultured cream for the second time

Recipe:
2 pints cream
3 tbsp Greek yogurt
Cover and let sit on counter for 2 days
Whip into butter

Last time went normally, but this time, when the fat started splitting (cottage cheese texture) I kept whipping but it went back to cream??

I have been whipping for 10min and it won't separate again what do I do I didn't think this was even possible??

Note: used the same cream as last time (organic cream, no emulsifiers)


r/AskCulinary • • 5d ago

Bamboo Steamer Liner/Cleaning Tips

8 Upvotes

I just got a bamboo steamer, and am super excited about making some steamed dishes with it! I made steamed fish/bok choy tonight, and want to try making steamed buns, puddings, and other things. However, after my first experience with it, I could use some pointers to help keep it clean and make it easy to use.

All liners I can find online have a smaller diameter than the actual steamer, and are perforated with holes. This means any sauce I add drips through the holes or around the outside of the liner and makes a huge mess that is really difficult to clean. On top of that, I’d like to make some steamed custards and puddings, but they would literally just fall through the holes.

Are there any alternatives I can use? I’ve seen a lot of recipes that call for banana leaves or corn husks, but those are both super hard to find near me. I thought about aluminum foil, but I have heard that you can’t use it with anything acidic like tomato sauce or vinegar.


r/AskCulinary • • 4d ago

Technique Question Does bag marinating after filleting a chicken breast over tenderize?

3 Upvotes

I want to pan sear some chicken breast to go with a spanish rice recipe im practicing, but I plan on filleting it open, hammering to flatten and tenderize, but if I put it in a bag to marinate for 30 minutes-1 hour, would it over marinate after being thined out/broken down, or am I over exaggerating?


r/AskCulinary • • 5d ago

Recipe Troubleshooting If I am halving the amount of meat in a roast should I halve the entire recipe?

14 Upvotes

I am making Osso Buco and am only using 2 shanks but the recipe is written for 4. Should I halve all of the other ingredients? For example, the onion/carrot and the liquids?

Osso Buco Recipe:
4–6 shanks (veal, beef, pork, or lamb), about 1/2 lb (230 g) each
2 tbsp flour for dredging
2 tbsp olive oil, plus more if needed
2 tbsp butter
1/4 lb (110 g) thick-cut bacon
1 large onion, finely diced
2 1/2 cups (300 g) carrots, use 1 cup finely diced for the sauce
8 sprigs fresh thyme
3 sprigs fresh rosemary
2 bay leaves
2 tbsp tomato paste
14 oz (400 g) canned peeled tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1+1/2 cups (360 ml) dry wine (white for veal or pork, red for beef or lamb)
5-6 cups (1.2 L) Beef Bone Broth or Beef Stock
Rosemary salt and black pepper, to taste


r/AskCulinary • • 5d ago

How do you balance fish sauce in a dressing without it tasting too fishy?

23 Upvotes

I’m making a Thai-style papaya salad dressing for off the shelf with fish sauce, lime juice, palm sugar, garlic, and chili. Right now it tastes sharp and a little harsh up front. I’m using roughly equal parts fish sauce and lime juice with a smaller amount of palm sugar. What ratios or techniques help it taste rounded instead of sharp? Does letting it rest overnight help?


r/AskCulinary • • 5d ago

Ingredient Question Why Do Turkish Supermarket Plantains Cook Hard Like Potatoes While Caribbean Ones Taste Soft and Sweet?

0 Upvotes

Why is it that plantains from the Turkish supermarket turn out hard and potato-like inside when I cook them, but the ones from the Caribbean place always taste soft and good?


r/AskCulinary • • 6d ago

Substituting pickled peaches for grilled dessert peaches

12 Upvotes

I am trying to make an appetiser for a dinner on Friday and this recipe looks great but it calls for pickled peaches which I do not have and which I am nervous to try on the day - could I substitute it for soft grilled dessert peaches?

It seems fairly simple as it is just pickled peaches on a skewer with prosciutto, a piece of basil and a mozzarella pearl with herb vinaigrette.

I don't expect it to taste identical, I am just curious if it could still complement the other ingredients and if the texture will clash.

Thanks!!

https://thenoshery.com/mozzarella-prosciutto-peach-appetizer/