It seems that whenever I need to flip an omelette, either the top is way too liquid (thus, I can't flip it effectively, as it just runs off the top); or by the time the top solidifies, the bottom is over-cooked if not charred.  I suspect I'm doing something wrong but not sure what (aside from using way less so the omelette is much thinner and cooks through faster - mine are ~1.5cm thick).   (the question is primarily about omelettes but I had similar issues with large pancakes with more liquidy batter).
102076
Sounds simple but I seem to fail every time, that is it turns into scrambled eggs instead. How do you make it so that you can flip it over both without it breaking and before it burns?
40650
Every recipe I can find is for "fluffy" pancakes.  I prefer thinner, slightly crispy, (very) slightly chewy, non-fluffy pancakes.  Basically, the less "cake-like" the better.  Apparently I'm the only one, and these are all non-desirable qualities in a pancake, so it is hard to find recipes.  How can I make non-fluffy pancakes?  I will be using a cast-iron pan.
56696
I find I always have trouble scaling the amount of time the eggs should be boiled, cooled, etc. for different-sized batches of hard-boiled eggs.  I've heard a variety of "folk lore"-type rules for how it should be done, but what's really the right way?
34390
I was using canola oil and put the stove top setting on "high - 9". I read plenty of guides suggesting there will infact be oil splatter, but it was pretty excessive and burning my arm with one drop getting near my eye before I stopped. I turned the heat setting down to "medium - 4", where the oil splatter seemed to drop substantially. Before I try to make steak again I'd like to get some clarification  So my questions are:   Which heat setting am I supposed to use? Is that type of oil splatter normal or should I try using a different oil, and if so, what oil? Should oiling the meat instead of the pan help the problem?
24290
You can try it with your own uncooked spaghetti if you want; it almost always breaks into three when you snap it. I am asking for a good physical theory on why this is along with evidence to back it up. Or, a reference to a good study previously done on this would also be satisfactory. The math behind everything would be a great bonus if it exists.  My hypothesis is that a strand of dry spaghetti has two main pressure areas being put on it due to how brittle and how high the length to thickness ratio is, and that they snap at almost the same time due to the manufacturing process of the strand causing it to have a very consistent breaking point. Also that vibrations from a first break could influence the causing of another. I'm not sure how this could be tested, though.
115703
Today accidently I poured a little bit of water on a very hot pan , and something weird happened , where the quantity of water split into smaller spheres that moved around fast in the pan. I'm wondering about the physics concept behind that..
27230
I haven't done this for a very long time. I am following , which conveniently fits perfectly into a little hack-job of containers I already had. (Related: ) @Athanasius' answer to that question led me to what I'm doing with this batch. At this point I feel pretty comfortable with it:    The two containers are identical, and I have a few inches of water in the top container so that it weighs down the cabbage in the lower container. It seems to be working pretty sweet. I'm three days in and it's starting to smell like something is happening. There is a funk in the air.  So far so good.  Now I am dying to stir it...to do something! Everything I have read (including Athanasius' answer) suggests that in a less awesome container I might have to stir, but now I don't necessarily have to do anything but scoop off scum which has yet to appear.  That's killing me.  Is there a reason not to stir? Will stirring offer any benefit?
36357
I'm trying to develop my own "secret" fried chicken recipe, something that is similar to Popeye's or Church's. I'm a LONG ways from getting there. Here's what I did in my last experiment:   Chicken was marinated in buttermilk with Cajun spices and Tabasco sauce for 24 hours I used a deep fryer and canola oil. 175C. Prior to "dressing" the chicken, I let the excess buttermilk brine drip off the chicken. I then seasoned it with Cajun seasoning I made a batter using an egg, self rising flour, milk, baking powder I also tried using just plain flour for breading   Results:   Using the batter, the chicken came out looking burned and too smooth (didn't have that crunchy look). It burned too much that I couldn't finish cooking the chicken. Using the flour, the chicken came out with a thin crust, somewhat crispy, but also too burnt. Dipping the chicken in the batter AND then flour gave a bulky &amp; crunchy look. However, again, the result looked too burnt.   Modifications:  I then changed the the breading. I used bread flour and corn starch. I dipped the chicken in the batter again, then used the new breading. The bread flour was a bit lighter. And the corn starch was even more lighter. But they were still burn looking (just lighter shades). I also dropped the temperature to 160C.  Results:  Burnt chicken whose crust wasn't really sticking to the skin/meat.  Questions:  Any suggestions on what I can do to improve? I'm guessing something in the batter is causing the burnt coat. What flour should I use? What can I do to make the coat stick to the skin/meat? Any other suggestions on what to do?
88202
I've tried frying potatoes (generally cubed small, like 1/4") in my cast iron pan but they frequently stick very badly. Badly enough so I've got to resort to scraping with a metal spatula. The pan is not like 50 years old and perfectly well-seasoned or anything, but I have no trouble with any other kind of food sticking.  They generally come out ok but just not very brown and crispy, as you would like fried potatoes to be.  Anyone have any advice? Temperature ranges to try to improve the results?
43132
When I bake bread in my dutch oven, to get the bread crust a darker brown and where it should be, the bottom will burn. I've used several recipes and different ovens with the same problem outcome. The dutch oven is as high as I can put it in the oven, which helps but it's still burned slightly.   The recipes always call for a pre-heat of 475F before the bread goes in, 25-30 top on 15-20 top off. I'm trying to adjust the temperature now, but I don't see how this isn't a more common problem. Any suggestions for this?
41521
I think Anne Burrell lied to me. She said fish will always stick to a stainless pan. This is true. No matter how well I lubricate my pan, my fish will always adhere like cement. She also said that the pan will release the fish "when it's ready." Maybe meaning it will eventually become unstuck when the fish is done cooking? Well, I've tried that, and it never works. No matter how long I wait, it never becomes unstuck. Most recently I gave it as much time as I could. When I finally chiseled it off the pan, tearing it apart in the process, I saw that it was starting to burn on that side. I've started going back to non-stick until I get this figured out.  Are there any tips? Am I heating the pan wrong? Does it help to slide the fish around a bit after putting it in the pan?
95124
I made fudge with evaporated milk I made myself. Added this to butter and sugar and heated.  Added this to chocolate and stirred enough to mix.  Poured into 8x8 dished and left to set up. No such luck.  What I have is silky thick hot fudge sauce-like chocolate.  Kind of like soft caramel.  What can I use this for now or do y'all have suggestions as to how to fix it?
54039
Is there any noticeable difference in taste and texture when making caramel on a non-stick pan versus a normal pan? I have seen a few cooks making caramel on a stainless steel saucepan and others on black frying pans most probably non-stick. But, is there a difference?   Surely, the most annoying thing is cleaning up the mess of caramel afterwards, any fast tips?
35743
I'm looking at the side of my "breakfast - O - meal" box at a recipe for 12 muffins. The kind you would use with a standard muffin tin. What kind of variation should can I use to make the recipe work in a larger 6 large muffin tin?  I tried this once before with corn bread muffins and they never seemed to be able to bake all the way though. Ideally I would like to try this with some other cupcake / muffin recipes I have too.  So what's the secret? Less liquid? More Egg? My underused large muffin tin needs to know.
25976
I've been making cheesecakes for a while and they always end up cracking on the top.  I was told to try putting a pan of water in the oven with it to keep the humidity up, which might help a little, but then it tends to crack when it's cooling.  Am I overcooking?  Or baking at the wrong temperature?  Whipped cream can only cover up so much.
120113
Long story short, I left my non-stick pan in the oven while it was preheating. Left it in there for about 20 - 30 minutes, including 15 minutes at 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Just wondering if I can still use it or if I have to toss it. Thanks for your time, any input is appreciated!   EDIT: It's a T-fal Viva Frying Pan.  EDIT 2: Thanks everyone!
16206
I have two meat thermometers. I bought a second one because I thought the first one was resulting in overcooked meat, however the new one is doing the same! They are both standard metal prong 'analog style' with a needle.  An example - cooking chicken breast. The thermometer says the temperature must reach 77 degrees Celsius. I cooked it for a short time in a griddle pan first and then put the pan in the oven. The temperature hung around 71 degrees and when it didn't seem to be getting any higher and I felt it was overcooking I pulled it out. Sure enough, overcooked!  How can I use a meat thermometer to cook meat correctly?