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Recently tried something pretty odd on a whim and it was surprisingly good. I'm wondering what else I'm missing out on! I'm particularly interested in anything you came up with on your own by following your cravings. [more inside]
posted by Eyelash at 2:41 PM - 107 answers

I was working off a recipe for Middle Eastern style chicken kabobs tonight that called for paprika and noticed that it didn't specify whether to use sweet or smoked paprika. What's the default paprika for Middle Eastern style cooking? As a bonus question, which cuisines are associated with the "non-Middle Eastern" type of paprika?
posted by Larry David Syndrome at 6:00 PM - 7 answers

Looking for some suggestions of something to toss into some leftover pasta, to quickly enjoy it the next day (as a break from our beloved tomato-based sauce) while trying to avoid white-based (alfredo-esque) sauces. [more inside]
posted by dbirchum at 4:40 AM - 33 answers

Hello, I'm looking at possibly getting a 6-in-1 / 8-in-one air fryer / convection oven / brain surgeon / ninja / rockstar. I'm looking for something that can cook meals for 1-2 people, can be used in place of a regular oven. I was looking at the Cuisinart Air Fryer + Convection Toaster Oven, 8-1 Oven with Bake, Grill, Broil & Warm Options (TOA-70) and would like to hear from people who have one of these, or something similar. [more inside]
posted by Tailkinker to-Ennien at 4:18 PM - 21 answers

I have not done this, nor do I intend to. But [more inside]
posted by Czjewel at 9:50 PM - 15 answers

How do I start enjoying "real" brewed coffee like an adult?! I feel a bit childish because I've never been able to sit down and enjoy a cup of coffee because I have too much of a sweet tooth. I want to acquire the taste for coffee, how do I do it? [more inside]
posted by VirginiaPlain at 8:22 AM - 56 answers

I'm going to have about an hour to kill before my train leaves South Station, late morning. Is there anyplace relatively close to get a good coffee and just hang out?
posted by gigondas at 8:27 AM - 9 answers

i've decided I need to learn to cook. I can do homemade Chinese and scrambled eggs, and cheeseburgers. Not being funny, I really never learned to cook. Here are my limitations: *gallbladder removed: not much butter or fat, very little rich foods. *Diverticulosis: I pretty much follow the FODMAP diet, but as you know, you can't stay on it forever. All attempts at adding in food after the two months were disastrous. No nuts or seeds (I know they have changed their mind on this, but I'm listening to my doctor.) *Gluten-free *Dairy free, except hard cheese I tried a cauliflower crust pizza from the store, and my body didn't like it at all! I am NOT vegan or vegetarian. My eyes will glaze over with a recipe with 15 ingredients; please keep it simple. Thanks in advance.
posted by Rumi'sLeftSock at 5:35 PM - 9 answers

A semi-close friend is on hyper alert about probable food shortages in the US, to the point that they're sending me and our other friends daily alerts about what to stock up on and where farm workers are being deported from. This friend is getting a portion of what they deem "insider intel" from edengreen.com. Is this site a reputable source of info on the topic? If not, who is?
posted by The Adventure Begins at 10:45 AM - 9 answers

I'm looking for some go-to potluck items that are vegetable based, easy, reliable side dishes. Examples I could imagine is like if you have a recipe for roasted carrots or seared snap peas or something that is both basic but a step above just bringing a bag of raw broccoli florets from Trader Joe's. I want something to replace the 'bake batch of the easiest chocolate cookies' level of contribution.. but with a vegetable. This is for like an office potluck where a simple side is adequate.
posted by latkes at 10:39 AM - 18 answers

Hi. I'm looking for a meal delivery service in Oakland, California, to help out a friend experiencing some health issues. It's a family of four—two adults and two kids around middle-school age. Looking for complete meals that require nothing more than reheating and can be frozen if need be. No dietary restrictions. Thank you.
posted by DavidNYC at 9:17 AM - 3 answers

I was looking forward to a crisp jicama salad, but I cut into the jicama and it is very tough, starchy, and fibrous. How should I cook it? Is it salvageable? All I found on the internet is to boil and mash it. If that's really the only way to use fibrous jicama I will do that, but I really prefer pieces I can bite into — stir fried or roasted. I'm just not sure if that will help with the fibrousness or if it will be a waste of time.
posted by dabadoo at 9:57 AM - 6 answers

In my neck of the woods, sometimes it's hard to get Heinz Baked Beans. I recently tried Kroger Baked Beans, but found them far too sweet for me. I think Trader Joe's and Whole Foods do them, and I believe Bush's is the main US brand: what's your go-to, when you just can't get hold of some Heinz?
posted by 7 Minutes of Madness at 12:07 PM - 16 answers

I'd like to modify a recipe to reduce its cost by replacing two packages of an expensive ingredient with a single package of a similar ingredient, plus some of a staple pantry item I already stock. Can other bakers have a look and see if my plan makes sense? [more inside]
posted by Nerd of the North at 9:18 PM - 11 answers

I really like Trader Joes' solid light yellowfin in oil and solid white albacore in oil. Whenever I buy any other brands (or other varieties of TJ tuna), I'm disappointed. Which non-TJ tuna should I be trying? [more inside]
posted by moonmilk at 9:24 AM - 5 answers

Bought a tub of ice cream last night about 10pm and just now (3pm) discovered it in my bag. I’m not concerned about texture or taste, just safety.
posted by brachiopod at 12:28 PM - 6 answers

I am planning to make banana bread (or banana muffins) next weekend. My go-to recipe is from Sally's Baking Addiction, and it's great. I could use that recipe and move on with my life, BUT... I was thinking about my favorite blueberry cake recipe, which uses about half almond flour and half wheat flour. Is there a way to combine these two concepts? [more inside]
posted by hydra77 at 7:06 AM - 4 answers

I have a very simple recipe for low carb 3-ingredient peanut butter cookies. One cup peanut butter, one cup granulated sucralose and one egg, baked at 350 for around 10 minutes. Can I use liquid sweetener instead of granulated? [more inside]
posted by Serene Empress Dork at 4:44 PM - 9 answers

I love buying tasty Asian pastes (we're using the word paste loosely here) such as gochujang, the thai curry pastes (red/green/yellow/penang/massaman) and miso. The other day I found a Laksa paste and while I've never tried it, I'm really pumped. I'm sure there are lots of other yummy pastes out there that I'm unaware of. Please help me compile a list so I can try cooking with them all. [more inside]
posted by kitcat at 1:25 PM - 18 answers

In home fermenting and brewing, can you use store-brand povidone iodine (like Betadine, CVS, Walgreens), without rinsing, to clean equipment and avoid off flavors / contaminates? [more inside]
posted by mr_bovis at 10:33 AM - 4 answers