When, why and where did people start putting crackers in their soup? [more inside]
posted by Lutoslawski on Oct 28, 2009 - 26 answers

You are a resident of Chile. What do you eat? [more inside]
posted by mustcatchmooseandsquirrel on Sep 19, 2009 - 7 answers

What cooking secrets take your food to the almost-pro level? [more inside]
posted by chalbe on Aug 24, 2009 - 134 answers

Quite a few times in recipes I've seen directions to put beans in water and discard any that float after a period of soaking (I've even heard this from you, AskMeFi). Now, I like beans. My question is: why can't I eat those?
posted by evhan on Jul 26, 2009 - 9 answers

I'm lazy, impatient, and space constrained. But I really like food. Which cuisine should I master? [more inside]
posted by typography on Jul 5, 2009 - 30 answers

So, Boston, where do you go for your good food? [more inside]
posted by felix betachat on May 24, 2009 - 19 answers

I need to eat cheaply. Can I do so while extending my cooking ability in a specific direction? What cuisines, categories, or focuses can my home cooking pinpoint while living on a budget? [more inside]
posted by Picklegnome on May 21, 2009 - 22 answers

Where can I find a list of foods that originated in the United States? [more inside]
posted by wastelands on Feb 3, 2009 - 23 answers

I want to become a better cook, is chef school the nuclear option? As a child, my mother insisted that I do the eating and not the cooking. Despite her best intentions, I ended up quite clueless on how to cook. In college, I improved by cooking for myself and quite enjoyed it. I just graduated from college and I'd like to pick up a tangible skill on the side and attend chef school. The reason is because I've only been cooking for 2-3 years and would like to improve faster than the oh-just-keep-at-it-and-it-comes-with-age-and-experience rate. [more inside]
posted by bodywithoutorgans on Nov 20, 2008 - 23 answers

What is the best recipe (and wine) for Beef Bourguignon?
posted by plexi on Aug 7, 2008 - 12 answers

My family and I will be taking our 3rd annual trip to Waldoboro Maine in a few weeks. We'd like to get some strong recommendations on the following items within 30 miles of Waldoboro: - Place for breakfast that doesn't include Moody's. - Out of the way lobster spot (send via mail link in profile). - Unique things to do for a 3 year old? Any and all information is greatly appreciated! Oh..one more question...is it normal for lobster in a lobster roll (at Red's Eats) to be cold? That threw me last year.... Thanks mefites!
posted by littleredwagon on Jul 29, 2008 - 11 answers

I'm trying to find the recipe for something called sandulla (spelling is probably wrong, san pronounced as in bonbon and dulla as in hoola). [more inside]
posted by sluglicker on Jun 20, 2008 - 3 answers

Would anyone in their right mind eat vegetable ghee, or any kind of ghee, straight from the can? [more inside]
posted by spoobnooble on Apr 20, 2008 - 32 answers

How do I make decent egg noodles? [more inside]
posted by macsigler on Feb 22, 2008 - 8 answers

How do I make a great mole (poblano)? [more inside]
posted by mek on Oct 24, 2007 - 7 answers

We're having a Rugby World Cup celebration/commiseration at work this week, and we each have to bring an edible contribution that relates to one of the competing countries. All good fun so far, except that I've been given Namibia. What to do? [more inside]
posted by une_heure_pleine on Oct 17, 2007 - 6 answers

TravelinginFranceFilter: I know there have been loads of questions about France. We're looking for beautiful places in the countryside, great cheap food and reasonable accommodations. I'd love to have the perfect trip that matches my favorite things: [more inside]
posted by Deathalicious on May 2, 2007 - 14 answers

Londonfilter: Just landed with a chef's knife and need to locate goods. [more inside]
posted by jadepearl on Oct 16, 2006 - 18 answers

I live in the UK, the stereotypical lunchtime/evening meal is savoury thing(s) then sweet thing. From my limited travelling, and eating, I've seen the same. It's always savoury(s) first, with the sweet being a kinda optional extra at the end if you're lucky. #1 Is that order of eating important for our digestion/well being? #2 Are there any cuisines where the sweet part is normally the major element of the meal? #3 And is there any good reason why sweet foods are not the bulk/all of our meals?
posted by selton on Aug 18, 2006 - 10 answers

Is Lean Cuisine the type of overly processed food I should be trying to avoid, and if so, why? [more inside]
posted by Amizu on May 3, 2006 - 9 answers

When I was in Tunisia a few years ago I had this delicious red soup. What was it? [more inside]
posted by MasonDixon on Apr 20, 2006 - 19 answers

Vegetarian cookbook recommendations? [more inside]
posted by Succa on Jan 20, 2006 - 30 answers

I'm looking for bars or restaurants in the United States that serve Canadian food. [more inside]
posted by stst399 on Jan 15, 2006 - 44 answers

Korean Food—Help me get started making it at home. [more inside]
posted by oflinkey on Jan 9, 2006 - 8 answers

Are there any good, authentic, homemade Mexican restaurants in the Boston area? [more inside]
posted by killdevil on Jan 4, 2006 - 26 answers

A couple in a celebratory mood has 55 hours in Manhattan. Where do they go to experience the best of the best cuisine? [more inside]
posted by plexiwatt on Oct 18, 2005 - 37 answers

My friend and I are going to go check out an Ethiopian cuisine place tomorrow and I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions for what we should try? [more inside]
posted by Slimemonster on Sep 12, 2005 - 26 answers

Recipe for miso soup wanted! Must be tried and true and fixable with ingredients available in the U.S. (or on the 'Net.) It's not as easy as it seems, evidently... (T'anks!)
posted by Shane on Sep 5, 2005 - 16 answers

Do any of the large (or semi-large) fast food chains in the United States serve kosher food that is not fish / vegetarian? I know that McDonalds and Burger King offer a fish sandwich, but do any places (including places like Pizza Hut and Quiznos) serve kosher -meat-? [more inside]
posted by FritoKAL on Aug 24, 2005 - 8 answers

I'm looking for some premium, gourmet, fancy-pants spices (e.g., saffron, really good vanilla beans, etc.) as a gift for a food-savvy friend. I'm clueless about where to look, and Google turns up all kinds of shady e-commerce sites. Where do I go for the really nice, high-quality stuff?
posted by oissubke on Aug 2, 2005 - 29 answers

how might a westerner acquire tastes for foreign cuisine? (like, the gross stuff). [more inside]
posted by GleepGlop on Jul 10, 2005 - 17 answers

I am an Indian cuisine virgin. All I know is that there's curry involved. What is the best way to get introduced to it with a representative sampling? Are there single dishes that will give me a good idea whether I will like the genre as a whole? [more inside]
posted by attercoppe on Apr 28, 2005 - 24 answers

This weekend, I remembered how much I love to eat fish. Though I'm not really worried about mercury or other pollution, I don't want piles of dead birds or overfishing on my conscience. What should I look for at the fishmonger? Bonus points for less-expensive fish. [more inside]
posted by trharlan on Apr 11, 2005 - 16 answers

What should I do with (acorn, butternut, other hard) squash? [more inside]
posted by kenko on Oct 25, 2004 - 17 answers

From the general to the specific: What are your favorite recipes, the dishes you prepare when you want to impress? [more inside]
posted by jdroth on Sep 28, 2004 - 16 answers

So, it's Pesach, and time for me and other jews to engage in a culinary tango dictated by what can often seem like an ever shifting sheaf of talmudic law. I've recently started playing around with almond flour - specifically a wonderful lemon pound cake (I use sugar - I'm a natural man!), and was pondering making it this week. But then it occurred to me - is using almond flour in this way - or almond flour at all - kosher for Pesach? And does anyone know of a good one-stop list of the rules and, to my mind more importantly, the reasons behind each?
posted by jearbear on Apr 5, 2004 - 13 answers

I had dinner in a Mexican restaurant a while back, and the menu made this claim: There are only three true "cuisines" in the world, French, Chinese, and Mexican which predates the other two. In that case, can anyone explain to me what "cuisine" means, and how it differs from just meaning "style of food"? Why, apparently, is there technically no such thing as "Italian cuisine" or "Indonesian cuisine". Or am I just placing too much faith in Mexican restaurant menus?
posted by Jimbob on Jan 3, 2004 - 8 answers