Cooking Hints

What happens if the Styrofoam container, within which I'm heating my food, has melted a bit? I was microwaving some soup and when it came out, a ring of "melted" Styrofoam, where the grease/oil was floating, appeared. I had a bit of the soup and then got scared. Should I be? Thanks for your...

I usually steam fresh vegetables for approx. 10-20 minutes, depending on what I am cooking, then serve them. Do they lose nutrients if they are steamed then refrigerated for a day or two and microwaved to reheat before serving? This seems to me that the vegetables are being overcooked or twice cooked. Steaming is great...

What is the best way to prepare a two pound round steak to preserve the flavor and nutrients? Round steak is a lean, less tender cut of meat and is usually cooked until well done. It is often braised in a pan on the top of the stove and cooked with a liquid like broth...

I was looking to find the difference between icing sugar and confection sugar as a member of my family cannot use icing sugar in cooking. Thank you for your time and help. Confectioner's sugar as it is called in the US is called icing sugar in Britain and sucre glace in France. As such they...

Where can I find a dietitian who is a personal chef? The Food & Culinary Professionals dietetic practice group of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics specializes in working as personal chefs, in commercial food service operations or food safety and sanitation. You can find a dietitian at the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Include...

Does an apple pie, after baking, still contain all the nutrients of the fresh apples that went into it? Mostly yes other than some fiber is lost when the apple is peeled for the pie and some vitamin C is lost during baking. Apples are a source of vitamin C (14% Daily Value for a...

Is it important to cook spaghetti sauce for eight hours? It is not necessary to cook spaghetti sauce for eight hours. I know Italians who do cook their sauce all day and I know Italians who cook their sauce only to serving temperature. Prolonged heat and extended cooking destroy the vitamin C in tomatoes. You...

I grow lots of zucchini every summer. Does it have any nutritional value? I cook it in recipes for soup, cakes, and bread. Zucchini (1 cup of slices) contains Nutrient % Daily Value calories 16 fiber 5% thiamin, vitamin B1 5% vitamin B6 5% vitamin C 15% folate 6% magnesium 6% manganese 7% molybdenum 18% potassium 8%   So to answer your question, yes, zucchini does have nutritional value and when included in recipes, zucchini adds vitamins and...

I have been trying meal preparation ahead of time, but I am running out of ideas. The new recipes I am looking into I am afraid will not last like the ones I already prepare. How long will the following last if I was to prep them? Egg White Omelet Grilled chicken Asparagus Mashed...

How do I extract juice from raw vegetables? Raw vegetables are high in fiber and the best / easiest way is with a juicer. Otherwise, you could put vegetables in your blender or food processor. However since water content varies from vegetable to vegetable, you may have to add water or juice or broth to...