Cooking Questions:

• Can you tell if an egg is fresh enough to use without breaking it? - New!
• Hi, looked at your recipes and I was after some ideas for simple 20 minute meals. Hate using microwave dinners but I am also on a small budget too so cheap and easy is quite a factor! Any suggestions? or recipes you can point out to me? - New!
• I have a dinner party planned and one of the guests is vegetarian. I thought of making something with Quorn but am unsure what it is or what to do with it? - New!
• I have just been reading your new recipes. Please can you tell me what is the "all purpose flour". Is it plain or self raising? Many thanks.
• I'm thinking about getting a slow cooker, I work fairly long hours and hate having to prepare everything when I get home. Do you have any advice or recommendations for which type to get - or if they are even worth getting at all?
• What is the difference between curry powder and curry paste? I found a recipe using curry paste, but I only have powder!
• I have found a recipe that I want to try making. The ingredients state 1 tbsp of fresh tarragon but I only have dried tarragon in the house. How much should I use?
• I've heard that reheating rice can cause food poisoning. Is this true?
• Why do some frozen foods say 'cook from frozen' and others 'defrost then cook'?
• How can I get my Yorkshire Puddings to rise? Every attempt I have had at making Yorkshire Puddings have ended up with them looking like Pancakes.

Can you tell if an egg is fresh enough to use without breaking it?
There is a very simple method of testing the freshness of an egg. There is a small air pocket in the large end of the egg. When the egg is fresh, the pocket is relatively small.
However as the egg ages, moisture and carbon dioxide are lost which leads to shrinkage, this results in the size of the air pocket increasing. It is the size of the air space within the egg that determines the buoyancy of the egg and therefore shows the freshness.

The method is very simple:

1. Submerge a very fresh egg in water; it will lie on the bottom.
2. An less fresh egg that is three weeks or so old will balance on its small end, with the large end reaching upwards.( If you did have a bad egg - this would float to the top!)

Below is a video showing this being done:

How To Check If An Egg Is Fresh - The funniest videos are a click away

Hi, looked at your recipes and I was after some ideas for simple 20 minute meals. Hate using microwave dinners but I am also on a small budget too so cheap and easy is quite a factor!
Any suggestions? or recipes you can point out to me? Jane

There are so many simple and easy recipes that can be done within 20 minutes. Microwave meals are often less healthy and contain more fat, sugar and salt. To be honest it can be just as easy to prepare a fresh and tasty meal and actually at a lesser cost than sometimes pricey microwave meals anyway. Pasta is a great simple and easy fast food as are eggs etc below are a few ideas for quick and easy meals that can be prepared within 20 minutes:
Tomato and Basil Bruschetta - Served with fresh salad
Poached Egg with Asparagus and Tomato Salsa - Served with fresh salad
Chicken Pasta Broth

Keep checking back at our recipe section for new and exciting recipes!

I have a dinner party planned and one of the guests is vegetarian. I thought of making something with Quorn but am unsure what it is or what to do with it? Please help! - Anon  

Many people have heard of Quorn but many are unsure of what it actually is and how it should be used. Quorn is actually the brand name of a mycoprotein substance. Mycoprotein is a nutritious member of the fungi family in a similar way as mushrooms and truffles. Quorn is totally unique in so many ways, and is very different to other vegetarian/meat substitutes such as soya or TVP (Textured Vegetable Protein) which it is often likened to. It has a high level of quality protein which is why it is useful within a vegetarian diet.
Quorn make a variety of meat free frozen products ranging more convenient foods such as sausages, burgers and grills to chicken substitutes, meat balls and mince meat. These ingredients can be incorporated into many recipes to make tasty and healthy meat free dishes.
Here are some recipe ideas using Quorn - I hope there is something here that may suit your dinner party requirements!!

Meat Free Spaghetti Bolognese
Shepherds Pie with Spicy Parsnip Mash (Quorn Mince)
Spicy Lemon & Coriander Quorn

For more information check out our recipe section!

I have just been reading your new recipes. Please can you tell me what is the "all purpose flour". Is it plain or self raising? Many thanks. - Jat

All purpose flour is also known as plain flour, as it has a medium protein content it is suitable for most baking uses.

I'm thinking about getting a slow cooker, I work fairly long hours and hate having to prepare everything when I get home. Do you have any advice or recommendations for which type to get - or if they are even worth getting at all? Thanks. - Mary

Slow cookers have been around for quite a while but they are becoming ever more popular in our kitchens today.
They are ideal for people who are working all day, or going out for the day. You can just turn it on in the morning on slow and by the time you get home in the evening everything's just ready to be dished up.
There are different sized slow cookers available so choose one to suit the size of your family.
The main thing to look out for when purchasing a slow cooker is that it has different heat settings to give more flexibility in cooking time. For example medium setting is usually the standard setting for slow cooking, this gives you 6-8 hours cooking time, if you want to extend the cooking time you select low, or if you want to quicken the cooking time select high.
The thing I like about the idea of slow cookers is that after a hard day at work not only is your dinner ready for you when you arrive home, there is less washing up to do afterwards.

What is the difference between curry powder and curry paste? I found a recipe using curry paste, but I only have powder! - Steve

Curry powders are blends of dried spices common to India while curry paste is a wet blend of herbs and spice more common to Southeast Asian cooking.

I have found a recipe that I want to try making. The ingredients state 1 tbsp of fresh tarragon but I only have dried tarragon in the house.
How much should I use? - Anne

The rule of thumb with fresh vs. dried herbs is usually: 1 tbsp fresh herbs = 1 tsp dried herbs.

I've heard that reheating rice can cause food poisoning. Is this true? - Margaret

It's true that you could get food poisoning from eating reheated rice but it's not actually the reheating that's the problem - it's the way the rice has been stored before reheating.
Uncooked rice can contain certain bacteria that can cause food poisoning. When the rice is cooked, the spores (bacteria) can survive. Then, if the rice is left standing at room temperature, the bacteria will multiply and may produce toxins (poisons) that cause vomiting or diarrhea. Reheating the rice won't get rid of these toxins.
So, the longer cooked rice is left at room temperature, the more likely it is that bacteria, or the toxins they produce, could stop the rice being safe to eat.
It's best to serve rice when it has just been cooked. If that isn't possible, cool the rice as quickly as possible (ideally within one hour) and keep it in the fridge for no more than one day until reheating.
Remember that when you reheat any food, you should always check that it's piping hot all the way through, and avoid reheating more than once.

Why do some frozen foods say 'cook from frozen' and others 'defrost then cook'? - David A.

Freezing can have an effect the quality of some food e.g. texture and flavor. These effects will vary depending on the food and how long it is frozen. With some products, a manufacturer might decide that the food will be of a better quality if it is defrosted before cooking. Quality therefore will usually be the main reason for the label stating to defrost thoroughly before cooking.
When food is labeled as 'suitable to be cooked from frozen' it is safe to do this as long as you follow the instructions. When cooking anything always ensure the food is piping hot all the way before you serve it.

How can I get my Yorkshire Puddings to rise? Every attempt I have had at making Yorkshire Puddings have ended up with them looking like Pancakes. - Mandy

I make up my batter (equal quantities of ingredients) eg: 1 x cup plain flour, 1 x cup eggs, 1 x cup milk, a pinch of Salt & Pepper.
Beat up your ingredients and leave the batter to rest for a while.
Turn your oven up right up (the hotter the better) using a muffin tin - place a little fat in the bottom of each of the muffin holes then heat up in your oven. Add your batter and then place in the oven for 15 - 20 minutes.
Perfect Puddings every time!