Foodie Fixes: Your Go-To Guide for Culinary Questions

Caramelizing Onions With Baking Soda Today we're going to talk about onions and why adding baking soda to them can make them soupy.  First, I want to emphasize that baking soda is different than baking powder . You see, when we add baking soda to onions, we increase their alkalinity which breaks down the pectin in the onions much more quickly. This can cause the onion cell walls to burst, resulting in goopy and macerated onions, which is not what we want! But fear not, my dear reader! If you want to caramelize onions to perfection without making them soupy, I recommend using this tip I found from America's Test Kitchen... They suggest using just a pinch of baking soda and cooking the onions over medium heat, which allows the onions to caramelize without becoming too mushy. And finally, a reader mentioned that they don't like the baking soda tip when caramelizing onions. While it can be helpful in some cases, it's important to not overdo it and use just a pinch .  Alte...

How can you measure spaghetti portions easily? Does it seem like you always just grab a random handful of dry noodles and say "eh...this looks good I guess?" How much pasta in a serving? A common serving size is around 2 ounces of dry pasta, which yields about 1 cup of cooked pasta. The most accurate way to measure pasta is to use a scale We're going to talk about one of the most essential tools in any kitchen: a scale. A good kitchen scale is worth its weight in gold, and let me tell you, it will change your life. Now, I know what you're thinking, "Why do I need a scale when I've got measuring cups and spoons?" Well, let me ask you this: are you measuring flour or sugar by volume? Because let me tell you, that's not the most accurate way to measure. With a scale, you can get precise measurements every time. And it's not just for baking, either. You can use a scale for all sorts of things. Want to portion out your meat for the week? Use a scale....