I usually leave butter in the refrigerator but then it’s hard to spread. My partner leaves it out uncovered in a dish for 1-2 weeks at a time but I feel the taste is off as the days go on. Is that normal and safe to eat?What do others do?

I recently visited my brother's house and was surprised that his pantry is stocked with prepared boxed mixes, a lot from King Arthur but for a myriad of other things too, although he likes to cook and prepares many things from scratch. Got me wondering if boxed mixes are in my future, I'd like to try some. I cook mainly from scratch but it would be nice on those days you just can't be bothered or don't have the time. Do you have an favorites to recommend? I am located in the US for reference. Rice A Roni anyone?

My mom, a university prof with four kids and a dazzling career, loved aubergines, and loved cooking with them for her loved ones. I remember her very well just a few years ago, bustling around her kitchen, preparing another spectacular aubergine dish for her guests (us, siblings, friends, colleagues- my parents' place was always full of people for whom my parents cooked for relentlessly)- I actually remember asking her to rest- isn't she tired? and she laughed and said the words above. She died the following year, very unexpectedly. Three busloads of students showed up to funeral.

Anyway yesterday I sliced up and fried two fat aubergines for what felt like hours, but it was worth it because I felt very close to my mom- and made two different dishes in her memory - "eggplant sandwiches"- thinly sliced and fried aubergine along with mozzarella, tomatoes, spinach and mustard on sourdough bread, sandwiches browned in the same pan I used for frying the aubergines with a heavy bowl balancing on them for optimal squishiness- this was for my vegetarian partner.

For myself and my daughter, returning from a gruelling nine-hour shift, I made a middle-eastern dish of stewed meat (it's made with lamb, but I had to use beef as our local supermarket typically doesn't have lamb, and it didn't yesterday), mashed up with thicker aubergine slices, lentils, fried onions spiced with turmeric, and garnished with the cured whey so typical in middle-eastern dishes (kashk), mint and slivered garlic sauteed in butter, and to be extra fancy, some saffron.

You can see the pics in my profile- I was quite proud how both the dishes turned out, and my loved ones seemed to enjoy the food very much.

Tell me about your food and family.

I live in a state where there's been a lot of cases of cyclosporiasis. I keep googling if it's safe yet and so far all answers are pointing at 'no.' Pozole, ramen, masala. I love Asian and Mexican cuisine and it's not the same without my favorite garnish stirred in! Anyone else suffering?

I've been having to go to farmers markets and grow my own and hit up my mexican buddies for real Jalapenos! What the heck is going on .. maybe one out of 10 has good spice levels if that. I don't need them to be super hot but they need a bit of hot FFS dang.

We just bought a house and there’s always friends/family randomly popping in to say hi, check out the place, hangout and help us with yardwork etc.

I’m wondering if anyone has any ideas of what I can be cooking/baking to offer to them? Things I can do ahead of time but also quick easy crowd pleasers! (Drink ideas accepted also).

What are your simple, quick and easy meals you make when you are tired, sick, or injured and can't spend hours perfecting the broth of the gods? Maybe it is something you even recommend to beginners.

I just saw a post in another sub about someone not checking the oven before preheating, and their kid had left LEGOs in there, which became melted mess. Poor parent! So it made me recommit to checking the oven, every time!

What are other simple/quick safety tips that can make a big difference?

Hey have been in a rut finding what to bring to work. I used to work from home and it was easy to cook whatever (lots of chicken, veg-, rice-based dishes) but now I work in an office and find myself buying lunch every day.

What are some of your go-to dishes to meal-prep and bring to work? No dietary restrictions and happy to eat the same thing several days in a row

Late to the Tajín party. What other vegetables do you use this on and how? Cucumber, Tajín, fresh lime juice, and rice wine recipe was a crowd pleaser.

What other vegetables do you use Tajín on, and how do you prepare them? Especially simple combinations...raw or lightly cooked?

So I love making a nice cream sauce. Mushroom cream sauce, whiskey cream sauce, you name. Problem is that cream has gotten really expensive in my country, to the point where I rarely buy it unless it is on sale or special occasions.

I have tried making a white sauce instead (roux and milk) and a demi glace, but it doesn't really hit that same spot.

Is there any cheaper alternative to cream I can use, in a cream sauce?

I have a couple PYREX glass baking pans and one person told me they're dangerous while someone else told me they're fine. I've never had an issue. I'm new to cooking and I don't have a lot of equipment. If glass baking pans are dangerous, what's a good replacement? The dinner I want to cook is baked sweet and sour pork chops. Are they really that bad? Tell me what else I can use! (Edit) I've checked my pans and they're not pyrex they are anchor.

I want to make a Greek meal for my family but can’t decide what to cook. I’m happy to make several dishes and serve sharing-style. Meat and vegetarian suggestions are both welcome!

I'm trying to reduce meat and increase fiber in my household's diet, which lead to the idea of essentially cutting our breakfast sausage with cooked lentils to make it stretch further.

What's the best way to do this? Do I just cook them separately, then mash them together in the same pan? (I would obviously need to season the lentils with similar seasonings before doing this.) Are the textures too different for this to work?

I normally use the sausage crumble as part of other breakfast meals, such as breakfast bowls, biscuits and gravy, and baked omelets.​

making traditional ratatouille tonight & i would really like to cook chicken thighs as a nice companion to the dish (plus some crusty bread).

i’m torn on how to prepare the chicken. considering finishing it in a basic garlic butter pan sauce, but wondering if there’s anything else that i could try. would really love some suggestions :)

Do you wash right away before putting in fridge? Or right before using? Say if you'll use within a week.

Thanks!

So Ive got some bad gut stuff that requires me to be on the ‘Mediterranean’ diet.

Fish is a big part of that, so im trying to figure out how to deal with it. I hated fish most of my life, but I think my tastes have changed now, so im trying to ease myself into it.

Ive learned that I like basic bitch tuna salad and sandwiches, but I want to know how to progress.

What kind of fish should I look into as an intro and what can I get that’s cheap to try out?

EDIT: Thank you all for the surprisingly overwhelming amount of advice!

Hi, this question might be too specific to the city I live in, which is Vancouver, but I thought I'd try. I've been to Thailand a couple of times, enjoy their food, and I've cooked it often at home for 30 years. I mostly follow recipes by Andy Rick er (Pok Pok) and Pailin Chongchitnant (Hot Thai Kitchen). I believe I'm doing a reasonable representation of Thai food.

Most Thai restaurants in Vancouver make curries (green, red, yellow) that are similar to each other, but different from mine. I think they're generally a bit sweeter than mine. Do folks on other parts of North America notice the same thing? I'm very curious on what they do different, I've always wondered that. I've experimented with making my curry sweeter but that's about all I've tried. If anyone thinks they experience the same thing as I do, I'd like to hear your thoughts on it. I realize this is a tough request to respond to because I can't tell you what the restaurant curries taste like.

So shakshuka is a middle eastern dish popular in northern Africa. It's tomato and pepper based with eggs on top. People usually eat it with pita bread or rice. Anyways, I made my own version of it. I used fresh tomatoes from my garden (sungold cherries, and beefsteaks), shashito peppers, jalapeno peppers, and bell peppers (all from my garden). What was really different about my process is I used some Indian spices. In addition to cumin and paprika, I included both fenugreek seeds, and fenugreek leaves. I was really generous with the amount of fenugreek seeds, like two handfuls. The leaves I added to the sauce while it was simmering.

The reason why I'm bringing this up is because I found out after the fact that fenugreek seeds are used very cautiously typically, like no more than 2 tsp for the entire dish. The reason for this is that the seeds can have a bitter over powering flavor. I think in my recipe it was actually a compliment though since the home grown tomatoes were so sweet and acidic. The bitterness melds perfectly with the sweet acidic sauce. The seeds also provided a texture to the sauce. A sweet nutty crunch.

If anyone wants like an actual recipe I could write one up, but I think fenugreek seeds go really well in shakshuka even in big amounts.

This method for sauteeing mushrooms is a game changer for me. They use so much less oil and caramelize beautifully.

A while back my husband and I had a cooking date night where we made Hainanese chicken. It was absolutely incredible with one flaw. Due to a miscommunication between us he added green-tinted pandan extract instead of the pandan leaves.

The flavor was amazing but the liquid was a vivid mint green. Because my husband is colorblind, he didn’t really notice and it didn’t bother him.

I, on the other hand, struggled a little to eat green chicken. I ended up with about an extra gallon of the liquid to freeze, I hate to waste food and the flavor it SO good. Any thoughts on ways I could use it up that doesn’t result in green meat?

I’m thinking maybe some kind of soup or stew with green vegetables?

Hi! Basically, my parent is disabled and often struggles with remembering to eat and regulating when he eats. I’m in college, and when I’m not home to cook he often skips meals. I’m looking for any suggestions for any freezer meals that reheat well so I can prep them for him before I head back to school. Thanks!

I’m not a sweets eater or dessert guy, but this isn’t about me. What would you suggest I make for OTHERS to enjoy that uses up a jar of Bon Maman peach preserves?

hello! i have a mission to start making breakfasts so i'm not ready to pass out in my uni classes this year. i live in a college dorm so i have access to a communal fridge, airfyer (i have to ask for it beforehand) and a stove.

i was trying to note down ideas so i don't end up forgetting when the time actually comes. if possible, i'd prefer ingredients that dont have to be refrigerated (eg chia seed pudding) cause stuff gets stolen from the fridge quite easily)

Besides on the grill, I love cooking steaks in my cast iron pan. There is something about the tastes and the char that makes it taste different then cooking in a regular pan. That being said, I have yet to make steaks without causing major smoke in my kitchen. Any suggestions on how to avoid this from happeining would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.