Reviews
"Q: How do you avoid lumpy gravy? A: Add the flour to the liquid gradually and stir constantly using a whisk. "The Kitchen Answer Book" by Hank Rubin (Capital Books, $22.95) recommends adding a pinch of salt to the flour before mixing it with the liquid. If the gravy still becomes lumpy, put it in a blender or food processor to whip it together or strain it through a sieve and discard the lumps.", Eggplants take to many cooking methods, from broiling to frying to grilling and more. But be aware that they are like sponges and will soak up any oil you use on them. e~Because they have inner air pockets, they can absorb several times their weight in oil, even when breaded,e(tm) says Hand Rubin in e~The Kitchen Answer Booke(tm) (Capital Books, $22.95). e~This increases fat and breaks down texture.e(tm), "Concise and direct answers to over 4,000 cooking and kitchen questions arranged in easy to find categories. If you have a question, the answer is probably in the book. An excellent reference for chefs, cooks and novices." Barbara Lenzie, Fort Worth Gazette, January 2004 "Food technologist Hank Rubin has the answers to 5,000 cooking subjects in 'The Kitchen Answer Book,' a collection that goes from fruit and nuts to soups and stocks. A lot of information is enjoyable for simply browsing" -- Douglas Levy, The Oakland Press "Still, this book is going to spend some time on my coffee table, to be dipped into in spare moments until I've paged through the whole volume. Then, it will come back to the office to be added to the reference library on my desk." -- Wanda Adams, Honolulu Advertiser "...the book is fun just for the novelty of it." -- Tulsa (OK) World "...excellent kitchen references...useful, practical guides that will provide direct answers to many of your cooking and kitchen questions." -- Cheramie Sonnier, Baton Rouge Advocate "If you have a question about cooking, chances are The Kitchen Answer Book by Hank Rubin has the answer." -- Baltimore Sun For your favorite cook who might need some answers about foods, consider The Kitchen Answer Book by Hank Rubin.-- Capital-Journal (Topeka, KS) "As we gear up for our annual holiday cooking spree, we'll face an unfamiliar term, a complicated dish or a cooking disaster. One of the best solutions is to have a copy of 'The Kitchen Answer Book.' Hank Rubin is an experienced chef, restaurant owner, cooking teacher, and food and wine writer. He uses a simple question-and-answer format in several categories including: baking, caffeine, dairy, eggs, pasta, meat, seafood, seasoning, utensils and vegetables." -- Sharon Thompson, Lexington (KY) Herald-Leader "This book provides concise and direct answers to more than 5,000 kitchen and cooking questions, arranged in the following broad categories: Chocolate, Coffee and Tea, Baking, Dairy, Eggs, Fruits and Nuts, Grains, Beans and Pasta, Meat, Poultry, Seafood, Seasoning and oils, Stocks, Sauces and Soups , Vegetables, and Utensils. Hank Rubin has several decades of experience as an executive chef, restaurant owner, cooking teacher and food and wine writer. This is an excellent source of information." -- Shirley Reis, Kliatt, March 2004 "A reader called with this question? 'What can you use to tenderize meat besides Adolph's meat tenderizer?' I suggested using a marinade. Here, from 'The Kitchen Answer Book' by Hank Rubin, are what different marinade ingredients do to soften meat. 'Yogurt breaks down the flesh of meat and fish,' Rubin writes. 'Lemon softens meat and gives a tangy flavor. Green papaya digests protein. Tamarind tenderizes and seasons. (Vinegar's) acetic acid acts as a softener.' -- San Antonio Express-News, February 15, 2006, Cabbage doesn't require a lengthy cooking time, especially if it's shredded. If you overcook cabbage, according to 'The Kitchen Answer Book' by Hank Rubin (Capital Books, $22.95), 'it will give off an unwelcome odor.', Here's another kitchen answer 'bible' which also excels in an organization lending to speedy referencing: 'The Kitchen Answer Book: Answers To All Of Your Kitchen And Cooking Questions.' Hank Rubin has several decades of experience as an executive chef, restaurant owner and food writer: it's these years of experience which lend to basic answers to common cook's problems; from how to tell if a melon is ripe to what kinds of woods are good for smoking meats, and how to quickly thaw a chicken. An organization by type of food - eggs, dairy, seafood, poultry - makes these answers easy to uncover in a crisis., A reader called with this question? 'What can you use to tenderize meat besides Adolph's meat tenderizer?' I suggested using a marinade. Here, from 'The Kitchen Answer Book' by Hank Rubin, are what different marinade ingredients do to soften meat. 'Yogurt breaks down the flesh of meat and fish,' Rubin writes. 'Lemon softens meat and gives a tangy flavor. Green papaya digests protein. Tamarind tenderizes and seasons. (Vinegar's) acetic acid acts as a softener.', Q: Even though I rinse and drain them first, when I add frozen and thawed blueberries to batter, the juice from the berries discolors the mixture making my cake look unappetizing. Is there a way to prevent this? A: Sure. Just add the berries in their frozen state, says Hank Rubin in e~The Kitchen Answer Book.e(tm), Cabbage doesn't require a lengthy cooking time, especially if it's shredded. If you overcook cabbage, according to e~The Kitchen Answer Booke(tm) by Hank Rubin (Capital Books, $22.95), e~it will give off an unwelcome odor.e(tm), eoeA reader called with this question? e~What can you use to tenderize meat besides Adolph's meat tenderizer'e(tm) I suggested using a marinade. Here, from e~The Kitchen Answer Booke(tm) by Hank Rubin, are what different marinade ingredients do to soften meat. e~Yogurt breaks down the flesh of meat and fish,e(tm) Rubin writes. e~Lemon softens meat and gives a tangy flavor. Green papaya digests protein. Tamarind tenderizes and seasons. (Vinegar's) acetic acid acts as a softener.e(tm)e, Q: What's the difference between spring water, mineral water and artesian water? A: According to Hank Rubin in e~The Kitchen Answer Booke(tm) (Capital, 2002), artesian water is bottled from a well that has a water-bearing layer with a rock basis, mineral water has at least 200 parts per million of total dissolved solids without the addition of any minerals, and spring water is collected at the source of an underground water formation and has all the physical properties as when it came to the surface., Eggplants take to many cooking methods, from broiling to frying to grilling and more. But be aware that they are like sponges and will soak up any oil you use on them. 'Because they have inner air pockets, they can absorb several times their weight in oil, even when breaded,' says Hand Rubin in 'The Kitchen Answer Book' (Capital Books, $22.95). 'This increases fat and breaks down texture.', Q: How do you avoid lumpy gravy? A: Add the flour to the liquid gradually and stir constantly using a whisk. The Kitchen Answer Book" by Hank Rubin (Capital Books, $22.95) recommends adding a pinch of salt to the flour before mixing it with the liquid. If the gravy still becomes lumpy, put it in a blender or food processor to whip it together or strain it through a sieve and discard the lumps.", Q: What's the difference between spring water, mineral water and artesian water? A: According to Hank Rubin in 'The Kitchen Answer Book' (Capital, 2002), artesian water is bottled from a well that has a water-bearing layer with a rock basis, mineral water has at least 200 parts per million of total dissolved solids without the addition of any minerals, and spring water is collected at the source of an underground water formation and has all the physical properties as when it came to the surface., Q: Even though I rinse and drain them first, when I add frozen and thawed blueberries to batter, the juice from the berries discolors the mixture making my cake look unappetizing. Is there a way to prevent this? A: Sure. Just add the berries in their frozen state, says Hank Rubin in 'The Kitchen Answer Book.'
