Questions

I just opened a new bottle of olive oil, and it is so bitter that I can't use the garlic I baked with it. What happened, and what can I do about it?

Unfortunately, sometimes olive oil does develop a bitter flavor. It can come from picking the olives at the wrong time or from a mishap in handling. Unfortunately, there is nothing that can be done to fix it, except maybe dilute it with good oil and use it up slowly that way. That depends on how bitter it is. It is safe and won't make you sick if you do decide to use it.

What can I do to ``tame'' chili that is way too hot to eat?

Make lots more chili! Seriously, I can find no way to cool down hot pepper taste except to dilute it. You can add more beans, meat, tomatoes or other vegetables, and serve it over lots of rice. Or, for Cincinnati chili, serve it over spaghetti.

If I make a pumpkin roll with cream cheese filling for a Halloween party, how long can I let it sit out for serving?

Not longer than 2 hours at room temperature is the safe thing to do.

What is the difference between apple juice and apple cider? Can I substitute one for the other in a recipe?

Nowadays, the difference is basically that apple juice has been strained and made clear, and apple cider is cloudy with the pulp and fiber from the apples. It used to be that cider was left to ferment slightly, so it was less sweet and had a mild, tangy flavor. Today you can substitute cider for juice as long as you don't mind the cloudy, brown color of the cider.

I just found little bugs crawling out of my electric mixer. What are they, and what are they doing inside the mixer?

They are probably a type of flour weevil, and they are hiding from you and your cleaning inside the mixer. If some flour or grain you bought had weevils in it, they got out and spread around. They will hide inside the mixer or in any little crack in the cupboard. Probably the easiest way to kill them is to put the mixer in the freezer for a week. In the meantime, freeze or throw away any grain product in the cupboard, and clean, clean, clean and scrub, scrub, scrub the cupboards.

Last night I bought some meat for London broil. I put it in a thermal bag I keep in the car for cold foods. Then I forgot it! I found it this morning. Can I still use it?

Not if you want to be safe. Although using the thermal bag is an excellent thing to do, it will not keep the meat cold enough for that length of a time.

I have an unopened bottle of eggnog with rum that is a year old. Is it still safe?

It should be safe. However, when you pour it, you may find you have pudding in the bottle instead. The egg and milk plus alcohol sitting for this much time may have jelled. It's a natural reaction of the protein. Whether you want to use it is up to you.

If I can't find kale for my recipe, what can I substitute for it?

Kale is a dark green leaf, so any of the other leafy vegetables will work. Spinach will have a milder flavor and will fall apart faster if you cook it very long. Mustard or collard greens will be stronger-flavored and hold up better for long cooking. Which you choose should depend on your tastes and the cooking time.