Annie Watson

Annie brings decades of experience to the Kitchen Ask. She is a noted chef and avid gardener. Her new book 'Healthy Eating Through the Garden' will be released shortly. When not writing or speaking about food and gardens Annie can be found puttering around farmer's markets and greenhouses looking for the next great idea.

Are bamboo utensils biodegradable?

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Bamboo Utensils Bamboo is a sustainable, fast-growing, renewable resource. The bamboo used for these utensils is grown without pesticides and are biodegradable (in an industrial compost facility) at the end of their life.

Should a bread knife be serrated?

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The most important requirement for a serrated knife is the ability to cut through bread evenly and cleanly. From our research and testing, we found that serrated knives with thinner blades slice straighter than those with thicker blades, which have a tendency to veer off to one side, resulting in uneven slices.

Is it worth sharpening drill bits?

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A sharpener will help ensure that you don’t need to put much power behind the bit. Having your own drill bit sharpener will save you money on new bits. Sharpening your bits makes them more accurate. Keeping your bits sharp makes them safer.

What size is a large casserole dish?

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My thoughts: The 9×13-inch rectangular casserole pan is by far the most called-for dish in casserole cookery, followed closely by the 8×8 (or 9×9) square dishes. (The 9×13 also holds about 3 quarts of volume, so in some recipes it can be used interchangeably with a 3 quart Dutch oven, like this one.)

Does epoxy make a good cutting board?

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First and foremost, food grade epoxy is safe when applied correctly for non-cutting, or light duty cutting surfaces, such as serving boards, charcuterie boards or serving trays therefore epoxy does have its place in the kitchen or dining room.