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.

Can you overcook venison stew?

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Take great care not to overcook venison. As with all game, venison can become tough when overdone. Cook prime cuts like loin, haunch and saddle briefly on a high heat to medium-rare. Slow cook or casserole tougher parts like neck, shoulder and shank at a low temperature.

How is a beauty blender different from a sponge?

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Beautyblenders are designed to be soaked in water first before usage. This helps the sponge absorb less foundation, giving an airbrushed, poreless look. Another difference is you have to throw away latex sponges after using them, but Beautyblenders are reusable and can be used for three months before being disposed.

Is Braun hand blender a good brand?

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The Braun MQ9087X MultiQuick 9 is the best hand blender that we’ve tested. With an impressive 1000W motor, it produces much finer results than its competition, with attachments for chopping, slicing, mashing, whipping and kneading.

Why did my Mexican wedding cookies flatten?

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The blogger behind Mexico In My Kitchen warns that overworking the dough will result in flat cookies, so make sure you only roll your dough as much as you need to form tiny spheres and only mix the ingredients until they’re combined (don’t endlessly beat it with your mixer).

What can you not put in a toaster?

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Much like how you should leave grilled cheeses out of your toaster, you should avoid making any sandwiches that require turning your toaster. Toasters aren’t meant to be turned, so when you do this, you change how the appliances heats and cooks, leading to unevenly browned sandwiches and heightened fire risks.