Longer bake time, lower temperature will even cake color

Q: Is there a general rule about baking times? I have a cake recipe that gets done on the edges faster than the middle; should I try baking it longer at a lower temperature or for a shorter time at a higher temp?

A: You mean how long certain types of baked goods should be in the oven? That depends a lot on the type of recipe, the pan and such. If your cake is browning faster than you want at the edges, then you can try baking longer at a lower temperature. You can also cover the edges or the whole cake with foil to keep that color from getting out of hand.

Q: I am planning to freeze a batch of vegan black-bean enchiladas. Should they be pre-cooked before they go in the freezer? Or should I get them all prepped but freeze them uncooked?

A: Do the latter — prep but freeze them uncooked. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap, then foil, and make sure to remove the plastic wrap but recover with foil for at least most of the baking. You can uncover for the last 10 minutes or so to get some browning.

Q: When I make seafood ceviche, all the seafood tastes the same. Am I allowing the lime juice to sit for too long?

A: It's possible. How long are you leaving it in the lime juice? Really, it needs to be less than a half-hour — probably more in the 10- to 20-minute range. Of course, if your seafood is all in the same marinade, then they're going to take on similar flavorings.

Q: I buy a quart of whole milk and a small container of yogurt each week to make yogurt. When I read recipes for making yogurt, though, they suggest that I can just reserve some of the yogurt I make and use that with the milk to make new yogurt.

But yogurt spoils so I don’t understand how you can just keep reusing yogurt.

Have you made yogurt from any milk besides cow’s milk?

A: The yogurt you save will not spoil the new batch. You can make yogurt with goat or sheep milk as well, although I have only used cow’s milk.