A dry cake is one of the recurring nightmares of every baker. Although cooks invest long hours into making desserts, there is no way to know if a cake is too dry before the baking process is complete. However, don't assume a dry cake is a lost cause.

Lentils are seeds that grow in pods and are shaped like flat disks. Lentils are used as an ingredient in soups, stews, salads, casseroles and side dishes. These seeds are high in protein, fiber, carbohydrates and potassium.

A corn dog can be a carnival treat, or a quick and easy at-home snack, but sometimes you want to heat up the breaded sausages without imparting extra fat. Frozen corndogs are available in most major supermarkets, and can be cooked at home in just a few minutes.

London broil is actually a cooking method rather than a cut of meat. Butchers commonly label several cuts of meat as London broil, however, so the slab of beef in your refrigerator is likely a top round roast or flank steak.

A heavenly combination of New York strip and tenderloin fillet, T-bones stand out among other steaks, and are best cooked naked -- oven-broiled with nothing more than some oil, textured salt and coarsely ground pepper.

Pancake mix is essentially flour, baking soda and a little salt blended together in the perfect proportions to quickly whip up a batter for pancakes and waffles. It's also a handy starter for many other recipes, both sweet and savory, that include a basic batter.

There are many reasons that you might want to cook spaghetti in a rice cooker instead of in a pot on the stove top. You may be living in a dorm or other facility without a stove. Or you might be pressed for time and may not want to spend what little time you have hovering over a saucepan waiting for the water to boil.

The name "sprinkles" generally refers to oblong nonpareils. Sugary sweet and hard, sprinkles are primarily decorative. Many desserts receive a sprinkling of "jimmies" after baking. However, unless the the baked goods are frosted, the sprinkles usually fall off.

Brown rice gets its color, flavor and texture from the bran layers that remain on the rice when it goes through the hulling process. It's milled for less time than white rice, which is why it retains the bran layers and is known for being a healthy source of fiber and for its chewy texture and nut-like flavor.

A traditional Italian dish, ravioli are pasta stuffed with cheese, meat or other filling and typically served with a marinara sauce. You can purchase pre-made frozen ravioli at your grocery store or you can make your own from scratch — and freeze them for later use if desired.

There's no substitute for cooking ribs outdoors over charcoal, but when that isn't an option, your indoor convection oven can be a viable alternative.

While fresh corn cooked and eaten on the cob is a ubiquitous summertime meal, the kernels scraped off the cob make a versatile addition to a wide variety of dishes, from salads to salsa. You can eat the kernels raw, but cooking them briefly intensifies their flavor.