Base mixture to coat new food (5)
I believe the answer is:
beans
'base mixture to coat new food' is the definition.
I can't judge whether this definition defines the answer.
'base mixture to coat' is the wordplay.
'mixture' indicates an anagram.
'to' becomes 'n' (I am not sure about this - if you are sure you should give a lot more credence to this answer).
'coat' indicates putting letters inside.
'base' anagrammed gives 'beas'.
'beas' going around 'n' is 'BEANS'.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for beans that I've seen before include "Nothing at all in US" , "Edible kidney-shaped seeds" , "Coffee seeds" , "Haricots for instance" , "Vegetables" .)