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Does anyone have a culinary use for a lettuce which has bolted? Or do I throw it away? Bolting being what gardeners call that moment when your lovely full bodied lettuce suddenly shoots skywards, in order to produce seed. Once salad crops have bolted the leaves still have a good colour, but they are usually thought of as unusably bitter. | While it might be too tough and bitter to eat as a raw salad, you might try it as a warm wilted lettuce salad with a sweet and sour dressing (bacon, bacon grease, onions, cider vinegar, sugar) to help mask bitterness. Alternatively you might also try a Lettuce and Pea Soup: Sweat onions in butter, season with salt and pepper. Add lettuce and wilt down. Add fresh or frozen green peas along with chicken stock and bring to a simmer until peas are soft and tender. Puree (maybe add a little chopped fresh mint) and adjust seasoning with additional salt, pepper, and sugar if the peas don't produce enough sweetness. |
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Often, recipes require you to brown meat or pan sear meat. When working with large amounts, how do you prevent any of the bits that stick from burning? A practical example: I marinaded chicken breast fillets with Chinese five spice. Whilest pan frying on a cast iron, pieces of chicken got stuck. Since I had to cook in multiple batches the pieces that got stuck eventually got burnt and ruined any possibility of using the fond (of course, you probably wouldn't use this fond, but this happens with beef too). I want the cast iron to be hot for a nice browning but raising the temperature inevitably makes any stuck pieces of chicken burn even faster. Oil helps to a point but I don't want to use too much. Cleaning the cast iron becomes a pain because now there's charred patches that are rather hard to properly make out on the black surface. Any ideas? | Using slightly lower heat helps, but if you have several batches to do, mostly it's best to scrape/wipe out the pan between batches. I would not use cast iron in this case, as you point out, it is difficult to clean quickly. The fond can be scraped onto a plate and used at the end, alternately, the fond from the last batch can be used. |
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Are there predominant types of oils or fats that are used in Latin American cooking, in the way you would say that olive oil is typical for Southern Europe? Maybe it does not even make sense to speak of Latin America as a whole but perhaps there are still some interesting patterns, based on cultural influence and availability. | Lard, mostly, maybe coconut oil or peanut oil. https://www.theculinarypro.com/new-page-2 |
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I want to recreate a bread that we used to eat when I was a kid. The bakery is out of business (as of about 2 years ago), so I can't ask them for a recipe. It was called "Honey Wheat" bread, or perhaps (in later years) "Honey Health" bread. I've found recipes for those, and they sound similar, but the pictures say they're not. Here are the main differences between, say, this recipe: https://www.tastesoflizzyt.com/honey-wheat-bread/ and what I'm looking for are Darker color. Ohlin's bread was sweet and had a color close to caramel. Not dark brown like pumpernickel, but not light brown either. Somewhere between the color of light-brown and dark-brown sugar, probably on the dark-brown end of things. More open texture: the holes in Ohlin's bread were more of a shape and distribution like those in an English muffin. Chewier. This bread had a chewiness that was about halfway between commercial whole-wheat bread and a good bagel. Shinier. When you cut the bread, the surface of the "bubbles" in it appeared a little bit shiny. (OK, I could be mis-remembering here...I last ate this bread over 50 years ago!) I'm not expecting that anyone can say "Oh, HERE's how you make that," but if someone could provide guidance on how one alters a bread recipe to get a more open texture, to get more chewiness, etc., I can make 8 or 10 or 20 loaves to home in on the qualities I remember. Thanks in advance for any help you can give. (Alternatively, if there's a good general reference on how to do this kind of thing, I'd be happy to read up on it without someone re-typing it all!) | Adding molasses or brown sugar will add a brown color to the dough, how much to add is a bit of a trick to get right, but it should be proportional to the amount of sugar in the dough. Most 1 lb recipes I have from American sources use about 1/3 cup of molasses. The shine might well be additional gluten added to increase the chew (two with one stone perhaps!), but it could also be extra oil. Bigger bubbles might indicate a damper dough with a higher yeast content or even possibly the addition of a second raising agent (e.g. baking powder). It could also indicate a higher baking temperature. You might want to check out focaccia recipes - these usually have a light airy crumb. With commercial baked products it is difficult to know exactly what is going on as they have it all worked out for rapid and consistent mass production, rather than single batches. |
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Each year at this time, I make 4-6 batches of Butter Toffee (2c sugar, 2 c butter, 2 tsp vanilla, 6 tbsp water), but only about half usually turn out ok. About half way through the heating process, the unsuccessful batch starts to separate. Once, I saved it by doing something magical to the temperature and stirring vigorously, but I don't know what I did. Every other time, Once it starts separating, it is a lost cause. I use the same pan, same stove, same wooden spoon to stir, and I think I am either using heat that is too high, or too low and too long. Help! | If you are using an electric stove you might have heat fluctuations enough to make it separate. |
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I have bought a fresh half leg of lamb today and there was a big disgusting green lump in the middle of it's fat. I'd like to know what it is and what should I do with the meat? Would anyone be able to help me please? | I have sent the picture to the New Zealand Food Safety (NZFS) and asked them about it. This is their answer: Thank you for contacting New Zealand Food Safety (NZFS) regarding your enquiry about the strange lump which you found in your piece of lamb meat. I have sent these photos to experts within the team who have looked over them. They have confirmed that it is most likely a lymph node, due to the grey/brown appearance and placement within the fatty area of the meat. Lymph nodes is considered a very normal element of the carcass and the ones seen in these pictures appear healthy. Unhealthy/abnormal lymph nodes (enlarged, hard, or full of pus) may have a very small risk if they were handed raw, but these would typically be discovered and removed by routine post mortem inspections. Because these lymph nodes appears healthy, the expert’s advice is that the meat is safe for consumption. I have chosen this as the right answer, because it was a response from the officials, otherwise, @moscafj's answer was right. |
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I have been making Peanut Clusters a lot lately, and it seems that I just can't get them right. Once I add the butter, the chocolate turns brittle and crumbly before I can shape them on the wax paper. Does anyone know why this is happening and how I can make the chocolate stay smooth until I put them in the fridge? This is my recipe: 1/2 c. sugar 1/4 c. milk 1 heaping tbsp. cocoa 1 heaping tbsp. butter 1/2 c. roasted peanuts Mix sugar, cocoa, and milk. Boil 6 minutes, counting from time the bubbling begins. Add butter, nuts and vanilla. Take from the heat and stir just enough to mix in the nuts. Drop by spoonfuls on waxed paper.` | You have a couple of options, one is to wear a respirator or a bandanna that is soaked with water over your mouth. There really isn't any way around these fumes being created when you put peppers on a hot pan unless you cook them at a very low temperature. The reason is that the capsaicin molecules become airborne when heated. Whenever I cook with peppers I incorporate them in with the dish after I have done any sort of frying. |
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Roller pasta makers require you to work the dough by hand and then run it through the roller multiple times. Some extrusion pasta makers don't even require mixing the ingredients before placing them in the machine. I have a hard time believing that the extrusion models can produce the same quality pasta because the dough is not kneaded or sent through the roller. What is the difference between the noodles produced by each method? | I am absolutely of the opinion that the roller type makes better pasta unless you're considering hugely expensive commercial extruders. This is my pasta maker: I think I spent about $30 on it. I make my pasta dough in my food processor, and the pasta is as good as I have ever had. Yes, it requires that you knead; that's half the fun and it produces much, much better pasta. I had one like this once: I did not like the pasta. I found it to always have a grainy texture, even if I used 00 flour or followed the recipes that came with the machine. The machine just doesn't knead enough or right or something. That one cost $250 I think. The only reasons to prefer this one to the other is if you want shapes (I prefer noodles and ravioli anyway to macaroni), or if you really, really hate kneading. See: Can anybody help make homemade pasta foolproof? for two different, both excellent, methods. Since you had me looking on amazon anyway, I'll show you the one I would buy if I was in the market and didn't mind the idea of spending a little extra money: Marcato Pasta Machine with Attatchments. This one is the bestseller for good reason: Marcato Pasta Machine. This very inexpensive option has been fine for me, but I sometimes wish I had one of the higher quality Marcato rollers. It's a bit rough around the edges, especially cutting, but it's functional. Norpro Pasta Maker. |
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My mother-in-law gave us some mochi that she received as a gift. It's actually the size of a small hockey puck, white and pretty hard. (I've only encountered soft mochi in this shape and generally they had some sort of filling). The only other time that I've seen hard mochi is once when I bought frozen mochi from the store (sold as one solid rectangular block, about 1/2" high). With this frozen mochi, they suggested baking it. When baked, it browned on the outside and puffed up a little bit. Has anyone ever seen the white mochi pucks that I've described? How do you eat it? I'm going to attempt to steam one and try to bake another to test. Is this the proper way to cook this type of mochi? | I've actually found this post about mochi. They show the cakes that I've seen in the past and also the shape that I mentioned in my post. It seems like you can: grill them - they will brown a bit and rise. boil them - they won't rise microwave them And the ways to serve it is with: Butter+soy sauce (an interesting combo that I will try) Rolled in ground sesame seeds + sugar or salt. Rolled kinako (toasted soybean powder + sugar.) UPDATE Boiled I cut them into about 1 inch x 1 inch pieces and threw them in boiling water. Boiled them for about a minute or so...then removed them to a bowl of cold water to stop the cooking process. Dressings I tried butter+soy sauce (1 TBSP melted : 1/4 tsp soy sauce) - It's actually pretty good! I also ground up some black sesame seeds with sugar (1 TBSP : 1/2 tsp sugar)...this was actually my favorite of the two. |
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The recipes I cook usually use either butter or 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil. With butter, everything is fine and the pan gets an 'even' coating of small droplets of fat. But whenever I use olive oil, it tends to all form a single big puddle at the edge of the non-stick frying pan, even if I empty the measuring scoop in the middle of the pan. One of those puddles recently splashed when I added vegetables to the pan, and I burned my finger quite badly, so I want to prevent something like it from happening again. I found this post asking why oil does this, and the answer there gives some ideas on what to do, but the circumstances there aren't really applicable: I checked and my frying pan is level which makes sense as the butter also doesn't run off to the sides. Also, I've been using my frying pans for close to a year now, so more than the 'few months' the answer there mentions as being needed to build up damage and allowing oil to spread more evenly. So neither of the two things mentioned there already seems like a possible solution for me. How do I prevent my olive oil from forming a single puddle at the edge of a frying pan? | Generally this shouldn't be too much of a problem; by moving food around once it is in the pan you will naturally spread the oil across both the food and the pan. You can also use a spatula to spread the oil a little before putting the food in, and tilting the pan to get the oil to run to the far side also helps. If the puddle of oil is significantly splashing you that might be a sign there is too much oil for what you need, but you can also reduce splashing by gently lowering food in (possibly using tools like a spatula or tongs) and putting the side closest to you in first so that any splashing is away from you. |
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Whenever I make chicken strips with bread crumbs it comes out rather moist and soggy and not crisp and crunchy. I cut the boneless skinless chicken breast into strips, mix them with some egg and oil, add some salt and pepper, then roll them around in the bread crumbs. I then use my George Foreman Grill and even on maximum temperature they're too moist. Why does this happen and how do I fix it? This doesn't happen when I'm cooking chicken without the breadcrumbs so I think it has something to do with them. I am using Panko bread crumbs. | The classic method of breading ("Wiener Schnitzel") is a three-step process: flour Only a thin layer: you can add salt or spices to the flour instead of or in addition to seasoning the meat. egg Lightly beaten (not foamy); let excess drip off well. breadcrumbs Either fresh or dried, the egg helps the crumbs to adhere. Lightly pressing the crumbs to the meat is optional. But there is a fourth component that will ensure your success: fat Yes, we are all trying to "eat healthy" and monitor our fat intake, but unfortunately fat plays an crucial role in good breaded food. Whether it's deep- or shallow-fried, the hot fat ensures a good heat transmission and quick setting of the breaded crust, thus locking moisture inside. Your GF grill is an excellent kitchen tool, but defeats the purpose: Your crust can't bake quick enough in the dry heat and touching the hot surface only partially. Combined with the heat from the grill and a significantly longer cooking time, the moisture that steams out of the meat will literally be drawn into the crust - leaving you with sub par results. Save your GF for other uses and use a pan with some oil to fry your chicken. Side note: Some recipes for fried chicken recommend baking the floured chicken pieces in an oven to save fat. Note that a fried chicken is typically a two-step coating with an outer layer of flour, so slightly other rules apply. Nevertheless, this method might be an option for you and worth a try, but don't expect the golden crust you get from traditional frying. I have used an oven with breaded meat, but typically with partially fried food, so that the breading already contained fat / oil from the first round of frying. |
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Does anyone know how to make one base cake mix and then make several flavors for cupcakes? I was thinking a basic white cake mix then SPLITTING mix into Vanilla Bean, Chocolate and Strawberry. Thank you in advance. | Adjusting a basic cake (either from a boxed mix or from scratch) is easy if the cake has no or very little flavour of its own. Using a boxed mix might be more difficult because they often have a generous amount of flavouring, typically vanilla, even if it does not explicitly say so on the box front. Check the ingredients list or use a mix you know - a little vanilla is ok. You can either prepare the basic recipe, then divide the batter (I'll call this method 1 for now) or divide the ingredients and make separate batches (method 2). The latter might be difficult if you need to split eggs, but it's possible. See this question. Now for the adjustments you asked for, amounts suggested should be enough for 1/3 to 1/2 of normal recipe: Vanilla bean Assuming you want real vanilla, split 1/2 vanilla bean and scrape out the seeds. For method 1, add seeds to finished batter (to avoid lumps, mix with a few pinches of sugar until "sprinklable") or stir into liquid according to recipe for method 2. Chocolate Add 1 to 1 1/2 tbsp of cocoa powder (the real stuff, not drink mix!) either to the dry ingredients or flour (method 2) or sive over the batter and stir (method 1). You might have to add a tsp of extra liquid - or not. Hard to say w/o knowing the original recipe. Do not use normal chocolate, because this may ruin your batter, especially if you started from a sponge-type, pound cake is a bit more forgiving. You can make chocolate cake with molten chocolate, but this needs more adjustments / a different recipe. Strawberry A strawberry taste can only be done with artificial flavouring. I have never used this, so I won't give a recommendation here. Read the label. Bonus: Rum, Whiskey, Brandy,... Replace ca. 1 tbsp of liquid with liquour of your choice (method 2) or add 1/2 tbsp at the end (method 1). Poking the baked warm cupcakes a few times with a skewer and drizzling with 1/2 to 1 tsp of alcohol (or alcohol with sugar syrup) might be considered method 3. Bonus 2: Spices Don't forget the powers of your spice cupboard: Cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, even ground cloves, give a lot of flavour w/o the danger of throwing tipping the dry-to-liquid balance of your recipe. A very small pinch (cloves, be careful with these!) to a shake or two (cinnamon) is all you need. Note that you can mix-and match the methods above, e.g. add one tbsp cocoa and 1 tsp of brandy or dissolve the vanilla bean scrapings in a bit of of whiskey. Chocolate goes nicely with a pinch of cinnamon, you could even go all "Christmasy" (ha, and to post this on Easter...) with gingerbread spice or brandy, cinnamon & nutmeg for "eggnogg". |
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It's irritating to cook any recipe with okra. I love okra, but it always takes a long time to burn off all the goopy stuff. Is there a way to get rid of it more quickly so my okra will be ready sooner? | Making your own sugar syrup should work. Corn syrup can be replaced by a sugar syrup. Combine one cup of pure cane sugar with 1/4 cup of water and heat over a low flame. Cool and use directly in a recipe. If preferred, cover the pan for three minutes to help remove sugar crystals, then add 1/4 teaspoon of lemon juice or cream of tartar to the pan and stir frequently until it reaches the soft ball stage (a drop of the syrup will form a ball when immersed in cold water). Cool and store in a sealed container at room temperature. It should keep for up to two months. Alternatively, add granulated or brown sugar to a recipe that calls for corn syrup, cup for cup, then increase the amount of liquids used in the recipe by 1/4 of the amount of sugar added. For your use, you'll probably want the liquid version. |
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I have never managed to cook the perfect potato when making a potato salad. The potato tends to either be too mushy or it is too crunchy depending on if I over cook or under cook. I never seem to be able to find the perfect balance. How can I cook the perfect potato? | First, potato is not the same as potato. Conventionally, potato salad is always made with waxy potatoes, because mealy potatoes' outer layers disintegrate when tossed with the sauce, much like making risotto. They are also less creamy in texture. But there is also the school of using mealy potatoes, because they absorb more seasoning, and also because some people like the soft texture. If you decide to go with mealy, use an acid in the cooking water (depending on your seasoning, choose vinegar, citric acid, or the neutral tasting cream of tartar). This will firm the potatoes. It isn't necessary for waxy potatoes. Second, the cooking time depends strongly on size. You must cut them very evenly. Else you will have both undercooked and overcooked potatoes in the pot at any given moment (up to the time when you only have overcooked ones). Smaller pieces are easier to work with. Third, you want to heat them as gently as possible. Start them in cold water, and cook them at a simmer, not at a boil. There is no way to predict when the potatoes will be ready. Even if you cut them to the same size every time, the sort and the age of the potatoes will result in varying cooking times. When the time is near, you must look after them and try them constantly. Take out a piece, cut it in half, cool it in cold water, and chomp on the exact center. If it isn't crunchy, stop the cooking immediately and remove the water. The time window in which they are just right is quite short. Season them while they are hot, they will then absorb the sauce instead of just swimming in it the way cold potatoes do. |
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I've tried cooking a basic shakshuka a few times, and always come up against the same problem of the tomatoes burning to the bottom of the pan before the eggs are fully cooked. The basic recipe I follow is: Fry onions until translucent Add spices and fry for another minute or so Add chopped tomatoes (from a can, because I'm lazy) and stir everything together Make small hollows in the mixture and break an egg into each Stand back and wait for eggs to cook Scrape burned mixture off the bottom of the pan while serving I say the problem is the tomatoes burning to the bottom of the pan, but obviously it's actually the whole mixture, I just suspect that the problem is something to do with the tomatoes burning and sticking. I'm cooking the whole mixture on a gas hob on the lowest heat possible (though there are smaller hobs I can try if that's the issue) using a Tefal non-stick pan (which at least makes cleaning a little easier). Am I not adding enough oil to start with? Is the temperature too high? Is my choice of pan not suitable? Should I be stirring carefully around the eggs while they're cooking? | I have a few suggestions: Use room temperature eggs so they cook faster. Egg white cooks at 150°F (65°C), room temperature is usually about 70°F and refrigerator temp 45°F. That difference is close to 50% more cooking time Add a bit of water. Maybe your mix is too thick, if there isn't enough water in the mix it's more likely to burn, this dish depends on having enough moisture Make your dents deep, get the egg as close to the pan as you can. Also, make the dents big enough that your eggs spread about a bit, more surface area means the egg cooks faster Use smaller eggs so they cook faster Keep the heat up more. I know it sounds counter-intuitive but if your pan is too cool you will lose a lot of heat at the top due to evaporation, the top will be cool but the bottom hot. Try a medium heat, but pay attention to 2. You could cover the pan, I don't like this because you want the dish to lose moisture, but you could try it. If your canned tomatoes are very thick you may actually have too little water, so you could try keeping the heat low and covering it Bake it instead once you put the eggs on, this will give an even heat on the top. It's not a traditional way to make it but if if you are results driven it may work for you |
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My daughter sent me a recipe for gingerbread biscotti which has macadamia nuts and then dipped in white chocolate. The recipe says to "melt according to the instructions on the bag". Well, there are NO melting instructions on this bag of Ghirardelli White Chocolate Chips. After reading umpteen stories online about the hazards of melting white chocolate, NONE of them mentioned adding cocoa butter. Is it because most people don't have cocoa butter on hand (I use it in my soap making) or is it that it doesn't work? | The issue isn’t so much the soak but the cooking. You need to boil the beans for 10 minutes to inactivate the toxin in them. Cooking at a lower temperature, such as with a slow cooker will not do this. The problem here is that I don’t know how well the beans will cook if they’re not yet hydrated. You may need to cook them for a bit then bring it to a hard boil for 10 minutes |
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In Chinese cuisine it's very common to start a vegetable stir fry with a bit of minced meat, typically pork, to give the dish a deeper flavor. To make a vegetarian version I usually just leave this out, but I've been wondering if something else would give a similar effect taste-wise. Typical meat replacements like tofu or seitan don't work here because they focus on providing the texture and protein of meat, but not so much the flavor. | It seems like you are primarily interested in reproducing the umami of the meat. Tofu does in fact have glutamic acids that will add to the umami; just make sure to thoroughly dry the tofu (extracting as much liquid as possible) before use. In addition, you can use minced mushrooms, as Stephie mentioned in the comments. You can also experiment with adding Bragg's Liquid Aminos, since it has a lot of umami but has less than half the sodium of soy sauce. Keep in mind, though, that the meat in the original recipe is also relied upon for its fat; tofu does have some fat, but not as much as meat, and it's unlikely to render out during the initial fry. Therefore, I would suggest adding 7 grams of fat (e.g., vegetable oil) for every 100g of meat you are replacing. |
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I've made homemade croutons a few times now and experimented with using more or less olive oil and cooking shorter/longer. My first batch was the best tasting, however they were a little chewy inside, which is great if that's what you're going for, but I want them to be consistently crunchy throughout. I wondered after first batch if I used more olive oil if it would soak in more and cause the inside to cook more like the outside. I tried but I also was experimenting with temp and time (I'm using a convection oven for the first time) so it was hard to tell if it worked because on the one hand I did get the desired texture that I wanted but on the other hand I over cooked them just a little. If you like a tinge of that burnt flavor then they are perfect but I don't. I'd love to not have to expirement for too much longer before finding my answer so hope you guys can help! What's the best way to get a consistent crunch throughout without burning your croutons? Oh, also I'm just using regular sliced bread. I think just using some other kinds of bread would solve the problem, but I want to be able to do it with this kind of bread so I can salvage stale bread in the future. | It's easy to make croutons crunchy: Just dry the bread pieces in a dehydrator or low-temperature oven (around 125°C) for a couple of hours. This should be done before adding oil or seasonings, since the process would cook off a lot of their flavor. Afterwards, drizzle on the olive oil and seasonings, and bake or fry as desired. (Be careful with the oil: the dried bread cubes will absorb it much more quickly than fresh or stale bread cubes would.) |
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I have always read that when making bone broth you should keep the heat to around 180F and do not let it get to an aggressive boil because it will emulsify the fat into the broth and also because you will lose flavor and nutrients through the boiling process. I always let mine simmer for about 2 days. I am considering opening up Bone Broth kiosk in my city and someone suggested using a pressure cooker to quicken the process. I would think this would also be considered cooking at a very high temperature. Has anyone ever used a pressure cooker for making broth and would you consider this to be a decent way of keeping the nutrients and flavor intact while speeding up the process? | Like @Greybeard, I've had a great deal of success using a pressure cooker to make stocks and broths quickly. Pressure cooking is, by definition, at a higher temperature than normal simmering or boiling. In those methods, the upper temperature is limited to the boiling point of the liquid (212 degrees F, 100 degrees C for pure water, a bit higher for solutions with dissolved solids such as salt). The pressure buildup inside a sealed pressure cooker actually raises this boiling point; it's the opposite of why water boils at a lower temperature at higher altitudes, and a higher temperature means generally faster cooking. In the case of stocks and broths, this higher temperature increases the rate at which collagen hydrolyzes; basically, it untangles from its original tough, tightly-woven state and forms free-floating strands which then tangle and interconnect as the solution cools, producing the characteristic texture of gelatin. So: a pressure cooker is good, in that it reduces the amount of time that this process takes. Rather than 8 hours of simmering, you can use a pressure cooker and get a similar amount of collagen extraction in perhaps 3-4 hours of cooking. If you're like me, you'll take a look at this result and wonder: if I can make a great chicken stock in 3 hours, what happens if I let it cook for 12? The answer, unfortunately, is disappointing. Bones will crumble will barely any effort, but the resulting stock won't be any more viscous or tasty than a stock cooked for a shorter amount of time. What gives? Howard McGee's classic tome On Food and Cooking offers a hint: gelatin isn't impervious; those long strands are delicate, and they can be denatured or damaged by acids or enzymes. McGee also notes what a lot of people seem to miss: at higher temperatures, collagen strands on their way to becoming a tightly-bonded network of gelatin can become damaged, or "cut" partway down their length. Instead of a dense network of long strands, you get fewer bonds between shorter strands, and we perceive this as a less "gelatinous" broth. In other words, using a pressure cooker raises the temperature so much that it can actually damage the collagen you're trying to extract over a longer cooking time, even as it takes less time to extract in the first place. This happens much less with an extended simmer, even one measured in days, because the temperature isn't high enough cause much damage - indeed, it can't be, because it's limited by the boiling point. There's a balance point here: a pressure cooker will allow you to produce stock comparatively quickly, but it introduces the risk of overcooking (in the sense of destroying some of the collagen you've worked to extract). 3-4 hours under pressure seems to be the sweet spot for chicken stock; turkey can go a little longer, maybe 6 hours. For a beef or pork stock, where there is much more collagen to be extracted, using a pressure cooker is still faster but almost counter-productive; you can't fully extract all the collagen you might want without damaging some. If you really want a full extraction of all the collagen present, a traditional simmer is the way to go, even though it takes longer. That said, you may decide that the advantage of speed for a commercial enterprise is more important, and opt for something like a 6-8 hour pressure cook for pork or beef bones; I wouldn't go much more than 12 hours, personally. You might even decide on an initial extraction in a pressure cooker, followed by simmering the already-cooked bones in the traditional manner until you've extracted everything that's left. You'll want to experiment a bit as you try to make this a viable business, but I'd definitely advise being aware of this limitation before you run into some less-than-optimal batches of stock like I did. (Don't get me wrong - the end result was still good, just not any better than stock pressure-cooked for a shorter period of time.) EDIT: Somehow I made it through this entire long-winded answer without noting that many modern electric pressure cookers are also designed to be used as slow cookers, holding a sub-boiling temperature for an extended period of time without pressure. This is great - you can safely maintain a lower-temperature extraction for an extended period of time (though you need to make sure you use the "high" setting to get above the hydrolyzation point of collagen). They can also be programmed to switch from one mode to another. I've started successfully experimenting with hybrid methods: pressure cooking for an hour to jump-start the extraction, letting the pressure release, then slow-cooking overnight before straining in the morning. If you're going to consider pressure-cooking at all, this may be a way to get the best of both worlds. |
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I am cooking crêpes using the basic recipe: 1 egg, 250 ml (8.5 oz) full-fat milk, 250 ml (8.5oz) water, 200 g (1.4 cup) regular wheat flour, a pinch of salt. I let it sit for an hour+ in the fridge before I start baking. The taste is fine, but the texture is not consistent. Sometimes I get “lace” crêpes with small holes (1 mm), which is what I want. Sometimes I get crêpes with large air pockets, maybe 2-3 cm / 1" in diameter, 1 cm / 0.5" thick. What am I doing wrong? | To me it looks like the crepe batter is sticking unevenly to the cooking surface. As the crepe cooks, steam is released from the bottom. In some areas the crepe sticks to the pan and prevents the steam from escaping; it gathers into bubbles. (As the crepe continues to cook, the surface dehydrates and proteins contract, releasing the crepe, so this doesn't necessarily lead to sticking when you attempt to flip the crepe.) It's hard to tell from your photos, but I guess you're cooking on a cast iron skillet? Before you start cooking crepes, oil it and bring it to smoking temperature, then wipe with a dry paper towel and allow to cool to cooking temperature. Re-oil immediately before you start cooking the crepe. If there's any significant rough carbon deposits, try reseasoning. Finally, if you like lacy crepes, try whisking the batter just before pouring it. The small bubbles are what cause the laciness, and they'll also act to release the pressure that would otherwise develop into large bubbles. |
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Inspired by a question about shaking vs stirring--part of what is unusual about Mr. Bond's request is that a martini is typically stirred rather than shaken; the normal reason given is that one stirs the drink to avoid bruising the gin. I can understand bruising in the context of, say, leafy vegetables, or herbs. But gin? I'm just not sure what it means--or is it just part of bar mythology? | According to some, aerating the gin by splashing it around alters the flavor, or "bruises" it; or more perceptibly, one would be likely to quickly notice the little bubbles disrupt its normal tongue/palate texture. From Wikipedia, "Shaken, not stirred": Some connoisseurs believe that shaking gin is a faux pas, supposedly because the shaking "bruises" the gin (a term referring to a slight bitter taste that can allegedly occur when gin is shaken). In Fleming's novel Casino Royale, it is stated that Bond "watched as the deep glass became frosted with the pale golden drink, slightly aerated by the bruising of the shaker," suggesting that Bond was requesting it shaken because of the vodka it contained. Prior to the 1960s, vodka was, for the most part, refined from potatoes (usually cheaper brands). This element made the vodka oily. To disperse the oil, Bond ordered his martinis shaken; thus, in the same scene where he orders the martini, he tells the barman about how vodka made from grain rather than potatoes makes his drink even better. Better, from the Martini FAQ; ...while we should all defer to the inimitable Mr. Bond on matters such as high-tech spy gadgets, impromptu hand-to-hand combat, and retrograde seduction techniques, his reasoning on this matter is specious. To "bruise" a wine or spirit means to take some action that changes its taste. Agitating and therefore aerating a gin or vodka martini changes its taste: it makes it taste "sharper". It imparts a certain bite or zing. Given this, and given his dislike of a bruised spirit, Bond should insist that his drink be "Stirred, not shaken," since shaking "bruises" the gin more than stirring does. ...Here are the facts: Shaking cools a drink more quickly. Shaking is more likely to chip small shards off the ice, some of which will make their way into the drink, no matter how carefully one strains and pours. Which may be part of the reason why... Although the gin spends less time with the ice when the drink is shaken, shaking a drink actually dilutes it more than stirring does. Very rarely, shaking can produce a chill haze (the precipitation of very small solid particles) from the vermouth, giving the drink a cloudy appearance. Shaking creates tiny bubbles in the mix, which temporarily impart a cloudy appearance to the drink. Shaking causes a certain class of molecules in the liquor (aldehydes) to combine with oxygen more than stirring does. The oxidation of these molecules also slightly alters the flavor, making it "sharper" (Miller, Anistatia R. and Jared M. Brown. Shaken Not Stirred: A Celebration of the Martini. New York: HarperCollins, 1997). |
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Fleur de sel is the salt from the top of the pot when you heat salted water. But what makes it different from the rest of the salt in the pot? | I'm not 100% sure but I found this site that explains what fleur de sel is. It says that Like other sea salts, fleur de sel is harvested by evaporating sea water. However, to harvest fleur de sel, workers gently skim the top layer of the sea salt from partially evaporated pools, before it sinks to the bottom again. These salt crystals are very fine, light, and delicate, and must be handled with care and exposed to minimal moisture, or they will clump again. It looks like you are reproducing how fleur de sel is made, through boiling the water which is the equivalent to "evaporating sea water". |
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I just bought a cast iron meat grinder; used it for the first time to grind a roast for hamburg. When finished there was some black residue around the handle and meant had some dark spots in it. Is this normal or should I throw away the meat? | If you did not clean and run an initial process through the grinder before using it for the first time, I recommend discarding the meat. When the machine was packaged, oil was probably used to prevent sticking or corrosion during storage. Also, chemical residues from protectants and finishes may still be present in the machine. Before the first use, it is best to thoroughly clean the device and to put through a generous portion of raw meat fat to "sweep out" metal dust and filings and to clean up excess lubricant. Discard the raw meat fat where no animals will be able to scavenge it. |
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What's the best way to keep pakoras crisp until being served? I am planning to make pakoras for a party and will not have time to make it as the guests arrive, which is why I would like to make it a few hours ahead and serve upon arrival. Will keeping them in a warm oven help? If so, at what temperature? | You'll need to go by the consistency of the stock. If your cooled stock is just slightly gelatinous, but falls apart easily when handled, it's probably around 1%. If it is as solid as "dessert gelatin" (Jello), it's around 3% or more. (source: "On Food and Cooking") |
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On a whim I bought some tamarind at the grocery store this week. I'm most familiar with it from the dish Pad Thai. My idea at the time was that I would "do something" with it and a pork chop. Pork chops being my canvas of choice for much experimentation. However I'm now stumped as to what I actually do with this thing. I cracked the flimsy shell/skin to expose the sticky fruit inside. I licked it; it tastes good. I'm not sure what to do next though. I've looked at some recipes online, but they all work with tamarind paste. I'm assuming I need to process the meat somehow to turn it into a paste. Questions Do I have to turn this into paste? How do I clean/prepare it? (besides obviously throwing the skin away) Do I need to add oil, water, or other ingredients to make it a paste? Are there seeds? Do they need to be removed? | 1- Remove the hard shell, 2- simmer them in a little liquid until the meat can be easily removed from the seeds. Tamarind is very sweet and very sour. Tamarind chutneys are delicious for a starting point. You can find recipes but not many other ingredients are required. You asked if you have to make it into a paste- I suppose not but cooking them is required to get the seeds out and cooking turns the meat into a paste. Carmi is correct that you can add them directly to liquid but you need to be able to get the large, hard seeds out. |
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I make yogurt with a yogurt maker and the yogurt is nice and thick, but it is very sour at the top only and the rest is almost sweet, like a sweet fresh cheese. Why isn't it sour all over? This is how I prepare it: heat 1l (goat or sheep) milk slowly (1h) to 85° Celsius, keep it at 85° Celsius for 10 minutes, let it cool slowly to 45° Celsius, mix well with 50g simple yogurt, put it in the yogurt maker at 45° Celsius for 12h. | What I normally do is fluff up the rice- sometimes its just the top layer which is a little more moist due to condensation, but if it's watery I sometimes leave the rice cooker open for a bit and let it evaporate which works for me (although I don't know if that is how you're supposed to do it) |
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Growing up, my mother always made me one of my favourite treats, which was arroz Guizado, or Spanish fried rice. It was the only kind I had ever tasted up until I was around eleven or twelve. When I went to visit my friends' houses, and if they had Mexican food that I didn't like, they offered to give me whatever leftover Spanish rice they had. I immediately noticed the difference: it was rich and flavourful and perfectly balanced, plus it was a little bit creamy. I recently got enrolled in my state's independent skills-training programme because of my blindness and other disabilities, and my skills coach and I found a basic Spanish rice recipe that had the following: 2 US cups of rice 1/8 cup of vegetable oil 6 stems of cilantro (optional) 1 tsp salt 1 tsp minced garlic 4 cups water with 1 cube chicken bouillon or 4 cups chicken broth and no bouillon a dash of cumin to taste a dash of garlic pepper to taste We started by browning the rice before adding the minced garlic, letting it saute for about a minute. Here's where things get a little weird. I will differentiate the different method that my mother did it versus how my skills coach taught me to do it using A for my mother and B for my trainer. I told my mother exactly how to follow the directions, but being blind, she could've done something that I couldn't see. A. Let the rice fry (with onion) for about five to ten minutes until they are really dark before adding the tomatoes. B. Let the rice and garlic fry for about a minute or two before adding in the tomatoes. A. Since we didn't have any tomato sauce, we blended the tomatoes thoroughly and poured them into the rice. B. Boil the tomatoes until they are soft and mushy, and then mash them up thoroughly before pouring it into the rice since we didn't have any tomato sauce. A and B. Add the bouillon cube and spices. A. Pour four cups of plain water. B. Add four cups of the water used to boil the tomatoes so as to add more tomato flavour. A. Cover the pan and simmer for about fifteen to twenty minutes (this is where it starts to smell strong). B. Cover the lid and let simmer for about forty-five minutes (doesn't smell as strong). The result is that the rice my mother made has almost no flavour, tastes like cardboard, and has a weird smokey-like aroma to it, whereas the one my direct support provider and I tastes much more palatable, has a creamy texture, and feels much more fluffier in general. When I asked my mother why it had that strong aroma, she simply claimed that it was the onion, but I don't think that is the case. could overfrying and/or undersimmering the rice caused this to happen? If not, what else could've gone wrong to cause such a thing to occur? | The simple explanation is that your mother regularly burned the rice. That would cause all of the off flavors you mentioned. The fact that she says it should be "really dark" would indicate that it was. She may have burned the onions as well. Mexican tomato rice is often heavily fried before boiling. However, it doesn't change color much -- maybe a tiny bit of tan in spots. You mostly have to judge whether it's ready by smell; the rice starts smelling "nuttier" and then you know it's time to add the tomatoes. For example, here's the instruction from Mexican-American chef Pati Jinich's recipe for red rice: Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking. Add the rice and cook, stirring often, until the rice becomes milky white, 3 to 4 minutes. She's frying it for longer than your instructor did, but you'll notice it's still not "dark". |
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My husband will bring home some fresh white truffles from Italy. I never had truffles in my kitchen and I don't know how to store them. Any advice? Subquestion suggested by casperOne: It would be interesting to hear answers both about long-term storage in the kitchen and storage options for transporting them on a long flight. | The biggest cause of mould or fungus is humidity (moisure, dampness, water in the air) and the leaves by nature will produce this as they dry. After all, the drying process is removing water from the plant. As long as you dry the herbs in an area with plenty of air circulation (to avoid humidity build up and take away any moisture as the leaves dry) you should be fine. Make sure the herbs aren't bunched together, spread them out on a tray so the air can circulate around them. Turn them over regularly - every day or every 6 hours or so so they can dry evenly. Remove any damaged/crushed/torn leaves or stems where mould can get a hold and spread. Also remember just because the outside leaves stems may feel dry, the insides may not be, so give them longer to dry out than you think. |
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My understanding of baking powder is that it supposed to be a chemical alternative to yeast, allowing a baker to leaven bread more cheaply and faster than yeast would do. Is baking powder the primary method for leavening commercial breads that I would find in a grocery store like "Wonder Bread" and "Sunshine" and so on? | No way. I have 3 loaves of (different brands) commercial bread open at home now. None of them lists baking soda, baking powder, sodium bicarbonate or any other synonym I know of, and all three do list "yeast". In addition, Amazon website gives the ingredient list for the authentic "Wonder Bread classic white bread loaf", and it also calls out yeast, and not baking powder. |
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Is there a way to tell if my pumpkin is ripe enough to make baby food with? It's very hard when I cut into it and the inside is a little like spaghetti squash after I've cleaned it out. I have never cooked anything with pumpkin before. | Raw pumpkins are very hard and more or less inedible. They are similar to potatoes: you have to cook them before you can eat them. Most pumpkin varieties are not as stringy as spaghetti squash, at least their edible portion isn't. The fibers in which the seeds hang are not eaten, you eat the hard part (after cooking it to make it soft). It is also possible that you got the wrong kind of pumpkin - while you can eat pumpkins meant for carving, their texture is not so nice as that of pumpkins grown for food purposes. Practically all recipes for pumpkin involve creating soft pumpkin purée first, and this must be even more important for baby food. Our user derobert wrote an extensive guide on making good pumpkin purée on our community blog. The basic idea is that you clean and bake the pumpkin, then process the result to a homogenous but watery mass, which is basically already edible. He recommends to dehydrate it to achieve a better tasting product which requires less freezer space for storage. I don't know if the last step is desirable for baby food, maybe the parents around here have an opinion on it. While an unripe pumpkin would be as hard as a ripe one, I doubt that anybody would sell unripe pumpkins, I have never encountered any, not even at the discounter supermarkets. And even if you should get one which is slightly unripe, I don't think this would be much of a problem. With fruit which is eaten raw, the problem with being unripe is that it is too hard and tasteless for eating. Baking the pumpkin will soften it enough even if it is unripe, and while tasteless pumpkin is unfortunate, it shouldn't upset anybody's digestion, not even a baby's. |
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My mother is confounded by whipping-cream. Some 20 years ago she started making cream-puffs which quickly became her pastry calling card. They always came out great and were always a hit. Some 15 years later, she cannot seem to make whipped-cream anymore. She still uses the same bowl, same mixer, same whipping-cream (Nutriwhip whipping-cream) and does everything the same way as she used to, but no matter what, the cream stays soft and will not stiffen or form peaks. (The kitchen is not too hot.) Some explanations that we have considered include: Changes to the quality/ingredients of the cream (despite the box being the same) Adding powdered sugar to the liquid cream before whipping (like she always used to do) Refrigerator not cold enough (but then, freezer not cold enough either?) Whipping for too long causes heat build-up due to friction, which melts it (doesn’t excessive beating turn it into butter?) She tried using different bowl, a chilled bowl, a different mixer, (even made me try by hand once!) She has tried a different brands of cream (35% Beatrice and Lactancia whipping-creams), but gets the same results. One time, I tried adding the powdered sugar after whipping the cream, and it was much better than what she normally gets now, but still not as stiff as compared to the past. Using a whisk on the mixer in place of the normal beaters (which was what she always used before, as my and my sister’s tongues can attest to), seems to help, but even that is only temporary. She has even tried putting the whipped cream in the freezer, and while it does harden, once it has thawed enough to pipe, it gets runny very quickly (in the past, she would be able to pipe the cream onto baked goods, leave them in the fridge for a day, then drive them to somewhere else without the cream’s edges softening). She is baffled because she had made whipped-cream for various baked-goods countless times, but until a few years ago, she never had any problems, then suddenly, it never works anymore. I found a few related questions here, but they don’t quite apply (they talk about different bowls, different temperatures, etc., but like I said, it used to work). What could be the problem? How can she get whipped-cream to stay hard like it used to? Exact brands and variations used: | Tests She has tried the frozen-bowl trick (which she never used to have to do), but the cream only stays whipped and forms peaks for a while, then starts to melt (far too) quickly. Theory One theory she had was that she was whipping it for too long, which caused heat build up due to friction which in turn melted the cream. This seems to be borne out by the fact that using a wire-whip tends to give desired results more often than using flat-beaters. Facts Of course this isn’t a 100% answer or solution because: She used to use flat-beaters exclusively in the past without issue Even when using a whisk to whip it, it can still melt and fall flat quickly sometimes Supplemental In addition, I noticed that she seems to be putting more icing sugar in her whipped-cream than in the past. This likely changes, and specifically lowers, the melting point of the cream just like adding salt to water. We have not done extensive, conclusive testing, but a couple times when she remembered to put in less sugar, it did seem to whip better. This may or may not have been due to the lower sugar content, but it certainly is worth trying if you are having trouble whipping cream. Conclusion These observations and tests seem to indicate that the material contents of the cream have changed since the past, and even today, can vary from box to box. Either way, a wire whisk and chilled bowl as well as reducing sugar (and possibly dyes, and other additives) are the best shot at getting cream to whip. |
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I'm fond of porridge for breakfast. This used to have something of a weirdo reputation here in Germany, but actually seems to be taking off in popularity recently. Trouble is, everything I was able to buy so far labelled Porridge/Haferbrei turned out to be, in essence, ridiculously overpriced rolled oats. Which is funny, because a) rolled oats in many different varieties have always been easy to come by, and b) they are IMO greatly inferior to the steel-cut variant, when it comes to making porridge. Steel-cut oats, alas, I only ever find sold as a specialty cooking ingredient (Hafergrütze) and in pitiably small quantities. Hence I have so far ordered a lot of the stuff from abroad, but I find it a bit ridiculous to order staple food from the internet. What is again relatively easy to find are whole oat grains. I have already tried processing these to steel-cut myself in various ways, but with little success – my immersion blender will grind half of the stuff to flour while there are still lots of untouched grains left, and with a knife it takes forever to get through a noteworthy amount. Am I missing some trick that would give a decent consistency, or is it just not feasible to do at home? | Seems like you should consider investing in a grain mill. They come in a wide variety of options from manual to electric and they have different settings for how fine a grind you can get. While many of them may not grind as coarse as needed for cereals, there are many, particularly the manual mills, that do. You probably want a burr-style mill... they're essentially the same thing as most pepper mills or good-quality coffee mills. Find one that does very coarse grain milling... perhaps check with homebrewing groups to see which they recommend, as milling is part of the brewing process. I'm not sure you'll get the same results as a true steel cut, as it's a factory process but it will certainly be more consistent than your current results. |
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I know from this question that I should avoid cooking (at least without gloves) if I have an open cut. However, once a cut starts to heal, how can I tell if it's safe to cook without gloves? Are there any firm rules, or is it based on experience and watching how MY cuts react to being washed often? Are there different rules if I have a burn? Or is it the same -- if I'm likely to ooze, I should wear gloves. Otherwise, I'm okay without them. | If you're really worried about it, put some superglue over it. It actually works really well...Just don't stick your fingers together. Regular superglue can irritate your skin, so if you have time to plan ahead, buy some Dermabond, which is a cyanoacrylate surgical glue...They use it in place of stitches sometimes. Works great. Your wounds will NOT seep. Period. Honestly though, people get cut all the time in professional kitchens, and I've never seen someone do more than slap some glue or a piece of tape over it, and keep going. You can't just quit work for a couple of days without throwing the whole business into chaos. It's a rough trade. |
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I'm making a simple syrup with equal parts sugar and water in a glass measuring cup and want to avoid dirtying two measuring cups. I want to measure one (say standard table sugar,) then add the water. What should the resulting volume of both be? | My experiment with table sugar, pouring 1/2 cup of table sugar into a glass container then pouring in 1/2 cup of water on top without stirring resulted in the water line reaching the 3/4 cup mark after a few seconds of absorption. So the ratio of the volume of separated sugar and water to the mixture is 3:4. |
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I specify sweet fruit here because I think there would different good answers for a savory or a custard based pie. | It actually depends on the quality of the shortening you're able to get. You might think they're all the same, but you'd be wrong. When I was taught how to make pies, we used shortening, and the crusts were perfect. However, I was told that for home baking, the shortening you buy in supermarkets (Crisco, normally) just isn't going to cut it and to use Tenderflake (lard) instead. I actually verified this once and found out that he was right - using the exact same technique, the supermarket shortening just didn't turn out the way the "industrial" shortening did. The crust is always too mealy and dry and tastes "off" somehow. Unless a lot has changed in the past 5 years, lard is actually much closer to the good shortening that's being used in bakeries. Butter would, obviously, impart a much richer flavour than shortening, but I wouldn't use just butter in a fruit pie. You won't get anywhere near the flakiness of shortening or lard. Half-and-half is a decent compromise, but the result is neither as flavourful nor as flaky as lard. So, generally, I would stick to lard. You could take plor's suggestion and mix it with some butter, but I've found that the flavour and texture is very good with just lard; if you do decide to mix, be careful not to overdo it, otherwise you'll lose all the wonderful flakiness that the lard imparts (I'd recommend 75% lard). Don't mix lard with shortening. That can only take away from all aspects of the quality, and unless you're worried about nutrition (in which case, why are you using lard at all, or eating pie for that matter?) then there's absolutely no reason to "taint" the lard this way. P.S. Don't forget to add some sugar. A little goes a long way in pie crusts. |
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It's hard to clean the baking sheet from the stains left by baking food. I was wondering if it is safe to bake the food wrapped in aluminum foil, or whether some aluminum may be leached into the food? | Not only is it safe but there are entire collections of recipes developed around "foil pack" cooking. Mostly centered around 'campfire' cooking, where one prepares all of the ingredients, wraps them tightly in aluminum foil and places the whole pack in the fire (or oven) to cook the dish. |
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One of the methods I use to cook chicken in general and especially chicken breast is as follows: put the chicken into a frying pan. Pour 1/2 a cup of water and let it cook on medium heat for as long as two or three tablespoons of water remains. I use small portions of onion to get rid of its bad smell. The problem with this method is always get a dry meat. What method gives me a moist and juicy meat so that it melts in the mouth? | The reason why your meat is dry has less to do with whether you cook in liquid and more to do with the temperature you cook the meat to. The proteins in meat will squeeze out the water in them as you increase the temperature you cook them at. If you are cooking your breasts in boiling water then that can result in meat that is cooked far above well done. Here is a link that relates moisture loss in meat vs cooking temp: http://www.seriouseats.com/2010/03/how-to-sous-vide-steak.html This link is for beef but the basic principle applies to chicken as well. Water is able to transfer heat much more efficiently then air given a similar temperature. This means that your chicken is ironically getting overcooked because of the water you added. A standard technique people use to cook small cuts of meat is to brown both sides at a high temperature and then lower the temp to cook the inside without over cooking the outside. Next time just try to cook without water and just lower the temp instead. Flip the meat often to ensure even cooking. If you want truly "melt in your mouth" chicken you will need something with a bit more fat. Chicken breast is very lean protein and at best can be "juicy" but that is it. Chicken legs and thighs however are higher in fat content and have collagen which can result in very tender chicken. The legs and thighs can also be cooked to a much higher temperature without drying out as much as chicken breast. Consider cooking dark meat for tender chicken. |
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I just got a used Braun MX32 CDN from a thrift store. It's in great shape. Unfortunately, it came with a lid from some other model that apparently somebody tried to cut to make it fit. Naturally, it leaks, but it even leaks if I hold it down as tight as I can. So, not wanting to spend too much on replacement parts, and preferring not to take it back, I was wondering what my options were for manufacturing my own water-tight lid. Has anyone had success with this? | Any round piece of something that's reasonably solid will provide a start for a lid (think, arts and crafts store). Then trace around the top of the blender to see where the top of the container meets the lid. Then glue a foam-rubber gasket (DIY home store... windows) just inside the line and it should create a tight seal between the blender and the lid. This will provide a makeshift but usable hold-while-in-use lid. |
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I bought a fully cooked ham. It was frozen, and it's now thawed. How long should I put in the oven to warm it up? | Since it's already fully-cooked, you don't need to be all that precise with time or temperature. The most important thing is to avoid drying it out, so use a roasting pan and add a little water to the bottom (not more than 1 cm) and cover it while it's reheating. It's best if you have a meat thermometer; toss it in at 300° F / 150° C (or up to 350° F / 175° C if you're in a hurry) and aim for a temperature of about 140° F / 60° C. If you don't have a thermometer, this about.com page suggests 16-20 minutes per pound; it also suggests heating to 135° F which is also fine. But if you're not going by a thermometer then you'd better make sure that it's completely thawed first, all the way to the interior, lest you end up with a semi-frozen dinner. If you also plan to glaze it then apply the glaze after it's been heated and raise the temperature to 400° F (205° C) as the above link suggests. |
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I've got a friend who makes many dishes involving hamburger, but doesn't ever strain it. The grease is added to a dish like Shepard's pie which to me just seems very gross. I see a lot of posts about how to strain. but nothing to discuss why you should / shouldn't strain and what you should do as an alternative if the grease must be used. | Well, all I can say is 'it depends on the dish'. If the dish calls for fat to be added otherwise, you can keep that fat and count it where you would add some later. If the dish is just adding hamburger and no more fat - I agree, discard it. That said - I don't find hamburger fat particularly flavorful and nearly always strain it and add another kind of fat I like better. It also depends on the fat percentage. If I'm using lean 97/3 hamburger, there's hardly any fat to drain. |
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Whenever I cook hot dogs in the microwave they invariably split and/or burst open. I've tried shortening the cooking time, but haven't found a happy medium where they are thoroughly cooked, but remain unmutilated. Is there some trick to cooking them in a microwave without this happening? | Poke them with a fork in a few places. This will let the steam out in a controlled manner and prevent bursting. or, even better, skip the microwave and boil them in a pan over the stove. |
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I need to roast some hazelnuts to use later for other preparations. How do you do it? In a cooking pan or in the oven, and for how much time? | While using a pan on the stove top can result in roasted hazelnuts (or any nut), it does require constant movement and attention. It can be quick, but it can also go wrong quickly if your heat is too high...or you stop shaking the pan for too long. Alternately, roasting in a 325 to 350 F (163 to 177 C) oven, on a sheet pan, in a single layer, results in a much more predictable outcome and requires less direct attention. Ten to 15 minutes would do the trick, but use your nose and eyes for guidance. Once nuts begin to roast, they can quickly go from perfect to burnt. Start checking after 8 or 9 minutes. If you are working with hazelnuts that have the skins on them, after roasting, you can dump them onto a clean kitchen towel. Fold the sides over and rub the nuts between the towel. This should quickly remove most of the outer skins. I remove the cleaned ones to a bowl, and give the remaining ones another rubbing. You may have to work at (or ignore) the few stubborn ones. |
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I have two oolong teas of the same type (dong fang mei ren). One has long leaves that barely fit in a teaspoon. The other has much smaller leaves that are easily scooped up, and it has a weaker taste. However they seem to expand more when it's steeped. Are smaller leaves generally an indication of lower quality? | Smaller leaves typically but not always would mean younger leaves and is associated with higher quality. However this is not always the case and especially by this particular tea I don't know how true this is. This tea is supposed to be made by growing tea in Taiwan without pesticides. Having a particular bug chew on the leaves causing the plant to produce certain chemicals that give this tea its flavor. Additionally it's supposed to only use the top two leaves. All these things together could make this potentially a pretty expensive tea. So some manufacturers take various shortcuts life chopping the leaves so it looks like a smaller tip leaf but actually being a older leaf. Also being grown in Taiwan which has somewhat unstable weather and being dependent on those bugs makes this a very seasonal product that may be great some years and bland the next. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tea_leaf_grading https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dongfang_Meiren |
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My aunt lives in Venezuela. They don't have basics like bread or meat. I have been mailing her food like crackers and canned meat. I want to mail her some type of bread. I don't know what kind would last the longest. | The classic "long-lasting bread" is rather like a very hard cracker - ship's bread or pilot bread. Otherwise flour and yeast (add water and bake after it arrives) would be more suitable. At some point when I had been reading too much old sailing tales I made some ship's bread - it's about as awful as the tales tell, once aged a bit (it was fairly edible, though fairly dense, when fresh, actually.) The commercially produced "pilot bread" is a bit more friendly for eating. |
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I've got some nice honeycomb (submersed in honey) in a big jar, but the "best before" date was over 4 months ago! I was saving it for a year or two. Just realised the date is gone. Any possibility it's still OK? Any way I can be sure? Background for people who don't know much about expiration dates: Often expiration dates on food ("use by", "expires" or "best before") err on the conservative side, as the food producers can't guess very exactly when the food will turn bad. So sometimes I'll eat a jar of something that lasts for 3-4 years on the shelf as much as a month or two after the date (expecially if it's a "best before" date, as that has a different meaning (by convention and possibly regulation, IIRC). But this is a bit long for me, so if anyone has some experience or good science for me... | Forever. Honey, comb present or otherwise, does not go bad. It even acts as a preservative. The date you are seeing is solely referring to the "quality" degradation. Completely edible honey has been found in 3,000 year old Egyptian tombs. |
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I do not want to buy a dedicated rice cooker and I have been told by some people that a rounded bottom thick Dutch pot is best for rice cooking on a gas stove I have also heard that a tall aluminium pot is best, what do you think? | It depends on how much rice you're trying to cook. I rarely cook more than a few cups at a time, and I don't use a special pot for it (clad steel, though). Once the water comes to a boil, turn down to low, leave it for about 15 minutes (covered!), turn it off, wait another 15 minutes or so (still covered), and you're done. If you're cooking a lot of rice at a time, a thick/heavy pot (enameled cast iron, or just a heavy clad steel pot) will help hold a low temperature without scorching the bottom of the rice. |
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I made moule marinier, which were ok, but the 'sauce' that was left when they were cooked was more dilute than I would have liked. I cooked them in: 200ml white wine sauteed onions and garlic thyme and added parsley at the end. There seemed to be significantly more liquid at the end of cooking than I started with. Is this normal? Why was this? Is it residual water in the mussels? How can I avoid this in the future? | Yes, the additional liquid came from the mussels and is going to enhance the flavor of your finished dish. All you need to do is remove the mussels to a bowl, cover lightly to keep them warm, and then turn the heat up to high on your pan and reduce the liquid until it's concentrated before whisking in your butter. (I presume you added butter even though you didn't list it above?) If not...finish it by whisking in softened (not too soft, but slightly) butter (known as "mounting with butter" monte au beurre) which will emulsify with the concentrated cooking liquid and add a luxurious texture and richness to your sauce. Finish by adding your chopped parsley and adjust seasoning according to taste. |
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I'm just wondering what the difference between the two are, and whether you can substitute between the two? My recipe for sticky toffee pudding calls for treacle but I only have molasses. Can I substitute the treacle for molasses? It is kinda hard going to the shops just at this moment? | Here is a good article explaining the different types of molasses. Excerpt: True treacle dates back to Victorian times. The pale, refined molasses is notably sweeter and has a much more mellow flavor than molasses. Nowadays, treacle is a blend of molasses and refinery syrup. It ranges in color from light gold to nearly black. British treacle can be substituted for molasses in most recipes, but much less frequently will molasses work as a replacement for treacle. If you do substitute molasses for treacle, use the lightest, unsulphured molasses you can find. |
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I usually bake a 10" New York style cheese cake. cheese cakes. On my 10", I bake it for 45 minutes at 350 degrees, shut off the oven but leave the cake in for another hour before removing. I now want to use the same recipe and make a few 4.5" cheese cakes. How do I convert the baking time for these smaller ones? | Here's a recipe for four 4.5" cheesecakes that should be exactly what you need. I haven't used the recipe myself but it certainly seems reasonable: http://www.food.com/recipe/four-4-5-inch-cheesecakes-with-nine-stir-in-variations-506199 The crust is cooked for 7 minutes at 300F and the while cheesecake is cooked for 40-45 minutes at 300F. |
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I'm following this recipe: http://blog.junbelen.com/2010/03/24/how-to-make-pan-de-sal-filipino-bread-rolls-at-home/. I was careful to measure the water temperature for the yeast, etc. The resulting bread rolls came out a bit dense. I used flour that was 11.5 grams protein per 100 grams. I used a mixer for about 12 minutes until I got a good window pane (though it was still breaking apart a bit, I didn't want to overmix so I stopped). What can I do to make the buns less dense? Should I use a different type of flour? Mix more? Add baking powder (if so, how much???)? | There should have been 3 rises. The first till it doubled, then an hour after molding it, and finally an hour after cutting the rolls. The dough should have gotten noticeably bigger during each rise, and if this is the case, there's really no way for them to be dense. If it doubled in the first rise but didn't seem to puff up much by the last rise, your yeast may have simply run out of fuel. To combat this, you can either add a sugar to the dough so the yeast has more food, or cut the rising times a bit so that there's more food for the yeast left in the dough by the last rise. When punching the dough down, be fairly gentle. You want to knock out the excess gas, but you should be leaving some in. For instance, if the dough doubled in size, you'd want to punch it down to about 1.25 to 1.5 times the original size, not all the way down. I wouldn't add baking powder to these. Most of the rising potential of the baking powder will be spent long before they're ready to go in the oven. Even if you use a double acting one, it will dramatically change the character of the rolls leaving you with a totally different end result. |
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I want to make brown paper bags of popcorn kernels and flavouring to give as gifts, but i can't seen to get the popcorn flavouring to stick to the unpopped kernels. How do companies that sell microwave popcorn make sure it's flavoured when it's popped in the microwave? I don't want to add anything after, just have it already flavoured when it's popped. | If you inspect any commercially sold bagged popcorn, you'll notice that one side of the bag (before it's popped) is denser than the other. They put all the butter and flavourings on one side of the bag and it disperses as the corn pops. The flavoring should be on the side labeled "this side up". |
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I am following the recipe of the rice I am making which is: Add 2 cups of water and heat Add 1 teaspoon of salt and 1 teaspoon of butter Add 1 cup of rice then wait for 18 to 20 minutes and it should be ready to serve. But the problems with this are: The rice is always watery It is flavorless Some rice gets burnt and makes it really hard to clean the pan | Assuming plain (American) white rice on a stovetop: (Generally, American rice does not need rinsing for these applications) From your description, it sounds like you are going for Steamed Rice; for that, here's what you want to do: Bring your water, salt and butter to a boil, then add your rice. Stir it until it comes back to a boil. As soon as it boils again, turn your heat way down. Keep stirring until the heat is low enough that you feel safe that you can cover the pot without it hard boiling again. Cover and keep on low to medium-low heat or a moderate simmer (preferably without peeking) for 20 minutes (15 minimum). It is the steam that plumps the rice, so don't lift the lid! It may take some tweaking depending upon your specific equipment, but try to be patient. You may find that you like a little less water and a bit more time. When you do peek (hopefully after at least 15-20 minutes have passed) look for the water to be gone and for little holes or "divots" to be formed on the surface of the rice. If you still have water, cover again and keep cooking without lifting the lid for at least 5 more minutes. When it looks done, turn off the heat but still don't stir, you're better off just letting it sit for another 5 minutes - re-covered and with the heat turned off, then stir/fluff it. If you find that your rice isn't done after 20-25 minutes with the lid on, bring up the heat a bit, but be careful. If your heat is too high, your rice can burn on the bottom. Within reason, if it's just a bit too low, it'll just take longer. The lid is really key here. Do you have a tight lid for the pan that you are using? If not, we can help you improvise. A slightly different method using the same ingredients is the Pilaf Method shown here in a great video from the love of my life, Alton Brown. 20 Minute Pilaf See the rice just before he fluffs it with chopsticks? Those are the holes/divots I referred to above in the explanation of the steaming method. In case the link goes bad, here's a description of the video: Bring 3 cups of water to a rolling boil. Meanwhile, in a saucepan with a tight lid, melt and lightly brown 2 Tbs of butter over high heat. Add 2 cups of rice (regular long grain, basmati or jasmine recommended) and saute for a couple of minutes, add 1 tsp salt (Alton uses kosher). When the rice smells "nutty" add the boiling water all at once (careful, it will boil rather violently). Cover and turn heat to low. No peeking, cook on low for 15 minutes. Fluff with chopsticks or a fork. Cover again for 5 minutes, no heat. Note that Alton's pilaf also requires a tight fitting lid. If your lid isn't tight, try using aluminum foil to get a tighter seal. Finally: With very small variations, these two methods of cooking rice will work fine for just about any type of rice. Some rice, particularly some rice harvested outside of the US should be thoroughly rinsed first. Check your label if you can or revisit this question if you're not sure if your rice should be rinsed. If you use rinsed rice you may find that you want to use slightly less water for cooking than instructed here. You're using a 2 to 1 ratio for steaming rice, that's fairly typical but you might like a bit less water, just don't go lower than 1.5 to 1. Brown rice works fine for these methods too but will take longer and require slightly more water. The steaming method, particularly if you wait to "fluff" will produce a stickier rice, better for chopsticks :) and better to accompany food that has a sauce you want the rice to soak up. I prefer steamed rice to go with stir-fries, for example. The pilaf method, particularly with medium to long grained rice will produce more individual grains. Nice with steak or baked chicken, something that isn't sauced. |
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I'm working on a sort of high protein+carbohydrate omelette that I can prepare in batch, dump into containers, and take with me when I'm on the go. I've devised a sweet potato + egg recipe that goes something like this: Boil sweet potatoes Peel sweet potatoes Put sweet potatoes in blender with eggs Blend Dump into pan, cook while stirring So far so good. Here's the problem: The sweet potatoes and eggs both turn brown, giving the end result an unappealing look. Is there a way to alter the recipe so that it is aesthetically more pleasing? | It sounds like this is more like scrambled eggs instead of an omelet. It does sound tasty, but I can understand your issue with the coloration. If you're using orange sweet potatoes, that is likely the biggest cause of the coloration issues. Eggs themselves usually stay yellow when cooked, though they may turn brown if cooked and then left to cool and wait around for a while. (I don't normally do that, so I can't really say.) I have a couple possible solutions: 1) As Catija suggests, you can try using white sweet potatoes. They have a similar flavor, though a somewhat different nutritional profile. Still very good for you. 2) Try shredding the potatoes instead of blending them with the eggs. This is probably the solution I would try first. Shredding will avoid mixing the colors to the extent that blending does, and still allows the potato to spread throughout the omelet/scramble. If you do this, I would shred the potato first (peel if you want, though the peel has a lot of nutrients in it), cook the shreds (options: baking, sauteing in a little oil or butter, or microwaving - you can try boiling, but it would be more like parboiling as the shreds would only need a minute or two in the water to cook). Then you can just stir the shreds in with the eggs (no blending) and cook. 3) Slice the potatoes, cook (can cook in the same manner as the shreds, though times will obviously differ), cook the eggs like you would a traditional omelet and layer the egg with the potatoes in your dish. Here are a couple resources discussing the different type of sweet potatoes available so you can figure out what would work best for your purpose: http://www.thekitchn.com/whats-the-difference-between-yams-and-sweet-potatoes-word-of-mouth-211176 Paleo/Primal site (I'm not Paleo, but the site has good images of the different types of sweet potatoes): http://www.marksdailyapple.com/difference-yams-sweet-potatoes/ |
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Is there a replacement that can be used for aluminum foil in the oven? I don't want to foil in my kitchen. Is there an alternative which can be used in the same way as aluminum foil, but has no risk of transferring aluminum to the food? For example, what can I use to cover a meatloaf when baking it in the oven? Or in a slow cooker? | The reason you put aluminum foil on something you bake is to block some of the heat. More specifically, you want to block the heat transfer by radiation. This is, you only want some kind of infrared-opaque shield between the heating elements and the food. Of course, it has to be also non-flammable at oven temperatures and either washable or environmentally friendly and cheap, making it one-use. The best solution is to bake like generations of people did before there was freshly milled aluminum foil available in the supermarket: Get a clay bräter, or a tagine, or a dutch oven. Anything with a lid that is big enough to fit in your oven. Bake your food in it. It is slower, but gives you a much better taste due to slower, more even heating. The second best solution would be to get some other stuff intended for baking, and use it as a cover. The problem is that baking paper as per Rikon's suggestion is probably not opaque enough in the infrared range - at least it is translucent in the visible spectrum. Maybe two layers of it will do, but it will get hard to work with, because it doesn't hold shape as well as aluminum foil. You could try it if you think it will help. I think that a silicone mat is more promising. It is preferable to use a light colored one of the light glossy platinum silicone - I have a black matte one which is great for rolling dough, but it will probably absorb and re-radiate too much heat. Both solutions can't beat aluminum in one application: targeted charring protection. For a cake baked in an oven which overheats one corner there is still a chance - if your mat can be cut, you can cover half the cake with the piece (some mats shouldn't be cut because they are internally reinforced with something which shouldn't come into contact with food - if in doubt, contact the manufacturer). But if you are baking a whole bird and the protruding wings are getting overcooked, I don't see a good way to pack them in silicone or baking paper and get it to stay on them while the rest of the bird cooks. There, you will probably have to pack them in bread dough and then just break off the dough when the bird is ready. I have never made meatloaf in a slow cooker - I didn't even know that you can bake in one - so I won't comment on that part. |
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https://www.splendidtable.org/recipes/crunchy-cheese-puffs I'm a beginner DIY-er homecook who would like to make everything I eat without setting foot in a supermarket. | My answer here would be "no". Even if it is not impossible, it is rather impractical to pursue this. This may surprise some people, because as a home cook, it is pretty easy to take some grain and process it into small-sized particles. But what is difficult is to take some grain and process it into particles which are very tiny of consistent size contain only the parts of the grain you want (typically the endosperm only, without the bran or the embryo) Most instruments in our kitchens are not intended for grinding, and if you try them, the results are somewhat usable, but not especially good. To get really good quality fine flour, you need a precise mill and good sieves, plus the knowledge which sieve size to use at which step of the process. In some applications, you could try just using the best grinding-like instrument you have lying around and see if you are happy with the result. This functions well if you want to do something like include unusual grain flours in a rustic bread. But this recipe (which looks amazing btw!) seems to be quite dependent on the proper flour texture and absorption ability. So I wouldn't bother trying it with the result of corn thrown willy-nilly into a food processor. |
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I decided to marinade some chicken for tomorrow night's meal but the only time I have to do it is tonight. Obviously it's going in the fridge for that time period. I've never marinated meat for that long before and I'm concerned the acids in the orange juice marinate I'm using will break down the meat too much and it'll be all mushy and gross. Any experience or thoughts on this? | It'll be fine. I've done this multiple times, even occasionally for more than 1 night and never had a problem, if anything it improves things as the marinade has time to work into the meat. If you can, give it a stir a coupe of times (every 6 hours maybe?) to ensure even coating. The acids in orange juice and most (?) marinades are generally too weak to break down chicken into component parts. |
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i am preparing some candies and want to add some menthol for Cool effect in mouth but while searching on net i found that menthol is very costly so is there any cheap substitute of Menthol which can provide Cooling effect in mouth ? | There are absolutely no substitutes, neither cheap nor expensive. First, the cooling effect is due to a very rare coincidence. It so happens that menthol is chemically capable of activating one of the temperature receptors in human skin (also present in the lining of the mouth). There are no other substances which do the same thing, at least not ones known in cooking (and if there happens to be some exotic option, it will certainly be more expensive to get hold of). Also, even if you could mimic the cooling effect of menthol, you would never find a substitute which also smells of menthol, so people will readily notice the difference. That being said, I am surprised that you find menthol very expensive. I found that I can get natural mint essential oil (which is about 50% menthol) for 8 Euros for a 40 ml bottle. This should be enough to aromatize about 400 kg of candy. And we are talking about expensive, naturally created stuff sold to hobbyists in a country with high standard of living. It could be possible to find synthetic menthol at cheaper rates somewhere, most likely at a pharmacy. Of course, it could turn out that there is no good supply where you live and the few people who sell it demand too much, but this would surprise me if it is a commonly used ingredient in your culinary tradition. If you find that pure menthol is for some reason too expensive for your pocket, e.g. because the smallest batch you can buy is more than you will use up in a lifetime, you could just look at products meant for cooks which are basically diluted menthol. This includes mint extracts, mint syrups, mint essential oil, and a lot of other options, varying by region. |
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On eBay there are cheap ceramic vegetable peelers like this: Do they work well? Right now I have a simple, knife-like peeler with a hole in the middle which I hate and I'd like to change. Does this type work better? | I find them horrible. The wobbly top doesn't allow to put any pressure and instead of cutting into the vegetable, it flips and scrapes it or slides. The theory that it will follow the shape of the surface is flawed - to get it to sink under the skin you have to push and the flimsy construction feels like it were to snap. Also, the angle is good only for biggest vegetables, you'd have a hard time trying to peel a smaller potato, and with softer vegetables the required pressure will squeeze them. If you try to peel a raw carrot, the blade will catch, flip and then scrape instead of cutting. If you peel a boiled one, it will drag the skin or just snap the carrot if you press harder, to cut. vincebowdren suggests a better model, the blade is fixed to the handle, at an easy to use angle (the fact the blade is perpendicular like in a shaving razor, is a marketing trick to suggest it works as well as one; it doesn't, trust me.) You can control the angle and pressure better, and it only maintains cutting depth, plus the tip is great for picking out "eyes" out of potatoes and the like. |
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Many people think that certain foods, like lasagna, many stews and hearty soups, tomato sauce and so forth taste better the next day. My question is, is that really true, and if so, why? The conventional answer is essentially, "the flavors marry", but that doesn't mean much. I asked this question on Dave Arnold's Cooking Issues podcast and he had some interesting answers but I'm curious to see what else this community will come up with. | In the Good Eats episode "Stew Romance", Alton Brown says See, as gelatin cools, it moves from a suspended colloidal state to a gel state, which if concentrated, can be quite strong. [...] And that is why our meat gets pretty hard when it cools down. Now, what’s really interesting, though, is that once gelatin has reached the gel state, it takes more heat to re-dissolve it than it did to render it from collagen in the first place. [...] Ahh, the meat is perfectly heated through, but it’s not falling apart. That’s because we let it cool down before reheating, and that is why stews, braises, fricassees, and blanquettes are always better the second day. (Note that, as usual for Alton, his science is sound, but his other "facts" are to be taken with a huge grain of salt. For instance, the dish he makes that he calls Hungarian Goulash isn't Hungarian and isn't goulash. And the actual Hungarian stew that most Americans think is goulash is pörkölt. I haven't the foggiest idea where he got "pörkoft" from. Oh, and potatoes are very much a standard part of goulash, that's part of what distinguishes goulash from pörkölt.) |
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I am curing sausages, pork salami in hog casing to be precise. I am having a hard time maintaining both the temperature and the humidity necessary. I have no trouble controlling temperature 60F/15C. (I have a small wine refrigerator) however the relative humidity in it is getting up to the 85-89% range. (As measured by an admittedly uncalibrated hygrometer but which reads 67% when set in the room containing the refrigerator) The relative humidity elsewhere is somewhere in the 50-70% range depending on the room and time of day. However the temperature varies between 67F/19C and 76F/24C. The recommended target range is 60F/15C for temperature and 70% for relative humidity. So far I am not having bad mold problems, just a few tiny flecks of white(acceptable/good) mold. The smallest of the sheep casing test sausages in fact lost it's 30% in weight and seems done. The hog casing sausages are losing weight, but at a much slower rate than expected (presumably due to higher humidity). Everywhere I look there is a TON of information on raising the humidity in your curing chamber, not so much on lowering it. Suggestions for lowering the humidity of the chamber would also be helpful. Should I put the sausages in another hanging container with lower humidity and higher, uncontrolled/ambient temperatures? Should I let them continue to poke along at the higher humidity and dry very slowly, and possibly not at all? EDITED TO ADD: Silica Gel, at least in the quantity I placed in the cooler had no measurable effect on the humidity. Possibly more silica gel would have done more. | You ned to get your hands on a computer fan (they are designed to run 24hrs a day). I simply mounted one of these inside wall of my curing chamber (down low - as wet air drops), cut a hole in the wall of the fridge with a hole saw - which allows the fan to exhaust the moist air from within the curing chamber. I also cut a similar sized hole at the top of the curing chamber on the opposite side which allows dry air to enter the chamber as the wet air is exhausted. I have it rigged up to a cheap humidity controller I purchased off ebay, so when the controller detects high humidity (whatever you set it at), it exhausts the humid air. |
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I've only attempted this once, and it was a complete disaster. Can anyone provide some tips for a beginner? | I haven't tried this before but I found this youtube video that shows you how. Cut into the mango, starting where the stem was and going around the long way, just in to the pit. Reach in with a spoon and scoop around the pit, separating one half of the mango from the pit. Then scoop the pit out of the other side. |
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I read a while ago that nutmeg and cinnamon are really similar and you can easily substitute one for the other. Yet many recipes call for both cinnamon and nutmeg so it seems like there must be some kind of difference. What are the specific differences between cinnamon and nutmeg? And are they significant enough to justify buying both cinnamon and nutmeg? | They're completely different. Cinnamon is warm, woody, hot, sweet, spicy, bark. Nutmeg is eggnog. If you want something to taste like Christmas, use it. They're both delicious, versatile, and can work well together. By volume, you can use much more cinnamon than nutmeg. Nutmeg is "a dash of" kind of spice, while cinnamon can be mixed with butter or sugar and slathered on basically any pastry. (Equivalent amounts of nutmeg would probably get you stoned, but that's for another forum). Also, nutmeg shares flavor notes and aroma with allspice and cloves. |
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What is a good way of keeping fresh produce (in particular, from the garden) and herbs in the kitchen without attracting fruit flies? We dispose of tomatoes etc as soon as they start to go bad, but it seems like leaving out the produce that would be kept out is attracting fruit flies. There weren't fruit flies before so I am wondering if there might be a better way (ie a ventilated canister?) of keeping the produce? | I've never had luck keeping them out of food. Sealed containers work, but cause fruit to ripen and spoil quickly, and they are small enough to get in anything with an opening. However, a simple fruit fly trap can keep them in check: Cut a 2l soda bottle where the top taper ends (above the label). Add a few drops dish soap to a few tbsp of apple juice, beer or cider vinegar. Pieces of fruit can also be used. Invert the severed top of the bottle (sans cap), and seal with a piece of duct tape around the edge. Set near the fruit and wait. Open it up to empty every few days. Google will give you a variety of other designs that you can build if you are more ambitious. |
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Ever since a supposedly "ovenproof" thermometer shattered glass on my turkey Thanksgiving 2006 I have been afraid of these things. Is it generally safe to use them? Any maximum temperature I should be worried about? | I'd suggest a digital probe thermometer AND an instant read digital thermometer like the OXO (which is pretty cheap) or the Thermapen (which isn't). A leave-in probe lets you monitor the general progress of the food, giving you a good way to gauge how much cooking time remains without having to open the oven and slow down the process. The instant read variety is great for checking the internal temperature of all sorts of food that you might not normally measure -- steaks on the grill, mashed potatoes, stocks and soups (to make sure that they're cooling quickly enough), bread (to check for doneness)... Both leave-in and instant read are extremely useful, and neither of them will expose your turkey to the risk of glass shards. |
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What's the easiest way of cooking meat holding it over the flame of a gas stove burner? Is there any device to help with it? How I am doing it right now is holding a skewer a couple of inches over the flame. What annoys me more is the oil dripping on the stove and having to hold it. | Stoves aren't grills. They're not meant to have food in contact with them. If you're doing something like warming a tortilla above it that's fine, but as soon as you mention things dripping into the flame that's a red flag, especially if it's fat. You really don't want to start a grease fire, especially one that's down in the burner. A couple alternatives: use an actual gas grill, outside use the broiler in your oven, with a broiler pan (they have grates so the food is held above the pan) use a very hot skillet or a tabletop/countertop electric grill; it's not the same but it's still good! |
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I'm not actually sure if "skillet" is the right word for this, but it seems close. We got this second hand, so not sure of its origin. The particular feature that I'm not sure of is the set of diagonal raised 'ribs'. Seems like they would keep the food items from the bottom surface. Is this something like what you would use a wire rack for when baking? It is 10 x 10 in. (25 x 25 cm) and 1 1/2" deep. Is this skillet intended for something specific? We're located in the USA if that makes any difference. | I'm no plastics expert but a general rule of thumb is the softer the plastic initially, the more likely it is to melt (I know that sound too obvious, but hey;) Something to do with thermoset vs thermoplastic. The trouble with plastics being advertised as microwave-safe is it is a limited claim. If you microwave a bowl of water covered by the lid, then you're fine… forever. However, if you get food, especially fat, on it then that will create a local heat spot far in excess of what the plastic can stand. I've found that it's not worth spending money on heat-proof covers when in fact far more heat-resistant plastics are readily available - for free. Your take-away food will come in one - both container & lid are quite likely to survive being nuked with a really greasy curry inside, with little ill effect except perhaps some staining. Likewise, those supermarket dishes containing ready meals are even more resilient. I have some of those still in use from probably 20 years ago. They can get a bit bashed & the edges will chip after a time until you decide they're no longer worth keeping. They all go through the dishwasher with no worries too [so long as you make sure they don't flip over, they're very light.] I have actually been known to buy supermarket ready meal products like this just for the dish ;) |
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Clarification: The term "grill" is used here with the US-based term for grilling, which may differ from other countries such as Great Britain and Australia, where it is typically called a "barbecue"; Ideally it is a direct flame against one side of the food at a time, though other heat sources are not out of scope. I live in an apartment complex where it is hugely impractical (if not impossible) to own a full-size grill. Despite this, I really want the ability to grill small amounts of meat and vegetables without too much hassle. Two possible solutions occurred to me, but I'm not sure which would be better or if there's a third option I'm unaware of: Portable propane grill (camping stove) - I don't know how practical this would be, but the ability to fold it up and store it would be nice. Do these work as well as a normal propane grill? Cast iron grill pan - I've seen many of these online that basically just sit on a stove burner and allegedly emulate a regular grill. I'm skeptical because the lack of a direct flame seems like it would affect the outcome. Are either of those actually good options? Is there a better way that I haven't thought of? I know there are also miniature charcoal grills but they don't seem to be nearly as portable or space efficient as the other two.* Edit: Advice in the answers/comments has led me to order a smokeless stovetop grill, because they're so cheap and allegedly pretty good there's no reason not to try it out. This is the one I decided on. In a couple days it should be here and I'll give it a thorough test and report back. Keep the advice coming! It seems there are several other good options, so I want to float as many of them as possible for future viewers to reference. * As for an outdoor solution: it's somewhat restricted in my area, you're allowed to have them but they must remain unconnected to a fuel source if they're within 25' of the building. That's one big reason I'm interested in indoor solutions, though I can compromise if a charcoal option seems like the way to go. Conclusion: The stovetop smokeless grill worked out great. It's not a perfect replacement for a real grill but for such a cheap pricepoint and for its ease of use, it provides very satisfying results. The only things you need to watch out for are the fact that it doesn't cook evenly, so you have to rotate your food at least once, and it doesn't burn away oil and fats like a normal grill, though it does drain a fair amount of them; basically just go very light on the oil or you'll end up with a greasy mess. Thanks for the suggestions, everyone! | Another consideration is that some apartment complexes have restrictions on what type of grills can be used because of fire hazards. Where we lived many years ago we were not allowed to use charcoal or gas. So, there are a couple of options. First would be a smaller than full size electric grill. There are many available in different shapes and sizes. Some can be used both indoors and outdoors. This is similar to the one we had. It has a small footprint and works well where there is limited space. But there are also many small table-top models available. Another option is a smokeless indoor stove top grill. This is closer to actual grilling than a grill pan and actually works better than it looks like it would. I have one that we have used for years anytime outdoor grilling has not been an option. Most are very reasonably priced and work well on both gas and electric stoves. And using two (or more) is always an option. |
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I really enjoy cooking. I enjoy the creativity, the experimentation and trying new foods. I HATE the planning, list making & shopping. Is there any service or "technique" for avoiding everything leading up to the work in the kitchen? | Depending on where you live, there is a pretty simple approach you can try. In the next few days, head out to places that specialize in particular kinds of foods and in making them appeal to you. A farmer's market, a butcher's, a cheese shop, a bakery, etc. Chat with the staff and buy whatever speaks to you in the store. When you come home, make whatever meals you feel inspired to make according to what you've bought. Be creative and impulsive and seasonal. Keep doing that until one day you notice there isn't any food, and either go out and shop or eat something canned and go to shop the next day. In probably a week's time, one of two things will happen. Either you will be feeling free, creative, inspired etc and so happy you are doing things this new way, or you will have thrown out a lot of expensive food that spoiled before you could use it, and be feeling very stressed and unhappy at 4 or 5 pm each day because you have to figure out what to make. If it's the former, mission accomplished. If it's the latter, you now have your motivation for the planning and the list making, and should find it more pleasant since you know its purpose and what it is saving you from. Either way, the "I hate having to plan my meals" feeling should diminish drastically. |
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In many high quality ready made popcorn, the popped grains are almost perfectly round, while home popped grains are the usual irregular shape. How is that lovely round shape achieved? | Round popcorn is just made from a different variety of popcorn, called mushroom popcorn. The "normal" kind is called butterfly popcorn, or sometimes snowflake popcorn. The two are mentioned in the wikipedia article (last paragraph of the linked section), along with a photo. It looks like it's pretty easy to buy online, if you prefer it. Mushroom popcorn kernels are a little sturdier and easier to coat, so it's well-suited for prepackaged popcorn and especially things like caramel corn, but at least to me that sturdiness is also a slight toughness, so I prefer the butterfly-style popcorn most of us are used to. |
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I am trying to create a double layer 12 X 17 inch sheet cake. How do I get the cake layers out of the pan and placed one on top of the other in whole pieces without crumbling? I am using parchment paper which works great but having trouble getting one layer on top of the other. | Let the cakes cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Carefully run a table knife around the edge of the pan to make sure the edges of the cake are fully released from the edges of the pan. Place a wire rack over the cake pan, then invert the rack and the pan. Pull the pan off of the cake. Let the cake cool to room temperature. Invert the cake again onto some plastic-wrapped cardboard. Move the layers on the cardboard to your freezer for at least 2 hours. We usually bake the cake the day before and let them freeze overnight. We always had an upright freezer in the garage, and 2 layers would fit next to each other on one shelf. When you pull the cake layers from the freezer, they'll be solid and reasonably sturdy, but you should still exercise care, using both hands to support them. It's perfectly fine to assemble and ice the frozen cake layers. I've never had a problem with them sweating as they thaw. But, there's no harm in letting them thaw a bit after assembling if you're worried. Bonus: there are fewer crumbs when you ice a frozen cake. |
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I like to do small preparatory steps ahead, make cooking faster when I do have the time. If I oil my vegetables and store in the fridge prior to roasting, will the oil penetrate the vegetable and make it soggy? | It will definitely change some vegetables, specifically tender vegetables with large surface area (e.g. whole leaf ones). Have you ever tried making a complete salad including dressing, then storing the leftovers in the fridge for a day and having it limp the next day? That effect is due to oil. The mechanism behind that has nothing to do with penetrating the vegetables or having the oil soak into them. It is just that it stops their perspiration, so they die off earlier than they should. (I know it is counterintuitive, but metabolically speaking, your raw vegetables are still alive in your fridge). So I wouldn't describe the change as getting "soggy", especially because some kinds of vegetables won't change that much anyway. Especially those which are fruits or roots or tubers will stay mostly firm even when oiled. But e.g. spinach will be definitely different - whether you care for that difference or not is up to you. |
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I like my eggs Sunny-side up, and ideally, with runny yolk but fully firmed up whites (including a millimeter-thin film of cooked yolk/whites on top of the yolk - not sure if there's a technical term for that). This seems like an incredibly difficult balance - either the whole yolk starts to harden (very quickly - enough to get distracted for 15 seconds), or the whites are still runny and the yolk top is not cooked. What's the best approach? I tried covering my frying pan with a cover (helped a bit) and cooking over lower gas for a bit longer (didn't help much). | Moderate heat, eggs at room temperature, non-stick egg pan (8" is good, with gently sloping sides) with a tight lid. Melt butter in the egg pan until it stops foaming. Crack your eggs into a bowl so you've got more control when you add them to the egg pan. Cook uncovered until just the bottoms of the white are set, the tops of the whites should still be transparent. Add 1Tbs water for two eggs, cover, check after 45 seconds and give the eggs a jiggle to be sure they will slide neatly out of the pan. They may be ready at this point, they may need another 30 seconds to a minute. EDIT: I'm hungry anyway: My pan isn't ideal, I'd rather have 8", this one is 10" but it has a lid. My eggs are at room temperature, I have butter ready and a tablespoon of water. A heat-proof rubber spatula is nice to have, but if everything goes right you don't even need it. I turn the heat to 1 click out of 10 below medium (YMMV [Your Mileage May Vary]). After giving the burner and pan a couple of minutes to heat up it should take room temperature butter about 10 seconds to fully melt and another 5 seconds to stop sizzling. One thing that I like about cracking eggs into a bowl first is that it allows me to better center the yolks. The whites should start to become opaque almost immediately, but they shouldn't take on any brown color or be sizzling hard, just gently. Once the bottoms of the eggs are completely opaque (this should take less than 30 seconds), add the water and cover immediately. Now the eggs are steaming. Fortyfive seconds and a jiggle later they're just about there! (This is when I'll add salt and pepper, I'll wait until they're plated for the hot sauce I can't live without.) 10 more seconds under the lid, slide onto the plate. Voilà, completely set whites, completely runny yolks. OOPS, I forgot the tiny bit of white on top. That's easy, using a spoon, give the eggs a quick baste of the hot butter before adding water and placing the lid. You can also just steam the eggs until the yolks have a bit of opaque white on top with or without basting them. With practice you can control just how done you get your yolks on a scale that runs between totally runny, to creamy, to still translucent looking but nearly solid, to dry and crumbly (after piercing the yolk, usually). Flipping is a different technique to get a very similar result. One more quick note: You may notice that I used quite a bit of butter. That's just personal preference when my jeans are fitting just fine. You may use much less butter if you prefer, another type of fat, or even just a spray of non-stick spray (Pam). If you use a minimum amount of fat, or even none, the "check and jiggle" step becomes even more important. Make sure you can slide the eggs around in the pan. If they're sticking at all, this is when the heat-proof rubber (silicone) spatula can be very helpful. |
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This is my recipe for étouffée: 4 Tbsp butter 4 Tbsp flour 1/2 cup chopped celery 1/2 cup minced bell pepper 2 toes minced garlic 1/2 cup chopped green onion 3 Tbsp chopped parsley 1/2 cup seafood stock 1/2 cup white wine salt, pepper, and hot sauce to taste 8 oz crawfish tails I want to double the recipe, substituting a cup of chopped okra for the additional 1/2 cup each of celery and bell pepper otherwise called for. What concerns me about doing this is okra's mucilaginousness; I know that my great-grandmother adjusted her étouffée recipe when adding okra to it to prevent it from becoming too gummy but can't remember how. | More liquid will dilute the okra's thickening tendency. But then your dish will be more liquid than perhaps you want. You could perhaps cook the okra separately and add it right before serving. Editing to add: your other option is to skip me. |
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Background -- I made this recipe as part of a group project (in college) that was preparing different foods from around the world. My group had Scandinavia, but as I didn't find this recipe (one of the girls in the group did), I don't know which country the recipe originates from. I recall it being a simple recipe, but I'd like to see if I can find the full recipe. From what I remember, it required: 2-3 egg whites, which were whipped into a froth melting a mixture of dark and milk chocolate morsels together Both of these were poured onto a cake/cookie layer that had been rolled out in a sheet like way, and then left to freeze overnight. This layer of the dessert was almost wafer like, but was very crumbly (but not very crunchy). It may or may not contain nuts. | Maybe it was a variant of chokladbiskvier, a Swedish macaroon? |
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My KitchenAid dual fuel/dual oven has, in addition to bake and broil a few advanced modes. Some are self explanatory, bread proof and keep warm, however a few others aren't and the manual says "best for cooking type X" rather than saying "oven acts like this" So can anyone help with this? What does slow cook roast easy convect Actually do? | Okay, both of the answers from Greybeard and Manu have part of it. I know this is an old question, but I assume others with fancy ovens may wonder about such settings too. Let's put it all together. ROAST - note that for this oven, ROAST is a convection setting. Although the manual doesn't state this explicitly, generally convection ovens with a ROAST setting combine heat from the convection element along with the top and bottom heating elements that would normally be activated on a non-convection BAKE setting. The difference is that convection BAKE usually employs only the heating element near the fan (the convection element) to avoid excessive browning for baked goods and such. Thus, in convection BAKE, the heat is primarily transferred only via air circulation. But in convection ROAST there is radiant heat from the top and bottom elements as well, which will help to brown meats and such. (For the record, BROIL under convection will typically employ the top heating element as well as the convection fan element, but no bottom element.) EASY CONVECT - this one is explained clearly in the manual. Or, well, maybe it's not explained clearly, but the explanation there implies what it does. Essentially, you need to make adjustments when cooking via convection compared to traditional baking. The air circulation can cause the surface of foods to heat up faster, which may lead to excessive browning (e.g., for many baked goods) or excessive drying out (e.g., for meats in some circumstances). Normally, you need to convert a recipe from "standard" non-circulating air to "convection" yourself, usually by adjusting the temperature down (often by 25-50 degrees F) and sometimes decreasing cook time. This oven allows you to simply enter the type of food you have -- MEATS, BAKED GOODS, or OTHER (which includes convenience frozen foods) -- and then enter the typical temperature and time you'd use for a standard recipe with a normal non-convection oven. In this case, apparently the oven won't listen to you, but instead will do some magical math conversion that decreases the time and temp to try to approximate the way you should cook the dish using convection. (For example, you tell your oven to bake at 350F for 30 minutes, and it instead chooses to back at 325F for 20 minutes.) So rather than guessing on how to convert a recipe from "standard bake" to convection, you can let your oven guess for you! Easy! (Apparently...) SLOW COOK - This one is the hardest to find clear info on, because these settings tend to do different things in different ovens. This review of a Kitchenaid oven (which may be the model OP has) with the SLOW COOK setting claims it "keeps food just above the keep-warm temperature, providing an alternative to a countertop slow cooker." I believe the clue here is in mentioning the KEEP WARM feature. You see, most modern ovens have a minimum temperature of about 170F, because lower temperatures will not heat food fast enough to prevent food poisoning (and can allow it to remain in the danger zone below 130F for far too long). Apparently the KEEP WARM setting on some Kitchenaid ovens however can go as low as 145F. (Note in the manual that these settings come with a big warning about food poisoning when using them.) The important thing is that these fancy Kitchenaid ovens are capable of lower heat settings. Anyhow, one complaint about oven SLOW COOK settings compared to crock pots is that they often heat too quickly, and the food thus spends too much time at a high temperature. My guess from the description in the above review is that these ovens in SLOW COOK mode attempt to avoid this problem by gradually increasing the temperature over a longer time span. Another possibility is that I've seen some ovens even disable the possibility of temperatures lower than 200F or even 225F (again, likely to prevent food poisoning). I can't find any specs on Kitchenaid ovens that state the "normal" temperature range allowed for the BAKE setting, but it's possible that they only allow very low temperatures (as low as 170F) to be entered specifically for the SLOW COOK setting, ensuring that people are consciously employing it and supposedly following the manual's recommendations for time and temperature for safety. (I had a fancy slow cooker a few years back -- might have even been a Kitchenaid, but I can't recall -- that wouldn't even allow you to set it on "Low" with a time less than 8 hours, likely for similar legal liability reasons.) |
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What factors should I take into account when selecting tomatoes for sauces? Background: I'm growing my own tomatoes, and I need to start germinating soon. Taste and production are my 2 first concerns. We usually can about 30 to 40 qt. a year but want to buy less from the stores to do it. Vendors are pretty good about listing a dizzying array of growing factors and expected results... But I'm not entirely clear on what I should be focusing on when it comes to making sauce. | From a production standpoint, you might actually be better off asking this question on the gardening site. In general, however, for canning purposes you'll want to select a 'determinate' variety -- they tend to have all of their fruit ripen around the same time, rather than having it be spread out across many weeks. Indeterminate tend to be better for tomatoes that you might want to use for salads or other purposes, as you won't suddenly be stuck with a glut of tomatoes that you can't use all of. Your other gardening considerations are if the plant is more bush-like, or more vine-like, as it'll affect how much you need to do to manage them. The vine ones you have to keep checking them every couple of days to make sure the vines are fed back through the tomato cages so they don't start drooping against the ground when they're laden with fruit. In general, you're going to want to select a plum-style tomato. Sometimes they also label tomatoes as 'sauce' or 'paste' tomatoes. Other varieties of tomatoes tend to be a bit more wet and can require more cooking down, although other varieties may have some advantages. As for the specific variety, San Marzano and Roma are two well known varieties, but there are now a large number of hybrids that I'm just not familiar with. I would personally select for varieties that do well in your local climate, and can deal with the specifics of your garden (eg, how much space you have to work with) ... but again, ask that on the gardening site. In the article that I linked to above, they actually recommend blending multiple varieties, but this is more difficult in a home garden unless they all ripen at the same time. You could always plan for the bulk to come from a determinate variety, and blend in some from one or more indeterminate varieties, or plant a couple of determinate varieties, or stagger them some to try to get batch sizes that will be easier to deal with. |
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I realize there is another question about corned beef from scratch, but the answers don't really cover my question. Many recipes for making your own corned beef still refer to the use of saltpeter (potassium nitrate) or sodium nitrate. From what I've been able to find out saltpeter is never used anymore nor available to the home cook, and sodium nitrate is not commonly available. Sodium nitrate in the brine gives cooked corned beef its classic reddish color (without it corned beef comes out gray), and it kills botulism spores. I like my corned beef pink (the gray color is somewhat unappetizing), but more than that I'm concerned about the flavor of the corned beef. The last time I made corned beef I tried to use Morton Tender Quick. The cooked brisket turned out beautifully pink and almost inedible. It was terribly salty and actually made my tongue numb. So, is there anything that can be used in place of the sodium nitrate, if used in the proper quantities does its absence or presence have any effect on the flavor of the corned beef, and is there any good place to get it? | Saltpeter is potassium nitrate, which does not directly cure meats. Bacteria convert nitrate into nitrite, which is the real preservative. Saltpeter can be replaced by a smaller amount of nitrite to get the same curing effect (most commercial cured meats do this), though a prolonged cure that converts nitrate into nitrite can develop more flavor. Tender Quick is not a direct substitute because it contains mostly salt. I've heard that you can replace the salt in your recipe with Tender Quick, and drop the saltpeter, and have a success. You would have better luck finding a recipe that was meant to use Tender Quick, though. It is definitely possible to buy (food-grade!) saltpeter. I would check online, or at specialty stores. It's a little more difficult than picking it up at your local grocery store, of course. (Chemistry lesson, courtesy of McGee: nitrate (NO3) is converted to nitrite (NO2), which then reacts to form nitric oxide (NO), which bonds to myoglobin in the meat, which turns it pink and prevents oxidation. Nitric oxide is also present in smoke, which gives that "pink ring" around the outside of smoked meats.) |
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I'm trying to make pizza that's comparable to ones you get at restaurants. It's pretty good, but it's lacking those classic brown spots on the cheese. I'm using pre-shredded mozzarella cheese, so I thought that the rice flower anti-caking agent added to it makes it harder to brown? I am not using a pizza stone either, and am cooking my pizza at 425F for 15 min I get melted cheese, but it's completely white, with splotches of red sauce. It looks like I poured Elmer's glue all over my pizza. What can I do to get my pizza cheese to brown right? | It isn't browning because the top of your pizza is not getting hot enough to brown the cheese. One solution for baking pizza in a home oven is to use the broiler near the end of your bake time. You can also place your rack as high as possible, cooking as close to the top as you can. Just keep an eye on the broiler situation if you do this, and also use the broiler step I suggested. |
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I made a large pot-roast with sweet onion, carrots, green beans, mushrooms and Yukon Gold potatoes (all cooked in the same pot). All the vegetables except for the potatoes got devoured, so now I have a lot of leftover, slightly beefy, potatoes. What would be a good use for them? | Turn into mashed potatoes for tomorrow night's dinner? If you have some roast left, too, cut it down into bite-sized bits, add back in some more vegetables, and turn it into a sort of shepard's pie-type meal. (stew-like dish covered with mashed potatoes, then baked) |
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I've received a Chinese new year cake, my question is how do I properly store it? Do I need to refrigerate it? Also, how long will it last assuming that I properly store it. | I hope you ate the Nian gao cake already. If you are going to eat it in less than 10 days, just leave it in the fridge, tightly sealed in a ziplock bag. But for longer storage, say a month or so, you could wrap it in plastic wrap, then a paper towel, then inside a freezer bag. I would also cut up the cake so it is easier to defrost when you want to cook it. I would not eat it after about a month. I think that the texture would be too different after that. But best of luck. |
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I'm looking to determine with as much accuracy as possible (without buying specialized equipment) the fat percentage of ground beef. Is anyone aware of a method that will get me reasonably close? I found some ideas over here but I'm not confident that any of them are terribly accurate (save the one with the calorimeter.) http://ask.metafilter.com/152910/A-way-to-test-the-fat-content-of-minceground-beef-at-home | Weigh the ground meat before starting to determine its total weight. Render as much fat as possible in the ground meat by boiling or simmering. Use a fat separator to separate off the fat Allow the fat to dry (or dry it by gently bringing to >100°C/212°F, beware splattering). Weigh the amount of fat rendered. Fat percentage is 100 × (fat weight) ÷ (total weight). Alternative method: Ask farmer which primal cut the meat is ground from. Look up answer in table. :-P |
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I'm looking for a substitute to milk in the coffee... something that will have the same effect on the coffee (tone down the bitterness of a coffee cup) put that wont turn bad after two weeks. Here's the situation... I do like to take a good coffee when I'm a little sleepy on the job... that happens, well, maybe once a week. But if I buy a 1L carton of milk, it will have the time to turn bad before I'm at the halfway point. So is there a product that I could use to substitute the milk in my coffee that wont turn bad? | If you take your coffee sweet, ice cream works wonders, and it lasts in the freezer. Chocolate is my favorite. I recommend melting it before adding the coffee. This makes sense because ice cream is mostly milk and cream, with some flavorings--usually of higher quality than are in artificial coffee creamers. I should add the trick I used in the dorms some years ago, when I had no refrigerator (and an aunt to buy it): Bailey's Irish Cream. Of course, the effect is somewhat different :-) |
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The flavour enhancer E635 is a combination of E627 (disodium guanylate) and E631 (disodium inosinate) and is in Fantastic Noodles (Chicken). If I am correct, the flavour enhancer 627 is isolated from sardines and/or yeast extract and 631 can be prepared from meat extract and/or dried sardines. If 635 is made out of 627 and 631, is it considered vegetarian as 627 and 631 contain sardines and/or meat extract? If not, does this make the noodles non-vegetarian? | E627 can be produced from seaweed, and 631 may be produced from tapioca starch. Thus, both may be properly vegan. Or not. What does it make the food? With all honesty, it makes food don't know category. You can't assert it's vegan, and you can't be sure it isn't. If you are going to feed your vegan friends, buy ingredients with guaranteed vegan origin. If you don't know, be sensible to inform your friends you don't know. If you are vegan yourself, only you can tell if you are willing to risk eating non-vegan ingredients when source wasn't stated explicitly. |
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My fiancée and I recently got a bunch of new (very nice) pots and pans for our wedding shower. The thing is, several of the pans are 12", and the burners on our stove are nowhere near that large! (maybe 10" at best) Are these pots/pans useable on the smaller burners? Will they evenly distribute the heat so it won't be so much of a problem? Or should we take them back? They are nice, hard-anodized pans. | The pans will distribute the heat for you. No burner that I've ever seen covers a 12" pan, but quality pans will still give you pretty even heat distribution. |
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Can you use brandy instead of rum in a cake recipe | Almost certainly yes, but the flavors will be slightly different. Brandy is likely to be slightly more acidic than rum, but otherwise quite similar in composition, and should perform in the same way. If you want a more tailored answer, you should provide more information, such as the full recipe. See also: Are there any general principles of ingredient substitutions? |
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I have some very pungent roses in bloom at the moment, on smelling them my first thought was that they smelled like Turkish Delight. My Second thought that was it should be possible to use them in a pudding of some sort myself. I have seen rose water in some recipes, is this the only way to use roses in cooking? What is a good way to get the flavor into food? | Rose petals are edible. If you look for rose petal recipes, you will find many creative uses of them, including rice pudding with roses - so your pudding intuition was correct. During colonial American times they were considered a treat. You can candy rose petals with egg whites and sugar - typical cautions about appropriate raw egg white useage applies. Before using your rose petals in culinary applications, make sure to remember what chemicals you used on them. If they've been sprayed with pesticides, you don't want to be eating them. |
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I have a recipe that calls for 5 pounds of flour, but I live in a country that sells their flour in 1-kg bags. So I put in 2 kg = 4.4 pounds... How many cups should I put in for the remaining .6 pound that I'm missing? | The weight of flour varies immensely depending on how densely it's packed and the humidity. If you've started with a weight-based recipe, I'd try to find a scale. If that's absolutely not an option, I tend to approximate 100g = 1 cup. Be warned, I've found some recipes that are really sensitive to the amount of flour and the difference between a lightly sifted cup and a scooped cup can really throw off the results. You might do better to try to divide another kg package of flour evenly and use the approximation that 0.6 lb is about 0.25 kg (i.e. one quarter of the bag). |
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We want to make christmas short pastry cookies this evening and I can't find the food coloring. So what alternatives can I use to color the dough? Cocoa for brown, and what about other colors? Would be tumeric a good option? Or are there unwanted side effects such as orange hands or a burned taste? | For redish/orange/yellow color carrots and beets are better option. They are sweet and already used as colouring agents in food so the taste won't be distinct as in turmeric (that in my tries only work well with cinnamon and a lot of it). Beet can also be used in concetration for deepish red and even violet For brown - carmel from sugar. Cocoa and activated charcoal is better to make black color. For blue/violet - berries (skins) or grapes. Green - mint or chlorella For fun (but strange) new taste red onion (it work great with sugar). |
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I have store-bought falafel mix. I make the falafel by deep-frying it; unlike others, I have no problem with the balls falling apart. However, after I put the falafel in the oil, it sticks to the bottom of the pot, and I have to pry it off using a spoon. Is there anything I can do to avoid this? | Based on your comments, there are three things you can do: Aggressively stir the oil as soon as you put the balls in so that they don't have a chance to stick. Use a different mix or even make your own from scratch, so that the balls aren't as dense and don't spend as much time on the bottom of the pot. Use a nonstick pot or cast-iron pan to avoid sticking. |
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Here is the problem I'm facing: I am on a diet, which doesn't exclude fat, but doesn't encourage it either. So I am trying to bake chicken in the oven, while also removing the fat that comes out, while also preventing it becoming too dry. I am thinking of rubbing the chicken with seasoning, and then putting it on bars, with a pan beneath, so that the fats would drip down. But as far as i know, that may render the chicken to dry. Any solutions? Thanks! | The technique you describe is pretty much just the standard way of roasting a chicken. A V-shaped roasting rack is excellent for this purpose. As for keeping it moist, the standard technique is to brine the chicken first. Done properly, brining a chicken results in a moist, tender bird with crisp skin, and doesn't involve adding any additional fat. I normally brine by putting the chicken in a stew pot, covering it with cold water, adding about a cup of kosher salt, and letting it sit for 90 minutes. |
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I've never had trouble making Tuna and Pineapple casserole before coming to Turkey. After making the white sauce and adding the cheese, tuna and fresh pineapple the whole mixture turns sour. No amount of adjusting with salt or sugar can save it. This has happened at least 3 times now. Could the cheese be making it sour or some other chemical reaction. I used to use canned pineapple in Australia but fresh is more readily available here. Could that cause the sourness because there is less sugar? | Basic Nutrition One cup of fresh pineapple chunks has 82 calories, 21.7 grams of carbohydrates, 2.3 grams of fiber and 16.3 grams of sugar. One cup of drained, canned pineapple chunks has 109 calories, 28.2 grams of carbs, 2.4 grams of fiber and 25.8 grams of sugar. The calories, carbs and sugar in canned pineapple are higher than in fresh pineapple because the canned fruit is typically packed in fruit juice. I think that it is probably the pineapple affecting it. If you can buy pineapple juice, adding some of that may help the problem. Livestrong.com |
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I regularly take lunch to work which requires a leak-proof container. The food doesn't necessarily need to be kept hot or particularly cold. An example meal would be a bean salad. I am struggling to find a container that is leak proof. The container will be upended and shaken (not too much!) when in transit from home to work. The container will ideally have a wide mouth to allow me to eat directly from it. Have you got any suggestions for a suitable container of capacity approximately 500 mL (17oz)? | I hate storing food in plastic, so the best option I found and use myself is http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/product.asp?sku=112870 which does have a plastic top and silicone gasket but is otherwise glass. Been using for 3-4 years and love them. No leaking problems. |
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Can you give me some good tips how to prepare Fondue without Gruyere/Raclete cheese? What are possible substitutes, and what should I pay attention to when substituting? | It's not a true Fondue but I've done something very similar by taking a white sauce base made with 50 / 50 wine and milk. You then melt in lots and lots of cheese and you get something very nice and similar to a fondue. You can pretty much use any reasonably melting cheese you like although a strong cheddar is very nice. For something really interesting add some Mozzerella and slowly melt it down and you get a wonderful stringy finish. |
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I do not like the taste of curry powder. I have a recipe that calls for the use of this spice. What do you suggest that I can use in place of the curry powder? | Curry powder is a blend of spices to some recipe or merchant's taste, as a convenience. More traditionally, a particular blend of spices would be created for each individual dish, tailored to that dishes idiosyncrasies. You can research one of many current powder recipes on available, and simply make your own blend without whichever spice or spices it is that you do not enjoy. |
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I am a PhD student and I intend to cook in my dorm room. There is a wooden enclosure, I am not sure if it is meant for cooking but I intend to cook there. Please take a look at the space. Although the clutter is annoying, but I intend to attract your attention to the closed like wooden space. I plan to make rice, sauted vegetables, grilled chicken on a regular basis and boiling water for eggs, coffee and the like. I don't intend to make any gravy/sauce based dishes. I am worried that cooking for the next 3-4 years there could damage the wood. If I were to cover the wood with aluminum foil, would it take care of the issue and is it safe to do that? Edit: I plan to use an electric induction stove. | The steam released by cooking the foods you mentioned, and boiling water outright, would probably damage the wood. Foil might prevent that, if you seal it completely (using some sort of moisture/heat resistant tape). However, that wouldn't eliminate the fire hazard from cooking in an enclosed wooden box--nothing short of adding a layer of fire-retardant insulation would. Your best bet is to cook on the floor in the middle of your room (open a window if it gets steamy) and then store your cleaned and cooled implements in the wooden enclosure, provided that your floor is not carpeted. If it is, then I would recommend finding someplace else to cook that isn't a tinderbox. |
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I cook lots of Indian food - can I use kosher salt\crystallized sea salt for my curries? I like the way you have more control on how much salt you're adding because of the crystal texture - but ill the salt crystals melt properly? And should I add the salt slowly during the cooking process or atthe end? | You can use Kosher salt or sea salt or even table salt but keep in mind that they are interchangeable by weight NOT volume. Volumetric measurements fail because of different sizes and shapes of salt crystals. Kosher salt crystals are, as you pointed out, larger and end up with larger gaps between the crystals when measured by volume than the smaller table salt crystals that settle together more closely (consider the tiny spaces between grains of sands versus the larger spaces between pieces of gravel). This means that a teaspoon of table salt actually contains more salt than a teaspoon of kosher salt. This means that if your recipe calls for a teaspoon of table salt you will need to use more than a teaspoon of kosher salt. They will dissolve equally well. As to when to add salt, add minimally at first then adjust the salt to taste at the end. Edited to add: you can find a rough conversion of volumetric measurements of different salts here: http://www.mortonsalt.com/for-your-home/culinary-salts/salt-conversion-chart |
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I would like to make the following cheesecake recipe. It uses fresh raspberries to add flavor. I only have access to frozen berries. I can defrost the frozen ones I have, but there's a lot more liquid now than in the fresh ones. Can I substitute frozen berries? Also, if I wanted to add berry juice to add more berry flavor (and a nice color) would that work? Recipe from here: http://s-vick.blogspot.co.za/2013/04/gordon-ramsays-ultimate-cookery-course_11.html 550g cream cheese, at room temperature. 160g Caster Sugar. 3 Eggs, lightly beaten. 2 tbsp Plain Flour. Finely grated zest of 1 Lemon. 200g Raspberries. Preheat the oven to 180C and butter a 23 cm spring-foam cake tin. Beat together the cream cheese and sugar. Add the beaten eggs bit by bit until combined. Add the flour and lemon zest, then fold through the raspberries. Spoon the mixture into the prepared cake tin, tapping it against the work surface to remove any bubbles and help the raspberries rise up from the bottom. Bake in the preheated oven for 35 minutes until set on the edges but wobbling slightly in the middle. Once cooked, remove from the tin, running knife around the edges to loosen if necessary, and serve. | The raspberries should work if you strain them thoroughly and fold them in very carefully so they don't break apart. Adding the liquid to the cheesecake will noticeably alter the texture, probably making it mushy; note that there aren't any water based ingredients in the recipe which you could substitute raspberry syrup for. I wouldn't recommend it. If you wanted to add raspberry flavor to a cheesecake, your best bet would be a raspberry pastry flavoring oil. If you didn't want to waste that liquid (and why would you,) just drizzle it on top of each slice as you serve it. |
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We cooked some pizza last night and had a good time. However, the crust was limp. I was expecting to tap the bottom and hear the tap tap tap sound but it was too soft. We have an Alphaforni 5 Minuti Wood fire oven running at 500°F. The temperature was measured using the built in thermometer. I had preheated the oven for over an hour. The dough was sitting out of the fridge for about 2.5 hrs before we got it into the oven. How can I get the bottom crispier? What would cause such a soft bottom? | 500F is not really that hot, in terms of Neapolitan pizza. Traditionally, they are baked for 2 minutes or less, at 700F - 900F (371 - 482C). So, this could be a temperature, and/or a cooking surface issue. What type of oven are you using? On what type of surface is your pizza cooking? |
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I had a roommate many years ago that was from a Caribbean island, but I don't remember which one. His general technique for cooking almost anything was to start with a hot saute pan, add oil, a good amount of sugar, and a homemade hot sauce that had lots of mustard as well as chili heat in it. Almost similar to the Vietnamese caramel chicken. Can anyone identify which island(s) this technique might be from? Is there a name for it? Niceties to the technique? | Sounds like the technique for Pelau, from Trinidad, only with hot sauce added. I don't think it has a name other than "pan fry/sear in caramelized sugar" |
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The recipe is: 75g nut flour 55g rice flour 1g xantham gum 100g water 120g coconut sugar 30g coconut oil 20g cacao 1g salt 6g cake yeast 10g vinegar 125g sweet potato I don't understand how this recipe works (and it works because I baked it) without potato starch or other ingredient that provides moisture to the cake. Can someone please explain to me the thinking behind it? | You have several oily ingredients like coconut oil and nut flour. Oil is one of the 2 ingredients that make a cake moist and it helps retain the moisture. The other is simply water. In addition to plain water there is xantham gum in the recipe. Xantham gum binds a lot of water and retains it, keeping the cake from drying out. That's why only 1g of it is needed to incorporate 100g of water into the cake. If you leave the xantham gum out of the dough, the cake would probably be very soggy if it wasn't baked long enough or too dry if it was baked for too long. Hitting the perfect spot between soggy and dry would be much harder and the cake would dry out within a day or two after baking. And lastly there is rice flour and sweet potato. Both of them contain starch (and the sweet potato also adds a little more water to the cake). When starch gets cooked (or baked in this case), the molecules swell and can retain moisture much better than uncooked starch. You can see the effect when cooking a pudding / flan / blancmange. |
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