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Whipping double cream with amaretto I was making a chocolate mousse style dessert and wanted to finish it with an amaretto flavoured whipped cream. I whipped some double cream not too stiff, then added a glug of amaretto and some ground almond for good measure, and whipped again. After tasting I wanted it to have mor...	Whipped cream - as in, pure cream that's been whipped - isn't stable. Even just left on its own for a long enough time, it will collapse without a stabilizer like gelatin, xanthan gum, and/or dextrose. You added water and alcohol, which is pretty much the opposite of what it needs. I'm hardly surprised that it collapse...
What's the difference between dried split peas and dried snack peas such as wasabi peas? Wasabi peas (and similar snacks) appear to just be dried green peas (coated in wasabi). Similarly, dried green split peas are also dried green peas (that have been split). So why is it that wasabi peas are crispy and edible, whi...	Recipes for homemade wasabi peas involve soaking, boiling, and then low-temperature roasting (essentially dehydrating) the peas. Split peas are produced by simply drying the peas after they're harvested and then removing their skins. So the reason is that the snack peas are cooked while the split peas are essentially...
What is the purpose of heating agar powder Is agar powder heated so that it will form a gel when it is cooled? if not then what is the purpose of boiling it?	An agar gel sets as it cools, like almost every other thermoreversible gel - including those made from gelatin, carrageenan, and various types of gellan and pectin. One of the properties of almost any gel is that the gelling agent needs to be dispersed and then dissolved in the solution, otherwise you'd never be able t...
Is sugar a thickening agent? Is sugar a thickening agent? Palm sugar for instance? Let's say if sugar has a role in thickening liquid then how does it do it?	While sugar makes a liquid thicker, it is not considered a thickening agent. Sugar is a crystal. When you add it to water, what you get is a simple solution. A solution of a solid in water is always thicker than water. This happens with all kinds of everyday substances. Whenever you add a thick liquid or a solid to a ...
'Espresso' Maker - Base turned dark, is it bad? A few days ago I got an 'Espresso' maker made out of Aluminium (one of these). At the moment I am experimenting a bit with it, but I noticed something strange. The base (the part where you put the water in) turned dark from the inside. Is this normal or bad, maybe even d...	What you've got there, is a Moka pot. They are unable to produce the amount of pressure that gives the Espresso its character, in particular the crema. I have owned several, and all of them have had this happen. That has had no impact on the flavour or mouth feel.
At what point is a beef stew being overcooked? I made beef stew last night in my slow cooker. At seven hours I felt like it wasn't ready so I set an alarm to wake me up at ten hours and moved it into the fridge around 1 AM. Let's say I left it in the pot the whole night, would 17-18 hours be too much? Is there such a...	If you're cooking low and slow, with enough liquid, you'll end up with a style of stew called ragoût. The trick is to not add the vegetables during the cooking, unless they're either something that you want to break down, or you've added enough acid to the cooking liquid to prevent onions and potatoes from fully disin...
Kneading dough - significance of warm hands I made bread the other day and kneaded the dough by hand. The recipes everywhere ask for warm water, which is understandabe for the yeast to rise. When my mother kneads dough using the same recipe, it turns out much softer and her bread in turn is softer. I wonder if it is ...	The temperature influences the speed of rising, but to significantly change the dough hardness, you need a very cold temperature. Even if your hands are "cold", they are certainly above air temperature, and firming up dough through coldness is only possible if you use very cold ingredients, below fridge temperature (4 ...
Making batter one day, baking the next I have to bake a white chocolate mud cake after work and I am always left with some batter, which I then use to bake cupcakes. As mudcake takes a couple of hours to bake (at least my recipe), by the time I will finish, it will be too late to bake the cupcakes. Is it possible to l...	It most likely will not work well to do that. Unfortunately, baking powder (in this case in your self-rising flour) starts the chemical reaction that gives cakes their lift as soon as the powder meets liquid. If the baking powder is single action, all of the bubbles are created when the water meets liquid and the heat ...
How does aging affect Gouda cheese? I'm particularly interested in how aged Gouda will melt compared to young Gouda, but I'm interested in what happens to its flavor as well. I live in the US and have never actually tasted aged Gouda. The Gouda I know is young, soft, very smooth, and melts beautifully. It's almost li...	Aged gouda is my favorite cheese! Beemster Classic Aged is like a firmer, creamy, sweet, slightly sharp, nutty version of regular gouda. I've never had a 5 year, but 2 year aged gouda (like Beemster xo) is kind of like a creamy parmigiano but not as hard... nutty, caramel/toffee flavors with random crunchy tyrosine bit...
Using whole wheat flour instead of all-purpose and semolina I want to make pasta at some point and I am wondering if I could use all whole wheat flour instead of a blend of all-purpose and semolina flour. I know the taste will be a little different, but can I use only whole wheat flour instead of AP and semolina for p...	You can, although the vast majority of whole wheat pasta recipes also include flours that are not whole wheat. When I first answered this question I missed that you were looking to make pasta using only whole wheat flour. One way it can work to use all whole wheat is to make the dough, knead, and then rest it overnight...
Creating a home "anti-griddle"? I watched a restaurant documentary last night (Spinning Plates; pretty good!) which featured a modernist chef demonstrating their kitchen's anti-griddle: essentially a large metal plate chilled down to somewhere around -40 degrees (both F and C, oddly enough). It's used to chill and fr...	You can get better cooling with less dry ice by using a cooling bath. Chunks of dry ice mixed with isopropyl alcohol (rubbing alcohol, isopropanol) will give you a liquid with a temperature of -77°C (-106.6 °F). The liquid will transfer heat to the botton of a metal dish far more efficiently than solid or granulated dr...
How do I leave fried eggs intact? Note: I looked through to see if there were any similar questions, but it appears that most of them were about eggs done over easy. I like having my fried eggs over hard. Unfortunately, it seems that I am incredibly bad at producing a final result that is in one piece. What usually ha...	The easiest way is just like this. What's the best approach to get runny-yolk sunny side up fried eggs? but with broken yolks and more time. This pan would would be perfect if it had a lid that fits, but this lid will be do the trick. Your pan should be non-stick with sloping sides, 8" is perfect for 2 eggs, but large...
What is a yeast cake? Kids and I are reading a book written in the 50's, and there's a recipe in the book that uses one "yeast cake"? What is a suitable replacement in dry yeast? The rest of the recipe (this is from memory) uses 1C Milk, 1 Egg, 1C flour and several other smaller amounts of flavoring/ingredients.	Bob's Red Mill website states that one cake is the equivalent to one packet of dried yeast (0.25oz or 2.25 tsp): One (1/4-ounce) yeast packet of dry yeast OR 1 cake fresh, compressed yeast EQUALS 2- 1/4 teaspoons dry yeast (active dry or instant active dry)
Cheese from UHT Milk I live in a town where fresh or whole milk is not readily available. I was wondering if I could make cheese from UHT Milk. If so, what kind of cheese and what method I should use? Or rather, Should I?	You can use UHT milk in cheeses that don't contain rennet, basically cheeses that are formed by adding acid to milk, allowing it to curdle, and then separating the whey. Quark, Paneer, Queso Fresco and Ricotta are all cheeses of this type. Opinions differ on whether UHT milk can make good cheese of this type, but it's ...
Do I need to boil filled jam/chutney jars? I want to start making chutneys/jams at home, but am unsure of exactly how to proceed. Friends I've spoken to have said to sterilize the jars, then just put the hot jam/chutney in, and some online recipes seem to say this too - http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/7565/marrow-...	Recipes for preserving tend to be very specific. They're calibrated to balance factors like pH and sugar content in the final recipes, and of course to minimize the risk of spoilage. In general, you should always follow the steps as written in your recipe. What I've generally observed is that jam-type recipes don't a...
Why won't my beans soften? I have an old jar of 9 bean soup mix which is basically dried beans. In order to cook them, they must first be softened and according to some prior research a few methods exist, though the most common method is to soak the beans over night. I have done just that. They have been soaking for m...	Soaking beans will not soften them. If done for a very long time (i.e., days), some beans will eventually begin to sprout or ferment, at which point they will become softer. But that is generally not desirable for basic cooking. Instead, you'll need to cook the beans to get them to soften. Bring to a slow boil and t...
Alton Brown's Buffalo Wings See: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZSaR4WmVvRI Alton Brown refrigerates his wings, then steams them, then refrigerate them again. The rationale behind refrigerating them was to dry them out so they would be crispy after baking them. Was the first refrigeration actually needed? The wings a...	I don't see how refrigerating the wings before steaming them could possibly make a difference. They were initially refrigerated as he toyed with the idea of frying them or baking them directly, but then he was inspired to steam them to remove some of the fat before baking. It's artistic licence to tell a better and sli...
Is an unrefrigerated canned ham safe to eat? I just cooked a canned ham for my family. It was fully cooked, and I reheated it well. The problem is that we ate it and then I realized it was supposed to be refrigerated. I had kept it on the shelf. I thought the label meant it should be refrigerated after opening. What i...	If the words "Keep Refrigerated" are on the label, and the ham was kept on the shelf for weeks or months, the only answer I can responsibly give is that you should call poison control: 1-800-222-1222 in the USA. If you're not in the USA, Google "Poison Control (your location)" or call a medical professional. Since you'...
Whole wheat pasta from milling to the results Can it work to make pasta from freshly home-milled flour?	Yes. I will show you. Here are my experiment results. I have this as my mill. It takes a long time to go from wheat to flour and I mean like hours maybe even days. I tried a 2 3/4 cup flour: 6 eggs: 5 tsp oil ratio and kneaded both batches for a good 10 minutes and rested 1 overnight and 1 for 30 minutes. I obviou...
How to make bread mould resistant? With the bread I bake, they become mouldy within two weeks. With the bread I bought from the supermarket, usually whole wheat, I would have the loaf gradually consumed and by the 6th week, it would still not turn mouldy. What did they put into the bread that makes it mould-resistant?...	There are many "natural" or "clean label" ingredients that work as mold inhibitors. Most of them work by adding some acid and thereby creating a more inhospitable environment for mold. Some of the popular mold inhibitors (at least is some U.S. bakeries) are: cultured whey, vinegar, and raisin juice. I think vinegar an...
What are recommendable coffee roast types for Aeropress? Many tutorials on brewing coffee with the aeropress cover the optimal water temperature, water volume/weight, grind, for making a decent cup of coffee. What none of them seem to cover is what type of roast is recommendable (dark roast/light roast) or what coffee...	Coffee taste is indeed subjective. However, there are some things you can look for since the added pressure (versus drip) can force extraction of flavours you don't like. Below are some of the drivers (Disclaimer, I don't use the Aeropress): Oily beans: Towards the end of the roasting process the coffee oil can seep...
Leaving buttermilk out overnight, recipe for food poisoning? In the recipe for corn bread in The Bread Baker's Apprentice, the first instruction reads: "The night before baking the corn bread, soak the cornmeal (1 cup) in the buttermilk (2 cups). Cover and leave at room temperature overnight." Similarly (just found ...	Let's assume that we're talking about cultured buttermilk (the modern, sour kind that smells like yogurt), rather than the old-fashioned by-product of making butter, sweet cream buttermilk. Cultured buttermilk is pretty acidic, with a pH of about 4.5. Acidity is one of the conditions that control the growth of foodborn...
I want to duplicate my bread mistake! I make all of my own bread. For just everyday use my go-to recipe is as follows: Honey-Oat Pain de Mie 255g lukewarm water 361g AP Flour 85g old-fashioned rolled oats (not quick oats) 1 1/2 teaspoons salt 64g honey 57g melted butter 2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast I use a Pain de ...	There are three factors that will make dough rise more quickly: 1- More water 2- More yeast 3- More heat from any source More yeast will make the bread rise more quickly but won't create the sticky texture and better flavor that you describe. More heat will be the same, not just from your heated water but also the temp...
White Stains on stainless steel So these are stains that I tried to get off with everything this board has adviced. Still no end in sight. I tried baking soda, citric acid, white vinegar, bar keeper's friend etc. Does anyone know what these are? First time I'm getting these in 5 years of cooking, hard as hell to get ...	These are probably mineral deposits. Boiling water or washing with hard(er) water can leave them. You can scrub with a plastic pad, use vinegar, etc. I have found that denture cleaner works well for this. Drop one or two tablets in a pan full of cold water, let it sit for 20 mintues, and then rinse it well. A spong...
Fresh salmon that was frozen after: till when can it still be eaten raw I always buy fresh salmon filet, cut it into pieces and put it in the freezer. I usually take a frozen piece cut it and eat it raw. My question is: for how long can a frozen salmon filet (frozen after being fresh) still be eaten raw without the ne...	As explained in How long can I store a food in the pantry, refrigerator, or freezer?, frozen food is safe indefinitely. That being said, raw salmon that has simply been stored in your freezer for a while is not safe to consume without cooking. Not after 1 month, not after 1 week, not after 1 day. Fresh salmon needs to ...
Canning Hot Peppers This is my recipe for canning peppers. I bring 3 gal vinegar, 1 gal water and 1 lb canning salt to a boil. Let cool down a bit then pour into 1 qrt large mouth with peppers, garlic and pickling spices. Seal lid and let sit for 2 weeks before eating. I have been doing it this way for more than...	The right way to know if your recipe is safe is to use a recipe from a trusted source. What you're doing is pickling, so just search for pickled pepper recipes. For example, I quickly found this one: http://nchfp.uga.edu/how/can_06/pickled_hot_peppers.html The NCHFP is one of the big authorities on canning in the US, s...
What difference does it make if I substitute low-fat milk for water in bread recipes? I'd like to know whether is it possible to always substitute milk with water (or the other way around) in bread recipes and what difference does it make? For example, in the following recipe that I found here: Honey-Oat Pain de Mie ...	Off the top of my head, the added sugar from the milk may cause the yeast to over-leaven the bread. The opposite is true when substituting water for milk, you may need to add sugar. Edit: According to this site, Glutathione in the milk must be destroyed by heating it first, otherwise it tends to inhibit yeast. Also, ...
Mixing mushroom-potato-carrot soup and warming later (Should I?) I've got what is probably a pretty basic question - but this is the first thing I've tried to prepare in my life that didn't involve boiling noodles and adding cheese afterwords. I'm looking at baking chicken breast in foil packets with cream of mushroom...	You're fine making those packets well in advance. You could even put them together the night before and leave them in the refrigerator until you're ready to bake (expect them to take five minutes longer to cook). The only possible negative to doing it that way is that the potatoes could get a little brown. You can keep...
Is smell a bad way of determining whether meat is still good? I have always relied on my sense of smell to determine whether meat (most often chicken) is bad and I thought it was reliable. However, I have just heard that [1] smell is not always reliable, since some of the toxins produced by bacteria won't cause any sm...	It is absolutely untrue and very dangerous to think that "if it looks OK, and smells OK, it must be OK." If that were the case, food poisoning would be very rare. Food that we can sense is spoiled rarely causes illness. For one thing what you don't eat can't hurt you, and people generally won't eat food that looks or s...
What cut of ground beef is ideal to mix with ground lamb for kofta? I'm attempting to replicate kofta that I had at a Mediterranean place last week. They were a mix of beef and lamb, yet neither flavor was more pronounced than the other, in fact it had a sort of flavor all its own. It wasn't at all fatty, yet it had a...	Try half and half sirloin and chuck for your beef. If you're grinding your own or can otherwise get quite specific, use sirloin tips. Ground, they're just as good as the much more expensive top sirloin. Sirloin will be low in fat, but will still have great flavor. I have used a combination of 1/2 lamb, 1/4 beef chuck a...
What to do with soggy mushy potato chips? We had crispy potato chips (not french fries) made by a catering service. They arrived already a bit on the soft side, and on the next day they are quite soft and mushy. I don't like wasting food, so I am looking for ideas on how to turn them into a meal. My first idea is to b...	Crush them and use them as a breading for deep fried meat.
How to safely reuse scissors used to open food packaging multiple days in a row? I often have to resort to prepared food from the local supermarket for a number of consecutive days because my parents are on vacation. This food is sealed in vacuum bags and usually requires 3-5 minutes in the microwave depending on the ...	Wash the scissors in hot soapy water after you've used them.
when does a boiled egg become a poached egg? This is a very serious question. a poached egg is an egg without its shell in boiling water. a boiled egg is an egg in its shell in boiling water. So, if an egg is being boiled but then cracks out of its shell before it has finished cooking, does it become a poached egg? ...	You've answered your own question already. Eggs are boiled in-shell and poached without their shell. The major difference is whether the whites can spread out in the water. It's not uncommon for eggs to crack slightly during boiling and for a small amount of albumin to leak out; this is generally discarded. I've nev...
How can I get hash browns to bind without using egg? I don't want to add egg to bind hash browns. What is the best way to bind hash brown without the eggs? My first thoughts are should I still grate the potato, or boil first to soften to enable them to bind?	I follow Alton Brown's recipe from Good Eats for grated (the only way!) hash browns and never have problems with it binding. It's from the episode "Another Man Food Show: Breakfast" if you want to search it out. He talks on the show about why the type of potato matters and recommends a high starch potato like an Idaho ...
Are there books describing the general principles of cooking? Perhaps my question is too weird, but whenever I read a book on cooking, it's just a list full of recipes. There are a lot of examples but there are no explicit laws or general principles of cooking - here I must admit that I don't browse this kind of book...	The best resource for this kind of questions is On Food and Cooking: The Science And Lore Of The Kitchen, by Harold McGee. It's best described as 'a cookbook without recipes', even though there are a couple of them in there. It has several sections and describes in detail what various foodstuffs contain and how they ar...
Making sorbet with fruit frozen before processing I've accidentally frozen a bunch of good strawberries with the leaves still on. I want to make them into sorbet. I don't plan to cook the berries. Should I: Thaw the berries, cut the tops off, puree, make sorbet? Try to cut the tops off the berries while still frozen,...	Thaw just enough to easily remove the tops and cut into halves or quarters, then puree while still semi-frozen. That will give you a head start on the chilling of the sorbet mixture. You want that super cold anyway, before you put it into the machine.
What are "cooked" potatoes? I came across a recipe for skillet potatoes that asked for "cooked potatoes cut into 1/4-inch chunks". While the 1/4-inch chunk part was easy to understand, I'm not sure what is meant by "cooked". Boiled? Sauteed? Baked?	Usually that would mean potatoes that have been simmered to fork tender, but you could use potatoes that have been baked too. It's faster to dice the potato before simmering, but for some things it actually tastes better (tiny difference) to simmer first, then dice. Be careful if you dice first, they will overcook and...
Is Nattou safe to eat when it has white dots on it? I bought a couple packs of Nattou (fermented soybeans) and stored it in my refrigerator. They come sealed in plastic, so I opened the plastic and only ate about half of one container. I wrapped it back up in plastic and stored it in the fridge again, and the next da...	Yes, those spots are normal, they form as the nattou ages. They are amino acid crystals, and they are perfectly safe. Here's a picture. They're a bit crunchy, which you may or may not like. If you don't like the dots, get young nattou and consume it before the crystals form. If you do like them, get more mature nattou...
Will a small "breather tube" on my bottles harm the oil/vinegar/liquor inside? I have several glass bottles with speed pourers like this: I am thinking of using these bottles to hold my oil/vinegar/soy sauce/etc as well as liquors for my home bar, for efficiency of pouring as well as consistency. The bottles have a g...	The exposure to oxygen that you'll get with bottles like these will affect your ingredients, but that will vary depending on how long you're storing them. If you go through enough oil, vinegar, etc. that you're refilling these every few weeks, I think you'd be just fine. If storing for three months or more, you may s...
Have strawberries changed or have I? Strawberries used to be one of my favorite fruits. I am continually disappointed when I bite into them lately and they have little flavor unless it's that slightly fermented taste. I am sure that large fruit distributors supply all the local grocers with bright-red, bruise-resistan...	There are quite a few different strawberry cultivars. It'd be surprising if farmers didn't change which ones they plant in response to changing climatic and economic factors. Size and taste changes when they do that.
How to tell if it is honey, super filtered honey, or corn syrup? There is this article here in Australia that an importer has labeled corn syrup as honey. It has been imported from Turkey and it has been sold to people. I think this is not just happening here in the land of OZ. Just with a little bit of searching I fo...	Buying local honey is one way to be sure that what you are getting is "honey". I've never heard of people passing off something else as honey. Isn't that why we have the fda? If you are buying it in the store, check the lable... my honey has one ingredient; honey.
What makes the difference between domed and flat cookies? I'm baking cookies using recipe from Ruhlman's Ratio, which goes something like this: 100g butter 90g sugar 160g flour 1 tsp baking soda (I use baking powder) 150g chocolate chips I scoop the dough using my ice cream scoop and have nice good tasting round coo...	Baking powder instead of baking soda could certainly cause that dome. Baking soda requires an acid to leaven, baking powder has that acid included. Cookies don't have a lot of acid on their own so baking soda doesn't cause them to rise much. The baking soda is in a recipe like that to help with browning by altering th...
How to achieve more solid consistency when preparing seitan from wheat flour? I'm making my own seitan from wheat flour, rather than using vital wheat gluten. I usually do about 4-5 washing steps when preparing my seitan. It is good, but I would like it to be more stiff/solid (not sure if this is the right word). I t...	The texture and yield is governed two factors: developing the gluten completely and washing out the bran and starch effectively. To develop the gluten, combine the flour and water into a workable dough and give it 50 light strokes. Cover the bowl and let it rest 10-15 minutes. It is during this time that water chemical...
Do alcohol and salt help in preservation of dehydrated vegetables? I dehydrate vegetables and keep them in glass jars for a long time. Is it a good idea to put a small amount of alcohol 70% in the jar before I insert the vegetables, in order to kill the bacterias? Is it a good idea to put some salt inside? Does it pro...	I don't understand what you are trying to achieve here. Food, or at least vegetables, is spoiled by bacteria (sometimes also mould). Bacteria need quite a few factors to maintain homeostasis and live. They can't live if 1) a toxin is present, or 2) their living conditions are not met. When you preserve food, you remo...
Oops! Too much hot pepper. Now what? In my home, we're not very fond of capsaicin, and I put too much crushed red pepper (the dry spice, bloomed) into a vegetable soup[1]. What can I do to remedy the soup? (Obviously, I can cook another pot of soup and combine them, but I'd rather not. Any other remedies?) [1] The so...	Usually, cream will help cut the heat from peppers, including crushed red peppers. Not sure if your soup would work with dairy. Yogurt or milk would work, sour cream too. Cheese does not seem to help.
How to stop mushrooms from discoloring everything? A few times in the past week, I've cut up a few mushrooms (I'm pretty sure they're button) and sauteed or fried them with a few other ingredients for dinner. I absolutely love the taste and the texture, but they seem to give a dull grey tint to anything in the pan wit...	Based on comments, the likely culprit is moisture cooking out of the mushrooms and into your other ingredients. Mushrooms contain a surprising amount of liquid, and when cooking them you'll see that they shrink down significantly due to moisture loss. If you're adding them to other ingredients, some of the resulting ...
Off taste from refrigerating cheese? Every time we get a extra large block of cheese, by the time we get to the end of the brick, what's left gets an off taste, from being in the refrigerator so long after opening the package. The price per pound is much more economical for the large blocks of cheese, so if it's possi...	First, don't wrap your cheese directly in plastic. There is such a thing as cheese bags, and for what it is worth, they're highly recommended by America's Test Kitchen, AKA Cook's Illustrated. The same company makes flat paper for wrapping. Expensive stuff, but you may find it worth it. From the the kitchn, an article ...
Can I make puff pastry with half the butter? I made puff pastry with Gouda cheese inside and it turned out really good. The only problem I had was the amount of butter and it was too buttery. I'd like to know if it is possible to reduce the amount of butter? Another question is, I have some leftover dough without butt...	The secret lies in the folding of the dough...You may uses half the butter but you would ultimately have to fold it more before cooking it. The more you fold the dough the more puffy it gets, of course your results will get better with more butter, but in that particular situation, go with the extra folding, you'll get...
Frozen prawns - blue dye I'v been given some prawns from parents where they bought in bulk. The prawns leak a blue dye? Does anyone know if this is normal?	The color should not be a problem for you as long as red coloring in beef packaging doesn't bother you. That's right, that blue dye is blood. Crustaceans, like the prawn, crab, and lobster, and horseshoe crabs have hemocyanin in their blood to transport oxygen instead of hemoglobin, which we have. Hemocyanin has copper...
Fatty liquid vs non fatty liquid in dough I have been making bread at home over the past month or two using a simple 4 ingredient recipe with 60 - 75% hydration and have become familiar with the soft, light consistency of the dough when the gluten is fully developed. The other day I tried an enriched dough for the fir...	The reason that your enriched bread handled completely different than your initial bread is because eggs, sugar, and oil all inhibit the formation of gluten. Sugar attracts water, so it competes with the proteins gliadin and glutenin in flour for binding to water (glutenin+water+gliadin= gluten) added to the mixture. ...
Can an all wheat flour be high in protein, yet low in gluten? I know that wheat protein isn't all gliadin and glutenin (the proteins that give dough its stickiness and elasticity and together create gluten), but high protein wheat flours are also generally considered "high gluten". Except when they're not, apparently....	I can't say that this is the answer with 100% definitiveness, but I do have a theory that seems valid. Usually, flours are milled and ground with the endosperm, which contains most of the starch and protein. The germ contains proteins, fats, and vitamins and the bran is primarily fiber. The fats, vitamins, and fibers a...
Can half cooked pork chops be cooled then fully cooked later? I started baking pork chops at about 2pm. 30 mins into cooking I had to leave. I turned off oven and left. It's now 640pm and I'm just getting home. The pan is still slightly warm. Are the pork chops still good to continue cooking?	Even though you turned the oven off when you left, there was still likely enough residual heat to continue cooking the chops. Rather than a half-cooked chop that sat out for 4 hours, you've got mostly or fully-cooked chops that sat in a warm environment for 2-3 hours. Whether they hit the recommended internal tempera...
How to evenly fry cubes? I have long struggled with pan-frying cube-shaped foods to try to get them evenly browned on all sides. I have this struggle with potatoes and tofu, and there are likely other foods it applies equally well too. I typically start out frying on one side for a while, until it's starting to brown ...	I'm going to assume you're not considering deep frying, which would generally be the easiest way to fry evenly on all sides (at once). If you want something similar to pan frying, probably the simplest solution to get evenly browned cubes, assuming you have sufficient time, is to roast the food in the oven instead with...
Maintaining crispy fried potatoes while cooking with onions and peppers I love fried potatoes, and I love them even more when there are some delicious vegetables mixed in, like onions and bell peppers. The problem is that I can't figure out how to cook all these things so that I end up with crispy potatoes with the co...	You probably should keep #3, but use a much higher temperature for the vegetables. Non-starchy vegetables contain lots of water. If you shallow fry them at a leisurly pace, their juices flow out and stay in the pan, making everything a bit soft. You also get a bit less grilled-like taste. If you saute them instead, y...
What can make a radish lose its flavour in a dish? I wanted to try something new so I had the idea of putting radish in with my tuna salad. I really like the spicy punch of radishes so I was excited to taste the end product. I got a bunch and chopped them all up, then I added some miracle whip, Philadelphia cream chee...	I don't think anything reacted, just that you smothered them in other stuff. Some of your additional ingredients (the cream cheese and the miracle whip) will soak up any taste present and dilute it. If you just made cream cheese with radishes, it will still taste a bit like a radish, but much weaker. But you didn't j...
Why is it that caramel sauce should not be stirred after it has boiled? The internet says swirling is fine, but not stirring. Why is that so?	Actually, I think "the Internet" is wrong on this one, assuming that we are talking about proper caramel sauce. In most of candy making, you are very careful of crystalization. You are working with a supersaturated sugar solution, and it is looking for the slightest excuse to precipitate. Stirring will clump the sugar...
What material wok did I get while thrifting today? I asked all 4 employees but nobody could tell me. It is heavy, and it doesn't look like the same material as my cast iron pan. A magnet sticks to it. There are no markings on it at all. I think the red handles are silicone. It is smooth and dark grey on the outside...	My guess is carbon steel. It's used in a variety of cooking implements, including stuff like woks and as bread pans. A quick search suggests that carbon steel is often magnetic as you report. If it is indeed carbon steel, it benefits from seasoning and ongoing love and care similar to cast iron (lest it rust or deter...
What techniques or tricks make soft, flaky pastries instead of leathery ones? These are my first experiences with the lovely pastry, puff pastry. I loved it so much that I'd bake more and more of it everyday. The only problem I encountered is that my pastries had a tough crust and they'are somehow leathery, having a...	There are two ways that I make puff pastry. The first is Rough Puff Pastry which is a quicker way to make puff pastry and you get about 75% of the rise you get with normal puff pastry. Here is a link for a Rough Puff Pastry that I use. I'd say that the most important tips to take from that recipe is that the butter mu...
Does the speed of opening of a bottle of wine influence its flavour? While having a (good) bootle of wine at a friends place I've been told the following: The bottle should be uncorked slowly and silently, not to spoil its bouquet. This statement came as something completely new to me, and I do not understand what k...	This seems to be a myth based on the idea that wine can be 'bruised' by popping the cork or handling the bottle roughly. 'Dr Vinny', Wine Spectator Magazine's advice expert, has this to say on the subject: Someone asked whether or not making a cork "pop" when you pull it will bruise the wine. Others have also asked ab...
How do I clean my cast iron grill pan? I'm recently the proud new owner of what I appears to be a Le Creuset "Skinny Grill" which is an enameled cast iron grill pan. I fairly new to cast iron but I'm accustomed to the no-soap cleanup and maintaining a season. This pan, however, is making me crazy. The little ridges ma...	I own a similar square grill pan and have always had luck cleaning it with a stainless steel scouring sponge and lightly soapy water. The spongy texture is very effective at getting down into the grooves. No need to be especially vigorous - a couple quick passes will take out accumulated residues, and you can use a r...
Rice - Expiration Date How relevant is the expiration date on uncooked Rice (different varieties)? Are there ways to store rice to prolong it life?	This website: http://www.eatbydate.com/grains/rice-shelf-life-expiration-date/ has the following table. -------------------------------------------------------------------- \| Dry \| Pantry \| Refrigerator \| Freezer \| -------------------------------------------------------------------- \| White R...
Can I use Basmati Rice for fried rice? I have some left over boiled Basmati Rice in the fridge and I was wondering if anyone has ever used it to make Chinese Fried Rice given that the recipes generally call for Jasmin rice? Does it have huge flavor differences or should it be ok given that other Asian flavors like Soy...	Absolutely you can! It's a popular choice with Chinese and Indian flavor profiles. You can just treat it exactly like you would any other leftover rice. It's a lovely ingredient to work with. The nutty Basmati flavor works beautifully however you choose to season fried rice.
What is the difference between a prawn and a shrimp? Are prawns and shrimps the same thing or are they different? Basically, I think they're the same but one of my friends was arguing that they're similar but definitely not the same thing and they differ in size.	Biologically speaking, they are actually different species, but the names are so commonly used interchangeably as to completely muddle the distinctions. For example, spot prawns are actually shrimp while ridgeback shrimp are actually prawns. Prawns have claws on three of their five pairs of legs, shrimp have claws on t...
Can I make meringues with commercial egg whites? I want to make a bunch of meringue cookies, but I don't want to waste a bunch of eggs. If I buy something like Egg Beaters Whites, would that work?	Egg-whites in a carton are usually pasteurized. Pasteurized eggs are not great for meringue because the heat from the pasteurization process negatively affects the proteins in the whites that make for good meringue. With a lot of whipping (and more cream of tartar or other stabilizers) pasteurized egg whites (whether f...
Is it ok to freeze miso paste? Recently, I bought a pack of miso paste. It contains 1kg, far more than I actually need. Is it ok to freeze what I don't need? If so, how long could I keep it frozen?	You can freeze it, however using it will be a problem as you will have to chip out what you want on demand rather than thaw and re-freeze it. Miso paste lasts ages in the fridge as long as you put it in an airtight container to prevent it from drying out, you're better off just doing that.
How do they Prepare Steak so fast in Restaurants? I've been wondering how restaurants are able to serve food so fast. How are they able to serve thick steaks in 20 - 30 minutes? Here's the process that I know of: Bring the steak to room temperature (20 minutes) Pan sear it for around 2.5 minutes on each side Put it ...	When I worked the wheel at a local restaurant, we served 4oz medallions of filet mignon that went from fridge directly to grill. Only took about 5 minutes on each side, then the steak was plated and sent to the table. There was no "wait until room temp", oven or rest stage. The rest stage wasn't necessary because we we...
traditional italian past	with or without eggs? I read that in the north of Italy they would use eggs in their recipes (the recipe to make the pasta itself). Is it an actual tradition or is it just a recent trend? I always thought that the pasta was something simple, made with the heart, durum semolina and water.
Should I wash newly bought plastic tumblers? Just bought these cups from IKEA. Beside from being dusty, I asked myself whether I should put these once before usage into the dishwasher to "wash away toxics" that might be on the surface of the cups. On the other hand, this might be pure superstition. My question: Shoul...	Generally, yes, to wash off any chemicals that might have been used to finish the plastics or rinse any sprue away. If you're going to be putting the dishwasher on anyway, you might as well throw them in.
Smoked a brisket that was edible but not great. What would you do differently? I smoked my first brisket last weekend and even though it wasn't terrible it was a little dryer and rougher than I would have liked. Here is the smoker I used: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00B7W8NHW/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00?ie=UTF...	From what I can tell you're generally on the right track here. From what you've said, there are probably just a few issues. tough/dry/rough. Believe it or not not cooking long enough could be the problem here. You want your brisket to get in that 190-200 range, this will cause the connective tissue to break down and m...
How can I modify my banana bread recipe to make cookies from it? I love banana bread but it is troublesome to find a proper container to store it or even a bag big enough. For that reason and also for convenience, I would like to try to use the banana bread recipe, but make them into cookies. The thing is, I'm not sur...	As DrRandy said in the comments, cookies are really far from banana bread. It's going to be pretty difficult. I would suggest instead looking for a banana cookie recipe. Even if you don't like the first one you find, you can use it as a starting point or find another, and you'll go through a lot fewer failed batches th...
Why does a pizza stone make my pizza dough bread-like? I have an aluminum pizza pan with a perforated bottom. It looks like this: Not long ago I purchased a pizza stone, which I got mainly because everyone raves about them. However, the results have been quite disappointing. The aluminum pizza pan consistently produc...	Your aluminum pan is allowing moisture to escape from the bottom and the top, whereas the stone does not, so the stone will have more rise. To use a stone, after much trial and error, I have to roll that dough out super thin, like 3-4 mm, prebake in the hot oven for 4-5 minutes, pull it out, add the toppings, then fin...
How do I adapt to grilling without a lid? If a recipe explicitly asks to grill with the lid on (for example this jerk chicken), but I'll be grilling on a grill without a lid on one of those ubiquitous rectangular park grills, how should I adapt? I know I'll need more turning to get more even heat, but is there anythin...	While if you have the opportunity to improvise a lid I recommend you do so as per the other answers, however it isn't always possible. I have unexpectedly been thrust into the "grill master" role when I've shown up to parties and the charcoal is hot, food expensive, and nobody but me knows how. In situations like this ...
Keeping crawfish alive overnight? I'm going to buy Crawfish this Friday night at 9 or 10 and boil them Saturday at noon. Is it possible to keep Crawfish alive overnight? If possible how does one do so?	Oh you're fine. For maximum freshness, follow the advice from (this one is better, no spurious exclamation points!) this online FAQ How do I keep crawfish alive until I boil them? Keep them in the sack and cool with ice, but not submerged in water. A large ice chest works great with the drain spout open and the lid c...
Baking or Cooking - why orange and not other sweet citrus fruit? In most of the recipes that have any sweet citrus flavoring, it is usually Orange (zest and juice). In fact I've hardly seen a recipe that uses a substitute like mandarin, grapefruit, etc. Is there a reason why orange takes a preference and how easy is i...	I don't claim that this is a canonical answer, but it seems to be a bit like the situation with apples. You have cooking apples and eating apples, which have been bred for different traits. Similarly you have juicing oranges, eating oranges, and bitter oranges (used for marmalade). The other citrus fruits which taste m...
Does anybody recognize this Finnish dill sauce? My husband brought back a homemade sour cream dill sauce from Finland. It was thick, perhaps with a puréed vegetable, but I couldn't taste cucumber or the like. There is definitely some texture there. Any suggestions?	A very common fish condiment in Sweden is "dillsås", dill sauce. 10 oz gräddfil. A light sour cream. (yoghurt?) A few tablespoons of mayo A generous amount of chopped dill. Season with salt and white pepper to taste. You can add some mustard and lemon if the mayo is bland. The taste is smooth and quite neutral wit...
Is there a technique to freeze gnocchi so they maintain their consistency? I've made gnocchi, let them dry for 2 hours over the counter, place them in a plastic container with extra flour inside the freezer. Two days later I take them out of the freezer. After an hour the gnocchi were defrosted but sticky and a little...	I typically use potato, flour and egg. Make. Freeze. Then, go directly from freezer to boiling water. Do not defrost first.
Without knife skills, how can I quickly and accurately dice vegetables? As an occasional cook, I know the value of correctly diced vegetables when the recipe calls for it. But I don't have the knife skills to work through a soup's worth of vegetables in under an hour. In lieu of simply "getting better" with the knife ...	Try a mandoline. If you're not familiar, it's a gadget that has a horizontal blade for slicing as you slide food across it. Most have a dial that allows you to adjust thickness or to create julienne or "French-fry" shape. You can then just do one more chop to turn the "fries" into dice. Aside from that, I'd be remiss ...
Is it better to use oranges that are under-ripe or over-ripe to make marmalade? I have some slightly under-ripe oranges, and will be leaving the house shortly. Would I be wasting time to try to make them into marmalade?	Under ripe oranges are actually desirable for marmalade, as they tend to have more pectin, which helps to give the marmalade its jammy, gelatinous consistency. So have at it!
Why is it called spit roast? Why is a spit called a spit? I can't imagine it, but historically, was it spat on?	From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rotisserie: Rotisserie is a style of roasting where meat is skewered on a spit – a long solid rod used to hold food while it is being cooked over a fire in a fireplace or over a campfire, or roasted in an oven. A spit is a long solid rod :) (as confirmed by http://en.wiktionary.org/w...
How to travel with a cake overseas? I am planning to make a white or dark chocolate mudcake and take it from Australia to India in a month's time. I also need to ganache and fondant the cake either before or after the flight. So, I need all the tips and help to help me take the cake safely to India. So, based on the f...	If you are allowed to take the cake you can do the following: 1) Ganache the cake after you reach India, preferably indoors as it will melt as you take it along the road. 2) To take the cake along with you during the time of your flight just put it in a ziploc bag and seal it well and it should remain intact and not go...
Troubleshooting: Kitchen Sink Vegetable Soup One of my newbie goals is to be able to make a kitchen sink vegetable soup that doesn't default to tomatoes and packs a punch in flavor. (Cleaning out the fridge and being healthy are nice goals too). Assumptions & Procedure Almost all the recipes I researched online cal...	To address your points in order: If you only cooked your soup for ten minutes, you didn't give it enough time for the flavours to 'marry'. A gentle simmer for half an hour would give you better results. A night in the fridge to really let everything blend would be even better. You will not get crispy potatoes in a sou...
How much is a cup of graham cracker crumbs in crackers and weight? I have a recipe that calls for one cup of graham cracker crumbs. How many crackers am I going to need to crush? I'm having trouble finding an answer partly because different people consider a "cracker" to be of various sizes. I would consider a crac...	It should be about 7 crackers per cup, maybe 8, depending how finely you crush them. One of the inner packages from your 14.4oz box should be plenty (there are probably three packages with 9 in each, or 4.8oz). If you need to go the other way, that's 1/7 to 1/8 cup per cracker, or more simply, 0.5oz or 15g per cracker....
Raw milk curdling in microwave Why is it that every time I try to heat raw milk in a microwave it curdles and becomes like ricotta after a few seconds?	The problem you are facing is that your microwave temperature is too high and boils your milk too rapidly. The microwave does not heat food evenly and boils the milk too fast. Milk shouldn't be boiled too rapidly and doing this causes the casein in it to clump together and that curdles the milk. It should instead be br...
Why didn't my pan-fried potato wedges turn out crispy? Here's what I did: I cut up some red potatoes into wedges, tossed them in oil and spice and pan fried them on the heat setting of 7.5 (9 is the max and it is a bare element stove). I put the lid on the pan and after a while I flipped them and removed the lid. I p...	By frying your potatoes then putting the lid on, you fried your potatoes then steamed them, so it's no wonder they weren't crispy. Although it takes longer, par-boiling the potatoes first is by far the best way to get crispy on the outside, fluffy on the inside potatoes. Par-boiling cooks the inside of the potato, so t...
What should I use to produce the hotness of Hong Kong-style borscht? I'm interested in attempting to make borscht similar to the type that gets sold in fast-food restaurants in Asia (or at least Hong Kong). I've found several recipes online, so the basic process seems straightforward (e.g. this, this, and this). Now, ...	Of the recipes you link to only one contains paprika, another one lists "Chinese chili paste, chili oil, hot sauce or dried red chili flakes to taste". The one that specifies paprika doesn't mention a specific type of paprika. Without further distinction, that generally means the sweet, non-smoked variety. Sweet paprik...
Is Jalebi acidic? I would like to know if Jalebi is acidic or not? I want to create a dish using milk and Jalebi. But if Jalebi is acidic in nature than it will react with the milk and may make my recipe a dud. If it is indeed acidic how do I make it less acidic without affecting its taste?	Some jalebi can be dusted with citric acid to add tartness, but it really depends on the recipe. Jalebi itself isn't more than wheat and sugar, so chances are you're in the clear.
Homemade Buffalo Sauce I live in the Philippines where Frank's Hot sauce is frankly quite expensive. I'm planning to make a homemade Buffalo Wings sauce with Trappey's Hot sauce (which is cheaper) to sell in our entrepreneur food stall. Does anybody know any good combinations for homemade buffalo sauce with this combi...	Know that the traditional Frank's Buffalo Wings Sauce is just Frank's RedHot and melted butter. I'd definitely start there, and tweak with the substitution. The old standard is 1/2 cup (118ml) Frank's RedHot to 1/3 cup (79ml) melted butter. Vinegar is a distinct possibility, to me neither buttermilk nor ketchup make s...
When making chicken soup, should I reuse the vegetables I used to make the broth? When making a chicken broth I'll chuck in some onion, carrots, celery, leeks, whatever I got lying around. When I make the soup, I usually strain out all the bones and veggies in the broth and put in new vegetables along with the meat. ...	It's definitely just a matter of preference. I'd expect the vegetables from the stock to be overcooked for my tastes, I like a little texture in my soup.
Why is my Green Tea Brown but then Green when I reuse the bag? I've read the posts about why Green Tea can appear brown, and it makes perfect sense. However, what I'm experiencing is different. When I reuse my Green Tea Bags a second time, I get the green color one would expect. Totally counter intuitive, I know. ...	I know that with pu'er tea (not a green tea), they rinse and 'awaken' the tea with the hot water first - dumping out the first brew (seemed like a waste to me). They say the 2nd is good, but the 3rd cup and on is much better ! I never noticed the color of my green tea changing, but I must admit i like the second pot ...
Are red lentils and split red lentils the same? I have a recipe for vegetarian Moussaka which calls for red lentils, but it doesn't specify whether the red lentils are split or not. Is there such a thing as whole red lentils (I have only ever bought split ones), and will using split red lentils instead confuse the mea...	They are not the same, there is a difference. Red lentils can be purchased whole or split. Most red varieties are skinless, those that do have skin don't appear very red. The measurements aren't going to be affected much, you'll get slightly more lentil in a cup of split lentils than a cup of whole lentils. The cook...
Would this cheat puff pastry really work? I watched this video titled: "Cheats Quick Puff Pastry Recipe by Paul Hollywood". The one claims that it will result in the same dough and as flaky as the original puff pastry. The trick is, he used frozen grated butter instead of cubes of butter and used it twice in the rolli...	Yes, that will work just like traditional methods. That's the real deal, it's not even a cheat, it's just smart. BTW, the last line in your question raised my eyebrows. In puff pastry there is no waiting "for the butter to get softer so that it flattens". The butter is flattened (or sliced) with brute strength while th...
Nonstick Pans: Purpose, Cleaning and Heating Three newbie questions: Purpose - I read somewhere (can't find the link again) that nonstick pans were purposefully designed to be used without oil. Is this really true? Or just that food generally won't stick? Cleaning - I also read that one of the options for cleaning ...	Purpose Non-stick is a bit of a misnomer, they are actually significantly-less-stick. You can and should use oil in non-stick pans just as you would in a stainless steel pan. Certain things are much easier to do well in a non-stick pan, eggs would be number 1 on that list. I use them all the time. What they are not go...
What is the best way to store uncooked homemade beef patties? I'm planning to grind my own beef patties, but I don't plan to use them until the next day, or perhaps the day after. What is the best way to store them until the day of? Would sticking them in the fridge do, or do I have to put them in the freezer?	Store them as you would the unground beef. If it will be still be in date after a few days, store it in the fridge, otherwise, freeze them (separating the patties with a sheet of greaseproof paper).
Deconstructed food; simple, complex or both? This question was asked on English Language & Usage and deconstructed food is a term I'd never heard before. One answer is that it is simply the constituent parts of a dish laid out separately on a plate allowing the consumer to reconstruct the dish manually as they eat it....	Does the term deconstructed food really mean separated constituents or does it mean improved or simplified by inspecting the constituents and recombining them differently? Yes. (As in either can be correct) It's about taking the various components of a dish and perhaps just separating them, or it may mean putting them...
Why is my soymilk going off so fast? Long before the expiration date on my soymilk, I'm having to toss it and buy a new container. I use soymilk only for my morning tea, and it develops this strange metallic and bitter flavor (it may also be astringent, or it might be that it's no longer countering the astringency of ...	Expiration dates on milk are not intended for open containers. Any open milk is only good for 3-5 days. After that, it is not safe for drinking, and taste is not guaranteed either. Many people seem to not know that. Traditionally, you could only buy HTST pasteurized milk, which has 7-10 days of usable time altogether....
Roasting 6kg (13lb) Pork Leg I have a huge (for me) leg of pork that's 5.9kg/13lb. I'm thawing in the fridge for the next 4 days before cooking. How do slow cook for tenderness/fall off the bone as well as great crackling?	Slow cooking and great crackling do not go hand in hand. Your best bet will be to remove the skin, score and salt it well, and grill/broil it separately. For the leg itself, low and slow is the way to go. How long depends on how long you've got, but 5 or 6 hours in a low oven will do the trick. Start off with the oven...
Identify this unusual spicy appetizer A friend of mine years back related a story about an appetizer that he ordered at an Asian restaurant that was apparently quite unusual. It was a bowl of something (possibly peppers or another vegetable) where each piece looked completely identical, but one out of every 15-20 of t...	It sounds like it could be Shishito peppers, which about 10% are spicy, and "even experts may not be able to distinguish relative hotness on the same plant.".
Is charcoal or the smoker at fault for low temperature smoking? I recently received a charcoal smoker for my cake day. I attempted to smoke pork ribs, here are the steps I followed. Cured the smoker with 2 Lbs of charcoal. (6 hours) Cleaned the smoker. Prepped 3 Lbs of charcoal in charcoal chimney. Put water used...	It's the smoker. I had one of these, and it is extremely flawed in design. The pan that holds the charcoal does not allow for proper air flow to the fuel. Contrast this with a Weber grill, where you put your fuel on an elevated grate with plenty of air beneath it. This Char Broil instead just has a pan that you put on ...
Is ground upper turkey thighs the same as regular ground turkey? I usually buy ground turkey at costco, which is labeled ground turkey. However, I asked the local butcher for ground turkey today and when I arrived home, the meat label said "ground upper turkey thighs". Is it the same thing as regular ground turkey? (I...	What really matters is the fat content. I suspect that being all thigh meat, it's similar to regular ground turkey, which is 85% lean. Ground turkey breast (or "extra lean" ground turkey) is 99% lean. I've also seen mixtures in the store of light and dark ground meat that clocked in at 93% lean to split the differen...
What is "pork brisket?" I picked up a package of "pork brisket" at the supermarket today. I have never seen it before but it was inexpensive and fatty, and looked like a good option to throw in the slow cooker. When my wife saw it, she protested (having raised pigs as a kid): "Anyone who knows about livestock knows th...	Serious Eats describes pork brisket this way: Pork brisket is simply a substantial part of a boned-out picnic ham. Although ham generally refers to a cured/cooked product, "picnic ham" here refers to the lower part of the pork shoulder: Guide to Pork Cuts ... Pork Picnic Shoulder This comes from the lower part of th...

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