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What is the charcoal snake method and how does it work? I've read in places about using something called the charcoal snake method for slow smoking in a kettle bbq. What is it and how does it even work? Here's an example picture.	This is the method I use to smoke meat in my Weber! The basics are exactly what you see in the photo, with one more step. Start about a dozen (or in a 22.5" grill like that one, maybe 18-24) briquettes in your charcoal starter (you have one of those right? if not, go get one, they're awesome). When the coals in your st...
Why not cover the pot? I have noticed some foods, such as quick-prepare ravioli, specifically state not to cover the pot when warming them. Why should the pot not be covered? I am especially interested in knowing when I can break this rule. Specifically, we heat food on an underpowered electric stove. Covering the pot...	By quick-prepare ravioli, you mean without sauce, right? It's fine to (and you should) cover the pot to bring the water to a boil. Incidentally, it's best to start with cold water from the tap, hot tap water will likely be more contaminated, possibly with lead. Once the water is boiling, add the salt, then the pasta. A...
My chocolate-chip cookie expanded after baking I have been making the same chocolate-chip cookies for a while. Last week, after baking a batch and removing from the oven, they expanded and became flat. Usually they stay in the same shape when removed from the oven, (thick and chewy) this time is the only time my coo...	There are many reasons why this can be happening, cookies will spread more if the oven is not at the right temperature, try preheating for 20 minutes before you put cookies in the oven. Our ovens sometimes change through time and it might not be hot enough. Another thing could be that you added more sugar than before,...
How do I roll or wrap up pasta into a log-like shape for presentation? How do I roll or wrap up pasta into a log-like shape for presentation? Example 1, Example 2, Example 3 Do they use some kind of tool to wrap the pasta around?	The answer is in your third picture -- chopsticks. Grab the bunch with the chopsticks, twirl it around, then slide the chopsticks out.
How to classify the parts of a recipe ingredient? I'm build a recipe app/website, and I'm interested in how to properly classify the sections of an ingredient (as you would find in a cookbook or on a website) with regards to the terminology. Let me give an example of what I mean. Let's say an ingredient reads: 3 cu...	This is an exercise in data modeling, more so than cooking. What you are describing is the design of your database. You are on the right track. You will want to consider how many of each of the fields you need to have. For example: Quantity - Unique [there will be exactly one of these] Quantity unit - Unique [exactly...
Need Help on Cooking Thick Pork Chops to Temperature Recently I attempted once again to pan-saute bone-in pork chops. I have a recipe which calls for 1" thick such chops. I had a choice between selecting 1/3", or 1.5" chops. I chose the 1.5" ones. The recipe calls for sauteing on each side for 3 minutes, turning only ...	You're almost there! Yes, start with a good hot pan and get a good sear. You might even want to get the sides, render some of that fat. Incidentally, the biggest mistake most people make when searing chops is to move them too soon. Give them at least 3 minutes before you sneak in to check the color. Get them good and b...
What is the white film on my wet carrots? I was juicing carrots tonight and was getting rid of (juicing) some older baby carrots that nobody wanted to eat. They felt a bit "slimier" than usual, but smelled fine, and I haven't had any problems with juicing slimy carrots in the past. However after juicing a few of the...	Even though the surface may be wet, that white stuff is dehydration. It's the cells that are drying on the inside, not the surface of the carrot. It's referred to as "blushing", and it is harmless. Baby carrots are adult carrots that have been cut and polished. That polishing removes the very outer surface, making the ...
how early can I put food into a slow-cooker? I am considering getting a slow-cooker. I leave for work by 8am, return about 4pm and feed my family dinner about 5pm. Can food sit in the slow cooker that long? Thanks.	Yes. A typical slow cooker's low setting ranges between 8-10 hours, which is within the range of your listed times. All (or nearly all) slow cookers come with a removable ceramic bowl/insert that the food cooks in. Most families do most of the preparation in the evening, putting everything into that bowl, and putting...
What is water temperature after electric kettle switches off? My tea preparation prescriptions says to prepare it using water heated to 96 Celsius degrees. When water heated in standard, typical electric kettle reaches this temperature? Is it (always?) immediately after switch turns off? Or is it 100 Celsius degrees,...	Seconds, not minutes. Just the act of pouring the water will cool it slightly. At sea-level pure water will be 100C at a full boil, the temperature will drop immediately when it's no longer being heated. This is unscientific at best, but just for giggles I put an accurate digital thermometer into a room temperature mug...
What is thet difference between venison and veal? What is the difference between venison and veal? I often read about these two things but I'm left wondering what these two things are and what the difference is between the two.	Venison is deer meat. It typically has a flavor similar to beef but it is stronger. While I have not had any that tastes wild or gamey, I have heard that some cuts do taste that way. Veal is calf (very young cow). It has a very mild flavor, not at all like beef from a grown cow or bull. Some people substitute pork for ...
Baked item that would catch on fire/smoke? This is an odd question. Are there any suggestions as to what baked items would catch on fire or smoke (possibly from being forgotten for a few extra minutes) and make a big mess? I am researching baking information for a fiction story and have a baking disaster that needs to...	By far the main way you make a smoking mess in your oven is by baking something in too small a vessel, so that it boils over and burns on the bottom of the oven. The actual food can be pretty much anything you want, as long as it has liquid. (Similarly, baking a cake in a springform pan that leaks around the bottom wil...
Beef and veggies in crock pot turn out hard and tough I have a Hamilton Beach 6 qt Set 'N Forget Programmable slow cooker, and I keep having the same problem-- when I try to make beef stew, the beef comes out almost inedibly tough, and the veggies don't soften. I can't for the life of me figure out what's wrong! My co...	Try cooking on low instead of warm (or at a higher temperature, maybe 185-195F, with your fancy crock pot), and make sure you really got good stew meat. I would expect the beef to have been reasonably tender after that long if it were the right kind of cut - certainly not inedibly tough, even if it weren't all the way ...
What can I substitute for tomato paste to thicken a marinade? This recipe calls for 2 TB tomato paste in the marinade. I assume it is to thicken it so more stays on the meat and veggies. I don't want to open an entire can of tomato paste just to use 2 TB. Can I substitute anything else in its place?	In the future buy real Italian tomato paste in the tube. You'll use it all up, it lasts and lasts.
Korean rice cakes (tteok) sold unrefrigerated I bought some tteok, cylindrical Korean rice cakes, that were displayed on a table. It didn't have a date on it. They seem to need soaking before cooking as they are not very soft but only packaged in a Styrofoam container with plastic wrap. Is this safe to eat (there was ...	If they are completely dry, that's fine; you can buy hard dried tteok and they are shelf stable. But if they are moist, that seems very unsafe to have sitting out at room temperature for an indeterminate period of time.
Boiling Chicken Breast (or any meat) before cooking to cook evenly Good day. I've had another disagreement with my mother on how to cook Chicken Breast. I know it seems like a small topic and it is situational, but do consider it. The scenario is this, let's say you forget to take the Chicken Breast (whole, not choppe...	Short answer - you are right on all counts and she's wrong. Tell her that, she'll love it. ;) The longer answer is that boiling a frozen piece of meat, especially one that is thick in the middle like chicken breast is exactly the opposite of what you want to do as you'll cook the outside but the inside will still be ...
Leaving the ladle in the soup considered harmful? There's this belief in my family that leaving the ladle in the soup is bad, but nobody actually seem to know why it would be bad; it's really just a persistent piece of family lore. I never really cared one way or another, but it really started bugging me now that I've...	Maybe because the ladle gets hot and could burn someone?
Can excess oil make french fries soggy? My co-workers and I are in a debate. We brought some french fries home from a fast-food restaurant in paper bags and they got soggy. My co-workers maintain that the combination of steam and soaking in their own oil made them soggy. I claim that it was only the steam, because exc...	Both. Is it soggy with moisture? Or is it soggy with oil? In both cases, the problem isn't excess oil, after all, French Fries are usually deep fried. The problem is that the moisture isn't adequately driven out of the fry and/or that the fries sit in cold oil. The crispiest French fries (read that non-soggy) are first...
Why is delivered pizza often oily? Forgive the heresy, but I've recently had some pizza delivered. I noticed it was quite oily, and I have seen and heard horror stories of pizza basically drowning in oil. This does not happen when I make pizza myself, even with salami on top the amount of oil is small, and certainly n...	I have had a pizza with a drizzle of olive oil on top (in addition to some basil, pesto, and something else). As best I remember, it did not end up looking, feeling, or tasting particularly "oily", although it was visually apparent (olive-green lines). However, that was a high-end pizzeria; I've never seen oil on a del...
Sour pickles with Calcium Chloride? I've read that putting grape leaves with your brine will help pickles stay crunchy. But those are hard to find. I've also heard that Calcium Chloride does the same thing. Bubbies uses it, in fact. It's on their ingredients. I got a can of Pickle Crisp (it's just Calcium Chloride) an...	Yes! You can use Calcium Chloride to keep your pickles nice and crunchy! I have used Pickle Crisp. I've have had pretty good results. I have also just used generic food grade Calcium Chloride, which I also use in cheese making.(I order this online through my cheese making supplier). The best tip for crunchy pickles is ...
How long can pie batter stay in the refrigerator? If I prepare a mixture for pumpkin pie or sweet potato pie, which has eggs in it, how long is it safe to stay refrigerated before I pour it in a pie shell and bake it?	Still Tasty gives raw eggs out of the shell 2-4 days. Since they rely on the USDA and other (conservative) sources, I'd go with 4 days for reasonable quality, perhaps a bit longer (assess your own risk) for safety. I can't really predict how it would affect quality, but you could certainly try freezing it if you wanted...
How to Judge the Appropriate Feeding Schedule for Immature Sourdough Starter I am a week into the development of sourdough starter. I initiated the starter on spring water and a flour mixture that is 1/2 whole grain rye (Hodgson Mill) and 1/2 whole grain wheat (King Arthur). I am maintaining the standard 100% hydrat...	This question involves a lot of sub-questions that don't have simple answers, so this response is a bit long. From my experience producing dozens of starters from scratch over the years, I have to disagree with some of the details given in the other answer. There are two goals in the early days of a starter: Produce...
Käsespätzle like the ones in Bavaria I'm really impressed how here in Bavaria people can cook some delicious things... Well I fell in love with Käsespätzle. I keep having trouble making them just like at the restaurant, where no matter what, the chef doesn't want to tell me his secrets. I basically buy the Spätzle at ...	In order to get crispy-crunchy fried onions, you need to deep-fry them at a high temperature. Pan frying just won't get them crunchy, they'll just get softer and softer as they get browner and browner. I don't know where you are from, but we have a product in the US that is ubiquitous in late fall, particularly on the ...
Is it a good idea to use cardamom in chili? I am preparing a chili for a contest. The recipe calls for cardamom (along with chili powder and cumin). I have never cooked with it before. From my research, it seems this spice is used more commonly with Indian cuisine. I do love Indian food. In fact, a good Indian friend ...	Cincinnati Chili often has cardamom, along with cinnamon and cocoa. Cardamom is used in savory and sweet foods all over the world, not just in India. If you have reason to want to try this particular recipe, then try the recipe as written. There are thousands of beloved recipes for all kinds of chili. There is no reas...
Sugar/salt frosted around the top of a cup/mug Recently I managed to accidentally get a bunch of raw sugar crystals stuck to the rim of a mug of tea. Drinking the tea over the sugar, being able to balance out the tartness and the sweetness as I liked was pretty amazing. Is there an easy way to repeatedly 'stick' a b...	Place the sugar (or salt) in a bowl or plate large enough to hold the glass (upside down) Rub the rim of the glass with lemon (or lime, or use simple syrup) the rim should be wet and sticky. Roll/Dip the rim of the glass in the bowl full of sugar. In my experience, you need to leave the glass to dry for a few minutes t...
What is the target internal temperature of pork back ribs for maxium tenderness? Although there are many variations for how to cook 'baby back' ribs, there seems to be scant information concerning the target internal temperature of the meat when finished. The question may be slightly more complicated because it seems ...	Tough cuts become tender because collagen breaks down over time in the presence of heat and moisture, which usually takes several hours. When cooking that long the meat heats up to be the same as the oven temperature, so in this case internal meat temperature = oven temperature.
Can I make microwave frozen ready pizza? I would like to make frozen pizzas and heat them in the microwave. I understand that to warm in oven would be better but I don't want to use an oven. I want to make my own frozen ready pizza and heat in a microwave and achieve similar results to heating in oven. Is this possibl...	The secret to microwave pizzas isn't the ingredients (although that might be part of it) ... the real trick is that they have you cook the pizza on top of the box. The box has a special 'crisping disk' in it which is susceptible to microwaves ... it absorbs microwaves, heats up and then either conducts or radiates heat...
How to store no yeast dough I need to store a no yeast dough (water, flour, butter, salt) for verenyky for about 40 hours. What would be the best place: fridge or freezer?	Dough grows moldy in the fridge after several days. While it might keep 40 hours, it's more secure in the freezer. Depending on what you want to make with it, it might be better to work it from cold or from warm. If it is better from cold (e.g. pie crust, pierogi should behave similarly), freezer is perfect. If it is ...
Making Tamales using a corn meal alternative What can I use to make tamales other than corn meal? My son is allergic to corn.	In some cuisines, the masa isn't usually corn at all. Sometimes it's rice, sometimes it's plantain and/or other starchy fruit. The tamale-like dish is actually called pasteles, but the difference between tamales and pasteles seems to be primarily the corn. Check out this informational link and these recipes from Epicur...
What do you get when you reheat and cool clotted cream? I made clotted cream and tried to heat it for serving. It immediately disintegrated so I tried to salvage it by freezing it. It solidified into something yellowish and left some liquid at the bottom, just like when I made the clotted cream. Is the solid part stil...	From your description and re-reading the instructions for your version: yes, what you had on top was still clotted cream. They liquid on the bottom should be whey, which gets separated from the rest during the clotting-process. Re-heating did start the same process you used originally, and left-over whey separated agai...
Emulsifying ingredients for vinaigrettes My weekday vinaigrette recipe goes something like: 1 part olive oil 1.5-2 parts seasoned rice vinegar dollop of Dijon mustard put into sealed container, shake, pour This emulsifies nicely thanks to the mustard, allowing for quick and easy preparation (instead of a laborious w...	According to Serious Eats, mayonnaise is even better! Honey or egg yolk work too. Whatever you do, use some kind of emulsifying agent. The same article shows the havoc a non-emulsified dressing will play on a perfectly innocent salad.
How long does coconut curry last in the fridge? I have three day old green coconut chicken curry in the fridge and am wondering if coconut milk goes bad very quickly. (This is complicated slightly by the power cut we had two days ago for 12 hours. I ate a bit of leftover pork after the power cut and it was fine and th...	I agree with @ElendilTheTall. Coconut milk and such based products do not have a long fresh shelf life. Personally, I would discard and not take the risk. That said, I don't know where you are located and what standard practices apply. In a lot of cases common sense can apply as to how to handle.
Smoking a blade steak I live in Australia where smoked BBQ isn't really common. I asked the butcher what he'd recommend for smoking and he suggested a blade steak (I believe it was). It weighs about 1.5kg / 3.3 pounds. I'd like to smoke it tomorrow at my parents. My brother has a cheap smoker, http://www.smokingmeatfo...	A blade steak is cut from the Chuck. It will have a great deal of connective tissue, so it is an appropriate cut of meat for slow-ish smoking. I would recommend about 250-275F (121-135C) as a cooking temperature. It should take about 2 hours, give or take, depending on the thickness of your steaks. Hit them up with som...
What order should I add ingredients when making soup? I am a student with no cooking experience and a very low budget. The former forces me to cook as cheap as possible and I think soups in general are the most cost efficient meals out there, since they can be cooked in large amounts and stored for a long time. But th...	Goldilocks provided some very good general advice. Just to address a few more points in the specific questions posed: 1) In what order should I saute the first veggies (for example, garlic onion and carrots) ? How long do I need to cook them for? Garlic takes the shortest time to cook, particularly if it is minced or ...
Lemon juice as a natural preservative for soups Can lemon juice be used as a natural preservative for soups? Additionally, Russian soup Borsch has a lot of cabbage in it, as far as I know that makes it last longer. Do you think cabbage can help a soup to be preserved longer? What are other natural preservatives that...	Anything that will keep bacteria and other spoilage microorganisms from growing will extend shelf life. Acidity and salt are the most common historical preservatives, since they create inhospitable environments for many microorganisms (or only allow the growth of ones that are less harmful). In high concentrations, s...
Preparing a fresh bag of spinach: To Stem or Not To Stem In the past I have always de-stemmed my fresh spinach leaves. But I am wondering, is that necessary? I'd like to prepare as-is.	In my experience, stems can be rather stringy even after cooking. Likely varies by time of year, age/size of leaves, soil type, cultivar etc. Best adivice is probably to check a few stems (raw, steamed, whatever) and see. I always cut stems off at the base of the leaf, and have yet to have a complaint about the stem bi...
Should I be suspicious of meat/seafood on sale? Recently a local grocery store had a sale where Fresh Salmon Fillets, apparently normally $6.99/lb, were dropped down to $1.99/lb. My parents were all too eager to load the car with 20lb of salmon fillet, but I was much more hesitant. I was slightly suspicious, because ...	In the case of quickly perishable items like meat, when it's not an advertised sale, shops will sharply discount prices if they anticipate that they will be otherwise left with product beyond the sell-by date. So the answer to your question is both yes and no. There is nothing wrong with buying something just before th...
Do I need to let red wine breathe each time I uncork the same bottle? I have always allowed my red wines to breathe for at least 45 minutes prior to pouring. Often I don't drink the whole bottle, but instead cork what is left. When I go to serve on a different day, does breathing the wine provide the same benefit? I...	Some wines improve with aeration. Others, not so much. Mostly reds, but deciding which is which is a matter of experience and some information. Many younger red wines will benefit from, at least, swirling in the glass...but could also improve in a decanter left open for 30 minutes to an hour. I would guess that most...
How can I get gross, bloody stumps in my Halloween punch? I like this for a Halloween offering. The effect is achieved by filling a powder-free latex glove with water and freezing it. I'd like to step it up a notch by making the hands look like bloody stumps. My punch is a great slimy green made with lime sherbet, a...	Part of the problem with trying to do this is that you have to select something that's going to stand up to the liquid. I have a possible solution, but the problem is that the hand itself is going to deteiorate in the process. Find a glove that's longer, so you have enough "wrist" to work with. Insert two white plast...
Could a non-bitter eggplant become bitter after cooking? I've seen a couple of questions here, that touch the issue of aubergine bitterness: How do you make sure aubergine doesn't go bitter when cooking? Rubbing eggplants in salt But nobody writes about the connection between the taste of a raw and a cooked eggplant...	Hello Alexander and welcome! All of the information I've seen about eggplants say that it is less bitter with cooking. So, if it is not bitter when raw, it should not get bitter when cooked. As you note, there are several ways to remove excess moisture and bitterness. Some of those would be salting, peeling, and removi...
How to make use of old apples? I have many apples, but the insides are already brown. The outside is slightly soft, perhaps bruised. The inside appearance is the same as if you cut an apple and let it sit out for 1 hour, but this is the appearance immediately after cutting. Can these still be used for apple sauce or a...	The apples have shriveled slightly owing to dehydration. When the apples dry out air is admitted through the core then the fruit will oxidise from the inside out. I would not use these apples for eating.
Why is some frozen breaded chicken pre-fried? At the supermarket, I found some frozen breaded chicken. The package said it was already fried before frozen. Why would they fry the chicken before freezing it?	To simply facilitate the end-user cooking. You get all the "benefit" of fried food without the hassle of having to actual fry the food (hot oil handling, odors, ... ) Most people do not have fryers at home and rely on par-fried food (for example oven fries).
What is the difference between Paris ham and French ham? My supermarket sells two kinds of pre-sliced ham. One is called Paris-style and the other French-style ham. Both kinds of ham are from the same company and the names are no indication of where the ham is made. Are these names widespread terms to used describe d...	Jambon de Paris (Paris Ham) is a slow cooked ham. The slow cooking means it retains a large percentage of its moisture and absorbs the flavours of the ingredients with which it is cooked. Jambon de Bayonne is a dry cured or smoked ham that may or may not be further cured in red wine and given its name from the region i...
Is unsour sour cream too new or too old? My supermarket only has one supplier of sour cream, so I always buy it. It appears to be made by a small company. All last year, when I purchased the product, it appeared like any sour cream you can purchase in the US. But during the last 3 times, the taste and texture was diff...	It sounds like the sour cream was frozen and thawed.
Is it necessary to store purchased sealed Coffee powder in freezer? Why? I purchased few packets of 100 gms freshly ground and roasted Coffee powder. These packets do NOT have air filled in them like the chips packets. Is it necessary to store purchased sealed roasted Coffee powder in freezer? Why?	It is NOT necessary to store coffee in the freezer. It can be helpful if you want to store it for long periods - i.e. months. Ground coffee should NOT be thawed and re-frozen, nor opened frequently and put-back in the freezer. Think of your freezer as long-term storage, and take out a week's worth of coffee at a time...
The cook time and temperature I need is not an option on my crockpot How do you adjust the cook time for a recipe that says cook on low for 6 hours to coordinate with a programmable crock pot that only has settings for 4-6 hours on High and 8-10 hours on low?	Go for 8 hours on Low. 2 more hours on low shouldn't hurt anything too much, for many slow-cooking extra cook-time can actually be beneficial. More cook-time usually means a more tender finished product. Whatcha cookin? That would help us answer this question better.
Fire under electric stovetop element I was cooking and I saw flames shoot up from under the oven element ... why might this be, and what can I do to prevent this? I wasn't too concerned because it wasn't the food that was on fire but rather just something under the element, and fortunately the stove is metal, so there...	It might be a grease-fire Take a good look under the heating element - there might be some pooled drippings or other food-gunk. You might need to clean it or just replace the whole unit - as some of the electrical insulation might have burned-off. Either way, I wouldn't use ANY of the burners on that stove again until...
Why should food be frozen quickly? I was reading one of the articles in Uncle John's Curiously Compelling Bathroom Reader about the history of harvested ice and ice houses. The article mentioned that electrical freezers and refrigeration only entered widespread use because someone realized that food needs to be frozen...	Two Reasons: 1.) The faster the food drops below the 'Danger Zone' the less spoilage it will have If it takes that freshly-cut steak 2 hours to cool down from cow-body-temperature to a safe 40F, that's more spoilage and less shelf-life for the product. A rapid chill-down means a more valuable product. 2.) Ice-crystals ...
Amount of baking powder in a muffin recipe I have a couple of recipes from a reputable publication called "Recipes Only" (a magazine published in the eighties) which calls for merely 1 tsp. of baking powder and 1/2 tsp. of baking soda for 2 cups of dry ingredients and 1 cup of yogurt/buttermilk, 1 egg, etc. This didn'...	1 tsp of baking powder and 1/2 tsp of baking soda to 2 cups dry ingredients is actually more baking powder and soda than I found in the first 10 random recipes I checked from Food Network and America's Test Kitchen. That suggests to me that the recipes are fine. Could it be that your leaveners are losing potency? You c...
Are there blue foods out there? Are there naturally occurring foods that are blue? Not foods that have been created in a lab to be blue?	A few that came immediately to mind: Blueberries Purple potatoes (sort of blue-violet) Blue corn (readily found in the form of corn chips) Lobsters are blueish (until cooked when they turn bright red, so nobody thinks of them as blue) Some edible flowers An excellent answer can be found at Skeptics.SE, complete with ...
How can I cut a tomato without a knife? I am trying to make a salad but I can't find a knife at my work. Is there a way I can cut the tomato without a knife?	I'd just cut it at home that morning and bring it. If that didn't work out, I'd bring a pocketknife. I'm sure you can kludge things, but really, ripe tomatoes are one of the worst things to try to cut with a dull knife. It's so easy to make a mess of them, juice everywhere. And even if your tomatoes aren't that ripe, t...
Reasons to sweeten ground beef macaroni casserole A friend gave me a beef and macaroni casserole. It had an odd sweet taste, so I asked about the ingredients and seasoning. Turns out it included a half-cup of dark corn syrup[1]. I am wondering where the idea for this came from (she doesn't know where her mother got th...	The only reason to sweeten a dish like this is personal taste, you could add less or leave it out, it's not essential for a beef casserole. It could be a substitute for molasses, although why you'd add 1/2 cup of molasses to a beef casserole it beyond me. As for why it's in there who knows? It may be when the recipe w...
What sort of kebab is used with Chellow Kebab? I came across the following picture in wikipedia the entire serving was being called Chellow Kebab without separately naming the Kebab Variety. I would like to know the name of the Kebab as displayed in the picture and the recipe to make it	Chelo (or Chellow) kebab refers to the entire dish which consists of the kebabs (usually 2), rice, and usually grilled tomatoes. Sometimes other accompaniments are included as well. The most common types of kebabs used for this dish are koobideh (ground beef) and barg (ground lamb). It is sometimes served with one of e...
What's the best container to ferment vegetables? I'm brand new to fermenting. Popular purchases are Ohio stoneware crocks and A German style air-lock ceramic crock for fermenting the harvest. (pictured in order below) I'm interested in smaller batches. I don't mind scraping off surface mold as the ferment develops. ...	I've used the harsch crocks myself - for longer ferments (3-8 weeks). However I've used the giant glass pickle jars for beets when making kvas for borscht. The thing with the harsch is it takes the guessing out - once you seal it you don't really have to worry about anything except keeping the little water lip fille...
How to put stuff inside baked sandwich and bread? I would like to cook some rolls or bread with the condiments already inside. The condiments that I like range include tomatoes, olives, sliced ham, and bacon. Notice that I mentioned acidic and fatty foods. Can these ingredients derail the development of the dough, par...	Adding inclusions like vegetables, fruits, nuts, and meats to bread loaves and rolls is usually done either during the initial mixing stage or during shaping. When you should add the inclusions really depends on how large the ingredients are and how you want them distributed in the final loaf. When adding inclusions a...
Can I tenderize conch meat with baking soda I want to tenderize conch meat with baking soda for the first time. It works on meats, beef, pork and chicken, but I have never tried it on conch meat. I have in the past, tenderized conch by pounding it and cooking for long periods.	While you might get a tiny bit of tenderizing from a baking soda soak, it won't do much to transform the physical structures that make conch tough. Mechanical tenderizing is the way to go - together with (typically) a very long and slow cooking time, or possibly cooking with a pressure cooker. If you decide you want t...
How can I adapt slow-cooker recipes to allow more pre-preparation? I started to ask about adapting slow-cooker recipes for longer cook times, but noticed there were a few questions about that already that look helpful. My next question is about how to prep a slow cooker so I can just set-it-and-forget-it in the mornin...	I don't know if there's an 'official' way of doing this, but I've heard a few different techniques (eg, putting the crock together the night before, then fridging it). Personally, if I'm going to prep things in advance, I try to take advantage of the extra time, such as by giving the meat a dry-rub. In theory you can...
What is the best way to add greens to an omelette? I've started adding various greens (spinach and arugula) to my eggs and omelets. I've only tried a few ways: Add greens first to a hot pan with olive oil and butter. Add the eggs afterwards. Cook the eggs, etc. first then add the greens near the end of cooking. Idea...	Well the traditional french way would be that you add spices to eggs before cooking and stuff the omelette right before serving. I've watched a few youtube videos on the matter and I like how Jacques Pepin explains the process. Check it here. Jamie Olivers version is quite similar, he stuff omelette with cheese befor...
How to distinguish cream of tartar from bread improver A few months ago I bought a pocket of cream of tartar (unlabeled) and after a few days I bought some bread improver. Now that I transferred both from their unlabeled pockets to air-tight containers, I can't seem to find out which one is which! Is there any way to...	This depends on what is in your bread improver. Cream of tartar is salt which acts as a buffer. If the bread improver also contains acid (ascorbic acid is sometimes an ingredient), it makes it harder to distinguish, because it will react similarly in many circumstances. The first simple test would be to add baking sod...
Will colored shredded coconut show up in brownies? My coworkers would like me to make faux "special" brownies. The requirements are that the brownies look the part and still taste good but don't have any actual "herbs" in them. My first thought was crushed dried mint leaves. We also came up with colored coconut. I...	Thanks rumtscho. I wasn't sure if I should post as an answer or an edit. I've edited to remove answer and place here. Update: I ended up making two brownies. One 8X8 pan with 6 bags of mint tea stirred into it. It gave off a very earthy (and minty) smell and has a very earthy/herby taste (and minty too). I doubt I'...
How to roast garlic on low temperature grill Going to smoke some pork ribs on the grill, with a smoker box, planned temp with closed cover is about 90C (194F), but for sure less then the boiling point. This will probably take about 2:30 - 3 hours. Is there anything I can do to use the space on the grill for roasting s...	Just do the same thing - cut the ends off, drizzle on some oil, wrap in foil, and leave them.
What is the difference between malai paneer and paneer? What is the difference between paneer and malai paneer? My wife asked me to buy paneer. In the shop I saw malai paneer and bought it. Are they the same?	Raghavan Iyer's book, 660 Curries has recipes for both Whole-milk cheese (doodh paneer) and creamy homemade cheese (malai paneer). The only difference between teh two recipes is that the Malai paneer uses half-and-half while the doodh paneer uses whole milk.
What are these called in english? I'm looking for the names of "Rollfondant" and "Modellierfondant" in english. I'm new to the métier but as far as I can tell, Rollfondant is used to cover a whole cake, while Modellierfondant is used for modelling small figures to put on the cake. Thanks!	The generic term for sugar-water pastes used to decorate food is icing or frosting. Rollfondant sounds like ready-to-roll icing, but it could be royal icing, which contains egg white. Modellierfondant sounds like modelling paste. There are various recipes which use different additives to the core ingredients of sugar a...
Homemade coconut milk separates into different layers after a day in the fridge I made some coconut milk. After a day in the fridge there was two layers of liquid in the jar, coconut water and solid coconut which I found out afterwards that it is called coconut butter! When I stir them together to have my coconut mil...	All coconut milk separates out. When you buy it tinned, there is often a plug of coconut cream above a pocket of coconut milk. But it certainly should recombine. It may well have been too cold when you tried to stir it together - let it come to room temperature at least. If you warmed it up on the stove you'd find the...
How can I prevent a thick layer of tikka marinade on my chicken? I make chicken tikka on and off and I normally marinade the meat for over 24 hours every time I do it. I notice that, after grilling the chicken it still has a cake-like coating. I have noticed this regardless of whether I use yogurt in my marinade or no...	Use a higher chicken-to-marinade ratio, so a small amount of chicken isn't sitting in masses of marinade. If you see chicken tikka marinading in a restaurant, you'll note that is only lightly coated. Failing 1., simply wipe off the excess marinade before cooking.
Baking Double Pans of Muffins Do you need to adjust baking time or temperature when baking more than one pan of muffins at the same time in a single oven?	Quick answer: No adjustments mandatory. To explain: You will need to adjust baking times when you change the "lump" of batter to be baked. Examples: Mini or Jumbo muffins instead of regular ones. Coffe cake in a loaf or round pan, bread or rolls. Rule of thumb: thicker cake, more time. That's why you use a wooden skew...
Is oven an important factor in getting great baking results? I bake almost everyday, sometimes I am very happy with my baking results and sometimes I am not and when I don't like it, I think it's me as a beginner, I might have done something wrong or not quite right. After 15/16 months of baking at home, I feel like s...	For reliable baking you need to know what your oven is doing. If the internal temperature fluctuates wildly, you're dead in the water: replace it. If it's fairly stable, spend some time learning it. Get a decent oven thermometer; set the oven's temperature control to, say, 350 degrees (F) and let it settle; check what ...
How does pudding make cake moister? I've got a recipe that calls for adding a box of instant pudding mix to a box of cake mix (along with eggs, water, and oil) to make a cake moister. And there are lots of cake mixes that proclaim "pudding in the mix!" on the outside of the package. I'm curious how this works. I think...	Instant pudding contains a significant amount of cornstarch. It also contains less significant amounts of disodium phosphate and tetrasodium phosphate. All three of these ingredients will have an effect on cake. Starch absorbs water and gels during baking. This interferes with gluten formation to some degree. If you b...
Can/should I use baking soda when cooking beans? My recipe for hummus says to cook the garbanzo beans with a little baking soda to soften them. Does this work with other legumes? I've often seen the advice against salting the cooking water for beans, as it supposedly toughens them. Will a different sodium compound, b...	In his book On Food and Cooking, Harold McGee writes regarding beans and legumes: Plain salt at a concentration around 1% (10 g/L, or 2 teaspoons/qt) speeds cooking greatly, apparently because the sodium displaces magnesium from the cell-wall pectins and so makes them more easily dissolved. Baking soda at 0.5% ...
Baker's Percentages for Baked Doughnuts? I recently purchased an electric doughnut maker and am about to embark on a baked doughnut spree. Having consulted the few recipes included with the machine along with some online options, I have noticed considerable variation in the recommended batter composition. I was wond...	I'm a big doughnut fan. I've watched a lot of Unique Sweets episodes and it seems that the shops with the best doughnuts usually use a standard brioche recipe as it is rich in flavour, but also yeast risen... Thus it gives you the perfect texture and flacvour. I wouldn't use ANY bread recipe that it measured in volume...
chicken texture after precooking starts to break Sometimes when pre-cooking chicken for a curry week, the chicken cuts doesn't keep its shape. It starts to get a bit stringy and losing the "smooth" shape that it was cut with, what could I be doing wrong, given that my favourite indian restaurants always have the chick...	Hi there is no need to pre-cook chicken. If you put pre-cooked chicken in curry it will become over cooked and chewy like rubber. Put chicken pieces in the prepared curry base, make sure you do not add any water in it. Chicken releases its on water which gives a good flavor to the curry so let it cook own its own. Cove...
Jar opened once - is it still good for pickling? I have recently been making pickled beetroots and they mostly came out fine except for one jar which has failed to get a vacuum seal. Now I put it back in the pan and simmered the jar for a good half hour, but that didn't seem to change anything. I then gave up on it a...	Keep it in the fridge and eat it soon. There is a chance that you contaminated the product when you opened the jar and took out a slice. It is no longer sterile.
Best way to Sous vide two steaks to different temperatures What's the best way to prepare two steaks via sous vide if you want to cook a medium rare and a medium steak? Is it best to cook the medium steak first at its temperature, then lower the temperature, leave the medium steak in and cook the medium rare steak?	Pretty simple, cook the two steaks separately at the required temperatures the day before. Cool in an ice bath and reserve in the fridge. The next day rethermalise the steaks in the bath at say 55C: you really only need to heat them for around 25-30 minutes, as all you want to do is take the chill out of the steaks bef...
Restaurant kitchen supplies that are also really useful in a home kitchen? What are some good suggestions for the kinds of cooking tools and supplies you might normally see in a restaurant kitchen, but are also super useful in a home environment?	While there isn't one specific brand that is common to the cooking tools and supplies you might normally see in a restaurant kitchen, the items will undoubtedly be certified by NSF International (NSF stands for 'National Sanitation Foundation' - NOT 'National Science Foundation' here). It is probably a good idea to ge...
Can I salvage an uncooked bread? I made pan de muerto roughly following this recipe. I put the breads in the oven (made 3), took them out and let them cool completely. Today (the morning after), I cut into the first one and see that the middle is completely undone. Raw dough, with raw eggs and orange juice still in th...	I wouldn't recommend to bake this again and eat it because there is a food safety issue. If you had noticed this right after baking, this would not be a problem regarding food safety. But since the bread stayed for many hours in the danger zone and since it contained perishable ingredients like eggs, I strongly suggest...
Thickness of ready-to-roll icing To what thickness should I roll out icing for covering a cake? I had a look at Google where values range from 1mm to 5mm. 5mm strikes me as a bit thick; and the last time I tried, I had some trouble to roll it to anything much thinner than 2mm. Any hints?	For each of my (now 16) birthdays, I've had a cake decorated by my mum, with ready to roll icing: I just asked her. She said: I normally go for 4 to 5mm. Any less and it is liable to rip. 3 is the thinnest I can get it. I think that 5mm is a reasonable thickness (I like icing) but if you can get it to 3, go for that...
Are countertop blenders with plastic jars dangerous? At my local shopping center, I notice that all models of countertop blenders, even the most expensive ($500 USD), have plastic jars. I am concerned that if the blade inside comes loose or breaks while the power is on, that the blade will break through the glass. Are...	Looking at it from a materials-science standpoint rather than a physics standpoint, I agree that plastic is safer than glass. The difference is in how they break. Glass is stronger than plastic, for any plastic that a blender jar is likely to be made out of, and is less likely to break from, for example, trying to ble...
oven alternatives I need to cook some burritos in the oven, but my oven has had an electrical fault. I have only a microwave and a gas hob in action. What's going to be the closest alternative to oven conditions? I'm thinking an iron frying pan, partially covered over a low heat.	You could put a BBQ grill over one of the hobs (raised up if possible), then cook it over the "open fire". Frequent rotation and quite a bit of time may be needed to cook it suitably. I have a fire pit and a grill when cooking outside over it - normally with God children round.
How to make a beef or vegetable broth more dense? The broth tends to be very low in density, it's basically water with a flavour, and I would like to make it a little bit more smooth and dense like a good pasta sauce; nothing like gelatin or something that will generate blocks or blobs, just a more dense preparation t...	You're very likely going to need a thickener, especially if you don't make your own stock. (On a side note - I highly recommend making your own stock at least once. You end up with a vastly different stock/broth when you do, and in this case, it might achieve the consistency you're looking for, because a good animal ba...
How to bake frozen chicken without setting off fire alarms? I was able to bake frozen chicken for the longest time in my oven (~6 months). However, recently the fire alarms in my apartment started going off. So I noticed it was a little dirty and cleaned it out with Easy Off, and cooked non-frozen chicken and all see...	If I understand you correctly, you're putting frozen chicken thighs in a glassware dish that's been sprayed with Pam and then putting that into a 350F oven. Since the chicken will take quite a while to thaw and begin emitting juices that will cool the dish, that dish is going to rise to 350F fairly quickly. 350F is h...
Are bell peppers with brown seeds safe to eat? Sometimes when cooking with bell peppers, the seeds on the inside are brown (instead of white). What causes this, and are the peppers safe to eat?	A quick google brought this: In this case, the brown ones may have been closest to mature or viable. When fully ripe, most peppers seeds are supposed to be brown or tan. not white. In my experience, peppers with brown are just old and withered. They are safe, just not as tasty. Unless the brown thing is mold, i...
Does dissolved sugar really help to extract fruit flavours? A few times now I've come across online advice that, when steeping/infusing fruits in liquid to extract their flavours, it helps to add sugar to the solution. As an example this sloe gin Wikipedia page states "sufficient sugar is required while the drupes st...	In sum: YES, sugar DOES really help to extract fruit flavors. The answer quoted in the edit does NOT imply that "absorption is slowed down" in general. It merely states that in a sugar solution, sugar will generally not move out of fruit; it doesn't say anything about what else happens. Osmosis is simply a process by ...
Table of calories Is there any available table of calories per food type which can be used directly? I know there are several applications and websites, but everyone of them I found (including Google) only let you search for a specific food, or list a specific category. I cannot find a simple list (database, Excel she...	You can download the USDA list of nutrient information, which is quite extensive. I don't know the exact license, but being a publication of the US government, it might well be public domain, you'll have to research this. I assume it's at least OK for personal use, after all they let you download it. There are several ...
What green tea has the highest caffeine content? How do these teas rank by caffeine content: Japanese dragon pearls, Matcha organic green tea, and gyokura imperial green tea? Is there any green tea with more than the ones in that list? PS: Is it possible to get an antioxidant rating too? ie these teas rated by antioxi...	I have no idea about what the absolute strongest teas are, but all three of the things you mentioned appear to have caffeine and antioxidant ratings here: Gyokuro Imperial Green Tea Jasmine Dragon Phoenix Pearls Green Tea Matcha Japanese Green Tea I suppose that establishes a rough ordering - matcha is strong, the impe...
Possible to cook chestnuts on a wood burning stove? I know that if you have the right kind of device you are supposed to roast them over the open flame in the fire. Unfortunately I don't have one of those, so I'm curious if I can throw them in a pan, set them on top of my wood burning stove and just stir them every o...	Chestnuts can be rosted in the oven, no special equipment necessary. You should prepare them properly, though. First, soak them in lukewarm water for at least 30 minutes. This will soften the skin and help to loosen the fuzzy inner skin later. Then, use a small knife to cut either a slit or a cross on the round side. P...
How long could a meat-based broth be held safely near 180F/82C? This question is the flip-side of the commonly asked food temperature safety concerns. I'd like to know, if a meat-based soup stock (chicken/pork/beef/etc) were to be held constantly at a safe hot temperature of 165F/73C-180F/82C, how long could it stay a...	Just to provide an official source, the USDA's National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Foods (NACMCF) says this (unit conversion added): Question 4: What minimum time/temperature parameters for hot holding would ensure food safety? . . . For non-continuous temperature and time monitoring, a mini...
Why does my tuna Casserole turn sour? 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 ...	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...
What does butter do in cooking? When cooks use butter in cooking for whatever recipe, what is its function? For example, if I add butter to a chocolate sauce which is made from heavy cream and milk chocolate, what do people expect the butter to do? It's not used to sweeten the product. It's not used to make it thick b...	Butter serves multiple purposes. Butter does = flavor, particularly when the milk solids are caramelized. Butter is also used as an emulsifier. Butter + water or stock, can easily become a delicious sauce. An emulsifier is also the role it plays in your example of a chocolate sauce. It contributes to the smoothnes...
Canadian meat/fat "candy" In the 1970's in Canada (Ontario), I ate this food, it was referred to as "candy". However, it was some sort of fatback/bacon type of stuff (though I don't remember any meat, it was just soft fat inside the crispy outer shell; also I don't remember it as being particularly smokey), that was ...	From what you describe it sounds like čvarci. In the U.S., especially in the south we call them cracklings (or cracklin's). Basically it is what is left from cubing pork fat and rendering the lard out. Makes a quite tasty snack and from what I read was/is a popular delicatessen snack in some areas of Canada. We often m...
Cook mashed potatoes in buttermilk I heard somebody mention cooking mashed potatoes in the buttermilk instead of water. Has anybody heard of this or have a link to a recipe?	I would advise against it. Cooking in acid makes vegetables firm. Sometimes this is a good thing, but if you want to mash your potatoes afterwards, you want them soft. Else you'll get the wrong texture. There are numerous recipes for adding dairy products to the mashed potatoes after they have been cooked and mashed, ...
Refrigerating warm potato salad 13 hours after dinner I prepared warm potato salad last night for dinner. We finished around 7:00 pm and I forgot to refrigerate it until 8:30 this am. Therefore, it was left out for approx. 13 and1/2 hours. When I felt it this am; it wasn't warm and actually a little on the cool side. ...	Throw it away! Warm potato salad is a breeding ground for all sorts of food-borne illnesses, and 13+ hours is far too long at room temperature.
Bake and then Broil instead of flipping? If I wanted to cook a meal - ie chicken wings - in a baking tray evenly on both sides, instead of turning them halfway through the cooking process, could I just switch from bake to broil midway so that both sides cook evenly? This is using a conventional oven with a heating rin...	The reason for turning the food when baking is so the side that is in contact with the pan can get hit by the hot air. In the case of turning on the bake and then turning on the broil, you would still have the medium of what ever your food is sitting in. If you are willing to elevated your food above a drip pan, turn ...
When is MSG suitable and when is it not? Does adding msg to any recipe or dish always make it taste better? It doesn't seem to have much of a taste on its own. EDIT I'm not asking HOW it makes things taste better, I'm asking which dishes it would work well with, and which dishes it won't. Apologies for the misundersta...	MSG does have a taste on its own - umami. ElendilTheTall says in another question: As you are no doubt aware, there are 5 basic tastes - salty, sweet, sour, bitter and umami. Umami is the savoury flavour of mushrooms, cheese, cured meats, and so on. MSG is essentially 'pure' umami. In other words, MSG is to umami what...
How can I produce a more soggy Neapolitan pizza crust? I've been following the Serious Eats recipe for Neapolitan pizza dough(exception I use bread flour), and cooking it on a baking steel. I cook it at 550 degrees(preheated for 1hr) for 2mins exactly, very near the heating element at the top of my oven, with the broi...	It sounds like you're doing several things differently than the recipe (different flour, different temperature, different baking surface...) though I don't actually see shaping/baking instructions on the recipe you linked. If you want to stick closer to that recipe (than the other answers...), here's a few other though...
What is the difference between traditional Mexican cooking and Tex-Mex? Most Americans (including myself) have grown up on Tex-Mex thinking it was traditional Mexican cooking. I was able to eat traditional Mexican (I thought) at a small cafe in downtown Denver. It was delicious and savory. My question is what is trad...	I'm not an expert by any means, but here's my understanding of the situation: There are many different regional cooking styles in Mexico, not all similar to the northern Mexican food upon which Tex-Mex is based. Overall, relative to Tex-Mex cooking, there tends to be less focus on heat, cheese, and beef. Cheddar chees...
Beer instead of Seltzer in tempura? I have a tempura recipe I want to try, however it calls for "Very cold seltzer". Since I'm not a fan of seltzer normally, I don't have any on hand. However, I do have a bottle of beer left from when I made Beer-batter fish. Can I use "very cold beer" in lieu of "very cold seltzer"? ...	It will produce the same effect, however it might alter the taste (depending on the type of beer), and will almost certainly alter the color of the final product, as beer contains sugars that will increase browning.
Uzbek cuisine - Cookbook in English? Is there a book on Uzbek cooking in English? I found one in Russian, but English would be preferable.	Hello Martin and welcome to Seasoned Advice! Here is a link to an online cookbook . A book, The Art of UZBEK cooking by Lynn Visson is available on Amazon. If you perform a Google search there are many available sources.
What are powdered sugar cubes? Is the sugar yielded from sugar cubes considered a kind of sugar? If so, what is it called? Confectionery sugar?	I have never seen, heard of, or found any reference to powdered sugar cubes. Sugar cubes are made with white granulated sugar. They can also be colored or flavored, but the typical cubes found at the market are plain white sugar. Powdered sugar is also known as confectioner's sugar and is used for frostings, dusting th...
Pesto after doing a sauce or before? So I am cooking chorizo+squid pasta/stew and I think a little spoon of red pesto will be great addition to it. I wonder should I put pesto while it's cooking or when sauce is ready?	Put the pesto in just as the sauce is done and as you're taking it off the heat. Generally, pesto does not benefit at all from cooking. By adding it to the sauce just as it is being pulled from the heat, it's temp will equalize with the sauce, without being cooked. Are you planning to serve this over pasta? If so, drai...
Oolong leaves not unfurling I just ordered some new loose leaf oolong, and I've noticed that the leaves don't unfurl all that much--even after two or three steeps. I've noticed with past oolongs that the leaves open up nice and big, but not really with this one. It still makes amazing tea, but I'm wondering if I'm mis...	Not sure if this is the situation in your case, but here's a possible stab. I hope it's informative (and correct!) anyway. :) Depending on the look of the leaves (can't tell from your link), you might have just the tips and buds, rather than fully formed and unfurled leaves. If this is the case, this can indicate high...
How to safely cook a lamb's head? I saw at the butcher's shop today that they sold the head of the lamb, cut in half down the middle. I became really interested because the brain was fresh, and I believed it to be really nutritious. However, when I told my family about it, they were rather freaked out. They argued tha...	My understanding is that no cooking method helps with BSE and that seems to be backed up by a U.S. Department of Agriculture fact sheet that states: Current scientific research indicates that cooking will not kill the BSE agent However having a look around at a few references like BSE in sheep from the UK department ...

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