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Baking below sea level I now live on the Sea of Galilee (600+ feet below sea level), and my cakes all seem to fall, no matter what I do. Is baking affected by being below level?	Your altitude won't matter in your baking. Whatever reason your cakes have for not rising, it's not that you are a tiny bit below sea level. First of all, some personal observations on altitude: I've baked frequently at about 750 meters (let's round it to 2500 feet) and also in my current home at about 130 meters (abou...
How are beef cuts labeled in Russian? I looked up cut of beef on Wikipedia. There are no Russian names for cuts. I'm wondering what they're all called in Russian.	The Russian Wikipedia article on Beef has several diagrams - a current one in the main section apparently originally derived from the German wikipedia, and two others from older Russian sources. I was also able to find another site with another diagram, and translations of some of the cuts into English, which is helpfu...
Is there any cut of beef that's close to Kobe beef? I have had the real thing in Japan and it was fantastic and very expensive. I don't usually eat steak at all. The Kobe beef steak was the first I ate in my entire life. It was very tender and tasty, cooked medium rare. I had it because there was nothing else on the m...	The problem with you stating Kobe beef is its not a cut of meat. Kobe beef comes from certain cattle raised in Japan. In Canada your best bet will be to find the best quality beef you can. Depending on preference I'd suggest sirloin for a good all rounder, rib eye if you don't mind the extra fat (my favourite cut) or f...
What is the history of the standard sheet (bun) pan? What is the history of the standard sheet (bun) pan? Who came out with the sizing? Why that size? When did it occur? There are full size(26x18 Inch), half(18x13) and quarter(13x9). image from	I don't have a definitive answer. But I can at least narrow down the time period a bit and likely manufacturing source with the help of Google Books. Unfortunately, there's only so much one can do here online, given copyright restrictions mean that almost everything from the 1920s-1950s or so is only available in "sn...
Desalinating dried/smoked fish In the metropolitan area where I live, there is truly a great selection of dried fish in various ethnic food stores, my favorite of which is herring. However, it is always very salty and I have a somewhat high blood pressure so the doc said keep my salt intake under control as well as I...	You are correct in that salt fish are very salty. Where we live salt herrings are a tradition. The way to remove the saltiness is to soak them, changing the water every few hours. The trick here to really getting the saltiness out is to split the back. (The belly should already be split.) This is really important. I o...
Is there a reason to not add salt when making a soup? On several occasions I have had friends make soup without salt and then tell me that salt should be added only when the soup is served. I've read Why is it important to add salt during cooking? But what is the reason, if any, for withholding salt during cooking? I ...	Because as you are cooking your soup, water in your soup is evaporating away as steam. You might salt a soup perfectly halfway through, but after evaporation, your now thicker soup is too salty. When adding salt, wait until the end of the cooking process, as soups will reduce and concentrate the flavors as the liquid ...
What's this odd stuff coming out of my meringue? I used this (http://m.allrecipes.com/recipe/58871/authentic-french-meringues/) recipe, but added some vanilla, probably a bit extra sugar, and baked them at 185 instead of 200 with the door open.	Definitely egg white seepage, by the looks of the shape of it you've either over whipped the egg whites OR let them sit for too long before cooking which meant they spilt slightly before going in the oven. Another possibility is the oven wasn't hot enough to begin with OR the environment (kitchen) was too warm. When e...
What is the best way to store fruit in bulk to make smoothies? Next year for university I'm moving into a new house with a large chest freezer (a big upgrade from my current freezer drawer). I've always been a fan of making fruit smoothies with banana, milk, yoghurts, berries and what not however the biggest problem w...	In professional smoothie/frozen youghurt/fruit shake shops, you'll usually see the fruit frozen in small pieces for easy portioning. So raspberrys and blueberrys are fine, but you'd wnat to quarter strawberrys and cube mangoes or apples or kiwis or whatever before freezing them. The freezing process itself is important...
Egg yolk sizes changed over the years? Have egg yolk sizes changed over the years? I have an old recipe from the 1950's I believe. It's called Norwegian Crowns. It calls for 2 hard boiled egg yolks. You force them through a sieve and cream them with butter. Then mix them with sugar and cake flour. You then put ...	Hello @Dudie and welcome to Seasoned Advice. Regarding the size of egg yolks in certain size eggs, you may find this interesting. Here is the link to the page . A change in the feed given to chickens has resulted in healthier eggs but the trend for buying larger eggs has led to there being less yolk to white. This ...
How do I make bread with LOTS of seeds? A local bread shop cooks a loaf of bread that is packed with seeds, much more than a couple tablespoons. The seeds are mixed within the matrix of the bread, plus sprinkled on top and in the baking pan. I wanted to make a wholemeal loaf at home and add in the large amount of seed...	Using a large amounts of seeds will significantly influence the humidity of your dough and bread. Dry seeds will soak up quite a bit of water - either during resting time or afterwards. This is especially bad when this soaking happens after baking, as your bread will get very dry... Wholemeal tends to have the same eff...
Can I use ocean water to cook my pasta? It is said, that the water you use to cook pasta should be as salty as ocean water. So can I simply use ocean water to cook my pasta without adding salt to it?	You certainly can. There are a few things to consider before popping down to the beach and grabbing a bucket. Some areas of the sea are highly contaminated with toxins. Look for some sort of signage to give you a hint, OR look for fishermen. If they feel safe with the fish they are catching I'd be inclined to think th...
What are "rye sours"? Not the drink. I'm interested in making this bread: King Arthur Flour Caraway Rye. The recipe recommends the addition of vital wheat gluten or King Arthur's rye bread improver. This is how the King Arthur product is described on the web site: "A blend of rye flavors and sours, diastatic malt, vit...	The King Arthur website lists the ingredients for that item: http://www.kingarthurflour.com/shop-img/labels/1416587131567.pdf It looks like the "sour" flavor comes from several acids (acetic, lactic, and citric). I assume the recipe calls for "sour" flavor instead of being a sourdough recipe like a traditional rye brea...
wet cured ham spoilage I left a frozen wet cured fully cooked ham still in the shrink wrap in a cool water circulation last night to thaw it. At some point my wife used the faucet and set the temp on the tap up. When I reached in to pull the drain, the water was warm and so was the ham. It had been in this warm state ...	I am usually loath to say out loud that you can feel safe going outside of government guidelines, even if I wouldn't hesitate to eat the food myself. In this rare case I will throw caution to the wind. Oh for heaven's sake, cured ham? Warm for <3 hours? Yes, you can eat it. I can't swear that it is actually safe, but ...
Can meat freeze from the inside out? We received a turkey recently which was meant to be 'fresh'. When it arrived it was frozen on the inside. We are told that the fridge was probably set a bit low so the turkey froze on the inside. I'm not rocket surgeon, but I would have thought that meat would always freeze from t...	That's not how it happens. Turkey can be labeled "fresh" as in -never frozen- even if the turkey is held at temperatures below freezing. By law, 26F (-3.33C) is the cutoff in the US. If the turkey spends weeks at 27F, it can still be labeled fresh even though it would be considered frozen to any of us mere mortals. So,...
Challah rolls open up when baking in the oven I cook Challah rolls very often. Sometimes it all goes great. Some other times I encounter an issue I cannot identify where it comes from. The baked challah roll comes rises in the oven and opens up in a not very nice way. Taste is great, but the look is obviously not very...	This is a very common problem with challah (and any braided bread). As mentioned in comments, it seems likely that the splitting happened in the oven because the bread continued to expand too much after the crust had set. But the braids also complicate the reasons why this may have happened. Here are a few common thi...
How can I prevent pastry becoming soggy when it has a filling and is stored overnight? I want to make sausage rolls the night before and store them in the fridge before cooking. I am worried that the sausage meat will make the pastry go soggy. How can I prevent this?	At work the butcher makes 100's of sausage rolls in batches. We then cook 1/4, fridge 1/4 and freeze 1/2. We never have any issue with them being soggy, regardless of storage method. To be honest in a taste test you'd have no idea which was which. Also once cooked (as long as cooked properly) they don't go soggy for at...
Is there a difference between freezing meat at 26°F and 0°F? According to this answer, you are allowed to market turkeys as fresh as long as they haven't been frozen below 26°F. What is the purpose of this law/regulation?	Water freezes at 32F, but turkey contains more than just water. Alton Brown answers this question in his original turkey episode of Good eats. The meat freezes at 26F, so they can call it "fresh" if it's kept at say, 30F (below the freezing temp for water). The USDA recognizes "frozen" for a turkey as having been broug...
Seeking a creamy/melty Swiss Cheese commonly available in the US My next kitchen project is killer Reuben sandwiches with all of the components homemade (home corned beef, homemade sauerkraut, homemade dressing, fresh homemade sourdough rye bread). The one thing I will buy is the cheese, but I want it to be special en...	I had to look this up. It turns out that Swiss cheese is an American term for what Europeans call Emmentaler cheese. This cheese is characterized by the large holes created late in the fermentation process. As Wikipedia mentions, the byproducts of its special fermentation, acetate and propionic acid, give it its typic...
How-to Cut Baking Chocolate bar clean for perfect squares My recipe calls for 1/2 square of baking chocolate per cookie. But trying to cut thru the bar into the indicated squares just crumble and are not neat or exact. Is there a method of somehow either warming the chocolate or softening it, so that it will cut easil...	You can score and snap. You make a shallow score in the chocolate using a knife or other sharp object (gentle!). Then you snap it. It works better on harder chocolates. Since all I have around the house this instant is a leftover halloween candy, I'll show the sequence here, but with this soft chocolate it would be...
Will cooking meat with the thermometer in affect the cooking time? Last night I cooked 3 pounds of chicken breast tenders using my preferred "set it and forget it" method: Preheat the oven to ~350°F Lay out tenders in an oiled baking dish & season as desired Insert meat thermometer probe into side of thickest piece S...	There are "potato nails" marketed for speeding up cooking of baked potatoes by conducting heat into the center of the potato. This testing showed about a 10% reduction in cooking time. Cooks's Illustrated also tested potato nails, and showed a 7-minute reduction over a 75-minute control. They also tested a potato with ...
When is it better to fry with oil and when is it better to fry with butter? I usually see people frying eggs with butter and sometimes with soy oil - for example. But there are a lot of other ocasions in which these two options appear. My guess is that there are kinds of frying, for example: When you want to fry eggs,...	Basically it all depends on temperature: Every fat or oil has a specific smoke point (see here for a list), at which temperature it starts to degrade. That means, not all oils are suitable for every heat, or all types of frying. Some types of oil should remain "cold", like extra-virgin olive oil. Butter has a rather ...
How can I make these cookies less sweet without ruining the texture? I've finally found a snickerdoodle recipe that results in cookies with that perfect "bite": a crispy outside -- not crunchy, but an almost-infinitesimal stiffness that resists your teeth just a little before "letting them in" -- leading to a chewy-so...	they're snickerdoodles, not cinnamon cookies. (Well, unless you accidentally use the 1/2 tablespoon measure instead of the 1/2 teaspoon. Don't ask me how I know this.) The problem is, the cookies are just too sweet for my taste. They're not so overly sweet that I can't eat them, but every time I do eat one, I find myse...
Buttermilk substitute for making creme fraiche? I want to make creme fraiche. I have 2 cups of heavy cream, but I can't find any buttermilk in my Country. I've read that it can be substituted with lemon juice, or vinegar mixed with milk. The problem is that for creme fraiche you need the bacteria from the buttermilk r...	This recipe! found here , calls for buttermilk or sour cream. Perhaps you can find sour cream. Crème fraîche 1 cup heavy or whipping cream, room temperature 1 tablespoon buttermilk or 1/2 cup sour cream, room temperature In a jar with a lid, place whipping cream and buttermilk (or sour cream); cover securely and sha...
Can't I just grease the Baking Sheet instead of using Parchment Paper Recipes such as http://paleoleap.com/avocado-banana-chocolate-cookies/ say to line baking sheet with parchment paper. Why can't we just grease the baking sheet?	Usually you can - our great-grandmothers didn't have parchment paper. There are a few cases where parchment is preferrable, usually with very, very sticky dough. It saves time when it comes to scrubbing the cookie sheet.
How to cook Brussells Sprouts and sweet potates in one oven? I need to roast the Brussels sprouts at 350 for 40" and bake the sweet potatoes at 425 for 60" in one oven. How should I do it?	I have this problem frequently of needing to cook different things at the different temperatures in the oven at the same time. I tend to get around it by choosing the average temperature of the two (in your case ~390F) and adjust my cooking times appropriately. At 390F, I would cook for roughly the following times for ...
How do I prevent grainy fudge? I want to make peanut butter fudge. My dad can make it perfect by just eyeballing it and dropping a spoonful in cold water to know when it is just right. but I have never been able to do it that way. I have also tried it using a candy thermometer, and i know the soft-ball stage is betwee...	Fudge is technically a crystalline sugar candy so a true fudge should have have the feel of tiny sugar crystals when you bite into it, but it should not be grainy. Controlling the grain in fudge is a matter of controlling three things: the temperature that you cook your mixture to (the soft-ball stage you referred to...
How do I make my sourdough bread dough stretchy and not have it tear? I've been trying to make chewy sourdough bread and it's not going as planned. I read somewhere that if you mix and knead the bread a lot and avoid adding a lot of sugar and use a lot of water that should aid gluten development to make the dough chew...	Your recipe is to blame. Your dough is stiff and tears because it isn't wet enough. While different types of flour do absorb different quantities of water, I think most of the issues you're experiencing are due to the ambiguousness of the recipe and instructions you're using. Most sourdough recipes yield dough around...
Fudge not setting up-- any salvaging possible? Alternate uses? I made fudge with evaporated milk I made myself. Added this to butter and sugar and heated. Added this to chocolate and stirred enough to mix. Poured into 8x8 dished and left to set up. No such luck. What I have is silky thick hot fudge sauce-like choco...	It sounds like your fudge simply wasn't heated enough. Fudge is basically a superconcentrated syrup, and it sets when sugar dissolved in the water (from the butter and milk) comes out of solution as the mixture cools and forms crystals. Temperature is your proxy measurement for the concentration of sugar - if you don't...
Why are roasts wrapped in foil? I wrapped a piece of beef brisket in foil and slow roasted it last week. It was the beefiest tasting beef that I've ever had. So now I'm wondering, was it beefy because it was a nice piece of brisket from the farmer's market? Or did roasting it in foil make it better? Would it be recomm...	One of foil's main functions is providing a watertight barrier to trap moisture inside the food. This can be especially helpful when slow roasting because you're cooking in a hot, dry environment for an extended period of time. Without foil, your roast would have turned out a lot drier and you'd have lost out on tasty ...
How to make "salt-crust-baked" chicken? A while back I heard mention of a way to bake/roast chicken that supposedly would make it very good and juicy. Unfortunately I didn't get the details, so I haven't dared try it myself. I was wondering if someone here had done this or something similar, and could describe the m...	Does it work? Yes, it does. The idea is to create something akin to an individual "dutch oven" around the chicken or fish you are baking. The meat is "steamed" in his own juices. There are a bunch of different "recipes" for the salt crust, often with some "binding agent" like egg whites. Usually, the skin is removed w...
How to "fill" a cake made from a cupcake recipe I have several cupcake recipes. I know it's easy to convert to a cake (just adjust baking time and figure out correct pan size). My question is many of the cupcake recipes have a filling that is (for the most part) just sort of stabbed into the baked cupcake using a sq...	A syringe (or baster, but a syringe will be better) A LOT of holes, and frosting to hide the holes (though they will be pretty small if you use a syringe.) Given the comment that "I don't want it to be like several filled donuts joined together where it's not consistent" in combination with a refusal to consider layer...
How do I substitute canned pumpkin for canned pumpkin pie filling? I have a recipe for a pumpkin french toast bake (think pumpkin bread pudding) that calls for 30oz. canned pumpkin pie filling. I have all of the ingredients for making a pumpkin pie from scratch, including canned pumpkin. How do I doctor the canned p...	The most common, almost canonical brand of canned "Pumpkin Pie Filling" in the US is Libby brand. While the canned pumpkin puree is just canned pumpkin, the Libby "Canned Pumpkin Pie Filling" also has sugar syrup, natural flavoring, salt and spices. So I would add the spices, salt and condensed milk in @Phrancis's reco...
Refreezing stock after boiling Can I safely refreeze stock that I have brought to the boiling point? If so, should I boil it or bring it above a certain temperature for a certain length of time to ensure food safety? Is the presence of fats or oils a point of concern for rancidity or food safety? Finally, are there s...	If the stock has safely been held (under refrigeration for less than 3 days, less than 2 hours cumulative in the "danger zone" [40F - 140F, 4.5C - 60C]), then it would be considered safe before freezing or refreezing. It is always safe to freeze food that was safe to begin with. Freezing, and especially refreezing, ca...
Simple syrup end result When making a simple syrup, my ratio was four cups water to three cups sugar, what is the end volume? I ask because i messed up a drink recipe by measuring the next step against the amount of the water and forgetting to take into account the increase in volume due to the sugar.	6 TBS (3 ounces by volume) of granulated sugar, mixed with 4 liquid ounces of water (1/2 cup US), brought to a hard boil in the microwave yielded just over 6 liquid ounces of syrup. (A drop of color added for readability) I would suspect that it didn't reach 7 ounces because of the air included in the volumetric measu...
Why do my pancakes taste dry? I've tried various pancake mixes, and they always taste "healthy" and dry compared with the ones at a good cafe, and I don't mean greasy like iHOP's. What am I missing, fat?	More careful inspection of the good pancakes revealed that I was overcooking mine. The cafes brown the outsides but leave the insides slightly raw to be moist
When is a food considered a delicacy? I had an interesting discussion today during lunch on when a food can actually be 'declared' a delicacy. Is there someone saying "this is hereby to be put on the delicacy-list", or is this something that goes by word of mouth? Also, who determines that an item should be classified...	who determines that an item should be classified as this You do. There is no official list of delicacies. No authority on deciding what food is tasty. If, to you, lavender chocolate is a delicacy, then you can say so. Others will say that it isn't, that it tastes like soap and, and they can't bring themselves to eat ...
Oil Dates, If a cooking oil has never been open how long past the "Use by date" would be acceptable? How long past the "Use by date" is cooking oil good for if it has never been opened?	It depends on how the oil has been stored. Light causes oil to oxidize and go rancid. If the oil is stored in a cool, dark place it will last much longer. The true test is simply to smell the oil. If it has any off aromas, don't use it. Neutral oils like vegetable or canola oil shouldn't really have a smell at all beca...
Is it safe to microwave Pyrex containers immediately after removing them from the freezer and removing the plastic lid? I am attempting to bulk prep some frozen convenience food and have determined that a standard Pyrex glass container would be ideal for freezing (non-liquid) meals (think burritos or tacos), but I wan...	It not huge, it's just the difference from freezer to room temperature you are worrying about E.g. -20°C to 20°C, is A 40°C shift. The shift was going to be 20°C to 100+°C anyway. There is no physical reasons why this would be anymore stressful From room temperature you are raising it 80°C, from frozen you are raising ...
How do I take the heat out of my chili? I made chili and it's too hot! If I cook it longer will the heat calm down?	Acids tend to reduce the heat of chilli, so you could try adding some vinegar or lime juice. If that makes the dish too acidic, add some sugar to balance it out. Dairy also reduces the heat so you could serve with sour cream and/or cheese, or even stir some butter into the chilli, which would also give it a slightly ri...
regulating temperature in cheap offset smokers I recently acquired a cheaply made offset smoker, and-- ahead of the big event-- did a 'dry run' to get a feel for how it behaves. I think my biggest issue will be regulating temperature; the smoker is made out of thin-gauged metal that just doesn't have enough thermal m...	I like Ryan's idea because it adds moisture. The most common material I am aware of is 8″x8″ unglazed quarry tiles. UN-GLAZED is important!!! You don't want to add chemicals to your smoke. I have been off-set smoking for many years and plan to line my home built smoker with food grade fire bricks. Expensive but last fo...
Why should or shouldn't I peel button mushrooms? I've peeled my button mushrooms since cooking with a friend once, who did it, but I've never understood why, if at all, it's advisable. Searching shows a fairly wide range of opinions but I see no reason attached to either side. Is it purely aesthetic?	The only motivation I'm aware of for peeling button mushrooms other than wanting a very clean, white appearance is to remove dirt, dust, grit, compost, etc. from the surface without the trouble of brushing or washing. It's arguably quicker to peel mushrooms than to brush them (though not in my experience) and many peop...
How is British tea prepared? Do you add any flavor of British breakfast tea? I need to know how it is prepared; either with or without additional flavor.	The British tea? Don't know what that's all about. Anyway... English Breakfast Tea is a mixture of Assam, Ceylon and Kenya teas that is often served with a dash of milk and sugar to taste. The UK Tea Council discusses their view of the appropriate way to serve each variety at the supplied link. I would think that a gre...
Why does my pizza dough stick to my peel? I've been experimenting with Neapolitan pizza dough(recipe) and what I would call a normal wooden peel(here). I have run into trouble transferring the pizza from the peel to my baking steel in the oven on about 10% of my pizzas. Usually what happens is I'm fine transferring t...	You might have better luck with cornmeal or semolina flour on the peel, those have a "ball bearing" quality to them, even in addition to some regular flour on the dough. Be sure your pizza is sliding easily before you move to the oven. Practice the motion a bit with just some plain dough someday. There is a bit of a tr...
British "pot" of whipping cream? In Great Britain, recipes often call for a "pot" of something. Is a "pot" of whipping cream whipped or un-whipped?	A pot of whipping cream is 270-290ml whipping cream. Whipping cream is somewhere between single and double cream. I'd love to get scientific with you but it's Christmas eve and the alcohol is flowing.
Kutya- Ukranian Christmas recipe It calls for wheat. is wheat germ the same? If I can use wheat germ - the recipe says to soak the wheat in cold water overnight, would this be necessary with wheat germ?	No, the recipe means that you should use whole wheat berries, not processed in any way. It's not wheat germ, which is a kind of cereal. My suggestion would be to use real wheat. If your regular supermarket doesn't carry it, an organic supermarket, a health store, or an ethnic store may have it. Then go on with the rec...
How to sweeten ganache for a chocolate lining I'd like a chocolate lining in a banana cream pie, very similar to this recipe. However, I notice in the final pie that the chocolate lining is a little on the bitter side. What is a good way to sweeten it up? I'm no expert on ganache, but my understanding is I shouldn't j...	While adding sugar syrups like corn syrup or invert syrup to ganache is fairly common, it will change the texture of the ganache. You'd end up with something more like a chocolate coating. If bitterness specifically is the problem, I'd suggest using a less bitter chocolate. Perhaps you can find something with lower co...
Why isn't glass ideal for the fermentation of sauerkraut? I last made sauerkraut over 20 years ago, so embarking on it again I did some reading and chose an Alton Brown recipe. He specifically calls for the fermentation to be done in a plastic container. This answer here on SA suggests that fermentation in glass is "h...	SUMMARY: Glass containers are perfectly fine for fermentation. It's usually other design aspects of the container that create fermentation problems. Do you have any sources that actually say glass isn't a good container for fermentation? I've never heard or read that anywhere. The only negative thing I can say about...
Is it possible/advisable to slice deboned Jamon Iberico on a mandoline? I am intending to purchase some Jamon Iberico, but I am not confident in my ability to use the knife correctly on the jamonera to produce sufficiently thin slices. I do have a mandoline slicer, which I presume would work for cutting thin slices o...	I wouldn't recommend a mandoline for meat because clean slices of meat require a lateral motion with the knife. It wouldn't hurt to try it once just to see (especially after the next recommendation), but I'm pretty sure that your best bet is a sharp knife. Put the pork in the freezer, still in its packaging, for 20 min...
Boiling vs soaking rice noodles The instructions on this package of large rice noodles says just soak them for 6-7 min. I did that and then fried them in some oil and soy sauce but they were still too crunchy. I just want to eat them as a side, not in pad thai or something similar. Should I actually boil them to get...	No, just soaking in warm water will get them soft without turning them into mush. Just test the noodles by eating one every minute or so until they are the consistency you want, then rinse in cold water and drain. Boiling will take them from crunchy to mush so fast that you will likely miss the window.
Smoke alarms go off now that we have a gas stove didn't when we had electric Our smoke alarms are constantly going off while cooking now that we have had to replace our stove. My wife didn't really like the electric so when it was necessary to replace it, we went with gas. Ever since, nearly every time we cook, espec...	There are a variety of types of smoke detectors. Those that are most prone to being set off in the way you describe are the ionization type. As you burn gas on your range or in the oven, it produces carbon dioxide and water vapor, both of which can trigger the sensor on an ionization-type smoke detector. These detector...
Is it ok to let vegetables cool before roasting? Could I boil vegetables now (potato, beetroot etc.) And then roast them a few hours later? This would be convenient, but would it effect their taste, texture etc?	Yes, this works, as long as you don't boil them too long. The idea is that by the time they get roasted properly (e.g. your potatoes are browned on the outside) the inside is only just cooked, not overcooked. I'd aim for very roughly half cooked, starting to be pokeable with a fork but not actually tender. For flavorfu...
Putting cure in fry sausage? We made some venison sausage today. On the packaging for a smoked German sausage, it said do not put cure in if you will be pan frying. I've looked around but I can't find a reason why. We ended up having a little bit that wouldn't fit in the casings and ended up frying that to get an idea...	Curing salts contain sodium nitrite or sodium nitrate. When these curative agents are combined with the amines in meat and exposed to high heat they form carcinogenic compounds called nitrosamines. As the linked article states, commercial producers often add Vit. C to counteract some of the nitrosamine formation, but ...
How to prevent cheese and certain other products from stinking up my fridge? Certain food products have a very strong odor, that may not seem annoying at all when I buy them, but become very much apparent after I keep them in the fridge for a few hours. For example these kind products: roquefort cheese liver pâté pr...	Hello @janos and welcome to Seasoned Advice! The first thing that comes to mind would be to first wrap your food items tightly in plastic wrap and then vacuum seal them. However, if you open and close them frequently that could be a pain. But, if you on are only keeping the items 2 - 3 days, it could work. That said, p...
I accidentally boiled away most of my soup, what can I do to recover it? I wanted to reheat my chicken tortilla soup and walked away and forgot about it. When I went back to the stove very little liquid was left in the pot, it was practically all boiled away. I used a Mexican tortilla soup stock by Swanson. Other ing...	If you add preheated water, you don't need to reheat the soup--just mix in and enjoy! Depending on how strong it is, you could also just eat it as-is--IMHO the best soups always reduce the stock anyway.
How much jaggery can replace 1 tablespoon of white sugar? Assume the jaggery is of finest quality and is ground. Also, the sugar can be powdered or in crystal form. I just want the same level of sweetness when I replace them with each other.	According to Cook's Info: Jaggery is not as sweet as white sugar, so when substituting white sugar for Jaggery use about 1/3 less. When swapping Jaggery in for sugar, use anywhere from 1/4 to 1/2 more Jaggery than was called for of sugar (if you want to keep the recipe as sweet as it was.) That meshes with my limited...
Are sharkfin melon shoots really edible? I read that the shoots of sharkfin melons (Cucurbita ficifolia) are edible. Isn't that kind of unique for a cucurbit? Is it true that they're edible? Are the mature leaves/vines poisonous?	According to a number of sources, the shoots are indeed edible, however all references I found were to "young" shoots, so I don't know about the mature vine itself. The Curious Gardener says It's not just the melon that is edible on this plant; the flowers, leaves, shoots and seeds are also eaten. Although the flo...
What is a good technique for making candy floss (cotton candy)? I have a candy floss machine, but I'm struggling to get the floss all together. It just flies around and makes a mess of the bowl. It looks like this: What is a good technique for making a stick of candy floss?	It's been decades since I've done it, and it was with a full size professional machine (from a party rental store). From what I remember: Wait for it to accumulate on the sides Reach in with a stick or a paper cone, down to the bottom of the spun sugar Pull up while scraping the stick along the side of the machine. ...
How to roast peanuts for peanut butter? Do I have to roast peanuts before grinding them or after grinding them? Does it matter? May I roast the peanuts with their papery skin on? What should I expect from the output if I make the peanut butter with the peanuts with their papery skins on?	If you're going to roast the peanuts, definitely roast them before grinding. Do like you would any other nuts: in the oven, maybe 350F, spread out not too deep in a pan, until they smell toasty and nutty, making sure not to burn them. If you ground them into peanut peanut butter, and then tried to roast it, it'd be a l...
Slightly bitter potatoes or onion I have got the same annoying result a few times now, when making potato gratin, and something known as "french potato cake" in my country (grated potato in frying pan). I believe that it's the potato which has a slightly off taste; bitter/metallic/raw. Some googling leads to solanine...	My gut tells me that they are either under-done or need to be rinsed. Have you tried par boiling the potato? I would try slicing the raw potato, boiling for a few minutes to draw out some of the starch - then rinsing them before adding to your recipe. Worth a try I think. Good luck!
How to honey roast peanuts? http://m.wikihow.com/Make-Honey-Roasted-Peanuts Here it is mentioned that peanuts should not be raw. Why? When I will put them in the oven, they will get roasted. Why does that link want me to not use raw peanuts?	For sure, @TFD is correct that you should be wary of Wikihow - in the link you shared, the proportions of ingredients listed at the top don't appear to match the actual amounts of ingredients shown in the pictures. "Honey Roasted Peanuts" is a catch-all phrase that is used to describe just about any type roasted peanut...
Pressure cooker rice quality vs high-end rice cooker I'm considering buying a proper rice cooker, as we've eaten most of the non-stick coating of the cheap one. The forums rave about induction heating, Zojirushi, Tiger, Toshiba RC-18NMF with its cast-iron pot, Buffalo with their stainless steel pots. And now there is ...	There are some advantages to a pressure cooker, but I don't think that the rice QUITE finishes in 10 minutes in my experience. For proper texture, it still seems to take some time for the rice to fully hydrate and steam itself after the heat is off. A normal well-covered pot of (most kinds of) rice takes approximately ...
Filtered or non-filtered soymilk maker? In the process of making soymilk for drinking it, using it as diary replacement in vegan cooking or preparing tofu, one have to strain the mixture to remove the okara. There are lot of soymilk makers available. Some (like the Soyabella) include a filter so that every steps of th...	I have an old SoyaQuick (mine has a filter, newer models don't), and I think it was largely a cleaning concern. The tiny perforations in the filter clogged very easily, and the instruction manual had a whole section of bizarre tips for cleaning it (soak it in bleach! squeeze a soapy sponge to one side to force the suds...
Does it matter if I freeze dough before proofing? I made some pizza dough today and only used 1/3 of it. The other portions I decided to put in the freezer to use later on. I froze them before proofing though. Does this matter? Should I have let them proof first, then freeze? I'm mostly worried that this might affect...	I can honestly say I've done this on many occasions. Especially for pizza dough, I defrost in the fridge for 24 hours in a cling filmed bowl which allows it to prove slowly through the day. Never once had an issue with it.
Cooking Wine in a Gas Oven? I've got my first gas stove / oven. I'm wondering about cooking wine in the stove. Is it safe at all? I like putting a piece of meat in a all stainless steel pan, brown it a bit on the stove then throw it in the oven to finish off. For certain cuts I'd add something like burgundy wine and s...	I assume you are talking about the risk that the alcohol vapor from the wine mixes with the air and ignites. Let's do some maths. I'll do my calculations with some pretty round numbers, but in the end you'll see that it doesn't matter. Assume an average gas oven with a volume of 150l. According to Wikipedia, the absolu...
How does one break long bones for broth? When attempting to cook bone broths, what is the correct technique of breaking up long bones which do not fit inside the crock pot? I can think of hammering or sawing off hand, but both seem to be rather messy techniques. Is there any good method to break off large bones (rela...	A normal hammer (one that is used for nails) will not suffice for breaking relatively strong bones, such as the leg bones. Personal experience: I bought a pork knuckle, and attempted to break the bone with a hammer (600g head), and it resisted 5 minutes of straight hammering, despite the fact that the surface was sign...
Semifreddo vs Ice Cream What is the difference between semifreddo and ice cream? Is it just the cooking method and the time for which they are frozen?	Google translates Semi freddo as semi cold. Half frozen is probably a bit closer in practice to an English translation of what it is, or more accurately, what it should be. So many recipes on-line are fully frozen like ice cream, that the distinction is muddled. TRUE semifreddo is ice cream (or gelato) often mixed with...
How to dry fruits without sunlight or a dehydrator? I need to dry amla (Indian gooseberry). I live in India so we get plenty of sunlight but I live in the city and it's very dusty outside, so I can't leave fruits out, otherwise they'll be covered in dust. But the indoor temperatures are quite warm (around 30 degrees ...	The key to drying fruit is not temperature, but humidity - or rather, lack of humidity. If you want to avoid mold,you need to speed up the drying process. And for that, you need to keep a few points in mind: Place fruit in a single layer, not touching each other. Ideally you would place them on some sort of "drying r...
My french bread dough did not rise on the second rise after forming the loaves My dough looked great after the first rise. I punched down the dough and formed into long loaves and used a jelly roll pan, not loaf pans. They did not rise fully, I went ahead and baked them. The final product was dense and not chewy. I'...	There are many variables that could be at play here - some of the obvious ones have already been suggested, e.g., ambient temperature. The yeast fermentation process is very temperature sensitive, and can vary 100% in time for a change of less than 10 degrees Celsius, depending on your yeast strain. Other factors mig...
How should glasses/cups be oriented in storage? I believe that it's better to store glasses/cups right-side-up in the cupboard, but at work everyone stores them upside-down. Which is safer/more sanitary?	If the glasses are at all damp, it may make sense to store them up-side-down. In bars and restaurants, you often see plastic mesh like this: That webbing lines trays, shelves and the area beside the sink for drying dishes. The mesh keeps the dishes or glasses, which may still be damp, from actually touching the surfac...
Maintenance and safety of cast iron skillet I come from Stack Overflow and this it my first post on this branch of Stack Exchange! I write here because I received a small skillet as a gift (I assume its material to be cast iron), and I don't know how to handle and maintain it properly because I have never used one. Al...	Great question - very well put! Your chef advice is sound. I have been cooking with cast iron skillets for longer than I care to admit (old guy) and at first they can be intimidating but in the end, they become your go to pan especially for searing/cooking hot. You asked the same question several times, "is the residue...
What to do with dried vegetables that feel like a chewing gum? Several months ago I dried some vegetables, mainly cabbage and carrot. I cut them to thin small slices using a slicer, dried them in about 50 C, and stored in glass jars. Now, I opened the jars and tried eating them. Their look and taste is OK, but their t...	Of course they will be the texture of thinly sliced rubber tires when eaten raw. What you want to do is rehydrate them. Probably the easiest way would be adding them to a stew and simmer / boil them until the entire dish is done. You will need some extra water, though. You could also try soaking them in water over nigh...
How does the carrot in deep fryer trick work? So I just heard about putting a carrot in the deep fryer so as to pick up the burnt junk and keep the oil clean for longer. I tried it. It works! Now I'm wondering how it works, and what other veggies or whatnot can be substituted in place of the carrot?	As to the science behind why this works, I can only guess. However, as to other things you can try for this trick, I managed to find some references from old cookbooks about using slices of potato for clarifying their deep-fryer oil. Other suggestions were a slice of bread or lemon peel. Weird — but interesting. The Yo...
Are there any situations where untempered chocolate is better than tempered? Every chocolate-based recipe I've seen either requires tempered chocolate or can use either tempered or untempered chocolate. Are there any recipes or techniques that specifically require untempered chocolate? EDIT: I think the question might...	A characteristic of untempered chocolate is that it melts more easily. That's generally considered bad--if you pick it up in your hand, your hand gets sticky and the surface of the chocolate gets marred. But it also means that you get stronger flavor more quickly when you put it in your mouth. If you are designing a ...
Can semifreddo be used in fried ice cream recipe? As the title says, can I use semifreddo instead of ice cream in a fried ice cream recipe?	Well, yes and no. A lot of recipes for semifreddo aren't truly semifreddo because they are hard frozen. Recipes like that can be fried just like ice cream. The key to fried ice cream is to hard freeze the scoops of ice cream. By definition, that isn't semifreddo, but definitions don't seem to matter much to writers of ...
Calculate baking time for bread I have a standard long-raising bread I use to make and bake in a cassarole. During this holiday I wanted to bake a double-sized bread. However,I ended up only giving it 150% baking time, and not 200%. Are the sources that can help you calculate how long approximately your bread needs to...	No, I cannot guess a time. What works is temperature. Bread is done at an internal temperature of 195F to 205F (90.5-96.1C).
Frosting kept melting when trying to frost cake I made a chocolate malt cake for the first time the other day. I let the cake sit overnight to cool. I made the frosting while the cake was baking and put it in the fridge for the next day. The cake recipe had me cook the cake at 325 for 45-50 minutes. That turned ou...	There are two things I would consider with the frosting. The first is that either the cake or the kitchen was too warm when you tried to frost the cake. It's happened to me a few times that I set the indoors temperature too warm in the winter and frosting keeps melting for me. Freezing the cake for about 20 minutes bef...
Cooking a large pork roast in a slow cooker I need to cook a 9 pound pork roast in a crock pot/slow cooker. How long do I need to cook it? I have a recipe for a 3-4 pound roast; is there any way to adjust it for a larger roast?	If you cut the nine pound roast into three equal three-pound sections, each should heat to recipe specs.
Nutrient content of ground bison meat I have been searching for fat and calorie content per volume of ground bison meat, and I have found various conflicting sources. BisonCentral.com lists it as 2.42 grams of fat and 143 kcal per 3.5 oz serving. nutritiondata.self.com claims 14 grams of fat and 190 kcal per 3 oz s...	None of them are right—or, all of them are right. "Ground bison" does not fully describe the product. Any ground meat is produced from one or more cuts of varying fat content, and usually does not have the same overall fat content as the average across all cuts of meat for that animal. So, to have a chance at comparing...
A question about browning meat for spaghetti bolognese I've been told in one form or another: "no colour, no flavour", so when cooking Spaghetti Bolognese I always brown the meat (after chucking in the onions, carrots, celery etc.). The browning does impart flavour but it also alters the texture of the minced meat - i...	Kenji at Serous Eats pondered exactly this question at length. (emphasis mine) And now we get to the most crucial phase of the process: the long cook. If you take a quick look back at that passage from Cook's Illustrated, they do make one good point: browning meat toughens it far more than simply simmering it. But we ...
What is the easiest way to remove the papery covers from the peanuts? Intention is to make peanut butter. What is the easiest way to achieve the said aim?	Here's someone with a lot of experience doing it! video Dropping the peanuts into boiling water for a couple of minutes, then draining and rinsing in cold water is supposed to make them easier and quicker to peel. I've heard freezing them overnight helps. One method method that I have actually done is to peel them by r...
New to grinding meat I'm not sure how much of the fat to leave on the meat before I grind whether it be chicken, beef or Turkey What's the best method for grinding chicken vs beef vs Turkey, etc.	Fat That depends on what consistency you like, how oily/fatty you like your food, and the kind of food you are preparing. For things cooked on high heat, like hamburgers, more fat will give the meat more flavor and tenderness. For things cooked on lower heat, like spaghetti sauce or a casserole, less fat is generally p...
Is it necessary to "heal" clay pots? I'm from Mexico, and every time either my grandmother or mother bought a new clay pot, they started "healed" the clay pot by boiling water with vinegar, rub garlic on the outside of the pot, and let it rest all night long. I recently bought a clay pot, and it released black partic...	TL;DR: You should. I don't own clay pots myself, so take this with a grain of salt. I found some information on the Bram Cookware website called Clay Cooking 101. It has recommendations as well as an instructional video. The process apparently is called seasoning, rather than healing. Here is a short summary from the p...
What are the advantages of "bathed" bread? There is a technique of making bathed bread. For it, the dough is kneaded as usual, then shaped into a boule, bound in cheesecloth, and submerged in water for the first proofing. When it floats up, it's considered ready. It is then shaped, final-proofed and baked. There is n...	What you are looking at here is an old, almost forgotten method of proofing yeast dough for cold conditions. I have an old cook book1 from ca. 1930, when rooms could be cold in winter. I'd say it's "granny's version of proofing in the fridge". My book says to leave out about 1/4 of the flour, all sugar and, if used, th...
How to turn a large piece of meat without losing breading I have a mustard-crusted pork tenderloin recipe that I really like, but I have a presentation problem. Basically coat the tenderloins in a honey mustard sauce, then bread with panko. These are fried for a few minutes in a large skillet in clarified butter. Once...	Here are a few ideas which might help: Toss the meat in some flour first, then put it in the sauce, then breadcrumb it. The flour will help everything stick better I haven't seen your honey sauce recipe, but if you can incorporate an egg or egg yolk in it, give it a go: it will work with the flour to make the sauce fa...
Can I make any modern improvements to this Russian cake recipe from 1971? I found a recipe in a 1971 Russian booklet on holiday recipes, (see it below). I translated it to English. My questions about the recipe will be these: are there any advancements known to culinary science that will bring this recipe to 21st c...	You do not need to update the recipe ;-) Please remember that the way the ingredients are mixed / prepared might significantly influence the outcome: It does make a difference whether eggs are separated or not or whether eggs are beaten with butter first, butter with sugar or eggs with sugar or even everything dumped i...
What should I look for in a new kitchen knife set? We've had the same knives for a very long time now, and we need a new set. What should I look for (or avoid) in a new kitchen knife set?	Typically, you don't want to buy a 'set' of knives. You're better off buying the knives that you specifically want. Often, you'll want to get a mix of knives from different manufacturers, so that you can get the best knife for each purpose. As for what to look for ... I'd have to say that the main issues these days a...
Braising with 2 dutch ovens - time? So, the wife and I are in charge of New Years dinner. That involves 2 5-lb boston butts. One dutch oven is allclad, the other dutch oven is cast iron. The braising recipe calls for 8-10 hours on low in a slow cooker, or 4-5 hours at 325 in a dutch oven. If we try to braise with both...	There should be no adjustments required: Yes, two pots take a few minutes longer to heat up than one, but with 4-5 hours total, it shouldn't matter.
How should I store bolognese sauce prep? I want to make a huge batch of bolognese ragu sauce, and would like to do some of the prep the night before. I'm going to finely chop these ingredients: Beef Pork shoulder Carrots Celery Onions ...and the day after they will be fried and turned into sauce. How should I store...	Short version: If it's only overnight, and you seal the containers reasonably well, you'll be okay prepping any of those ingredients ahead of time and storing them in the refrigerator overnight. I often leave onions in the fridge when preparing a recipe that calls for only half an onion, or if I've decided to use less ...
How long do sharkfin melons keep? I read somewhere that sharkfin melons (Cucurbita ficifolia) keep for years, if kept dry. Is that really true? It seems an awesomely long time. I have some seeds on order, so even if no one else has experience here, I plan to find out.	It's definitely an unusually long-lasting melon, although sources list a few different timeframes. Sowing New Seeds says if kept in a cool, dry, frost-free place, they keep very well for several months, and reportedly over a year. The Curious Gardener increases that: If kept dry after harvest, a fruit can last sever...
Exactly how much is "one glass", in Russian recipes? In many many Russian recipes, measurements call for one glass or this one glass of that. One glass in Russia, appears to be a similar concept to what one cup is in United States. But here lies a problem, I will run down the list: USSR mass-produced a certain type o...	Hello dennismv and welcome to Seasoned Advice! This page gives information and history on the faceted glass, so popular in Russia. From what I could glean from other sites your measurements are correct. For use in recipes you would fill to the top of the facets or, as you say, the natural edge. This would be 200 ml....
What advantages does a brasing pan have over a full Dutch/French oven? I own a Le Creuset French/Dutch oven, but I'm considering getting a Le Creuset braising pan also. I understand the oven is great for large/tall braising and stocks, soups, chili and the like. I also understand that the braiser has a wide base and i...	I have this shape (without lid) as a cast iron pan, not enameled. I mainly use it in the oven, not on stovetop. It's a great pan for gyvetch, moussaka and generally Middle eastern oven dishes. You can brown the meat and sweat the onions in it on stovetop, then add the other ingredients and put it in the oven. All the ...
Consistently getting cannoli shells off their molds easily When I fry cannoli shells, I find that about a quarter of them -- apparently at random -- stick to their molds so that they are hard or impossible to remove without breaking. The two tactics I use to combat this -- which do make a difference, but not 100% -- a...	Sometimes the simplest solutions are the best. I've found that simply increasing the amount of oil on the molds makes the shells slip off cleanly every time. There needs to be a visibly thick layer of oil on the parts of the mold that the sheet touches. I've taken to using pourable vegetable (canola) oil rather than sp...
What bean species are best for baked beans? I want to cook baked beans, the slowcooker version. I want to make it from dry beans. My question is: what sort of beans will be best for this dish? I need at least 2-3 alternatives, cause I live in Poland, and I'm not sure if I will be able to buy some more exotic species.....	If you live in Poland, you should easily find the "normal" white ones in your supermarket. They should be good for baked beans, although the British version uses white beans that are a bit smaller. For more American style beans, you could also use the pinkish-brown or spotted type. There are so many types of beans, th...
What is the name for the 'sweetness' of cooling roast pork? I did a slow roast pork today putting pork knuckles on the bone cooking for 8 hours in a dash of apple juice. After cooking, I left it to cool for an hour with the lid on. When I lifted the lid, I noticed a 'lightness' to the smell of the pork, almost the l...	I think you are confusing a lot of things here. First, you apply a cooking technique to the food. Second, the cooking technique causes a lot of physical processes to happen within the food. Third, the cooked food causes sensory perceptions in your head. I once explained the difference between cooking techniques and phy...
Baking bread during the day Why is it that bread made during the day is lighter than bread made in the early morning	All other factors - ambient temperature, humidity, oven temp, etc - accounted for, the specific time of the day doesn't make any difference, whatsoever. But alas, this is the real world, we don't hold other factors constant. Most likely your room is slightly warmer and potentially your room could be a bit more humid i...
How do I pick the best fillet mignon at the supermarket? What should I look for when I'm at the store picking out fillet mignon? How can I tell by look which pieces are more likely to be higher quality pieces of meat?	Marbling From my experience working in butcher shops, you want to first look for good marbling (unless you are on a low fat diet). To illustrate: I prefer personally anywhere between No. 5 and No. 8. No. 9 and up I find a bit excessive, though some people like it that way. I have had some below No. 5 and they were sti...
Why did people start using CO2 (instead of e.g. oxygen) for carbonated drinks? I am curious about why those who invented carbonated drinks chose to use specifically carbon dioxide in the liquid, instead of some other gas (say, oxygen). (Obviously they wouldn't necessarily have been called "carbonated" if some other ga...	CO2 tastes good! Carbonated water is actually a weak carbonic acid solution; this is what you taste. It's like "salt and pepper", but for water. Slightly acidic water is usually popular, hence lemon juice is sometimes used to taint a jug of water in times when no carbonated water is available. Carbonated water releases...
Can you safely use a cast-iron grill pan as a heat diffuser? We recently got an earthenware tagine. However, being earthenware, it can't be directly exposed to the stove flames. The manual calls for a heat diffuser, but those are apparently impossible to find (there's a store 45 minutes away in another city that might...	I see absolutely no reason not to do that. As you say, the very nature of diffusers is that they aren't smooth. Keep in mind that it's not just extreme heat that you want to avoid, but also extreme changes in temperature. So you want to heat the tagine with the implement that you are using as a diffuser. Also, unglazed...
Why don't they sell frozen tomatoes like other frozen vegetables and fruits? Why aren't frozen tomatoes available like frozen broccoli, peas, peaches, or strawberries? Why are tomatoes only canned or fresh? Example: http://www.peapod.com/search_results.jhtml?searchText=frozen+tomatoes	Freeze one, thaw it and see. The liquid separates out and leaves a pulpy structure behind. Tomato sauce (no chunks) thaws much better and separated liquid can be stirred back in well enough. Canned works as we all know so no one is bothering trying to grow a freezer-friendly tomato, yet.
How do get the "caramelized juices" from yams This is hard to ask, but you know how when you bake a yam for long enough it will ooze the caramelized sugars? It's like... it's leaking sap. BUT The most delicious sap ever. So wondering, is there a way to cook the yam so that it entirely becomes the caramelized sugars, a...	It seems that the best answer to your needs will be making a treacle. It may be challenging to do it with yams, it's typically done with less starchy plants. But I don't think it's impossible, it should be worth a try. Making a treacle basically involves taking a fruit juice, and slowly evaporating and caramelizing it...

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