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Why did my Creme Brulee end up with lots of oil?
I used a youtube recipe for passion fruit creme brulee. I followed the ingredients and the steps and my creme brulee ended with lots of oil on top of it.
Why did this happen?
EDIT.
My burnt sugar topping was chewy as well, instead of crunchy. Any tips? | If the custard over baked, the liquid could have separated from the solid. The creme will look loose, or semi-liquid, when it is removed from the oven after gently baking bain marie (created by the water poured around the ramekins, placed in a larger container). The custard sets during cooling, first on a rack and the... |
Can I substitute amaretto syrup for amaretto liqueur?
I have a recipe that calls for 1/2 cup amaretto liqueur. Can I substitute Torani amaretto syrup and should I use the same amount - 1/2 cup? | no not at all. alcohol in recipes is generally there because certain flavor compounds are only soluble in alcohol. adding a half cup of syrup will make your recipe come out much much sweeter than it should. A better substitution would be probably around a teaspoon of almond extract and some neutral liquor like vodka. I... |
Why should (or shouldn't) we wash rice before cooking?
There are pretty confusing articles on this topic on the internet.
Some suggest that we should wash them to remove starch, talc, etc. Some suggest that we should not wash them because they are fortified with minerals.
This also varies according to the type of rice... | Reasons to wash your rice:
Reduce/Control Starch levels
Often when you're cooking rice you want distinct grains of rice and for your rice to have texture. In the case of Chinese fried rice for example, you specifically want your rice grains to not stick to one another. If you're talking white rice especially, there w... |
What food from Niue can I cook in the UK?
I want to cook a Niuean dish but live in the UK (not a city, best resource - Tesco etc). What recipes or dishes can I cook? | You've asked an extremely broad question, and no indication of what kind(s) of fish you have available, or want to use. Fish is a staple in the Niue Islands, and the seas offer up an abundance of such choices such as mahi mahi (dolphinfish or dorado), ahi (tuna), and ono (barracuda), coconut crab, red bass, sailfish. ... |
Crust separating from crumb in white bread. What gives?
The last couple of loaves I have made have had large air-bubbles which form at the top of the loaf, separating the crust in places from the crumb.
Before shaping, I have been degassing my dough using the King Arthur Flour recommended technique of folding the do... | It sounds like the gas from the yeast is getting trapped just under the surface of the loaf. The surface layer may have gotten a little dryer and stiff while rising, and definitely sets first in the oven, that might explain why the gas can get through the rest of the loaf to collect there.
If you're otherwise pleased ... |
Jam stored in hot temperatures
I have store bought jam (still sealed) that has been sitting in my car for over a month, but it has been super hot and humid, would it still be good under the hot temperatures? | If the jam was properly canned (likely, if it is store-bought) and was still sealed during that time, it shouldn't be spoiled. The temperatures in canning are supposed to kill and seal out the dangerous bacteria, exposing the sterilized jam to more temperature shouldn't make the jam unsafe to eat.
What might have happ... |
How best to store steaks in the fridge (for taste)
This question is not about preventing meat from going bad or about aesthetics due to oxidation etc. and is specifically about how best to store meat in the fridge for taste.
Depending on who I get my meat from (i.e. which butcher) sometimes it comes wrapped in paper (... | Beef ages, so it comes down to your preference, and the cut. As Tom Mylan, executive butcher and co-owner of the local, sustainable butcher shop The Meat Hook in Brooklyn, NY, explained in The Atlantic:
During wet aging, the plastic doesn't allow the meat to breathe, so it ages in contact with its own blood, which len... |
10 liter fermentation crock... water getting sucked inside, advice needed
Please assist regarding water added to the moat during a 4 to 5 week ferment, because one cannot simply keep adding water to the moat because if the crock's vacuum is sucking in the water and you keep adding it will eventually reduce the salini... | Is the crock kept in a place where the temperature is steady (such as a cellar/basement) or is it exposed to daily temperature swings? As a a rule the ferment should produce gas to some extent (which would push water out, if anything) but repeated temperature swings would tend to "pump" out when warm, in when colder. W... |
Jello and Evaporated Milk Dessert
In the 50s, my mother used to whip Jello and Evaporated milk together, pour it into single serve bowls and refrigerate. The result was a creamy foam that separated into two layers, forming a lighter foam on top. She always said it was simple to make but never taught me how she made ... | Kraft has a recipe that resembles what you describe, in which you could substitute whipped evaporated:
3/4 cup boiling water
1 package (3 oz.) JELL-O
ice cubes
1/2 cup cold water
1/2 cup Cool Whip
Add boiling water to gelatin mix in a medium bowl; stir 2 minutes, until completely dissolved. Pour into blender. Add enoug... |
How sharp should a paring knife be?
Recent bought a chef's knive and a paring knife, both are high carbon stainless steel. The chef's knife is quite sharp and can cut a piece of butcher's twine just by touching it, with little or no pressure. The paring knife cannot. In fact, I can even grip the blade quite hard and ... | All cutting (slicing, chopping) knives should be as sharp as you can get them, really. A dull knife is much more likely to cause an accident and cut you. Dull knives are more difficult to use properly and any knife used improperly is likely to lead to accidents. The duller the knife the more pressure you need to apply ... |
canning pickles
I canned a bushel of pickles 2 weeks ago. When I finished up that morning, all the jars were sealed. This morning I noticed that about a dozen jars were not sealed. Just the opposite. The lids were puckering out to the point of bulging the lids out. I have been canning for more than ten years and... | Canning jars bulging, particularly after a period of time, means that some sort of gas is being produced from within. That likely means that they were not, or are not now, sterile. I would discard. |
Does frying a lot of oil out of Twice-Cooked Pork leave it with much less fat?
Family had a small dispute about twice-cooked pork. Our grand chef said that she fried out a lot of the oil from the pork so there wouldn't be much fat left. However, if the oil that comes out from the fat (I think that's where it comes fro... | If you render out fat, there will be less fat in the final product...it figures. Getting rid of all of the fat, is probably not possible, or desirable. |
How to choose a Bundt cake pan?
I think one would just go to the supermarket and buy whatever, but since I don't want my cakes to be ruined, I would like to ask for some advice.
I have never bought a Bundt cake pan myself, and don't know what kind of materials should I look for, what's the optimal diameter, and eventu... | The bundt pans come in 6 cups, 10 cups, 12 cups. I'd go with the middle size as most recipes call for a 10 cup pan. Non-stick is best, though I always give it a spray anyway. They are usually made of cast aluminum. I've had no problem with those. As a beginner, stick to a simpler pattern than one with a lot of nooks an... |
Cooking rice with limited equipment
I will be cooking in my dorm this coming year, and I only have an electric kettle at the moment. Is there a way for me to cook rice with only this (i.e. without a stove), or should I just get one of those plastic microwave rice cookers to use in the floor lounge? | Stick to the microwave. Many college dorms are somewhat underwired for everybody bringing high-wattage appliances, have (as yours would seem to ) rules against those, and many college life safety departments will quite happily confiscate high-wattage appliances that are forbidden. Burning the place down is a BIT of a c... |
How do you cook flavored pasta?
How do you cook special pasta that is flavored (tomato, squid etc)? Do you salt the water the same way? Should you incorporate less flavorful sauces to not mask the initial flavor of the pasta? | You cook it the same way as you cook "regular" pasta.
As for the sauces, try to keep it related to the flavor of the pasta.
Squid ink pasta should be used with seafood sauces (vongole...)
For tomato pasta or spinach pasta, I tend to keep the sauce as light as possible; just olive oil, garlic, little bit of herb as to n... |
Mold or dry sourdough starter? (pic included)
I fed my starter and left it out for two days. See attached pic. It smells like beer (which as I understand it is good), the top is dried out a bit with a rubbery surface, underneath it seems nice and active with no signs of mold. I can't tell if the white spots are sur... | it looks like it's just dried out on top and a little overfermented. pour off as much liquid as you can and feed it using a small portion of this starter and a lot of flour and water, i would recommend a 1-10-10 ratio. |
Fish from local chip shops smells fishy, but not from one shop?
As per the title, we have tried fish and chips from several local fish and chip shops, and whenever we get in the car to drive home with them we instantly smell the fish.
However a new fish and chip shop opened recently, and the fish has no smell at all. ... | very very fresh fish won't smell fishy, and the fishy smell comes from proteins breaking down with age. Texture also degrades and becomes softer with fish that isn't fresh, so what you're describing fits perfectly with this new shop just serving fresher fish. |
Vietnamese burnt sugar beverage
A while ago we ate at a Vietnamese restaurant in San Francisco's Chinatown. We were given these nice burnt sugar-flavored beverages to drink, but unfortunately the staff did not speak fluent English so I don't know what it was called.
I've tried in vain to research it but can't find any... | I found the restaurant's menu online. Apparently this is Tra Thai. I must have mistaken the flavor.
Tra Thai |
Can you cook a digorno's pizza after its been thawed for 1 day
is the pizza still ok to eat after being thawed for 1 day | Yes, it should be.
That is - if it has been thawed, and safely stored (refrigerated, or in safe temperatures in whatever way), then it should still be safe to eat. If it has been left out on a counter, or in otherwise unsafe conditions for more than a few hours - then it is as unsafe as the conditions have made it, an... |
Should Pickle Slices be Above or Below the Hamburger
When making hamburgers that will be eaten in a bun should the pickle slices be placed above the hamburger like this:
Or should they be placed below the hamburger like here:
Of course, there are ancillary issues concerning lettuce, onion, tomato, fried egg, ketchup... | As you might guess there is not hard and fast rule for this. It depends on when you want to have the flavor of the pickle hit your taste bud; before the savory or after the savory (meat). Additionally it could be complicated by other condiments you have mentioned above. However there is a bit of science you can empl... |
Could you smoke a sauce?
I want to add smoke flavour to a somewhat runny pepper sauce. I thought of letting it simmer on the barbeque and also have some wood chips in water to provide lots of smoke. Keep the lid of the pot off and just put the lid of the weber on.
Can you actually impart smoke flavours to a liquid li... | What you're describing isn't all that different from how they make various products like Liquid Smoke (make smoke along with steam, then condense that steam). You will need to make sure that some actual condensation occurs (for example, by having a lid for the smokey vapor to condense onto).
However, it may be simpler... |
Does reducing the clear juice from tomatoes have a name?
I have been cooking a very light tomato topping for tortellini using dicing tomatoes. I saute them very briefly until the flesh begins to soften, then remove the pieces from the pan leaving whatever juice cooked out of the tomatoes there. This liquid is then r... | You've already given the name for this process in your question. Reduction is the cooking term used for thickening and intensifying the flavor of a food by simmering or boiling away some of the liquid. |
Has anyone tried to cook spaghetti or other pasta in a skillet?
I was watching Sara Moulton's TV show last night. She did a segment on breakfast for dinner. Part of the one recipe involves browning the pasta in a skillet first. Later on, it is cooked with some chicken stock and water.
http://saramoulton.com/2016/01/s... | It adds a little bit of "nutiness"; it is subtle and depends on the other flavors in the dish.
It is the same thing when sauteing rice (or other grains) in oil or butter before adding water.
I've done it a few times, but long time ago. |
Does soy sauce counteract hot stuff?
I put some soy sauce and a generous amount of Frank's RedHot Extra Hot into my chicken stir fry but it was considerably less spicy than I'm used to.
Does soy sauce counteract heat / hot stuff? | Soy sauce is not known to chemically influence capsaicin or capsaicin absorption. The effect is likely subjective and has to do with something like spicy heat feeling less objectionable in a higher umami dish.
If you used more oil or fattier meat this time, this might be the real cause of the perceivedly milder taste -... |
How much salt should be used in dishes for the best flavor?
Is there a way to determine how much salt per quantity of food is required? For example if I use 1kg of ingredients then I need at most one tbsp of salt. Any such metrics?
The quantity of salt to be added to food is a major problem for many people just learn... | There's a reason so many recipes say "salt to taste": there's no single answer. Most of the time, we use close to 0.5% salt by weight (so 1kg food has 5g or 1 teaspoon of salt), but "close to" leaves plenty of wiggle room about what exactly is best.
Different people have different tastes. What's perfectly salted for on... |
Dissolving xylitol in a raw, home-made chocolate
I was doing a home-made, raw chocolate, made of:
raw cocoa powder
raw cocoa butter
xylitol, substituting sugar
The problem was that xylitol was not dissolving well in the butter. One could feel tiny grains of it in the chocolate and also during the process it slowly ... | I believe that sugars are usually suspended in chocolate by emulsion - emulsifiers, like soy lecithin, are sometimes commercially used and may improve sugar staying suspended in the chocolate - which may answer part of your problem, if you can find some to try it.
But I think the real answer to how sugar usually stay... |
What is the term for serving a soft-cooked fried egg that breaks when the meal is consumed?
Recently I went to a restaurant where they served home-made pasta with a soft-cooked fried egg on top, and then proceeded to stir and mash the egg and whisk the pasta into an incredible dish in front of us. (This Italian restau... | There actually doesn't seem to be a special word for this as a technique - as common as it is (to add an egg to the top of a dish and use the runny yolk as sauce), it is usually just the dish name "topped with an egg" or "topped with a fried egg". Sometimes the egg is fried, occasioanlly poached, sometimes it is crack... |
What cooking gadget is that?
I was watching youtube vids about cooking and I saw this Gordon Ramsay one about broccoli soup. Around the 56 second mark to the right of the broccoli on the table is an elevated piece of metal with holes in it. What is it?
So far I'm thinking some kind of weird large grater or a popcorn... | I believe that is the ventilation for the range, rather than a kitchen utensil. |
Can I cook with cosmetic coconut oil?
I have this jar of coconut oil from NOW Foods that my wife found in the beauty isle. She wasn't using it, and I'm wondering if I can use it to make pancakes. The jar is labeled "skin & hair / revitalizing" but the only ingredient listed is "cocos nucifera (coconut) oil". It tastes... | Yes, I think you can. The page you link does list the oil as "food grade", and specifies no added solvents... so there's probably nothing dangerous in the jar and it can be safely used for cooking.
In general, though, you usually shouldn't equate cosmetic treatments and edible substances, even if some of the ingredien... |
Why is my Buckwheat soba noodle dough crumbling?
I am trying to make Buckwheat noodles (Soba). The recipe involves nothing but buckwheat flour and water. I am failing to make the dough solid. It crumbles apart. I was trying to adjust it by adding more water or more flour, but it always crumbles. Could you give any adv... | The crumbly texture is, apparently, quite common when working with an all buckwheat dough since it doesn't develop gluten - one of the reasons why many home-made soba noodle recipes use a percentage of wheat flour to make the dough easier to work with.
If you have your heart set on a buckwheat-only soba noodle, be awar... |
Poached eggs at altitude?
I recently signed up for America's Test Kitchen Cooking School and followed their directions for poaching eggs. I brought my water w/ vinegar & salt to a light simmer, removed it from the heat, and gently added the raw eggs at the same time. I covered and left it for 5 minutes, saw they wer... | I live up in the mountains. Two things I do not do are: a) remove food from heat and expect it to still cook properly, because boiling points are lower at higher altitudes; and b) use the cited time in the recipe. I always add time, because the lower boiling point means more cooking time is necessary. Also, try not to ... |
How to thicken buttercream without adding more sugar
I made some buttercream frosting for brownies using this recipe. Because The frosting is going on brownies, it needs to be thicker than what it would be on something like a cupcake. We typically frost the entire pan of brownies and then cut the brownies into bite ... | It looks like a couple of similar recipes in your link there, but you could make it a teensy bit thicker without increasing the sweetness by 1) diminishing slightly the amount of liqueur, or 2) adding a little bit of unsweetened cocoa powder [but of course it will then become brown and chocolatey], or 3) adding a littl... |
What are these white 'bits' in my nutella
I recently discovered an ancient, sealed jar of Nutella at the back of a cupboard. Like, really ancient! Like, it claimed it expired in 2012!
When I open it, there are all these white 'bits' on the surface.
They don't at ALL look like mold or fungus - they're definitely not sp... | Great pictures: those are so clearly areas of oil/fat which have separated from the main nutella emulsion. Carefully gouge one out and smear it around or put it onto a heated surface & see if it doesn't melt immediately. See if they go right back into the mixture if you stir a little portion together. I wager you can... |
Is it safe to reuse steamer water?
My youngest is a fussy eater, and we have problems getting him to eat vegetables. Recently we've tried using a wide steamer and he likes it, because its wide enough to keep all the carrots from touching while cooking (yes - that's his reasoning)
However he also only eats carrots and... | Your wife probably thinks "It's just water and thoroughly boiled, so all is well.". Unfortunately, it is not.
If you look into your pot after the first use, you'll notice that the water contains traces of the vegetable, meaning it technically falls under the "food that becomes unsafe after 2/4 hours at 40-140 °F (4-60 ... |
potato and carrot dumpling,how would you make it diabetic frendly?
not sure how to put this recipe up for others to cross-reference but it's on food.com if anyone wants to find it. the recipes name is carrot and potato dumplings and my question is how would you make it diabetic friendly? I'm honestly not sure myself, ... | I referenced the recipe which has only the two ingredients, grated potatoes and carrots, and seasoning. For the potato, substitute cauliflower, cooked until very soft, mashed. Fold in the carrots and a beaten egg white to bind the mixture before steaming, rather than the boiling option. |
Will different kinds of sugar or coffee affect coffee syrup flavor?
This coffee syrup is basically a 2 to 1 ratio of sugar to coffee, and you boil it to a thick syrup. A person who tasted the final dish said it tasted like espresso!
What kind of effects would it get from different kinds of sugar? Would brown sugar giv... | Coffee syrup, like anything else cooked, will taste of the ingredients used. If you use brown sugar it will syrupy and have a molasses flavor, if you use floral honey it will taste of it. If you use a richer coffee bean it will have a richer coffee taste. |
Can raw egg yolks gelatinized from being stored be saved by blending and for which uses?
I had a recipe that called for four egg yolks, and I was saving the yolks in a little dish over a couple days until I had all four. By the time I got the last, the first couple had dried a little and gelatinized - since it took t... | Finally reporting back, once I noticed I hadn't written this up yet.
The reconstituted egg yolks work, with a few quirks.
After blending them with water, I had let them sit for a while - to make sure all the yolk from inside the lumps had a chance to re-hydrate. After a while (half hour or a bit more), I noticed the... |
Can a pan "cook too fast"?
This is not a product request. I was looking to replace a couple baking pans, the 9"x13"x2" that serve many uses, brownies or cakes among them.
Even with the dimensions stated, to be clear, I'm talking about these. I don't know if there is a more specific word for them.
One review for the... | Cook's Illustrated has demonstrated that different baking sheets can cook differently. They found that some of the sheets would cook unevenly or would even cook faster than other sheets, in the case of a double-layer one they tried. Their results were that finish (light or dark) was not as important in determining ho... |
Ceramic knives for boning?
I have read that one shouldn't use ceramic knives for cutting THROUGH bones, but how about for cutting AROUND bones? Examples would include cutting breasts off a chicken, carving around bones in steaks, etc. So the knife would probably come into occasional contact with a bone, but not with a... | the problem with ceramic knives and bones is that they are incredibly brittle. Any slip into bone can cause chips in your blade so I would just not use them when bones are involved. |
What's a microscoop?
I've bought pure caffeine powder and its serving size is said to be a microscoop, but no measure of weight is given.
So what's/what size is a microscoop?
"Microscoops" can be found from the internet, but their size is 7-12mg. Is this reasonable for caffeine? | Yes, 7-12mg is a perfectly reasonable, very conservative amount. 12mg of caffeine is about equal to the amount of caffeine in a liquid ounce of 'average' coffee. (Source USDA)
Take care not to pack the scoop. Pure caffeine is a potentially dangerous ingredient. Microscoops vary even more than what is implied by your qu... |
Canning sauce time
I realized that I did not pressure can my tomato sauce long enough. The lids sealed.. Can I put them back in the canner like that to finish ? It has been several days | The sealing of the lid means that no new bacteria or micro-organisms can get into the food, but if you didn't complete the full pressure cooking process you may not have killed everything that already existed in the jar. If you realized this the same day that you originally canned, you would be fine to re-process (brea... |
How to differentiate a ceramic pan from a teflon one?
I was in the store looking to buy a new pan, i found in the local store they sell them but i can't tell if this is a real ceramic or just white teflon (i don't know if that exist) both pans had similar surface/texture to the touch, so that made me doubt of that.
Ho... | Have never seen white teflon coating on cookware (even if white teflon exists in other applications); if you want to minimize exposure to teflon fumes in case of overheating accidents (eg if you have pet birds in the house), be aware that some ceramic lined pans have a teflon protected outside.
Some black/grey/patterne... |
How can I tell which limes have the most juice?
I frequently find myself at the grocery store looking at limes for cocktails and wondering which will yield the most juice.
Sometimes, a lime will practically liquefy itself (which is what I want), yet I also get some that will yield almost nothing.
How can I tell which ... | Heavier limes tend to be more juicy, but another important factor is the color and texture of the skin. Look for the brightest green (sometimes with almost a yellow tinge) and smoothest skin you can find. Many bumps or shriveled looking areas are good indications that there will be less juice. If that's all that's avai... |
Macarons are wrinkled, cracked and have no feet
I've tried to make French macarons 4 times, but despite succeeding in the past, I just can't seem to get it right. I have no clue what I am doing wrong, despite watching many Youtube videos and "macaron faqs". Would anyone know what I'm doing wrong? As the title states, ... | As well as the answer I gave in the question @Catija referred to in her comment, I suspect you are not beating your meringue enough. In total you should be beating the initial meringue for a good ten or eleven minutes.
There are a lot of myths and complications around macarons. The Internet would have you believe that ... |
Butter crunch French bread topping
Does anyone know what's in the topping that gets baked onto butter crunch French bread? I think that it is cheese but I'm not sure. | Does your bread look like this (photo)? From your comments, it seems that you think your bakery's "butter crunch French bread" may be the same bread which is called "Dutch crunch," among other names. Since no one else is answering this question, I'll take a stab at it even though I have never baked any of this bread, &... |
Texture problem with marinated chicken
I made a simple chicken marinade from a Nigel Slater recipe the other day: some olive oil, maple syrup, soy sauce, chilli flakes. I marinaded it (1 piece of boneless chicken breast) overnight. When I cooked it, it had tons of flavour but it was too soft.
How can I marinade a pie... | You said thawed in hot water. That is the problem. Thaw in cold water or in the fridge overnight. Using hot starts cooking the meat. I would also suggest searing the meat on both sides and then cooking at 400 until it temps 155, then pull it and let rest for 10 min. The resting will allow the temp to hit 160. |
How to prevent food absorbing smells from other food?
I want to bake cakes to take into work tomorrow. But I also have a broccoli and half an onion that need eating soon, and was thinking of having broccoli and sausages with onion for dinner. Is there a way of baking the cakes and cooking the dinner on the same evenin... | To people saying it's not an issue... um.. yes it bloody is! If I cook a smelly oniony meal in the oven and then bake cake or something in it (even the next) it absolutely absorbs smells and really ruins it! |
Why do people bury chili underground?
I remember watching a chili cookoff and saw a few contestants burying the pot of chili into the ground. What's the reason for this? Is there a way to replicate the effect in the kitchen without requiring a 2x2 ft pit in the ground?
EDIT: To answer the comment below, I believe s... | Typically, dutch ovens and other heavy, especially cast iron pots would be buried to allow a slow dissipation of the heat. This will allow the contents to continue to cook at a very low and slow pace, usually to allow the release and melding of more flavor. In the case of chili for instance, this could allow more of ... |
How to cut chicken without producing loud noises
Whenever I try to cook some dinner and I get the chicken out of the freeze, I have to think twice if I really want to undergo the messy process of chopping it up into smaller pieces.
I have a butchers knife and a wooden chopping board. Whenever I swing my knife on it, i... | Plan a bit ahead. Move the chicken from the freezer to the fridge the night before, so it's thawed (or at least not rock-hard) when it's time to cut it. Or if for some reason that won't work, thaw it at least partially under running water.
Beyond that, make sure your knife is sharp, so you're not having to spend more e... |
How to clean red tea stains from cracked glaze Japanese tea cups
I have a set of green, cracked glaze Japane tea cups.
A totally unused one is pictured in Figure 1.
Figure 1: A clean, unused tea cup.
As I have used one of these cups several times with African red tea, the cup has begun to take on a stain, as shown in... | For these types of cups with a cracked finish is the purpose is actually that over time, the tea fills up the cracks. This sounds a bit strange, but the same happens with porous Yixing clay teapots. The pores are filled with tea over time, which helps to improve the brew.
Given that you want to remove the strains I wou... |
Regarding cutlery and industrial dishwashers
This question I recently got a variety of cutlery for my school's cafeteria. However, after purchasing the cutlery, I realized that it may not be able to be washed by an industrial dish washer. These are for a relatively large school, and so, I assume, that an industrial wa... | The dishwasher shouldn't be a concern - if anything it will be a little gentler on your cutlery.
Industrial washers work on a very short cycle (~2mins vs 2 hours). Although "industrial" they actually clean a lot less than a domestic machine - home users expect to put things in filthy and come out spotless and dry-ish... |
How to increase the protein content in fish balls?
One of my recipes is fish balls. My question is how would you increase the protein content of it without affecting the taste?
I have very little sense of taste/smell and when I made it, it had the consistency of mashed potatoes. | you will change the flavor, you know, since anything you add will alter the recipe - even things with very neutral flavors will dilute other tastes. I'm guessing you want to not alter it much, encourage a similar flavor profile, or add things more neutral in flavor.
A few simple options - you can up the egg content (t... |
12 count versus 24 count cupcake pan
I have a commercial oven, 2 to be exact, each one can hold 10 dozen standard size cupcakes at one time. My question is this, would I be better off using the regular 12 count muffin pans or going with the 24 count muffin pans? Do they still bake evenly regardless of which one use... | You're probably better off going with the bigger pans. A more influential factor than "how evenly the pan cooks the muffins" will probably be the time you're taking things in and out of the oven. So, if you have to remove ten, rather than just five pans (and/or to rotate them), you may get some unevenness. |
Garlic Cloves Size Differentiation
I understand the ins and outs of peeling, what a clove is, mincing, crushing, etc., as I am new to cooking and learning one step at a time. My question is about size. When I purchase a bulb of garlic, the size can vary a lot, even down to several different sizes of cloves in one bu... | A clove is not a clove. There are 2 main types of garlic:
Hard Neck: hard neck garlic varieties have larger bulbs (or head as you call it), and fewer, larger cloves
Soft Neck: soft neck garlic are generally smaller than hard necks, and have more but smaller cloves
Hard neck varieties are on the whole stronger flavor... |
Why are my Baguettes so flat?
I'm a professional private cook in Rio de Janeiro. I also teach here. Fresh bread is a major part of my teaching regimen and I have successfully taught my students several different types of breads, everything from focaccia to Italian bread for bread bowl soups.
I recently had an opportu... | Different flours (ie different brands and strains) have different rates of absorption. If I use American bread recipes, I always have to use far more flour than the recipe calls for in order to achieve the described consistency. If your dough is too wet and is not behaving as the recipe describes - add more flour, or u... |
Can I add lemon zest to a shortbread cookie recipe?
I would like to use a shortbread recipe for making lemon short bread cookies, this recipe only uses sugar and butter and doesn't use any eggs or milk, I was thinking that perhaps I could add lemon extract and use lemon zest do you think it would work? | If the recipe on its own (without alteration) works, your modifications should be safe, mind that an oily extract or coarsely cut zest could have an additional shortening effect.
Be careful with lemon JUICE though, the acidity can change the texture. And avoid putting in other watery ingredients (milk,juices), they wil... |
How long does flour and oil last?
I made some cloud dough for my daughter (made of 8 parts all-purpose flour to 1 part olive oil) and I was just wondering how long you think it would last. I am currently storing it in a plastic container with a lid outside with plastic toys in it.
She won't be eating it as it's for p... | Oil should last several months before becoming rancid - olive oil specifically is supposed to last minimum 15 months if properly stored. Being played with is not "properly stored", but oil that is expected to be regularly opened for use might be exposed to air a comparable amount to a dough played with for longer but ... |
Choux pastry recipe spreading and deflating
I tried this recipe for choux pastry, but it turned out too thin and the scooped dough spread on the tray before I could put them in the oven. They started to rise well, but deflated at the end. I read the answers about the deflating part.
Is the recipe bad? What can I do to... | A successful pâte à choux / choux pastry depends on a combination of
Gluten development
Water content
Baking environment
Let me show you how they work together:
The gluten, which helps to trap steam during baking and create the large holes, is developed during the phase where the water-fat-flour mixture is stirred i... |
Frying pan Teflon damage
I have a problem. Let's say I buy a frying pan for about 130 EUR. But after 5 months of using it 3 times a week, it looks like the photo. What am I doing wrong please ? (I never scratch the pan. I always wait until it's cold before washing it, I protect the Teflon with shoam)
Edited: to react... | These don't look like scratches to me, more like heat damage. You are either using it for the wrong tasks (e.g. steak), or using it improperly (e.g. preheating it), or the extremely frequent use is simply too much and tires the material.
Without knowing more about your cooking habits, we can't tell you what to change.... |
How should I read a thermometer when it's got an extra indicator line?
The last time I got my candy thermometer out of the drawer, I noticed that there was an extra line of red above the normal column.
It looks like there's a "bubble" at the top of color that's raised a bit of it higher than the rest. Can I still use... | The problem is that such gas bubbles tend to affect the shape of the liquid around them in unpredictable ways, so it's not sufficient to just try to "add" the small bit of liquid to the large one if accuracy is desired -- the surfaces on these bits of liquid may be bent in various ways, making it hard to get a reading.... |
How to make cake mix less sweet
I recently made a simple box cake, the one where you just add water and oil to the mix, but once I ate it I thought that it was way too sweet. I looked up how to temper this sweetness, but the best I could find was a suggestion to add lemon rind or - I assume - lemon essence (to a vanil... | There's not really anything easy you can do. Even adding lemon zest or essence isn't really going to help; it'll just give you a lemony but still sweet cake. I suppose theoretically you could add sour things, since that does tend to balance out sweetness, but it's tricky since acid will interact with the leavening. A s... |
Simple way to pit plums
I have a large amount of small plums, and have spent hours pitting enough to make a crumble. I cut them in half and squeezed the pit out. Is there an easy way to pit large quantities of plums? | Not sure what you mean by "squeeze the pit out". After you have cut the little guy in half, the pit is sitting exposed on the cut edge of one of the halves, and you squeeze it into a jar or something? I guess getting the pit to disengage from the plum flesh is messy & time consuming (?) .
I have done this a more wa... |
When cooking tomato sauce for a long time, should you add water?
I know tomato sauce should be cooked for a long time to develop flavor. To prevent it burning you have to stir constantly, though I find it burns on the stove (and the oven) too much without adding water.
I wonder however if adding water can stop the sau... | Tomatoes are mostly water anyway. They're not going to get above boiling point whether or not you add water (or at least not by more than a very few degrees even with salt added - less than the effect of altitude).
On the other hand the browned bits from the bottom of the pan (often called fond in the US though I've n... |
Vacuum Seal Meats with Bones that could be sharp
I am interested in vacuum sealing things like bone in pork chops and t-bone steaks for sous vide cooking. Is there a technique to keep the bones from puncturing the bags? | Wrap the bone ends with a layer of foil, plastic wrap...or even folded paper towel. Then seal. |
What does this chart mean when it says "lbs per round" or "lbs per sqare/rectangle"?
From http://howtocakeit.com/blogs/cakes/48185153-how-to-make-ice-and-decorate-yo-yo-s-chocolate-cake-like-a-pro:
What do the different columns mean? | It is a scalable recipe. First, you decide in which pan you want to bake the cake. You take your pan and measure it. Let's say you have a 9" round pan. You go into the column "lbs per round" and find out that your pan takes 3 1/2 lbs of batter. Then you go to the other table with ingredients measurements, multiply the ... |
When whipping cream, does its state continually cycle through various states? Is there a dead end at whipped butter? Or does something else happen?
I was attempting to make butter by whipping heavy cream in my Kitchenaid stand mixer. I noticed that cream was getting grainy (as the fat was globbing into butter) but the... | From the article you linked to, on making butter:
... what you're ultimately doing is smashing those little globules of fat into each other, damaging their walls and causing the hydrophobic (water-fearing) regions to clump together. The cream will become thicker and thicker as more and more fatty triglycerides gather ... |
Is burnt ceramic frying pan safe to use?
I've been using a Bergner ceramic frying pan for a month and it has been ok up until today when I decided to cook beef burgers on it. After I was finished the ceramic coating was pretty burnt out. I've follow a cleaning method I found online with boiling water and baking soda, ... | The frying pain is still safe to use (unless the ceramic chipped or cracked badly as well). A bit of vinegar (white) and a soft scrubber may get the rest of those burnt bits out as well. Either way, though, as long as the ceramic is intact, you can still use the frying pan safely. |
Possible to make sourdough starter quickly?
I was hoping to use a recipe that requires sour dough starter tomorrow for dinner. When looking online for recipes I found several, but all of them required several days (examples here, here and here)
to make.
Is it possible to prepare a sourdough starter in around 24 hour... | You aren't going to be able to get a sourdough starter from flour to ready-to-bake in 24 hours. You could easily make a poolish or pâte fermentée in that time, and get some of the flavor. You might also be able to use some yogurt whey or another source of lactic acid to get some of the sour flavor. Unfortunately, a sou... |
What are the triangular shaped markings on asparagus called?
An Asparagus shoot has triangular shaped markings on it. I'm wondering what they're called and why there there (if possible) | They're something leaf-like. If you look closely, you'll find that they aren't just markings, they can be pulled away from the stem.
There doesn't seem to be a lot of agreement about the best name; you'll see "scales" and "leaves" in plenty of informal contexts, and "bracts" in some (but not all) more formal contexts.
... |
How can I salvage burned apple crumble?
I made apple crumble in small ramekins earlier today. I tasted one and the crumble felt a bit dry and not sweet enough, so I added white sugar on top and put it in the oven on broil, hoping to melt the sugar and make it better.
Naturally, I made the mistake of forgetting how fas... | That is such a shame, they looked wonderful.
You may well be able to save the not-so-burnt ones. But you'll have to check the burnt taste hasn't tainted the apple base.
I'd start by carefully removing the burnt bits, (as Dorothy suggested above) and inspecting / tasting the base.
To repair the crumble topping. Mix up ... |
Juicing nectarines
What would be the most effective way of getting most of the juice from nectarine pulp? It seems too thick for a coffee filter and the metal screen I have is small and takes forever to use, I'm wondering if anyone has a kitchen-hack for this. | You may want to explain what you want to do with said juice, but since you tagged your question "cocktails", I am thinking that clarified juice might be good. One option (if you don't have a centrifuge, of course) would be to remove the pits, then gently blend (you may want to avoid heating too much in a powerful blen... |
Strange bacteria-like substances in honey
We bought honey from the store today. I just realized there are strange bacteria-like substances inside it. What are they? Is it safe to eat? | From the pictures, it looks like it's just the beginnings of crystallization, so it's perfectly natural and safe. You can reduce the speed of the crystallization by keeping it in a relatively warm place (25C/77F) if possible.
Beyond that, I'd just ignore it for now, but once it spreads through a lot of the honey, you m... |
Care Instructions for PTFE Nonstick Pan: Function of First Use 'Seasoning'
After purchasing a PTFE nonstick pan, I noticed something in the Use & Care Instructions with the product for first use:
Before using your cookware for the first time, hand-wash with warm, soapy water and dry thoroughly. Then season by lightly... | What functional use would this single-cycle of oil provide?
I'll be reckless enough to say: none at all. There is no reason to do it.
Stuff gets printed on labels for all kinds of reasons. My best guess is that they either reused the booklet from a pan type which needs seasoning, or a package designer who did not kn... |
How do I reduce the sugar in this recipe without affecting the taste?
How do I make my Italian sweet sauce be lower in sugar without affecting the taste? Last time I made it I was 5, as a result there is a lot of bugs that I need corrected, but I'm starting with the sugar problem first. I don't have much of a sense of... | Use an artificial sweetener. There's no single best one, just pick whatever suits your tastes. The packaging will hopefully have conversion factors (or you can look them up online). They probably won't be perfect, but they'll give you a starting point for how much to use to replace the sugar in the recipe. |
How to use oleoresin capsicum (chilli extract)?
How do you use the food additive oleoresin capsicum? How to enhance its spiciness?
I made a few attempts with 1-2 drops per person in dishes already spiced with lots of chillies. However, the additive seems to cause more stomach pains than heat in the mouth...
I have tri... | If you really want to, I suspect you can add it to oil to dissolve/dilute it before adding to your dish. I know you said you tried that, but it really should work if you mix the oil well (possibly with heating), and incorporate it well into the dish. If it still doesn't work, then perhaps the extract you have doesn't h... |
Are cans dishwasher safe
I use canned food from tins from time to time (cat food, chickpeas etc.). I need to clean them before throwing away as I don't have that many recyclable items to throw them away daily and I don't want the smell.
I started wondering if I can clean them up in dishwasher? Usually there is some fr... | Washing cans in your dishwasher is not a good idea because of the labels. Most cans have paper labels which are held on by glue, in the dishwasher the labels will soften and come off, getting sucked into the mechanism and getting stuck to dishes and glasses. The dry cycle will harden the paper in place and be very hard... |
Does brown rice or white rice expand more when cooked?
Which expands more when cooked: brown rice or white rice? | I'd say the answer will depend a lot on the exact type of rice, as well as cooking method, and how much you might "fluff" it afterward. I've seen internet sources that claim brown rice expands more, and other internet sources that say white rice expands more.
For a more precise measurement, I went to the USDA food com... |
Mustard seeds for tempering lentils brought out a little bitter after taste
I am fond of using whole spices for tempering therefore used mustard seeds along with cumin seeds, curry leaves, asafoetida & nigella seeds. Thereafter used some cilantro and kasuri methi for finishing. What I noticed was that the lentils had ... | There's quite some bitter components in there:
Fenugreek
Nigella seeds
Mustard seeds
In general to balance bitterness, you either add salt, fat, or sugar.
In yours case, maybe the addition of the mustard seeds pushed the bitterness just beyond what you like. So quite possibly you could also choose to reduce the amo... |
If a large can is divided into smaller containers, is it still shelf stable?
Everyone knows that buying in bulk usually saves money. My question involves buying and saving bulk canned veggies and items of that nature. Can you divide a bulk or industrial size can of say green beans or nacho cheese into mason jar, vacuu... | No. You can freeze items like that, and they will stay safe indefinitely in a fully functional freezer, but once you break the seal on the can, items like that are subject to same 2/4 hour shelf safety rules as any other cooked item.
See: How do I know if food left at room temperature is still safe to eat? |
Does poking steaks and other meats cause flavor loss?
I was barbecuing, during which I was testing my steak for give using the tips of my thongs. But I didn't pierce the meat or jab too hard. A friend said that I'm ruining the steak and that it causes flavor and juice losses. Is this the case?
I've read on the Food La... | This is totally fine. Meat gets poked and prodded all the time, whether to test it, to pick it up with tongs, or sticking a fork in it to cut. Meat just is not that fragile.
Things like smashing with a tenderizer are much more violent and do affect the texture (that's kind of the point), so that's not a great compariso... |
How to add creamy taste and consistency to pasta dish with cheese?
I enjoy a plate of pasta every now and then, so yesterday, I made a large pot of pasta combining penne noodles, shrimp, scallops, garden-fresh zuccini squash, cheese, and seasoning.
Everything turned out great, but one thing seemed missing to me. When... | This is going to sound a little facetious, but a good way to add creaminess is... Add cream.
If you want something a little lighter, you can use a few egg yolks, tempered and whisked with hot pasta water and mixed through the pasta with the rest of the ingredients. This, along with plenty of parmesan, is the basic met... |
How can I make a halva with spinach?
I am a huge fan of spinach after Popeye! It packs a flavorful punch as a side dish and a main course dish. But somehow whenever I try to make a halva out of spinach I fail badly. Either spinach loses its punch or else it gets all bitter. How do we make spinach taste sweet but at th... | So, there's maybe a few things I found to reduce the astringency or bitterness of spinach. If you can reduce the bitterness to a flavor you like first, rather then relying on the sugar to mask or balance astringency (which it doesn't hide so much) - you can probably end up with a better dessert.
One thought is that bl... |
Does sauteing onions produce alcohol or something similar to alcohol?
I came up positive on test for alcohol after eating sautéed onions.
SCRAM bracelet recorded alcohol in my system from 5 pm to 7 am. I did not drink alcohol, or use alcohol to make the onions. I read on another site about how cooking process of makin... | Some conditions can cause alcohol to be produced in the human body (look up auto-brewery syndrome). Sauteed onions are common enough that if they made people come up positive on alcohol tests, I bet we would all know it. |
Battle Of the Gums? (effects on Ice Cream)
I am on a quest to perfect an ice cream recipe and am curious as to the texture and flavor differences between guar gum, agar agar, and xanthan gum.
I know all of these are used in various recipes, but is there a difference in overall taste and texture between these? | This has long been an interest of mine as well...
I have never used Agar Agar in ice-creams, however I've tasted some having agar agar in it... I've found the texture suffered a lot, and the flavor release wasn't really good in a cold application.
Xanthan gum is my go-to thickener in many applications; you can achieve ... |
How does FPC compare to mammalian rennet?
How does fermentation-produced chymosin (bio-chemically engineered rennet) compare to real mammalian rennet? Does it affect the flavor of the cheese? | it’s also known as recombinant chymosin. Per wikipedi |
How do I use this store-made tomato paste with pasta?
I am boiling the water, and then adding my spaghetti into it, and cooking for 7 - 8 minutes. It all works fine. However since am new to cooking, I don't know how to use the store-made tomato paste. Do I just add it to the pasta after it's done? Or do I add it while... | Oh, that is not a real tomato sauce, this is mostly a tomato mush with a bit of salt. (The term "tomato paste" on the jar might a bit misleading, this product looks somewhat thinner.)
In a pinch, you can use it similar to a store-bought sauce by heating it gently in a separate pot on the stove (or in a microwave) and s... |
de buyer mineral b carbon steel seasoning
I bought a mineral b carbon steel pan some time ago and I've cooked with it probably about +-20 times (pretty much use it for steaks). I've been religious about seasoning it after every use using the following method:
Rinse with hot water and wipe dry.
Put back on stove top a... | I have the same pan. Are you following the instructions that come with it?
The center is too burned.
Flaky is not good.
The border is not seasoned.
The border is not rusty.
Is your fire big enough for the pan?
You should clean the pan (thorough scrub with salt) and re-season. See this Q&A |
Prevent cocoa from settling
I want to make a lightly sweetened, very dark chocolate sauce. I've been trying to make this with water or milk and cocoa powder and a small amount of sugar. It has the taste I want, but the problem I'm having is that the cocoa settles to the bottom of whatever it's stored in and is a pain ... | You are fighting a losing battle here. Cocoa powder does not dissolve in water, and it will simply sediment over time. If you are unwilling to do something about viscosity (and I understand that - gums do change flavor), you can only slow the process by using methods which are increasingly difficult to apply at home (b... |
What can I cook with noodles and soy sause only
Fellows all the ingredients I have in my cabinet are:
1)Noodles (containing egg)
2)1 bottle Soy sause
3)1 botttle Sesame Oil
4)2-3 Onions
4)1 Ginger root
And because I am reallocating I want to cook something without having much leftovers in order to get rid of them. So... | Cook and drain the noodles with a stir fry over the top. Do a sesame oil stir fry with the onions and ginger. Add in more vegetables and or a protein like chicken or tofu. I have low sodium diet so I don't do soy sauce but you could finish the stir by down with some soy sauce. |
Mayonnaise gets too thin after adding solids
I make a mayonnaise by slowly whisking a cup of extra light olive oil into two eggs yolks and a tablespoon of dijon mustard. The mayonnaise is not as thick as store bought mayo but it is thick enough to spread.
However, when I stir in solid ingredients to make an aioli the... | I'm going to step out on a limb based on experiences I've had. I suspect that adding garlic and or chopped clams after you have emulsified your other ingredients is simply adding moisture and making your mayo/aioli thinner. (Especially since you said that it doesn't break.)
I would suggest putting your garlic or clams ... |
What kind of nut is this?
Nuts are not very popular in my region, this is the first time I have this kind of nut, can you let me know what its name is?
Thank you. | Looks like roasted chickpeas which are actually a legume (related to peas & beans), but you can toast them up and eat like nuts (like you would peanuts/groundnuts which are also legumes). |
How to make sugar coated fennel seeds at home?
Fennel seeds have a great flavor and are good for digestion. I tried sugar coating them at home. But drying them up once the seeds got added to hot sugar syrup became a problem. At the same time seeds became gooey and it got all the more tough to take them out on a plate.... | The product in your link has been sugar panned, a process which uses a rotating drum to add a thin candy shell, such as on nuts or seeds. To achieve that effect, you would need either a machine or a panning attachment for a mixer such as Kitchenaid, as illustrated on Pastry Chef Central. |
sous-vide prepared food seems cold
I've recently been experimenting with sous-vide cooking. The results have been good, except that I find that the food can sometimes seem unpleasantly cold. Obviously I tried reducing the time between removing from the water and eating but this doesn't solve the issue completely.
For ... | The core technique is prevent the food from getting cold.
With sous-vide and other low-temperature cooking methods, pre-warming your plates is essential. Also, sauces etc. should be pretty hot and you plate the coolest food (the meat or fish) last. Serve immediately. |
Thick noodle soup minus cornstarch/cornflour?
How do we thicken noodles soup without using cornstarch? List of ingredients at hand:
Onions
Tomatoes
Worsterchire Sauce
Soy Sauce
Salt
Ginger& Garlic(fresh)
Star Anise
Cilantro
Noodles | Cook the noodles using as little water as possible and use that water for your soup, or cook them directly in the soup, so that you get all the starch from them.
If that's not thick enough, the only other thing on your list that can really help is the onion and tomato: if you grind them smooth they'll at least add some... |
Recipe says to bake chicken at 250 degrees for 5 hrs. how long does it need to be baked at 350 degrees?
Recipe says to bake whole chicken uncovered 250 degrees F for 5 hours or until done. CAn I shorten the bake time if I increase the heat to 350 degrees F? if so how long does it need to bake? | Yes, you can.
In fact, one of the biggest, ever so often repeated mantras here is:
Don't determine doneness with a watch, use a thermometer!
Measure at the thickest part of the thigh, not touching the bone. If you have reached at least 165°F or 75°C, your chicken is done.
Of course, the hotter your oven, the crispi... |
Fork left in microwave, hole in microwave wall
I left a fork in my microwave and there were no sparks but there is now a small hole on the inside wall. The microwave works fine but is there anything dangerous about this? | First off, what is the hole in? Is it just a hole in the plastic interior, or is a hole clean through the metal shielding? If you're confident it's just the plastic, that should be fine - that's not part of what's keeping it safe.
If it's actually a hole through the metal, then the power transmitted is roughly proporti... |
What is the reason to coddle an egg?
I have a Caesar recipe that calls for 2 egg yolks from coddled eggs. It prescribes submersing the eggs in near boiling water for just under a minute. This is in contrast to merely separating the eggs.
When I separate these eggs from the coddling process, the only thing I notice d... | Eggs are coddled for a Caesar dressing in order to make the yolk slightly thicker. This in turn allows for a slightly thicker dressing. From your description, it sounds like you are doing it perfectly! |
Are my cannellini beans safe?
I've never cooked with these before, si maybe I'm just being paranoid, but I was kinda surprised when I opened my (store bought) can of beans and found that the liquid they were packed in was kinda cloudy. I've heard that this can be a sign of botulism. The can is not dented or bulging, a... | It is normal for store bought canned beans to have a cloudy liquid. This applies to previously dried, starchy beans such as cannellini, kidney, etc.
The water will get cloudy also when you cook dried beans.
For others like green string beans or wax beans you would expect to see a clear liquid. |
What was a black substance on the surface of cooked brown rice?
We had some brown rice that we cooked in tap water, and when it was done, there was something black or dark gray with a clay-like consistency on the surface of the rice. Around the edge of the pot it was pretty dense, while at the center it was only speck... | If this is the grey foam/scum that rises during the cooking, and eventually settled onto the surface and the pot itself, then it's just starch that gets released during the cooking process. While not aesthetically pleasing, it doesn't change the flavor or texture of the rice, and is fine to eat.
Also, some people note... |
How can I make raisins really hard & chewy?
Does anyone know how to make raisins really chewy like they are in packets of granola and museli?
I tried mixing some in with a bag of oats for a couple of weeks but there was no effect.
Thanks | I think you just need to dehydrate them some more to get that effect. I assume granola and muesli tend to use drier raisins because they will keep longer, and not affect the rest of the cereal with extra moisture. The amount of moisture left in raisins can be variable, it depends on how they're made and for what purp... |
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