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Why orange carrots turn black while peeled? Freshly bought carrots turn black (like coal) on peeled surfaces in minutes if not seconds. I wonder why and why are these special. Obviously it is not black rot. The carrots taste normal, albeit not too sweet. Too much fertilizer nitrates? Or just contain lots of starch li...	I must admit that my answer contains a bit of speculation. Let me start with beta carotene which is the pigment responsible for the orange colour of common carrots. It is easily and quickly oxidised by exposure to air and enzymes already present that get activated upon cutting and exposure to light. As such it looses i...
What role does salt play in pumpkin pie? My pie filling texture didn't seem right but I don't know what went wrong. The flavor was good, but the texture was a little off, but I don't even know how to explain the difference. But I later realized I forgot the salt. It's the only thing I can think of that made it differe...	Salt is fundamental to our sense of taste, leaving it out will definitely affect the flavor of a pie (or a cake, or a steak, or whatever) negatively. However, leaving it out shouldn't have affected the texture, you would need to use much more salt than I imagine your pie filling recipe called for to affect the texture ...
Do you need a stock for carbonade flamande So there is this amazing Belgian/French dish called carbonade flamande and as I browse recipes I see one major difference in them: some recipes use (beef) stock while others don't (but then they have larger quantities for beer, or they add apple vinegar, etc…). What is the re...	I'm Flemish and I don't use stock at all: butter half an onion, beef a nice coat of mustard smeared on top of peperkoek: ginger bread will do nicely as well use "Appenzeller Biberli" if you want to give it a Swiss twist and call it "Carbonade Suisse" pepper, salt, nutmeg the darkest non-bitter beer you can find (Any...
Cold weather kofta? I was given lamb kofta in my CSA share. It is spiced with coriander, cumin, garlic, paprika, and ginger. I have limited experience with Middle Eastern cuisine, and I've always thought of it almost exclusively as warm-weather food. I can't wrap my head around a dish suitable for the 15-degree day we...	There are plenty of parts of the Middle East where it gets pretty chilly, snowy etc. when it's wintertime. I suppose the citizens there must have options in their cuisine to cover all times of the year. If it's meaty, filling, and hot, and especially if it takes a long time cooking (heating up the house), wouldn't any...
Slow cooked ham hock black eyed peas Getting ready for some New Year’s eve cooking. I want a hearty black eyed peas casserole, which I’ll be throwing into the crockpot tonight with a couple smoked ham hocks (a first try for me). I want the casserole to be fairly meaty, for which I got some smoked ham to throw in dices...	Diced ham is a great addition to any dried beans, peas, or lentils, especially for those of us who like a lot of meat in them. I would encourage you to add the diced ham later in the cooking process rather than at the beginning. You should get plenty of seasoning from the ham hocks. And while the ham can add additiona...
When heating up a pizza, edges burn while middle still liquid (Please excuse the fact that I don't make my own pizza...) I have a thawed (originally frozen-bought) pizza of about 25.5cm diameter, a microwave, and a convection toaster-oven, whose internal space' dimensions are 38cm x 30cm x 23cm WxDxH. The pizza is n...	The key here is that you said you’ve thawed the pizza. Frozen pizzas are designed to be baked from frozen. The instructions on the box should reflect this.
What cut of beef is this? My dad asked me to clean out his freezer and I found this cut of beef. It said "rib" on it, but it looks like no rib I've ever seen. (click for full size) Is this an ankle? How can I identify which cut it is?	The photo on the left, specifically the upper left quadrant appears to have a concave shape that would make one think (at first glance) of the short ribs, but the ball joint and size definitely is the give away here. Assuming the dish it rests in is an 9x13 casserole dish you are right that this is probably from a lamb...
Baking ratio for waffles! What is the ratio between flour, sugar, fat, liquid, and egg for waffles? I searched up "baking ratios" and "cooking ratios" but the closest thing that came up was for pancakes. Now, I know pancakes and waffles have different compositions. I really want to make my own recipe for orange flav...	You cannot find a "golden ratio" as there is no such thing for something as diverse as "waffles": Brussels Waffles Liège Waffles Butter waffles Vanilla waffles Blueberry waffles Honey Waffles ... Just take a recipe for waffles that resembles the kind of waffles you want to make and substitute one ingredient for anoth...
With stovetop cooking, is there a way to retain heat but let moisture escape? Example: I made mulled wine and want to keep it warm on the stovetop. If I put the lid on, it will get too hot; if I take the lid off, the alcohol and flavors might evaporate. So, I want to keep the moisture in, but let the heat escape. Oppo...	You don't really have much control, at least not very directly like turning a knob. You can control it a bit by your choice of cookware - a thin-walled pot which is relatively high in comparison to its width will dissipate heat more than a squat, thick-walled one of some non-conductive material like cast iron or cerami...
What is this "spatula" called, and what is it for? I have this "spatula". The split in it perplexes me. It was inherited from a roommate who left it behind after moving out. It has a partner, that is a bigger spatula/flipper, with a hole in the middle. While the hole is large enough to be occasionally annoying, there ...	Those could be a salad set, similar to this one. The two "spatulas" might be combinable to form a set of tongs. Update: Salad sets generally contain a forky and a spoony component, which may or may not be combinable (and there are e.g. combinable pairs of spatulas). On the other hand, shapes vary widely, and there ar...
Is it sensible to add steamed vegetables to a vegetable curry to reduce cooking time? The objective is to make an Indian mixed vegetable curry like this one. However, the last time I tried it, I had used more vegetables than what the recipe specifies, and needed to cook it for around 40 to 50 minutes until it got cook...	I‘m sure you could do this. But the gain may be less than you calculate and the results will not be exactly the same: If you are (pre-)steaming the vegetables, your are keeping their individual flavor whereas by cooking in the curry sauce you get a more evened out flavor as the various ingredients contribute to the ov...
I am making momos at home and want to store them too I am making chicken momos at home for the first time.My question was that if I want to fry the momos do I directly put them in the fryer or steam them first and then fry it.What will be the difference in taste and texture?I also want to store them for later use but ...	Welcome! Momos are dumplings filled with meat and/or vegetables with savory spices. They are very similar to various Chinese dumplings or Japanese gyoza, but have a different flavor profile because of the type of spices used. Dumplings of any kind can be served steamed or fried. All of the recipes I've ever seen for an...
Seasoning advice for seitan to replicate gyro meat I am looking for a seasoning recipe to flavor seitan so that it tastes like gyro. I have tried products on the market but all have been disappointing. The most successful recipe I have tried is the vegan gyro at the Chicago Diner in Chicago. Has anyone made this? Any ...	Bury it in bread. A meat-substitute burger or kebab meat that has obvious textural or flavor flaws when served bare will often appear near perfect in a pita or bun. Also, you can keep a lot of oil/sauce on it that way, which carries seasonings and juicyness. Start with baked seitan, made from vital wheat gluten (and 10...
Worried about raw eggs, Salmonella, and pasta maker. I recently got a pasta maker as a gift. The instructions clearly say to NEVER use water on it. My main concern is the raw egg in the pasta dough. How do I make sure the pasta maker is safe for future use, if I can't wipe it down with soap and water? Obviously, I don...	You are worrying too much. Pasta has been made with egg for hundreds of years. While the tools may have changed a bit, the process remains the same. There has been some actual scientific research on the amount of time salmonella can survive on stainless steel and other dry surfaces. You can google specifics. It is...
Can cake batter sit before using? I'm making a sour cream pound cake for an event. I would ideally like to make the batter in the morning. I have something else I have to do around 11:30, though, and I won't be home for about an hour. Would it be ok to mix the batter together around 11, cover it, leave and come back? ...	Usually cake batter does spoil or become unmixed if allowed to sit for long periods of time. After all, most of it is physically, not chemically combined. That being said, if you need to walk away, you definitely want to refrigerate the batter, esp. if there are raw eggs in the batter. Best to mix a cake batter and ba...
Solder for steamed pudding mold My small steamed pudding mold has sprung a leak. What type of solder should be use to repair the leak? Thanks,	If it's copper or brass you should be able to use solder used for drinking water plumbing (tin with a little copper, and no flux in it). This will probably work on tin or tin plate as well. You'll probably need to use separate flux as well. Again get something used for potable water. Give it a very good wash and rinse...
Cake Cooking Time: Burning on outside - raw in the middle I am doing some work in a volunteer kitchen and as part of our meals we provide cake that we bake in a big tray, we can only fit two on a rack in a commercial gas oven at a time. Full gastronorm trays I think they are called. All our recipes call for a tempera...	This might have something to do with the amount of oil in your recipe. There is a lot of liquid - traditional pound cakes are traditional, but that doesn't mean that they're a good ratio. Reduce ratio of oil to at least 1/4 and experiment from there - another factor is the type of oil that is being used. Certain types...
Sous vide power issue. Food safety first I read the post that is similar but doesn’t answer my question. Last night my power won’t out for a few hours. I was cooking London broil for about 4-5 hours @125. Around 2am the power went out. I woke up at 4 and noticed the power was out. I then checked the water bath with...	7 hours at 125°F seems like a bad idea, no matter what happened before. If the food is not being pasteurized (as is the case with fish and rare meat), it is important that the food come up to temperature and be served within four hours. ... which is why cooking times over four hours are not shown for temperatures ...
What’s wrong with my sweet potatoes? Please help I hope the picture is clear enough!	Using a Google image search for 'sweet potato disease', it looks like Streptomyces ipomoe
How high (height-wise) should the oil be for frying chicken? I thought the point of fried chicken is to have enough oil to deep fry it, but I've seen a lot of recipe discussing to fry the chicken for x-time, then flip over and fry for y-time. Does this mean for recipes that involve flipping chicken in fryer we don't ...	Deep fry and shallow fry both work. At home, when using oil in a wok (safest way because of the sloping sides), I flip whether the oil is deep or shallow. This is just to ensure even browning. For shallow, I would use an amount of oil that is at least half the thickness of the chicken.
Is safe to reuse plastic bags used for sous vide Is it safe to reuse plastic bags used for sous vide? And if it's safe, any special measures apart from the obvious need of cleaning them. PD: I mean plastic bags specially designated for sous vide that work with a manual vacuum pump like that	There is not safety issue as long as you clean well. It shouldn't be a problem after most cooks. If using high heat...or very long cooks, you might check the integrity of the bag. Otherwise, I suppose you could wash and dry. I mainly use zip lock-type bags and discard after each cook, simply because they are a p-i-t...
What do you call the flavor imparted from cooking at high heat? I'm wondering about that high-heat flavor you get just before outright burning food. Charred, grilled, blackened, smoky, or seared flavor? Wok hei? I'm not exactly sure what to call it. Or would the term depend on the method used for cooking?	I have frequently heard it said (or read) that "the flavor comes from..." rather than naming the flavor in particular. Each of the adjectives you listed (and more) can be used situationally to describe the flavor, but there is no established name for those flavors. With sugars (fruits and other sweets) the flavor is ca...
Difference between yellow and gray bacalao (salted cod)? In her book on Spanish cooking, Jenny Chandler writes that a cook should prefer the gray bacalao to the yellow fillets which she seems to imply are of lesser quality, the supermarket version of the authentic bacalao found in market stalls. What's the difference?	According to the Norwegian Cod lobby, a grey-blue cast indicates that the cod was caught in the deep sea, as opposed to cod caught in shallower, warmer waters. Presumably the deep-sea cod tastes better. Based on my own experience, salt cod which is too old or poorly stored will also turn yellowish. For example, the ...
Purging air from a pressure cooker Many years ago, while instructing me in the use of our pressure cooker, my father told me to always let steam escape from the top stack for a couple of minutes before putting the weighted cap on it. This, he said, would purge air from the cooker and thereby prevent oxygen from attack...	In pressure canning, the USDA says: Air trapped in a pressure canner lowers the temperature obtained for a given pressure (for example, 10 or 15 pounds pressure) and results in underprocessing. To be safe, USDA recommends that all pressure canners must be vented 10 minutes before they are pressurized. Which might be...
What would cause bubbles in confit garlic stored in oil? I made confited garlic. It was simply garlic simmered in sesame oil. When I opened the mason jar at room temp, it bubbled fairly rapidly, to the point where the oil overflowed. My first instinct was botulism. Could something more innocent cause this?	A jar of garlic in oil at room temperature (whether or not is was simmered first - pressure-canning might be different) is indeed a ripe environment for botulism. I'm not clear why you would store the product at room temperature if you have even a passing familiarity with botulism? If you store garlic in oil, it should...
how does bread fermentation change in relation to inital yeast weight, time and temperature? I am thinking of making bread and while most recipes call for a 2-3 hour fermentation, some say leave it for 12-24 hours in the fridge for better flavor while adding less yeast to start with. I understand that in slow growth c...	Long fermentation allows for enzymes to breakdown starch molecules into sugars used by the yeast. This breakdown adds complexity to the flavor of the bread, and loaf color produced during baking. http://www.thescienceofbreadmaking.com/enzymes.html
Is it possible to make your own DIY cookie mix? Is it possible to create DIY mixes for cookies? I make chocolate chip cookies often enough to want to streamline the process. My idea is to create my own combine the dry ingredients, storing them in a box/tupperware of some kind, and then combining it with the wet ingred...	Freezing the portioned dough is more effective as a timesaver if you make a lot of dough but only a few cookies at a time. And as Catija notes, if you need to cream the butter and sugar a complete dry mix would not be practical.
DIY herb preservation My (garden) pot is overflowing with oregano. How can I preserve it to use later? Is it possible to preserve rosemary not in fat - butter or oil? If I have to use oil, what kind has the least inherent flavor but will take on the rosemary flavor strongly?	I've successfully dried both rosemary and oregano in a dehydrater, and I see no reason why you couldn't do the same in a warm dry place. Drying is a prerequisite for making herb oils anyway. The flavour of rosemary in particular changes on drying, so it's not as good for some recipes as fresh
Is it safe to cook in discolored stainless steel pots? I sauteed some fresh cut veggies in a stainless steel wok and it has a rainbow tinge on the inner bottom? Is it safe to continue using this wok for future cooking?	If the pan has been always used in the kitchen and for cooking, then is absolutely safe. The phenomenon you observe is due to thin film interference. Is the same iridescence that we observe on soap bubbles or where a thin film of a greasy matter spread on a water surface. In the pan case, the thin film causing the int...
How clean should the outside of pots and pans be scrubbed? I’m the official pot-scrubber in our household. I have a question on how clean one should scrub the outside of stainless and copper pots and pans and whether this is merely an aesthetic choice. I note that cast iron cookware shouldn’t be scrubbed at all. Doe...	I think this is purely aesthetic. The outside of my stainless cookware looks terrible. The oils polymerize and are really difficult to clean after that point. I don't worry about it too much, though I have a friend who takes great care to keep his stainless shiny. I doubt the buildup is enough to impact heat transfer...
Does adding vinegar to soup make it spoil faster? I have heard that if vinegar is added to the pot of soup, it will spoil after 2-3 days even in a fridge. Is there any truth to that?	I think it makes no difference as the vinegar does not contain bacterial spores. If so much vinegar that makes the soup significantly more sour then it can eventually go wrong even later as bacteria don't prefer the acidic environment. To add a concrete quantitative example: while cooking 3 pieces of beetroots I added ...
Tomato soup without a blender? Can you use canned tomato puree to make a simple tomato soup? I want to make my own tomato soup but all the recipes I find call for a blender to puree the soup, and I don't have one! So I was wondering if canned tomato puree and chicken broth will do the trick.	Use pureed ingredients, or puree afterward...it makes little difference. With no blender, in a pinch you can push your product through a sieve.
Has the oil started to smoke here? Following the question posted here concerning the safety of cooking with olive oil Is cooking with olive oil bad or toxic? I wasn't quite sure how to tell when the oil actually starts to smoke especially when cooking with liquid https://youtu.be/VOBihHeZuXE?t=1m35s What is smoking/...	The smoke point of extra virgin olive oil is about 375F (190C), which is above the boiling point of water. Most likely the pan temperature is close to 350 or so for sauteing in the first recipe, or at least above 300F, so when wine (which is mostly water) hits the pan it starts to boil off, so what you are seeing is wa...
Why specifically use Passata, rather than tomatoes, in Ragu? When making real Ragu, what really is the specific difference between using tomatoes (so, for say 1kg of meat, a big pile of tomatoes, chopped and cooked-in for many hours as the last step) using Passata (so, for say 1kg of meat, a few cups of Passata, cook...	The primary reason is definitely convenience. If you don't want skin and seeds in your sauce, then you have to do some work to avoid it. Yes, it's possible, e.g. passing through a food mill, or blanching and peeling plus retaining only the flesh, but having it already done is a whole lot easier. Passata is usually much...
It's adequate to clean egg shell to cook with it? If I want to cook natural farm eggs with its shell at low temperature (65C-150F) for 20-30mins and they have some dirt at shell is better to clean it or not? If it's better to clean it what's the better way?	Basic food safety dictates that you always start with a clean product, no matter what you are using or how you are cooking it. For your eggs, simply rinse with clean water, or place in a bowl of water. A soft cloth or gentle brush could be used to remove dirt.
Vegan substitute for cheese Though I read a lot about vegan substitute of cheese but I have not come across one that can be described as its perfect replacement especially in places where cheese is supposed to melt, like in Pizza. Does anyone has any experience with it ? Is it possible to make such vegan cheese at hom...	One thing to be aware of with many commercial vegans cheeses is that these work much better for melting over pizzas or casseroles if mixed with some additional liquid (eg by soaking the grated cheese substitute in some soymilk or soy cream and applying both together). If looking to make your own meltable vegan cheeses,...
Broccoli Cheddar soup coming out pasty I made such a soup this weekend (my first attempt) that was very pasty and gritty as an end result. I believe this is due to the preparation of the roux. I sauteed onions in a stick of butter then added 1/3 C flour and toasted before adding the milk (instructed all at once). I ...	Your description of the end result as "pasty" (which I'm interpreting as "very think, like a paste instead of a thick soup") implies to me that there was too much roux for the amount of liquid. And since the strength of a roux is determined by the amount of flour, I don't think sauteing the onions separately would ha...
Dried tomatoes vs. dried tomatoes in oil I have a soup recipe that calls for 24 oz. dried tomatoes in oil, drained and patted dry. I would like to use dried tomatoes (not in oil), but don’t have a clue how much to use. Is there a conversion by weight? Should I substitute by volume?	I would probably substitute roughly by volume. 24 ounces in oil looks to be 2-3 cups, based on my memory of jars I've bought and a quick Google image search to confirm. But I wouldn't do that with them fully dried - I'd rehydrate them in water or stock (the ones in oil tend to be less thoroughly dried out), and then cr...
Pasta dough for orecchiette I've made fresh egg-based pasta quite a few times already. Usually used Marcella Hazan's recipe. Now I've wanted to make orecchiette, which is made without egg (i.e. just flour+water(+salt)). I thought the dough I've made turned out alright. Kneaded for >5 minutes. When I "rolled it out" to...	Orecchiette is frequently made with two parts semolina flour to one part AP flour, and one part water. You can find multiple recipes online. So, I would begin your troubleshooting with a recipe that uses semolina. Then, be sure to allow your dough to rest after kneading, at least 30 minutes. This allows the flour t...
Sourdough recipe with vinegar I use a sourdough starter to bake my breads. I read somewhere that adding a touch of vinegar will help with the oven rise. What are the implications of adding vinegar to my recipe?	There are several conversations about this on The Fresh Loaf, which you can search. Issues raised include (a) acetic acid used as a preservative in manufactured bread (lowering the pH), (b) yeast performing best in a neutral to slightly acid environment, suggesting vinegar might be helpful when using instant yeast, (c...
Savoury version of caramel or sugar cage I am a hobbyist cook, who has recently taken to attempting elegant plating and presentation. I particularly like to make "gourmet" versions of classic dishes (nothing novel about that I know). My question is as follows: I made a take on Peking Duck with plum sauce the other day...	You can make some pretty delicate cages using pastry, which is (or can be) pretty neutral in flavor. An example is posted on a foodie blog post about a dinner they had at the restaurant L'Heritage in Kuala Lampur. Slow-braised Black Angus ribs with sweetbread & morels in a choux pastry cage. Images for "choux pastr...
Should an Aviation include Crème de Violette? The "Aviation" cocktail is an IBA "official" cocktail. It is listed on the IBA website with these ingredients and instructions: All Day Cocktail 4.5 cl Gin 1.5 cl Maraschino 1.5 cl Fresh lemon juice Shake and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. To my surprise this do...	According to wikipedia, the original Hugo Ensslin's recipe calls for 2 dashes of crème de violette. In the same article there can be some variation on the theme, with or without crème de violette. The Gin foundry website offers 2 recipes, with or without it; the version without the crème de violette dates from the 1930...
Skillet rust (?) and next steps with regard to seasoning Yesterday, I got a cast-iron skillet, and the first thing I did was try to season it. I washed it vigorously with soap and water, then rinsed it for several minutes. After drying it with a paper towel, I put it on the stove and started up flame on the medium set...	The marks look like bare iron, as though the seasoning has actually been fully removed there. How hard did you scrub? I use vegetable oil and use only about a teaspoon for the inside cooking surface and sides. Another teaspoon for the outside and underside and handle. You really don't want too much oil or it will becom...
Do I need baking powder/baking soda for my flourless corn bread? So I completely forgot to add the flour into this corn bread recipe: 1 cup all-purpose flour 1 cup cornmeal 1/4 cup white sugar 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 egg, lightly beaten 1 cup sour cream 1/3 cup milk 1/4 ...	I assume from the ingredients you didn't end up making a corn flatbread. The raising agents will give some rise even without gluten from the flour to form a structure, and the egg will help bind the cornmeal into its raised shape. But its probably rather crumbly (the similar cornbread I make is quite crumbly even with ...
Do I need to coat beef in flour mixture for slow cooked stew? I've recently bought a slow cooker and my first meal will be a simple beef stew. According to this recipe, step one is to: In a small bowl mix together the flour, salt and pepper; pour over meat and stir to coat beef with flour mixture My question is, why...	Browning your beef with some flour adds depth of flavor. The flour will act as a thickener, and by coating the meat with it you won't have problems with it clumping and getting little flour balls in your stew. However, unless you are browning the meat before adding to the cooker I would recommend you leave it out as un...
What are the preservatives in protein bars? How are protein bars such as Quest bars and Buff Dude protein cookies able to last so long? What are the preservatives in it? Ingredients for Quest Bars ("Birthday cake" flavor): Protein Blend (Milk Protein Isolate, Whey Protein Isolate), Soluble Corn Fiber, Water, Erythrit...	TL;DR: They may not need preservatives, relying on dryness and the preserving capabilities of sugar All are rather dry, and similar foods like biscuits and flapjack (UK meanings; I guess the American terms would be crisp cookies and granola bars) keep almost indefinitely in an airtight container, even if home made. And...
My induction stove does not evenly heat a frying pan. Is it broken or am I doing something wrong? I have used a Kenmore Elite induction stove after moving about 6 months ago from a gas range and it has many good qualities but no matter what I try I can't get it to heat evenly when frying food. Like when I try to sear ...	What I would do is invest in a $30 - $50 single induction hob that can be put on your counter, and see if the problem persists there. At the worst case, you just have an extra hob for stocks or something, but it could very well be that you'll have some success there, which gives you a hob that you could use for searing...
Can I take a glass baking dish from the fridge and put it in a hot oven? I have a glass baking dish my husband put together a meatloaf in it last night and put it in the fridge. Can I put it right in the hot oven? I think no so I have had it sitting on the kitchen table most of the dish is warmer but the bottom is sti...	It would depend on the type of glass. If the oven is say 300 F then starting from 40 F (fridge) versus 70 F (room) is not a big difference. If the glass is oven safe then that 30 F difference should not cause failure. 70 F to 375 F is a bigger difference than 40 F to 300 F.
Tool for making small balls of sticky food There are several kinds of sticky food balls that I'd like to make, but the usual process consists in rolling them in your hand one by one. This process is tedious and time-consuming. I'd really like it to scale better. Such food usually tastes better when the balls are small...	In most professional kitchens, people use the ice cream-type scoop (your first picture), as they come in many different sizes. In general, the scoop would be used to portion the product (sizing consistently). Depending on what the final product was to look like, generally hands are quickly used for final shaping. Whi...
Why is my mango not ripening correctly? I have always been good at being able to tell when a mango is ripe based on the firmness and smell. For the last several batches I have purchased, however, almost every one I cut open is simply not good, with taste nor color. Rather than the deep orange color, I keep getting a y...	This happened to me a few weeks ago. Two mangoes just plain would not ripen. I tried the window sill and paper bags. I bought two later and they ripened fine. So I took the first two back. The manager of the fruit department said the pallet is treated with ethylene to ripen the fruit, and sometimes the ethylene does n...
Sushi using brown rice I want to make sushi but I'm not going to buy any more rice then I already have, which is brown. my first couple experiments didn't work. What should I do to roll sushi using brown rice?	Normal brown rice just isn't sticky enough (not enough available starch) . Risotto rice might work if you have some anyway, though the texture will be a little different. Apart from the fact that rice keeps forever, if you've got sushi rice to use up, it makes a perfectly acceptable risotto, or fried rice balls. It doe...
Why add baking powder when creaming sugar and butter? A friend recently provided me with a family recipe for cookies which instructed me to cream together sugar and butter - so far so good. However, the thing that took me back was that the recipe called for adding baking powder along with the sugar and butter and cre...	I can't think of a reason to add the baking powder before creaming, but I can think of a few reasons not to: Pretty much all baking powder these days is "double-acting". It provides leavening two different ways, under two different conditions: first, when it comes in contact with moisture, it produces carbon dioxide, a...
How is "Oelek" pronounced? Sambal Oelek is an Asian chili paste made and marketed by a Chinese American producer in California (Huy Fong Foods, with a rooster on the jar). I've been using it as an ingredient in mie goreng, the Indonesian fried-noodles dish. The name "Sambal Oelek" on the jar doesn't carry a trademark ...	Sambal Oelek is not tied to any producer or manufacturer. Oelek is a word indicating something was processed in a pestle and mortar, and refers to the mortar (if memory serves). "Oelek" is the Dutch spelling for "Ulek", and the "u" is pronounced as the "u" in "bull", corresponding to the diphthong "oe" in Dutch.
How does a marzipan knife work? So, marzipan - or is it marchpane? English is not my native language, but I own a cooking book where it is called marchpane - is pretty sticky, and cutting it with a normal knife doesn't really work that well. Luckily I have a marzipan knife just lying around. And it actually works. Now...	Judging from the picture, the knife gets thinner towards the spine after reaching a point of maximum thickness somewhere in the middle of the blade. This means a straight piece of sticky food cannot stick to all of the blade face at once unless it actually bends to conform to its curvature - and marzipan is a rather st...
Working with a slack (sticky) sourdough My background is in microbiology and I have fairly recently started making sourdough. I have been working up my sourdough recipe getting lots of information from friends and the internet. The recipe I have now put together is a 3 day process; the first 2 days are fermentations, ...	As you know, as the bread proves a matrix of bubbles is formed. And just like blowing soap bubbles, the bigger they get the more fragile the bubbles are. When you bake in pans you can let bread rise a lot as long as you are gentle when you move them into the oven. If you are using bannetons, you can’t let it get so fra...
Langouste and Langoustine, what's the difference? In France, you often see both "langouste" and "langoustine" used to describe edible orange crustaceans. What is the difference between the two? Both look the same to me, are they different species? Or perhaps different dialects describing the same thing?	Simply, langoustines are much smaller and a portion is several. A langouste is large; one would be big enough for 1--2 people. Other names for langoustines include (from wikipedia): Nephrops norvegicus, Norway lobster, Dublin Bay prawn, or scampi In French, a longer version of the name is Langoustine commune (again w...
Storing fresh sourdough I would like to know what is the best way to store fresh baked sourdough so that it maintains a nice crunchy crust and a nice soft, slightly moist, light texture? I usually store it at room temperature in a large tupperware with a loose fitting lid or on the countertop. I have finally succeede...	I don’t think it is possible to perfectly preserve both crisp crust and moist crumb. There is always going to be a degree of equalisation of moisture between crust and crumb. The only way to have the experience of fresh baked bread every day is to bake it every day. That said, one of the joys of sourdough is its chara...
Forgot the yeast in a brioche bread recipe This is the brioche bun recipe I frequnetly use: 250 gr potato puree 3.5 cups flour 1 tsp sugar 0.5 tsp salt 2 tsp instant yeast 1 tbsp olive oil 50 gr butter 1/3 cup milk 1 egg 1 tsp bread improver First mix the dry ingredients, then add melted butter, egg and potato puree. ...	I will sometimes add yeast late, for instance when I'm not finding a sourdough culture to be adequate for a decent rise, or on the rare occasion when I'm getting poor performance from a particular batch of yeast. I typically dissolve it in a small amount of water (or milk for this recipe), work the mixture into the do...
Can coconut oil be used for frying? I found various contradicting sources as to whether coconut oil can be used for frying or not. Some claim it is "The ideal oil for frying" as it has a high smoking point, while some say it is not suited for frying, since it has a low smoking point. So which is true? Please give trus...	There are multiple qualities, differently refined, on the market. Highly refined qualities that leave only the oil (various fatty acids) itself will have a very high smoke point and be suitable for high heat frying. There is a lot of saturated fats in coconut oil, which result in both the solid texture at low temperatu...
Why my croissant dough are always having butter going out during folding Every time I make croissant. While I am folding the dough with a simple or double turn, I start to see the butter going outside of the dough and stick to the working surface. Usually I make pierre herme recipes, and I let the dough rest between t...	Having some butter squidge out is par for the course. However, if this is more than can be folded back in (I've seen beautiful croissants from mis-shapen dough) then the question is: was your butter pliable or brittle? Brittle so that chunks fall out like ice sheets? More pliable butter is achieved by adding 10% it's ...
Pressure Cooker suitable for traditional Indian dishes, available in Europe I would like to try recipes from Urvashi Pitre's Indian Instant Pot Cookbook: Traditional Indian Dishes Made Easy and Fast. However, buying the original Instant Pot pressure cooker does not seem to be straightforward or convenient for customer...	I don't see anything "special" about that recipe that depends on the particular pressure cooker. I don't think you need anything fancier than an old-fashioned pressure cooker and a timer, assuming you know how to use an old-fashioned pressure cooker. If you already own one, why buy another? Figure time on "high" to be...
at what temperature is whole wheat durum pasta cooked, and therefore safe to eat? someone says that temperature is the most reliable way to know if a food is done is or not they say that there are various signals to know but none of these are actually that reliable (source: How can I ensure that scrambled eggs will be...	Unfortunately, temperature is not a good way to determine when pasta is cooked. It's great for some things that are simply done when they reach a given temperature, without time being a factor. Meat is the most common example, but it will certainly work for eggs too as noted on the question you linked. Pasta is differe...
Safety of Sous-Vide for long cooking times Note: all of the questions I saw on this focused on higher temperatures. Brisket, being a fairly large and tough cut of meat, takes longer to cook than a a steak or many roasts. Would it be safe to cook a brisket sous-vide at medium-rare (131˚ F) or rare levels of doneness ?	The reduction or elimination of pathogens in cooked food is not simply a factor of temperature, but a factor of temperature AND time. Lower temps typically mean longer cooks. This changes the texture of the final product. Sometimes to the point that people find it unpleasant to eat. You will need to factor in the thi...
how much sugar is required to be added to fruit for jam making when making jam are you able to reduce the amount of added sugar, or is the amount of sugar stated on the recipe necessary for the jam to have a reasonable shelf life.?	Base ratio is equal weights of sugar and fruit. Using less sugar is possible but requires considering the following points: Sugar is a main aspect of preservation. Using less requires adding alternative substances such as sorbic acid to compensate. Sugar is required for pectin to bond. This can be compensated with mor...
Can I replace baking soda with bread flour in a cake recipe that already has baking powder? Can I replace baking soda with bread flour in a cake recipe that already has baking powder? Google was no help and I really need to make this birthday cake today. Buying baking soda just isn’t a good use of my time or money, a...	No. Not at all. Baking soda is a leavening agent. Together with baking powder it gives your cake lift and airiness. Bread flour is just flour with a higher protein content. If anything, it will make your cake more dense (though not in such small quantities as you would have for baking soda). If a recipe calls for both ...
Why are the stems left on when cooking an artichoke? In several YouTube videos on preparing artichokes the cooks recommend leaving the stem on the artichoke while it is boiling. Why is this?	The stem is an extension of the heart, and is good to eat. The stem may be peeled prior to cooking to remove tough exterior, this applies more to older artichokes that are more open. Young artichokes that are still tightly closed don’t generally have tough stems.
How to salt whole potatoes before roasting or cooking in the microwave? Is there a way to salt a whole potato before microwaving or baking it, I was thinking of soaking it in salty water but I doubt that would work, I need it to be seasoned on the inside not just the skin.	You cannot season a whole potato from the outside when baking or microwaving, the flavor may penetrate a small amount but most of the potato will be unseasoned. Boiling potatoes in salty water will give you a better result, however the skin of a whole potato will still block much of the flavor. The only way I could th...
How to Feed a Sour Culture I'm following the instructions in The Rye Baker to start a rye sour culture. After the first week of daily refreshing, it says it can be left in the refrigerator and fed once or twice a week. There are proportions for a "maintenance refresh", but no specific instructions for feeding. Am I ju...	The feeding/maintenance of your starter is the same regardless of flour. Remove and discard (or use elsewhere) half or more of starter. Add fresh flour and water in the desired proportions. Stir. As your starter matures, it becomes acidic. Too much acidity interferes with yeast activity in the bread making process...
Dusty water, different taste if water has been sitting? If I leave a glass of water out over night, I notice that it seems to taste different the next day. Is this because dust is falling into the water?	There is an easy experiment to see if your water is picking up dust. Simply cover a glass of water with a saucer and see if it tastes the same as a glass left uncovered. You don't say where your water is coming from. Is this from a public water supply or from a well? Either way it is possible that either the water is...
Are berries acidic enough they must be on top, not within, panna cotta? Item 1 Panna cotta (cream, gelatin, perhaps sugar) Item 2 berries (blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, strawberries) Stores usually sell panna cotta with the berries on top. Is this just because it is more presentable, or is there a technical ...	Reporting experimental results. I hypothesized that frozen berries will fare better than fresh. The reasoning? It will take them a while to thaw if the cream is poured at room temperature and put in the fridge right after. By the time they thaw, the cream would have set. In practice, it's more complicated. Alchimista's...
How to defrost coriander / cilantro? My local supermarket has cheap frozen coriander/cilantro. But when I defrost it by leaving it in a bowl for an hour, it turns into a slimy mess. How can I defrost it so that I get nice fresh leaves?	Frozen supermarket coriander/cilantro is perfectly good to use whilst cooking. Very similar to adding stems for flavour. You'll never get fresh looking leaves to finish the dish from the ice blocks, but stir it in and you will get that background flavour. Delicate leaves, Basil is similar, are either fresh or they aren...
How to make alfredo creamier longer? I make a simple alfredo sauce that is absolutely delicious. It´s as easy as melting butter in a pan (about 2 or 3 tablespoons), adding a glass of 18% cream, and then shredding parmesan into it. The problem is that after 10 minutes, while the food is on the plate and being consumed,...	This is almost certainly due to cooling. Serving on heated plates will buy you some time. If (at home) you use microwave plate warmers you can place them under the plates after you've used them and the residual heat will keep the plates hot. You need to strike a balance as you don't want it to cook too much after servi...
Can defrosting chicken make it slimy? I bought chicken drumsticks on January 11th and froze them on the 11th. They had a best before date of January 13th. I put them in the fridge yesterday to defrost and am cooking them now but they were slimy. They didn't smell though. Does frozen chicken go slimy when defrosted? Sa...	Chicken naturally contains a lot of water, it also absorbs some more from the cleaning process (up to 8% reportedly). Some manufacturers also "tumble" the raw chicken with brine to increase flavour and, of course, weight and thus profit. The freezing process will damage cells in the meat as the water expands, so when t...
After baking, bread coated with shiny residue Started making sourdough bread at home. Baked last night in non-stick pans (Cuisinart, Xylan coating, I think) and left to cool off overnight. This morning, I took a look at the bread, and it's coated in metallic-like shiny gray residue. What's going on here? Are the pans...	It looks indeed like the Sourdough and the anti-stick disagree with each other... though the extent of it is something I have neither seen nor heard about yet! May be the non-stick version you do have. If the dough was left in the pan to rise for a while, that may have been part of it. But I have to say, except for the...
HELP! My Crock-Pot lid was Slightly askew while cooking my roast! I started my pot roast on low at 6:30a... I just realized the lid was askew, just a bit. I have cranked it up to high...with it be done by 6:30p It is not a big roast...maybe 2-3 lbs.	We don't know from your question how long it was on low with the lid askew (we don't know your time zone) so it's hard to say for sure. But usually a small crack on the lid isn't going to really really drastically reduce the temperature. You're in a better position to tell than we are: If it was still bubbling and ste...
Why does this chicken recipe result in a glutinous mess? Countless times I've tried to prepared a recipe that calls for dredging chicken tenders in flour, dipping them in beaten egg (or a mixture of egg and water), and then coating them with a bread crumb mixture. It just doesn't work for me. In the process of dipping...	The reason for the flour being part of the breading process is to create a barrier between the meat and the breading, which will during the frying step allow for the formation of small steam pockets and a crisper crust. In a Wiener schnitzel this leads to the characteristic wrinkled surface. On the other hand, it’s the...
How to create Yellow Bread Is there a way to make regular white bread yellow without using turmeric or dye? I have tried several recipes, including one using corn flour, which is good, but tastes rather like corn bread, and one using turmeric, which did not mix well and was more gold than yellow.	Another option is to make an enriched bread with a lot of egg yolks in it. Challah comes to mind but there are also regular sandwich breads that use the same technique. They have more fat and are therefore more tender and richly flavored than leaner sandwich breads. They tend to be a pale yellow rather than a bright ye...
Cooking boneless skinless chicken thighs What's a good approach to cooking boneless skinless chicken thighs relatively quickly if tenderness is a priority? I know some people like a somewhat chewy texture with chicken thigh but the person I'm cooking for is quite sensitive to it	Quick and tender do not typically go hand in hand. I get this is not really a direct answer but I slow cook 4 or more at a time and refrigerate. Then microwave for like 30 seconds as needed. I use skin with bones (cheaper) and then remove the skin and bones after cooked. Cooking in the fat works better in a slow c...
Multi cooker - with pressure cooker versus without I crock a lot. My small pot is getting old and it feels like the controller switch is getting weak. My large crock has a crack but it does not leak (yet). With the new programmable can start in the AM and set it to go to warm at 2 PM. Can sear, do rice, stay on war...	I switched from an old-style crock pot to a multicooker with pressure (Instant Pot, if you're curious), and I have no regrets. The pressure cooker is very convenient for things like stocks and braises, and since the inner pot is steel instead of stone it's more convenient to clean (it can go in the dishwasher). I was w...
What are the differences between egg whites and egg yolks? Egg whites are obviously different from egg yolks in that the former are, well, white when cooked, while the latter are yellow. But, what other differences are there? Some possibilities: Nutrition Texture (both uncooked and cooked) Cooking time and temperatur...	I will not particularly get into most of the points of your question, as things like nutrition is off topic an highly polarizing and things like taste or in my view almost entirely opinion based and personal preference or culturally based. OK, in violation of that I will make statements about nutrition which is based ...
Are there advantages to an unlined copper jam pan? What are the advantages (if any) for unlined copper jam pans? Apologies for this long question, but I've spent a lot of time searching for an answer to this and so far have not found any satisfactory explanation. But I'll at least share what I've learned in the proce...	As @caconym said, copper ions can bind to pectins, which are the gelling agents in jam. The gelification behaviour of pectin depends on serveral factors, but for those in jams, the important ones are low water activity (which is due to the sugar content, and also the factor that prevents spoilage), and low pH. Additio...
Any danger to leaving brown sugar exposed to air? Yesterday I went to check if I had brown sugar for a recipe and found that my bag, which comes with a zip lock, was totally unzipped I am guessing for months. Any danger here or should it be ok? I am guessing it's just for convience and to prevent spilling but curiou...	Since you wrote that it dried out, I would check for two things: insects; mold on the surface - but I consider that unlikely.
Yogurt not turning out since relocation When I started making Greek yogurt, I lived in western Washington state and never, ever had an issue. Now that I've relocated to SoCal for work, every batch of my yogurt turns out awful (barely any effect from the starter, just runny) and I am making it the exact same way with t...	Harsh tap water could definitely cause problems. It doesn't take much chlorine to kill bacteria- that's why we use it, of course. An easy experiment is would be to rinse your jars in filtered water after washing them in your chlorinated water. Another likely culprit is the new source of your starter. From what I was ab...
Unopened canned sardines behaving strangely but not expired I have some canned sardines that expire in April. It's still January, I opened one and it smelled stronger than I remember, and tasted differently (almost like cheese, sort-of). It may just be because I have been eating a different brand for a while, but how ...	The expiration date is (as it were) a red herring. Food doesn't suddenly go off on the expiration date. Most foods are just fine well past the expiration date; it's just the the manufacturer isn't willing to guarantee it any longer. And all bets are off if something happened to the can. It might be hard to tell if a ca...
Converting oven time and temp from convection to conventional I watched a British recipe that instructed for it to be baked at 180 fan. I live in the states and use a conventional oven. What do I set it at. Also, would the baking time change?	180 fan is equal to 200 oC= (400 oF). I attached a chart I didn't create I use for reference.
Is it okay to measure flour by weight by converting from volume? I don't have a big jar to put my flour in so it's hard to measure by volume (you have to fluff the flour, pour it into a cup and then remove the excess - which cant be done outside of the original bag). It it okay to just look up the conversion (for exam...	Short answer: YES. Measuring by weight is actually the better way to measure flour. In fact, measuring flour by weight is the preferred method of measuring it in most places. This is because while measuring by volume is more convenient*, measuring by weight is more accurate. If you weigh your flour, however, you wil...
How do you bring ingredients to room temperature when its winter? It's freezing in here and it takes forever for butter or eggs to come to room temperature. My questions are: 1) How to bring ingredients to room temperature quickly when its winter? 2) How do you know they are room temperature? 3) Why should ingredients...	As long as you have the heat on in your house, it shouldn't be an issue really. But for butter and eggs, here are some answers: Microwave the butter for a few seconds to soften it up; put the eggs in warm water until they come up to temperature. Room temperature for butter just means relatively soft (spreadable, like...
Why did my devil food cake come out flavorless? Here is a picture of my devil food cake . The recipe is in this video (there is no written recipe). Just by looking at the cake, could you tell what mistakes I have done baking it? Recipe: 400g butter mixed with 2 1/4 cups white sugar (I didn't use room temp butter so I ...	In baking it's very important - particularly when making your first cake - to follow the recipe as precisely as you can. If you do not have the ingredients - Dutch processed cocoa, in this case - find a recipe that uses ingredients you can get. The pH balance is not the only difference between the two, as explained in ...
How should I pick a flour volume to weight conversion for an arbitrary recipe? There are a variety of weight-to-volume conversions online for flour, with considerable variation even among reputable sources: King Arthur Flour says 4.25oz/cup but in their measuring tips article says it's 4oz/cup when sifted, up to 5.5o...	This may seem to be an overly simplistic response, but if it's in a decent cookbook that deals with baking, the book often has an introduction or appendix or chapter that describes how to measure flour. If it does, I measure the flour according to their directions, which can give a weight estimate. Older cookbooks te...
How long should I wait for my gas oven to heat up? My cheap rental apartment comes with a (presumably cheap) gas oven. Although this oven has a temperature control, it lacks any sort of indicator to tell me when it has reached the desired temperature. I have reason to believe this oven is relatively new, but I do not ...	You wait until it's hot... if it doesn't have a built-in indicator, buy an inexpensive oven thermometer - they can either sit on a shelf or hang from one, usually. And see when it gets to the right temperature. If you're dealing with an old and inexpensive oven, it may be miscalibrated anyway, so you'll want the therm...
substitute for tuna in Poke I like Poke, but prefer to avoid tuna (due to sustainability concerns). I tried with salmon and it was a mixed result. The taste was good, but too many bones and hard stuff, at least in the particular piece I got. Is there a way to avoid that with salmon, maybe a particular cut? Otherwise, ...	short answer: octopus, salmon, shellfish long answer: Traditional forms are aku (an oily tuna) and he'e (octopus)... (aka)"Tako" Poke... ahi poke is generally made with yellowfin tuna... raw salmon or various shellfish as a main ingredient...
Advice on how I can make my own 1 cal cooking spray like frylight I've been using frylight for years, but I'm trying to swap to a healthier version with no chemicals. I've been doing some research on the internet and some people have talked about making their own version by getting a spray bottle and mixing 1 part ol...	Why not just pick whatever oil you want to use, put some on a paper towel and wipe the pan with it? It'll have the same affect or just skip the oil all together and get a really good non-stick pan? The only way to get oil and water to mix is to use an emulsifier.
Will putting a salted steak into a preheated stainless steel pan cause pitting? Typically when I cook steak, I salt/pepper it and then leave it out for a while to warm up. Next, I preheat my non-stick pan, put in olive oil, and add the steak. However, I recently bought a set of All Clad stainless steel pans. I’ve ne...	I don't think so. The contact time is so short. These pans are meant to take a beating. They are very high quality SS. If it bothers you, get a cheap cast iron pan for this type of thing, it's what I do. You can read more here Pitting corrosion - The passive layer on stainless steel can be attacked by certain chemic...
When a recipe asks to add spices to the oil, can you add the spices directly to the sauce for the same effect? Many chefs add spices to the oil because the "oil brings out the flavors". But I want to experiment with different spices and quantities (which is hard because you can't taste the oil and predict the end resu...	The effect will be different for a few reasons. When you add spices to hot oil, they cook at a considerably higher temperature (up to around 200°C) than in a simmering sauce (100°C as it's likely to be mostly water). Important cooking chemistry happens at this higher temperature, so the flavour is actually changed (j...
Isn't moisture a problem when measuring flour by weight? In this thread: Is it okay to measure flour by weight by converting from volume? The choice of measuring by volume and weight is discussed. I've always preferred weight, but have a lingering feeling of an additional error that is more prevalent when measuring by...	Here is a post on the subject I found interesting. http://www.genuineideas.com/ArticlesIndex/flour.html The findings may not be definitive, but seem logical enough to be at least close. Basically, my paraphrasing, they find the difference between completely dry flour and very humid conditions for most of us to be rea...
How can I troubleshoot unsuccessful knife-sharpening? I wanted to sharpen my knives, so I took a cheap whetstone, watched a YouTube video for guidance, and got to work. The results are unsatisfying. Is the next step to buy a better whetstone (if there's no point trying with the cheap one I have) or to develop better t...	Take a marker to your knife edge so you can actually see how you're removing material from your knife. Additionally you probably need to get another cheap stone and soak it either in water or oil, depending on what the stone calls for. You want to make sure the stone is producing a paste for you, and you want to make s...
Beef Bourguignon Wine Question I'm hoping you can help me with an issue I have. I had a co-worker whose spouse made a very large pot of Beef Bourguingnon. It was delicious. I found out she had used Ina Garten's recipe. You can find it here Ina Garten: Beef Bourguignon. I made it to the recipe, with the exception that...	After Deglaze the pan with the red wine and cook on high heat for 1 minute, scraping the bottom of the pan. but prior to adding the beef stock, reduce the wine to almost a syrup. Most of the alcohol will be driven off, along with most of the water. When the, relatively large volume of beef stock is added, the concentra...
What is the best gelling agent for gummies? So, today I did my first attempt at home made gummies using 35g of gelatine with 1 cup water and 1/2 cup sugar. When it cooled though, all I had was really tough jello. Should I just add more gelatine, or is there another chemical I could use? I have looked at methylcellu...	I believe the key element that you are missing would be corn syrup. The recipe I work with (in a link below) uses 1 box Jell-o gelatin 2 packages unflavored gelatin 1/4 cup corn syrup 1/2 cup of COLD water (the cold water is important to the consistency as well) If you want to skip the packaged "Jell-o", in favor ...
How much water to add to rice cooker when cooking brown rice? I usually use 1.5 cups of water for every cup of 'white basmati' rice. Today I used 4 cups of water for 1 cup of 'brown basmati' rice and it came out a bit watery. however i did add more of the water after one round of cooking so maybe that had something t...	A little experimentation with each machine is in order as boiling time and amount of steam lost varies. A good starting point for short-grain brown rice is to cover by inch. 2 inches if rice is to be rinsed and further steamed.
Do potatoes and rice lose significant amount of fiber when overcooked? I overcooked both brown rice and potatoes today, both boiling. The skin on the potatoes was intact even though I overcooked it but too soft. Does that mean the fiber is significantly reduced in both foods? Does the fiber leech out into the water?	No, fiber is a very hardy beast chemically. There is no fiber lost at all, no matter how much you overcook them in a dish. You would have to throw them into a furnace and take out crisps of carbon no longer recognizable as food to change the fiber.

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