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Will artificial sweeteners work in a coffee syrup recipe? Here’s the recipe for coffee syrup Ingredients for 1 cup of coffee syrup 2 cups sugar 1 cup strong coffee Directions Mix sugar with the coffee Boil mixture down to the consistency of thick syrup To use put 1-2 teaspoons in a cup of hot water and stir it around...	So, according to a website called A Bar Above, you can make a simple syrup (or "rich simple" apparently) using artificial sweetener, but you won't get the same end result. They tested 3 sweeteners they found, and would recommend sweet'n'low over splenda or equal sweeteners. The taste and aftertaste will be different, a...
Is it ok to skip onions in a recipe? so this yet another attempt of mine to start cooking and yet again I'm frustrated by the perverse need of every single recipe to include onions. I hate onions, their flavour, their texture etc. and I can even taste it in soups. So my question is, if I leave onions out of the pictur...	While you can do whatever you want to recipes you're following, you should be aware that onions are the backbone of the flavor of many dishes. If the recipe calls for more than a quarter onion or so per serving, and particularly if they are to be browned rather than cooked until translucent, the dish will probably be b...
What are some of the most important things to keep in mind, when making great falafels? I am currently studying how to make great falafels. Currently I know that the amount of water added to the mixture afterwards is very important. Too little and they become dry, too much and they fall apart. What are your tips on ge...	Some points in addition to rackandboneman's excellent advice: Use soaked dried chickpeas, and not canned or cooked chickpeas. This eliminates the need for flour or other binders, as well as tasting better. Let the batter rest for at least 20 min. Remember to season the batter with cumin, garlic, and herbs. The balls ...
Why is my meringue soft, moist and discoloured? There is a similar question to this, but without a recipe and no satisfactory answer... I used 3 egg whites with pristine metal utensils. Absolutely no moisture, fats, etc. Whisked slow, medium, fast, evenly spaced timing over 5 minutes. Towards the end, around 4 minute...	One thing that can affect meringues is humidity. I find that I have to bake them at nearly twice as long in the summer to get them to dry out completely.
What is this cut of meat? Ideas on what to make? I have this leftover chunk of meat in my freezer, and I foolishly did not label it. Does anyone recognize it? I just need to know enough to be able to cook it. At the very least whether it is beef or pork :) Feel free to suggest what I should make with it. Thanks.	It's difficult to guess based on the cut alone, as they butcher animals differently in the US / UK / France / Russia (and Jewish and others), which can result in cuts that aren't easily recognizable in other countries. I'm going to assume pork, due to the variation in meat color. (it's possible that it's an issue in m...
Some stainless steel more stainless than others I'm rather disappointed in the latest stainless steel bowl I bought. Left it in the sink unwashed from a salad for a week while I had to be away, came back and it had rust underneath and inside. Same has happened to few other bowls, pots and utensils over the years, all ...	Yes, there are different blends to make 'stainless' steel and some are more resistant to rust (higher chromium and nickel content), or to pitting (higher molybdenum content) or hold an edge better (eg, 'surgical steel'), but to my knowledge, all of them are prone to pitting if they've exposed to salt water for a long e...
Ruined balsamic salad dressing, how to recover? My favorite balsamic salad dressing seems to have been discontinued, so I decided to make my own. In doing so I added far, far too much xanthan gum and am now left with 350ml of oily herbed balsamic gel. I tried adding oil to thin it out, but of course had no luck. I hav...	Well, adding more of everything but xanthan gum would of course have the effect of diluting the xanthan gum. The problem is, it's possible that you used way, way too much xanthan gum (easy to do, the amount you need to slightly thicken a dressing is minuscule), so unless you've got a few 50-gallon drums of balsamic vin...
What is the maximum allowed temperature to cook onions saving the fructooligosaccharides? Onions are a great source of fructooligosaccharides that are a natural prebiotic that beneficial bacteria of our gut microbiome feed on. Having read about this I have started eating raw onions but they can be nasty, as for boiled...	To give some perspective on FOS (fructooligosaccharides) denaturation characteristics to sucrose (for a baseline since sucrose is a common molecule), FOS are water-soluble and their sweetness is 0.3-0.6 times that of sucrose, depending on the chemical structure and the degree of polymerization of the oligosaccharide. ...
Sanitizing fridge and freezer after days of no power Coming back from 10-day vacation, we found that our fridge was off the whole time. Fruit and packaged ham in the fridge, veggies fruit and meat in the freezer. Oops. Obviously everything has thawed and became really smelly. Even tbough the meat was in bags, some of ...	you don't have to throw out the fridge, you just need to clean it. Forget steam and boiling water, just get a bottle of spray surface cleaner and a bunch of rags, or a tub of soapy water (use dishwashing liquid). Take out the shelves and drawers and clean them separately, then clean the inside thoroughly with your spra...
White chili and chocolate I always put chocolate or cocoa powder in my chili. Now I want to try making white chicken chili. Should I add white chocolate?	Cocoa powder is sometimes added to regular chili because the bitter earthiness compliments the dark chilies. White chicken chili only contains green chilies and has no complex flavor to compliment. White chocolate might make your chili creamier but there are cheaper ingredients that do that better.
Bitter taste of rocket pesto I've gone overboard with sowing rocket (Eruca sativa, also known as arugula, eruca, rucola, roquette, etc.) in my vegetable garden... To use up the surplus I've made some fresh salad (recommended), filling some omelets, and also tried a pesto using these leaves instead of the more common b...	Rocket has an inherent bitterness and not much sweetness, so any pesto you make from it will have that quality. You can try and balance it with sweetness, acidity, etc but that will only go so far. Basically, if it's going to be too bitter for someone's taste you're better off making something else, or using the rocket...
Latkes variations What various types of latkes are there? I mean besides the classic potato latke. I mostly curious as to Jewish foods for now.	Latke translates into 'little oily thing', so really it's anything small and fried. Potatoes are a new world crop, and the celebration of oil as a part of Hanukkah goes back much further. The original latkes were actually made with cheese But most people today associate them with any sort of shredded, fried vegetables...
Is there a decent way to rehydrate and sauté dried chili peppers? I saw the answer at https://cooking.stackexchange.com/a/23560/49643, which makes me think it won't be great. My goals are (in this order): Retain flavor Obtain good enough texture for sautéing Retain heat (capsaicin) Most of the time, I'll probably be...	Frankly drying is not the way to go if you want to retain flavor and texture. When you dry fruit (chilis are fruits, not vegetables) you make a load of irreversible changes in texture and flavor. A chili is made of tiny cells filled with liquid, the drying process ruptures these so the water can escape. Rehydrating a d...
Disney dole whip variants Does Disney’s dole whip come in flavors besides pineapple? Disney must have had some ideas along those lines.	From the manufacturer’s website: The pineapple flavor is most popular at Disney Parks, but a total of 6 bold, refreshing fruit flavors are available for purchase Pineapple, Orange, Strawberry, Raspberry, Mango and Lemon.
What is this spiky-leaved Mexican plant with large seed pods? Is this plant edible? Location: Mexico	It seems to be some sort of Agave genus of succulent plants, like Sisal or Blue Agave from which Tequila is distilled. Not sure which species exactly, perhaps Agave Lechuguilla The fruit bearing trunk visible in the photo appears to be a blooming stalk. Source Parts of some plants are edible, like leaves, flowers and ...
Do grains sold as animal feed meet the safety standards for human food? I don't know if the safety standards for human and animal food crops are different or equivalent. Also, if they are different, by what magnitude do the limits for toxins and the like differ? As for laws, this is for Germany/Europe	What is animal feed in one country is human food in another (E.g. "Polenta") but that's just one example, so: Is all animal feed safe to eat raw? Definitely not! Is all animal feed safe to eat cooked? Definitely not! Is some animal feed safe to eat raw? Probably not! Is most animal feed safe to eat cooked? Probably ye...
Is barley the same as bulgur? Some sources seem to suggest that they are not, some suggest that they are but they are treated/processed differently. I want to know if they are fundamentally the same grain, because they are very similar when prepared. For reference: Whole bulgur: Whole (pearled) barley:	No. Bulgur is (almost always) made from wheat while barley is a different species. Bulgur is cracked and parboiled before sale, while pearl barley has had the outer layers of the barley grain removed but is otherwise intact.
Water came out cloudy after steaming chicken, is it cosidered a broth? I was surprised since the chicken never touched the water but I guess it dropped some of its juices in it, I was doing a small batch and I tried to taste it but after adding some salt it just tasted salty, so If I make a larger batch in less water ...	Broth is usually defined as having had bones/meat/veg boiled in it, so the dictionary says no. The lack of flavour also says no, and I doubt reducing it would make much difference. You could use the water to make broth or stock, if you have bones/vegetables to hand. What's more likely to have happened is that condens...
Does freezing meat lead to differences detectable by blind testing? "Fresh" meat tends to be coveted relative to frozen meat. I'm not inquiring about the debate of frozen vs. fresh, but rather am wondering about the potential magnitude of the differences between fresh and frozen meat. Imagine a scenario in which a per...	Meat is... complicated. There are many factors here, but it helps to have an understanding of why freezing affects meat at all. The first impact is textural: ice crystals that form during freezing damage cell membranes within the meat. This primarily affects the muscle fibers that give meat its primary structure; conn...
What's the function of acerola powder in bread? While I was reading the ingredients list of a supermarket-bought bread (in the Netherlands) the other day, one of them caught my eye: acerola powder. I know acerola is a fruit with a high vitamin C content but why would it be used in bread? I don't think it was for its p...	The only functional reason that comes to mind is indeed the vitamin C content. Vitamin C makes for quite tough gluten, so it is frequently used in bread making. The question about the choice of acerola powder over ascorbic acid can only be answered with certainty by the person who made that choice. An obvious guess wo...
Mandarins soaking in Vodka I have been soaking mandarins segments in vodka at room temperature for 20 days in sealed preserving jars. 500mls vodka to 1 kilo mandarins. the fruit began to rise in the jar as I think it was fermenting. Is this bad and is this useable liquid. My aim is to make mandarin schnapps. Obviousl...	The fruit is probably not fermenting. That alcohol level will kill most bacteria and mold, and while it wouldn't be entirely out of reach of acetic acid bacteria, the floating is much more likely to simply be caused by the segments absorbing ethanol and becoming more buoyant. I would expect the liquid to taste fine, th...
Cacao percentages and aromas developed in chocolate from different origins About chocolate: I tasted a 66% cocoa chocolate bar origin of Caribbean coast. And then, I tasted a 66% cocoa chocolate origin of Alpaco (Ecuador). The only thing I've noticed it, that the Ecuadorian was stronger. The cacao taste last for long ...	The cocoa plants/grains were grown in different areas, the soil they grow in will have different mineral content; the heat and humidity will be different, the plant will grow in different ways resulting in cocoa pods and grains will be different. They will have different flavors, sometime it is subtle, sometimes it is ...
Softening meat with the vinegar / lemon / onion / pineapple etc. How does it work? And why does acid make the meat softer?	This is a duplicate question but think about the enzymes; the acids break down protein in meats to smaller sizes and therefore easier to fall apart. A good comparison is what your stomach does to food, the longer the brine etc. penetrates the meat the more tender it will be (within reason of course).
Ginger drink question 7 ounces fresh ginger 2 cups water 3⁄4 cup granulated sugar lime wedge (to garnish) ice (garnish) sparkling water (to taste) peel the ginger and cut into thin slices. boil the ginger slices in a pot with water and sugar and let boil for 10 minutes. stir every now ...	Use a sugar substitute of your choice added after heating and cooling (all you need is for it to dissolve), in an amount meant to replace 3/4 cup of sugar, or just adjust it until it's as sweet as you'd like.
Wok Cooking on a Home Stove I work with woks at work and know about the wok pit used to cook on for heat, to hold the rounded bottom, and to toss the food. Is there a tool or way to use my at home gas stove for my wok (specifically round bottom) or would I have to install a wok pit. I know of flat bottoms and have one...	You can find flat bottom woks that work on flat ranges effectively. They are sub-optimal though, as they don't evenly distribute the heat across the sides. In this use a high sided saute pan is just as useful. I have heard of mounts that sit over a burner as well. These are usually useless for home-use because stove he...
How can I separate fresh rice noodles that are stuck together? I sometimes buy rice noodles from an Asian grocery, especially since certain sizes (like sheets) are hard to find in dried form, and the finished texture is different. However, I generally find that unless the rice noodles are very fresh (as in made withi...	I think those are chow fun noodles, cut them to the desired size if not already cut, soak it in cool water for about 7-15 mins then hand unroll them. That how I was taught anyways. The packaging looks tight too so possibly cut the sides off too, should help it stop from clumping and allow the water to penetrate and sep...
What food can contain a hot drink? Tempered chocolate, thickened caramel, even ice can all be used to produce a container (aka cup, mug, glass) for a liquid which, after drinking, can then also be consumed. Is there an edible material which can be used to create a container for a hot drink? eg: Hot chocolate or coffee...	Bread bowls are frequently used to serve thick soups, so they could probably hold coffee or hot chocolate. Here is a patent application for an edible cup. It might give you some ideas. See also, this project, where an industrial designer is attempting to replace disposable containers with edible ones. Probably crit...
How to substitute beetroot for other ingredients into a cake recipe? Me and my roommate want to make a batch of brownies, however each of us has their heart set on a different recipe: I want to use one from Serious Eats because it's loaded with cocoa and I have a lot of faith in that site; he wants to use one that use...	There isn't a substitution formula, since beets add moisture, structure, and flavor to the batter. Any substitution would therefore be complex and highly recipe-specific. Instead, I suggest that you start with the BBC recipe and make use of the techniques in Stella Park's recipe, such as the brown butter, the foamed e...
What is the flavor quality that makes cheese "sharp"? Are there other seasonings or foods with this "sharp flavor? I love the flavor of sharp cheese (especially cheddar) and was wondering what exactly it is that makes aged cheese taste sharper. I was also wondering if there are any ingredients that emulate this sharp ...	The term/process you are looking for is acidity or acidification. During the cheese making process lactose is broken down into lactic acid. This lowers the pH and creates the tart, sour, or acidic taste you are referring to. Higher acid cheeses (lower pH) present as "sharper", an old cheddar, for example. Ever have ...
How do I fix improperly seasoned cast iron pans? I'm quite new to cooking as a whole. A few months back I bought a set of VonShef cast iron pans. When seasoning them, I unfortunately made two errors. First, in my naïveté, I used vegetable oil as the seasoning; and second, I didn't remove the excess oil, leaving a stic...	Cast iron care need not seem so intimidating or mystical. There are lots of ways to take care of it, and though many will profess their own gospel and taboos associated with cast iron cookware, many different solutions will work. You just need to understand some of the basic principles and the rest is personal preferen...
How to make Black Glutinous Rice sticky? I've been to a Cooking Class in Thailand and learned how to do many yummy Thai dishes. One of them was Mango with Sticky Rice, but with black rice. My problem is that somehow my rice is not sticky at all although I'm doing what is written in my little recipe paper that I got fr...	I don't know what is done traditionally but have you seen this recipe? They use part white sticky rice as the black rice alone did not seem sticky enough. Mango with Black Sticky Rice \| Khao Niew Dam Mamuang If you are interested there is also a way to make it more like a porridge that is uses more water and is cooked...
Why does this recipe call for so much yeast? Kindred’s milk bread is delicious. (Here's an alternate link in case that link doesn’t work for you.) I’m curious though: the recipe calls for two tablespoons of yeast (for 5 cups of flour), more than I’ve ever put into a dough before. Why does it call for so much yeast? Do...	Having that much yeast is doing two things for this recipe: It will give it a nicely yeasty flavor It will shorten the rise time. Yeast requires water to be active. This recipe, as is often the case with enriched doughs, has very little water in it. There is water in the cream and the eggs but not much and the yeast ...
Discworld cookbook question How useful is the discworld cookbook to people in our world for cooking purposes? In other words do they use real world ingredients? Any notable successes? I’m mostly curious & I don’t think it’s been covered on this stack before anyway	I took a look at the Amazon page for the book and using Look Inside discovered a number of relatively innocuous recipes. The ingredients are UK-ish (self-raising flour, for example) as are the names (Delight for a pudding and sauce combo, for example.) There is an old-fashioned tone to the dishes I spotted, which were ...
Olive oil lid sealed properly? Is this olive oil lid sealed and safe to use even though the side looks bumpy? It looks sealed at the top but do tiny dents or slight bulges on the side of the lid matter? It was covered with plastic but I haven't opened the metal lid yet. (Above the 'R' and 'O' in POUR OUVRIR).	Olive oil bottles are not sealed for health reasons. I.e., olive oil is not processed through a sterile heat canning process. The two primary reasons for sealing the bottles are to prevent leaks and to make them tamper proof. The type of top in your picture is a 'Ropp Top'. It features a ring below the cap that will s...
Why is my Aji Gallina not yellow? After a recent trip to Peru, once back home, I have tried to make one of their typical dishes, Aji Gallina. I have compared about a dozen recipes from various sources, and the one I used is quite typical. The result tasted great, and everything worked well, except - it was not as yell...	Don't doubt that turmeric will turn anything yellow. It doesn't take much T. for an extremely bright, fluorescent yellow.
Multilayered brownie help I'm not new to baking but I'm new to experimenting with baking. I just don't want to experiment with baking when many resources are invested in the recipe. So, I'm looking to make a huge multilayered brownie "cake" for my company potluck, I just don't know if it's possible: Top to bottom: ...	Multi-layered brownies are certainly possible, however if you try and make it too thick it can be too dense at the bottom because the weight won't allow any sort of rise (most brownies do rise, just not much but it's still important). I make a triple chocolate brownie with a layer of salted caramel in between and it co...
Is it advisable to sous vide in "steam fresh" bags? Is it advisable to sous vide in steam fresh bags, the type where one cooks the veggies in the microwave for 4 minutes?	No, those bags are not completely sealed. They are designed to let steam escape, therefore they are not watertight, if you put them in your sous vide machine they'd get waterlogged.
Is it really necessary to avoid using soap on a cast iron skillet? Hello Seasoned Adviced community! When talking about cast iron skillets, it is common to hear the advice "don't ever use soap to wash the skillet." However, I rarely hear specific reasons for why it would be necessary to avoid using soap on a cast iro...	Here's the deal ... if your pan is seasoned correctly using an oil with a high iodine value, then no, soap won't harm it. If it's not seasoned correctly, then it could need a strip & reseason. If you're using a low iodine oil (the surface will be slightly tacky when the pan is cool), then it also might ablate the surf...
Can I reprocess jars of salsa that didn't seal I made salsa last night and this morning all jars didn't seal. Can I just put new lids on them and put them back in hot water bath?	Per Joe, the answer about jam jars that didn't seal applies to you as well. Given that the salsa has now sat out all night unrefrigerated, it would not be safe to re-do the canning process. If you had checked them immediately, you could probably have used new lids, cleaned the rims of the jars, and hot-water-bathed th...
Is it safe to drink grain alcohol mixed with snake blood? I was in Vietnam recently and I took a shot of grain alcohol mixed with blood from a freshly killed cobra. That was close to a month ago and I didn't die or get sick, but I'm wondering how dangerous this was. The cobra was definitely of the venomous sort. Wha...	According to Biological risks associated with consumption of reptile products International Journal of Food Microbiology, Volume 134, Issue 3, 15 September 2009, Pages 163-175: People are documented to have been infected with the following pathogens due to raw snake consumption: Spirometra (Vietnam is specifically men...
Microwave Popcorn...Possible Mouse/Rat feces? Maybe this is more of a health question, but I was eating some microwave popcorn and bit into a piece that just tasted absolutely terrible. Rest of the bag tasted like normal and wasn't overly burnt or anything. Anyways it hit me that....holy crap I might've eaten rat fece...	Microwave popcorn bags operate on being sealed and trapping the heat inside in order to get the temperatures you need to pop the popcorn. If a rat had defecated in your bag he would have broken the seal to do it. No you didn't eat rat poop. Rather you likely ate a singly rancid popcorn kernel which tasted pretty crummy...
What is a reliable source for the caffeine content in tea? If you do a quick google search for "Tea caffeine content" you may get varied results anywhere from 20mg up to 45 for black tea. I wonder: Where do all these numbers come from? Are they estimations? Has anyone actually measured caffeine in all tea types? Is t...	TL;DR: (1) they are estimates based on a single sample and (2) No. In order to pre-determine the exact amount of caffeine in a cup of tea, you would have to know many factors (as Choice Organic Teas says): The exact tea blend and batch you're steeping; The storage age (and conditions) of the leaves; The exact steeping...
How can serrated knives be sharpened, without the serration being eroded? This post recommends having serrated knives sharpened by professionals, and not an amateur. I ask about whetstones, steel rod, and pull-through sharpeners. But wouldn't sharpening efface and remove the serration? Or can the professional recreate...	They can't really. The purpose of knives with microserration like in the one shown are as an alternative for people who are looking for knives that won't require upkeep. Knives with a much wider serration can be sharpened professionally but it can be tricky.
Kneading dough by hand I don't have a bread machine or a mixer. Kneading dough by hand is a long and tiresome process. Are there any tricks to developing gluten?	Time and stretching will do the trick as well. Full on kneading or using a mixer is not necessarily required. There are other techniques, such as "stretch and fold" or "slap and fold", which are generally used with high hydration dough. Here is one example of a no-knead bread. Also, This guy is a master...if I recal...
standard way to make crispy sweet potato fries? I've been looking for a way to fry (not bake) sweet potatoes, maybe like the double-fry method for russet and russet-like potatoes, to get a crispy exterior. Maybe I'm missing something but I'm having difficulty finding something for sweet potatoes (of any kind). I've c...	Freezing fries opens up their texture and makes them more fluffy. This is helpful for regular fries or sweet potato fries. Sweet potatoes have too much sugar and not enough starch to crisp up on their own. The only crispy sweet potato fries I have ever made- or eaten- were coated in starch to provide the crispiness. Wh...
What's the different between the sides of aluminium foil (shiny/matte)? Is there any difference between the two sides of an aluminium foil? (shiny/matte) If so, when to use each one? For example, when covering something or when using as a pan cover to bake/cook something on top of it.	Appearance is the only difference! There is no performance differance between the shiney side and the dull side. Two sheets are run through the rollers in the mill to acheive the desired thickness then sized, separated, cut to length and packaged.
Does "build up" on the bottom of copper-bottom stainless sauce and frying pans matter? I am not the most fastidious pot washer: over the years, my copper-bottomed fry pans have developed a layer of (I guess) burned oil residue. Aside from any "ick" factor, does this affect the the performance of the pan? I've been try...	I think it depends on your cooking surface. If you're using gaz, induction or coil, then it should be ok. If you are using a glass top, then the contact between the pan and the glass will not be efficient, and you will loose some of the heat. I would spend some time cleaning it up.
How accurate is the hand technique for grilling? I have read several articles and watched several videos talking about the proper way to gauge the temperature of a grill. Basically they state if you can hold your hand X inches over a grill for Y seconds the grill is at some range of Z1 to Z2 degrees. I have read, for ...	While I suspect that the formula is mostly reliable if you repeat the experiment with the same person, I found the individual heat sensitivity varies a lot. Most professional cooks and seasoned homemakers can handle (pun intended) higher heat than those who rarely expose their hands to high temperatures. In our home, w...
What are the small yellow things on my cooked bacon I cooked some bacon medallions yesterday, it was in date, didn't smell, and I had some of it, putting the rest in the fridge - by all accounts it was fine. This morning however, when I opened the container, at the very bottom on the last piece was a cluster of littl...	This looks like your meat was discovered by a female fly (probably something like a blow fly) who thought that the protein-rich “carrion” would make a great spot for her offspring and subsequently laid a cluster of eggs. During summer, it may take as little as a few minutes for an uncovered piece of meat to become a fl...
Refrigerator Fruit/Vegetable Bins Is there anything that makes the bins in the fridge particularly good (or bad) for storing fruits and vegetables. Previous refrigerators had a moisture control slide that altered humidity in the bins. My new fridge does not have this. I would rather store bread, meat and cheese in the...	You can store whatever you want in these bins - I regularly use one of mine to store bottled drinks. However, depending where the cold air outlet is in your fridge, placing relatively fragile items such as fruits and vegetables on the shelves could cause them to freeze or form ice crystals internally, damaging the item...
I left my non-stick pan in the oven while it was preheating, can I still use it? Long story short, I left my non-stick pan in the oven while it was preheating. Left it in there for about 20 - 30 minutes, including 15 minutes at 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Just wondering if I can still use it or if I have to toss it. Thank...	From the T-FAL site: • Oven safe to 500°F/260°C if handles are all stainless steel. Oven safe to 350°F/175°C if handles have any phenolic, plastic parts. Oven safe to 400°F/204°C if handles have any silicone parts. So the pan itself should be fine, but the handles can be damaged. No need to toss it just because y...
My sourdough starter split in 2 on the 3rd day. What should I do? I have fed it first after 24h and it grew nicely. And on the 2nd morning after I woke up I saw this: Should I keep the upper half? or simply start a new batch? I have used the following formul	200ml water, 200 gr 550 flour, and kept it at about 25 degree celcius.
How to remove the distinct flavor of vital wheat gluten when making faux meat? How do I remove the distinct protein flavor of vital wheat gluten when making faux meat?	One way to avoid the vital wheat gluten taste is to develop wheat gluten directly from flour (a somewhat popular food in China). To do so, make a dough of bread flour and water, knead it well, rest 2-3 hours, then "wash" the dough in water until most of the starch has been rinsed away. The result is a high protein/wate...
Size of holes for salt/pepper/seasoning shakers? Is there any reference for the sizes of holes for salt shakers? For cooking I should think that the holes would be larger than for table shakers. This question is not, "Would you recommend using a shaker?"	I don't think there is any set standard for the size of the holes. Most of the salt and pepper shakers I've seen sold to be used at the stove or grill don't necessarily have larger holes, but they have a lot more holes. They also hold more salt or pepper than table sets. This is an example similar to most I've seen: I...
Can I freeze fruit shrub? I am about to make some fruit shrub for use in drinks. I have clear instructions and I understand that it will keep safely for 6 months in the fridge (barring signs of spoilage). However, I have so much fruit right now that I'm wondering if I can make a larger quantity and freeze it in smalle...	I see no reason not to. You may notice slight flavor changes over time, but that’s also true if you are storing the shrub in the fridge or preserved sugary fruit preparations at room temperature. The high sugar content will influence the freezing behavior, for example it may not solidify completely, but if you use the...
Super-saturated sugar solution gone wrong An interesting recipe here provides this as a recipe for making a geode-looking sugar crystal. The finished product looks really great and is basically this: 3 cups sugar 1 cup water food coloring Heat water and sugar until sugar is dissolved. Cool slightly. Pour into foil c...	Creating the Geode candy you have in the link should be relatively straight forward, but does require a little knowledge about how crystals form. First, let's look at what is probably going wrong by examining your two outcomes: or the whole thing turns completely solid You made glass candy. You cooled the solution so...
Are there home bread machines that can make baguettes or boules? The bread machines I have used create a cube-shaped loaf with a hole in one end. Are there home bread machines that can make bread in other shapes, such as a long baguette or round boule shape, without the added steps of manually removing, shaping, and b...	Edit: after posting my initial response I remembered a sandwich shop near me that has a 'bread machine' that produces baguettes. Lee's Sandwiches (an international franchise operation of French-Vietnamese cuisine) has a machine which indeed produces baguettes from raw materials. Mixing, kneading, shaping and baking are...
How to make pizza without cheese? Maybe I'm the only person in the world who does not like cheese ... Or maybe not .. What are the perfect ingredients to make a pizza taste good without cheese?	You might consider making pissaladiere, a traditional pizza-like dish from southern France that does not have cheese.
Can anything be done with cooking apples that fall early? Can anything be done with a large amount of cooking apples that have fallen early? They vary in size from golf ball to tennis ball but have fallen a couple of months before they would be expected to be ripe. We normally have a few which fall early but this year...	Yes, they are usable, at least if they have reached a minimum degree of “ripeness”. There are a few reasons of falling fruit. The first is the so-called June drop, when the tree discards excess baby apples. These fruit are so tiny and unripe, they don’t have real value in the kitchen. During summer, fallen fruit is cl...
What is a 'parmigiano pearl'? I've read the following dish description in a wedding buffet menu: Truffle essence potato soup with parmigiano pearl I can't seem to find any relevant results using Google Search.	This is a translation from the Italian of perle di parmigiano. It is a mixture of egg whites and grated parmigiano formed into balls ("pearls") and deep or shallow fried. Youtube recipes (in Italian) are shallow fried here and deep fried here.
Sourdough starter stopped growing, is it normal? I posted a question a few days ago. This was my first sourdough starter: My sourdough starter split in 2 on the 3rd day. What should I do? and I decided to only keep the foamy part and throw the other half away. After another day that sourdough stopped growing and becam...	Nothing that happens in a starter in the first few days is normal, in the sense that it doesn't behave like a mature starter. During this time, the bacterial flora in the starter is in constant flux, and you need to wait until the desired bacteria have prevailed, which will take some time. It is not impossible to do s...
How to harden a chocolate made from Regular (unsalted) butter? I am trying to make chocolate in following steps- Take cocoa powder (unsweetened) and powdered sugar. Grind them. Add Regular (unsalted) melted butter, mix them for long. And pour them in moulds. But the chocolate does not settle, even after keeping it in ...	This cannot be done. Chocolate has the hardness of chocolate, because it is made out of cocoa butter. Dairy butter is not suitable for that. There are industrial processes which use hydrogenated plant fat and emulsifiers to make chocolate bars with a somewhat different texture than pure chocolate, but still hard - I do...
Shallow frying safety I've recently begun shallow frying a lot of chicken in batter - which have been turning out perfectly tasty for what I need them for. However, frying with more than a splash of oil is scaring me - especially in my rented appartment where a fire would be extremely serious. Without regard to how th...	Any fat can self-ignite at sufficiently high temperature, so your fear is in principle not unfounded – however, all common cooking fat/oil have a kindling temperature high enough that it should never be reached during normal shallow-frying. In particular, as long as you have any significant amount of moist food in the ...
How can I BBQ everyday without the cleaning? I want to BBQ everyday with a small BBQ but I do not want to wait to have to light coals, and then wait on the grill and then clean. Is there an easier way to BBQ frequently?	In general a gas grill will get one ready to cook faster than using charcoal. Using gas also cuts down on cleaning out ashes. If grilling everyday I would clean the next day when the grill was hot, right before I started cooking. And cleaning would be a quick scrub with a grill brush. A periodic more through cleaning m...
Coconut milk in iced coffee I like using coconut milk in my coffee. However, during summer, I like putting ice in my coffee. Some part of the coconut milk clumps up around the ice. This is organic unsweetened, so only coconut and a gum. Is there any method to prevent the clumps yet have it cold? Store in fridge, freez...	This is a common problem with coconut milk in cooler drinks, most commonly coffee. Coconut milk is approximately 25% fats (Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coconut_milk) which will coagulate in cooler temperatures or exposed to ice. You're essentially cooling the coconut milk fats with ice past their solidificat...
Is it okay to leave uncooked chicken over night but refrigerate it in the morning and then cook it? I bought some chicken and I accidentally forgot to put it away and I put it in the fridge in the morning and I want chicken can I like boil it and the bacteria will boil away or what?	We don't refrigerate food because it needs to be cold at the moment of preparation, we refrigerate it because it keeps the "bad stuff" from growing in the first place. Something that's been at room temperature overnight has had plenty of time to grow harmful bacteria, and putting it in the fridge won't change that. It ...
Does resting stew lead to more succulent meat? My wife makes a very delicious chicken curry. Part of the "recipe" is let it rest for 2 hours or so until it reaches room temperature. She claims the meat relaxes and reabsorbs gravy from the curry, making the chicken more tender and succulent. She claims if it is served ...	It has nothing to do with meat absorbing liquids, that doesn't happen just as you explained it. Once meat has become dry, it doesn't get succulent again by somehow spongeing up liquid. The recipe is right to have you wait before serving though, because the flavors keep improving at least for the first day after cooking...
Nixtamilizing Corn for Tortillas I am new to the process of making tortillas from corn, I understand that the nixtamalization process and using heirloom corn are important to make traditional tortillas. I do not want to use pre-nixtamalized and ground corn, and am attempting to do it from scratch. Living in Canada mak...	Too long for comment so: I should think fresh would work. It's just dried that comes prehydrated. I'd cut down on boiling time. Say 5 cup corn, 1.5 gallon water, 1/4 cup CaOH (Cal, slaked lime, pickling lime). Boil gently 30 min (instead of hour). Let sit overnight. Rinse 4-5 times to remove excess CaOH, put thru your ...
When you buy an uncooked frozen pizza, if it is soft does that mean it hasn’t been frozen? I just wanted to know... Is it safe to eat if the pizza was soft after being bought frozen from the store... it wasn’t mushy or anything, but it was a little soft. I’ve never had a frozen pizza before but I do know that frozen f...	If the pizza wasn't exposed to anything or just left sitting out for hours on end, it should be fine. Thawing and refreezing over short periods of time won't do much, but they may effect the taste/quality of the food. You should be fine!
I'm cooking a Romanian meatball soup for 60 people. How much of this soup do I need to feed 60 people? This is the recipe (in Romanian) for the meatball soup. Here is the ingredient list translated: Servings: a pot of 5 L Ingredients - savoriurbane.com 2 carrots 1 parsley root 1 root parsnips 1 celery root (medi...	After looking at many very similar recipes (in English) for Romanian sour meatball soup, or Ciorba de Perisoare, I'm inclined to think that this recipe does indeed make 5 liters. Most all of the recipes I've looked at start with 500g of meat and have pretty much the same ingredient list. This recipe found on CookingGl...
Safe to freeze boiled/ blanched pork bones/ meat for future use to cook soup? This is relating to Asian/ Chinese style soup/ broth cooking. I am a very busy person and do not have time to cook. I cook in a small kitchen with the basic crockeries. I usually do my groeceries during the weekend to prepare for dinner dur...	This is perfectly safe as long as the raw meat remains refrigerated until use, is boiled or blanched, chilled quickly, and then frozen.
Does adding turmeric to meat marinade negate the bacterial buildup at room temperature? I've learnt from this site that after applying marinade to meat, it has to be kept in the fridge for marination because meat at room temperature for more than two hours can have bacterial buildup, resulting in food poisoning. In lo...	While studies have shown that turmeric has anti-bacterial properties and does inhibit the growth of several common contaminating bacteria, I could find no study that showed that it made leaving meat at room temperature safe, just less contaminated. Further, while some bacteria infect meat from the surface in, other ba...
Canning Jar bottom pops off during canning Each canning season I have a canning jar that the bottom cracks off during the canning process. Anyone know why? The jars are checked for cracks, chips and sterilized before each use.	Having the bottom of a jar pop off is a symptom of thermal shock to the bottle. Don't place cold bottles into hot water or refill a canner full of hot bottles with cold water-- there is a good chance of cracking a bottle. Another consideration, though in my opinion less likely to be the issue, is that your rings on you...
How much water to use when cooking pasta in an Instant Pot The de facto Instant Pot manual at hippressurecooking has a page on cooking pasta but doesn't explain how to determine a proper amount of water to use when cooking pasta. Figuring out the liquid is easy (no sputters) The hip method for pressure cooking past...	You're correct, the water ratios may be slightly different between different types of noodles. In general, you're covering the noodles so that they will actually have a chance to soak up the water though, as with a pressure cooker, you don't have a chance to stir the noodles and ensure equal saturation. When making pas...
Problem storing Kosher Dill pickles I have been putting up Kirby cucumbers following Grandma's recipe for over 30 years using just 1 tablespoon of kosher salt, garlic, spices, dill, alum and water (NO VINEGAR). I'm using dishwasher-cleaned wide-mouth Ball Quart jars stuffed with the ingredients above. After boiling ...	Pickles will ferment at around 65 - 72F The temperature can go lower overnight but needs to rise during the day. Get a thermometer to test places like cupboards, kitchen for the temperature range you need. This worked for me. I keep a strip thermometer with my stash.
Pitaya Red Velvet Cake became brown Starting point: I was trying to follow a red velvet cake recipe from the internet, but since I always try to replace industrial/artificial ingredients by more "natural" ones (just out of curiosity), I decided to replace the buttermilk and the liquid red food color with red pitaya pu...	Note that carrot cake isn't the bright orange of raw or even boiled carrots either. This is especially true of the crust and from your description of partway through cooking I suspect that's the colour you're looking at. If the inside is much better, there's still hope. Many colourful compounds in plants aren't stabl...
How to make oil have powder garam masala taste? I'm wanting my oil to taste of garam masala. At the moment I'm adding a little bit of powder to oil and frying it. The problem is the powder doesnt dissolve and the flavour doesnt seem to go to all parts of the oil in the pan e.g. some of the oil smells like rapeseed o...	Although many of the important flavours in spices are oil soluble, the spice powders themselves aren't. Some flavour compounds are water soluble and only release when the wet ingredients are added and the dish is cooked. This is why you're not able to dissolve the spices, and also why you don't always get the full flav...
Why did my cake go Offsided? Not sure where I went wrong 3 layers cake, cutted the top (levelled) Cooled overnight Did buttercream in between and on the sides Fridge for 3hrs It's offside! Any future suggestions?	You might want to include your recipe for the buttercream. That could help people figure out one of the reasons for your cake layers sliding around. My thoughts from looking at your luscious cake photo are: 3 layers is a pretty tall cake! 2 layers would be more likely to stay stable. If you want 3, you could make them...
How do I prepare ash bolete mushrooms for recipes? I got about a grocery store paper bag in about 10 minutes under pine trees in the yard, so I was wondering what the best way to prepare the ash bolete mushrooms before using them in a recipe would be.	Every experienced forager knows that the first steps of preparation happen already at the place where you found the mushrooms. Most of what’s listed below is general advice for mushroom foraging, as it’s valid for your ash-tree boletes and hopefully helpful for other readers with similar questions. In the wild: Pick o...
What is the coating of this spring roll called, and how is it made? I had these spring rolls at a restraunt, but as you can see the outside was quite different to the 'normal' spring rolls I usually see. The texture is light and crispy and looks 'stringy (but doesn't taste or feel that way). I think it was quite inter...	It's regular roll made with net rice wrapper It's common wrapper in Vietnam. Here's site when you can see the package and rolls made with it bearnakedfood
Storing (freezing) spare falafel: cooked, shaped, or just the mix? I'm currently soaking chickpeas to make falafel for the first time - rather more than I need for this evening, so I'll have some spare mix, probably enough that I'll want to freeze at least some, rather than using it later in the week. I know it's not ...	The best way to freeze felafel batter really is formed into small balls, but not cooked. Then you can toss the partially thawed balls into hot oil without further fuss. Because the balls are fragile, as you noticed, that means lining them up on a cookie sheet and freezing them that way, which you may or may not have ...
Is it safe to store dry food products under the sink? I'm in an apartment with limited kitchen storage space. I want to store some dry food products like tea, coffee, cereal, rice, etc. but the only place I found for them is basically under the sink (actually, it's not directly under it, but it's one of those sketchy ...	Your concerns would be moisture, insects and/or rodents. Simply put your products in airtight containers. You'll be just fine. (By the way, my mom always stored onions and potatoes under the sink).
What kind of whetstone for sharpening a nylon edge? I have an unusual question on the topic of whetstone. Although this isn't a knife's edge, I thought that maybe someone here might be familiar enough with the types of stones to offer an answer. When working on electronics I use nylon tools to prevent damage to the su...	I'd use fairly fine wet/dry paper taped to a hard flat surface, probably used wet. You could move to a finer grade to finish. This will keep it nice and flat. Or you can shave/whittle the edge with a scalpel or razor blade. That's what I've done with a nylon spatula that I want a nice edge on, but on that the edge te...
Why does this Egg McMuffins recipe taste terrible? I tried to recreate the taste of a McDonald Egg McMuffin at home. I cut an English muffin in half and cooked it in the oven. I fried an egg in a pan. I added mayonnaise to the English muffin halves, then added the egg and a slice of American cheese. The result tasted ...	For starters, you left off the slice of Canadian bacon. McDonald's cooks their egg more by steaming it in a round mold; they do not fry them in a pan You might try going to the Serious Eats site and looking at Kenji's recipe for Egg McMuffin: Pan toast muffin in butter, fry Canadian bacon in butter, crack egg in lid o...
Name for turning ingredients to powder / mush, and then molding back into their original shape Is there a name for the technique of turning an ingredient into a homogeneous mass, and then molding it back into its original shape, or the shape of a less-processed form of that ingredient? Examples: Pringles are made by ...	Reformed This is most often used to describe meat products such as "reformed ham" or "reformed scampi". You can occasionally see onion rings made with chopped onion described as reformed, e.g. here. Pringles could be described as "reformed potato snacks" for example. Pringles are less than half potato though, so that ...
Can you oversteep herbal teas? Herbal teas don't contain tea leaves (Camellia sinensis), which means they do not release tannins into the water. Does that mean you can steep herbal teas for as much as you like without worry of them becoming bitter?	In general bitterness isn't an issue but I wouldn't recommend it - I've brewed many herbal teas, and I've never had one that benefited from being steeped too long. You can steep them longer than real tea, but not forever as you end up getting an "overcooked" flavor. Mint is a good example, you steep it for 10 minutes, ...
Ramen Broth Varieties I'm trying to gain some variety to my ramen by producing different types of broth. Mostly veggie based, however I'm open to other ideas. I have one type of ramen broth that we like but so far every variation from it has produced a failure. Right now the broth itself involves: Paprika Crushed r...	My answer is similar to part of JestersKing, and to Douglas' - I make a full on vegetarian "dashi" broth. I roast a pan of vegetables lightly tossed in oil - I'm looking for just a bit of browning and carmelization - Carrots, celery, halved unpeeled onions, a whole unpeeled head of garlic. That goes into a pot with ...
Is my honey fermenting? I bought a jar of honey a few months ago, and left it at the back of the cupboard. When it resurfaced a few days ago, I saw that the jar contained a lot of bubbles, to the point where the lid was bulging. I assumed that it had somehow fermented, particularly since it came from a local grower, w...	Yes, your honey started to ferment. I assume the fermenting process is still fresh as you mention the honey taste didn't changed (later it change taste to beer-like). With time yeast can produce alcohol or vinegar from carbs in honey. You can still use this honey for baking or making mead. Unfortunately the only way ...
What is the difference between fruit teas and pure fruit teas? In this Livestrong article they make a distinction between "fruit teas" and "pure fruit teas". The only difference i picked up on is that pure fruit teas have more sugar. But dont fruit teas also have sugar? Im confused.	Teas made with fruit and herbs, or fruit and tea, are often referred to as fruit teas. Teas made with only fruit would then have to be called pure. However a quick look online suggests that "pure fruit teas" also includes some of the former. The article you link seems to use pure to mean "not containing tea*, as it dis...
Pizza dough with a mixture of strong and plain flour turned out surprisingly well. Lucky? Better with lower gluten? I was a little short of strong (bread) flour when making a pizza base the other day and substituted about 1/3 plain flour (Moulinex breadmaker, the recipe in the book with sugar and salt slightly reduced...	As you probably know, various flours contain varying amounts of protein. When water is added, and the proteins are hydrated, gliadin and glutenin combine to form gluten. Gluten provides the structure and allows for stretch and rise. That is why a rest period after mixing is important. You might find this informative...
Is there a special reason why dry rubs are meant to work with grilling over other cooking methods? I notice that dry rubs are meant to work best with grilling. Why is this the case, why can't they work well with something like frying?	Well, if you deep-fried something with a dry rub: all the oil-soluble flavors would dissolve into the fry oil. You lose your flavor, and also probably greatly shorten the life of the oil. (How long you can use it before it starts smoking and/or imparts a bad flavor). a lot of the rub would wind up falling off and maki...
Can I dilute double cream with milk to get lower fat content? I need close to 900 ml of cream 30–35 % for a mousse recipe (which requires part of the cream to be whipped). Is it possible to dilute double cream (48 % fat) with whole milk (3.6 %) to get an average in the range I want? Using the numbers above, I calculat...	This will work just fine. Many people will get the math wrong, but your calculations appear correct. Give it a good stir and everything should come out as expected. Most recipes are sufficiently tolerant that substituting the double cream would likely be fine compared to just using the heavy (if not an improvement).
Why does my De Buyer pan cause food to burn? My De Buyer Mineral B Element iron fry pan burns everything I cook, even though I’ve been using low to medium heat with non-stick foods (mostly potatoes) and canola oil. The pan has been seasoned with grapeseed oil. I’ve tried varying the amount of oil and potato slice size...	Then you aren't using "low to medium heat". The heat is defined by how quickly your food cooks, not by the setting on the stove. Lower your heat until the food fries at a reasonable rate. As for the oil, if in doubt, err on the side of adding a bit more than you think you'll need.
Should I microwave-defrost sandwiches? I freeze sandwiches made from homemade bread rolls at the weekend, paired in plastic bags, and get a set out at 6 am to take to work in a rucksack. They stay there until I eat them at noon, when they're still pretty cold and wet, possibly because they stay in the rucksack's dark ...	No matter what you do in this situation, you are likely to end up with soggy sandwiches. This has nothing to do with light. Firstly, the bread of pre-made sandwiches will naturally pick up moisture from the filling and condiments. Often, even freshly made sandwiches will become a bit soggy by lunchtime. You've also...
Does the beef cut matter when making stroganoff? I would like to make a stroganoff recipe I have that calls for cubed Sirloin Tip Roast, but I was recently given some raw steak that I would like to use in its place. The steak I was given was not labeled, so I don’t know what cut it is. How interchangeable are beef cut...	Beef cut does matter. Sirloin tip is a relatively tender cut, cuts that have done more work like shoulder, round, leg cuts have more connective tissue and need a significantly longer cooking time. In a pressure cooker this isn't that long, 1 hour is what I've seen for instant pot recipes using working cuts. Also what ...
How do I make my curries saucier? So I've made curry a few times before but I've always had a problem with the sauce. So before I try and make one again I want to know, how do you make the sauce thick and flavourful rather than almost non-existent and overly tomatoey? When I last made curry I remember adding almost a ...	Ground almonds are one thing I've used in the past (usually in a yoghurt-based sauce, but not always). They give a richness without overpowering the flavour. Roughly the approach was: Fry onions, meat or equivalent (I usually did this with Quorn), and spices/garlic/ginger. Turn off and allow to cool a few minutes....
Should I add binder to a giant, "chicken fried" Latke? There is a roast chicken recipe from Cooks Illustrated that I've made for years now. You spatchcock the bird (remove the spine and flatten it), place it on a broiler pan, fill the bottom of the pan with sliced potatoes, and roast at 500F for an hour or so. The c...	I wouldn't add binder in this case. When you cook the chicken over the potatoes the drippings have a lot of water, not just fat. Also the baking dish isn't going to reach frying pan temperature. Under those conditions flour will turn gluey and you'll get an uncooked flour taste with it. Egg is more likely to work, howe...
Refrigeration of Cream Liquor I recently bought a bottle of Jackson Morgan cream liquor. The alcohol content on the bottle is listed at 15%. After looking up when alcohol percentage becomes a preservative I found an article that stated: If it’s under 15% alcohol or if the base is wine, it goes in the fridge once it...	Between 6-18 months is the usual number. Refrigeration isn't required, but certainly will help. Bailey's claims to be fine for two years, but no other site backs up their claim. I can't find anything specific on "Jackson Morgan Cream Liqueur"; they don't seem to have any sort of expiration information on their site. I'...
What type of knife befits peeling/skinning melons and squashes? I prefer to peel/skin melons (e.g. watermelon, honeydew) and squashes (butternut squash, pumpkins), rather than cutting and slicing into wedges. I depict some catalogues beneath. Which type of knife fits? Serrated or non-serrated? http://blog.house.co...	You're going to be dealing with large, slippery things, with tough skins. It's really easy to cut yourself with these. For softer ones - melons - a serrated knife works well in my experience. A regular bread knife will often be too thin, but a heavier knife with serrations works fine. For harder items - the fall/winte...
How to serve a fish filet: skin up or down? I've seen filets served both ways. I personally feel that fish - especially trout - should be served skin down. I want to use a fork to pick the flesh away unimpeded. But I've seen Jaime Oliver and one of my favorite restaurants in DC (Le Diplomat) serve trout skin side up. ...	I think it depends on which fish, and the way it's cooked. If it's steamed,poached, or en papillote, fish skin can be quite unappealing to some diners, and, as you say, the conventional way to eat the fish would be to lift the flesh from the skin, especially if at the same time you are parting the flesh from the bones....

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