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How to make Brie En Croute less rich/cheesy? I prepared Brie En Croute using 1/2 of a 16.9oz/480g round of Brie and a single layer of frozen puff pastry dough. I also added a few dollops of apricot preserves inside. When wrapped, the pastry mostly just had one layer of dough but some was double-layered. After baking, ...	Use younger Brie. You can get Brie in various ages, all the way from barely a week old - which is clean & white all the way through, & almost dry & crumbly, mild as cream cheese [Philadelphia etc]; right up to a year or more - dark yellow & pretty much a gooey liquid with a slightly more solid centre. Obviously, the ...
Is there a machine for thick shredded carrots for home use (not grated)? You can get shredded carrots at a salad bar, and I buy bags of pre-shredded carrots at the supermarket. I want to make these at home with a machine but haven't found one. When you use a food processor, the attachment is usual a grater, similar to...	I think this might be the closest to what you are looking for... it's a food processor attachment for the KitchenAid Stand Mixers. Of course, you might look for new blades to use with your existing processor (they might offer blades that cut sticks instead of shreds).
Quick breads in foil pans When cooking quick breads in foil pans should they be placed on a cookie sheet or set on oven rack?	There's no reason you have to put foil pans on a tray, they can be put directly on the rack if you like. There's no reason not to either, it's a matter of convenience. If you want a scientific answer a tray will interfere with air circulation a little, but not enough it makes a real difference to baking times or the en...
How can I stop my pavlova from "leaking"? I'm learning to make Pavlova. I'm five attempts in and generally pretty happy with my latest one except for the weird "leaking" that happens during baking. Anyone know why this happens and how to stop it? Photos: Ingredients: 160g egg whites (at room temperature) 1 teaspoon ...	The most common reasons I know are: Preparing when humidity is high. Tough to avoid when you are on a schedule like wanting it for an occasion. But in my experience, having an oven that circulates fresh air in can make this worse by bringing in more moisture all the time, or ever opening the door or trying to cook s...
Is eggnog just a milkshake? Last year I tried eggnog for the first time, following a homemade recipe involving egg, cream and sugar. The result tasted like a thin vanilla ice-cream milkshake (with spices and alcohol). Recipes for homemade ice-cream use similar ingredients (without spices and alcohol). Is this just sup...	Not really. For a start there's no milk in it (there's cream, but milk is the defining factor in a milkshake). Second, egg isn't a normal ingredient in a milkshake, and neither is alcohol. Of course they can be added, but they take you away from what's normally meant by the term. When that happens it's normally reflect...
Is there a resource on food prep times for labor costing? The Culinary Institute of America released an excellent book on food costing - The Book of Yields: Accuracy in Food Costing and Purchasing. In it there are lookup tables on yields on over 1000 foods. The thing it's missing are average time estimates for achievi...	After +35 years in the Hospitality Industry, I would agree with Erica's response, and include other factors as well. Prep times can be different dependent upon: efficiency of individual efficiency of environment 1) Individual: experience counts, obviously, this is why the "new person" starts in the prep section- peel...
Chicken and Dumplings soaked up all the broth My dumplings soaked up all of the broth. What can I add to my chicken and dumplings without ruining the flavor?	Add more broth. Use either water, balanced with spices, or add from a good brand. Edit: You could always make more broth than you need and freeze the rest.
Substitute for Accent Seasoning My recipe calls for 1-teaspoon of Accent and I do not have this ingredient, as they were out of it at my grocery store. Is there a good substitute?	Accent seasoning seems to be mostly Monosodium Glutamate (MSG). You can try to find another MSG-type seasoning in your normal store (I don't know what brands might be available where you are so just look for things with MSG as the main ingredient), find pure MSG which is sometimes available in Asian grocery stores, or ...
Can a steak be deep fried in clarified butter? Steaks can be deep fried and this is usually done with an oil with a high smoke point. People seem to report reasonably good results with this. I'd like to deep fry with butter as this would impart that butter flavour. Using un-clarified butter would lead to a smoke show ...	I haven't tried it personally, so this is purely hypothetical. Clarified butter has a smoke point of 252 degrees Celsius, which is well above the temperature one would use to deep fry anything. So deep frying in clarified butter should be possible. I would not however try to infuse the butter with anything. Infusing it...
Caramel without stirring or burning Every Christmas I make caramels for family, friends, and neighbors. And every year I'm stuck with the same choice. Stir the sugar mixture while it boils to prevent sticking and burning but end up with grainy caramel, or don't store the caramel but risk burning the sugar at the botto...	First, it is very possible to make good caramel without stirring or burning. What you need is the right vessel and good temperature control. Choose a pot (or also a pan, if you won't be adding anything to the hot caramel) that has an even heat conduction without hot spots, and choose its size such that your sugar is le...
What does it mean to overmix? I have a cheddar bay biscuit mix made by Red Lobster. On the instructions, it says not to overmix the grated cheese, water, and biscuit dough, but it says to mix it. What does that mean? How do I know how much mixing is too much? I did read the other questions that have to do with overmix...	Mixing strengthens the gluten structure in recipes that use wheat flours. In breads, for example, this is a good thing, as that structure is what allows gasses to be trapped inside, and provides the pleasant chew that we associate with a well-made loaf. However, when making biscuits (or other baked goods where a soft...
How big of a roast do I need We are making prime rib for dinner on Christmas Day, were having 25 people how many pounds of roast do I need	A normal serving of meat is 200-250 grams per person. In American units, about half a pound per person. Times 25 and you will have a good estimate. If there are a lot of sides or multiple courses you can decrease it a little.
Samovar Te	Let it brew the whole day? I recently got a samovar tea kettle and am not sure about how to use it. For those of you confused about what I am talking about, this is my samovar (electric): The metal part is a kettle for boiling water and keeping it warm. On top, there is an opening, on which you put your pot. You make...
Accidentally froze my fresh mussels I placed my fresh mussels in a too cold frig overnight and they are frozen. Are they still ok to be cooked and eaten?	Freezing live mussels is generally not recommended for long term storage, but if you plan to eat them in the near term it is not a problem. The issue that I can see is that freezing kills the mussel. So, unless you sorted them beforehand it will not be possible to tell if any were dead to begin with. If it were me, ...
Can poulet noir be prepared as standard chicken, or is there anything special to consider? I got "poulet noir" or "black feathered chicken" for Christmas, but I couldn't find much information about it or how to prepare it. Is it safe to assume, that it can be prepared like any other chicken, or are there consideration...	Depending on how much fitness it did space it had to run around in, this type of chicken is best used in a stew, so depending on your personal chicken recipes, yes, use the standard ones but do not: BBQ Fry Roast Bake it in an open container (A closed closed container with moisture-releasing veggies is still OK) ¯\_(...
Please identify this Italian kettle(?) (click to enlarge) A few years ago, I got this Christmas present; I have to admit that I've forgotten what it is by now. It came in a box branded 'Chiapella', but that's an Italian salami producer. Not something you'd associate with this, which is clearly meant to hold some kind ...	Per the link @Max provided in the comments: just a container to dispense olive oil... or any other liquid of your choosing.
Making Tuiles in a frying pan? My parents' oven is having issues (the bottom element has stopped working.) One idea I had to keep cooking was to make Tuiles on the stove top. It seems to me like it might work. I'm assuming that I'll have to either cover the pan or flip the cooking tuile. I can't find any recipes for...	it’s very well doable on a stove-top. You can use a non-stick pan and it would work great. My experience with pans is, due to surface curvature, it’s better to use a small pan and fry your tuile spread all over the pan.
Can I still use my oven, even if it has melted aluminum foil stuck to the bottom? I have melted aluminum foil on the bottom of my oven. Can I still use the oven for baking?	I doubt you have melted aluminum foil at the bottom of your oven. The melting temperature of aluminum foil is 660 degrees Celsius (1,220 degrees Fahrenheit) at standard pressure. It is possible that you have a layer of grease between some foil and your oven bottom. This combination will likely char and burn. I woul...
Christmas-ifying seafood linguine How would you modify seafood linguine to give it a holiday twist? I am cooking and some of my conservative guests are in shock after hearing the menu. How can I mollify them?	Make it a red&green linguini? There are a number of ways to color pasta, or sauce - some might be natural, some might be commercially available. Like using spinach and tomato flavored past, or one could use food dye, or modify the sauce recipe (which can start out ranging from marinara red to pesto green to white sauc...
Can you thaw frozen cookies in a tin without them getting soggy as a result? I've read that you should remove frozen cookies from the packaging you froze them in to prevent them from getting soggy, but is there anything wrong with putting them in a tin to thaw out? Would this cause them to get soggy? I'm asking about ...	The more airflow you have, the less likely is for them to get soggy. The original container is especially bad, since it will likely condense moisture on its surface while coming to room temperature. A room temperature tin will be better than the original container, especially if you don't close the lid, but still far ...
How can I roast/heat all these foods for one meal? I'm a microwave cook wanting to get fancy for a Christmas dinner tomorrow. I'm having trouble putting together a schedule for what to put in a regular gas oven at what temp, when, for a 4pm dinner. The menu I put together: Ham that bakes at 300 degrees for 1-1/2 to 2...	I would attack it in the following manner: put the ham in the preheated oven, center rack gather the ingredients for your pineapple glaze set the table/buffet/beverage areas prep your salad, cover it with wrap, refrigerate (note: dressing on the side, so the salad won't wilt) prep the wedges and veggies remove ham, an...
Alternative to salt when using Mortar and Pestle For numerous reasons, I need to prepare the vast majority of food salt-free. Been doing this since the 80's, and now we are very sensitive to any added salt in our food. This extends to, for instance, salting the water for boiling pasta or vegetables. When I read about ...	2 solutions: I have an unpolished granite pestle and mortar: they're much cheaper than the polished granite ones and are much more abrasive then a wooden or ceramic one. I also don't use any salt, (for taste reasons, not for health reasons), but if your partner is intolerant to the Na in the NaCl (salt) you can get g...
Is food safe to eat with grey or black residue on it? I noticed that every time I leave my food over night in my stainless steel caserole dish, there is this grey/black residue on it. I ate some of the food but after I saw this residue, I got scared the food is poisoned. It it?	Most likely the casserole dish is not stainless steel. If only because stainless steel is designed specifically not to chemically interact with the food, and will never discolor it. That said, if it was my dish I'd get rid of it, or at least never let food sit in it longer than strictly necessary for cooking. Who kno...
High powered blenders (e.g. KitchenAid, 1800watts, 3.5 HP peak) I'm not technically minded, but if the friction of the blades in high powered (& expensive) blenders creates the heat when making hot soup, why when making smoothies are the smoothies not hot?	It is well known that the blades in high powered blenders create so much force that it can heat the liquids inside. In fact, I can put a can of tomatoes in mine and they will eventually become hot enough to be eaten as a warm soup. That being said, creating this much heat takes time and also usually works best if you'r...
Leaving raw chicken uncovered for a day I sometimes leave some chicken unwrapped in the fridge inside the container, if I buy a two piece, and only want one. A girl who lives at my dorm told me it was a life threatening harm, to everybody’s food inside the fridge, since deadly bacteria’s spread, to all the food. I re...	Food kept at refrigeration temperatures is relatively safe. Any potential pathogens can not jump or fly about without something to propel them. Dripping can potentially contaminate. Cooking can render many things safe (if initially stored properly). Keeping meats in closed containers is more sanitary (and respectful ...
Beef Bourguignon Vs Daube Provencal How does daube provencal differ from beef bourguignon?	The main differences: Bourguignon is made with a red wine from the Burgundy (Bourgogne) region. Daube is a southern dish, from provence/languedoc, and would typically be made with a richer red (occasionally, and originally, white) wine from that region Bourguignon is almost always garnished with small onions, carrots,...
I poured simple syrup over cooked apples. Why did it turn watery? I boiled apples in water until tender. I took apples out, then added lemon and sugar to water in pot and boiled it. When I poured it over the apples it made a nice thickened gel. By morning it's all watery. Why?	Some of the water content of the apples has migrated from the apples to the surrounding syrup. This is due to an effect called osmosis. The apple, like all living things is made out of cells that have (among other things) water inside them. The cell walls are semipermeable, meaning small molecules like water can pass t...
Why does plastic never dry properly in a dishwasher? Whenever I get tasked with unloading the dishwasher, I'm always amazed at the amount of water that's still stuck (always in droplets) to our plastic kitchen utensils and storage containers. We have a dishwasher with three racks, but it doesn't seem to matter which ...	In addition to the lower heat capacity (see other answer), a main reason, quite counterintuitive, why plastics don't dry well is that they're hydrophobic. That's right: they keep water sticking to them because they're water repellent (but not completely water repellent). The reason for this strange behaviour is that an...
Is it useful to retain the myoglobin of meat which has collected as a fluid at the bottom of the container? This is in India. I purchase fresh meat (chicken/beef) from the shop and sometimes keep it in the freezer until I'm ready to pressure-cook it on some other day. I noticed that after thawing it in the fridge fo...	The quote in the Wikipedia article you link to: The released myoglobin is filtered by the kidneys but is toxic to the renal tubular epithelium and so may cause acute kidney injury is myoglobin released due to Rhabdomyolysis, so your own muscles affected by this disease can cause kidney injury, not the meat (also m...
How to detect if meat (or any product) is not safe to be prepared as food? What are the marks that product is spoiled and not safe to cook or eat? Besides obvious visual signs, like rot or bad smell of course. The reason I'm asking is that I leave a meat in fridge for an extended periods of time, and don't know how t...	Visual signs and smells are an unreliable source for making this decision. Foods can be contaminated, and/or unsafe, and you will be unable to tell by looking at a product or smelling it. The only reliable ways to be safe are to (a) understand the source of your food, (b) ensure (or assume) that it has been prepared ...
Should pizza be firm enough to be held by the crust? I've been to 4 restaurants already (with good reviews) and they all serve similar pizzas - they have to be eaten with fork and knife or else they will bend (because one simply can't hold them with a hand) and their contents will most likely fall off.Even cutting the...	It's not uncommon for a slice of pizza to "droop" in the front if you try to pick it up with one hand. The amount of droop will vary, depending on the toppings, and type of dough. Thin, crispy crust pizza will tend to hold itself when picked up. However, longer, thinner, softer dough tends to droop under the weight of ...
Japanese Cotton Sponge Cake - How to stop collapsing? I've recently found videos about Japanese "Cotton" Sponge Cake. (Possibly also called a 'Jiggly Cake'?) I've never had it, but I figured it looked good, so why not try it? All of the videos I have seen list ingredients, and demonstrate technique, but don't neces...	Try using the actual recipe without substitutions or additions. I've not made this type of cake, so I cannot answer with 100% certainty. However, in general I would recommend not tinkering with ingredients the first time you make a recipe, especially when baking. There are structural reasons for a lot of baking ingre...
Can fresh citrus juice be reduced to concentrate flavor? Does reducing fresh citrus juice increase its flavor and will the flavor be damaged if it is reduced too far?	Heating citrus changes its flavor quite dramatically. When and how much to heat and reduce citrus depends on the outcome you are looking to achieve. If you want to preserve the fresh squeezed flavor, heating is not advisable. If you are looking for a more reduced, cooked down flavor, heating can be good. Certainly, ...
How much gypsum is required to coagulate one litre/gallon of soy milk From what I could gather from the internet about homemade tofu, information on the subject is divided into two sources: 1. By gypsum manufacturers - they say one tsp of the coagulant is sufficient to 5 gallons. 2. Home made tofu bloggers - 2 tsp per...	I have The Book of Tofu by William Shurtleff, and the more recent Asian Tofu by Andrea Nguyen. Shurtleff recommends 2 tsp of gypsum for 7 1/2 to 8 cups of soy milk. Nguyen recommends 1 1/2 tsp for 8 cups of soy milk. (These recipes are for about 1/2 gallon of soy milk. There are 16 cups in a gallon) I can't verify wit...
I overseasoned my food, what can I do to remove the strong smell? This happens to all of us - be it because we misread the recipe and threw in a tablespoon of sage when it said a teaspoon of sage, or because we were bravely experimenting with new tastes and suddenly noticed something amiss. The question also covers ca...	The most important thing first: You can't remove the smell. If you are interested in reducing it to hopefully tollerable levels, and/or understand why this is so, read on. This may seem very broad, but really, there are only very few strategies which you can try, and I will list them here. A word of warning: don't get...
What are bologna and hotdogs really made of? I am hoping this question isn't off-topic as it's mainly about what a specific type of food is made of rather than how to make it. Of course, I could always reframe the question as "How do I make hotdogs and bologna from scratch exactly as it's done by mainstream companies?...	I doubt you will find a specific ingredient list that identifies particular cuts or parts of meat. As an example, here is the ingredients for Oscar Mayer bologn
Should sharpening nicked knives with whetstones leave the nicks in the blade? This question is somewhat similar to How to sharpen knife with chunk missing?, but the knives I have are not ruined like the one in that question, and I doubt the answer here would be to just throw away the knives as in that question. I have...	You are indeed supposed to remove so much material from the blade that the nicks disappear completely. You'll have to lose what's probably a least a milimeter of the blade's width. For that, the 1000er grit is indeed too fine. Go for something much coarser, and use finer grits for finishing. With the stone you're usin...
How do I work out the use-by dates for my own cooking? If I sort my fridge by 'eat by' date, what is the best way of dealing with food's I've cooked, or partially cooked, myself? In my fridge there are such delights as: thrawed from frozen strawberries for the baby Seiten loaf, made in the last day several differen...	The US FDA has a handy Refrigerator and Freezer Storage Chart that might help you. In general your "leftovers" have a 3 to 4 day shelf life...I would think that includes your thawed strawberries.
What is this bread making technique called? I saw a video wherein a baker made a well in his flour, poured all the formula's water and yeast in the well, then let that sit for a while before proceeding with the rest of the incorporation of ingredients, kneading, etc. What is this method called? And how does it compare...	The "well method" is commonly used in pasta making, though some bread bakers also use it. When one uses an autolyse step in bread making, all the flour is mixed with water. This begins hydration and enzymatic processes. With the method you describe, all of the flour making up the "well" is just sitting there...inert....
How to minimise exposure to systemic pesticides while eating non-organic fruits and vegetables? For those who cannot afford organic produce, what foods would you suggest limiting the consumption of in order to minimise the amount of systemic pesticides being consumed? I ask this specifically about systemic pesticides,...	You reduce your chances of consuming pesticides by looking at the country of origin. For example, EU countries frequently have tighter standards than Asian countries, and even within the EU, there are differences in which pesticides are allowed, and at which levels. You would have to find out whose regulation you trust...
How to cook dried red beans faster? I bought some dried red beans from the supermarket. I learned that in order to cook them well, I need more time. I have to soak them in cold water for one night, then cook for another two or three hours. Are there any tips or tricks to cook them faster?	If you want to reduce total preparation time, you can skip the soak. Then you can just boil for about 4-6 hours, instead of soaking overnight. This is not a tradeoff most cooks are willing to make, since it wastes quite a bit of energy, and reduces the taste qualities of the prepared beans somewhat. If you want it eve...
How to make syrups shelf stable? I'm making flavoured tonic syrups, but I want to flavour them naturally with juices, concentrates and botanicals. I'm working on a "green" flavour with herbs and spices, but trying to make it shelf stable. The idea I currently have is to press the juices from fresh herbs and mix it in...	A syrup can be made shelf stable by reaching the appropriate water activity. Generally, using 2:1 sugar to water is considered sufficient to give you a safe level of water activity of around 0.86, with the only risk being molds, which are luckily visible. So you could start with 200 g of sugar and 100 g of juice and bo...
I used olive oil to finish my salad serving utensils - now what? I recently received some homemade unfinished wood salad serving utensils as a gift, and like a dummy, I figured it would be safe to rub them down with some olive oil. Now, I've learned that since olive oil turns rancid, this was probably not a good idea....	Do nothing, or maybe give them a soap wash. You seem to be very worried about what are very small effects. Sure, the oil can oxidize over time. It won't turn your utensils into a big ball of funk. You probably won't notice that much difference in reality. Maybe, if you hold them under your nose, the whiff will be diff...
Which pasta should be used for what sauce? As I understand it, the philosophy of what pasta to choose depends a lot on the sauce. With bolognese, you have a heavy sauce, with fairly large meat particles and tomato parts. This means, that you need to serve pasta, which is going to be able to "carry" this heavy sauce, w...	General rules are hard to be made or at least your question made me surprised that, in spite or knowing or feeling what goes with what, indeed I cannot condense everything in few words or even sentences. Still I can try to list a few lines a minimalistic sauce in which the principal fat is oil goes with long dried p...
What would you call this cut of pork? I got a cut from an asian grocery store yesterday that was labeled as Pork Belly, but what I got is this: That's the top-down view; the cut is under an inch thick. There's a portion in the upper right that looks similar to the fat on pork belly. What would this cut be called, and...	That looks like Pork neck or shoulder without a bone. The best way to prepare it is to grill it or bake.
Where can I find nut-free chocolate in the EU? I'm looking to make homemade chocolate bars but I'm having a hard time finding any sort of chocolate (chips or otherwise) that are nut-free. Where can I look for these types of chocolate? Are there any companies known for selling nut-free chocolate?	There is company in UK called Vantage House that supplies cocoa products and cocoa accessories :). Making your own chocolate is very easy as basic one can be made with just cocoa powder, oil and sweetener (sugar, maple syrup honey anything you want). If you like taste of some store-bought chocolate you can just use t...
How do I create a meat like bite resistance/snap and texture in Vegan sausages? I have been trying to create a vegan and gluten free sausage. The flavors thus far are tasty and enjoyable. I just want a better snap/bite/tear when I bite into the dog. I use soy isolate (I have tried pea isolate as well) to make an e...	Zambian Chikanda has a meat (more of processed meat/saussage) like texture, it’s made using ground peanuts and orchid tubers. The polysaccharide (glucomannan) in the orchid tubers once cooked above a certain pH level, will form a heat stable gel upon cooling. I think this texture is what you’re looking for. Even though...
Scalloped potatoes and oven fried pork copsihave scl I have scalloped potatoes that need to cook at 450 for 25 minutes and ocean fried pork chops that need to cook at 425 for 25 minutes. How much longer will scalloped potatoes need to cook at 425?	Potatoes are forgiving; they can bake longer. the temperature difference between 425 and 450 is not big, i would expect them to take about the same time. To be on the safe side, I would put the potatoes 15 minutes before the pork and bake them up nicely and take them out when they are ready. curious what is "ocean frie...
Which product for white chapatis? I want to make some chapatis with water and wheat flour only. there should preferably be no mineral fortification or added ingredients and it has to be white as I want it to be easier for digestion. I cant seem to find it all the results show wholewheat or wholemeal and I believe th...	Just look for a "white" or "fine white" - many of the chapati flour companies make half a dozen types. Don't expect to find the full range at any of the "middle class" emporiums like Ocado, Sainsbury, etc, you'll have to dig a little deeper than that; but it depends where you live. My local Asda does 2 or 3 varieties, ...
Must I store uncooked pasta in an airtight container? With things like uncooked chapatis, if you don't put them in airtight packaging, they become tough and dry. I imagine that this is because they've already been mixed with water and chemically changed. Must you do the same with uncooked pasta? In the packaging, the...	It's usually fine to keep the pasta in an open container. But there are two potential issues: First, if you live somewhere with a very humid climate, the pasta could get unpleasant after many months of storage. Second, you'll be surprised what weevils like to eat! Keeping anything with even a small amount of starch se...
the oil I put in cake mix is old The oil I used in a cake mix was old & made the batter taste like old oil. Is there a salvage or is it ruined?	It's ruined - what goes in is what comes out
Food Rancidity Question Since rancid oil produces free radicals, would that rancid oil if mixed with fresh oil cause the fresh oil to go rancid as well?	Short answer: No. Long answer: No - because the free radicals are very short lived and highly reactive - each free radical will generally only interact with one other molecule before being destroyed. This could cause degradation of reactive nutrients such as vitamins and other nutrients in the oil, but is unlikely to c...
Why do frozen vegetables go bad more quickly after thawing than fresh cut ones? I left a pack of frozen vegetables (brocolli, carrot, cauliflower, green beans) in the fridge so it thawed. It went sour and slimy after a few days, (maybe 5) -- why? If I cut the same fresh vegetables and store it in a plastic bag or cont...	Very simply; freezing breaks the cell walls. As ice takes up more space than water, as the vegetables freeze all the cells rupture. Once defrosted, each cell is then little more than a slowly-leaking bag of nutrient, exposed to the open air. Whether or not any bacteria gets in & starts to breed is almost irrelevant b...
Is it redundant to add umami to tomato-based sauces? On the wiki page for umami, it says that tomatoes are "rich" in umami components. Does that mean it is redundant to add umami (such as monosodium glutamate) or soy based flavorings to tomato-based sauces, or is there a benefit? For example, a typical tomato-based sa...	The Wikipedia article you link actually hints at an answer. It points out that there's a synergistic effect when combining different classes of umami-rich foods, leading to a greater flavour enhancement than would be expected simply by adding the effects of the ingredients Japanese make dashi with kombu seaweed and d...
How to spread dried blueberries evenly when using bread machine? This blueberry oatmeal bread recipe says to add 2/3 cup dried blueberries to the bread machine at add-in time. When I just dump them in on top of the dough, they end up clustered at the bottom of the loaf, as shown: (How) can I get them to be evenly dis...	You can add them at the start of the mixing process to help distribute them evenly. You may find that soaking them for a few minutes in warm water to re-hydrate will help the berries mix more evenly if adding at the add-in-time.
What should I be aware of while eating raw oysters? I've never eaten a raw oyster, mainly because I am afraid of the dangers involved. I'd like to try it however, and I'm trying to find what is the best way. I was thinking about trying first at a restaurant and then at home. So, both when eating out and buying for ho...	Usually for a business it's up to the oyster shucker to worry about the quality and you're to just enjoy. You can tell if the oyster is bad if it has an off smell. Much like fish, fresh oysters won't give that off rotten fishy smell and tend to smell mild. Many people suck them whole but you should chew oysters before...
Water repellent-like residue on pot when cooking vegetables When I boil vegetables including broccoli the pot gets a water repellent-like residue at the water line that is very hard to remove. There is also residue similar to when cooking beans on the sides of the pots. This is in decent, newer stainless pots includin...	Vegetables often have a waxy coating on stems and leaves that helps protect the plant (retain water, keep out unwanted substances, etc; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plant_cuticle). Boiling water can strip that coating. Oils and waxes float on water, so the build-up would tend to be near the water line. I've never blan...
Best way to cheat at hollandaise? While I've been making it for years, hollandaise remains a fussy, error-prone sauce where the slightest error in technique, measurement, or timing results in an oily mess and a huge waste of expensive butter. I've tried the blender hollandaise, the immersion blender hollandaise, and ...	it all “boils down” to setting the sauce at the right temperature. To make it fool-proof, you need precise temperature control, which you can achieve with a sous-vide setup. To make sous-vide hollandaise, you just need to combine all your ingredients together and cook at 75°C for 30 minutes (these figures are from a ch...
Why did my root beer hard candy turn to a dry crumble? I just tried to make some root beer flavored hard candies. I was somewhat improvising the recipe, and I ran into a weird issue I haven't seen before. When I added the root beer flavoring to the heated sugar mixture, the entire concoction bubbled up, then dried up ...	I am pretty sure that this method cannot work. When you heat up sugar with water, you make a supersaturated solution. At room temperature, you can dissolve at most 200 g of sugar in 100 g of water, which gives you a 67% sugar solution. At hard crack stage, you achieve a 99% sugar solution. If you manage to cool that d...
Is there a multipurpose cooking appliance that can be used to make natto? I want to try making some of my own natto, since it is a bit pricey getting it from the store. Looking at online recipes (such as this and this) it appears that at one point it is necessary to maintain the mix at slightly over body temperature (...	A programmable pressure cooker only works for natto if it has a natto specific setting. Then it doesn't turn on the pressure, or heat up to high temperatures, but keeps the needed temperature range over the specified time. If you want to buy a pressure cooker, look for a model which has a natto setting - consult the u...
Prosciutto and Cantaloupe Here's a pic of an appetizer I'd like to replicate. Can you tell me how to slice the prosciutto and cantaloupe and plate it? Thanks	Normally, your deli/charcuterie store will slice the prosciutto for you, either manually or with a meat slicer (more often). The melon, is thinly sliced manually, just pick a ripe melon, halve it and slice it up and remove the rind. Depending on the thickness of the slices, you will be able to make fancy folds like in ...
Can I use rice wine vinegar in risotto? I don't tend to keep any white wine in the house for cooking and have a bottle of rice wine vinegar to use up - only used it once and don't know what else to use it for. Could I use rice wine vinegar at the start of cooking a risotto?	I would not use any vinegar. You will not want the sour taste that vinegar will leave. You will have a better final result if you just omit the wine. If you feel like it needs a little acidity at the end add a light squeeze of lemon (or even a couple of drops of vinegar). However, I've made risotto plenty of times w...
How to cook egg whites? I have bought a bottle of egg whites as I do not enjoy the yolks at all. For normal eggs I'd either fry them on the pan (pour it on non-stick, flip it over sometime later or a few times and done) or boil till hard. Is there any chance to get the whites into something hardened? The recipes on th...	I suspect that you'd like a solution do with no expensive or difficult to find equipment, as would we all - so that's what I offer. What you will need: A tin - as from soup or sweetcorn or tunafish. The only stipulation is that it should have straight sides, not crinkled. A little oil/butter. A saucepan, medium/small....
Acceptance of sweet rice dishes in Japan My father once told me a story about some Japanese guests coming over to Europe. On their stay here they were once served a sweet rice dish. The guests were so shocked that rice would be served this way that they outright refused to eat it. In an effort to save the meal they ev...	Mochi is a sticky rice cake that can be served both sweet and savory. Sweetened rice pudding is not an uncommon dessert in Japanese cuisine. I think your original premise, that sweetened rice is unacceptable in Japanese cuisine is flawed. Rice is a staple in Japanese cuisine, and is used in numerous ways. Sweet pre...
When making batter/dough, why is it really bad to clean your spoon by hitting it on the edge of the bowl a few times? Mom and I were looking at a holiday cooking tv-show a few weeks back, and during the part where the host made the dough for the oliebollen, he hit his spoon a few times against the bowl, to get rid of ...	Oh, those cooking myths! Whenever you think you have heard them all, there's a new one. In a yeasted dough, the yeast is perfectly fine with being tossed, beaten and generally mangled. The little yeast cells couldn't care less about what you do in the initial stage of mixing and kneading. (That's obviously different w...
Substitute celery seed for fresh celery in soup How much celery seed do I substitute for a stalk of celery in soup? I haven't tried anything as I don't want to ruin a whole pot of soup.	If it's one stick in a pot serving several people (as it sounds from your question), it's not a major part of the flavour. The seed also has a different flavour to the sticks and can be quite strong*, so I'd be sparing and use a pinch, crushed. Serious eats also talks in terms of pinches, though they think it tastes ...
Thermo bottle for impromptu sous vide? I would like to try out sous vide, but I don't want to invest in the gadgets, until I have tried it and decided I want to keep using it. So I have thought about the best way to try it with no budget. Online, one of the method suggested is to use a beer cooler and zip bags. Would ...	I don't think a thermos bottle will give you enough room to cook much of anything. However in principle, it could work. It would be better to use a cooler. This old Serious Eats article explains everything. Of course, that was written 8 or 9 years ago, when immersion circulators were very pricey. You can get them ...
Chicken Stock - Absorbed all water? I atempted to make a chicken stock that I can keep in my fridge for a few days. After roasting a couple chicken breasts, carrot, onion, garlic, mushroom stems for 45 minutes I put all of that in a pan, covered with water and set to simmer for a couple hours. Aftee checking it about ...	You don't mention covering your pot, so I'm assuming you left it uncovered for the duration. If that's the case, you boiled all your liquid off. Next time you can try using a lid, that should slow the evaporation of water from your pot and leave you with some stock still in the pot. Even if the pot was covered, though,...
How does curry shop keep their curry hot without reducing them? So when you buy curry , wether in Japanese or Indian style they will give you piping hot curry. how do they maintain that temperature without incidentally reducing the water hereby making them more salty? or do they have a vat of room temperature curry an...	Many curry shops and other varieties of fast service restaurants and take out places will indeed keep a variety of broths, soups, stocks, and sauces hot during service hours. Other components of the dish are kept cold, and heated when the dish is ordered. Some parts may need to be quickly cooked, then the broth added. ...
Making pickles using dill weed: ideas for containing the particles? I had to substitute dried dill weed for dill seed in a recent batch of refrigerator pickles because I'd run out of the latter. They came out fine and I like the slightly different flavor. However I find the dill weed particles floating in the brine an...	The tea filter idea works well and is exactly what I would propose. You can buy ready-made paper or fabric tea filters that are smaller than coffee filters and more porous. If you want to use metal filters, make sure they are not reactive (like stainless steel) or they can influence the taste of the finished product. P...
How to "Sponge" in "Sponge and Dough"? I'm trying to improve my bread making and have read about the sponge and dough method. From my understanding, I should use 20% to 30% of my flour for the sponge. To the sponge's flour, I should add 60% (of the sponge flour's weight) water. Then I add 1% (again, of the sponge flou...	There are many ways to make a sponge. Probably no way is totally wrong (OK, maybe adding 10mL of water to 1000g of flour is totally wrong). There are wet sponges and dry sponges. Supposedly the ratio of flour to water in your sponge can have different effects on the final product. I haven't paid enough attention or do...
Equipment: Intense candle for nabemono. What is it? I went to a Japanese Nabemono (Chankonabe?) place, in Tokyo. The meal was basically a hot pot. But instead of the typical small candle or small methanol pot/gel I've seen used elsewhere, they had a sort of gel that came wrapped in a foil. Unwrapped, it stood on small...	Sounds like they were using タブレット型固形燃料 taburetto-gata kokeinenryou, literally "tablet-shaped solid fuel": (courtesy メシ通) The market leader is a company called Nitinen, who offer a wide range of different sizes and shapes. The primary ingredients are methanol and alcohol, blended with fat in much the same way as soap.
Why does my chopped beef come out too tough? Whenever I try cooking chopped beef for stews or curries, I can't seem to get it right: It always comes out too tough and tastes like dog food. I usually get beef labeled "for stir fry" or "for stew". It comes pre-sliced, and it seems like it's pretty good quality. I pat it...	As Raditz_35 mentioned in his comment you prepare the meat in different way than you want to. Yes, in curry and stew/gulash you use low quality (it's not actually low quality per se, it's just more dense and more chewy onto itself) meat. And then you STEW the meat for few hours. You try to fry it for few minutes. If y...
Schichttorte; a 20 layer German broiled cake I am making the cake named above, which I found on a British baking site. It call s for 5 1/2 oz of reg flour-sifted, and 2 1/4 oz of sifted corn flour. ? Does anyone know if this recipe in this context is calling for actual corn "flour" or is it cornstarch? Hope someone ...	Actual corn "flour" is not a traditional ingredient in Schichttorte. The common translation of corn flour translates to the German equivalent of "corn starch". To be sure, you can have a look at different recipes for "Baumkuchen". It's the same batter as for Schichttorte, but baked on a stake instead of a flat surface.
Do I need to put blood in a vacuum sealed bag to cook it sous vide in this type of appliance? If I used this type of appliance... https://www.amazon.de/dp/B01N1PQTIV/ ... to pasteurise blood at 60°C for 45 minutes (as per these instructions: https://www.chefsteps.com/activities/blood-sauce), would I have to put the bl...	Looking at the photos in the webshop it's pretty clear to me that you're still supposed to bag whatever food goes in it. It will make clean up of the machine easier and you don't want blood residues on it for your next batch of food. Perhaps you don't need to vacuum seal it, just squeeze out as much air as possible wi...
Freeze dried blueberries vs frozen blueberries? What can I substitute for freeze dried blueberries? Will frozen blueberries work? This is for a bread filling.	No, they aren't a direct substitute. Freeze dried blueberries are very dry and will absorb moisture from the dough in order to re-hydrate, frozen ones are not dried or dehydrated at all so will add water to the dough. They also have a very different consistency: thawed from frozen blueberries will be squishy and tend ...
Xanthan Gum in sauce/gravy I'm making Salisbury Steak (https://www.skinnytaste.com/skinny-salisbury-steak-) but would like to substitute xanthan gum for flour to reduce carbs AND use coconut or almond flour (and / or psyllium husk powder) instead of bread crumbs. Instead of 2 T. Flour how much xanthan gum should I us...	The flour in this recipe is for thickening the sauce. You can use xanthan for this purpose, but in very small amounts...0.25 to 0.75% for a thin to medium running sauce. As you increase the amount, xanthan will make your sauce take on an unpleasant, mucous-like texture. This is most easily calculated in weight (and m...
How to saute dried and fresh mushrooms together? I'm preparing a creamy mushroom pasta. The first step is sauteing and browning the mushrooms. The recipe calls for a variety mushrooms including chanterelles. Unfortunately, I can't find any fresh chanterelles so I opted for dried ones. Considering the rest of the mushr...	I would .. hydrate the dried mushrooms in enough near-boiling water to cover, plus a bit, for as long as you like. Lift the mushrooms out and reserve the soaking liquor. Sauté the soaked mushrooms along with the fresh If your recipe involves a reduction stage, of wine, stock, or some other ingredient, add the liquor, ...
Non-melting processed cheese: what's it made of? I got a Hickory Farms box over the holidays (as a gift), and it included a brick of "smoked cheddar/swiss", a processed cheese that was "naturally" smoked. Yesterday we decided to use it on baked potatoes, and were startled to find out that it doesn't melt, at all. Ev...	I've never found smoked cheeses (including hickory farms' smoked cheddar) to be meltable. they make really good, flexible slices for sandwiches, or on crackers, but they don't melt well. Smoked cheese, including hickory farm's brand, is a drier, firmer cheese - and the moisture levels of cheese are really important to...
What kind of cooking knife is this? In a show (One Piece), the character uses the following kitchen knife. I've never seen anything like it before; what is it? Here it is in action:	An ulu knife That looks like a variant on an ulu knife, a knife whose blade is below the handle.
How can one make a reasonable curry with limited spices and poor quality equipment? When travelling one has to make do with whatever cooking equipment is available. Typical deficiencies I've encountered are: thin saucepans and frying pans that have lost any non-stick coating (maybe only one of each), a hob with just o...	The one thing that makes a big difference is the knife (and I say that as someone who doesn't look after mine very well). You may be able to take a small sharp knife with you (you can buy paring knifes with plastic sheaths, for example) though this depends how you're traveling and on thy knife laws where you are. Then ...
When cooking Chicken Tandoori or Chicken Kababs, how do you make that crisp spicy layer thicker? Here's a screenshot of what I'm talking about: Look at this image. It's got a thick layer of spices on top of the chicken. Restaurants typically make such dishes with a thick, crispy, spicy layer that has a strong taste. ...	Restaurants usually make it on charcoal grill. I don't know the science but that does make a difference in achieving that look as well as taste. Use thicker yogurt with higher fat level, and keep the marinade thicker. I have been able to achieve that crusty layer by keeping my marinade thicker and using yogurt with at ...
What is the purpose and effect of using knuckles when kneading bread dough? Some recipes specify that the baker's knuckles should be used when kneading the dough. What is the purpose and effect of using one's knuckles as part of the kneading process?	I don't think that it is really necessary to use your knuckles. Rather, there are ways to knead dough well, and ways to knead dough badly. I have seen ineffective people pinching the dough, or turning it between their hands, or other strange motions, which in a cargo-cult way resemble actual kneading, but don't do anyt...
Making miso in a jar too big for the amount of paste. Is it a problem? we want to make miso and we have some koji ready. It's not that much though and we are wondering if using a 5L jar for about 1.5kg of miso might be a problem. Are there issues with air circulation or surface exposed to the air? Thank you	I have been into miso for a short time, so I am far from being an expert and I won't attempt a complete answer. However, let me raise two points which I think are relevant: It is common to remove and dispose the thin dark layer that was in contact with the air when harvesting the miso. The reason is that LAB bacteria ...
How can I make a large amount of caramelized onions for a french onion soup? I am looking to make a large amount of French Onion soup (for ~16 servings), and rather than spend hours in front of a skillet (as I would have to do several batches), I am looking for an easier way: could I bake a large amount (~20 onions) ...	You can caramelize onions in the oven to do large quantities. This isn't less effort, and it actually takes longer, but it does allow you to do really large quantities; I did 20lbs of caramelized onions for one Polish dinner I was serving this way. Since I haven't been able to find a website with this method, here it...
What is this white part of these lamb chops called? What is the white part (circled in black) of these lamb chops called? I know they contain fat, but is there a name for the tissue itself? Do they occur throughout the meat or is it only in certain parts? I believe back lamb racks don't contain them, but the front ...	It's hard to tell from your photo, but probably fat or connective tissue.
What part of beef is used in beef chow mein? The meat in beef chow mein doesn't look fatty or have white tissue on it unlike say front lamb chops. What part of the beef is it they use to get these clean cuts of meat and why do they use these instead of say more fattier cuts of meat?	Chow mein is a Chinese dish of stir fried noodles. While popular throughout Chinese cuisine, I am guessing that you are referring to the dish found at Chinese restaurants throughout India, the UK, or the US. In these restaurants, a protein such as chicken, beef, or seafood is often added. Remember, these are high he...
Why is chorizo spice-mix rarely sold in stores? I'm not much of a cook, but I do enjoy anything made with chorizo. I've looked far and wide for pre-made chorizo spice-mix in grocery stores, international food stores, etc., but I've never found it. Yet, chorizo sausage is widely available at grocery stores, restaurant...	There are multiple brands of chorizo spice mix available commercially: Spice House, Savory Spice, sausage maker supply, etc. Google a little. Further, if you go to a grocery store with a good selection of Mexican food, you'll probably find some mixes there from Latin suppliers who don't have web sites. Maybe not, tho...
Nixtamalized cornmeal for polenta? Do Italians ever use nixtamalized cornmeal ("grits") for polenta, or would they no longer call that polenta? This translation dictionary gives some examples of where "hominy" is synonymous with "polenta," but that doesn't seem correct.	At least in the US, there are two types of grits: (a) dried ground corn, and (b) hominy grits. The latter is nixtamalized. I can't find any historical references to using nixtamalized corn in Italian cuisine. I would be interested to learn of any uses from any Italians who are on this site. I did find much more rec...
Preventing oil burn when searing steak Recently got into cooking steak at home and overall been enjoying the results :) That being said, it seems like my pan always smokes quite a bit and the oil looks to be burnt. I'm using refined avocado oil which has a high smoking point of 500F and a cast iron pan. I was wonderin...	I always do my steak in cast iron, but instead of oil I use salt. Yes, you read that right, no oil in the pan. At all. The salt provides seasoning and prevents the steak from 'sticking' to the skillet. You can preheat your skillet over a medium heat to cut down on the smoke, yes even without oil, there's still smoke. B...
Can I make potatoes sweet by cooking them? I've heard that cooking "breaks down" carbohydrates such as starch. I also know that starch is a complex carbohydrate, which is essentially made out of simple carbohydrates (sugars). Potatoes contain a lot of starch, so I was wondering: is there a way of cooking potatoes that...	A raw potato is 79% water, 17% carbohydrates (of which 88% is starch) and 2% protein. So your question is essentially: can starch be turned into sugar? In theory the answer is clearly 'yes': this is what plants do when they break down the starch created as the final product of photosynthesis, and what happens in the h...
Should I clean all of my cooking utensils after being exposed to mothballs (naphthalene) for over a week? While I was away on vacation my roommate put mothballs in the kitchen cabinets where the pots and pans and cutlery are stored. I have removed them and thrown them out ( not sure if I was overreacting or not). Shou...	I doubt that there's enough naphthalene deposited on the cutlery to give you severe poisoning, although it may taste bad. Based on the rat/mouse lethal doses, you would need to ingest ~50 gr of the stuff to die from it (of course, you would experience adverse effects at much smaller amounts). It seems like chronic expo...
Does package yeast inhibit wild fermentation? I baked my first “sourdough” boules today and there was zero detectable sour or tartness. After about day four of zero activity in my baby starter I added a packet of packaged yeast I bloomed bloomed with a tiny bit of honey. Ever since then it has been happy and healthy....	If started from packaged yeast, over time, your local wild strains will probably take over. The same is true if you start with a starter from someone else or the dried sourdough starter packages. But, it takes longer even than starting from scratch more than likely for them to slowly replace the current strains. I wo...
Is there a way to make this bread recipe's crust less crunchy? This is a challah recipe I inherited: 1 cup warm water 2 eggs, lightly beaten 2 tbsp vegetable oil 4 1/2 cups bread flour 1 tbsp sugar 1 tbsp yeast Knead, let rise, braid, let rise, egg wash, and bake at 375°F for an hour. I like the flavor of this and t...	I make the same Challah bread recipe every year, and mine says to bake at 350°f for 35 min and the crust is chewy but not crunchy or crisp. I've never had it under baked either.
Best before date of cooked dairy I am planning on making a cooked white chocolate sauce, sealing it in a bottle while hot, and selling it in my shop. It contains dairy, and so I am wanting to work out the best before date. My questions are:1. does cooking and sealing make dairy products last for longer, if so, how muc...	There is no way to safely can dairy products to be shelf stable, without using industrial equipment and processes. If you plan on refrigerating it, the best by date on the dairy you use should be good. You need to check with your local health department for specific requirements.
Why some dough recipes needs more kneading and others not? I have 2 croissant recipes from 5 stars chef. The first recipe is for Pierre Herme: 1 Tbsp (12 g) active dry yeast 7 Tbsp (100 g) whole milk, warmed to 68°F 2 cups (500 g) all-purpose flour 1 Tbsp (12 g) fleur de sel de Guérande (or other fine sea salt) 6 ...	This isn't exactly an answer, but it's a bit more than a simple comment. First off, it's not the "same" dessert. It's similar desserts that are in the same category. It's not quite as fuzzy of a category as quick breads, but I could see some people arguing that your recipe isn't a 'classic' croissant because although...
The more I season, the worse it gets with my cast iron Recently, I bought a cast iron skillet, which was preseasoned. Still, I did season it a couple of times and since then I season it after every cook. I didn't cook anything crazy, just a dutch baby and a pizza. Still, even after multiple seasonings, there is a clea...	A couple of things - the first is that I often hear people say that you should strip off/remove the pre-seasoning that comes with skillets, as it is inferior or will interfere with a proper seasoning done by you. Since you are having issues with your current seasoning, and it's not getting better, it might be best to s...
Safe to consume pork basting liquid directly? I've been watching Sam the Cooking Guy a lot lately, and I was excited to see that his newest video featured my favorite sandwich, the Cuban. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gj5kgvnzxDo (skip to 2:30 in the video) I trust Sam's skills, however I was a bit taken aback when ...	I'm not sure I was able to tell exactly what he did when watching the video. What I know is that you should not use a marinade that came into contact with raw meat as a brushed on finishing sauce. Once it has come into contact with raw meat, it is not safe to consume uncooked. It is possible that he marinated the me...
What is the ideal temperature to cool the melted chocolate in a freezer? I have temperated chocolate that is now in a liquid state. I have chocolate molds that I use and I fill up these molds with the chocolate. Now I need to set these chocolate-filled molds in a freezer so that the chocolate can solidify and after so...	Do not use a freezer, that's way too harsh on the chocolate and will almost certainly introduce terrible condensation, and possibly off tastes, if there is other food stored in the freezer. If you have a way to create a temperature-controlled "box", you should cool it at 20 degrees Celsius. If not, keep it in a room w...
Brownie with chocolate mousse on top I want to make a cake that involves a brownie layer with chocolate mousse on top. I just want to use my own trusted brownie and chocolate mousse recipes. I've looked it up and found a few similar recipes. Now, I'm worried that the chocolate mousse might have a bit of fluids at the ...	Brownies are thicker than a standard cake sponge, but either can absorb moisture, if you want to prevent that then a thin layer of chocolate frosting would work fine, or as you suggest a thin layer of chocolate. It is opinion based whether I think a brownie or a sponge would be better with mousse, what I will say is t...

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