id stringlengths 5 7 | question stringlengths 33 6.65k | answers stringlengths 0 6.42k | score int64 3 2.69k |
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pwmnvo | Why does simple syrup expire in a week Water doesn't really expire and sugar is a preservative so why does that happen | Sugar only acts as a preservative in high enough concentrations. At high enough levels, the sugar will draw water out of bacteria into the sugar/water via osmosis making them inert and incapable of growing or reproducing. With a 1:1 simple syrup, the concentration of sugar isn’t high enough to cause the osmosis and p... | 460 |
mv3jb7 | Are the red beans found in Japanese deserts the same as the dried red beans found in a supermarket here in the US If so, how do you cook them so they are sweet? Thinking about making some red bean creme brulee I had at a Japanese fusion restaurant. | Look for Adzuki beans at an Asian market. They’re red beans, but about pea sized, round, and has a white line on one side. It’s usually found dry in a package, and to make the bean paste, you add some sugar to sweeten it. I’ve also seen them in cans. Another way to eat them is in rice called Osekihan. It’s red ... | 459 |
jhqnwg | Aligot; the French cheese potatoes fit for the gods. Why can I not get this right? If you don't know, aligot (Ahl-ee-goh) is a French comfort food cheesy potato dish. I first had it in Toulouse during their winter festival. I can only describe it as "the way cartoon cheese on pizza looks, but in real life", and it was ... | French southwesterner here. Aligot is a pretty easy dish. You need potatoes and a cheese called "tomme des Pyrénées". Just cook the potatoes in steam or water, then when it's done, drain the watern put the potatoes back in, lower the heat to a minimum, then had thin slices of "tomme des pyréenées" (but a lot of it) unt... | 458 |
x9roja | controversial topic but culinary nonetheless. Horse meat? How to cook horse meat? I tried braising it and I tried confit it and still comes dry. Braised didn't even fall apart and confit was fall apart but still dry. I tried a carpaccio and a tartare and it's great but anything cooked seems to be dry. And before you s... | Horse meat has very little fat, collagen, and connective tissue. So low-and-slow will not benefit you; it'll just overcook the meat. Cook it hot and fast. You can slice the meat very thinly and treat it like Japanese, Koreans, and Mexicans do. | 458 |
g9nv7j | Not sure if this is the right place to ask, but cultures that eat very hot and spicy food such as Thai, sezchuan Chinese, etc, when and how are young children introduced to the heat? I'm introducing my infant to solid food now and it occurred to be that there are places where almost every dish has some element of heat ... | My family introduces spice very slowly to children. They start with very little spice for the kids, and as they grow, adapt and change their kids’ version to suit the kids’ palates. And most kids are dying to try what their parents are eating so sometimes kids are introduced that way... sometimes it works, sometimes it... | 455 |
yrovrc | When do you HAVE to use dairy milk instead of an alternative in a recipe, in order for it to work? I'm not talking about whether the flavour just wouldn't be the same, like using oat milk in a mac and cheese recipe. The recipe would still work. When are the specific chemical properties of dairy milk critical to the s... | Instant pudding doesn't set well with some non-dairy milks. | 455 |
mirb1s | How do i get my fried chicken spicy? I've been cooking almost daily for a few years now, and I have made fried chicken a fair few times since I started cooking. It usually comes out well, my favorite way is marinating/brining in buttermilk with some hot sauce for a few hours/overnight in the fridge, then bread it with ... | > maybe put more chili powder in the flour mixture Chilli powder is the wrong spice if you're looking for heat. You could start with adding a bunch of cayenne pepper to your breading mix. Probably more black pepper and way more salt than you're using now if your chicken is seriously bland. I bet KFC is using 10X m... | 454 |
mawynw | Impossible vs real beef Can I cook with impossible beef exactly as i would with real beef? If not, what should I do differently for impossible? | As a product developer and a chef who creates plant based meat substitutes. For the best results on most alternatives: add fat to your pan, and cook on low heat slowly for the best results. Exactly the opposite of a burger which should be seared on high heat when cooking in a pan. | 451 |
vkc8hw | My spice powders have clumped up in the bottle and I can’t shake them up 😭 I have to use the end of a spoon to scrape them out cus the powder has hardened. Any advice on this? E.g those McCormick spice powders | Be sure to not shake the spices directly over a pot or pan. The moisture / steam from cooking can cause this also. Either use a measuring spoon or shake into your hand and put in the pan. | 451 |
bzeq2b | Why are the french fries yellow in France? American here. Recently got back from a trip to France. ​ I had french fries (Frites) at a handful of places, and they were all a deep yellow color. ​ Is this the result of the type of potato used? Or the frying oil? Or something else? | The most popular kinds of potatoes grown in France are: Spunta (yellow fleshed), Agata (yellow fleshed), Bintje (yellow fleshed), Lady Claire (light yellow). The most popular potatoes in the USA are a 5 different kinds of white potatoes (4 of them different Russet hybrids) and Frito-Lay potatoes (a light yellow hybri... | 449 |
rnof9y | Is there a difference in “Heavy Cream” and “Heavy Whipping Cream” if they are both labeled 36% milk fat? Are they interchangeable? | They are interchangeable, but read the rest of the label. In the US, a lot of heavy creams have stabilizers like gellan gum, and the vast majority are UHT pasteurized. The former will slightly impact baking characteristics and make whipping / emulsification easier, and the latter will impact setting characteristics i... | 447 |
j0f5bb | Touching Food After Handling Raw Meat. I've always been under the impression that once you or a utensil touches raw meat you have to immediately wash your hands or the utensil to make sure it does not infect other food items with bacteria. I wash my hands often and sanitize everything to the point where sometimes cooki... | > am I being too paranoid No, you're doing it right. They're doing it wrong and getting lucky most of the time. | 447 |
d1i4ik | I tried pork intestine and all I tasted was poop...is that normal?? My boyfriend and his friends are Cambodian, I am American. We are at a Cambodian restaurant here in Minnesota that they love, I had never been before. They decided to order the fried (unbreaded) pork intestine to share and as I’m adventurous eater, I w... | yip. It needs to be rinsed under cold water for AGES to remove most of that smell/taste. | 443 |
gkrhtm | Why isnt seaweed more prominent in American and English dishes despite proximity and access to ocean? | Sea vegetables were definitely traditionally part of British cooking and they’re making a comeback. Samphire is a pretty common ingredient in fancy restaurants now, for example. https://www.naturalbalancefoods.co.uk/community/healthy-living/a-guide-to-sea-vegetables-and-seaweeds/ | 442 |
lep74i | Incredibly Eye-Watering Onions - What's why these? A few weeks ago, a coworker who goes to the foodbank regularly received WAY too many bags of onions from them (I think they were bulk donated and the food bank had to get rid of them.) So she gave some bags to her coworkers, us included. I've been an enthusiastic home... | They look like mini onions, we grow those on the farm I work at and they emit like nuclear levels of onioney potency. Leaves me blind and full of snot every time, but they are very delicious ! I use a food processor to avoid the pain. | 441 |
gl8434 | Cilantro soap taste not present in certain Vietnamese sauces. I'm a cilantro soap taster. I've hated the stuff since I was 8 years old and first bit into a leaf at Chipotle. I recently had some taro fries with a vinegar mayo cilantro sauce at a Vietnamese restaurant, and the soap taste was missing. I got to experienc... | There are two commonly used herbs that taste like cilantro, saw tooth coriander, and Vietnamese cilantro. Both are grown and used in south east Asian cooking, and both reportedly lack the Aldehydes that register to some as a soapy taste. Vietnamese cilantro is in fact not even from the same family as cilantro and saw t... | 436 |
hh36be | Marcella Hazan's tomato sauce: why is the onion not diced? The onion is halved then cooked with the tomatoes for only 45 minutes. Wouldn't a fine dice be more effective for extracting the onion's flavor? If the worry is separating the small cuts of onion from the sauce, wrapping the small diced onion in cheesecloth wou... | The answer is yes. But this chef doesn't particularly want the onion to be featured in the recipe. Whenever you see an "italian" recipe keep in mind that Italy was only unified in the mid 19th century and that regional dialects and distinct cultures and cusines exist even now. The use of butter in a tomato sauce hardly... | 436 |
uo7gtw | Is it just me or is cooking chicken to 165F result in overcooked chicken? I've noticed if I cook chicken to an internal temp of 165 the chicken is often dry and tastes overcooked, particularly with breast. However I've tried cooking chicken to 145-150 degrees and the chicken is much juicier and overall better. When I ... | Destroying pathogens is a question of time *and* temperature, not just one. per the USDA's time/temp table for meat & poultry Pasteurization Time for Chicken With 5% Fat Content (99.99999% of pathogens killed) |Internal Temperature|Time held at that temp|| |:-|:-|:-| |136°F (58°C)|68.4 minutes|| |140°F (60°C) ... | 434 |
uq8plg | I'm constantly seeing people recommend rinsing your rice and toasting your rice. How do I do both? Should I toast the rice first and then rinse? Or do I rinse the rice and then heat it in a pan until dry and toasted? The first option seems like it would wash away the toasted flavor. The second option sounds like a to... | I rinse my rice good and let it sit for a minute or two in the strainer while I get oil hot in the pot. Then I throw the drained rice in and cook it. It'll steam off that bit of water for a minute but then you'll start smelling toasted flavors after a couple minutes. That's when I add my broth/liquid and cover and cook... | 434 |
phd5f6 | Why do Pancakes and Waffles taste different if they are made from the same batter? Made a waffle and a pancake with the same batter and the waffle tasted better | Often, they aren't made with the exact same batter. You clearly stated you tried it with the same batter and people just can't read. The main reason they aren't made with the same batter though, is that waffles tend to have a bit more oil. This brings us to *why* waffles often taste better - surface area. Even if they... | 432 |
lpuunh | Deep Fried food too heavy? Does anyone have any tips on how to get "lighter" food from deep-frying? For example, this week I cooked fried Cauliflower bites. Cut the Cauliflower dipped with buttermilk, into flour, cornstarch, season mix, back into the buttermilk and back into the flour mix. Then I fried at 350f in rap... | Tempura batter is the way to go, you’d replace the buttermilk with soda water and it’s much lighter | 431 |
k25i9e | Controversial question: Pineapple/Hawaiian Pizza without “actual” pineapple? My 5 year old is on a food experimentation kick. He has been requesting unusual food combinations, and I’ve been encouraging his creativity and culinary exploration as much as I can. I don’t know where he heard about pineapple pizza, but it... | I recommend peaches. I've seen it done before on a pizza. You could use canned ones. | 431 |
k61vgv | Is it possible to cook cranberries down in a way that results in a glaze-like syrup I could drizzle on a salad? No matter what I Google, all my results come back as holiday cranberry sauce. I realize I might need to add something sweet during the process. Sorry, I hope this isn’t going against the “no recipe request” r... | I think its because cranberry is high in pectin. At least I’m assuming it is. Since you dont need to add anything to make cranberry sauce. It sets up on it own. If it were me. Id juice the cranberries then make a reduction. | 431 |
lkdpp5 | When tempering chocolate, why do we raise the temperature above the temper temperature before cooling it down and bringing back up? In every tempering guide, they seem the recommend going up to 105f-120f (depending on type of chocolate) then down to 81f and then finally up to 90f. Why not just go to 90f? If at that te... | Cocoa butter is made up of 3 fat molecules that each have a different melt point. When CB cools, you need those molecules to form beta crystals. You achieve that with movement and agitation. Manufacturers want the chocolate heated to a point that all of the CB is melted as you can't form beta crystals with only 2 melte... | 428 |
jj73ht | I thawed my fish in a vacuum sealed bag! Help! So I bought some frozen halibut yesterday and threw it in the fridge and fell asleep last night. In the morning, I looked on the box and it said that I was supposed to take it out of the seal. No big deal right? Out of curiosity I looked up what would happen if I didn’t do... | Thanks mods for keeping this around... I definitely didn’t know this was a no-no! | 428 |
l0x8b0 | Is culinary school helpful for becoming a personal/private chef? I know there is a general disdain for culinary school on this sub and everyone says to work in a restaurant instead, but is culinary school helpful if you don’t intend on working in a restaurant and would be working in a private household? Also wondering ... | I’ve been almost exclusively a private chef for the last 15 years- yachts, homes etc. most staffing agencies and personal assistants prefer it on your resume, probably 80% of them. As far as being a good (and logistically proficient) cook- you’re gonna learn more of that in kitchens from more experienced cooks and chef... | 428 |
i58u0h | Is it safe to do a perpetual stew in a slow cooker? I have been using the same lamb juices in the slow cooker now for 2 weeks, it has not been off the heat the whole time. I just kept it going by adding wine and bone broth without even thinking about food poisoning! Oops! (I blame the sleep deprivation with a 5 month o... | According to the USDA, food can be kept indefinitely above 140F so you should be safe. | 427 |
awybda | Why do chefs hate pressed garlic? I have always used a garlic press but chefs tell me garlic always needs to be chopped — why is that? And what’s the opinion on using a mortar/pestle? | Garlic has a bunch of different flavor profiles depending on how much damage you do to the cells and how it's cooked. In order of increasing potency: * Whole * Roughly chopped * Lightly smashed * Chopped * Finely chopped * Grated (microplane) * Pounded into a paste. Once you have the size pieces you want, the flavor... | 426 |
m6hheb | Ramen recipes say that you need to cool the broth immediately if you arent using it right then. How do i cool down a hot pot of soup without diluting it, leaving it out, or putting it in the fridge? I could put ice in it, but that would dilute the soup. I could leave it out, but the recipes and advice say not to do th... | Ice bath in the kitchen sink is an easy way with no extra gear (immersion chiller, etc). | 425 |
s1d0kw | Why do Americans refer to yams and sweet potatoes interchangeably? The starchiness is very different. My supermarket SAYS they sell sweet potatoes but they’re actually yams. My boyfriend has grabbed yams for gnocchi and a puree but I don’t think they can be used interchangeably for these dishes? | The show High on the Hog (Netflix docu series about African American food) talks about this. I watched it a while ago so I don't remember exactly... But I think it had to do with slaves being brought over and swapping out yams (that they'd eat in Africa) for sweet potatoes because it's what was available there. But the... | 421 |
sx30tw | How to keep a supply of Avocado that is always ready to eat How do restaurants do it? I'm hoping to have fresh avocado ever day, not when 1 of my 5 avocados are ready to eat next Tuesday. | When ripe, put in the cold room/ fridge until use, they will keep ripening, but slower. | 421 |
fnji6c | Does bay leaf really make a difference? I was making a dish last night that called for a bay leaf, and I went ahead and put it in, but I don’t understand the purpose of a bay leaf. I don’t think I’ve ever had a meal and thought “this could use a bay leaf”. Does it make a difference to use a fresh versus a dried bay lea... | I always cook with bay leaf because my gramma had a thing where if you got the bay leaf in your bowl at dinner, you had to kiss the cook, which was her. That memory always makes use the good ole bay leaf. :) | 420 |
rvaoz9 | Is there a resource you’d recommend to improve my plating from home cook to better-than-home-cook? Also, how many random plates do you own? The second question is just curiosity. It stems from seeing people post food on multiple types/styles of plates that fit the theme of their meal. Just wondering if it’s normal for ... | Apologies as this is a bit of a re-post as I have written about plating around here a number of times before. Plating tends to be trendy and publishers don't really like to address topics that aren't going to keep selling, so there are few written resources. And the market for info on plating is 99% chefs and we all... | 420 |
ks1ksa | How to avoid blood/marrow/whatever leaking from drumstick bones when roasting? Everytime I roast drumsticks, either in the oven or the air fryer, juice leaks from the bones and leaves red/brown/black streaks and stains in the meat. I don't really mind, but I have small kids who get a little finicky when seeing it. I'm ... | It’s staining that happens when the legs are frozen. You can buy fresh never frozen chicken (if you can find it) otherwise it’s just an artifact of the meat industry and there isn’t anything you can do about it. | 419 |
eh6sx2 | I bought a 25lb bag of flour from Costco because it was cheaper per Oz, how do I store it and preserve it? The goofed up looking pack. Can I get a huge bucket or something to put it in? | The following is a paragraph from The Bread Bible by Rose Levy Berenbaum: >**Freshness** I have to confess that for years I never believed flour could get stale, as long as I couldn’t smell any off flavors, but I was dead wrong. I learned the now-unforgettable lesson when developing the recipe for the baguette. No ... | 418 |
z5ac39 | How would you "elevate" a pretzel salad? Pretzel salad is a holiday tradition in my family, but it's so... weird... like as a whole concept... It's pretzels with cool whip and Jello (my grandma would even serve it on a lettuce leaf to make it a "salad"). I want to keep the tradition alive, but also not have to eat the... | I had never heard of this and uncharacteristically covered my mouth in shock while reading it. For anyone else like me who didn't know what it was: it's a pie and the crust is made of pretzels, I guess the salad is just a serving method? | 416 |
xcer69 | What is a "raft" in context of soup? I am a long time soup connoisseur and cook, and I have never heard of this term. My partner is having a birthday soon and I wanted to make a clear oxtail soup, and found a cookbook recipe that takes around four hours. At one stage you add egg whites, and the book writes that this cr... | As the egg whites cook, they trap the impurities and float to the top, like a raft on a lake, that you can then scoop off. It’s a way to create a completely clear broth. | 415 |
oikf9q | What makes pepperoni turn into those crispy and melty cups? What makes some pepperoni lay flat on pizza and other pepperoni form a tight cup that is crispy? How do you shop for that specific type of pepperoni? How do you get the pepperoni "cups"? What about the pepperoni makes them like that as opposed to the pepperoni... | Kenji wrote an article on this. It is actually pretty interesting! | 415 |
wneiko | Anyone ever heard of this Italian dish? Degolini - Garlic, beans, breadcrumbs, tomatoes... My mother's family is Italian extraction but has lived in Pittsburgh for many generations. They make a dish they call "Degolini" that I can't find on Google anywhere. The recipe is below. Does anyone recognize the recipe, and ... | The word you are looking for is **tegoline**, which is a word of Venetian origin for green beans. Your recipe is called tegołine in tecia (green beans in a pot, literally). | 412 |
vwn52b | For a veggie tray at a party, do people pick up the veggies with hands or should i serve with tongs? For a veggie tray at a party, do people pick up the veggies with hands or should i serve with tongs? | Always have tongs available. There will be some people that use their hands tho | 408 |
xho3fg | Restaurant Rice? When I go to Japanese restaurants, their rice is somehow yummier than what I can cook! I got a simple rice cooker which does a decent job (better than stove top) but not quite the same. I asked for rice cooking tips once and they said to wash the rice before cooking. I do wash the rice, which improv... | Use short grain rice. Wash 3~4 times with cold water. Let the rice rest in the rice cooker for about 20 minutes with 1:1 water. Cook rice. Let sit undisturbed for a few minutes once done cooking. Fluff rice. Serve. If you want more flavor, you can add a few thin slices of ginger to the water when cooking, or replace s... | 408 |
phoh2n | Are chicken thighs really better than breasts? I have heard that they usually come out less dry and softer | I got on a big thigh kick last year and pretty much stopped buying breasts. I learned that each has qualities that I enjoy. Thigh meat is juicier and has more flavor, but breast meat is delicate and goes well with any kind of sauce or gravy. From what I’ve learned, the reason this is even an issue is that big agricu... | 408 |
j7yree | What's the maximum amount of water that oats can absorb? let me know if this belongs in /r/cooking instead! Here is my current recipe: 80g oats (i've alternated between steel cut and old fashioned and found no difference) 80g protein powder 900g water 1. put in bowl 2. microwave for 5 minutes 3. stir 4. microwave ... | In general, rolled oats can absorb 120% of their weight in water at room temperature. However, this will vary on flake thickness, instant vs rolled, etc. Source: I have a degree in oats. No, that’s not a joke. | 407 |
n81toa | What’s the best way to ruin prime rib? I’m cooking a prime rib roast for the family this week and unfortunately, about half of the group prefers their meat well-done. I’d normally just make them something else but in this case I cannot. Can anyone explain to me how a restaurant does this? Do you slice a few pieces an... | My initial comment: cut their portions from the properly prepared medium rare roast and microwave them because they deserve it. My actual comment: cut portions from the properly prepared medium rare roast and finish to temp in an oven. | 407 |
wznisq | Caramel apples are really just that? Raw fruit? Title. Not from a western country, never had a chance to try one until adulthood. In media they always look soft and fluffy inside, so I assumed the fruit itself was first baked/cooked and then dipped in caramel or candy coating, but when I first had one it was a fresh cr... | I wish I was eating one right now. The crisp tartness of the apple coupled with the buttery-sweet goo of the caramel… I’m all about that yin-yang relationship. | 405 |
xm98m7 | How do you get hardened caramel out of a porcelain bowl? I was dumb. That is the only context I will give for this. | Hot water. Anything with sugar in it will dissolve in time. | 404 |
mykyu6 | would it go well if you replaced the water in a bread recipe with chicken stock? or like, added powdered bouillon to the dough? do we think that would taste good? like those nabisco chicken in a biskit snacks? or would it just be terrible? | Someone here replaced the water with Gatorade and they loved the result so I say what the hell, give it a shot. Except don't used powdered bouillion, and if you do use stock, skim off as much fat as possible ​ Source: I used to be a chef and I believe you learn best by experimenting | 403 |
jbrzf7 | How can I make cream cheese frosting super light and fluffy, kind of like Cinnabon frosting? I've been using an imitation Cinnabon cream cheese frosting recipe and honestly it doesn't match the real thing in flavor or texture. Here's the recipe. 2 oz. cream cheese at room temperature 1/4 cup margarine softened (or bu... | When your icing is all wrong... YOU MUST WHIP IT | 402 |
iskd1r | Limoncello I accidentally used 80 proof moonshine whiskey in my limoncello recipe. Currently I have the peels of 15 organic lemons steeping in the moonshine in my basement. Is that going to turn into anything worth drinking if I stay the course? Or do I accept defeat and dump it out? | if it's no good you have some homemade lysol 🤷♂️ | 402 |
ph9npe | Is there a downside to buying lemon juice rather than an actual lemon for fish dishes and the like? One of these. You're missing out on the zest I get, but is it not much simpler to just use one of those bottle? From web searching it seems the answer is that fresh lemons taste better, but I live in Norway so I doubt I... | I find bottled lemon juice to be quite bitter and not bright compared to fresh lemon. | 401 |
mq4fms | STOLLEN UPDATE! Used 6 packets of active dry yeast... Sorry if this isn’t allowed! Just wanted to thank everyone who commented and gave insights on my question. I ended up using 6 packets of active dry yeast in the stollen. A few good points were: it is a very enriched dough and it had a lot of fruits and nuts in i... | Am I the only one thinking OP had 6 packets of yeast stolen from them? | 396 |
hc4hca | Should I have pre cooked my bacon before putting it in my deep dish pizza? I made a deep dish pizza following Babish's recipe. I used raw sausage as per the recipe, but also added some thinly sliced raw bacon. I baked all of this with the other ingredients for 35 minutes at 425f. The sausage seemed cooked, but the bac... | Bacon can be cooked to a point of food safe and not be crispy, if you would want it crispy cooking it in advance would be the way to go. All that rendered fat does sound delicious though. | 395 |
zaoymb | Creative uses for waaay too much leftover sour cream I've got a big tub of sour cream and few ideas of how to use it before it goes off. I don't bake and I already have a big batch of soup to finish off, so those are two categories off the table. Please help. I can only eat so many pirogies. | I’m gonna be honest with what I would do: a big-ass batch of onion dip | 394 |
v7qs05 | Difference between Butter Chicken and Chicken Tikka Masala? It seems to me that those 2 are identical, why are they named differently? | Northeast U.S. here. Anecdotally, when both “butter chicken” and “tikka masala” are offered on a menu “butter chicken” will be the creamier less acidic option vs “masala” being more of a spiced tomato sauce. Obviously not a scientific answer, but growing up in Boston I used to always order “tikka masala” only to fin... | 394 |
xic7ew | Why is white pepper more commonly pre-ground in Asia compared to black pepper? I notice that in most households and restaurants in Asia (am Taiwanese myself), white pepper, a staple spice in Chinese cooking, comes pre-ground, comapred to black pepper, which is almost ground right before use. Is it a cultural thing, or ... | Ok so I spent a lot of time in southern China where peppercorns are cultivated heavily. The real answer is that when you grind peppercorns (black or white), it exposes the oils inside to the air and it starts to lose its spiciness and oxidize, giving pre-ground pepper that stale, metallic flavor very quickly. In black ... | 393 |
hcyc9r | Is it worth peeling the skins off canned chickpeas to use in homemade hummus? I've tried making hummus before and in an effort to achieve, I peeled all the skins off. It was really tedious and really prevented me from having fun experimenting and perfecting my hummus. The idea of not peeling the skins makes me not wa... | Boil the chickpeas 20 minutes. Dump half the hot water. Fill with cold water, stir. Skins should start floating to the top. Dump some water, skins will go with. Repeat a few times. Smooth hummus is worth it. I've also been told the skins are hard on the stomach and make you fart, not sure of the veracity of that part ... | 393 |
aib84n | Is leaving the electric stove top burners on a good idea? Hello /r/askculinary! I have a specific question and I thought you all would know. My mother in law comes over to our house to stay the weekend sometimes. every morning, before everyone has woken up, she turns all four of our electric burners on in our kitchen t... | No this is a horrible and unsafe idea. Heat radiates and can catch stuff around it on fire. Not to mention someone can accidentally touch it. When they're on low, you can't tell sometimes with electric. Especially the old one with coils. | 389 |
dxljbo | At my restaurant we are not utilizing our duck carcasses. What are some specials I can do with this. I've tried foie gras or making a stock for the risotto tha goes with our duck but my chef isn't sold. I need an idea to show my chef that we can do something delicious with it. | You should be: Rendering first at 80c getting the rest of the fat off. Then remove the extra meat and make rillette etc. Then you roast on high for 20 minute then into a sauce pot. In the end your carcass should weight about 60-80g and then you can grind that fucker down and add it to your herb bed. I run a zero w... | 388 |
kdowv8 | How rare can I eat salmon safely? I like my fish/meat as rare/raw as possible without poisoning me. I'm aware of sashimi-grade fish, but this question presumes this fish is not that: How can I know when a fillet of salmon is eatable? It seems that if I cook it, the whole thing eventually turns white and flaky, and tha... | This article covers everything about raw fish pretty well including the temperatures you need to freeze it in order for it to be safely eaten raw per the FDA, the risks associated with eating it below the recommended temp, as well as what the term "sushi grade" means (spoiler: whatever the person selling the fish wants... | 387 |
5h79dh | how do I make my mac and cheese not taste like whatever meat goes in it. whenever I add a meat to it everything just becomes meat flavored. for example: add sliced hotdogs, even bits without any hotdog taste like I'm eating hotdog, it hardly even tastes like I'm eating cheese to be honest. it's very offputting. | Don't put meat in it | 387 |
k1p1rh | Why is this plate bleeding? Warmed up a completely white Mikasa plate in the oven and this dark red stuff came out on the front and back. It washes right off. https://imgur.com/a/t7VcJSm | ive been a potter and ceramic mold maker for years, toss this shit out! the manufacturer failed to fire this plate to vitrification or some other equally as toxic mistake happened and they deemed it a waste of money to refire or remove from market. trash this bullshit. its leeching toxic metals into everything edible i... | 386 |
gbspik | Why are mussels so much cheaper than clams? I thought this would be as simple as a google search, but alas. My local Shop Rite sells 2lb bags of mussels for $4.99 a pop; with their thin shells and fatty bellies, that's enough to eat well for at least 3 filling meals. Clams, on the other hand, are $6.99/dozen, and tha... | Mussels attach themselves to something then live their whole lives in that one place. Clams move around and like to hide in the sand. From an aquaculture aspect alone it’s much easier to cultivate mussels than clams so therefore they can be produced much cheaper. | 386 |
v6cdnm | What beans are these? They serve them at my favorite Mexican restaurant, want to cook them at home. Here is a picture. I can't tell if it's something I get at the grocery store, or the Mexican market. I've tried asking them before but my Spanish isn't good enough to get a solid answer. Thanks in advance! https://imgu... | Peruano beans. They are smoother in texture and lighter in color than pintos. | 384 |
sf3cy1 | What sauce are the round black dots Hello everyone, I have recently eaten tuna salad and it was damn awesome. https://m.imgur.com/a/HAk1Krg However, out of all things I could not make out what is the sauce they made for these black dots. It was a bit sweet and was not salty at all (no soy sauce). I am banging my hea... | I think it's a balsemic reduction. Balsamic vinegar cooked with sugar, do not smell it while doing this, considering it looks a bit thicker then just vinegar. | 383 |
iiwxup | Would ground ribeye make good burger meat or should it be a little leaner? Thinking of the one on the left Usually I do a mix or short rib and chuck, but I have this on hand... any ideas? | Here is a recipe from ya boy chef john that uses a ribeye to make burgers. Not everyone may agree with your choices, but that's just you cookin. You are after all the right guy to choose the fate of your ribeye. | 383 |
xozv9g | Why no pork stocks in Western cooking? I was watching a show about Korean soups the other day (A Nation of Broth on Netflix) and I noticed how many pork-based stocks they used, which got me thinking that I have never seen a Western recipe involving a pork-based stock, beyond putting a smoked ham hock into a poultry sto... | Down south we just put the hambone into stuff like beans and greens. | 380 |
zymzmp | what can I do if I'm short 25 ramekins for creme brulee? I've got a party of 50 on Saturday I need a way to make 25 or so more but preferably unmolded or something .any hints or tricks.. I'm short 25 ramekins for creme brulee on Saturday.. any tips or tricks to unmold and hold them them for individual plating.. | Rent ramekins from a party supply store? | 378 |
yamgjf | Is using a hand mixer with plastic bowls a bad idea? Recently I made frosting in a plastic bowl. After beating it and scraping the sides, I noticed small pink bits (my bowl is pink) in the mixture. I tasted it and it was horrible, tasting toxic and plastic-y. I think it's my mixer scratching the bowl, putting those bit... | Normally it's fine but if anything is scraping off, the bowl's done & needs replacing. Whether age or UV or both, even mixing with a fork is breaking off bits. Your instincts are right: replace it immediately. Enough time out in normal daylight will destroy the high-quality original Tupperware. They didn't have anti-... | 378 |
fq9awd | Why is it not standard to add salt when first making homemade pasta rather than when we boil it? Just curious as to why we add it when we boil pasta rather than adding it to the flour before mixing in eggs. | My understanding is that it effects the gluten in the pasta. Salt actually strengthens the gluten which could result in a tougher, chewier texture. This isn't to say that you can't add a bit of salt, just that too much could have adverse effects on your pasta. By seasoning the water you are not causing problems in the... | 377 |
athxee | Every Japanese steakhouse's dressing You know the stuff. Orangey milky ginger dressing. So so good. Poured over iceberg lettuce, one cucumber, maybe a radish slice and sometimes a carrot slice. It's like the Japanese version of every pizza place salad ever. But the dressing. I have looked everywhere. Tried a hundred ... | Makoto ginger dressing is in most grocery stores I go to and it's spot on. It's in the produce section - not in the salad dressing aisle because it's refrigerated. I've also made my own using various recipes and adjusting to my taste. Look for one that has carrots in the ingredients. | 377 |
c2zky7 | Why not use cilantro stems when it doesn't matter for texture or presentation? I made a cilantro vinaigrette recipe yesterday where you're basically liquefying cilantro in a blender. The recipe called for leaves only. It seems like a huge waste of time separating leaves from stems in this case since it doesn't affect t... | Liquefying? Go for it. ​ Stems are usually fine, but I hate biting into one in my Banh Mi and dragging a six inch long piece out that ends up flopping into my beard. | 375 |
ekrcvx | Watching Rick Stein’s India recently, I noticed that everyone from street cooks to top chefs were using these very long, very thin and viciously sharp knives. Tried searching for them but don’t know what they are called. Any ideas? | They're called *bled* or *baleda* and that just means *blade* -- they are very cheap, very disposable, and often made from ANY scrap metal available and there are professional knife sharpeners who ride around on a bike with a pedal grinding stone who will sharpen the street vendors bleds until there's practically nothi... | 374 |
ohgczv | Why do so many things float when they're cooked? This is something that I've been pondering for a long time and I thought of it again tonight as i was cooking some frankfurts. So many, completely different things are ready when they float, for example gnocchi, dumplings, suasages. What's the physics behind this? Wh... | For most starch based things, cooked (gelatinized) starch can only hold onto 2 water molecules whereas uncooked starch can hold onto four water molecules. So, starch gets hydrated with four molecules of water, then when it gets gelatinized, two of those molecules get released. Because gelatinized starch creates a nearl... | 374 |
qu1tra | Did pastry chefs once make sprinkles by hand or are they the result of industrialization? I can't imagine how these were made before machines churned them out | Historically, from 18th century. They were/are called nonpareils. Edited because I can't remember how to spell anything ever. | 374 |
pzhqvm | FDA says raw chicken lasts 2 days in the fridge. When I buy chicken, it as a 'sell by date' that's 7 days from now. I'm confused. There's no difference between the fridge at the supermarket and my fridge.. so I don't get this. If FDA says raw chicken lasts 2 days in the fridge, why does raw chicken have ~7 day sell b... | Supermarkets use Modified Atmosphere Packaging which extends shelf life by using a mixture of gases like nitrogen and carbon dioxide for poultry. They also have those liquid absorbing mats to reduce spoilage. | 372 |
rqmsju | Roux recipe for gumbo states “stir constantly for 45 minutes” - constantly? Like nonstop constantly? If they *do* mean nonstop, are there any secrets or tricks to browning it without wanting to rip off your own arms? I’ve been stirring for 45 minutes, nonstop, on medium-low heat. Roux recipe says is supposed to be “cho... | Yes, pretty much constantly, at a certain point it can burn easily. I recommend checking out Alton Brown's oven baked roux technique. It is an arm saver. | 372 |
hxgyku | My ghee went bad, but started to smell like the most delicious cheese... did I not remove enough solids when I made it? As title says. I made a ghee and it was good for a couple of months but I noticed a mold in it, and that it started to smell like awesome cheese! Does my ghee turning into quasi-cheese mean that I d... | You probably didn't cook it long enough. The presence of water in your ghee will give rise to the growth of mold, which is why it smells like cheese. I've been making two pounds of ghee every two weeks for almost thirty years, and there's an art to it that you will learn with experience. I have burnt ghee, and that is... | 371 |
n0tgdu | I just got eggs from a farmers market next to my shopping center, should I refrigerate? The dude there told me that they chickens are fed fruit and nothing is injected. And he had them hanging outside in california sun, even tho he dod have them that way, should I refrigerate them? Or is it fine leaving them out? The y... | If he was not refrigerating the eggs, that is a good signal that the cuticle has not been washed off. However, there is no actual harm in keeping an egg chilled if you are unsure. I would check the washing question when buying the next dozen. | 370 |
qjnazi | Putting pasta in cold water, not when it's boiling? My friend makes pasta by putting the pasta in cold water, and then bringing the water to boil. I've always thought you put the pasta in when the water is boiling - is this something that some people do, or are they just strange? Personally, I find that the pasta is q... | It‘s a little easier to control cooking time when you bring it to the boil first. That‘s also why on the packaging they calculate cooking time with preboiling water as they have no way of knowing how long it takes your stove to bring water to the boil. | 368 |
gtyqaw | Getting Lemon Flavor into Pasta I love lemon based pasta sauces at restaurants. A common dish is a lemon cream sauce. But no mater how hard I try at home I can’t get that infused deep flavor. I bought some lemon extract and that helped a bit. Of course I use zest as recipes call for. Once I added extra juice but t... | Have you tried blooming your zest in warm oil or butter to bring the flavours out? Could also be a matter of adding more salt. | 368 |
zj5tbu | When braising, why must the top of the meat stay out/above the braising liquid I've often heard that when braising meat, the meat should not be totally submerged in the liquid. Why is this and what would be the effect of braising meat at different depths? Say 20% uncovered vs 50% uncovered vs 80%? Tried searching my q... | because then it wouldn't braise. ot would boil or simmer. the braising is the meat becoming 'charred' and roasted above the liquid. the liquid portion serves two purposes, the first is it acts like a marinade, and adds flavor. the second is it shields the submerged part of the meat from direct heat, letting it roast l... | 368 |
qq33dp | How do you use cinnamon? It doesn’t dissolve in coffee, it doesn’t dissolve in milk, it doesn’t dissolve in butter or coconut oil. I tried to sprinkle it on apples before baking them or microwaving but it’s… weird texture idk Do you need to whisk it super hard? Should I try to amalgamate with a milk frothier or hand ... | So for coffee, what I do is sprinkle cinnamon on my dry grounds. Then I brew my coffee as normal. This way the cinnamon steeps with the coffee. Then I throw it out with the grounds. | 367 |
ksd1ga | Can I re-use the olive oil from my garlic confit to make more garlic confit? I love spreading those little nuggets of garlicky bliss on just about anything, but it can get expensive to use so much oil. Can I be thrifty and re-use the olive oil from a recent batch to make more today, or would that damage the quality or ... | As you use the garlic, you could also use the oil in cooking. That way you aren't wasting all that olive oil, and your eggs or whatever will get a flavor boost. | 365 |
mpp7wt | Any steel is pizza steel? Since I can’t afford $75-to $150 for a pizza steel, I grabbed a quarter inch plate of steel about 13” x 13” for a couple of dollars. It’s just a piece of steel, not a Gucci Pizza Steel from Williams Sonoma, with holes for hanging and my coat of arms lasered in. Can I use it for pizza or chicke... | Make sure that you’ve burned off any coatings, cleaned it well and go for it. At one point I needed an 8 foot griddle for a pancake breakfast at a large convention. The chief engineer at our hotel bought a piece of cold rolled steel 1/2 inch thick . Welded up a steel frame for it, added 6 inch casters and mounted gas... | 364 |
or37yr | Is crust actually more nutritious than the rest of bread? Probably a terrible food science question, but I know tons of parents tell their children to also eat the crust on bread because it's supposedly more nutritious. Is there actually any truth to that? Would the bread crust be more or less nutritious than the rest ... | The outer crust of bread contains pronyl-lysine, an antioxidant which is generally considered good. But all milliard reactions, including the browning of bread, create a carcinogen (acrylamide in this case) so it kind of cancels out. Short version: eat the bread you like, do something else with the bread you don't. | 363 |
va2g3j | Anytime I cook marinated chicken breast on the stove, the marinade and cooking oil burn before the meat is fully cooked. What am I doing wrong? It’s not my preferred cut of meat, but sometimes I marinate chicken breasts for about a day and then try to cook it on my stovetop in my stainless steel pan. I wait for the oil... | Stainless steel pans are great, but you rarely need more than medium heat. Unless you are boiling water or searing meat (that's not covered in a marinade), then you should lower the heat. Especially in your case, where things are burning on the outside before they're cooked on the inside. BTW, 155F is perfect to pull ... | 362 |
zd8kfc | Maple Syrup I own a restaurant and serve a fried chicken and waffle sandwich with real maple syrup. I've had complaints that the Maple Syrup is too thin and asking if I could possibly thicken it so it adheres better to the waffle. How could I do that? Would I even want to do that? Are people so used to the fake stuff... | If people are complaining about wanting the cheaper (thicker) stuff, there's really no reason beyond pure hubris to justify the expense of offering real (thinner) Maple syrup. Give the customers what they want, save some money in the process. You could always say you offer real maple syrup as an up charge. | 359 |
xtc2ap | MSG with salt or instead of salt I got some MSG today. I was wondering whether I should use it along with or instead of salt if the recipe doesn't call for MSG. | With salt. | 359 |
czrsd2 | Maple syrup is a Spring food. So why do we associate it so closely with autumn and winter? Was doing some research but couldn't find historical precedent beyond "it tastes super good with apples and pumpkin." We got us any food historians up in here? | I'm betting is because it was stored for consumption during* the leaner months. When winter comes around in the north woods, easy-to-consume high-calorie foods are really valuable. You can't really forage for much and you need to burn a lot of calories to stay warm. Plus, when the syrup runs, it's still fucking cold ou... | 358 |
ee68rq | Why does no one practice the strict food safety promoted everywhere on the web? Is it because it's impractical? Everywhere on reddit people will tell you to NEVER leave any food out for more than 2 hours. That cooked meat should stay in the fridge for 3 - 4 days MAX. Everyone on the internet sounds very strict in food ... | As a chef, we have food safety standards drilled into us from day one not only because of inspections, posted safety results, etc but truly because how we handle food can impact every one of our guests every day. Avoiding cross contamination, being alert to allergens, stock rotation enforcement are all designed to prot... | 357 |
xpl9sz | Was just given 50 lbs (each) of Chipotle Seasoning and Jalapeño Seasoning Hoping this falls into the exception of bulk quantities because I honestly have no idea what I’m going to do with all of this. The title pretty much sums it up - I’ve got 100 lbs of spices sitting in front of me. | Donate it. Seasoning is a luxury for places that have to bulk out dishes with starch in order to feed lots of hungry people. | 357 |
ngx8ut | How to make carbonara sauce stick to the spaghetti? Tried to make spaghetti carbonara. Recipe: 250g spaghetti, 100g pancetta, 3 eggs, 30g parmegiano. After everything is cooked, i put the spaghetti in the pan with the pancetta. When it's cooled down a bit, I add the carbonara sauce made from the eggs and parmegiano ch... | A couple of interesting suggestions here regarding reducing the pasta water (as in boiling it down), but what about just using less? I usually throw the pasta in the pan and stir to get the fat that rendered from the pancetta to coat the noodles. Then mix in the cheese-egg mixture. From there I add starch water AS NE... | 355 |
fzgqf9 | How can I safely prep meals to drop off for my elderly mom during quarantine? My mom is 78 with underlying health conditions, so we need to stay apart, and we are only seeing her shouting hello from the curb when we drop groceries off for her. I'd like to bring her some homemade meals, since she is basically living on ... | Serious Eats did a comprehensive write-up on the possibility of spreading Coronavirus by food. The short answer is that you're highly unlikely to spread it via prepared food. https://www.seriouseats.com/2020/03/food-safety-and-coronavirus-a-comprehensive-guide.html | 354 |
io7nl2 | Does cooking meat with acids cause the meat to toughen? My whole life I thought that adding some kind of acid (lemon juice, dijon mustard) to soup/sauce while cooking meat inside, will cause the meat to SOFTEN faster (especially with beef, which takes a long time to soften altogether). Now I saw some comment that it's ... | Acids do actually break down the collagen and connective tissues that can make meat tough but mostly only on the surface of the meat as most marinades and cooking liquids don't really penetrate the meat much Tenderness is really more related to temperature and cook time than anything related to sauces or seasoning Bu... | 353 |
ckrqdw | Can’t eat immediately after cooking — common problem? I’m a pretty good home cook, but whether I’m cooking something very nice for guests, or just an Alfredo sauce/curry/soup/wev for my family, I find lately that I cannot take even a bite or two for about 20-30 minutes right after I’m done cooking. It’s like my nose ... | Two things : * Cooking is often hot, occasionally stressful work (especially if it's something "nice" for guests). This can definitely suppress your appetite. Try dishes that you can mostly prepare ahead of time and might only require a brief assembly or reheating before eating. * You can get taste fatigue. Smelling,... | 352 |
j6y54n | What foods should white pepper be used on instead of black pepper? I’m trying to get a better understanding of how white pepper is used. I rarely see it used and I’ve never used it but, I’ll be using it in a Thai chicken recipe I found. | White and black pepper are the same berries from the same plant. Black pepper is dried immediately after harvesting, causing the berry’s skin to turn black and wrinkled. White pepper instead is first soaked in water and has the skin removed before drying. Both taste like what you think of as “pepper“. Though the... | 352 |
gfixwo | Why do nonpariel capers come in such narrow jars? And is there a secret to getting them out without a special tool? I usually pour them into a bowl and then try to pour the brine back in after I get the capers but is there a better way? What's the reason behind this elegant but inconvenient packaging? | I put a small strainer over a 1C glass measuring cup, and pour the whole narrow mess into that. I take the capers I want from the strainer, then back into the 1968 Worst Container of the Year winner, and pour the brine back in. Then I curse a lot as I wash two additional items after dinner. | 350 |
b3ndad | My fiancée can’t eat spicy or flavourful foods. This might not belong here. However I don’t know where it does. I am a foodie. I eat everything, despite developing gastric issues and being limited, I still eat everything and I always have. I have a fiancée, she is the opposite. She grew up in a household where ... | Whew lad. This is going to be a bit tough. You're trying to build a lifetime's worth of palate in a mind that's already comfortable eating bland food. Normally, the way to expand your palate is to just eat a lot of different things. It sounds simple, but the fastest way to do it is to get acclimated with the ingredien... | 350 |
wgiuzp | Update] [Rare Ingredient] My daughter really wants to forage for dragonflies for me to cook. Can anyone point me to a resource for how to humanely kill dragonflies so I can batter and fry them? Dragonflies went into the fridge in a container with air holes (one dragonfly per container). They sat in the fridge for 4 hou... | I never would have done this but good on you for exploring your daughters curiosity. | 349 |
o8x606 | How do I effectively peel the outer skin of an onion? Per the title, how do I peel off the outer skin/membrane of an onion? The inner one can be peeled rather easily but the outer one is really hard to peel | Cut in half through the root (leave the root on). Then peel off the outer layer + 1 layer under it. Often that one underlayer isnt fully formed and is partially onionskin anyway. | 347 |
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