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How should I boil green beans to keep them crisp? I just pulled fresh Blue Lake Bush green beans from my garden, snapped the ends and wanted to boil them, while keeping then crisp. How should I boil them so they are cooked through, but not limp? <Q> You shouldn't cook more than a few minutes, and should cool them as quickly as possible afterwards. <S> This ensures beans are precisely cooked, but do not have a chance to over-cook, and using the ice water helps them retain color and flavor. <S> It's how we get deliciously crisp haricot vert (French green beans) at the restaurant I work for. <S> Note that cooking times and crispness will also vary based on the variety and age at which the beans were picked. <A> BobMcgee's answer (the accepted one) is great (as far as it goes), as well as all of the comments. <S> Absolutely salt the water, use stock or add flavorings if you like. <S> You can blanch the beans way in advance of the meal, even the day before. <S> Remove the beans from the ice water, shake to remove excess water, roll them in a paper towel and put them in your vegetable drawer in your fridge (or in a plastic bag, NOT sealed). <S> When it is time to eat, give the now dry beans a quick, hot saute in whatever you want! <S> Olive oil, butter, sesame oil, garlic, shallots - whatever floats your boat. <S> That method works great for a lot of vegetables. <A> I don't know if Blue Lake Bush green beans are different, but UK green beans reliably take just 8 mins steaming. <A> The cooking time of green beans can vary quite a bit. <S> It will be at least 10-15 min, sometimes it can go up to 30 minutes. <S> I advise you to cook them for about 10 minutes and taste one. <S> Do so every two-three minutes until you have them a tiny bit too hard for your taste. <S> After that, you will fry the beans (for example with oil/butter and onion) which will make them a bit softer, as you like them. <A> Every green bean is different. <S> Sometimes even from the same vine picked at different times the bean will be more tender and sweet than at other times requiring less cooking time. <S> The beans will release certain chemicals into the water which will turn them a dark green so use a very high water to bean ratio and salted water also helps keep the beans bright green. <S> Because each batch of beans are different it's hard to say how long it will take, but if cooked too long they become mushy and a little too waxy. <S> The general rule is when the bean is no longer squeaky on the teeth when bit into it's done. <S> Chew on a partially cooked green bean and you will understand. <S> The Blue Lake require far more cooking than a snap pea or snow pea and shouldn't be expected to have the same crunch when cooked properly. <S> The squeak needs to go away.
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Ideally, you'll be blanching them, and here's how: Bring a pot of water with a pinch of salt in it to a roiling boil Dump beans in, and cook for a few minutes Check that beans are fully cooked (time will vary by variety and ripeness of beans) Strain beans, and IMMEDIATELY transfer to an prepared ice water bath to cool as fast as possible
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How can I melt cheese for dipping? I love dipping things like pretzels in melted cheese. I've done this lots of times at fairs and other places with 'pretzel carts', but I've never been able to replicate it myself at home. Whenever I try it, I get really thick, stretchy cheese with a layer of liquid oil sitting on top of it. It's gross, and not good for dipping. So, how can I melt cheese into a nice, smooth liquid that I can use for dipping in? I'd love to learn if there's a particular type of cheese that will work best, how to heat the cheese, and any other tips that you can provide. <Q> Normal cheese melts like that. <S> It is made of proteins, fats, and water, and these separate when they are heated. <S> It has additives which keep the fat, fluid and solids mixed in a smooth mass. <S> Also, it really helps to use very slow and even heat. <S> This is the easy option. <S> If you want to do it "for real", without processed cheese, you have to make a cheese fondue. <S> It is traditionally made with Swiss cheese (I am fond of Appenzeller fondue), but you can use most types of semi-hard yellow cheese. <S> It also contains some fluid, traditionaly white wine, and is emulsified with simple starch. <S> It is preferable to have a special pan for this, as you can serve it heated. <S> But if you make a big portion in a pan with a high thermal capacity, and make it immediately before serving, you can do without the special gear. <A> Try heating a couple table spoons of butter with some flour in a pot for a couple of minutes stirring with a wooden spoon then add enough hot milk to make the mixture smooth. <S> Melting the grated cheese in flour prevents the oils from separating and the proteins from curdling. <S> (edit) <S> If you want to search for a recipe, a Béchamel sauce with grated cheese added to it is called Mornay sauce <A> There is the good way and the cheap way. <S> The good way is fondue. <S> Acid and / or alcohol are used to cut up the cheese proteins <S> so it isn't stringy and the cheese is heated gently to not break the emulsion. <S> You can look up a recipe. <S> <napoleonDynamite> <S> There are, like, an infinity of them.</napoleonDynamite <S> > <S> The cheap way is processed cheese product. <S> This is most likely what you would have seen for casually dipping a pretzel. <S> This is a mixture of cheeses that are melted together with emulsifiers and gums and various other things that make them melt smoothly. <S> Velveeta would be the canonical brand name for this sort of thing. <S> Around here they like to mix salsa into it, use it as a dip, and call it 'queso' which, in my mind, is both a culinary and linguistic atrocity. <A> Without taking away anything from the previous answers, I want to add one more reference: <S> Kenji Alt's article on making a perfectly smooth cheese sauce . <S> He describes the science in great detail, as well as providing lots of documentation of his various experiments. <S> His final recipe comes down to a simple methodology: <S> Toss the real cheese, shredded, with corn starch which will act as an emulsifier to help keep the sauce from breaking <S> Add condensed milk to increase the amount of milk proteins and water Melt slowly <S> You will note that in many ways, this parallels the very classical fondue recipe that Rumtscho has referred to. <S> It uses starch as an emulsifier and adds liquid (from the condensed milk, instead of wine). <S> The major difference is substantially increasing the protein level (via the condensed milk). <A> You can prevent prevent cheese from separating as it heats by adding sodium citrate to the recipe. <S> Sodium citrate is the same ingredient used as the binder in processed cheese and wine-based cheese recipes. <S> I bought a bag from Amazon that will last me a lifetime: http://www.amazon.com/Sodium-Citrate-Non-GMO-Molecular-Gastronomy/dp/B00BLPNM62/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1418940460&sr=8-2&keywords=sodium+citrate <S> Here is a simple and excellent cheese sauce recipe that lets you make creamy sauce using high-quality cheeses: <S> http://www.chefsteps.com/activities/cheddar-cheese-sauce <S> No one knows how far back this kitchen wisdom goes, but in 1912 two Swiss food scientists were working on the problem of sterilizing cheese so that it could be stored, unrefrigerated, in hot climates. <S> Up until this point, the results had been greasy failures; but these scientists discovered that adding the salt of citric acid (sodium citrate) to the cheese could prevent oiling-off. <S> They had invented processed cheese. <A> An EXCERPT from the Huffington Post article "How To Make The Creamiest Nacho Cheese." <S> Entire article at: <S> http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/12/how-to-make-nacho-cheese_n_1202697.html <S> (I leave out the salt since cheese is salty enough for me.) <S> 2 tablespoons butter,2 tablespoons flour,1 cup milk (warmed),8 slices cheddar cheese,1/2 teaspoons salt,Jalapeno peppers (optional) <S> Melt the butter over medium-low heat in a saucepan. <S> Whisk in the flour one tablespoon at a time to avoid clumping. <S> Add the milk after the flour has settled. <S> Mix until the sauce has an even consistency. <S> Add the cheese and salt. <S> After the cheese has melted, turn the burner to low, and allow the sauce to simmer for 10 to 15 minutes. <A> Melt (nuke) shredded cheese in milk until it's soft, near melted. <S> Add sufficient cream cheese to soak up the excess milk and form a dip-like substance when mixed. <S> Works with most cheeses. <S> For instance, you'll get a smooth, yellow cheddar dip. <S> The effect of cream cheese on flavor is pretty minimal. <S> Its effect on texture and oiliness is wonderful. <A> I think you can just melt cheese. <S> You need: a bowl. <S> cheese. <S> (shredded is best.) <S> a microwave. <S> (duh.) <S> a fork. <S> Put the shredded cheese in the bowl. <S> It depends on the time you put the microwave on.. <S> First do a minute, if it's not melted, do 2 minutes. <S> If it's still not, then set it on 3 minutes. <S> Take the cheese out of the microwave and grab a fork. <S> Stir it. <S> There may be some greasy stuff in there. <S> Dump it out. <S> So there ya go! <S> You can add milk, I think it makes it less thick. <A> For all the home cooks bechamel is not the same as melted cheese. <S> The only way to keep pure melted cheese from separating is with sodium citrate, but it will set up if you let it cool down again.
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For dipping, you need processed cheese.
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Does the point at which salt is added to a dish affect how the flavor is changed? If I'm preparing a dish for myself and someone on a low-sodium diet, I will withhold adding salt while cooking. Instead, I'll season my plate after serving. However, I can't seem to get the same flavor from adding salt after-the-fact as I do when I'm salting while preparing the dish. Is this all in my head or is there actually a difference in how the flavors are affected depending on when the salt is added? <Q> Yes, the flavor is definitely affected. <S> First, there is the point of solubility. <S> Salt doesn't dissolve all that easily in water, and unlike many other crystals, its solubility doesn't improve with heat. <S> So you have to either stir a lot, or let the dish to sit for a longer time after the salt is added, or both. <S> Else you end up with uneven salting in liquid dishes like soups. <S> Thicker things like sauces are very marginal, and if you add salt to cooked dry stuff (steaks, casseroles and whatnot), you're guaranteed to end up with clumps. <S> But even if you succeed in getting your salt evenly distributed, the flavor is different. <S> The liquid components may be OK, but anything solid (pasta, meat, vegetables, whatever) will not be penetrated by the salt. <S> So if you salt your dish to the point where the liquid tastes normal, you get bland pieces swimming in an OK sauce or broth. <S> At that point, most people just automatically think that it is still bland, and continue to salt, resulting in oversalted broth/sauce with bland veggies, which in my opinion is even worse. <S> Third, the salt isn't used only to add taste. <S> A saline solution's chemical properties are quite different from those of pure (or tap) water. <S> Marinading with salt (with or without liquid) changes the texture of steaks (but does so rather slowly). <S> Vegetables cook firmer in salty water, instead of getting mushy. <S> And then there are all the amazing things it does to grains (because it affects both starches and gluten). <S> In short, don't bake a yeast dough without a pinch of salt. <S> Sadly, all this means that there is no way for both of you to eat what you want/ <S> should. <S> My advice is that you should definitely salt the food even for the low-sodium eater at the proper cooking time, you just should use a much smaller amount - even a gram of salt per liter of water can be useful for the chemical changes you want, and shouldn't add too much of a sodium load to a normal sized portion. <S> As for bringing your portion to your own taste, you will have to put up with the worse saltening. <S> Just take care not to oversalt as a reaction, it doesn't really help. <A> Sure it does. <S> Try cooking pasta in unsalted water, and then adding salt afterward... <S> it's quite a different experience. <S> If you add salt early, the salt cooks into the food. <S> If you add it at the table, or even later in the cooking process, the salt doesn't permeate the food to the same degree (or at all). <S> Taking the pasta exercise one more step, if you add cheese or a slightly salty sauce, the pasta might taste even more bland due to the contrast. <A> A cooking situation that is analogous to this is brown sugar on oatmeal. <S> If you devolve and mix the sugar into the oatmeal it will taste much less sweet than a sprinkling of brown sugar that melts on top. <S> The sugar because it's suspended in the oatmeal and doesn't touch the sensors on the tongue when it's mixed in doesn't get noticed. <S> However, when sprinkled on top the sugar touches the tongue and the one bite of food tastes very sweet even though there is less sugar than when mixed in. <S> If you salt water before boiling pasta in it, the water and salt will be even absorbed into the pasta so while it is being eaten and tasted there is an even distribution of salt hitting the sensors on the tongue. <S> It's not so much that the salt is transformed as much as how the sodium is delivered to the tongue with each bite. <A> If one omits adding a small amount of salt at the beginning of cooking, much much more salt has to be added at the end to achieve the same level of saltiness. <S> Or this has been my experience, at least with soups and sauces.
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So, yes, there should be a distinction in flavor depending how and when the salt is added based on how much salt is suspended or absorbed into the food item being cooked.
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How to make bubble tea - the "real" (tea-less) version? Is there a way to create the powdered flavoring? I've been unsuccessful thus far in recreating Khmer bubble tea, or the pastel-colored bubble tea one can find at many small cafes and stands. The specific kind of bubble tea I'm looking to make uses the following: flavored sugar powder/creamer ice water tapioca pearls in syrup Can anyone lead me to the proper way to make the flavored powder/creamer? I'm NOT looking for any varieties with fresh fruit, tea, honey, or anything else. This is an original variety of bubble tea (obviously with no real tea!) from Southeast Asia, and I can't seem to recreate it. My combinations of creamer, extracts, and sugar have failed thus far, resulting in a sugar water with little actual flavor. I'm looking for what might be a place to find the actual powders, or a possible makeup of the ingredients used. The result should be a bright color, a more creamy than watery texture, and full-bodied flavor. A photo of the bubble tea (bright colors, hand mixed, not sealed by a machine) can be found here . There are ways to order giant packs of the flavored powder/creamer online, but I really don't want to pay $15 for a pound of one flavor if I can create a version of it myself. Any ideas? <Q> You can try finding the powder at an Asian grocery store. <S> The one I frequent has a section of powders that seem like they might be geared more toward a consumer than a restaurant. <S> I just checked: it's a one pound bag. <S> I was able to buy just the one bag, but it was a while ago, so I don't recall the price. <S> According to the bag, the ingredients are Non-dairy creamer, (whatever flavor - I have strawberry and almond) powder, glucose, and coloring. <S> Even though it says it has glucose, you're still supposed to add sugar according to the directions (and it definitely needs it). <S> As for creaminess, you might consider trying milk/soy milk/almond milk, etc. <S> instead of water. <S> When ever I've made it, it turned out much better like that. <S> The directions call for extra non-dairy creamer, but the recommended amount didn't seem to be enough, so <S> the next batch, I just made it with soy milk (no particular reason for soy over regular: I just don't have regular on hand). <A> As for powders: I'm from FL (east coast) and I have found it in asian markets, although not in many flavors, but you can get consistent results from other powdered drinks found in your supermarket. <S> I'd suggest strawberry or chocolate Nesquik, or instant coffee, or even slimfast powders come in a few flavors, or chocolate, caramel, strawberry, raspberry or other flavored syrups found in the deserts aisle to mix in with the milk/creamer and tea of your choice. <S> You can also check out vitamin and fitness or health food stores for flavored powder drinks. <S> Also, since it's a cold drink, a simple syrup will mix in easier than sugar granules. <S> A simple syrup recipe is made by just boiling water, then stirring in sugar until it dissolves. <S> I prefer using brown sugar for my syrup for tapioca pearl drinks. <S> (The black pearls are made with brown sugar) <S> Traditionally, Boba tea was made from tea, creamer, sweetener with pearls added. <S> (Tip: Herbals like Rooibos you can steep forever, but tea shouldn't be steeped more than 4min as it becomes bitter tasting)Now, often the whole tapioca drink concoctions are made from powders: powdered flavoring (Taro, coconut, lychee, mango, strawberry, orange), with or w/o powdered green or black tea for a base, with sugar, and powdered creamer, shaken with ice, and then poured over the pearls. <S> In summary, for most bubble tea drinks use tea, not water, to mix in your powders. <S> Don't oversteep your tea. <S> Don't under cook your pearls. <S> For your quest, I'd say vitamin or health food stores are most likely to have your flavored powders (I suggest Vega Health <S> Optimizer- <S> Vanilla Chai is very yummy) <S> Otherwise flavored powders specifically for bubble tea can be found online. <S> Enjoy the journey! <A> WillPowder sells some for $10/pound or a few bucks an ounce, and they sell on Amazon too. <S> Otherwise, I'd say you ought to be able to use coffee nondairy creamer or powdered milk to create your own blend. <S> Add dry flavorings to taste, and liquids should be able to mix straight in. <S> A third route would be to use a freeze-drying machine or very slow stove/oven evaporation to produce your own dry mix. <A> I'm not sure if you still need help on creating the bubble tea, however, what I have learned is that in order to create the bubble tea, you use approximately 1 tsp of the flavored powder for one serving (adjustable to your taste) and some water, about 2 tbsp, to blend the powder (hot water is recommended to better break down the powder). <S> Most people use a cocktail shaker, but as I don't have one, I use any closed cup as an alternative for the next step. <S> Now that you have the powder mixed with the water, add milk and ice as well, THEN MIX! <S> Afterwards, you pour the drink into the cup with the boba/tapioca pearls, and you're set. <S> If you wanted a smoothie version, you would make it in a blender using ice, milk, water, and powder. <S> You are also able to add an additional ingredient to act as an sweetener!
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If you're willing to go the molecular gastronomy route, tapioca maltodextrin will turn just about any fat-based substance into a powder.
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How can I keep my blueberry pie firm without the flavor of corn starch? In the summer, I often make a refrigerated blueberry pie. The recipe calls for a graham cracker crust, and you make the filling by cooking one pint of blueberries with one cup of sugar and 3 tablespoons on cornstarch on the stove until the mixture becomes thick. It's then poured into the crust, and topped with another pint of fresh blueberries, and chilled until it's firm. The flavor of the blueberries is delicious, but I always find that there's a pronounced corn starch flavor that detracts from the simplicity of the pie. How could I change the recipe or the technique to decrease that flavor while maintaining the firmness of the filling? <Q> you could try some other thickeners, like xanthan gum, tapioca starch, arrowroot, or the like. <S> not certain of the proportions, though, but i'm betting google knows. <A> Oats will leave everything moderately translucent if you use whole uncooked oats or will cloud the pie like flour (but solidify more) if you use quick oats. <S> Another touchy option that won't effect flavor: pectin. <S> Pectin is naturally contained in blueberries, strawberries, etc. <S> You could add some pectin for jam-making or you could precook a bunch of berries and slowly reduce them way down before adding them to more fresh berries (for texture) and baking your pie. <S> I have done this for moderately firm jam-like sauces so it might work for pies as well. <S> Experiment without shells so as not to waste your time. <S> At worst you'll have a delicious ice cream topping. <A> I would try agar. <S> Agar is tasteless and easy to use and as far as I know it does not contain starch. <S> It also keeps the filling clear. <S> You could also try other starchy things as sago which does not have much flavor at all. <A> Maybe this is why blueberry pie recipes usually call for lemon juice and lemon zest? <S> To cut the cornstarch flavor? <S> The lemon also compliments the blueberries, but I wonder if there are any other flavorings that would have the same effect.
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Other than the thickeners mentioned above, sometimes I prefer the taste of cooked flour or oats to corn starch.
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How is apple syrup made? I've been making dutch apple pastries for a couple of weeks now, and I've noticed that the apple filling that spills from the pastries turns dark brown like apple syrup (or apple butter, apple paste or apple cheese) The taste is similar, as well. But the texture is off. The question is how to make a real batch of apple syrup? Apple, sugar & heat for some amount of time? Or are some other ingredients needed? <Q> When I make apple syrup, I use apples (2 cut, peeled, sliced, and cored), sugar (1/2c), and two tablespoons of water. <S> Combine everything, let the sugar dissolve, and then bring to a boil. <S> Let it simmer for 10 minutes until the apples have become nice and soft and the syrup thickens. <S> I usually do it for a bit longer just to be on the safe side. <S> I have also found that adding a bit of cinnamon gives it just a bit extra! <A> I admit, I've never attempted making stroop (apple or otherwise) on my own ... but some discussion on a forum post regarding Dutch cooking mentioned that there's something called ' apple cheese ' which sounds like it might be quite similar, based on the description of the end consistency and the amount of sugar used. <A> Apples go brown when the air hits the flesh - if they are cooked quickly or kept away from air until cooked, they don't go brown. <S> Lemon juice can delay the browning. <S> Cooking without stirring can result in lessened browning, because the top layer in the pot protects the mass from the air. <S> It can be hard to resist stirring, but you have to remember that stirring will also introduce air. <S> With a lot of things, I microwave apples in a covered dish, cut in large chunks. <S> After that, they can sit around for a while before I get around to using them. <A> I will sometimes make a different sort of Apple Syrup that is more like maple syrup in consistency. <S> The process starts with making Apple Sauce. <S> I almost never have to add anything to sweeten it, but that will really depend on the mix of apples you started with.
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Once the apples have been boiled and sent to be mashed, I take the water that was used, strain out large particles, and then start boiling it down until I get a syrup like consistency out of it.
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How much overrun do I get with a compressorless home ice cream machine? I started making my own ice cream this year. While the French type works quite well, I've been having trouble with American and Gelato types. I don't have an ice cream machine. I freeze small portions of icecream on a prefrozen wide porcelain plate. While a pinch of xanthan keeps the result reasonably smooth, the texture isn't great. It melts almost instantly, and when melted, it is as liquid as it was before - it turns to sweetened milk in my mouth even before I have swallowed it. So while I prefer denser ice cream, I think that some recipes were created with a lot of overrun in mind. I thought of trying the Serious eats idea and creating the overrun after the freezing. But first, I don't have a food processor, and don't think an immersion blender will be good enough. Second, it will melt while I am blending. I don't want to pay the money and simply don't have the space for a gelateria style ice cream machine with a compressor. I was wondering if the prefrozen churner type machines will help with my problem. How much overrun do they produce with a typical ice cream recipe (say 2/3 3.6%, 1/3 30% cream)? Does the texture suffer from the same problems (instant melting)? Edit Overrun is measured in percent. If 500 ml of mixture go into the machine and out come 750 ml of ice cream, this is 50% overrun (the air volume in the ice cream is 50% of the ice cream base volume). <Q> I have a 1.5 qt cuisinart prefrozen-bowl style ice cream maker. <S> I haven't measured it specifically but eyeballing it <S> I would say that my overrun is 50-75%.I know that is a wide range <S> but it seems to change depending on recipe, additions, and how long I let it churn. <S> My ice cream maker has performed well for 3 years now and I recommend it. <S> I suspect your instant melting problem may be because you are freezing the mixture on a flat surface <S> it has too much surface area when you scrape it off. <S> The serious eats experiment used ice cube trays which would help reduce this problem. <S> Personally I haven't done experiments to try and reduce overrun because I like overrun. <S> The air gives a nice buffer that makes the product melt more slowly, gives a smoother texture, and makes it easier to taste added flavors. <S> It also makes the ice cream less rich so I can eat more of it. <A> I have no idea how overrun is measured, but from my experience the churner type machines do not move fast enough to whip much air into the mixture. <S> I have owned two cheap ones (no-name brands) and I think they moved at similar speeds (slow). <S> One way to slow down the melting process is to freeze the serving bowls for 30 minutes or so before serving the ice cream. <A> My advice is to get the frozen bowl attachment set for the basic kitchen aid stand mixer ( link ). <S> The mixers have a godawful amount of power to burn and multiple speed settings, so you don't have the issue with the all-in-one machines that are geared for ice cream alone. <A> Cooks Illustrated reviewed and measured overrun in a bunch of ice cream makers: <S> http://www.cooksillustrated.com/equipment/results.asp?docid=25989 Most were 20–30%, with the exception of one that attached to a stand mixer, which had an astonishing 80%, and one which completely failed (3%). <S> Most are compressorless models costing under $100. <S> So, if you're going for around for 20-30%, a pre-frozen churner can do that. <S> (Note: you have to pull up the details of each model to see the overrun percentage <S> , it's not in the recommendation summary table).
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But the ice cream does not melt instantly like you say yours does.
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Is it safe to eat off of partially tarnished silver? My wife and I were visiting some friends who were recently married and had received heirloom silver as a wedding present. It was obvious it had been recently polished, but some of the pieces still had a little tarnish on them. Is it ok to eat off of that, or should I schedule a doctors appointment to get checked out for this reason? <Q> If it's pure silver, it's fine. <S> Silver isn't toxic. <S> Well...if you get some colloidial silver, and you dose yourself with it every day, you'll have some disturbing symptoms. <S> The same is true of almost all metals. <S> Iron pills, for example, are worse, but we commonly cook with cast iron. <S> Metallic silver is sometimes used as a chelating agent, so it can purge your body of other metals you may have absorbed. <S> If its heirloom electroplated silver, it's probably still fine. <S> Note <S> : There is no way you have pewter. <S> That was a joke. <A> There have been (official), questions about eating silver, but generally it is accepted as safe as a food ingredient. <S> Those silver balls you sometimes see on cakes are sugar, coated with silver, and some Indo-asian sweets are coated with silver foil. <S> Soluble forms of silver might be very bad for you, but the tarnish is oxidation and would not be soluble. <A> Silver sulfide , AKA tarnish, has a solubility of 0.14 mg/L (0.14 ppm), and takes a long time to dissolve. <S> EPA action levels are much higher : <S> The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recommends that the concentration of silver in public drinking water supplies not exceed one milligram per liter of water — one part per million — because of the skin discoloration that may occur from chronic silver exposure. <S> You have nothing to worry about.
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If it's heirloom pewter, coated in copper, then electroplated with silver, its still fine (because pewter doesn't tarnish, so the tarnish is either silver or copper) but I wouldn't eat anything acidic with it, because it'll leech lead into your food. Nothing to worry about.
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How do I cook chicken and asparagus over an open fire? I have some chicken breasts and some asparagus that I want to cook tomorrow whilst we're out camping for midsummer. The fire will have a grate over it probably. Is it better to wrap the food in foil to prevent it being touched by open flame? How can I make sure the chicken doesn't get too burned on the outside whilst being cooked on the inside? <Q> You have two delicious choices. <S> Both require a bed of coals, so I'll start with that. <S> You'll need to build a fire with the logs stacked 'log cabin' style, and let the fire burn down to coals. <S> You want a deep red coal, just starting to darken on top. <S> The coals should look something like this. <S> Both are delicious methods. <S> To bake, wrap the chicken, asparagus and a starch like potato gratin style in layers of tinfoil. <S> Use the starch around the outside, you'll sacrifice a layer of it as some of it sticks <S> /burns to the tinfoil. <S> Put the most delicate item in the middle, in this case the asparagus, and the chicken around the asparagus. <S> Add a generous amount of butter, salt and pepper and bake for about an hour buried in the coals. <S> Corn or green beans are also very good, and can be sacrificed a little around the outside to preserve your meat and vegetables. <S> I would layer it this way. <S> 1.Coals <S> 2. <S> Tinfoil 2. <S> Potatoes 2. <S> Generous dollop of butter 3. <S> Salt & Pepper 4. <S> Green Beans 5. <S> Asparagus 6. <S> Chicken 7. <S> Potatoes 3. <S> Tinfoil 4. <S> Coals <S> Now, BBQ. <S> You'll do it very much like a charcoal BBQ. <S> Keep the grate close to the coals, you can generally test the heat by holding your hand above the grate, you should only be able to keep your hand there for a second or two at most. <S> Grill <S> the chicken like you would on a bbq, and roast the asparagus on a cooler part of the grill. <S> I'd marinate both before putting them on the grill. <S> I'd also try to get an aromatic wood like hickory or mesquite, pine will impart a resinous taste. <A> You'll get more even heat and no sooty smoke. <S> Just build up a fire with some good-size pieces of wood and let it burn down so the flames are gone and you're left with a nice set of red-hot coals. <S> Then start cooking. <S> At this point, theoretically, it's just like cooking over charcoal briquets, although you'll probably have less control over the distance from the food to the coals. <S> The grate might also not be as clean as you'd like. <S> If you want to cook directly on the grate, I think grilled asparagus is absolutely amazing. <S> Just olive oil, salt, and pepper and then cook over pretty high heat until it wilts and blackens slightly. <S> You'll want to have tongs. <S> Grill the chicken like you would in your backyard. <S> An alternative for the true boy scout camping experience would be to do a tin foil dinner, where you wrap the food completely in aluminum foil and then bury it in the coals. <S> Google gives lots of hits for this technique, although people usually use ground beef and not chicken. <A> Wrap the chicken and veggies in the tinfoil but don't cook for an hour- probably a maximum of 20 minutes
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You can bake, or bbq the chicken and asparagus. The most important thing is to cook over open coals not over open flame.
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How can I achieve the same flavor and texture as roasted garlic without an oven? I'd like to make roasted garlic, but I don't have an oven, only a gas range. Is there any way for me to get the same results with the range as I would in a conventional oven? <Q> You can get the same result by frying the garlic in a saucepan of oil. <S> Place peeled cloves in a saucepan and add enough light olive oil or canola oil to just cover the cloves. <S> Cook at medium to medium-low heat, stirring not too often until the garlic becomes golden brown. <S> Strain the cloves into a strainer or colander to remove excess oil, but save as much of the oil as you can. <S> It is now filled with the lovely roasted garlic flavor, and is wonderful for sauces, salad dressings, and drizzling over cooked foods. <S> If you don't mind a less-neutral base oil, you can use good extra-virgin olive oil instead of light olive oil. <S> The resulting infused oil will have an even richer flavor. <A> My first suggestion would be a " dutch oven " at a low temperature. <S> If you have a small ceramic dish you might set that into the dutch oven and then the garlic into the dish in order to further manage the "low and slow" effect that is desired for roasting garlic. <S> (add a couple of small wood chips on some aluminum foil in the pot but away from the garlic to create a 'smoked garlic'...if you like that.) <S> If you can invest in additional kitchen equipment, you might consider a small crock pot to get the same results. <A> I have had great results by taking individual garlic cloves and cutting the root end off each, but leaving them in their papery skins. <S> Then you put those dry into a small saucepan (ideally one with a thick bottom) over low-to-medium heat. <S> Put a lid on it, and let it go for 20 minutes or so, shaking vigorously every couple of minutes to turn the cloves over. <S> When the cloves are really soft, you're done. <S> The paper skins protect the garlic cloves from burning, but the direct contact with the hot pan cooks them nicely. <S> When you're done you can squeeze the soft, roasted garlic goodness out of the root end of the skins. <S> This is a particularly nice technique when you want roasted garlic flavor but only need a few cloves, not a whole head. <S> The first time I did a recipe that called for this process, I was sure the garlic would scorch or the skins would catch fire, but it worked great. <A> Roasted garlic needs a lot of slow, even heat to cook through and not burn. <S> I doubt that you will be able to replicate this without an oven or oil. <S> I have two ideas that might work. <S> First, take four or five heads of garlic and cut them flat at the stem and place a little bit of oil in a pan to sear the cut surface until it begins to caramelize mostly to get the process started and begin to develop the roasted flavor. <S> Then place the head of garlic up <S> so it sits on its side in a crock pot. <S> I bet in four or five hours it would make nice roasted garlic. <S> (I've never done this but would like to try.) <S> I know a very famous French Chef who boils the garlic for his vichyssoise in milk for about half and hour to take out the bitter, spicy bite. <S> So if you need soft, sweet garlic for pureeing to use instead of roasted you can boil it in milk first. <S> Because if you saute the garlic raw it might burn before the inside is softened, boiling before using a little oil in a pan to saute the garlic to get some complicated flavor and color might work very well. <S> These are just two alternatives to the other answer of cooking the garlic in oil. <S> However, it is very frequent that restaurants will cook the garlic in oil to not only get nice caramelized garlic but also amazing flavored oil to use as a condiment or in salad dressings. <S> You might want to look up confit garlic. <A> Hot air rises and one needs a vegetable steamer, or crumpled aluminum foil will do, for the bottom of the pan, or both, to keep the garlic from burning on the bottom. <S> The drizzled evo over the tops of the garlic cloves is important and keeps garlic moist. <S> My technique is to heat the iron skillet, put in the steamer amd foil, and wrapped garlic on top, and immediately turn the flame down to low. <S> The fragrance of the garlic will surely alert the chef when the garlic is ready, or almost roasted. <S> Doubtful <S> you will have a 'burned head of garlic, <S> if you check after 25 - 35 minutes, then roast longer if necessary. <S> Also, I have used an oven thermometer sitting in the pot on top of the vegetable steamer and foil to help regulate the heat. <S> This method is better for me, because it uses less energy than heating an entire oven for one head of roasted garlic.
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A cast iron skillet and lid, plus the mechanism to keep the garlic off of the bottom, works beautifully.
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What can I do with batter that has lumpy sugar in it? I was making a scratch cake, and my sugar (to my chagrin) was inferior. When I beat it into the batter, it turned into many tiny lumps. Has anyone ever figured out how to solve this problem? I beat it for a long time on high speed, but there were still lumps. If there's no way to fix this type of problem, could I get some hints on how to prevent it, e.g. how to smash all the sugar lumps before I put it in the batter? Edit: For clarification, this batter is very thin, and the recipe requires beating it on the highest speed for three minutes straight. So that's not a big issue with this. Also, I did mix the dry ingredients (including sugar) together before anything else. I used the mixer to try and break up the lumps (when the mixer only had the dry ingredients in it), and when it had stirred for 5 minutes or so, I thought it would be better to proceed with the recipe and add the wet ingredients, hoping that they would dissolve the sugar. They didn't. After beating it for the required three minutes, I just put it in the oven. I didn't actually beat the batter any longer than the recipe said to; the only thing I did that the recipe didn't tell me to was to stir the dry ingredients for 5 minutes. The cake seems okay. Maybe when the lumps are small enough, the heat of the oven takes care of them? <Q> Don't most cake recipes require mixing dry ingredients first? <S> Well, what's been done has been done. <S> The standard professional chef way of getting lumps out of anything is to pass it through a fine strainer. <S> In your case a standard metal pasta strainer should work. <S> Put the strainer over a bowl, pour the batter in and use the back of a large spoon or ladle to gentle press the batter through. <S> The lumps of sugar will be left over and you can just crush them then. <S> Whipping the batter might work the gluten proteins in the flour which will make for a tough chewy texture. <S> Some cakes actually take this into account and others <S> it is bad, so be careful. <A> As you noticed, depending on the size of the lumps, it may not be a problem. <S> Consider how lumpy you can get away with American pancake batter and have them come out fine). <S> Force the batter through a coarse sieve, a ricer, or a colander with appropriately sized holes <S> If you have a significant number of lumps, you can also move them to another bowl, and squish it all into a paste. <S> Then mix that in with some of the batter until it's loosened up, then mix that back into the rest of the batter. <S> The only dry ingredient that's a real problem if doesn't disperse well is the leavening -- not only will you then get a poor rise, but the pocket of baking soda or baking powder tastes disgusting if you find it. <A> In the days before mixers, it was standard to cream the sugar and the fat together as a first step, then add the beaten eggs and milk, and the flour, a little at a time. <S> Doing it that way, the sugar was always invisible by the time the flour went in. <S> Nothing to stop you adding the ingredients stepwise ... <A> I agree. <S> Always mix the butter sugars together first in order to avoid lumps. <S> Also, if that didn't work, does your mixer have a whisk attachment? <S> Mine does and that works well after <S> all the ingredients have been added together to get out any final lumps. <A> Well don't use granulated sugar <S> it doesn't dessolve quickly instead use caster sugar cause it's super fine sugar <S> and that means it dessolve quickly on your batter mixture.
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If any lumps remain (that weren't pushed through), use the back of a spoon to force them through the strainer. As most cakes don't react well to a significant amount of beating (which could develop gluten and cause tunneling in the cake), if the lumps are huge (more than ~5mm / ~1/4" across), I'd personally try to break them up:
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how to get a ciabatta with a more uniform shape My ciabattas tend to have be domed along both axis. So towards the ends they are too thin, and near the middle I end up making them are thicker than I want. I think this is because the dough has so much water in it. When I am resting it on the tray before putting it in the oven, and even when I first put it in the oven it spreads out at the sides and each end. And ideas how to get a more even round shape along the whole loaf? The actual bread itself is quite good otherwise, but at the edges there is too much crust and too little content. <Q> Here's why I think this is happening:In the oven, the internal temperature of the bread is going to transition from room temperature to cooked. <S> The only way heat it introduced into the bread is at the surface. <S> The sides have significantly more surface area than the center. <S> The problem you are having is the sides are making this transition way before the center is. <S> So the sides have very little time to rise and get cooked while the middle is in the prime rising temperature. <S> So the yeast in the center has substantially longer to work before it is too hot for it. <S> You can try forming the bread thinner toward the center and thicker toward the edges. <S> If you get the thickness right, it should be uniform. <S> I have also had good experience cooking on a stone. <S> It will almost certainly speed up cooking time, but should help keep the temperature transition uniform across the whole loaf. <A> I know this is an old question, but since I have been recently looking up the 'how to's' of ciabatta <S> (which is how I came upon this question) I thought I'd pass on what I've picked up through recent reading and practice. <S> Stretching the loaf out long-ways is an important stage of shaping a ciabatta, it seems. <S> I imagine that everyone finds that the middle tends to be fatter when yo finish basic shaping <S> , that's just the nature of trying to gather any flowing material into a stable form. <S> So, carry out the shaping to the stage you have it - but possibly leaving the whole thing a little wider and shorter to start with, but then quite firmly but gently, lift the dough in the middle and ease it out first to one end then the other, until the middle has thinned down and you have a slightly more strap-like shape. <S> Remember that the bread was invented as an Italian response to the domination of French baguettes in the sandwich market, so it does belong to be a distinctly long and narrow loaf, even if slightly less so than a baguette. <A> The second proofing isn't that long only about half and hour to an hour, its a fairly flat bread like focaccia. <S> Also, did you flip them right before putting them in the oven? <S> It helps even out the second proofing.
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My neighborhood Italian baker sometimes over conpensates and the ends are thicker than the middle, but I think she makes sure the ends have a little more meat than the middle before the proofing. So you don't end up with a thick part and a thin part; if you start out with a uniform thickness, you end up with a uniform thickness
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How to ensure that spices reach inside the eggs in the egg curry? For egg curry, I boil the eggs, shell them, pierce them with a fork and deep fry them. Then I prepare the gravy and pressure cook the eggs and the gravy. Anything I do, doesn't let the spices go inside the eggs.I was thinking of cutting the eggs into halves but then on pressure cooking they'll split up! <Q> I said: I am ready to mess up with its skin, but if I cut it up totally, the yellow yolk will get lost in the gravy. <S> Yesterday I did an experiment: After properly hard boiling the eggs, I shelled them and cut them into two parts vertically . <S> I fried these sliced eggs on both sides in around 3 (6 ml) <S> spoons oil in a semi circle wok . <S> No, the yolk didn't get lost in the oil. <S> It was all intact in the sliced eggs. <S> I fried all the spices etc. <S> in the wok , and added the water as needed. <S> Now, as a final step, I carefully placed the fried sliced eggs in the same wok [with the yolk side facing up] , covered with a lid, and let it boil on simmer gas for some minutes. <S> This time the spices <S> did get inside the egg yolk, and also the yolk was completely intact. <S> Since the eggs are sliced, pressure cooker usage may cause the yolk to dismantle. <S> An open vessel usage is a must in this case. <S> It is also necessary to keep the yolk side facing up when you place the eggs in the curry for the final boil up to keep them intact. <S> Here is how I made the egg curry finally. <A> I have never done egg curry before... <S> but your problem reminded me of chinese marbled eggs Marbled eggs are soaked for several hours to overnight and soy/tea does not don't get to the yolk, so no wonder that you don't get good penetration of the spices. <A> I have a notion, but it is an educated guess, and may not be practical to use; however, I think it's also a really cool experiment and potentially an elegant solution. <S> It's also an alternative to an extremely long (days or more) soak in flavored liquid. <S> The Theory From the Cooking Issues blog, we know that you can infuse flavors into alcohol or water using a nitrous oxide cream whipper . <S> The method is that you put liquid and herbs/seeds/fruits in the whipper, pressurize it with nitrous oxide, then release the pressure suddenly. <S> The gas pressure forces liquid and gas deep into what you're infusing <S> and then when the pressure is released, the gas and liquid are abruptly pulled, out, bringing flavor with it. <S> You should be able to do this in reverse, using gas pressure to force flavored liquid into a peeled, pierced, hard-boiled egg. <S> You'll have to use a pressure cooker or cream whipper. <S> The practice: Prepare HEAVILY spice flavored broth, by simmering herbs and spices for several hours to overnight in water. <S> Maybe add a little alcohol beforehand to help extract flavors. <S> Next, prepare lightly hard boiled eggs, peel them, and pierce them with forks until the tines reach some distance into the yolk. <S> Place eggs and liquid in either a cream whipper or a pressure cooker. <S> Pressurize the vessel, and swirl or shake to help mix. <S> Then allow to sit for a minute or two, and release pressure. <S> If flavor doesn't carry through enough, you might need to allow it to sit for a longer period. <S> Potential Improvements: <S> Try reducing your flavored liquid beforehand for a more concentrated flavor. <S> Try it with increasing portions of alcohol; many flavor compounds are more soluble in water than alcohol. <S> Use a warmer liquid (warmer liquids dissolve substances better) <S> Allow the pressurized vessel to sit for longer periods (may cause problems if using a pressure cooker, as it might overcook) <A> Here's a purely theoretical solution - in the sense that I haven't tried it. <S> If you want to make spices penetrate meat instead of eggs, one of the best options is brining it . <S> The salt makes some of the cell walls collapse, which allows the spices in. <S> This might work with eggs as well. <S> To try this, make a separate batch of gravy that you oversalt, soak the boiled eggs in it for a day or two, then deep fry and pressure cook. <S> You might want to undersalt the gravy that you pressure cook it in, to compensate for the extra salty eggs. <S> If you try this, let us know how it goes!
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Maybe you can think of putting the eggs in a spice concentrate in advance and let them soak before splitting them and letting them cook with the gravy.
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Cooling gelatin without a refrigerator I have a pint of fruit juice, and some Gelatin. I want to make a fruit jelly (gelatin dessert) for after dinner, which will be in 8 hours. Living in the city with a vegetable shop around the corner, I do not have a refrigerator. It is however cold and rainy, and from experience, 6-7 hours on the windowsill will cause it to gel almost perfectly. Are there any additional, simple tricks I can use to lower the temperature in the bowl by a few degrees more? I will be using a relatively flat bowl. <Q> The constant, gentle, flow of cold water will cool the jelly quickly. <A> Another solution - knock on a neighbours door and put the jelly in their fridge to set. <S> Of course it depends on how well you know your neighbours. <S> If you don't know your neighbours, this could be a useful way of breaking the ice - like the clichéd, "asking for a cup of sugar." <A> Take a large pot or pan and flip it over (flat side up) and place the item on top. <S> This will improve the speed a lot. <S> Of course the more conductive the pan the better -- copper or aluminum pans will work best. <S> This also works for defrosting items (for people with a fridge). <S> If you only have ceramic bowls <S> this might not be such a good solution since ceramic is a very good insulator. <S> If you can use a metal bowl (or no bowl when defrosting) <S> this solution is very good and energy efficient.
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I'd place a tray in my sink a slowly run water through it, then sit the jelly on top of the tray, such that the bottom half of the jelly mould is under water.
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Papadum sauces - making my own In Indian restaurants you get usually Papadum as appetizer. It is often served with 3 sauces, one green sauce with a light peppermint taste, one red a bit sweet sauce and one very hot sauce. These sauces seem to taste often (but not always) very similar regardless of the restaurant. I tried to copy them (especially the green one) but so far the results were a bit disappointing. Does anyone have an idea what these sauces are called or how they are made? <Q> The sauces are called chutney (plural chutneys ). <S> The green one, called hari chutney in Hindi, is generally made with a mixture of coriander (cilantro) leaves and mint leaves. <S> Hari means green in Hindi. <S> The leaves (I have used them in a 3:1::coriander:mint ratio) are ground to a fine paste along with a tbsp of sugar, a pinch of salt, and about 2 tbsp of lime juice (to prevent oxidation of the ground greens and to provide a tangy taste). <S> Some variations of this may add ginger (for flavor) or peanuts (as a thickening agent) to the mixture. <S> Tamarind is soaked in water, strained and mixed with sugar, rock salt , toasted and ground cumin, dry powdered ginger, and powdered pepper. <S> Rock salt and dry ginger give this chutney its distinct taste. <S> Very often restaurants add artificial red color to this chutney to turn the color from brown to red. <A> There are some other chutney mixes that I had with popadoms/papadums such as mango chutney or mint and spinach chutney. <S> In Scotland, most Indian restaurants serve papadums with 'spice onions'. <S> This is a bright red coloured onion chutney which is both sweet and hot. <A> The standard chutneys served with poppadums in most Yorkshire and Midlands restaurants are usually mango chutney (sweet), lime pickled in oil (sour), chopped lightly spiced onion, and <S> variations on the "mint and yoghurt" hari - if it is white, just mint and yoghurt, green, may be also with coriander but usually means it has been coloured, pink usually indicates that powdered chili has been added. <S> If it is a classy place, you sometimes get fresh pomegranite seeds mixed with the chopped onion. <S> Y'know, everybody calls them poppadums, but what you usually get are pappads - real poppadums are much smaller diameter and lighter texture.
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The red chutney, called imli chutney in Hindi, is very often made with the juice of tamarind ( imli in Hindi).
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What features are important in a hand mixer? I've always used the cheapest hand mixers (around 10 Euro). But I damaged a beater of my current one when I tried to make whipped canache - it was obviously too hard. So I plan to get a new one. Strangely, on paper there isn't much difference between 10 Euro models and 50 Euro models. They all come with foam beaters, dough hooks and 5 speeds. What are important things to look for in a good mixer? Can I use the watt numbers to make a meaningful comparison between models by different manufacturers? How important are they? I know that the watt numbers are supposed to indicate motor power. But I don't know if they have a meaning in the world of hand mixers, or if they have fallen prey to senseless inflation, the way loudspeaker watt number have. And if they are still meaningful, what is their relative importance as compared to other features? I don't have a food processor or stand mixer, so the hand held mixer should be capable of doing a lot. <Q> What I look for in a good mixer are: A comfortable grip (I'm sure we've all have painful wrists after whisking up eggs whites or similar) <S> Well made, sturdy parts. <S> (some whisks are strong others are just thin wire.) <S> Variable speed control <S> The Watt rating. <S> To answer your No.2 question, watts are important. <S> They measure how much power the machine uses. <S> Higher watts will mean the machine does more of the work and your wrist does less of the work. <S> The cheapest machines on the market are only good for whipping light foods like cream and mayonnaise. <S> If you plan on mixing up heavy fruit cakes or bread doughs, you should choose a higher wattage machine. <S> Paying for a good quality machine, if you can afford it, will save you money in the end. <S> My mother has had the same hand mixer for over 35 years. <S> She paid for a good one and it lasted. <S> I however, like you, opted for a low price machine because I was on a budget, I am now on my third and this time I bought a sturdier model and I am much more satisfied with it. <S> If I'd bought the better machine at first, I'd have saved myself £50 or so over the time. <A> In addition to the points of the previous answer I would like to add: Volume of the bowl Durability of the clutch <S> The clutches in many of the ones I have seen are made of plastic and can very easily wear out fast if they slip or aren't engaged properly before power is applied. <A> I can hear my 575W (output power!) <S> Kitchenaid stand mixer fighting dough at times: it takes a lot of power to knead dough (especially low-hydration dough). <S> I'm having a hard time believing that a hand mixer could do so at all, and if it were powerful enough, holding it would be extremely tiring. <S> Cook's Illustrated says that “ even the best hand mixers fail miserably at kneading bread dough… .” <S> Keep in mind a stand mixer is easily 20 lbs (9kg), much of that the motor. <S> A 3 lb hand mixer would be heavy. <S> I'm also not sure how you'd expect a hand mixer to do the kinds of things a food processor does. <S> Ultimately, they're useful for light jobs and small jobs; the better ones can do heavier things too (mashed potatoes). <S> Unfortunately the best way to chose one is based on its kitchen performance, which is going to mean either testing a bunch or looking at reviews (possibly professional ones). <S> Possibly you can find those review magazines at your local library? <A> I like powerful devices on my kitchen <S> , that's why I bought Cuisinart <S> HM-70 (7 speed, 220 watt!) <S> Here good review fo it. <A> The one problem I keep having when I buy hand mixers is that, while it has a variable speed control, the lowest setting is far too fast to avoid messes in many applications. <S> You want the speed control to go from rather slowly to rather quickly; mine goes from rather quickly to OMGSOFAST. <S> That's why I'd go with a pricier model (mine was ~5 <S> -10USD, <S> my old one broke and it was an emergency replacement).
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Maybe it's silly, but when purchasing a mixer, I pay attention to the amount of speed and power :-)
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How can I make use of an underripe mango I bought a mango this morning that seemed to be ripe; at least it was the ripest of the bunch. I'm somewhat acquainted with picking out red/green mangoes, but this was my first exposure to yellow mangoes, and I apparently chose poorly. After slicing up the whole thing, I realized my mistake, and as it is, the fruit is so sour it is inedible. If it were a lesser fruit (say, a nectarine), I might just toss it, but I'm trying to be resourceful, and mangoes are not inexpensive around here, so I'd like to make use of it. What uses are there for an underripe mango? I thought of simmering it with milk and a little sugar, but I can only guess as to how how things would turn out. <Q> If you have a WHOLE, UNCUT green mango, you can ripen it on the counter. <S> To speed this process, the mango may be place in a paper or partially-sealed plastic bag; this will help retain the ethylene gas fruits emit, which speeds ripening. <S> Once cut, you'll have to put your mango to use. <S> Fortunately, green mangoes are a prized part of Southeast-Asian cooking, where their tartness is used to add tang to savory dishes! <S> In this use, green mangoes are often combined with salt, chili peppers, sometimes lime juice, and sometimes soy or fish sauces . <S> Coconut milk is another common flavor combination, for example coconut rice topped with green mango preserves. <S> In particular, Thai cuisine makes an extensive use of green mangoes. <S> For an example, look at this green mango salad recipe . <S> In India, they may be sliced and topped with salt and lime juice, or pickled, or incorporated into a delicious green mango chutney. <S> Indians also grind dried green mango into amchur , a sour powder used in curries and other dishes. <S> Central American cuisine also includes green mangoes, and they serve it sliced with salt, vinegar, pepper, and hot sauce. <S> Topping with toasted pumpkin seeds is also common. <S> : <S> Edit: <S> The one common thread here is that green mangoes are generally used in savory, not sweet dishes. <S> This is because the flavor of under-ripe mango is quite different from that of ripe ones. <S> This different flavor works best with salty and spicy combinations, with (brown) sugar as a secondary, background note, not as a dominant flavor. <S> I would particularly discourage combining green mango with milk, unless you want the acid to curdle it into curds and whey. <A> If you simmer milk with acid, the milk will curdle. <S> I wouldn't go this way. <S> If you insist on a sweet application, you have to add sugar (or another sweetener) to the mango. <S> A sweet taste will cover acidity perfectly. <S> You can either cook it with sugar syrup, or macerate it. <S> After that, pureeing is probably best, because you want to avoid hard sour pieces in sweet sauce. <S> From then on, your fantasy is the limit. <S> Jam (maybe in combination with another fruit - how about that nectarine and some Grand Marnier?), sorbet, candy, yogurt-based smoothie, jello in molds or as a cake layer, mixing with cheese to create a spread or a mango cheesecake - everything is possible. <S> The taste, however, will be less than optimal, because unripe fruit is not only sour, it doesn't have yet its full aroma. <S> Still, it will work - not as well as a ripe mango, but it will be OK. <S> Sweet isn't the only option. <S> Again, you can stay traditional and make it pure, or experiment with additional fruit and spice combinations. <S> Then use the chutney as a dip or sauce in savory dishes. <A> If your mango is green and still yet hard, take the skin off, cut out the seed and cut into bite size pieces. <S> In a bowl, mix 1/4 cup soy sauce (aloha Shoyu works for me), 1/4 cup white sugar, and 1/4 cup white distilled vinegar. <S> Mix that around a bit. <S> Place mango in bowl and have a taste. <S> This is what you call pickled mango. <S> Something like li hing Mui <S> but I believe better. <S> Try it. <A> 1) IF you are into curry, you can make a sweetened mango curry which tastes amazing with Parathas (Indian pan fried bread) or even Roti for that matter. <S> http://foodviva.com/chutney-raita-recipes/aam-ki-launji/ 2) <S> IF you are into thai food, make a mango salad: http://www.rakskitchen.net/2015/03/thai-green-mango-salad-recipe-vegetarian.html <S> 3) Chop it and freeze it. <S> Buy some good ripe sweet mangoes - then mix the ripe ones with raw one to make a mango milk shake. <S> Add sugar to cover for the raw one's sourness.
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The classic use for an unripe mango is to put its sourness to good use and prepare a mango chutney.
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What to do with unused scallops' roe? I just prepared my first scallop dish. The recipe instructed to remove roe (the orange part) before searing, as it cooks much faster than the rest of a scallop. As this was my first try, I ended up not using it for the dish. Afterwards, I read a bit about scallop roe and it seems that many cooks actually sear it together with the rest of the scallop. Also it's a delicacy in China. Some instructions indicated that I should dry roe in oven, powder it and use it later to give extra taste to broths etc. What is the best way to use it? If I dry and powder it, how should I store it and in which kind of dishes should I use it? <Q> This doesn't particularly answer the question, but the use of roe seems to fade in and out of fashion every so often. <S> I remember 10 years ago (and back in the UK) scallops were always served with the roe, and cooked with them. <S> Now it I haven't seen a roe anywhere near the scallops. <S> Certainly, the more sea-food and authentic the restaurant, the more likely you are to find the roe still attached, in my experience. <S> Personally, I would just leave them together, and cook them still attached. <S> The flavour is a nice contrast to the white, and it can pretty up the plate. <S> Doesn't directly answer your question though, I'm afraid. <A> I deep fry mine in tempura batter at my restaurant asGarnish for my scallop dish, give a different texture toThe dish. <A> I always use the roes, an interesting way to use them is cook them seperately, and in a different way to add another dimension to your dish, for example, <S> i char grill the Scallop meat, and just before serving, i pan fry the roes in garlic,lemon, chilli and parsley butter, and serve with them, on a rocket and herb salad... <S> Fantastic!! <A> Gently poach the roe then blitz with soft butter and whatever spices/flavours take your fancy. <S> Then set in a mould lined with cling film. <S> We use small PVC pipe to set it as it's a garnish for dish. <S> But served by itself spread on toast is a real treat for everyone <A> You can use it to thicken a seafood stock or a cream sauce and give it a nice colour. <S> It would go well also with white veal or chichen. <S> I got the idea on the site of Chef Simon here http://chefsimon.lemonde.fr/corail-saint-jacques.html
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Scallop roe parfait is a firm favorite in my kitchen.
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Substitute for red bean paste? I recently bought a book of Asian recipes. The author seems to have a huge crush on red bean (azuki) paste, since about a half of the recipes call for it. Unfortunately, the availability of red beans seems to be on about the same level as dodo eggs. Is there something that can be used as a substitute to get a close approximate of the taste and texture? <Q> Black bean paste is also incorporated into Asian cuisine, and has a similar flavor, although earthier. <S> Add a little sugar, maybe a little ground cashew or peanuts for nuttiness. <S> It won't be the same, but it should work well enough. <S> Since black beans are more common, this may work well enough for you. <A> Well it really depends on the dish. <S> If we do a sweet dish with red beans like japanese mochi, you can be creative and add things like whipped cream, fruit or chocolate. <S> But if its like a red bean porridge/soup, I recommend something like blackbeans or any kind of nut/beans and try sweetening the taste. <S> The reason wht red beans are common in asian dishes is because they are easy to find in those countries and taste sweet. <S> So substituting with something sweet would be a good idea. <A> White (navy) beans. <S> They have a very soft, somewhat creamy, neutral flavor (at least in comparison to kidney beans or black beans). <S> They're used by Japanese people to make shiro-an (white bean paste), so I guess that means it has their seal of approval. <S> So go ahead and use navy beans. <S> They can be found in just about any supermarket in America. <A> I suggest sweet potato paste. <S> The texture is similar. <S> Preferably roast the sweet potato before pureeing.
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I'd personally use home-cooked beans instead of canned beans.
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Do I need a juicer? A lot of the juicers I see are really expensive , which makes me wonder if they have any significant benefit over my current food processor. I found a few articles (e.g. this one ) which seem like they're saying that there's no huge difference between the two. Do juicers just exist for people who are ultra enthusiastic about getting the best juice possible, or does someone who just wants to make juice once or twice a week need one? <Q> Depends on what you're juicing. <S> If you're juicing something like a lemon/lime for lemon/limeade, you can just strategically slice and squeeze to get all but a couple mLs of juice. <S> If you're juicing something like an apple, you can cook it slightly and then use your food processor to make apple sauce, which can these be squeezed through a cheesecloth/pillowcase for a great deal of juice. <S> For everything else (practically at least), a manual juicer (like this ) will do just fine and cost a maybe a few bucks. <A> Your second link explains the main types of juicers. <S> Here's another page with much the same information, including links to various brands of juicers. <S> Centrifugal juicers first grate the food, then extract the juice by spinning a strainer basket at high speed. <S> Masticating juicers use an auger in a sleeve to chew up the food and extract the juice by crushing it. <S> I'd never heard the term "triturating" before this, I thought these were simply called twin-gear masticating juicers. <S> In any case, they also chew up the food, and extract the juice by crushing it, in this case between the two interlocking gears. <S> I had to go to the fourth page of your Amazon to find the current version of the juicer we bought 14 years ago - the Angel One. <S> It's a twin-gear juicer, cost us over $1000 at the time, it's REALLY <S> heavy, but it does work well. <S> Most reviews of different juicers say that a masticating type will extract more juice than a centrifugal and do it with less friction heating. <S> I don't know if heating the food while extracting the juice is really an issue, but our juicer really is excellent at getting all the juice out very quickly. <S> The pulp that comes out is very dry, although I tend to run orange or grapefruit pulp through a second time to get every bit of juice out. <S> So, like many things, there are some advantages to the very high-end equipment, but in addition to the $$, there are other trade-offs you have to think about before going that route in a juicer. <A> There's nothing you can do with a juicer which a you cannot accomplish using a hand reamer or combination of a blender/food processor and a strainer/chinois/cheesecloth. <A> If you're looking to liquify and maintain the fiber, you may want to consider a Vitamix . <S> It's a high end blender, which can be used for more than just juicing which gives it added value. <S> It runs about $400USD.
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Juicers are like those little slap-and-chop things; they might be a little easier, but they're really not necessary.
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Cleaning a clogged espresso machine Portafilter Can anyone recommend a method for cleaning the clogged holes in a "Basket" of an espresso machine Portafilter? I had this problem with both DeLonghi and Saeco home espresso machines. For example, in Care of Saeco Pressurized Portafilters (regarding Saeco Manually Pressurized Portafilter ) they caution against using metal pins. Any suggestions of methods or cleaning materials? <Q> I alone on the planet seem to have solved the endless problem of cleaning the fine holes of an espresso portafilter, or a Moka express fine steam filter. <S> None of the liquid or abrasive cleaning apps work, period. <S> Instead, in the past, one had to use a pin to poke out the minute holes — task so laborious and hopeless than most espresso and Moka machines in the world are hampered by limited filtration. <S> No longer. <S> The pin-holes are plugged with coffee fibre, which burns. <S> Place the filter over a gas flame, either side, for 10 minutes, tapping it with tongs occasionally, and bingo... <S> A CLEAN FILTER. <S> All the minute coffee fibre plugs burn or pop out. <S> Best to use a small coffee pot rack on top of your smallest hob gas burner for this. <S> And metal tongs. <S> Will I be knighted for this? <A> If the problem is scale buildup I would try a soak in a citric acid bath, about 2 tablespoons to 1 liter of water. <S> Of course a good stiff brush could do the trick too with both the methods described here. <S> An old toothbrush maybe. <S> I would also recommend getting on a routine cleaning schedule. <S> I do a complete espresso machine and grinder cleaning about every 4-5 weeks <S> and it keeps some of these problems from happening. <S> Once you get into the habit of doing it and develop your own personal system it is not too hard to keep up, and you learn a lot about the internals of your machines, which can come in handy if you want to mod or need to do repairs. <S> Here is a pretty good how-to on cleaning the portafilter and basket link <A> If the clogging is a result of mineral deposits, soak the "basket" in vinegar for a few hours. <S> Then use a wooden toothpick to gently dislodge any deposits. <A> There are special detergents for dissolving the coffee oils that are usually used for backflushing portafilter machines. <S> Search for Coffee Clean or Puly Caff <A> The Chad Evans method worked. <S> I had no idea how much coffee sludge <S> I had that was visible at the bottom of the portofilter. <S> I thought this was a small rubber ring or something! <S> It easily crumbled out with a gentle touch with a dental tool. <S> I did not want to damage the finish <S> so I chickened out after 4 minutes of cooking over a flame. <S> This successfully fully opened one passage of the portofilter. <S> I am soaking the whole thing over night in espresso cleaner to see if that will free up the other side, but I have a feeling I will be cooking it again to free up the other side. <A> I am at this moment using hot vinegar and after soaking in that for a while, adding baking soda, getting lots of coffee residue out!
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I would let the basket soak in a hot water ( just from the tap ) bath of Cafiza for about 15 minutes to dissolve the coffee oils.
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Is honey considered vegan? I was thinking of following a vegan diet for health reasons. I tried it for a week during a "cleanse" and it wasn't so bad, even though I love steak and eggs. I was just curious though if honey is considered vegan or not. It's an animal (bee) byproduct, right? The only difference maybe is that it's something bee's make naturally, although if we farm them for the honey it's not exactly humane (see A Bee Movie). <Q> Honey is not vegan . <S> In short, the core tenet of veganism is living without exploiting anything in the animal kingdom, and most (if not all) vegans consider taking honey from bees a form of exploitation. <A> I'm vegan, and don't eat honey, <S> but I think it very much depends on why you went vegan. <S> If it's for health then I don't think it makes a difference. <S> If you want to get into a moral argument you can make the case that it's closer to using wool than using milk... <S> (I don't make the argument, but I respect that people can) <S> but the choice is yours - it was a pretty easy choice for me as I didn't like honey to start with... :) <A> This is purely a semantics question. <S> It depends on how you define "vegan." <S> If you define vegan to mean something like "contains no animal products," then honey is not vegan. <S> Can you be vegan if you eat honey, or can honey be part of a vegan diet? <S> Those are more slippery questions. <S> In my experience, there isn't really a such thing as being a vegan for health reasons, because I do not know of any vegan diets whose purpose is to optimize nutrition. <S> For instance, the American Heart Association recommends eating fish (particularly fatty fish) at least two times (two servings) a week. <S> I have never met someone who identifies as vegan primarily for health reasons. <S> The only people I know who never "cheat" on their vegan diets are vegan strongly for ethical reasons. <S> However, it may be a healthy step for you to take in your diet because exposing yourself to the vegan community may lead to you eating a lot more food that is healthy for you and a lot less food that is unhealthy for you. <S> Would the vegan community accept you if you still consumed honey? <S> Depends on the people, but in my experience with vegan communities as someone who still consumes fish, probably. <S> Could you identify as vegan if you still consumed honey? <S> Sure, that's up to you. <S> Will other people agree that you are vegan or accept you as a vegan? <S> In my experience, non-vegans will consistently think of a honey-inclusive diet as vegan, partly because they, like you up to before you asked this question, haven't given it much thought. <S> Strict vegans who don't eat honey might not, but I don't see any reason this should be important to you. <A> Semantic question, I subscribe, but I'd like to add a consideration. <S> Let's think to the reason why people became vegan. <S> Cultural reasons? <S> Surely this is not the case of western vegan movement (on the contrary, not rarely vegans are despised for they choice) <S> Religion reasons? <S> Surely some eastern religion push to veganism, but in western context religion plays no role in vegan choice. <S> Personally, I'm atheist, like the few vegan I know. <S> Health reasons? <S> Man is omnivore, why don't eat animal food <S> should be healthier? <S> (normally vegan diet is not dangerous, but evidently this is not a reason to became vegan) <S> Love for animals? <S> I don't find this plays an important role in vegan movement. <S> Personally, I hate that stupid and smelly being (but not so much to improve torture on them with my food choice) <S> In most of cases western people became vegan simply because they don't like causing terrible pains (castrations, spending life in a cage big as your body, violent killing, etc. <S> , look for example to mercyforanimals investigations and sites) for very frivolous reasons (meat taste, urban legend that veganism is normally dangerous for health, etc.). <S> Maybe there are more important problems in the world, but none with a so simply and not demanding solution. <S> Most of western vegan did this choice after consideration that only for very important reason (medical research, for example) we could eventually cause pain to a living being (I said "pain", so I'm speaking about living being with a complex nervous system, not about vegetables or micro-organisms). <S> So veganism has many roots (economic, ecological, etc.) <S> but fight against useless pain is surely the first one. <S> Now, having said all that... what about honey? <S> The question is: "bees feel pain?", or more precisely: "honey industry cause pain?". <S> I'm vegan <S> and I eat honey, because I suppose the answer is "not" <S> (but I'd like to know biology answer). <A> For ethical vegans (i.e. for whom ethical reasons alone are enough to follow a vegan lifestyle) <S> the question of whether honey is vegan largely a question of whether bugs feel pain , and if they do, how much of suffering does a bee life contain. <S> Since insect sentience is an open question, and knowing the farming industry's usual horrific treatment even of mammals and birds, honey is seldom considered vegan.
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I know many people who identify as vegan and practice veganism for various combinations of health, environmental and ethical reasons, who choose to consume honey.
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How to ensure that eggs get hard boiled on a gas stove? I used to determine the state of eggs by their shell i.e. if the shell is cracked, the eggs have been boiled. But sometimes I have found that even though the shell is cracked, the egg whites are somewhat runny! Is there a special way of boiling eggs on "gas stove"? Is it necessary to cover them while boiling? EDIT 1: Today I punctured the egg top with a pin, but still the egg cracked on boiling :( EDIT 2: Today I added a spoon vinegar in the water, and the eggs did NOT crack at all. :) <Q> Just watch the clock, it's the most (if not only) reliable way. <S> And make sure the water stays at or just under boil of course. <S> There's no difference between cooking them on gas or electric, it's just a different way of heating the water :) <S> Depending on how firm you want them, 5-7 minutes should usually be enough in boiling water. <A> I agree with @jwenting, 5-7 minutes in boiling water is the way to go. <S> Remember to always put the eggs in cold water, if you put them in hot water you risk cracking the shell, especially if eggs are cold. <S> Also, to avoid premature cracking of the shell, that may leave some egg white leaking out, add a spoon of vinegar <S> (should work with lemon juice too) to the water. <A> You boil it with the eggs and it tells you when the egg is finished. <S> It actually tells you whether the egg is soft, medium or hard boiled. <A> I always use Julia’s method. <S> Also, I’ve found that the fresher the egg, the harder it is to peel, I like to use eggs that I’ve had a couple weeks. <A> The Best method I've used is very similar to "Julia's method", just no egg pricking or vinegar. <S> I used this method several days ago on my gas range and it worked perfectly: http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/how_to_make_perfect_hard_boiled_eggs/ <A> Boiling water is boiling water, no matter how achieved. <S> 5-7 minutes as stated above. <S> Adjust time longer if at elevations above 1000 meters or 3000 feet (water boils at a lower temperature due to the lower air pressure). <S> If I'm going to make 'pretty' eggs, i.e. quarter them and use them for a garnish or something, I'll put a bit of acid, usually vinegar in the boil water to reduce discoloration should the egg crack. <S> Note of interest: You can test an egg to see if it's hard boiled by laying it on a flat smooth surface and spinning it. <S> If it's cooked, it will spin and spin, if liquid, will not. <A> I always pierce eggs at the broad end <S> but I have found that I can make perfect hard boiled eggs when camping and I have no access to a suitable utensil for piercing. <S> If you put your eggs on to cook in cold water, bring them to the boil slowly on a medium heat and then take them off immediately and stand them for 10 minutes in the water you will get hard boiled eggs with lovely fluffy yolks. <A> I have used Emeril Lagasse's method , and it works really well. <S> I think on his television show, he called it the "rule of thirteen": <S> Place the eggs in a saucepan and cover with water. <S> Season with a pinch of salt. <S> Place the pan over medium heat and bring to a boil. <S> Cook for 2 minutes. <S> Remove from heat and cover with a lid. <S> Allow the eggs to sit for 11 minutes. <S> Drain and cool the eggs for 2 minutes in ice water. <S> Drain and peel the eggs.
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Prick the eggs on the rounded end (a tack works well), cover with water, add a splash of vinegar, bring to a boil uncovered, immediately remove from heat and cover, after 17 minutes immerse in an ice water bath for at least 2 minutes. I really like using the egg-perfect egg timer.
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Where can I bulk-buy cheap parmesan? My friend planted three rows of basil in his garden to make pesto, and now we need to source roughly 25-50lbs of parmesan. With that kind of quantity, cheaper is better. <Q> The price of genuine-sealed-and-certified parmagiano reggiano is quite high and fairly consistent, especially for more aged varieties. <S> I think your best bet to save money will be to use a similar parmagiano reggiano cousin, such as grana padano, romano, or a quality Argentinian reggianito. <S> As a second-tier approach, you might look at domestic Parmesan, but use caution as it may not have the same quality as a one of the Italian imports. <S> As for genuine Parmesan: you're buying at least a couple hundred dollars of cheese, and this gives you some bargaining power. <S> Buy or ask to taste a small sample of whatever you're considering, and try to negotiate; managers may be willing to offer you a bulk discount. <S> As far as pricing goes, I've seen genuine-seal-and-everything Parmagiano Reggiano on sale at about $12-13/lbs at my local Southern Season. <S> I generally expect to pay $18-22/lbs at upscale grocery stores for Parmesan, with remarkably little variation between stores. <S> Your standard grocery stores tend to sell small blocks of inferior-quality and freshness Parmesan for similar prices. <S> In contrast, grana padano runs around $12-13/lbs on average at my local Trader Joe's, and might be available for under $10/lbs with a good sale. <S> I usually buy blocks of that for general cooking use, as it is close enough in taste and much cheaper. <A> Costco has good quality, large chunks of parmesan for a lot cheaper than grocery stores. <A> Well, it's not first frost yet in most areas, so you might still have time on this -- <S> I'd ask your local Italian restaurants where they get their cheese from. <S> Odds are, they're not paying the grocery store $15-20/lb prices. <S> sell other cheaper varieties. <S> The thing is, they sell it in chunks about 1/8 of a wheel or larger if I recall correctly (which is about 10lb a chunk ... <S> maybe they had 5lb chunks, but I don't think it was smaller than that), and they'll only give membership cards to people who can prove they have a business or a non-profit ... <S> but it's possible that a restaurant who already has a good source might be willing to resell some to you. <A> We find good values at our local ethnic market -- specifically, in my case, Phonecia Specialty Foods in Houston, TX. <S> They have no problems selling in bulk by the wheel.
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In my area, there's Restaurant Depot, which sells Parmagiano Reggiano cheaper than some of the regular grocery stores I'd gather a couple quotes from cheese shops, try prices at your local Costco/Sam's Club, and talk to the upscale grocery stores in your area.
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How to make kidney beans tender? The way I currently cook kidney beans is to soak them overnight. But still they have to be cooked for a long time on gas before they get tender enough to be edible. Anything that can be added or be done in a different way to reduce the time over heat? <Q> Adding a little bicarbonate of soda (baking soda) to the beans when soaking overnight should help soften them. <A> You can reduce the overnight holding time, but I'm afraid you're stuck with the cooking time. <S> Start with good quality fresh dried beans - if they're old they'll take forever to soften. <S> Cover them by at least 2ins of water (softened if your water is hard with a little bicarbonate of soda, or use bottled water) to allow for absorption. <S> Soak them overnight in water, or if you're in a hurry bring to the boil for 10 mins, turn off heat, and leave for 2 hours. <S> It is important that they stay covered with water. <S> Change water and boil hard for 15 mins (to destroy toxins) and then simmer until tender, adding salt, garlic or onion or other flavours if desired (this might take 30 mins to 1 hour or so or even more, depending on the beans - I normally expect 45 mins). <A> I find that soaked kidney beans will become tender after about fifteen minutes at pressure in a pressure cooker. <S> I sometimes add Kombu to a pot of beans while they are cooking. <S> It is generally thought to reduce the gassiness of the beans, reduce foaming while cooking, shorten cooking time and tenderize the beans. <S> It also seems more nutritious than adding baking soda(?) <S> Finally, you didn't mention it <S> but if you are adding any salt or acids to the beans (like tomatoes), it would take much longer for your beans to become tender.
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I'd cook the beans until they are tender before adding salt or anything acidic.
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Ideas for using garlic scapes (other than in pesto)? Does anyone have ideas for using garlic scapes? These are the green shoots that are the above-ground part of bulb garlic. Think of something a bit like a scallion in appearance, but thinner, firmer and curly. They are in season right now (July), and we have been getting some in our CSA box every week for the last few weeks. The most common use for them appears to be in pesto. I tried that the first time we got some, but the result was just too strong for me, and I am a real garlic lover. (My six-year-old daughter adores classic basil pesto, but she thought the scape pesto was awful.) They are milder and much "greener" in flavor than bulb garlic, but they still have a pretty strong kick when raw. <Q> Personally, I just throw them into stir fries or fried rice (add them near the end of the cooking time). <S> I've also had them slightly stir fried with pea shoots in sesame oil. <S> Simple but delicious. <S> Tofu666, an amazing vegan blogger, fries them often. <S> Here's a sample: http://veganmenu.blogspot.com/2007/06/seitan-and-lentil-stew-fritto-misto.html This page has instructions for pickling them: http://notwithoutsalt.com/2009/06/18/garlic-scapes/ <A> I made a really nice summer spread with yoghurt, some chopped garlic scape, lemon, and pepper. <S> We put it on pita and it disappeared very quickly. <S> I also made a pretty good chicken marinade with tomato, lemon, ginger, garlic scapes, a little oil, and some pepper. <S> When you cook the scapes, they become softer and the flavour mellows out. <A> I've been using them in salads where I would use green spring onions - just not using as many. <S> Also I've got a "CSA soup" I've been making lately that involves bok choy, beet tops, and kale <S> - I saute the stems with carrots before adding them to the soup <S> and I've put a scape or two, sliced like green onion tops, into that saute to great effect. <S> Since I got 10 last week I pretty much have to use 1 or 2 each meal :-) <A> I use the green tops of garlic when I want a rounder smoother garlic taste for my dish. <S> Often I'll chop them to make garlic butter for garlic bread. <S> You can chop them on top of toasted cheese to give an extra flavour. <S> The also work well in most dishes that already contain garlic, so add them to pizza, pasta sauce, stir fries or anything else that you like. <A> Great sauteed together with some earthy greens (e.g. kale)! <S> Then make a delicious pizza with it maybe add some feta cheese! <A> I realize this is a very old thread, but having recently gotten into garlic scapes, I am shocked that no one mentioned grilling. <S> I love them, brushed with a little oil and seasoned, straight on the grill. <S> Taste amazing when they have those little browned charred parts on them too. <A> Use them in an omelette with goat cheese. <S> Yum. <A> Another saute aplication: blanch them, then dice them into roughly half-inch to inch-long pieces and saute them in the bacon/pancetta fat for a pasta carbonara (or an 'eggless' version, just pasta tossed with crispy bacon and something green), letting them take the place of the traditional peas — <S> the garlicky flavor there plays perfectly off the bacon and parmesan, and the texture (to me, at least) is a lot like an asparagus, a bit of bite but different than the crispness of the meat.
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I'll also add them to chreem cheese for a spread or to sour cream for a garlic dip.
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What kind of meat to use for Wiener Schnitzel? I understand that the meat is thinned with a mallet before coating with breadcrumbs and frying. What parts of veal or pork are suitable? (Googling the subject seems to produce mostly sausage related hits for some reason) <Q> Definitely. <S> I can't link to a web source now, but I have some German cook books at home, including one solely about different kinds of schnitzel. <S> From the veal, you use parts 6, 7 and 11 for any kind of schnitzel, 7 being the best and highest-prized choice. <S> I don't know the English names, maybe somebody can supply them. <S> Also, try using leaner meat. <S> I think that in the US, the fat marbled beef is considered higher quality. <S> But in Europe, lean beef is preferred. <S> A good beef schnitzel has maybe 3% fat. <S> This said, there are lots of places which cook pork schnitzels in the Wiener style and call them Wiener Schnitzel. <S> It isn't traditional, but if you like the taste, there is nothing against doing it that way at home. <S> They come from the same parts of the pig as the veal schnitzel: the ham and the lower back. <S> Again, they should be very lean. <S> And in both cases, unlike a steak, a schnitzel is always boneless. <A> When you see 'Wiener Schnitzel' on a german or austrian menu it is ALWAYS veal. <S> Schnitzel made with pork loin can not be offered as such in restaurants, but must be called instead"Schnitzel Wiener <S> Art"(Vienna <S> Style).Here is a tip for those schnitzel lovers out there: <S> use japanese panko bread crumbs for your coating! <A> German Food Guide says to use the pork loin. <S> Cooks.com says to use either a pork chop or a veal cutlet. <A> I was taught that the "Wiener" referred to the original recipe origins in Vienna. <S> This Schnitzel in the Vienna style was originally veal. <S> American German restaurants usually serve a variety of meats prepared into paillards (flattened with mallet) and breaded - generally only the Veal one is called "Wiener Schnitzel". <S> At home, I prefer to use Center Cut pork chops to prepare what I like to call "Swiner Schnitzel". <S> I agree with the answer above that leaner is better. <S> Schnitzel cooks extremely quickly and marbling is unnecessary. <A> "Wiener Schnitzel" in Austria is pork. <S> The term is only protected in Germany where your Wiener Schnitzel is made from veal. " <S> Wiener Art" refers to pork Schnitzel. <A> Technically, schnitzel made with pork is schweinenschnitzel. <S> Weiner Schnitzel is Veal, but even german restaurnats will often sell port and call it weiner Schnitzel <A> I’ve not the points to comment on rumtscho ‘s post, but this is an extension of what he said. <S> 6) goes from loin to sirloin 7) <S> tenderloin 11) <S> Round; Ham when taking pork With regards to pork: <S> Just slice (butterfly cuts are good) and prepare them. <S> In my opinion the flavor is good but not great. <S> It never puts my back in Mittelfranken, Oberbayern, or any part of Germany for that matter. <S> With sirloin , the flavor was dead on, but the fat running through it, made for a pour consistency and wasn’t nice to work with. <S> Pork Tenderloin lacks circumference and makes small schnitzels, but flavor and consistency are there. <S> I believe <S> the top-round is the best cut for large, tasty, and consistent cuts, but alas I have not used it. <S> At some point, I’ll pick up a raw ham and cut the top-round from it. <S> I have no idea where, in America, you can buy the round already cut out. <S> I’d likely use the bottom and eye of round for stew… or perhaps additional smaller schnitzels. <S> Tip: though oil of your choice works, using butterschmalz (Clarified butter) ads some really nice flavor. <S> I found some clarified butter called Ghee at a store here, however you could make your own. <S> Regardless, not needed, just a nice touch. <S> Note: <S> Our cook book and German wiki says the Oberschale is used for schnitzel. <S> Dict.cc lists the Oberschale as top-round. <S> Part 11 on the image is the Oberschale.
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The real, original Wiener Schnitzel is veal. Using the loin is a nice and quick way.
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Why do marshmallows poof up so huge when put in the microwave? As anyone who's put marshmallows in the microwave knows, they expand a ton! Sometimes they puff up to literally more than twice their original size ( YouTube video for those who haven't seen it). So, why? At first I assumed it was because they had a lot of air in them, but that doesn't make sense. There's no way that amount of air can puff up that much from the heat! What makes marshmallows poof up so much when they are microwaved? <Q> Specifically, 1 mL of water becomes ~1.36 LITERS of vapor, before it gets heated further. <S> That's 1000-fold expansion, before you add additional expansion as the gas is heated. <S> Marshmallows don't have all that much water content, but when it's trapped in a stretchy gelatin matrix that holds gas readily, it only takes a bit to blow the whole thing up like a balloon. <S> You are correct that the gas expansion on its own is insufficient; unless I've badly muddled my calculations, gas expansion from 20C to ~150C (caramelization temperature) will increase the gas volume by under 50%. <A> Because the water becomes gas and takes up more space than a liquid, and then puffs up, and then when its not being heated anymore, it shrinks. <A> Because the molecules inside the marshmallow moves faster and faster as the heat rises and the little bubbles of air inside the marshmallows grow bigger and bigger <S> and then it expands. <S> only 14 years of age
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Marshmallows expand so much because the water in them becomes steam, and gas takes up a LOT more volume than liquid.
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How to make the perfect root beer I have already noted this question about making root beer, but I wanted to explore further, so I hope you'll indulge me. I want to make a home made root beer that is similar in taste to the A&W brand. Obviously, I want to make something different, or I could just buy A&W... but that's my starting point. If I can approximate that, then I can experiment from there. There are some points that I am stuck on: Most online recipes suggest either using "root beer extract", or "sasparilla", or "sassafrass extract". I understand sasparilla and sassafras are different roots, but is "root beer extract" another way description for either of the roots, or is it a catch all term for pre-mixed root beer flavouring? Is there a noticeable flavour difference between sassafras and sasparilla? Should I really try and hunt down sassafras without the carcinogenic ingredient, or is it not worth the effort? Where can I find a reliable supplier of the key ingredients that ships internationally? A lot of suppliers have either unclear web sites or their stock seems to come and go. Recommendations would be really welcome! What I like about A&W over, say, Barq's, is that it seems thicker. The foam holds longer and the mouth feel is creamier. What would be the ingredient or method that would steer a root beer brew towards being thicker? Thanks for any tips! <Q> I have long kept a copy of an old usenet posting on my web server that addressed the flavorings issue. <S> There are alternatives to sassafras, and sarsaparilla plus dried burdock may get you most of the way there, and I always like the drink called sarsaparilla a little more than most mass market root beers. <S> Birch beer has its charms, too. <S> I think you can experiment with a few different barks and roots. <S> Wintergreen and some of the other ingredients are used for other reasons; I'm pretty sure they were present in earlier forms of root beer as well. <S> See <S> http://www.jagaimo.com/bistro/rootbeerfaq.html for the old discussion <S> I kept a copy of (circa 1995). <S> The same posting covered some suppliers but <S> they may or may not be relevant 16 years after I collected that posting. <A> I've been blending herbal teas for years for a coffee shop in my area. <S> I've also made my own root-beer from scratch several times. <S> The recipe I've used for making root-beer naturally included sassafras root bark and sarsaparilla root. <S> Yes, they are very different! <S> Sassafras has a naturally sort of "warming" flavor. <S> It is hard to duplicate the flavor, but wintergreen, birch bark, spearmint leaf, orange peel and cinnamon will get you close. <S> Sarsaparilla has a bit of an earthier flavor, with a "powedery" hint of "cardboard". <S> Definitely adds something. <S> What I find most interesting is that no one mentions Birch bark--which can be difficult to locate sometimes. <S> (My herb supplier was out for almost 2 yrs!) <S> To the boil, I also add a little vanilla bean to provide that warm note that's missing (when you leave out sassafras) and ginger root to kick up the burn. <S> Definitely add a hint of star anise!!! <S> (Similarly, it makes Earl Grey tea taste more like Earl Grey when used judiciously.) <S> So, #1: Avoid the extracts. <S> It's just plain cheating! <S> #2: Sassafras is the one that's supposedly carcinogenic, not sarsaparilla. <S> #3: I would imagine that finding a company to ship int'l would be difficult, due to trade restrictions on some plants. <S> The only caveat I can think of here would be US/Canada, who have pretty strong relations. <S> Finally, #4: the mouthfeel is key to some brands. <S> This is where sweetener comes into play and will also effect flavor. <S> If you're doing a yeast-fermentation, you'll need to discuss this with a local brewer or mead-maker. <S> Personally, I use both white and demerrara sugar, along with either maple syrup or molasses. <S> All that said, I haven't brewed in well over 10 yrs... <S> so I'd be a bit rusty on the specifics. <S> But a great way to get the process going is simply to treat it like you're brewing tea. <S> Experiment with ratios of herbs and spices and keep meticulous notes of each batch. <S> Don't move onto the fermentation/carbonation until you're happy with the tea. <S> GOOD LUCK! <A> Maltodextrin can be bought pretty cheap at a brewer's store. <S> It doesn't really add a taste, at least you're not supposed to notice it, but it gives it a thicker creamier feel. <S> I know Sprecher uses it.
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A hint of sweet marjoram, basil or thyme... and roasted chicory root can also be useful.
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Is there any flavor difference in heated sugar (e.g. cotton candy)? A friend writes: Why do people continue to think that cotton candy is a flavor? It's spun sugar with food coloring. It tastes like... sugar. Now I'm curious. Ignoring for a moment any possible contribution of the food coloring, are there chemical changes to the sugar ( sucrose , I presume) during the heating process that are distinguishable by the human olfactory or taste system? The smell of a cotton candy machine and fresh cotton candy definitely seems distinctive; I'm sure the machine itself and the increased aerosolization of the sugar in the vicinity both have something to do with that. Similarly, the increased surface area of the sugar probably changes the magnitude of our tastebuds' responses. But I wonder about the specific chemical changes involved, and whether they're detectable by most humans. (Psychologically and/or neurologically, I'm sure there's something to be said about the whole experience of cotton candy changing our perception of how it tastes. In this case, I'm looking for the basic chemistry and biology.) <Q> What Rincewind42 says about caramelization is true in itself, but it doesn't apply here. <S> Cotton candy is made from sugar syrup at the hard ball stage (130°C), so too cold for caramelization. <S> Caramelization only starts occuring at 160°C and above. <S> In fact, caramel has a very different texture from sugar, so it is practically impossible to spin cotton out of it. <S> It makes spidery, unendly elastic strands, unlike the brittle cotton candy strands. <S> Plus, it is visibly brown, and tastes very different from sugar, so you'd notice it when eating the cotton candy. <S> The flavor of cotton candy is indeed sugar (unless it has had something else added). <S> But taste is not the same thing as flavor. <S> Things taste different to us based on texture, aroma, color and food name. <S> (I once read about a study made with unusually colored puddings. <S> People who had eaten cherry pudding with yellow coloring were sure they are eating banana or lemon, and they were convinced the pink vanilla pudding was strawberry). <S> So it is entirely possible that a gelato customer who eats a gelato called "cotton candy", has lots of sugar and is painted a pastel color will perceive it as having a different taste from non-flavored ice cream which has lots of sugar, but not the color or the name, especially if the texture of the "cotton candy" flavor is tweaked a bit. <A> Cotton candy sugar comes in several flavors: <S> Cotton Candy Express sells grape, cherry, pink vanilla and raspberry. <S> Flossugar comes in a bunch of flavors like vanilla, banana, and blue raspberry (the actual names of the flavors are pretty weird). <S> Based on that, I'd guess that the "cotton candy flavor" is whatever flavoring they usually put in pink cotton candy, which seems to be just vanilla. <A> The mixtures aren't just sugar. <S> The flavoring comes from an ingredient called flossine. <S> If my memory serves correctly it is manufactured by Gold Medal, and is basically some proprietary mixture of coloring and flavor. <S> I believe the standard flavor is cherry. <S> The last time I ran a cotton candy machine was a couple years ago for a church fall festival. <S> You can just run a plain sugar through the cotton candy machine, but it wont give you the taste you are looking for. <S> It is all really in the flossine. <S> FYI, if you are looking for that flavor in something else, like a cake or ice cream you can buy the flossine concentrate, and use it for whatever. <S> Just make sure you aren't using any other flavors that will destroy the flavor profile of the flossine. <S> Hope <S> this helps with what you are looking for. <A> When the sugar is heated to make the cotton candy, it will caramelise. <S> This causes many chemical changes. <S> The following clipped from wikipedia : Caramelization is the removal of water from a sugar, proceeding to isomerization and polymerization of the sugars into various high-weight compounds. <S> Compounds such as difructose anhydride may be created from the monosaccharides after water loss. <S> Fragmentation reactions result in low-molecular-weight compounds that may be volatile and may contribute to flavor. <S> Polymerization reactions lead to larger-molecular-weight compounds that contribute to the dark-brown color.
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As @Brendan said there is flavor added to cotton candy. To answer your question, there is a chemical change in the sucrose as it moves from crystal to liquid form, but nothing that I believe would affect what we can taste.
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Where can I buy American style bread flour in Europe I live in Germany, and all the flour here is made from soft winter wheat. I can get some durum semolina imported from Italy and sold as "hardwheat flour" (Hartweizenmehl), and that's about it. But most of the ressources on bred baking I read are of American origin, and they are all optimized for American style bread flour, made from the endosperm of spring wheat. Is there a source within the Schengen zone which produces high-gluten flour and ships it to Germany? I think I read a comment somewhere on the site that Sweden has such flour, so maybe there is a producer who ships to Germany there. But I don't speak Swedish, so I can't research that. But I don't care if it comes from Sweden or another country, as long as I don't have to pay import taxes. <Q> The canonical bread flour is France's Type 55, which should be roughly equivalent to German type 550. <S> Both are defined by ash content, with the German measures being 10x the French ones. <S> Now, the King Arthur Flour website lists 11.5% protein content for their equivalent of French Type 55 flour. <S> So, I'm thinking you want a higher-gluten German type 550... which should be obtainable if you can find protein information for your national brands. <S> If I were dead set on matching French T55, I would experiment with adding small amounts of vital wheat gluten to German Type 550 to get equivalent protein content. <S> American bread flour is slightly different. <S> It is a paler flour with 12-15% protein content. <S> To duplicate the strength of this, you want German flour type 812, possibly with a little type 1050 or Dinkel Mehl <S> 630 added for extra strength. <S> For a less whole-wheat flavor, use type 550 or even type 405 plus vital wheat gluten. <S> The breakdown on german flour types is: American Cake/pastry flour = <S> German type 405 <S> , 8-10% gluten American All-Purpose flour = <S> German type 550, 9-11% gluten. <S> American Bread flour = <S> German type 812, 11-13% gluten. <S> Dinkel Mehl 630 may be in this range too (I find a note that it is commonly used in bread and has a high gluten level) American High-gluten flour = <S> German type 1050, <S> 13-14.5% gluten <S> Whole wheat flour = type 1600 <S> Rye flour, type 1150 <S> Frankly, I'd find a bakery that makes a baguette like you want, and ask which brand and type of flour they use for their baguettes. <S> Bakers like to talk about their work, and they'll probably be more than happy to tell you. <S> Source: http://www.germanfoodguide.com/flours.cfm <A> The UK has the right bread making flour in its supermarkets. <S> I'd think that the UK has the closest to American style breads. <S> Though it is outside of the Schengen zone, they do speak English and should be able to send you some. <S> Try some companies such as Graig Farm , Wessex Mill , FWP Matthews or Flourbin . <S> These websites probably won't list delivery to Germany online however you can try telephoning them and see what other delivery options they have. <S> The Wessexmill does list a retailer in Switzerland with there product. <A> Maybe a bit off topic, but Schengen has nothing to do with taxes and customs. <S> Scheneng is only for passports and visas. <S> As long as you buy from another EU country, you don't need to pay any taxes, regardless if it's a Schengen country or not! <A> I bake American/Canadian breads in France for my Paris-based bakery (www.ParisBread.com), and I use T65 flour (very soft flour, but slightly more strength than the standard T55). <S> I add 14 g of gluten per batch of dough (i.e. 2 tablespoons of gluten per 3 cups of flour). <S> I also have to increase the amount of flour to be 140 g per US cup as listed in a recipe, instead of the 120 g per cup that all purpose flour in the US would normally yield. <S> The end result is bread that is BETTER than the US versions of the same. <S> They rise nicely, stay fresh a long time, and sell quickly! <S> To summarize, take the US recipe, and using the soft flour, use 140 g of flour to replace each cup requested, and add 2 tablespoons of gluten (14 g) per batch of dough. <S> Email me for more specifics if you like, shelley@parisbread.com <A> If you can find vital wheat gluten, you can mix that with your soft wheat flour to approximate a higher-protein bread flour. <A> I'd just look for a flour with the right gluten / protein percentage or special bakers flour. <S> I talked with a quality baker in Amsterdam and she imports flour from France, I don't know which flour, though. <S> Sorry for the poor answer :(
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I can find gluten easily in France in the health food stores (such as Naturalia or Bio-Coop), and I buy my T65 flour from Dia (or Ed) for about 1,10 per kilo.
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Can I soak and rejuice the pulp that comes out of a juicer? If I'm juicing Oranges it takes quite a few oranges to get a decent amount of juice. Would it be possible to soak the pulp in water and send it through the juicer again? If so, what is the best way to go about that? What ratio of water to pulp would be optimal? <Q> The water soluble parts of the orange are all already solved in its juice. <S> So in mixing the pulp with water, you aren't leeching any new orange components. <S> The result won't be orange juice by any stretch, just water which has washed the last drops of juice your juicer didn't get. <S> But it won't be anywhere near real orange juice for drinking on its own. <S> If you want to get some more orange taste out of the pulp, you can try boiling the pulp, or using a different solvent like alcohol or a fat. <S> All will produce something very different from true orange juice (a syrup for the first if you add sugar, liqueur with alcohol or an essential oil with fat), and the amount will be rather small. <S> So probably not worth the work. <A> I'd think that the resulting juice would be bitter from the orange plup and not sweet like the first juice. <A> I'm not completely confident, but it strikes me as sure, you could add water to the pulp, and then you could squeeze water right back out of it. <S> It'd have a very slight orange flavor. <S> If you want to get more orange flavor out of your oranges, zest them before juicing and then use the zest. <A> Turning your question around, we've found that with our twin-gear masticating juicer ( an older version of this) , we usually run the pulp through it a second time. <S> It comes out pretty moist the first time, but the second time it's pretty much squeezed dry.
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If you drink your juice diluted (I prefer it that way: less sweet, less fructose, better value), doing it might provide it with a better diluting liquid than pure water.
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What are purple small Brinjals called in English? There are white and green Brinjals too. Are the purple ones known by some special name? <Q> In Britain (and France), the large purple varieties are known as aubergines. <S> Other (pale and/or small) varieties aren't usually found outside of Asian supermarkets, where I imagine they are still referred to as brinjal. <S> The name 'eggplant' is used in the US, Canada, and the Antipodes, mainly because the lighter varieties are more common there, which arguably have the colour of eggshell. <S> They are, however, all just different varieties of the same plant, like yellow and red tomatoes. <A> They are all known as eggplant. <A> The ones that are in common use in Europe tend to be the larger purple and white varieties as these are the ones that have been cultivated in that continent. <S> With the spread of the cuisines of different countries into other parts of the globe, ingredients used in these cuisines have recently become more readily available outside their native countries and are called by names that distinguish them from their native equivalents. <S> Personally, I buy what I know as Indian Aubergines and Thai Aubergines in my local Asian supermarket, these are imported from these countries and are not grown locally. <S> I am grateful to know that the ones that are imported from Kashmir are known in that country as Brinjal. <S> I would add that they all have a particular flavour/texture and are all of particular use in the cuisines of their respective native countries, after all, you wouldn't make a Moussaka with Brinjal. <A> In Toronto, we call everything in that family "Eggplant" (or Aubergines if you're trying to look cultured.) <S> The most common variety is the the large dark purple/black one. <S> The second variety is the long skinny purple one, which we call "Chinese Eggplant". <S> Then there are the small ones, about the size of a pear or even smaller, which we call "Baby Eggplant" the default being the dark purple/black colour. <S> These distinctions really based on size and shape. <S> Any further differentiation is done by pre-pending an adjective. <S> "I'd like a light purple baby eggplant.
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In the UK they are all known as Aubergines and in the US as Eggplant as they are all fruiting bodies of the same family of plants, the nightshades.
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How to make soft Gulab Jamuns? I use Gulab Jamun mix of the Gits company. http://www.gitsfood.com/gulabjamun/ The problem is that even on low fire the balls get brown from out side, but don't get cooked "properly" within.When I try to cook it for a longer time, they tend to be hard. What can I add to the mixture so that it cooks "properly" within and remains soft too?Sodium bicarbonate? or something else can work too? <Q> Add baking powder to the mixture, if needed, as it will cause them to puff up and lighten when cooked. <S> Adding a little cream may also help. <S> I have a Gulab Jamun recipe from "Dance of Spices" by Laxmi Hiremath, pg 412, which lists the following for the dough: <S> 0.5 cup (120 mL) unbleached all-purpose flour 2 cups (around 470 mL) <S> powdered nonfat dry milk 1 tsp (5 mL) <S> baking powder 1 cup (236 mL) <S> heavy whipping cream (probably listed as "double cream" where you live, see question on cream types ) about 1 TBSP water (15 mL) <S> The dry ingredients are mixed, then the cream is gradually mixed in, and the water is added to make a smooth, pliable dough. <A> My brother just made some Gulab Jamuns and had the same problem... <S> You have to knead the dough really with lot of pressure and make it ultra soft. <S> Then fry the balls in thick bottom pan on a low flame. <S> Pans that become hot quickly will make the balls dark and wil not get cooked inside.. <A> Kneading dough is important. <S> Make sure you don't knead very tight and roll it very tight. <S> While frying heat oil to high and reduce to medium. <S> Wait for few seconds and fry the jamun in medium or low heat. <S> Dont leave the fried jamun out for long after frying. <S> Drop it in sugar syrup. <S> Make sure it dips completely in the syrup. <A> While kneading dough add some milk which has small amount of heat.
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Add baking powder which helps to soft.
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Why are drippings from restaraunt ground beef colored orange? I've noticed over the years that whenever I cook ground beef from the grocery store, the drippings in the beef are typically clear in color. When eating out, if I order a particularly greasy ground beef item, the drippings are typically orange in color. What accounts for this difference in appearance? <Q> This should depend greatly on what the item is. <S> Hamburgers generally run clear, possibly slightly bloody if undercooked. <S> The only example of this I can think of would be the odd orange drippings from "taco meat". <S> The cause of that is soluble coloring agents or spices in the drippings. <A> It depends on the dish really. <A> The reddish-orange color is almost certainly paprika or another ground chili. <S> This imparts its fiery color to the juice and the oil used in cooking. <S> Oh, and also to any softer plastic you may leave it in, such as tupperware containers. <A> I noticed the color today with lasagna. <S> The grease coming off the beef was actually orange. <S> When I put some of the beef in boiling water, it came out a natural color and tasted much different, while the water was orange and the pot had an orange-colored scum. <S> I am sure it wasn't from tomatoes. <S> I suspect that the restaurant used cheap hamburger meat and added food coloring because they thought it would look more appetizing.
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It could be from some kind of seasoning such as paprika.
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Can I eat eggs that are cooked over 3 hours with low temperature looking a bit brown? I wanted to try what happens to eggs over long cooking with low-temperature. The white thing became a bit brown and the odour is a bit different. Are they edible? [Update] I used the lowest temperature in a gas stove with a pressure heavy iron container thing. I ate the eggs, the yellow tasted dry while the white tasted actually better than usually. <Q> Should be fine to eat, from a food safety perspective. <S> The heat will be high enough to prevent bacterial growth. <S> I can't speak to the flavor, of course. <S> Goodness knows we've all eaten our culinary screwups that nobody else would touch at least once. <A> Something I came across a couple years back: the 300 minute egg . <S> They're delicious, and I love the way they look, too. <A> In the traditional Jewish Sabbath stew called cholent , the stew is put in the oven before the end of the day on Friday. <S> It's cooked overnight and eaten at lunch on Saturday. <S> The Sephardis (North African, Spanish, or Arab areas) often put whole eggs in the shell into the cholent. <S> This recipe claims that the eggs are the star of the show. <S> Here are some other recipes . <S> (Including in a crock pot .)
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Edible is a matter of opinion. Not only can you eat eggs that have turned brown during a long cooking period, you should !
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I'm looking for an extender/filler for my spice mix I mix up a red pepper and salt blend (along with a few other ingredients) and put it in a coffee grinder to powder it. The blend that I have come up with has just the right flavor for my family's taste, but it is too intense. We use this spice mix to coat deep-fried tater-tots in a pretty fair imitation of the potato ole's from Taco John's. When coating the tater tots, it takes a certain minimum amount of the spice to get decent coverage. But, that makes the flavor too strong. What can I use as a filler or extender to dilute the strength of my spice mix, so I can use enough to get a good distribution of the spices and not have the flavor so strong. Any suggestions for something flavorless that can be added and blended with the mixture? <Q> It is rather tasteless, has good solubility in liquids, and doesn't change much texturewise. <S> In homemade spice mixes, the popular filler solution are dried breadcrumbs of a very small size (like breadcrumbs for schnitzel breading). <S> They are noticeable, because the mix gets gritty, but the consensus among those who do it is that this is a feature, not a bug. <S> They could also slightly thicken a wet dish (soup, stew), but present no problem when strewn over dry food. <S> You can also use a nut flour made of nuts without much of an own taste, like apricot kernels or low quality overdried almonds. <S> Again, this will be somewhat gritty, but not as hard as the breadcrumn solution. <A> Flour, cornstarch, or cornmeal should work well. <S> They'll also help your spice mix stick to the food. <A> Why not dilute it in several liquids that will match the dishes you prepare. <S> Spiced oils and vinegars are very conventional. <S> Spiced neutral alcohols can be nice - especially when cooking in a sauce or over a fry pan at higher heats. <S> For the tots, it looks like oil is the way to go. <A> The best filler is maltodextrin. <S> You could also use milk powder.
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Very fine breadcrumbs could work as well, as long as they are not too large to pass through the holes of a shaker. The professional (read: industrial) solution would be maltodextrin powder.
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Hints on storage of vegetables and fruit Different fruits and vegetables require different treatment in order to preserve their integrity, micronutrient contents and especially taste over the longest period possible. Time and again I am confronted with new insights like tomatoes should not be kept in the refridgerator, because they lose their aroma in cold climate , but I have yet to find a unified resource to learn about best practices in storing these goods. Are you acquainted with such a resource or have knowledge yourself about this topic? Thank you for sharing. <Q> This can actually get into a lot of detail. <S> Especially if you consider that advice for your home may not work for mine. <S> In England I could store butter on the counter, whereas here I need to keep it in the fridge lest I come home to a small puddle. <S> Some of the very basics off the top of my head: <S> Leafy greens are best stored at 12 degrees Celsius. <S> For those in warmer climates, better 4 degrees than 24. <S> In my experience this doesn't affect their flavour. <S> Root vegetables (onions, potato, beetroot etc.), except carrots, can be stored at room temperature, even when it's warm. <S> Potatoes should be stored in the darkest place possible. <S> vegetables from the solanum family (tomatoes, aubergines and peppers) should be kept apart from the squash family (cucumbers, courgettes, pumpkins). <S> I can't remember why this is, though it causes the squash family to spoil faster. <S> There's plenty more, but I can't think of them right now. <A> There is a very good book called On Food and Cooking , by Harold McGee. <S> It is a great source on food science, and has chapters on all food groups. <S> In the chapters on food and vegetables, he gives a short text on each fruit resp. <S> vegetable, including storage recommendations. <S> He covers most common plants eaten in Western cuisine, plus quite a few rare ones (fiddleheads, nopales). <S> The book is also a highly recommended reading material for anybody who wants to know what is happening in their pan, not just for practical advice. <S> It makes a good reference work, but can be also read from beginning to end. <S> If you find the matter interesting, this is one of the best books you can choose. <A> In general, I store fruit and veg in approximately the same conditions that the supermarket does. <S> You can bet your bottom dollar that they've researched how to get the most time out of their stock. <A> It's more a gardening (and other oddities) book, but after the growing tips for each item, there will be a section discussing storage ... <S> if you should blanch before freezing, canning, dry storage, etc. <S> It seems I didn't put it back on my shelf when I last referenced it, but I've quoted from it a couple of times, such as for onions and capsicums . <S> Amazon also has it scanned for the 'search within the book' feature. <A> Since other people have given good book resources, I'll provide an answer based on experience. <S> No matter <S> where you are storing your fruits and vegetables, <S> I was skeptical about their efficacy (and I typically don't buy any as-seen-on-tv products), but I came across them at a discount store and gave them a try. <S> For most produce, the green bags helped keep them fresh much longer than any other type of storage I've tried. <S> I'm not being compensated to write this. <S> It's just the solution that works for me. :)
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Salad vegetables (cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers, carrots etc.) can be stored in the fridge for longer life. Debbie Meyer Green Bags will help keep them fresh longer, and thereby tasting better (assuming you follow the instructions like one type of produce per bag, don't use twist ties that will rip the bag, wipe out condensation daily, etc.). One book that I really like is the Encyclopedia of Country Living .
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Cooking slow-roasted pork to 190F? I got a recipe from America's Test Kitchen for "slow-roasted pork" using a bone-in pork shoulder. They say to cook it at 325F until it's 190F internal temperature. However: you normally need to cook pork only until 160F to kill microorganisms. Wouldn't cooking it until 190F dry it out? Why would they say to cook it until 190F if 160F is normally sufficient? <Q> Less than that <S> and you'll have all those bits still intact in your shoulder, which you don't want. <S> ATK explains this in their footnote on the recipe: <S> LOW OVEN <S> Just like in a pot roast, cooking the pork low and slow (325 degrees for 5 to 6 hours) pushes the meat well beyond its “done” mark into the 190-degree range, encouraging intramuscular fat to melt, collagen to break down and tenderize the meat, and the fat cap to render and crisp. <S> ATK's foot and header notes have taught me a lot over the years and I highly recommend them. <A> Going to that temperature ensures that the collagen breaks down in the shoulder. <S> Much higher than that <S> and it will start to dry out. <S> Reaching 190 though is a good point and if you cooked it slow it will be fork tender. <S> The bone will even slide out clean! <S> Now all you need is a smoker for those pork shoulders and you'll be set! <A> Without question low and slow is best for pork shoulder roasts. <S> Roasting the meat to at least an internal temp of 180 degrees is critical. <S> Once this temp is reached, remove the roast from the oven, cover loosely with foil and rest until the in the internal temp reaches at least 190 degrees. <S> Anyone that suggests a temp of lower than 190 degrees is not a professional chef. <S> No offence intended. <S> Testing my instructions against theirs will tell you everything you need to know. <S> Best regards and good eating! <A> I am a former pro chef and serious home cook. <S> I can assure you that the temperatures talked about here are way too high. <S> Most chefs do not cook meats to 190 because that would get them fired or demoted to dishwasher. <S> Low and slow pork is awesome at 145-150 degrees, you will not see any blood and it will be med-well. <S> The idea with low and slow is to keep that meat at 145 for a few hours. <S> 145 is completely safe and I've heard from the local health dept in Seattle that the USDA is talking about bringing the temp down to 135 for beef lamb and pork. <S> You can read the government's rules for restaurants here: <S> http://www.fsis.usda.gov/Factsheets/Keep_Food_Safe_Food_Safety_Basics/index.asp <S> I roasted a pork shoulder for my poker club yesterday. <S> It was a 9-pound bone-in pork shoulder that I seasoned with a dry rub, kosher salt and olive oil the night before. <S> I took it out of the cooler at 6 a.m. the next morning to rest at room temp while I preheated the oven to 500F. <S> I put the roast in the hot oven and roasted for 30 minutes with the hood vent on. <S> This type of roasting creates a lot of smoke. <S> Keeping the oven door closed, I then turned the oven down to 195F and then went to work. <S> I pulled the roast out of the oven at 6:15 p.m. <S> The internal temp of the roast was 147F. I served the roast taqueria style with fresh tortillas, salsas, cilantro, radishes and chopped onions. <S> The meat was cooked perfectly throughout with juices running clear and the bone was completely cooked. <S> All 12 poker buddies said that it was the best pork they've had. <S> You can not overcook this meat using this process. <S> I slow roasted it for 12-hours but could have gone 16-20 hours without a problem. <A> With this particular recipe I have had better results at 270 degrees uncovered until the pork reaches 180-185. <S> Turn off oven and leave in until it reaches 190 then let rest out of oven covered for 20-30 minutes. <S> Pulled pork for sure. <A> I have been cooking pork butts , the top of the shoulder, for years. <S> My method is to cook them at a temperature between 210 and 225 Fahrenheit for 10 hours. <S> I usually use butts that are 6 to 8 pounds. <S> A nice dry rub is a good addition prior to starting the cooking process but through the years I have become a fan of the flavor of the slow roasted pork which develops naturally with low temperatures and a combination of oak and apple wood for the heat and smoke. <S> If you cook slow and with good wood the the rub is a nice contributing flavor but not the main attraction. <S> When the pork is done to 190 degrees or so you should pull it and as soon as possible <S> put a nice vinegar based sauce on it so that it penetrates the meat and creates a wonderful flavor that explodes in your mouth. <A> Both are right. <S> Chef Daryl's way is how I cook my roasts, just a tad different, but his way also presents the ability for the collagen to melt and the meat does not get dry. <S> So you have moist meat with the broken down collagen. <S> I fry the roast on med/ med-high heat in my Dutch oven on the stove while my oven is warming up to a low broil temp. <S> Once browned, I braise the liquid (I use beef stock because I prefer it to wine). <S> Then I place it in the oven and lower the temp to 200 and cook for hours until I can see the collagen has melted. <S> I have also cooked it the other way (higher temp) and got the same result but the meat was, indeed, tougher every time.
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They say to cook until 190F because that's the temperature at which the stuff that actually makes your slow-roasted pork moist, the collagen, fat, etc. is breaking down and coating the meat.
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Ingredients to Get Started with Indian Cuisine I'm interested in slowly getting started with Indian cooking and building up my store of spices. However, I generally don't have as much time to cook as I would like and really don't have enough space to go out and binge spend on cooking materials for Indian food. What are the bare minimum ingredients / spices / etc that I would need, to make some tasty dishes for a wide array of palettes (in case I can convince friends to try my cooking). <Q> Indian foods uses a lot of spices. <S> Almost in a level that you will find one new spice in every new recipe. <S> Still the most common spices AFIK are the follows in the decreasing order of frequency of use <S> Turmeric powder Coriander powder Cumin powder and seeds Chili powder <S> (You can replace with green chilies if you must) <S> Garam masala Dried red chilies Black peppers <S> Also asafoetida, fresh coriander leaf, whole cumin seeds, whole mustard seeds. <S> Also, if you can get some ajowan, get it: <S> While not useful in every recipe, it is really great in eg samosas and tikka marinades. <S> Also, these are very commonly used ingredients <S> Garlic <S> Ginger <S> Onion Green chili peppers Tomato... <S> Cashew nuts for added thickening (as a paste of boiled cashew nuts) or whole as an ingredient (or both - cashew-thickened real korma with sundry vegetables, dried fruits, and whole cashews added is mind <S> blowing - bring on the saffron too!). <S> Also always make some yogurt (Unflavored and unsweetened) available <S> Most common vegetables are Cauliflower Cabbage Potato Bell peppers (Green) <S> Red Kidney Beans <S> Most common grains are Rice <S> (Basmati rice is considered as delicacy) <S> Dal <S> (Many varieties, but you might need mung bean , lentil , toor daal , urid dal ) <S> Whole wheat flour and normal flour <S> Traditionaly different kind of oils are used but now a days mostly vegitable oil is used. <S> You will also need ghee (Similar to clarified butter) to make some complex and rich dishes. <A> I think you can get started quite easily with only two spices: cardamom and garam masala, the second being more important. <S> Many of the other spices and flavors are quite common to a decently stocked kitchen. <S> Garam masala is the quintessential indian spice mix. <S> Add some cream, sub butter or oil for ghee, and use some fresh veg and chicken, and you can start putting together nice curries, etc. <A> Here's the list of four Indian spices I can't live without: Garlic - not really known as Indian spice but used in many dishes; if you're cooking Hare Krishna recipes but are not into Hare Krishna beliefs <S> I recommend replacing asafoetida with garlic. <S> And I recommend Hare Krishna recipes (unlike their beliefs), they are usually extremely detailed since they can't taste the dish before they offer it to Krishna. <S> Turmeric powder - this is the spice that gives color to curry , and it likes to give color to anything it touches, especially wood and plastic. <S> If you spill it, it'll stick more if it's wet. <S> Caraway powder - most recipes use cumin seeds, but in my opinion powder fits better with most dishes, and I like caraway more because it has similar but more intense taste. <S> Chilli powder - again, I like powder because it allows for more precise dosage. <S> Obtain these <S> and you can cook many dishes. <S> And then there are non-essential but more often used spices: <S> Coriander - seeds and powder are interchangeable; but coriander leaves can be replaced with parsley Cinnamon - powder or sticks Ginger - fresh ginger is better than powder, but it doesn't last Garam masala - a combination of spices, usually mixed in the dish before serving <S> There are a lot more spices in Indian cuisine, but for most dishes this is more than enough. <S> Rincewind's remark is valid - I prefer most of the spices in the list in the form of a powder, but they last longer in the seed form, and taste better if they're freshly ground, but the difference is not as important, especially if you're still experimenting. <S> Most of the Indian dishes use pretty ordinary ingredients - it depends on the recipe itself. <S> Once you cook your first dishes, you can try making ghee, paneer or chapatis yourself. <S> But until then, you can replace ghee with butter, and paneer with tofu, and skip the chapatis. <A> The absolute minimum spice rack I'd use for indian food would be: - Coriander seeds - Cumin seeds - Chilli powder (and whole chillis) - Black & White pepper. <S> From this you can mix many spice pastes for some reasonable curries, masallas or kormas. <S> To get more into the authentic flavours you will have to build up an extensive selection of spices. <S> If you don't cook too often, then try to buy your spices whole. <S> They will keep their flavour longer than ground spices. <S> If kept dry, most whole spices can last years.
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Other useful spices (that I believe are fairly common) are: turmeric, chili, cumin, coriander curry powder, star anise, black pepper, cloves and cinnamon sticks.
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How to thicken a Yoghurt based cold sauce? I have a yoghurt-based sauce, e.g. yoghurt with garlic, pepper and salt, and I want to thicken it. Basically I don't want to change the taste, although minor changes are fine but I'd like to adjust its consistency. How can I achieve that? What should I add to thicken cold sauce? Potato flour is not an option as I don't want to warm the sauce. <Q> The usual way is to use a thickener. <S> Some of them require warming, but others do not. <S> Guar or xanthan gum will work if used in the cold sauce. <S> It is the easiest way. <S> If you don't have them, yuo can use gelatine, but you'll have to dissolve it in warm liquid first and then add to the cold sauce, then wait to thicken. <S> None of these will change the taste. <S> If you are from the "no additives" fraction, you can just use a thicker dairy product. <S> I don't think the heavy whipping cream would be a particularly good fit to yogurt. <S> The best choice would be a fermented product thicker than yogurt, e.g. sour cream or creme fraiche. <S> But you can also use a cheese, although this will change the taste (without making it bad or too different from the original). <S> Good choices would be cream cheese, ricotta, quark, tvorog or mascarpone. <A> When I make yogurt based sauces, cold (tzatziki) or hot (curries etcetera), I strain the yogurt to remove some of the liquid (whey), which thickens it. <S> Greek yogurt is strained yogurt. <S> It isn't necessary to use additives for thickening. <S> I now use cheese cloth to do the straining. <S> Stockings, towels and jelly bags are strainers I have used in the past, before I invested in a roll of cheese cloth. <S> It is simple to make thickened yogurt, half hour in the straining cloth gives good results. <S> Note: I always save the whey, and use it for something - add it to a pot of beans if nothing else. <A> If the yogurt doesn’t contain modified food starch, gelatin, or gums, you could put the sauce in a coffee filter or cheesecloth lined strainer for a few hours to let some water release from the yogurt. <A> If you want an even more thick consistency, you might try butter. <S> I would whip the butter first and then add your yoghurt sauce to mix it in.
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Mixing in Heavy whipping cream and whipping the mixture should give you a thicker consistency while maintaining cold temperatures and should not dilute the flavor, though you might want to adjust your yogurt/whipping cream proportions.
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Calcium chloride as substitute for sodium chloride My husband is on a low sodium diet. I have been thinking that Calcium chloride might work for making pickles, smoked fish, etc, because the sodium is the bad actor, not the chloride. Who knows about this? <Q> This is an interesting idea. <S> So I did some googling: <S> Here is a PDF from OragonState that says you can use potassium chloride it for quick pickles, but not brined pickles. <S> I'm assuming calcium chloride can technically do the same, but I don't know what the conversion ratio from table salt is. <S> They say: Reduced-sodium salts (such as potassium chloride) may be used in quick pickle recipes. <S> However, the pickles may have a slightly different taste. <S> Don't use reduced-sodium salt in brined pickles or sauerkraut - these products need a specific amount of sodium to control bacterial growth and to give a firm texture. <S> Also, I found several recipes for <S> "no salt pickles" that are just brined with pickling spices with no salt at all. <S> As for smoking fish: it should work <S> but I would be VERY CAREFUL. <S> Calcium chloride is extremely hygroscopic. <S> It is used as an industrial desiccant. <S> You may end up with petrified fish. <A> The wikipedia article of CaCl2 lists it as generally regarded as safe by the FDA and mentions the exact use you are going for. <S> However, it may taste significantly saltier than sodium chloride by mass <S> so you'll want to be careful about amounts. <S> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calcium_chloride#Food <A> you can go to the commercially available low sodium salt. <S> Using calcium chloride alone in substitution of sodium chloride is a bad idea.
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I have heard of using some potassium chloride to make reduced sodium pickles, but never calcium chloride.
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I've made a bechamel sauce and added sherry to it, but too much: How can I fix it? I've made a bechamel sauce and added sherry to it, herbs, etc; the sherry is too overpowering. How can I correct that? <Q> Bechamel sauce is only flour milk and butter. <S> Even with the sherry, it's not a big expense. <S> If you make a mess of one batch it's probably best just to bin it and start a new. <S> Diluting it down with more sauce may work by your probably just going to end up with loads and loads of sauce that you'll never eat. <A> I really do not think there is much you can do about that. <S> It is probably best to just make another batch of bechamel sauce and mix it with the sauce you already have. <S> The concentration level of the sherry will be halved. <S> Then of course you need to add more of all the other flavorings, herbs and whatnot. <A> Otherwise, just simmer it for a while (maybe 30 minutes) to boil off the alcohol, which will make the sherry less prevalent. <S> If that doesn't work, you can dilute a bit with extra milk and then more roux. <S> Creating excess bechamel is not a problem; it is flexible and freezable, so you can always use excess in other dishes. <S> Add cheese and <S> you get mornay for broccoli or other vegetables. <S> Heavy cream makes sauce supreme. <S> Mustard sauce is another good bechamel-derived sauce. <S> You can ALWAYS use excess bechamel or veloute somehow, because of how flexible these mother sauces are.
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If there is way too much sherry in there, as in 4x what you need, your best bet is to start over.
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Why do you need to cool the filling of a meat pie before adding to the pastry? Sometimes I don't have time to cool the mixture before adding to my pastry but I can't see a major difference in outcome - the pastry does seem to be a bit more soggy when the mixture is not cooled first. I'd love to know the specific reasoning behind it. <Q> You may already know that pastry making requires everything to be cold - the fat, the water, your hands, the board, everything. <S> This is to prevent the fat from melting into the flour prematurely, which results in cardboard-like pastry. <S> When the fat remains cool until cooking, it melts into layers in the pastry as it cooks, making it nice and flaky. <S> If you put hot filling into your pastry case, you will melt some of the fat prematurely and so the pastry won't be as good as would be if you let it cool. <A> As you can see from the above answers - it depends on the type of pastry you are using. <S> Short-crust pastries will be more forgiving of a warm filling before baking, but it is best to blind bake the shell and work quickly <S> so you don't get a "soggy bottom"! <A> I don't cool it at all. <S> I work fast, have everything ready, roll my pastry out, fill it and into the oven. <S> No issues at all. <S> I blind <S> bake the pastry if I am cooking a custard based product. <S> But for the most part, I keep everything as hot as I can. <S> I fill it, egg wash, and into the oven. <S> I also ensure the baking sheets are hot as well. <S> Pastry turns out excellent.
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When you are using a flaky pastry such as puff or rough puff, make sure the filling is cold when you fill it, otherwise the heat of the filling will melt the fat and destroy the layers of fat and gluten and your pastry won't be flaky.
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What are some ways to prepare beet greens? Back in my home country beets are only sold as the roots; in the US they're always sold with the leaves attached to them. I know how to use the roots, but what are some interesting uses for the leaves? Are they edible at all? <Q> It's no accident that, as Ray says, people treat beet greens similar to chard (swiss chard - also known as silverbeet in some regions!). <S> According to On Food and Cooking , they're the same species, Beta vulgaris . <S> Chards are varieties that have been selected for thick, large leaves, subspecies cicla . <S> The same passage also mentions that beets are a distant relative of spinach! <S> Pretty distant, though - same family, different subfamily. <S> Beet root (commonly simply called beets) was on the other hand selected for the root - subspecies vulgaris . <S> (Wikipedia mentions a couple other subspecies, but you're unlikely to have seen them - they're wild, not cultivated.) <S> As for uses, there's really no end to it - just like there's no end of chard recipes. <S> Unfortunately, since the greens are usually pretty small compared to the beets, it's hard to get a lot of mileage out of them. <S> Since they're generally thinner than chard, they cook down even more than chard does. <S> Sometimes I just quickly saute them and have a snack while I cook the rest of the meal. <S> If you have another dish with greens, you can toss them in there. <S> You can also just cook them separately and toss them back in with your beets, to add a bit of color and texture to that dish. <S> Finally, the presence of the greens is by no means universal in the US <S> - I've seen plenty of stores selling just the root. <S> I prefer them with the greens, though. <S> Both parts are great, and I enjoy the bit of extra variety in my meals. <A> The leaves are often referred to as "beet greens", which might return some more search results. <S> I usually see them treated similar to spinach or swiss chard; that is, either served raw in a salad, or blanched and/or sauteed, perhaps with some garlic and olive oil. <A> I treat the beet as three different items - the root, the stem, and the leaves. <S> I generally use the stems and leaves at the same time, but I cook them differently. <S> Unlike ruby chard, the stems keep their glorious colour when they're cooked, making them something I like to add to lots of dishes for contrast. <S> So in soup, for example, you can saute the stems (along with onions, carrots, and the like) to get them good and cooked, then add the cooked stems into the soup for a simmer. <S> The leaves I cut into half inch ribbons which I stir into the soup at the last minute.
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Another thing which I do with any stemmed green is to saute the stems and then put in the leaves (usually in ribbons again) with the water that clings to them, put a lid on the saute pan and a minute or two later, serve them.
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How do I wrap a spring-form pan in foil so it doesn't leak when I bake in a water bath? I have never found a spring-form pan that does not leak. I have never been able to wrap a spring-form pan so that some of the water doesn't get into the pan. I can wrap it so that a lot of the water doesn't come into the pan. But it seems to me that there must be a method that works to keep the water out entirely. I just haven't figured it out. How can I wrap a spring-form pan in foil so that water from the bath doesn't leak into it? <Q> The slight air gap doesn't negate the water bath's benefits. <S> And of course a cake pan is a solid piece of aluminum, thus completely water tight. <S> (Haven't personally tested this yet.) <A> If you have 18 inch wide heavy duty foil, pull a square that is 18X18, place your pan in the center of the foil and lift the edges of the foil up around the outside of the pan, effectively making a pan within a pan (spring form inside the aluminum foil pan. <S> If you only have 12 inch foil, pull two pieces of foil about 18 inches long and put them on top of each other. <S> Along one if the long edges, fold both pieces over about 1/2 inch a few times, crimping each time. <S> Open up the sheets which will create one large piece with a seam down the middle. <S> Put the spring form pan in the middle like above. <S> If your seam is tight it should work as well as the single piece of 18 inch foil. <A> My recommended solutions, in order of preference: <S> Simply don't use a springform pan at all with a water bath. <S> It's just not worth the trouble. <S> Use a regular round cake pan for your cheesecake instead. <S> Put parchment into the cake pan for easy removal. <S> You'll just need to become comfortable with inverting the finished cheesecake to get it out, remove the parchment, flip back onto serving platter, and you're done. <S> But it's the best method I've found. <S> Find a round cake pan that is slightly larger than your springform pan. <S> Place the springform pan inside the round cake pan, then put the cake pan in the water bath. <S> (This solution is recommended by Cooks <S> Illustrated and mentioned in an answer to a previous -- very similar -- question.) <S> Place a baking pan/sheet with water on the rack immediately below the cheesecake while baking, rather than placing the cheesecake directly into the water. <S> A lot of the benefit of the water bath comes from the moderating effect of the humidity around the cheesecake, which you'll still get this way. <S> Unless your oven is very uneven, your cheesecake should still bake smoothly with no cracking. <S> Use a double layer of solid heavy-duty aluminum foil. <S> No seams (as Stephie says). <S> Double layer. <S> The problem is even with no seams, you can still get moisture evaporating and then condensing between the foil and the pan. <S> (I've tried this, and I know it can happen. <S> People are always mystified by water "leaking" through the foil -- but sometimes it gets there other ways too. <S> The cooler cheesecake mixture will cause condensation in a high-humidity environment.) <S> And if your pan leaks, even this small amount of moisture may infiltrate and make the crust a bit soggy. <S> That's why I'd recommend option (2) <S> instead, since the humidity won't have a chance to pool and get trapped in the foil where it will get into the crust. <S> Personally, I've never found a springform pan that doesn't leak. <S> Alton Brown claims they don't exist, so <S> I gave up looking and stopped putting springform pans in water baths. <A> put your springform pan in a slow cooker liner or a Reynold's turkey bag. <S> Both are made to withstand heat and work well. <A> One hint: No seams! <S> You can do as many layers as you like, but if there is some kind of seam or overlap it is very hard to get a tight seal. <S> If you can get your hands at some extra-wide foil, just put the pan in the middle and pull up at the sides: no seam. <S> If you absolutely must connect sheets, try what roofers do: <S> Unfold the remainder. <S> The result should be similar to (b) in this picture: <S> ( source ) Repeat with a second or third layer, if necessary. <S> And finally: There are springform pans on the market that are watertight, <S> no need for extra aluminum foil. <A> They have a wonderful new invention that I use. <S> I bake 3 - 4 cheesecakes a week for my business and the best thing I have found is the crockpot liners. <S> They can withstand the high temperatures of oven baking. <S> I wrap one around the spring form pan and then wrap it with heavy duty foil. <S> I have not had a soggy cheesecake since.
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Cook's Illustrated recently discovered that placing the springform pan inside a slightly larger cake pan works. Lay two sheets atop each other, fold one long side over a few times, press to seal tightly.
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What does adding dark rum give to a fajita stir-fry? I'm looking at a recipe for a fajita stir-fry that includes an optional 2 tbsp of dark rum. The introduction for the recipe mentions, Latin spices combined with the optional kick of dark Jamaican rum make an interesting marriage of flavors. What does the rum offer to the recipe? I ask because I'm not sure I want to buy a whole bottle of dark rum just for one recipe. <Q> It adds the flavour of rum. <S> I'd love to go into a detailed exposition of how rum is a fantastic pairing for "latin spices", but as far as I can tell, no such relationship is documented . <S> It's just a theme ingredient, something that the author evidently felt would make an interesting combination. <S> Rum is more commonly associated with sweet fruits, chocolate, and apparently certain dairy products. <S> It's not something I'd consider adding to the typical fajita mix (peppers, onions, cumin, chili) <S> - seems like a waste of perfectly good rum to me. <S> If you don't want to spend the money on rum, just buy some rum extract in the grocery store. <S> It's not as good as genuine rum, of course, but as a first-time recipe experiment it will give you a pretty good idea of whether or not it's worth using real rum the next time <S> (assuming you like the recipe at all). <A> In the Caribbean and other Rum producing areas, you find Rum in all sorts of recipes <S> It is sometimes an unusual flavour pairing, but not necessarily bad. <S> Considering the popularity of spicy jerk meat and Rum, the Rum Fajitas would be an interesting experiment <A> Any kind of alcohol added to sharp spices like ancho, cayenne, chipoltle, or even paprika, will bring out more of their spiciness. <S> Alcohol, in it's most raw state <S> (Think cheap vodka) is bitter. <S> The five tastes that we can perceive are sweet, sour, salty, bitter, and umami, these tastes play off each other and can react with certain ingredients. <S> Any bitter agent in a dish will make it taste more spicy than it is. <S> Where as something with umami flavor (Think red meat) will lessen spice. <S> Of course these rules can be broken, but what rules can't? <S> Especially in cooking. <S> As far as rum goes, it is a strange pair, I might just add a dash of the beer or wine I already had open, but who knows? <S> Only one way to find out. <A> Alcohol is a better solvent than water for many chemicals, in particular for "non-polar" chemicals. <S> This still works when mixed with water (as in rum), as alcohol works like soap in that respect. <S> But unlike soap, alcohol doesn't add a significant flavor of its own. <S> Rum is of course not just alcohol, so you do get those flavors as well.
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In savoury cooking it adds a semi-burnt sweetness, more like toffee or butterscotch than straight Rum Caribbean and Mexican cooking is well blended and harmonious with many common ingredients (chilli, coriander, avocado etc.)
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What is the best way to convert recipes to gluten free, and how much xanthan gum is needed? I am in the process of converting my boyfriend and myself to a gluten free regimen. I have had a lot of success with gluten free recipes, but I am now wanting to convert my previous recipes to gluten free ones. My questions are: For the flour portion, is it cup for cup? (one cup of regular flour for one cup of gluten free flour) How much xanthan gum should be added per cup of gluten free flour? <Q> This depends of course on what you are using for gluten-free flour, but according to Khymos' Data (PDF warning) and corroborated by my own experience, 1.5% is about the maximum concentration of xanthan you would ever use, beyond which food starts to get really slimy. <S> The recommended amount for flour is going to depend on exactly what kind of "gluten free flour" you are using. <S> For example, you'll see at least two recipes in the link above, one using equal parts soy and rice/potato/corn starch and the other using rice flour and corn starch in approximately a 3:1 ratio (with tapioca starch added for what I presume to be heat stability). <S> However, xanthan gum is pretty forgiving, so you can experiment a little with the quantities and not have to worry too much. <S> Personally, I would recommend starting with 1% as a baseline (that's approximately 1/2 tsp per cup) as well as 0.5% guar gum (1/4 tsp per cup). <S> Guar gum has viscosity synergy with xanthan gum and will give you much more stabilizing bang for your buck. <S> If that's not stable enough, add up to 50% more (keeping the xanthan:guar in a 2:1 ratio). <S> If it's too sticky/slimy, lower the quantity. <S> Most recipes <S> I've seen use close to a 1% ratio so that should be the best starting point. <A> This may not be a great answer, but Bob's Red Mill makes a great all-purpose, gluten-free flour that is 1:1. <S> They also provide suggestions of the amount of xanthan gum to use, depending on the application (muffins, bread, pie crust, etc). <S> Since cake flour has less gluten than all purpose, and bread flour has the most gluten... <S> you can vary the amount of xanthan gum to simulate this without gluten. <A> A confirmation and two suggestions, although this topic seems quite old. <S> 1) <S> The confirmation:I have been using xanthan in the 1/2 tsp per 1 cup proportion stated above and it works beautifully. <S> If you consider a cup to be 140 g of flour and a tsp to be about 2 g xanthan, that's 0.7% ... often rounded up to 1% because I don't like doing maths when I can avoid it. <S> 2) <S> The first suggestion: bake by weight if you can get used to the metric system. <S> Measuring is more accurate, as you don't have to deal with packing cups, and percentages become much simpler that in volume or imperial. <S> 3) <S> The second suggestion: try psyllium husk. <S> It tends to be cheaper and it makes you regular without adding taste. <S> I have been substituting xanthan by equal amounts of psyllium (by weight) and it works well for most low gluten recipes (pie crust, cakes, etc.). <S> For bread you might want to go as high as 40-50g per loaf but <S> psyllium mucilage becomes strong enough to trap fermentation gasses and allow the dough to rise. <S> Hydrate it first or top the recipe with some extra water. <A> Found the second answer to my question. <S> Woo hoo!
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Per each cup of gluten free flour, add one tsp of xanthan gum!
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Advantages of grapeseed oil? I recently spotted grapeseed oil at Costco. I've been considering switching over from Canola oil; are there any culinary advantages or disadvantages of grapeseed oil over Canola or other cooking oils? <Q> However not as high a smoke point as Sunflower oil. <S> Canola oil has a relatively low smoke point which will limit its applications. <S> In addition, Grapeseed oil has a clean flavour where as Canola sometimes has a bitter edge to it. <S> Other oils will have their own flavour characters. <S> Which you use is partly personal taste and partly dependant on what you eat. <S> For deep frying I'd go to sunflower. <S> It's not the cheapest but not expensive either. <S> It gives a nice crisp finish to most fried foods. <S> If the oil is to be used cool, such as a dressing, olive oil would be my choice, simply for flavour. <S> Since olive oil, like canola, has a low smoke piont, I wouldn't fry with it. <S> For a high temperature frying such as a stir fry, your Grapeseed would be ideal. <S> Also look at rice bran oil wich has a very high smoke point and clean flavour. <S> Ideal for stir fries. <A> Cooking benefits: Grapeseed oil has fairly high smoke point (and thus works at higher temperatures), and minimal flavor. <S> It works at higher temperatures than olive or canola oil, and impacts the flavor of the underlying dish less than olive oil or walnut oil. <S> Grapeseed oil has been pushed for these reasons by several famous chefs, including Charlie Trotter. <S> Health benefits <S> : we specifically don't discuss those here, per spec. <A> Grapeseed oil is a polyunsaturated oil which makes it an unstable oil for cooking because it may have a high smoking point as marketed <S> but it has a low oxidation level which means it goes rancid quicker. <S> It is best to consider oils like pure olive oil, not extra virgin, for cooking in stir-frys or deep frying because it has a high smoking point and a high oxidation level because it's monounsaturated.
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Grapeseed oil's high smoke point is good for dishes like stir frys where other oils might burn.
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How do you remove the stickiness from reusable plastic container or lid? I have a blue plastic lid for my glass Anchor container. I noticed that the lid is very sticky to the touch from both sides. I've cleaned it thoroughly with soap but the stickiness is still there. This lid is supposed to be microwave safe but I never used it while heating up food. I also noticed a similar texture with with my semi-transparent Tupperware plastic container. For this one, the lid is fine but the container itself is sticky on the inside. Has anyone experienced that before with plastic lids or containers? The stickiness is the same all year long. Is there a way to clean it or has the product reached its end of life? <Q> When I get this, it's almost always old grease that didn't get washed off properly in the first place. <S> We have some newer storage containers that are, for some reason, really strongly attractive to grease and have to be washed very carefully with lots of detergent <S> or they're sticky next time we go to use them. <S> My usual solution is to rub the whole thing with undiluted dishwashing liquid and let it sit a minute or two. <S> Then I rub/rinse with the hottest water I can stand until it's all squeaky clean. <S> This usually works. <S> If your grease is several layers deep or really old, you might have to resort to a grease cutter like Formula 409 or one of the citrus-based degreasers, followed up with plenty of detergent. <S> I also would not scour the plastic. <S> The scratching will make it exponentially harder to get all the way clean, and the deepest scratches can harbor bacteria (ask any home brewer who scoured his brew bucket how much it increases the risk of infection). <A> I think the question was regarding the spontaneous stickiness that soft or soft-touch plastic surfaces develop over time. <S> As I understand it, the finish or the soft plastic itself contain constituents called plasticizers, the chemicals that imbue the material with the desired feel. <S> I have a couple pairs of rubberized-grip binoculars from different manufacturers and they've both eventually become disgustingly tacky even though lightly used and kept in their cases. <S> The airbag passive restraint covers in my Odyssey have become constantly tacky and nothing seems to remove the film. <S> The barrels of my favorite click ballpoint pens get so bad you can actually push the sticky slimy plasticizer residue around <S> but it won't wipe off. <S> It's chemistry, and we need professional advice. <A> I've noticed it, and I guess it is grease. <S> Use hot water, soap, and leave the tupper soaking for a couple of hours; use elbow grease too. <A> Goo-Gone works really well for me; it has never failed me, yet. <A> Do not use Goo Gone on anything you'll be eating from - <S> it's okay to use it on the outside of a food container to remove label residue, but many plastics absorb chemicals, so I'd be careful using it to "clean" an entire Tupperware container. <S> Even if you wash the container thoroughly with soap and water afterward, it will likely still smell like Goo Gone. <S> Soaking in a hot water + grease-cutting detergent is your best best. <S> Products with citrus in them will work best, but still require a decent amount of scrubbing. <A> Soak the sticky containers in a 50-50 blend of warm water and ammonia. <S> Follow that up by washing them in the sink or dishwasher and the stickiness will be gone! <A> I was looking for my 409 bottle and saw Windex...remembering the movie about the Greek wedding and the father, I decided to try it.... <S> It worked quite well to remove the tackiness. <A> For the outside of containers, bicarbonate of soda paste left on overnight may help. <S> I have used it on decades-old tins covered with baked-on grease. <S> After leaving it on overnight, the bicarbonate paste was the color of the grease and after washing, the tins were very clean. <A> On plastic, stickiness that won't go away is usually adhesive residue from a label that was run through the dishwasher. <S> It may not even have been a label on the same container. <S> This residue bonds strongly to plastic, I think due to their chemical affinities. <S> Rubbbing alcohol and boiling-hot water may help soften or dissolve it. <S> Acetone will also help, but may discolor or dissolve some common plastics, particularly polystyrene (recycling code 6). <S> If these solvents fail, resort to intensive scrubbing using scouring pads or steel wool. <S> It'll scratch the living crap out of the plastic, but you'll see little shreds of the residue coming off. <S> This method works best when combined with hot water or a solvent. <A> Try soaking in oxiclean (percarbonate cleaner) dissolved in hot water (140-160 degrees). <S> For homebrewing I use PBW which is like extra strength oxiclean. <S> It's pricey but it works very well for cleaning sticky wort-covered brewing equipment <S> and I use it to dissolve the glue on beer bottle labels when reusing bottles. <S> Goo gone is ok as well, but I find it often still requires a significant amount of elbow grease. <A> If the stickyness is due to food residues oily or greasy, it should come off with dish soap. <S> If not, it is probably due to chemical degradation of plastic, probably a defective container or exposure to some solvent or chemical (it can be even vapors from some other degraded plastic). <S> In this case, it can release chemicals into food or skin. <S> If it is a cheap container, it is not worth to try to recover it, better to trash it and buy a new one. <S> In any case, I wouldn't advice messing up with solvents on a plastic food containers, it can only do worse.
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Percarbonate cleaners are fine for washing food-safe plastic, just give a good rinse with hot water. I would not use solvent any stronger than a commercial cleaning spray because of the risk of damaging the plastic.
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Can I turn my marinara sauce recipe into "pizza sauce"? We're making pizza for dinner tonight, and instead of buying sauce, I'd prefer to make my own. I've never made sauce specifically for pizza before, but I often make marinara/bolognese sauces for pasta. The base of my sauces (without any extra veggies or meat for the bolognese) is a can of tomatoes, some tomato paste, white wine, onion, garlic, chili pepper, and herbs. If I made my normal sauce and then just puréed it, would it work for my pizza? I am concerned it might not be thick enough - any suggestions? <Q> You will need to be careful about extra liquid in your sauce. <S> Your base recipe should be adaptable. <S> Go ahead and use the garlic and onion, but I would omit the white wine. <S> If you are using canned whole tomatoes, drain liquid before using them. <S> Simmer it to reduce it down until it is "spreadable" rather than "pour-able". <S> Salt, pepper, garlic and a few spices. <S> My husband loves bright red color in the sauce so a bit of citric acid does the trick. <S> Enjoy your pizza. <A> You can absolutely do this. <S> I tend to just use ground tomato with a little salt and pepper--sometimes cooked down, sometimes not. <S> But really you can use any sauce that tastes good to you on a pizza. <S> If you're concerned about the sauce not being thick enough, I'd definitely suggest cooking it down some. <S> Cook at a very low boil/fast simmer with the lid off. <S> Use a wide, shallow pan if you can, as that will speed the cooking off of the water. <S> Depending on how thick your sauce is to start, and how thick you want to end up, you may have trouble with scorching on the bottom of your pot, so watch your temperature carefully. <S> If you have plenty of time, you can pour your sauce on an edged tray and put it into a 225 degree F oven for a while to dehydrate/thicken. <S> This takes quite a while, but the risk of burning/scorching is very low. <S> You can add thickening agents like starch, but the texture changes very significantly. <A> Add two or three times the quantity of onion you would use for pasta sauce, and cook them thoroughly. <S> As well as thickening the sauce when you blend it will taste a lot more like pizza sauce. <S> The only other essential is plenty of oregano. <A> Depending on the style of pizza you're going for, it might not take any effort at all. <S> Some pizzarias just use crushed tomatoes, and nothing more. <S> If I'm working from canned, I'll use whole peeled, slice then in half to remove most of the seeds, then crush them. <S> When I'm using fresh, I just slice them and place them on the pie. <S> (then add garlic & herbs on top of the tomatoes, which gives you a chance to vary the amount for each person's tastes) <A> If you don't have time to cook it down enough for the pizza sauce consistency, try adding 1 can of tomato paste to it while you're cooking down. <S> That is a "quick" trick for getting it right for pizza. <A> I find that crushed tomatoes work fine for pizza sauce. <S> I dice 1 - 1.5 large Spanish onions, sautee with 3-4 cloves of garlic in olive oil until soft, then add a can of crushed tomatoes, some salt, oregano and some dried chili flakes. <S> (I like a somewhat spicy sauce, so I often add extra garlic and/or chili flakes). <S> Simmer off some of the extra liquid from the tomatoes, give everything a chance to break down, and you should be good to go. <S> If you find that it's too thin for your taste, add extra onions or another vegetable like bell peppers and puree the whole thing. <S> Definitely avoid adding extra liquid (like your white wine).
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We make a lot of home-made pizza sauce with canned whole San Marzano tomatoes, drained and puree'd in blender.
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What are the key differences between brats in Germany and the USA? I lived in Germany for 6 months, I ate a lot of bratwurst during that time. It was very very good. Here in the U.S. the bratwurst does not taste the same. I want a brat like the ones in I had in Germany (from the little stands in downtown Weisbaden). What is the difference? is it a way it is prepared, prepped, or a different meat all together? I am pretty sure they were cooking them on flat grills. How can I make brats like this at home? <Q> I'm sure it's down to how the meat is ground (if the issue is texture), and what spices are used (if the issue is flavor). <S> It's less likely that the meat is totally different--though you never know. <S> There are about as many variations on any given type of sausage as there are people that make them. <S> Your best bet is to either keep trying to find a place that makes them the way you like them, or learn to make your own (fun and easy). <S> There are a lot of books out there on sausage making, and it's not hard to do. <S> You will still need to learn to identify the characteristics of the wurst you liked so that you can, over time, learn to tell which sausage recipe will get you close, and so that you can adjust or combine recipes until you get the taste you're looking for. <A> The lack of veal is one. <S> But..... those who have had them in Germany (I also lived in Wiesbaden) know that the bratwurst is "gently" grilled on a flat grill, not thrown on a fiery gas grill with flames and smoke and grease splatters. <S> Why does it matter? <S> Well.... the American way of grilling is so intense (flames touching meat) that the casing breaks almost every time. <S> When the casing breaks, the juices (fat) flow out, causing more flames and more smoke. <S> The you have a burnt sausage that is actually dried out. <S> The European flat top method is slowly heating up the sausage without the fireworks. <S> Juicier. <S> Not scorched. <S> Of course the style of mustard (Senf) also adds something as well as a nice bun (Brötchen).... <A> What are billed as "brats" here in the US are only similar to German "bratwurst" by their shape! <S> The meat is not the same, the grind is not the same, even the casing is not the same. <S> And as others have noted, the cooking techniques (US grilling) leave much to be desired. <S> There are commercial alternatives in the US to get those nice German style brats, with pale meat, fine texture, complex flavors, and overall close to genuine taste. <S> A great bet is the Uncured Bavarian Bratwurst sold at Trader Joe's. <S> Actually made in Germany. <S> Sports the colors of Bavaria (blue and white diamonds). <S> Really, quite good. <S> If you don't have a Trader Joe's nearby, try the internet. <S> A favorite of mine is GermanDeli.com. <S> Good selections, and you can even get brotchen and senf! <A> Bratwurst is a sausage made up of Beef, Pork and Veal. <S> There are significant differences in the flavors of meat around the world. <S> Breeds of pork and beef especially have developed regional flavors based on breeding and feeding practices. <S> For veal the young beef is still young enough and feeding practices standardized such that the veal portion of bratwurst should not create a difference. <A> I find most U.S. brats, at least the white ones, to be similar, in both taste and texture, to the Bayern Weisswurst. <S> However, my personal favorite German wurst has always been the Nürnberger. <S> Whenever I visit Germany, I always return home to Cincinnati craving authentic wurst. <S> The best American version I have found of the Nürnberger is from a native German butcher who immigrated to the United States and opened a shop called Bavaria Sausage in Wisconsin. <S> He uses the same seasoning as in Germany and it is often the spices that make German wurst so unique and wonderful. <S> There are many other german favorites on his website which can be visited using this link: https://www.bavariasausage.com/products.php?cat=BRATWURST
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The combinations of the various meats, the additional seasoning and the use of marinade or even poaching the meat (in beer) can create notable differences in the final flavor.
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How come my dishwasher leaves grime on dishes? There is this wierd coating on almost all of my dishes after having washed them in the dish water. I am using an automatic detergent (powder), highest how water setting. More details: Only some dishes get this coating. It seems like they are more dirty coming out than going in. The coating is like... white/clear. I can use a sponge, soap and warm water to remove it. Overall it feels like none of my dishes are being cleaned at all and I am just washing everything by hand now. This seems to have gotten worse and worse. <Q> This is (most likely) a hard water issue. <S> There are trace levels of minerals (calcium) in the water and when it dries the minerals are left behind. <S> This leaves a white film that is not dangerous but is unsightly. <S> There are commercial products that will help with this. ' <S> Jet Dry' is the most common of these <S> and I have found that it works quite well. <S> There are competitive brands out there which report to do the same. <S> You may also need to "clean your dishwasher" <S> (sounds odd, I know). <S> Again I point you towards a commercially available product, CLR. <S> Basically you put some CLR in your empty dishwasher and run it. <S> The exact instructions are on the bottle. <S> ( This is not a paid endorsement of either Jet Dry or CLR ) <A> There are a few solutions: 1) <S> You could try loading fewer dishes (if it's food-related residue) or <S> 2) Add a liquid rinse aid to the wash cycle (your dishwasher should have a separate compartment for it). <A> As Cos Callis mentions , it's likely a water chemistry problem that a good water treatment company should be able to diagnose for you for free. <S> Hard water is from hard elements like calcium. <S> What we had was this odd white film and sliminess around faucets; it never hardened into calcium, what happened to us was this: <S> We live close to the ocean; There are too many people living in our area for the aquifer to keep up; The excessive draw on the freshwater aquifer causes salt water from the ocean to leach into the aquifer; The local water authority adds chemicals to help the aquifer; <S> Those chemicals cause the white slime described above; Culligan adjusted the resin bed in our water softener to counteract the chemicals that our county water authority added. <S> Either way, this is a free test that someone like Culligan will do for you. <S> By the way, one way to tell if this is your problem is that Jet Dry did little to nothing to help us... <A> (I think it was a reduction in phosphates). <S> What happened was that she suddenly got a white residue on everything in the dishwasher after buying a new box of the same stuff she'd been using for years. <S> The manufacturer had changed the formula to comply with regulations, and hadn't got things quite right. <S> If it's the same thing, you might try switching to a gel detergent--apparently they don't have the same issues.
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I had a friend who had something like this happening, and it turned out it was because of a change in the formula of the powdered detergent she was using
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How can I get more flavorful jasmine rice? I'm used to cooking basmati, which can stand on its own with just a few spices and a little butter. With jasmine rice, I come away disappointed; the rice never seems to bring anything to the dish, and generally comes off a little bland, even with fairly potent flavorings. Is there some technique or trick specific to jasmine rice that I should be using? Are there particularly good flavor/ingredient combos for jasmine rice I can use? <Q> Not sure how much rice you are making, but if making about 2 cups of rice, first heat 3 tablespoons of peanut oil over Medium High heat. <S> Add the rice and toast it in the oil until it releases a nutty fragrance - about 1-2 minutes. <S> Then I like to use Chicken stock (3 cups) to finish it off. <S> Personal preference <S> but I like to add scallions (green onions) and cilantro to the rice when it is done. <S> Cooking it this way I have not noticed a tremendous taste difference from different brands of Jasmine Rice. <A> A few things come to mind: Before cooking: Cook the rice in coconut milk, maybe with a piece of ginger or Put a teaspoon <S> or two of cumin seeds in the cooking water <S> After cooking: Mix with fried scallions, ginger and mustard or cumin seeds <A> Jasmine is specific as it has high GI index. <S> As for the flavor, it is a bit bland on top, but should have a floral fragrance, so it is perfect for Thai, Indonesian, Malay and other far east recipes where you have very strong sauces or tastes from the main dish (where basmati would be best for Indian and middle eastern dishes). <S> NOTE: <S> I would not call myself a cook, but my Thai friend, whom I would, used to use a mix of three types of rice, some for texture and some for taste (SEA dishes). <S> Also, I must say that I got aware of subtleties in taste of rice only after few months of heavy rice diet. <A> Although I have not tried this with jasmine rice, I think you can try cooking it like the Indian pulao . <S> In a tbsp or two of neutral vegetable oil fry 2-3 cloves, 1-2 inches of cinnamon, and 4-5 whole cardamom pods. <S> When spices release their flavor, add jasmine rice soaked for roughly half hour and drained. <S> The aromatic spices will impart a nice flavor to the rice. <S> Alternatively, you can also add star anise or fried onion. <A> In my experience, it at least partly depends on where you buy your jasmine rice. <S> If you buy it at a large American grocery store chain, you'll get something bland. <S> I don't know where they get it or what they do to it, but it has no smell or flavor. <S> If you buy it at a small Asian grocery, it will taste and smell very good, and complement the dishes you serve it with. <A> Replace your rice water with stock. <S> Vegetarian/vegan? <S> Use vegetable stock instead. <S> Other liquids to intensify the flavor--rice wine, rice vinegar, soy sauce. <S> I'm sure you could use the Western style wines/vinegars too, though I haven't tried with those specifically. <S> allnet's answers cover the rest of what I would say: basically toasting the rice and using herbs/spices. <A> What I ended up doing, which worked well: Toast rice before cooking until just a hint of golden brown appears, and a nutty smell is produced (as per allnet's and avinash's suggestions, which is why allnet's answer was accepted) <S> Add minced garlic and diced Roma tomato to rice just before toasting is done (for 2 cups dry rice, I used 3 cloves garlic, 1 medium Roma) <S> Add caramelized onions both before and after cooking rice. <S> This is similar to the "fried onions" suggestion. <S> My girlfriend called the final result the best of my cooking experiments, after chicken breaded with pakora batter. <S> Thank you everyone that had suggestions! <S> I think toasting the rice made the biggest difference from previous versions. <S> The rice released a very delicious flavor and smell. <S> I could have used even more onion and garlic; although I thought the amount excessive based on the smell when cooking, the actual flavor was fairly mild afterward. <S> I will experiment with adding toasted cumin, mustard seeds, and ginger to my current result. <S> Don't have good (read: <S> homemade not crappy grocery store) stock or scallions to play with right now. <A> Tilda Rice & Spice guide suggests jasmine rise teams perfectly with ginger, lemongrass, galangal, lime, green chilli and kaffir lime leaves. <S> So maybe try ginger instead of star anise, which is a better match for basmati.
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Add an additional diced tomato after rice is cooked Finish flavor of cooked rice with rice wine vinegar, honey, and a touch of lime juice Fry the rice for a couple of minutes and then cook it in water, as you would usually do.
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What flavour can cut through salt? I'm putting together an asian sauce to throw over some steamed greens & have made it a bit too salty (it contains soy, fish & oyster sauce). What can I add to cut back the saltiness? <Q> The classic way to compensate for saltiness (especially in Asian cuisine) is to add something sweet (usually sugar), which tricks one's taste-buds into thinking that the food is both less salty and less sweet. <S> (Ever wonder why a can of cola has 45+ mg of sodium? <S> It's there partially to mask all the sweetness which gives you a sugar rush, and simultaneously make you thirstier!) <S> I seem to recall reading a section on this phenomenon in On Food and Cooking , but my copy is back home. <S> I'll try and post an excerpt later today. <S> Update <S> #2 : I can't seem to find any mention of saltiness inhibitors in OFaC, however, there is a section on sweetness inhibitors ( cf. <S> page 663) <S> so I must have been confusing it with that. <S> Update #1 : I haven't gotten a chance to look at OFaC yet, however, I did find this study: <S> An overview of binary taste–taste interactions by Keast and Breslin. <S> Journal of Food Quality and Preference, 14 (2) 111–124. <S> March, 2003. <S> Elsevier. <S> It is a survey of research on both perceived and chemical reactions between different tastes. <S> When compounds eliciting tastes are mixed many outcomes are possible, including perceptual enhancement and suppression, unmasking of a taste not initially observed, or possibly chemical synthesis of a new taste. <S> The survey notes (see Sections 3.2 and 3.3): <S> At medium and high intensities/concentrations sweetness was generally suppressive of other basic tastes. <S> and also Sweetness suppressed salty taste at moderate intensities. <S> It goes on to note that at even higher concentrations sweetness and other tastes are symmetrically suppressive <S> ( i.e. , their tastes cancel each other out). <A> If you have (or add) spinach in with those greens <S> I wouldn't worry. <A> Many foods can absorb quite allot of salt and still be palatable. <S> Many vegetables such as potatoes and rice are cooked in brine and people often add table salt to their potatoes on top of this. <S> Other foods that we accept salty include sea food such as shrimp, fish, shellfish etc. <S> I live in China, and notice that people rarely add salt to foods. <S> The condiments they use such as soy sauce and oyster sauce have sufficient salt in them already. <S> So it is quite normal that your Asian style condiment mix will taste salty <S> but it might not taste so salty once combined with the final dish.
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Spinach dishes can take a lot of salt before they taste over salted.
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Which parts of a chicken are used to make chicken soup? I boiled a chicken legs for over 2 hours in low temperature. The soup is yellow and with very soft chicken. It tastes very good after adding some salt. Which part of chicken is the most appropriate for doing a soup? I am looking for the lowest cost option. <Q> The lowest-cost option is definitely bones, assuming you don't actually need or want pieces of meat in the soup. <S> When I say bones I'm referring to the parts that are normally thrown out as waste products, especially the necks, feet, and carcasses. <S> If you can't find them at a supermarket, talk to a butcher. <S> They are sold for next to nothing - usually less than $1/kg, sometimes as low as $0.50/kg. <S> That is even less than the per-unit cost of a whole chicken. <S> Some butchers (no promises!) will even give them away for free, or at least haggle a little bit, especially if their business is small. <S> You can roast these and simmer ( not boil) <S> them over a period of several hours to produce a very rich stock. <S> Usually you would do this with a mirepoix and/or bouquet garni for flavour. <S> When it's done, you strain it, and then add fresh or frozen vegetables, noodles, etc., to stretch it into a full meal or at least a hearty soup. <S> If I really wanted meat in the soup, I'd opt for thighs, as they are inexpensive and (once butchered) you can throw the bones in with the rest. <S> Other than pure bones, the "budget" option for chicken is almost always the whole chicken, if you can use it all. <S> That means doing your own boning and butchering, then using the bones and trimmings for stock/soup and finding ways to use the offal (combs, hearts, livers, etc.) <A> For a soup, you want slow cooking meat with bones. <S> Legs are very good. <S> The hips and back are also good. <S> Breast (white meat) will become dry and stringy. <S> Wings make good stock, but don't have enough meat to be good for eating. <S> The tail piece has too much fat. <S> The innards are bad for a soup, they are very prone to overcooking. <S> I don't think there is much cost difference in chicken parts. <S> Steaks from the white meat cost more, but there aren't bones in them <S> , so they are a better value. <S> You can buy legs only, or buy a whole chicken and use its legs and hips in a soup and the breast fried. <S> If you get the innards with it, fry them too. <S> It is your choice where to use the rump meat, but for cooking times of two hours, I'd rather fry it too. <S> But usually, I cook soup shorter. <A> The tradition in Scotland, my homeland, is to cook the whole chicken in water. <S> That's feet and head and all (if the butcher leaves them on) along with some leek and onion. <S> When the chicken is finished cooking, don't cook it too long, you remove it from the water and cut off the meat. <S> The meat can then go to make your main course meal while the cooking water becomes broth for soup. <S> You can throw some of the little fiddly bits of back and neck meat back into the soup to add flavour. <S> Once your removed all the edible part, put the bones, head, feet and other bits you didn't consume into another pot and boil again. <S> You'll get a second batch of soup broth from this. <S> You might even get a third batch though this will not be as strong as the first ones and will take more boiling. <S> This way you have efficiently used every part of the chicken.
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The offal really isn't any good in soup, so if you just want chicken soup, then stick to just bones and one inexpensive cut (over here it's thighs, but this may vary by location).
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How to pick a good mango at a local store? Simply just like the title says. I LOVE mango. But the thing is I don't know how to pick a good one at the local store. I read some tips somewhere from Googling (long time ago, I don't remember its exact url) said to smell it, but I'm not sure what smell should the good mango have? My family and I often must wait for our mangoes in the fridge for more than 5 days just to make sure that they're ready to serve. Advice? Help? Thanks! <Q> I look for a few things... <S> Colour: There are many different varieties of mangos. <S> Some go from green to red, some end up Orange, some start off yellow and end up orange. <S> So once you're familiar with the type of mango you're buying, you can get an idea of what a ripe one looks like. <S> Smell: <S> Check near the stem end, the smell should be stronger there. <S> You should smell it and think "mango". <S> Smell is a large part of your taste, so it should be very familiar. <S> Firmness: <S> Mangos, like peaches will soften as they ripen. <S> Just as it starts to go from firm to soft, it is just about ripe. <S> Weight: With most fruit you can tell their ripeness by their weight. <S> A riper fruit will be slightly heavier than an unripe one. <S> As an aside, if you're at a grocery store, and you see a few different types of mangos, look for these Ataulfo mangos: http://goo.gl/IeEZ4 . <S> They're my personal favourite. <S> The flavour is richer, and they are a lot less stringy. <S> Finally, DO NOT refrigerate if you want them to ripen. <S> More info on the Ataulfo mangos. <S> (There is also some generic mango info there) <A> In the fridge? <S> Keep the mangos out of the fridge and they'll ripen faster, and taste better. <S> The smell should remind you of a delicious mango. <S> :) <S> (No other way to describe it, really) <A> Mangos are tricky to pick ripe from the supermarket. <S> Not knowing, I used to assume firm was the way to go, but it was often not ripe enough. <S> So I picked only mangos which were soft, though those are often too ripe or bruised. <S> I determined that the best mangos are those that are neither too firm nor too soft. <S> Of course that's a largely subjective answer, but I suppose that means that it comes with experience. <S> Though in the case of doubt, better that they are more firm than soft, since you can always let it sit to ripen on its own. <A> As i experienced while choosing mangoes,it have many varieties in it and their type. <S> but still you can choose on the basis of color,firmness,smell,peel texture,weight. <S> The India is the top producers of mango of vivid varieties. <S> before this you must know that which one you want to purchase(that is available in your region or not). <S> mostly famous ones are http://www.india-forums.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=613788 <S> http://mumbaiboss.com/2012/03/30/your-seasonal-guide-to-mangoes/ Smell: <S> A ripe mango will smell sweet. <S> Smell should be very familiar to one like <S> ripen sweet mangoes have. <S> Firmness: <S> Mangoes, will soften as they are about to ripe. <S> Just as it starts to go from firm to soft. <S> Weight: A riper fruit will be slightly heavier than an unripe one. <S> DO NOT refrigerate if you want them to ripen with its natural sweetness,as refrigeration will results in little frozen pulp and taste less delicious. <A> It's simple. <S> First check the color of mango, then smell it. <S> If it smells sweet <S> it's good. <S> Remember mangoes should not be too hard or too tender.
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A ripe mango will smell sweet.
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what to make with a very high hydration dough? I have accidently (due to tiredness and unit-conversion) made what I think is roughly a 100% hydration dough. I have used strong white bread flour. I was intending to make some "no-kneed" bread, so after mixing the ingredients I have left it to rise for 18 hours, and it has been in the fridge for another 24 hours. It is very sticky and runny. Are there any types of bread that call for a dough of this level of hydration? Is there anything I can use it for? Other than trying to incorporate more flour (which I'm not sure is a good idea this far into the process)? What will happen if I just put in a bread tin and cook it? <Q> Bake it in a dutch oven: http://www.grouprecipes.com/27935/no-knead-dutch-oven-bread.html <A> I'd try frying it like a pancake in small batches. <S> You might get a nice soft naan-like flatbread. <S> OR: <S> Deep fry it like a donut. <A> Speaking from experience... <S> You can still bake your dough. <S> My boyfriend and I also encountered the same problem once when making no-knead bread - it was unusually runny and sticky. <S> We baked it in our dutch oven anyway, and it was a perfectly good bread. <S> Not as crusty and not as many air bubbles as the no-knead normally has, but tasty nonetheless. <S> A little denser and chewier. <S> You should also figure out what to do with your dough quickly; our runny batch rose for maybe an extra three or four hours (in our hot, muggy kitchen) <S> and the bread had a slightly sourdough flavor to it. <S> I think the dough started to turn. <S> Yours should be okay since it was in the fridge, but I'd use it today. <A> You could turn it into pizza bianca, focaccia, or a puffy pizza crust. <S> Spread the dough out on an oiled sheet pan (carefully to avoid losing any trapped CO2), let it rest for ten minutes or so, oil the top and bake. <S> For pizza bianca or focaccia, you might add salt and rosemary to the top.
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For pizza crust, you'd par-bake it until the crust starts to brown, then add toppings and finish baking.
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What to look for in a pot? What to look for in a pot. I'm supposing somebody that's just starting to live alone or a couple. Help me complete this list. Size: small, but not too small. Maybe 2L or 3L. Material: Stainless steel with a thick bottom. As you are going to buy only one pot to begin with, spend some extra money on quality. Bottom: A thick bottom is a must on electric or ceramic stoves as they don't bend out of shape so easily. Also, a thick bottom is handy for slow cooking as the heat diffuses more evenly. Handle: Same material, stainless steel. This is handy if you want to put the pot in the oven. Look at the fixture to the pot, it must be riveted on, with thick rivets. Stove: if it's going to be induction - Glass, Ceramics, All Aluminum etc. are all out. Price: Not too expensive. 20€ - 30€? What am I forgetting? <Q> Modifying your original terms: Size: 2-3 <S> quart/liter. <S> I consider 2.5 quarts to be ideal. <S> Material: <S> Two options: hard-anodized aluminum nonstick, OR stainless-steel interior/exterior. <S> With stainless, it should have either an encapsulated aluminum disk base or a tri-ply construction <S> (aluminum layered with stainless) <S> Bottom: <S> Thick is good, and you absolutely must have aluminum here for conduction <S> Handle: stainless is good, as long as it stays relatively cool. <S> The handle absolutely must be riveted on, with thick rivets. <S> Screws, glue, or welded handles do not last long-term. <S> Tack-welded handles are the bane of the restaurant I work for right now; we've had several handles snap off in the last year. <S> Additional things to look for: Weight: HEAVY. <S> You want fairly thick cookware for even heating, but most of that weight should be from thickness of the aluminum disk. <S> Design: <S> A flared lip around the pot, to facilitate clean pouring. <S> Shape: <S> I'm partial to shallow designs, which flare out at the top. <S> Although it's nonstick and not stainless, I love my Calphalon Contemporary shallow 2.5 qt <S> saucepan <S> for it's extra-flared design. <S> This lets it transmit heat more efficiently from the range, and allows it to safely hold a larger capacity of food. <S> It also allows for faster and cleaner reduction of sauces. <S> Tempered glass is very durable and lets you see the progress of your cooking without releasing the steam. <S> The handle also remains cool, so you don't burn yourself on it; this is the second problem I have with solid stainless lids on many premium cookware lines (All Clad, and most manufacturers' tri-ply products). <A> You probably won't want a stainless steel handle, as that transfers heat well, which means holding the pot could be uncomfortable. <S> Look for one with a handle made out of some strong plastic. <S> Otherwise, you seem to have everything... <A> I ask if you planned to use these pots on an induction range, you responded: it might be. <S> The point is that induction ranges require specific pots in order to work. <S> You might look into these requirements to further inform your decision. <S> Glass, Ceramics, All Aluminum etc. are all out. <A> It's a tough question for just 1 pot. <S> I would only get a metal handle if you intend to do a lot of oven broiling or baking w/ it also (Like searing the roast and then braising it). <S> All of that being said, I think cast iron is a great multi-purposer (stir fry, shallow and deep frying, sautee'ing, etc...) <S> It would be oven safe and it's thick enough that if you have cheap appliances, it offers a buffer. <S> It's obviously terrible omelets or something, but from your comment @Thursagen, it looks like you have oven aspirations... <S> (another awesome thing about cast iron is the fact that it will get "seasoned" over time, just make sure you season it properly the first time according to the manufactures directions and hand wash it henceforth) <A> You've got most of the big points, but I would be a little bit more specific about the handles. <S> Stainless steel handles will allow you to put the pot in the oven, but they will also transfer heat very well and will make the pot harder to pick up after it's been on the stove for a while. <S> If you decide to go with stainless steel handles, be sure to get a pot with handles large enough to accommodate your hands with thick potholders, because you will need them. <S> Also, if you're just starting out, stainless steel is a reliable, budget-friendly material. <S> For more in-depth information about how to select a stockpot to fit your cooking style, check out this article .
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Lid: TEMPERED GLASS with a handle on top, and a flange to help seal tightly on the pot/pan. But if you really want to invest in quality early, you'll want to look into pots with copper or aluminum cores, as they will transfer heat significantly better and more consistently than solid stainless steel.
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How can I determine fat content in beef? I'm looking to determine with as much accuracy as possible (without buying specialized equipment) the fat percentage of ground beef. Is anyone aware of a method that will get me reasonably close? I found some ideas over here but I'm not confident that any of them are terribly accurate (save the one with the calorimeter.) http://ask.metafilter.com/152910/A-way-to-test-the-fat-content-of-minceground-beef-at-home <Q> Weigh the ground meat before starting to determine its total weight. <S> Render as much fat as possible in the ground meat by boiling or simmering. <S> Use a fat separator to separate off the fat <S> Allow the fat to dry (or dry it by gently bringing to >100 <S> °C/212°F, beware splattering). <S> Weigh the amount of fat rendered. <S> Fat percentage is 100 × (fat weight) <S> ÷ (total weight). <S> Alternative method: <S> Ask farmer which primal cut the meat is ground from. <S> Look up answer in table. <S> :-P <A> A method of approximation that i use would just be looking at the amount of white and red colours. <S> Good mince would have a lot of red, and very little white, and bad mince, has a very little red. <S> "Red" is the meat itself, and "white" is the fat, and the colours in between are stuff like cartilage. <S> Using approximation, you can just estimate the amount of fat in your mince. <A> I am trying to determine the same. <S> The problem with rendering out the fat is; Some fat stays behind with the meat if you are just browning the meat for use. <S> I <S> I am curious because sometimes I buy meat and a lot more fat <S> is rendered out than what I usually experience. <S> Normally, If I use a 90/10 and brown the meat very little comes out. <S> I may even need to use a little bit to facilitate the browning. <S> If I use a 80/20 grind, there is some fat that would need to be removed before proceeding with the recipe. <S> This experience tell me that 10% of the weight of the meat is fat that does not render out, so if you get a 10% rendering, your fat content would be 10% (which stays with the meat) plus the 10% that is rendered out. <S> The example I gave would be an 80/20 ground beef. <S> If the processor adds water to the beef (via ice chips), my method would yield a lower percentage of fat that it is in reality. <S> For example, your meat composition is actually 70% meat, 15%fat and 15% ice chips (added water). <S> When you render it, the added water is not counted, so yu are left with the meat and fat. <S> off leaving meat and fat. <S> Doing the math, what was sold as 15% fat is in reality over 21% fat. <S> Barely allowed to be called ground beef. <A> This instrument would not account for added water (which presumably takes up some of the raw meat volume) but could certainly include a factor to account for the unrendered fat by adding the known percentage of residual fat to the measured percentage in the vial. <A> Many years ago I worked at McDonalds. <S> That was over 40 years ago, back when we cut, washed and cooked our french fries each day, even mixed our own 'secret sauce' (1000 island dressing with catsup stirred in). <S> What applies here is the burger patties were supplied fresh from a local butcher. <S> Each new batch, 2 or 3 times a week had to be tested by the manager for fat content and possibly other tests. <S> He used a small vial or test tube and some chemicals for the test. <S> I don't know what was used <S> but I'm sure this test is still available somewhere.
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The instrument sold to markets to determine % fat apparently (from operation manual) renders a known volume of ground beef into a known diameter vial and measures the thickness of the fat layer floating above the water with a gauge that is calibrated in fat percentage.
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How can I fix a mole sauce with excessive cinnamon? I made an Oaxacan-style mole and went too heavy with the cinnamon stick. That flavor is now too prevalent. How can I fix this? I was thinking about adding some chicken stock and tomato sauce. Your input would be greatly appreciated. <Q> Clove or allspice can take it nicely over the top; sage and oregano can tame it. <S> This approach means to simply adjust the flavors of the sauce. <S> If the problem is that you are finding that neighborhood of flavor to intense, you can round the palate by adding the herbs. <S> The other route would be re-scaling the sauce. <S> Adding stock, oil/fat, peppers/onions, chocolate disks/cocoa, or other ratio constituents means you would need to re-up on the other constituents as it may throw off the sauce's viscosity. <S> This may be preferable if you simply can't stand the cinnamon or its neighbors; or if balancing the spice/herbs would make the sauce too noisy. <A> I might increase the cocoa powder a bit (assuming that this is a mole that calls for chocolate). <S> Cinnamon is perceived as sweet, so my thought is that additional bitter chocolate might help neutralize it. <S> This is speculation though, I've never tried it. <A> Cinnamon and cumin work as opposites in this sort of situation. <S> You can reduce the perceived cinnamon by adding a bit of cumin, and vice versa.
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Basically, if the problem you are having is that cinnamon is to cinnamon-y and distinct relative to taste, you can apply a flavor blur with neighboring spices (the clove, allspice, coriander, cardamom, cumin etc).
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Are seeds in melons and other fruits good to eat? I usually throw away seeds in melons (and other fruits) and I paradoxically buy different seeds from the store. Are seeds in such things good to eat and where can I use them? Because they are not dry, how can I store for future dishes? Do they have the same nutritional profile as other seeds for sale? <Q> In Northern India, we eat Musk Melon and Water Melon seeds. <S> In fact they are used like nuts. <S> We make sweet dish too. <S> The de-kernelling process is done by hand at home, which is quite lengthy. <S> We deseed melon. <S> Put the seeds to dry for approximatively 2 days; with fingers or tweezers, break the kernel and get the yummy seed. <S> Of course, it can be stored for months, if dried properly, and for years, if kept in freezer. <A> There are a few seeds which are good to eat. <S> These generally get sold in the supermarket (pumpkin seeds, apricot kernels). <S> If you buy the fruit containing them, you can keep the seeds. <S> If you want to store them, you should dry them first. <S> Spread the cleaned seeds in a single layer on paper and put it in a warm dry place (not in direct sunlight), and wait a few days. <S> You should deshell them right before consuming, that way they keep longer. <S> If you want to eat them right away, don't dry them. <S> They taste better when fresh. <S> Some should be roasted in the shell before eaten (pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds). <S> There is little sense in eating seeds not commonly sold in supermarkets, like melon seeds or apple pips. <S> They don't have any nutritional value for humans, or taste bad (e.g. very bitter), or both. <S> It is even dangerous to experiment too much. <S> For example, peach kernels contain poisonous cyanide compounds. <S> So stick to what is commonly eaten, there is a reason the other seeds aren't used. <A> My wife's family is from Peru and they tend to eat the seeds of things that I would typically avoid. <S> Look at fruits like grenadillas or tunas (more commonly known here as the prickly pear) and the granada (pomegranate). <S> I had a friend who used to eat the entire apple and, while the seeds are considered poisonous it would take a large amount to affect you. <S> All of this said, I don't like the texture of the seeds so use your judgement and do a bit of research. <S> You may find that the seeds add an interesting element to your foods. <A> The accepted answer says that seeds not commonly sold in stores have no nutrition, are bitter, or are poisonous. <S> This is incorrect. <S> Watermelon, cantaloupe, apple, peach, apricot, and so forth seeds are packed full of nutrients; even more than most commercially sold seeds. <S> Watermelon seeds are one of my top favorites, and are loaded with vital compounds, one being zinc. <S> They are crunchy, and taste nutty. <S> They are delicious! <S> Cantaloupe seeds have been eaten by other cultures for years, and studies show they are full of good stuff too. <S> Also, apricot seeds which are bitter, are said to be poisonous because they contain hydrogen cyanide. <S> Although this is true, it is such a small dose that it takes 70 apricot kernels to be lethal <S> [editors note: probably mean lethal dose in full sized adults]. <S> Many cultures, like turkey adore apricot seeds <S> ; they simply don't eat too many. <S> Studies also show that the small amount of cyanide is beneficial to our immune systems. <S> Do you know that apple, cherry, peach, apricot, almond or anything else in this family produces cyanide? <S> Guess what cyanide tastes like? <S> Almonds! <S> That's right, our beloved almonds contain cyanide too! <A> I used the seeds of a honeydew melon in my daily green power smoothie. <S> I found pulverized in the high powered blender made the bitter kale taste disappear. <A> Pumpkin seeds roasted with a little of salty water is a great (and commonly sold and home made in México) snack. <S> They are also used along with sunflower seeds in preparing some hot sauces and Mole (the hard way). <S> Seeds of Cantaloupe (melon) and Watermelon can be blendend along with their edible parts to strengthen flavor and keep freshness when preparing fruit flavored/fresh water ("Agua fresca"). <A> There's no harm in eating the fruits of a melon, or fruit. <S> It just passes through your system completely. <S> You probably can't store them for future usage, as only ripe seeds are eaten, and most seeds from a melon don't ripen until the melon rots. <A> If you are able to find watermelons with seeds in your local market or supermarket,you’re in luck,but if you can’t,I suggest you to buy the seeds of them... <S> My recipe is to use the watermelon seeds and blend them with your seedless watermelon(2 or 3 slices of them) and turn on your Ninja or Nutribullet... <S> You won’t regret,it tastes delicious and you’ll have a really healthy prostate. <A> When it comes to pumpkins, there's a variety called kakai that has hull-less seeds, easier to prepare and good to eat (the flesh is quite good too). <S> Melon seeds can be treated in the same way. <S> Melons and pumpkinsa are in fact very closely related. <S> You can simply clean and dry them, but generally they're nicer toasted in the oven, perhaps with some spice (or salt, or honey). <S> Once very dry, or toasted, they will keep for months in an airtight container in a cool place, though if I toast homegrown pumpkin seeds they're normally eaten in a week.
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When watermelon seeds are really small, you can eat and chew them along with the fruit: they are usually sweet.
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Creating high-protein food for hiking I will go hiking for 10 days, and the food I get in the lodges on the way is practically all starch, wtih < 15 g protein per day. I did this once and felt terrible. So this time, I want to take my own protein, but in the logistically best way. Normal foods are out of question, even beef jerky doesn't breach 40% protein, and I don't want to lug such a low density on my back for several days. Protein bars are in the area of jerky. So my ingredient of choice seems to be the protein powder used to make workout shakes (82% protein). I don't want to take the powder as-is, because it is hard to handle on the road. What I want to do is to make my own protein bars with this powder, but with a much higher density than the store-bought ones. I want to mix it with the least possible amount of a gluing agent. The end result should present no spilling danger (no liquid or powder) need no special utensils to eat have a long (at least 2 weeks) shelf life in a backpack under strong sunlight preferably not require special packaging (so not too sticky, but this can be relaxed if the solution meets the other criteria) not require any special equipment to produce (I don't have a dehydrator or such) not cause me to gag (I don't insist on a pleasant taste, but I should be able to get it down) have a really high protein density, in the best case over 70% (there are no other nutrition criteria; I am not worried by lots of carbs, E numbers, or lack of other essential nutrients) can be conveniently prepackaged as single portions (maybe 30 g protein per portion) It is OK if the stuff is so concentrated in taste and dry matter that I have to gulp down half a bottle of water with it. Any ideas what ingredients and techniques can be used for a solution which comes closest to fulfilling above criteria? <Q> I normally make cookies using 1 cup almond butter, 1 egg, 1 c. sugar, perhaps you can substitute some of the sugar for protein powder and see how it goes? <S> Now I'm somewhat interested in trying that myself! <S> According to nutrional data it looks like protein powder and egg whites have the most amount of protein in them, the list Foods <S> highest in Protein may help. <S> Update: <S> I ended up making a new batch of cookies, and they turned out great. <S> Used 1c. <S> almond butter, 1 egg, 3/4 c. double chocolate whey protein powder, 1/4 c. sugar 1 tsp baking soda. <S> Bake at 350 for 12 minutes. <S> They are a bit soft, but hold together well and aren't too crumbly until eaten, they seem to hold better after they are a day old. <A> What about simply baking meringues? <S> They're basically dried egg white with mostly consists of protein ( Egg white nutrition data ). <S> You can simply take with a few as long as you can manage to keep them dry. <A> How do you feel about dried fish ? <S> The link above has various size packages along with both fillets and bite size as you prefer, and it comes in at 81.8% protein. <S> It pretty much meets all of your criteria, aside from not knowing if you like fish jerky or not. <S> Anecdotal information suggests that hardfiskur is one of Iceland's more palatable native foods to foreigners. <A> Beef Jerky is the seminal high protein, long lasting, trekking food... <S> Never tried making it, there's recipes on the web though ( for example ), and many places selling it. <S> I usually keep a few packets around the house for emergencies. <A> From the "long-life" point of view I'm thinking something fairly dry. <S> From the storage and transport point of view I'm thinking a sort of biscuit or rusk type thing. <S> Probably a very "heavy" one volume wise. <S> You could add sugar to the recipe to make it palatable - I'm guessing that's not all bad for hiking. <S> Other typical ingredients would be flour, salt and liquid (milk, water, etc). <S> Flavor as desired <S> - I'm thinking probably nuts is in keeping with the protein requirement, however other flavorings may be physically lighter. <S> Maybe eggs for binding. <S> I think you would need to experiment to get the flour content as low as possible, but still have it hold together suitable for transport. <S> You might be able to use ground almonds instead of some of the flour - that will improve texture, flavor, and protein value. <S> It's not exactly a definitive answer <S> I know <S> but hopefully gives you some ideas to work with. <A> If the problem with protein powder was just mixing it, consider finding a wide mouthed water bottle. <S> I prep packets of powder ahead of time (if you can get the mini zip lock bags, they're perfect) and then dump them in, shake while I'm walking, then guzzle/sip at my leisure. <S> Nalgene are my bottle of choice, but your local camping store will have lots of options to chose from. <S> The trick is the lid should be as wide as the bottle itself (or nearly so) and most water bottles don't do that, making it a pain to mix things. <S> If you have water at your trailheads <S> and you like your protein <S> , you can't really get any better than that :) <S> If the problem was you didn't like carrying powder, then feel free to disregard. :D <A> Strange that nobody mentioned pemmican : <S> It's usually made by mixing fat, dried meat and dried fruit. <S> A dehydrator is recommended, but it seems an oven can also be used. <S> Another issue could be obtaining the fat/suet; with a bit of luck off-the-shelf suet might be available (reportedly, Atora shredded suet works for cooking pemmican; one could also try coconut oil ). <S> In addition, there are some pemmican-inspired recipes floating around. <A> You could try using dates as the "glue" -- yes, they're sticky, but much less so if you cut them with something (your protein powder, or ground nuts, or whatever). <S> And they're easy to work with; I've made date/nut/fruit bars with a potato masher (although a food processor makes it much easier). <S> Then after shaping, dry as much as possible (consider using an oven < 200 F ?) <S> to get the water content down to reduce spoilage. <S> You may need to add sugar as a preservative: if the sugar content is high enough, it should prevent bacteria+mold growth. <S> I'm not sure what the minimum sugar content for that <S> but I would guess it's less than 30%.
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Pemmican is a concentrated mixture of fat and protein used as a nutritious food.
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Are there things you cannot freeze? There are a lot of edible things that come to mind when I think about what can be frozen. But when I think about things you better not put in the freezer, I honestly have no idea. So, what food and/or drinks come out of the freezer unusable? (I really am asking about the use, rather than the texture. For example, blueberries would come out mushy, but you can still use them in some dishes.) And are there things that completely lose their taste or even get an other taste? <Q> A lot of dairy products become watery or start to separate if they've been frozen or defrosted: pastries with cream fillings, cream cheese, sour cream. <S> The USDA says does not recommend that eggs or canned foods be stored frozen. <S> Eggshells can crack easily, and even if the shells remain intact, the consistency of egg yolks makes them difficult to use for anything other than hard-boiling. <S> Canned foods that are frozen accidentally could pose health risks, so the USDA recommends inspecting to see if the can has rusted or burst. <S> If the can is swollen, thaw it but check to make sure it doesn't look or smell off before eating. <S> The FDA also has a useful chart (pdf) on which foods don't freeze well and how long you can freeze other foods. <S> (Note: when there is a recommended limit on how long a food should be frozen, it indicates when the quality of the food will decrease - NOT when it will "expire". <S> You could theoretically freeze most foods indefinitely.) <S> Greens wilt and turn brown when you freeze them. <S> (If they're cooked, they should be fine to freeze and thaw.) <S> EDIT: <S> Apparently, some spices become bitter when frozen , including pepper, cloves, garlic, green pepper, imitation vanilla, and onions, paprika and celery taste different. <A> Avocados. <S> If you want to freeze for later, you need to wait for them to ripen, scoop out the good stuff, and freeze it. <A> Soft drinks / soda, champagne / sparkling wines. <S> It's fine to use the freezer to cool the drinks rapidly, but they have a tendency to explode the (unopened) container if the liquid actually freezes. <S> Also, it will tend to make the carbonated drinks go flat.
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If you freeze whole avocados you get nasty smelly mush when they thaw. The only other thing I would avoid freezing is any sort of raw green (lettuce, spinach, etc.).
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What vegetable for sauteed zucchini could I use instead of tomatoes? I like to fry or sautee onions, garlic, chilis, spices (for flavor) and zucchini (the main ingredient); then stir them in a can of chopped tomatoes and simmer for a few minutes. The tomatoes are a way to add a sauce with some thickness that brings all the ingredients together. I want to get close to the texture and consistency, but I'm looking for something else so the dish does not always taste the same. Is there another vegetable or fruit I could use instead of the tomatoes? <Q> You could use coconut milk and curry-type flavorings (e.g. coriander, cumin, turmeric, galangal, ginger, lemongrass, any type of chili pepper, cilantro), for a very different taste with a somewhat similar texture. <A> Cottage cheese will keep it consistent and match very well with the zucchini & spices. <A> I would cook the eggplant first, until it is quite 'mushy', so as not to overcook the zucchini. <S> If you needed to thin the sauce you could add some stock or a little tomato paste and water. <S> Top it with a big blob of natural yoghurt at the end if you like that type of flavour. <A> I like to cook mushrooms with my onions, garlic, and zucchini. <S> I prefer cremini (baby bellas), and I salt them so that they give up a lot of water, which can make things a bit sauc-y. <S> And, of course, you can always mix up the spices.
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Diced eggplant (aubergine) with some coriander and cumin cooked with the zucchini would also give a very thick sauce consistency.
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Muffin sticks to paper cases Today I tried to cook my favourite Raspberry and White Chocolate muffins using a recipe I found on BBC Good Food. However after cooking them for the set amount of time and removing them from the muffin tray I found that when I tried to peel away the paper cases (from the muffin) the muffin stuck to the case. The mixture itself was cooked but for some reason it stuck to the paper cases, this is also odd because I've done this recipe before and it worked fine. I've tried to think of any factors that may have changed when cooking for a second time and all I can think of are: The raspberries were cut slightly larger (in half rather than in quarters/thirds) Slightly less egg whites were used (because of a slight spill) Could these factors have caused the muffin to stick to it's paper case? <Q> Turns out I hadn't left them to cool long enough. <S> After I left them for about 2-3 hours and tried again to peel the case off, it came off perfectly and nothing stuck to it. <S> Sorry about the false alarm <S> but I never thought that not leaving them to cool long enough would have caused this kind of problem. <S> Thanks for all your answers! <A> Baking is a precise practice and even the smallest miscalculation can change the end product you are hoping for. <A> I'd guess its the fact that the two batches were in different ovens. <S> Convection (the one with the fan blowing air) and non-convection ovens can cook fairly differently (especially if you had convection turned on). <S> You will probably need a lower temperature in a convection oven (with convection on). <S> Also, ovens often aren't temperature-calibrated very well, and two different ovens may be 50 <S> °F/25 <S> °C different when set to the same temperature. <S> Gas ovens are also often subject to greater temperature swings as the gas burner's heat is instant.
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Try coating the raspberries in cornstarch prior to baking the mixture and the slight egg spill may have a little to do with it.
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Identify this seafood from the Black Sea known in Romanian as "rapane"? Here on the Black Sea in Romania people are eating a shellfish called in Romanian "rapane" which they translate as "oyster" when I ask. But they are elongated spiral shells which to me look nothing like the chunky flattish oyster shells in Australia. Besides which there is another Romanian word "stridie" for oyster and I can't find "rapane" in my print dictionary or any online dictionary. One person told me these are "sea oysters" as opposed to "ocean oysters". I've also been told they're not a native local species. Here is a photo of a dead rapane shell on the beach and another of raw rapane waiting to be cooked: <Q> This is definitely a rapa whelk. <S> These are indigenous to the seas in the far East, but got somehow imported into the Black Sea and overtook the ecosystem. <S> First, people around the Black sea didn't have much use for them. <S> The waves washed the shells of dead whelks ashore and these got crafted into souvenirs for tourists. <S> Then, people started fishing them and selling them to the Japanese, who ate them. <S> At last, around the summer season of 2000 or 2001, restaurants along the western shores of the Black sea started offering them as food to their guests. <S> Still, I think that much more of the catch is exported than consumed locally (but have no hard numbers for this). <S> Since the only people who eat them seem to be Japanese and recently also Bulgarians and Romanians, I highly doubt that they have a kitchen-specific name in English, or that you can buy them at all outside of the above locations. <S> Biologically, they're not related to oysters. <S> My speculation is that innovative restaurant managers who wanted to serve them had to come up with a name which sounded like something posh (sea oyster) as opposed to one which is both common and associated with kitschy ashtrays (rapane). <A> They look like a species of whelk, which is a catch-all term for sea-snails. <S> See the Wikipedia article here . <A> The following method works better than a dictionary most of the time when you have to identify plants or animals. <S> Open the Wikipedia home page , and search for "rapane" in Romanian. <S> Result <S> #1 is rapană <S> (I don't speak Romanian, but I guess it's the singular), and a cursory look at the pictures confirms that it's the same shell. <S> On the left sidebar, look for the section "in other languages", and click on "English" <S> You are redirected to the English page for Veined Rapa Whelk . <S> That's a bingo ! <S> Even a non-expert, non-Romanian like me could identify this species with no effort. <A> Not an oyster for sure. :) <A> In Ukraine these are sold preserved in jars with oil and spices, one of their kinds is called "Antalya". <S> If they are popular in Turkey too, or this is just a marketing name - I don't know.
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It's a conch, the common name for an edible marine snail.
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How do I know if a black banana is too old to be eaten? From time to buy, I buy too many bananas. For the future, I am considering refrigerating them instead of eating them, but they turn black . How can I know whether a black banana is still edible? <Q> One thing to add to the answers above - as bananas ripen, the starch in the flesh is converted into sugar. <S> This continues until the starch that was providing the firmness and structure for the banana has, for the most part, been converted to sugar, which is also partly why the insides continue to get mushier as the banana ripens. <S> So more time converting starch to sugar means sweeter fruit. <S> This is why black bananas are often preferred for breads and such - when the peel has turned black, the banana has converted almost all the starch to sugar and thus has gotten as sweet as it can before it spoils. <S> So for the sweetest possible banana bread/shakes/smoothies/etc, let the banana peel turn completely black, but harvest the banana before the insides turn to dark brown or black since that will indicate that the flesh has spoiled. <A> Open it up. <S> If it's soft and pale brown or darker inside too, it's overripe and no longer good for eating straight; however, it can be used in baking, banana bread, or smoothies. <S> Once it's black, the banana is garbage. <A> That's a good indication of too ripe. <S> Those ones are generally still fine for cooking, though. <A> I totally agree with Caleb that I don't believe they ever really go bad. <S> Of course, once they get moldy, you can maybe draw the line, but for my banana bread and cakes, I prefer to let them get completely and utterly black. <S> I even deliberately wait for them to develop the banana liquor that gives such a depth and richness to my baked goods. <S> After they get freckled, then turn black, then get a little shriveled, I put them into the fridge and after a little more time the sugars almost ferment - when they start to ooze their liquor you are good to go (and you can even smell a note of alcohol). <S> I challenge you to try it for one batch of banana bread; it is wonderful . <A> I wouldn't eat a black banana. <S> I do the same thing you do. <S> I buy extra, and then I freeze them. <S> When they are in the freezer they turn black, and then I make it into banana bread. <S> Personally, I think the bread tastes better when you do it that way. <A> IMO, bananas never really go bad. <S> If you can get past preconceived ideas of how they're supposed to look, you'll find the older they get the better they are. <S> I just ate a blackened, mushy banana. <S> It has been in my fridge, not freezer, for about two months. <S> It tasted like buttery sweet caramel with a texture almost like ice cream or gelatto. <S> For me, black, mushy bananas are a decadent, dairy-free alternative to ice cream. <S> Dare you try it. <S> Another favorite dairy-free dessert is grill-baked or oven-baked whole sweet potatoes in the skin. <S> I make cross sectional slices not quite all the way through, down the length of the potatoes. <S> Place each one on its own sheet of foil. <S> Cover them with a little honey and cinnamon. <S> Wrap them up and place them on the grill over matured coals. <S> I put them on after I've done the meat. <S> Then I just put the lid on the grill and forget about them till morning. <S> That morning, I put them in the back of the fridge. <S> They make an awesome dessert that evening.
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For eating out of hand, check for a fermented, alcoholic kind of smell from the banana flesh.
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Is it possible to use a commercial oven range in the home? I'm moving house soon, and the kitchen needs a complete re-fit. I've always been disappointed with the power of my current gas hob, where even the 'fast' ring is only 3kW, and while looking for a more powerful hob noticed that you can get commercial oven ranges for much the same price as decent domestic equipment. For example, the Lincat OG7002/N has 6 x 6.1kW burners and can be picked up for little over £1000 if you shop around. I realise that the commercial oven ranges tend to be a bit deeper than normal domestic kitchen equipment (~700mm rather than 600mm) but assuming that can be designed around, are there any other potential problems with installing a commercial oven range in the home? <Q> You seem to be speaking of gas, but I am not entirely sure. <S> Gas might be easier. <S> A commercial electric oven needs more electricity than usual, in Europe they go on a 380 V line. <S> I don't know <S> if there are 380 V lines in the USA, I think I remember seeing somewhere that they manage it somehow with 240 V for commercial. <S> The other point is that there may be regulations. <S> You are not allowed to operate any electric or gas device you want to. <S> This is why you can't import a range meant for sale in another part of the world. <S> I think ranges must pass some tests after they are installed in a kitchen, and I can imagine that the safety criteria and maybe even the overall legality differ between home and commercial type ranges. <S> So you should clear that with your regulation body (I have no idea who this might be, just that they exist) before you spend any money. <S> A completely different thing to consider is that there is an optimal temperature for preparing most kinds of food. <S> If you are making steak on a 3 kW burner turned all the way up, you are doing it very wrong. <S> A stronger burner won't give you steak faster, it will give you raw meat with a charred shell. <S> There are foods which need the high temperature (anything prepared by strong boiling or deep frying, some stir-fry dishes), but for normal cooking amounts of them (4-6 portions at once), a 3 kW gas burner is more than adequate. <S> You will need more power if you are preparing bigger batches at once. <S> If not, the problem may be with your cooking method and not the burner. <A> Some of the drawbacks with commercial ranges I've encountered that made them less than ideal for home use: Difficult to light individual burners <S> (I was working on older models <S> so these probably have improved, but I would think the design assumption for professional ranges is that the burners are on most of the time rather than the opposite.) <S> Very hot oven doors and handles and no safety catches to keep the knobs from being turned <S> (I have a little one running around) <S> Burners were not sealed so cleanup is more difficult <S> If these aren't issues for you then I say go for the professional range. <S> You'll never regret having higher output burners, especially if they're dual-ring so they can be turned down to simmer levels easily. <A> Why not? <S> If you're not happy with 3Kw, go for 6Kw.
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The only limit is what you are willing to spend on electricity and such.
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My KitchenAid mixer head will not lock in the down position. How can I rectify this? It will lock with the head raised. There doesn't appear to be anything obstructing it from sitting flat, but it doesn't want to lock. <Q> Lift the head all the way up. <S> On the top of the stand, just next to the mixer itself you will see a little square hole. <S> Check if that hole is obstructed. <S> If it looks clear, then check that the set screw on the right side of the stand is not missing (as suggested here ) <A> KitchenAid suggests using a dime to verify the bowl and mixer are the proper separation: <S> http://producthelp.kitchenaid.com/Countertop_Appliances/Stand_Mixers/Stand_Mixer_Assembly_and_Operation/Lock_lever_on_tilt_head_stand_mixer_does_not_lock%2F%2Fmixer_head_moving <S> There are two things to consider: <S> One, the mixer is too high above the bowl. <S> This will result in unmixed ingredients and a lock that will not engage. <S> Two, the mixer is too low. <S> This will result in increased wear on the mixer blades and the mixer itself as the head and bowl are pushed around during mixing. <S> When the mixer is lifted a screw should be visible inside the hinge between the base and the mixer head. <S> Turning this screw (with a flat-head screw driver) to the right (clockwise) lowers the head and beater, and to the left (counter-clockwise) raises the beater. <S> KitchenAid recommends placing a dime in the bowl because it is about 1/16th of an inch thick and will help you gauge the correct height of the mixer head. <S> Personally, I've found there seems to be some distances where the lock engages and some where it doesn't as reliably, and that these zones don't strictly correlate with the height of the mixer itself. <S> But by trial and error you should find a point where there is acceptable separation between the mixer and bowl, and the lock is able to engage properly. <A> I was able to correct mine by adjusting the flathead screw that the head rests on. <S> I was able to align it by screwing in that flathead screw a little bit.
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If you (carefully) flip the whole thing upside down, then try to lock the head, you’ll see the little metal “arm” try to push through the hole, which in my case was misaligned. This is typically caused by the head of the mixer being too high above the bowl.
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Is it problematic to use the water in which the Pinto beans are soaked, for cooking the Pinto beans? I read somewhere on this site that Kidney beans contains toxins so it is necessary to soak them. I soak them too overnight, but then I use the same water for cooking them. The water in question turns red after the beans are soaked. I do not throw away that water since it contains the taste, proteins, vitamins etc. of the beans. Haven't cooked beans yet with the fresh water, is the taste affected when cooked with fresh water. Am I doing wrong? <Q> The toxin in kidney beans is destroyed by boiling for around ten minutes, which no doubt holds true for any toxin in the water as well. <A> It is sometimes suggested that one discard the soaking water in order to reduce flatulence. <S> This effect seems, however, to be based only on anecdotal evidence, and the efficacy of the practice is questionable. <S> The problem is that flatulence is caused by digestion of fiber by gut flora. <S> The majority of the fiber in the beans will still remain, and I would argue that the need for dietary fiber outweighs the gas-producing effect. <S> I've also found that regular consumption of fiber is far more effective at mitigating the gas production than this type of trick. <S> It's primarily a matter of personal preference, but I always choose to use the soaking water as a cooking medium. <A> My observation is that dry beans are packaged and shipped with a fair bit of their "natural surroundings" [read: DIRT and small ROCKS] in place. <S> My preference is to rinse under running water and soak in fresh water and then exchange that water before cooking. <S> I don't know specifically if it is " problematic " to not do this, but given the use of chemical and natural fertilizers, herbicides and pesticides it is comforting to at least "feel like" I have cleaned all of that off before cooking. <S> My original equipment "Mark I Flavometer" (aka taste buds) says they come out better that way.
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So there should be no problem with using the soaking water to cook the beans, provided you cook them properly. By discarding the water you do remove both flavor and nutrients (as you suggested in your question).
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Why don't my muffins rise and develop tops properly? I would like to make muffins that have that "spilled over" look that shop bought muffins have, but no matter what I do, the ones I make always look flat or only just reach the top of the paper cases. What can I do to make the muffins rise more and have wide tops? <Q> There are many reasons why muffins might not rise as expected; I'll list the ones I know of in order of probability: Over-mixing the batter. <S> You'll know that you've done this if the muffins also turn out tough and chewy. <S> This prevents rising because the gluten network is too tight to expand around the gas bubbles. <S> Under-mixing the batter. <S> You have to develop some gluten, otherwise there's nothing to trap the gas bubbles and the muffins will just deflate before they get any rise. <S> It's a lot easier to over-mix than under-mix, but if you drastically under-mix and don't even bother to get all the dry ingredients wet, then you won't get any leavening action at all. <S> Not enough leavening agent. <S> You should be able to see some bubbling action before you pop the muffins in the oven; if you don't, you might have this problem. <S> Improper substitution of baking soda for baking powder. <S> A lot of people think these are the same, but they aren't. <S> Both use sodium bicarbonate, which is what produces the CO 2 bubbles but needs an acid in order to do it. <S> Baking soda is intended to be used with mixtures that are already acidic; baking powder has an built-in acidifier, usually cream of tartar, which reacts with the water as soon as you incorporate it. <S> If you ever substitute baking soda for baking powder, you need to add cream of tartar or some other acid/acidifier. <S> Not resting the batter, or resting too long. <S> If you use double-action baking powder (the norm, e.g. Magic brand) then you are supposed to rest for 5-10 minutes to allow for the first action. <S> If you use single-action baking powder, you must get those muffins into the oven right away <S> or they'll start to collapse. <S> Finally, and this might be stating the obvious - not filling the tins enough . <S> It's possible that the muffins are rising just fine, but they're not supposed to double in size like bread or triple like pastries; you should be filling the tins at least 3 / 4 of the way up if you want tops. <A> I have to say, my muffins always turn out fabulously. <S> I don't think there is anything wrong with using baking powder. <S> My recipe states I use self raising flour and baking powder(not soda) <S> and I have perfect muffins. <S> Can you list what ingredients you use please? <S> Try placing your baking tray at the lowest point in your oven rather than middle as the muffins will brown before fully cooked thus resulting in non rising. <S> Hope this helps a little. <A> Higher baking temperature. <S> I never got nice tops until I raised the temp to 425-450 for the first few minutes until they set <S> (~7-10 for jumbo cups), then turn it down to 375-350.
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This can happen with unsifted flour (sifting also helps incorporate air), using the wrong type of flour (especially if the recipe calls for self-raising), or using old or improperly-stored flour or baking soda/powder.
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Freeze Soup very quickly Without Destroying the Content In Fridge? I am trying to finish soups faster. I have very heavy iron kettle and it takes years to become cold. I use a water container with ice with it but the hot water still takes a lot time to become cold. I have already put ice cubes into the soup and some cold water but it is still hot! How can I freeze my soup fast without destroying the content of my fridge or freezer? It is now almost two hours waiting it to become colder but with this heavy iron kettle and a lot of hot water, it is taking years. Could I put the soup into small plastic bags and the plastic bags into the cold water and then the cold plastic bags into the fridge (I have no special plastic bags, perhaps they will break)? I need to somehow make the soup smaller to increase the area, to get it cold faster . By increasing the area, I am sure I can get it cold faster. Ideas to do that? <Q> I have "ice packs" which are encased in plastic (some hard, some soft), that I keep frozen. <S> It won't quite bring your soup down as far as you want, but dropping a few of these into your soup will help cool it off. <S> Just remember to clean them before returning them to the freezer. <S> The other thing I do it put the stopper in my sink and add cold water and ice. <S> The whole pot goes in the sink--surrounded by cold water and ice it will cool much faster than in the fridge (or freezer). <S> Add some salt to the ice-water and it will get even colder. <S> Stir it up a bit every once in a while both inside and outside (use separate spoons!) <S> to keep the temperature distribution even. <S> Alternatively, you could use one of <S> these :) <A> Pour your soup into a few containers, each of which is made from a lightweight material (eg: aluminium, a thinner steel, or a food-grade heat resistant plastic. <S> For quickest cooling, go with something that has a larger surface area (eg: instead of a tall thin container, use a container that is longer than it is high). <S> Wait <S> until these containers are cool enough to put into the fridge/freezer, otherwise you will just heat up the rest of the fridge/freezer. <S> I usually wait until they are at room temperature or just above. <S> Don't put ice cubes into your soup, it will just make it watery. <A> Take 3-4 empty plastic water bottles. <S> Fill them 3/4 with water, and freeze them. <S> When you have made your hot soup, put the pot on a layer of ice, then put the bottles directly into the soup pot. <S> The soup will cool evenly. <A> Package the soup portions into watertight containers, eg lock-n-locks, then cool these by submerging them in (optionally running and/or iced) water as you suggested... <S> BTW, fridges can take some sh... <S> enanigans from hot contents since they actively regulate their own temperature ... to a limit. <S> You might want to experiment with defined amounts of hot water and a fridge thermometer next time you have that fridge empty...
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If you have a roasting tray, you could even use that as a temporary container before transferring the cooled soup into smaller containers for freezing.
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What are some good uses for Lemon Basil? When putting in the garden this year, I planted a Lemon Basil plant along with the usual Sweet Basil. For the most part, I have been combining it with the Sweet Basil to make pesto, various caprese's, bruschetta, etc. It has been good, but it seems like there is more potential that I have not yet used it for. From the Wikipedia article it mentions Southeast Asian dishes and fish dishes, neither of which I cook very often. The basil does have a very lemon taste and odor, so dishes that call for real lemon and basil would likely be a good fit. Any other ideas? <Q> Lemon basil makes a delicious addition to lemonade. <S> You can also throw it in salads - Serious Eats has a cucumber salad recipe that looks great, and it's an easy way to have a Southeast-Asian twist without going the traditional curry or soup route. <S> I've also found a couple of people with suggestions of how to use lemon basil: <S> Ramona Werst <S> Lilly Anderson-Messec <S> My two cents is that you can add it to just about anything you think will be good; be creative! <S> Personally, I am a big fan of adding herbs to my own sandwich creations when I can't think of anything better to do. <S> It's a really simple way to jazz up a quick meal! <A> I did the same as you, but because my sweet basil plant has not grown as well as I would like I have been using the Lemon basil in substitution for regular basil. <S> I have made pesto and marinara sauce, and plan on making a sorbet with it. <A> I would use it to make any sauces that would go with a fish or chicken. <S> A pesto sauce with it would be great. <S> The lemon flavor and aroma would and a nice dimension to the pesto. <A> Would be wonderful with the lemon basil, I'm sure. <A> You can use it in Thai dishes. <S> and it was a nice addition. <A> I too have Lemon Basil and trying to figure out how to use it. <S> Tonight I placed some lemon basil in olive oil and will be grilling some zucchini slices and making some pasta. <S> I plan to drizzle a little bit of the olive oil over the top.
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If you're looking for combinations of lemon and basil, I have been in love with a pasta dish using lemon, cream, parmesan and loads of basil. I've used it before for green curries and in tom yum / tom kar gai
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Is boiling water poured over frozen berries enough vs. bacteria? I often like to make smoothies where I among other things add frozen berries. I boil some water in my tea-boiler and pour it over the berries before I add them to the smoothie mix. Is this enough to get rid of the dangerous bacteria, especially found in raspberries? Ps. Recipe is: Vanilla soy-milk . Banana . Berries . Orange (to keep the banana from turning brown) Blend until smooth. <Q> From the comments, Henrik noted that there is a parasite in Sweden (called "Dvärgbandmask" in Swedish) that contaminates wild fruit. <S> This is a type of tapeworm called " Echinococcus " in English. <S> Its eggs can cause a parasitic disease called Echinococcosis or hydatid disease. <S> According to this article , freezing the eggs to very low temperatures and/or freezing the eggs very rapidly is fatal to them. <S> Given that modern "IQF" freezing methods for berries bring the fruit very quickly to below -20 <S> °C , I'd say that the danger from echinococcosis is very low (much lower than eating unwashed fresh fruit). <S> As for risks from bacteria, these are also very low because the process of preparing the fruit for freezing and then subsequently freezing them kills the majority of any present bacteria . <A> Raspberries seem fairly acidic, and many bacteria don't stand up well to acid. <S> Here's one article that says raspberry juice kills bacteria . <S> If you're worried, then, you might consider pureeing the raspberries in your blender and letting them sit for a minute before adding the yogurt, banana, or whatever else you put in your smoothies. <A> McGee has an article for conserving fresh berries for some days longer. <S> He talks about molds, not bacteria... <A> No, you should boil for at least 1 Minute. <S> Food Safety Authority of Ireland states the following in May 2017, especially for imported berries: <S> As a result of outbreaks of norovirus and hepatitis A virus in imported frozen berries across Europe in recent years, the FSAI recommends boiling imported frozen berries for one minute before consumption. <S> See FSAI : Berries - Advice to boil imported frozen berries (May 2017)
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Frozen berries should be alright as your country's health regulations will not allow dangerous foods to be imported or produced or sold.
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Why would a blended salad dressing change its color? Yesterday evening we had a barbecue and I made a tomato/mozzarella salad. Since I couldn't find my dressing shaker, I used my hand blender (an ESGE M180S, in case it matters). I got my dressing as usual, dark brown in colour, it was just a bit more smooth than usual, which I expected. A few minutes after pouring it over the salad, the colour went from dark brown to a very very light brown, looking as if I'd used cream in it. The taste stayed the same as usual, but the colour change I thought was weird. So, why would a blended dressing change its colour while a shaken dressing wouldn't? Probably the ingredients are important to answer this, so here's what I used: Olive & sunflower oil (4 tbsp each) Balsamic vinegar (2 tbsp) , malt vinegar (1 tbsp), apple vinegar (1 tbsp) Hibiscus syrup (2 tbsp) Dried basil (1 tsp) Mustard (1 tsp) Salt (1 tsp), sugar (1 tsp), freshly ground pepper <Q> It seems I was looking in the wrong direction here. <S> It seems to have been the Mozzarella cheese. <S> After pouring the dressing over the salad, the cheese started to leak some white liquid, which changed the colour of the dressing. <S> This was something I hadn't on my radar, since I had always used the same brand of cheese, and it had never happened before. <S> I only found out because last week I did a shaken dressing, and this caused that behavior too. <S> So it's nothing to do with the blender ... <A> Sounds like some air bubbles were incorporated in the mix and started to resurface (or blend together?). <S> Generally little air bubbles tend to make a mixture lighter in colour <S> , you can see that, for instance, when you mix sugar and egg yolks. <S> Now, I'm not sure why did it happen once you poured it on the salad... <A> My first though was that it has to with the higher efficiency of the blender. <S> This is also the reason why blended mayonnaise will be opaque and almost white, whereas a hand stirred mayonnaise can be quite translucent and much more yellow in color. <S> Then I read on about the color changing from dark to light. <S> I have absolutely no idea what that is about. <S> Maybe somebody poured cream into it while you weren't looking? <S> Or used magic? :)
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Since the blender breaks up the fat into much smaller droplets than what is possible using a shaker or a whisk, that would account for the lighter color.
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Does pesto go bad? I have some basil pesto but I'm not sure how long its fridge life is. It is in a sealed container. How long does it last before it is not safe to eat anymore? <Q> I believe that the best indicator of freshness is the colour of the leaves. <S> Once they turn from green to brown, it is all over for the pesto. <S> To boost the 'shelf-life' of the pesto in the fridge, make sure that it is completely covered with olive oil before sealing the container. <A> In regards to the part of the question asking about storage lifetime, and with respect to the other answers on this question: pesto is a low acid food at risk for botulism: It contains garlic, which is harvested out of the ground, so may have spores (as might the basil leaves, but less likely) Underneath the oil layer is anoxic (no access to oxygen from the air), which is necessary for botulism growth. <S> Per the University of Georgia's National Center for Home Food Preservation which is admittedly focused on canning, but note the instructions on using fresh product as well (emphasis added): <S> How do I can oil with herbs? <S> Can I can pesto? <S> Herbs and oils are both low-acid and together could support the growth of the disease-causing Clostridium botulinum bacteria. <S> Oils may be flavored with herbs if they are made up for fresh use, stored in the refrigerator and used within 2 to 3 days. <S> There are no canning recommendations. <S> Fresh herbs must be washed well and dried completely before storing in the oil. <S> The very best sanitation and personal hygiene practices must be used. <S> Pesto is an uncooked seasoning mixture of herbs, usually including fresh basil, and some oil. <S> It may be frozen for long term storage ; there are no home canning recommendations. <A> Commercial pesto (at least some brands) is said to keep about a year unopened, and 5-7 days in the fridge after opening. <A> as in most cases, the answer is "it depends". <S> If this is a commercial product, it has probably been pasteurized. <S> It will also feature a "best before" date. <S> It also depends on whether this was designed to be stored at room temperature or in the fridge. <S> What can go wrong? <S> The olive oil can go rancid, the basil can spoil (particularly if parts of it are exposed to air). <S> On the other hand, if it is random pesto made by a friend of yours, ditch it. <S> The fact that you are asking the question indicates that it has already been there for too long. <S> In the Italian tradition, pesto is not a "keeping" sauce. <S> It is made right before use - and of course if it is good there are no leftovers... <A> Basil is one of the fastest herbs to decay. <S> I recommend freezing leftover pesto in an air tight package. <S> It's easy to thaw and if the container is airtight, flavor won't be compromised. <A> Commercial pesto certainly doesn't keep that long in the fridge after it's been opened. <S> My current bottle says 2 weeks. <S> My last bottle started growing mould after about 6 weeks! <S> It should keep substantially longer before it's opened, but most commercial bottles should have advice about storage length on the label. <A> I have used pesto a month or more after making with no problems. <S> Just refrigerate <S> and I would say it is okay. <S> This pesto contained only basil, parsley, olive oil, salt, pepper, pine nuts and garlic. <S> I've been cooking commercially for 10 years
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Therefore, pesto should not be stored for very long (whether home made or after a commercially canned product is opened) unless frozen.
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What's the simplest method to cook rice? For me, the perfect rice is whole, loose and flavorful. To get that result, there are a number of techniques. As the flavor depends on the broth used, let's take that out of the equation. I'm looking for a 'fail-safe' method so the rice won't pass, without using preprocessed rice. At this moment, the method I'm using most is Rice Pilaf. This yields a good result, but it's not fail-safe. It's possible to either under or overcook the rice. So, the question is what variables are important and how do I adjust these to the rice I'm using? <Q> My foolproof method is as follows: <S> Weigh out the desired amount of rice <S> - I use 2-3oz per person - and put it in a saucepan. <S> Wash the rice well by filling the pan with cold water, tipping it out, and repeating about 10 times. <S> The more you wash the less the rice sticks together. <S> Put enough water in the pan to cover the rice by about 5-8mm. <S> Leave to soak for 25 minutes until the rice grains have turned opaque white. <S> Put the saucepan over a high heat, uncovered, and bring to a boil. <S> Boil until the water has evaporated and the surface of the rice is dotted with small holes. <S> Turn off the heat. <S> Cover tightly: if the lid isn't a tight fit, place a piece of foil on the pan, then put the lid on. <S> Steam for at least 15 minutes. <S> The beauty of this method is that it doesn't matter how long you steam the rice for once it's past the 15 minute minimum - in fact <S> , the more it steams the better it is, especially if you have added spices or flavourings to the water. <A> My way for basmati rice: <S> Don't wash the rice - it's already clean and you don't want to lose the flavour or make it it wet <S> or it won't absorb the oil. <S> Measure 1 cupful for 2 people. <S> Put a small splosh (1/2 tbs) of oil (or butter or ghee) in the pan and heat through. <S> Add flavourings (eg cumin etc) at this stage, and then rice, stirring until well coated with oil. <S> Add 2 cups (same cup size as rice) cold water, salt to taste, and bring to the boil. <S> Stir. <S> Cover and simmer gently for 12 mins and check done-ness. <S> Should still have a little 'bite'. <S> Turn off heat, cover with clean dish-cloth, and replace pan lid. <S> Leave 10 mins. <S> Serve. <S> Can leave a bit longer without heat or transfer to an oven at 80 deg C for up to an hour or so. <S> Enjoy. <S> Hope this helps. <A> Got from a Spanish cookbook. <S> Wash the rice and cook it in a lot of water as if it was pasta. <S> When it is cooked to your preference, pass it over a strain and cool down letting water run over the cooked rice. <S> Then, when you need to serve, melt some butter, your preferred seasoning and quickly mix in the rice until at desired temperature. <S> I use this recipe when i have to do rice for more than 6 people. <S> It is much safer. <A> Although we might have the perfect method, and the foolproof equipment, all of this boils down to one: The perfect method and the foolproof equipment, is operated by a mistake-ridden organism, namely, man. <S> There's no way you can get a foolproof rice, unless everything was done by a machine, namely, a rice-cooker. <S> You want flavour? <S> This is my favourite: Measure out the rice <S> Put in tea. <S> (For the total number of cups of rice used, add an extra half litre of water e.g. 5 cups, 5.5 litres, 6 cups, 6.5 litres etc.) <S> Mix in butter <A> Basic recipe ingredients: 1 cup Persian rice 2 cups boiled water 1/2-2 spoons olive or canola oil Salt, pepper, ground garlic, etc. <S> per taste <S> Instructions: <S> Heat <S> the oil in a saucepan Add the rice and stir for a couple of minutes Add water, salt and spices <S> Bring to boil then reduce to lowest heat and cover for 20 minutes Allow to sit for 5 minutes before serving Variants: <S> Basmati rice is similar but should be rinsed first Using whole rice is similar but needs longer cooking times - wait until all the water is soaked - and will benefit from more ingredients (see below) Using chicken stock instead of water <S> Adding turmeric or paprika for taste and color <S> Adding 1/2-1 cup green peas, cut Green beans, Zucchini cubes, and/or baby carrots (frozen are ok) <S> Adding 1/2 cup red lentils and paprika - the lentils dissolve and give a special flavor and texture <A> Put 1 cup of rice and 2 cups of water into a pot with some salt. <S> Bring it to boil and turn the heat down to the lowest possible. <S> Put The lid on. <S> When the water is gone your rice is ready :) <A> The easiest way to get your "perfect rice" would be to use a rice cooker. <A> Personally, I cook my rice in a pressure cooker. <S> But I like medium grain, sticky, and moldable rice. <S> You want "whole, loose and flavorful". <S> So cook it like pasta. <S> You want to use a large pot, a dash of oil, and an excess of salted water. <S> Cook, stir, cook some more, taste to check for doneness, and then drain with a mesh strainer, and put in a pan or wok to stir-fry with whatever flavorings you wish to use. <S> (I'm thinking caramelized onions, bacon bits, and turmeric for a bright yellow color)
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Cook in a ricecooker.
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What kind of meat is used in cheese steak? I want to do some cheese steak at home. I was wondering what kind of meat should I buy. What part? <Q> There is no single cut of meat that is universally used in Philadelphia. <S> Top round is common, and it may actually be the most traditional given the sandwich's Italian origins <S> (top round is what is used in braciole and Italian beef sandwiches ). <S> It is becoming more and more common to use rib-eye , though, which is what is used in some of the most popular Philadelphian establishments ( e.g. , John's Roast Pork and Tony Luke's ), which makes sense given its higher fat content. <S> As lazoDev mentioned, you should be able to get your butcher to slice the meat into thin <S> (~1mm) pieces. <S> If that is not possible, though, you can put an entire rib-eye roast into the freezer for a half hour or so. <S> This will harden the meat without actually freezing it solid, and will make thinly slicing by hand much easier. <A> These are both cuts of meat you will not find in your local grocery store. <S> Thousands of cheesesteak accounts claim they use only ribeye, but very few can afford the high cost of ribeye and having ribeye advertised on their menu but serving something in place of ribeye is actually a crime, but who is going to turn them in? <S> Chances are nobody is going to fight that legal battle and that is why they get away with breaking truth in menu laws. <A> I think that the best meat to use for a Steak sandwich is very thinly sliced ribeye. <S> The fattiness of the steak make the best flavor for sandwiches in my opinion. <S> You can get it thin sliced at any butcher shop, or grocery store that have a good meat department. <A> Top round with tallow to lubricate the griddle. <S> Using ribeye for this application is a waste of a pricey cut, but the extra fat is 100% required. <A> Hanger steak is also a very popular choice. <S> Flat iron would work, as well.
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As a person who actually sells Philly steak meat to many of the national chain accounts and most of the cheesesteak accounts around the Philly area, the raw material used to make a true Philly steak is knuckle meat or wedge meat .
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What is the authentic way to cook pierogi? I've been buying pre-packaged pierogi from Trader Joe's and local Polish delis. But I can't seem to get a straight or consistent answer on how you are supposed to cook them. Should you steam pierogi, boil them, or saute them with butter? <Q> We have a Polish & Greek place by us (don't ask), and theirs are always boiled. <S> They are delicious that way (usually topped with bacon and sour cream)... <S> Personally I always grew up <S> w/ them boiled then sauteed, which is my favorite. <A> The most common way here in Poland to prepare them is to boil them. <S> Put them into boiling and salted water, wait until they start floating on the surface and then boil for 2-3 minutes (longer if they are frozen). <A> The sweet ones are usually served with a bit of yogurt or sour cream, and the savory ones are often fried (after boiling) until golden, and served with onions and bacon. <A> My babcia (grandmother, she came to the states in '49) boils them after assembly. <S> Otherwise, she packages them up in ziplock bags and freezes them. <S> Packaged pierogi are probably already boiled. <S> I would thaw them and saute in a little butter until golden brown and warm through. <A> First boil them. <S> Remove from water and brown some butter and pour the butter over the pierogi and toss in a large bowl. <S> Later you can either fry them or warm them in the microwave. <A> My grandmother, who is from Poland, simmered them in boiling salted water and then drained them. <S> She smothered them in butter that had been browned, this was how my mother taught me. <S> Not sure if this is the authentic way <S> but it is what was passed down three generations. <S> This process is used for the potato cheese mix as well as the fruit pierogi, both being covered with browned butter
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My Polish mother-in-law boils them. If she's serving them right away, she browns them in some butter.
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Would a cream based sauce go well with steaks? I've reached a point where I am very comfortable with a nice red wine/shallot reduction as a pan sauce for my strip roasts/steaks. I think I remember have a meal once where they served sliced tenderloin with a white sauce. I imagine it was cream based but I don't often see this combination. I was wondering if there was hope for throwing together a cream based sauce and if so if anyone had an idea of what base (mother or otherwise) sauce would be a good jumping off point for experimentation? <Q> You may have been served Bearnaise, which is a common red meat sauce. <S> Bearnaise is based on Hollandaise (a mother sauce), a butter based sauce. <S> Hollandaise is somewhat advanced to make because it is important to keep the temperature right and the ratios correct while making it, but the result is worth the effort. <A> My spousal unit taught me to to make cream-based sauces with the drippings when pan-frying steaks. <S> Something like: Remove meat to stand Throw in a few green peppercorns or capers Deglaze with a little brandy (not too much, if you need more liquid use hot water) <S> Add cream, turn off the heat and stir until thickened. <S> You can vary the spice and deglazing agent almost endlessly. <S> Now I have a hard time walking away from dripping without doing something with them. <A> I don't see Steak Diane here, so I'll add that. <S> The sauce is prepared from the pan juices, using butter, shallots, cream, and Worcestershire sauce, and flambéed with brandy. <S> Sometimes with mushrooms too. <S> Pepper corns are mentioned, but no-one explicitly said Au-Poivre. <S> Dijon, brandy/cognac, cream, sometimes shallots. <S> Basically, as stated above, but with a formal name. <S> I've seen this in France with and without the dried crushed peppercorns stuck to the steak. <S> More often it's soft green peppercorns in the sauce. <S> Both are on every (ok, most) French cafe/brasserie type menus. <S> To be honest, just add a little cream to your existing sauce and you'll find it pretty delicious. <S> Add some worcestershire sauce (quite a lot) for Diane, add some green peppercorns for Au Poivre. <A> My absolute favorite way to eat steak is Oscar style... <S> To @michael's point, this is: rib eye + asparagus + crab cake (or lump crab meat) + hollandaise... Fantastic! <A> Cream gravy is traditional with chicken fried steak (breaded and fried cube steak). <S> It isn't a high-end steak cut, though. <S> Cream gravy is basically just wisking flour into a few tablespoons of the pan drippings / leftover frying oil to make a roux, and then cream to make a white sauce, usually seasoned with salt and lots of black pepper. <S> Often when I see roasted cuts of beef served with a white sauce, it's a sour cream or mayo-based horseradish sauce, though. <A> The recipe I like to use for pepper steak features cream, and I use strip steaks for pepper steak. <S> Once the steaks are out and resting, get rid of the fat (but not the browned bits, random fallen off peppercorns etc) in the pan, add a little butter, some finely chopped shallot, let them cook but not brown, deglaze the pan with some brandy, reduce, then a nice slug of cream. <S> 18% or 35% is great, but I use 10% when that's what's in the house. <S> Finish with a tablespoon more of brandy at the last minute and everyone loves it. <S> I do fries in the oven whenever I do pepper steak and that sauce on fries ... irresistable. <A> not a non stick pan.next <S> get the skillet nice and hot med high heat slice the onions toss em in the skiilet no oil , they will stick at first ,stir with wood spoon as they start to get darker and caramelize add a touch of oil,salt &or sugar , <S> next take about 1/4 cup of redwine/marsala/or sherry to deglaze pan <S> then take them off the heat,in another sauce pan add a little bit of beef stock or base with about 1 quart heavy cream , add onions then reduce on med/low heat till it gets darker and the cream gets thicker a little thicker than a chowder soup base, finally put this cream mix in a blender and emulsify the onions into the sauce. <S> it is great for steaks,venison or any other rich red meats.
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the best cream based sauce i have found in many years of cooking is caramelized onion sauce,first get a nice skillet cast iron or a old school pan...
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What is a good alternative to Sea Bass? I am cooking a recipe of Asian style sea bass. What would be a good, cheaper alternative to sea bass that is readily available in a UK supermarket? <Q> Depending on exactly the recipe you are using it in, I'd either go for a meaty white fish such as Cod, haddock, or the cheaper fish like pollock. <S> You should be able to get all of these in a UK supermarket. <S> You could also try a fishmonger (either in the Supermarket or independent) <S> - ask them what you could use instead. <A> Try tilapia - you can definitely get it at Tesco and Waitrose now and possibly other supermarkets too. <S> It has small, thin fillets like seabass, has a nice delicate flavour and is not expensive. <A> Coley is also a cheap alternative. <S> From an ethical stance , we should be trying to use a range of types of fish and not just cod or haddock.
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You may also be able to get away with something like mackerel, which isn't as white and chunky but is much cheaper.
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What can I do with Bhut Jolokia's? I'm growing some Bhut Jolokia's (world hottest pepper aka ghost pepper) amongst other hot peppers. Anyone have any recommendations what I can do with them? I picked one off the plant last night. I'm looking for something other that hot sauce or chili. <Q> I once made habanero poppers for some friends. <S> Sliced the habaneros in half length wise and seeded them. <S> They were very tasty, as the pepper itself was quite a bit sweeter and more flavorful than the normal jalapeno I would have used. <S> I would expect that since the bhut jolokia is in the same general family as the habanero, the same would apply here. <S> However, they were significantly hotter, almost to the point of unpleasant for the non-chiliheads. <S> As the bhut jolokias are even hotter, I would urge caution when handling them. <S> I would also probably enjoy every moment of the pain of eating them. <A> maybe use it to infuse some vodka, and make a really spicy vodka for cocktails? <A> I've never used bhut jolokias <S> but I love spicy vegetable oil. <S> DO NOT just throw the peppers in a jar of oil. <S> Apparently this is bad. <S> Follow the much more helpful links in the comments that follow this and make the oil properly. <S> Once you do this you can cook pretty much anything that needs a little (or a lot) of extra heat. <S> You said you have other peppers so it might be interesting to set up a few jars with different pepper combos. <S> Bonus: if what I've heard of these peppers is correct, you can probably make a low grade mace this way. <S> If you're looking for something to do right away, I'd mix a very small piece in some melty cheese and throw it on some chips, burritos, pizza, or anything really. <S> Spicy cheese rocks. <S> Good luck and enjoy.
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I stuffed them with a mix of cream cheese, monterey jack, sour cream, salt and pepper and then baked them in the oven until the cheese had turned GB&D.
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Is there anything I can substitute eggs for when making meatloaf? I have a great meatloaf recipe but I don't have any eggs! Is there anything I can use to substitute for an egg? <Q> The crumbs or oats are mixed with boiling water and left for a while until you have a porridge-like consistency and then mixed into the ground meat. <S> Unfortunately I don't know the exact ratios of dry ingredient/water/ground meat since I generally use both egg and breadcrumbs. <S> I would guess somewhere between 4 tablespoons and half a cup of dry ingredient for a pound of meat. <A> Most meatloaf recipes I googled have an egg in them. <S> It's probably there as a binder, to hold the loaf together, rather than flavour - similar to how many people add a little egg to a hamburger mix to help the hamburgers hold together. <S> However, just like a hamburger, in a meatloaf you could get away without using the egg, depending on how dry vs. meaty the recipe is. <S> Mix you loaf as normal but <S> when finished mixing, give it a kneading like your would normally knead bread. <S> Then put it in your refrigerator for a hour or two to chill it. <S> When you chill it, the proteins in the meat (which have been stretched by kneading) will coil up and lock together. <S> Now cook the loaf normally. <S> When you cut the meatloaf you will find it will hold itself together well enough without the egg. <A> There is this article in the NYT about using ground flax seed as an egg substitute. <S> http://dinersjournal.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/09/04/replacing-eggs-with-flax/ <S> I have used this with good results in cookie recipes and would expect similar results with meatloaf. <S> However not having eggs but having ground flax seed seems a bit of a stretch. <S> In that case, I would just make meatloaf without the eggs, I don't think there would be that much of a problem. <A> My mom's meatloaf (which is obviously the best), uses oatmeal... <S> Similar to @Chris's suggestion... <S> You don't taste the oatmeal, it binds correctly, it adds a little bit of fiber, and quite frankly, I think it takes some of the heaviness off of the meatloaf. <A> Some stale bread soaked in milk can also be used to keep the meat together. <A> I use fresh, moist bread (whole wheat in my case--delicious and healthy) along with olive oil as a binder in lieu of eggs. <S> Ive tried it with just the bread crumbs without great success==the olive oil is a critical addition, IMO. <A> My normal recipe calls for an egg and the 1 minute quaker oats in place of bread crumbs <S> but I was in a pinch today with no eggs. <S> Instead of using the oats dry in the meat mixture, I cooked them as if making oatmeal and kept it on the thick side. <S> I also used a 1/2c shredded mozzarella cheese and found it binded nicely.
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In Sweden, breadcrumbs or porridge oats are sometimes used as an alternative to egg for binding köttbullar (meatballs).
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Can I use cottage cheese instead of cream cheese when making a cheesecake? If I can, would there be any difference in the measurements? For example if the recipe calls for 8 ounces of cream cheese, would it be the same amount of cottage? <Q> I've made cheesecake with many different types of cheese and it pretty much always worked. <S> Of course texture and taste vary, but that's the beauty of it. <S> Try a single cheese, see what it gives and then start experimenting mixing them. <S> For instance cottage cheese tends to give a slightly more "crumbly" texture. <S> To compact it you can add some fresh cream. <S> Sour cream also makes a wonderful addition, and marries well with some lemon zest, taken that you like a bit of acidity in your cake. <S> I've also tried to add mascarpone and even gorgonzola, they all work well, and give you very peculiar mouth-feelings to combine and mix as you please, but obviously add in calory content quite a bit... <S> As for the amount, you an just keep the same as cream cheese. <A> Small curd seems to work best--possibly because a bit more of the moisture is retained in the product after draining. <S> After running the cottage cheese through a food processor (I've not found a blender quite powerful enough), you're left with an awesome soft cheese perfect for cheesecake recipes. <S> To drain the curds, use a cheese cloth lined colander. <S> I usually allow for about five minutes of drain time before running it through the processor. <S> (Hint: UN-drained cottage cheese run through a food processor is a delicious substitute for cream cheese in cream cheese frosting) <S> If you're pinched for time, why not try neufchatel cheese if you're looking to cut the fat but still have a yummy outcome? <S> Something else that helps ensure a less crumbly finish in the lower fat cheese cakes...use powdered sugar for half of the sugar in your recipe. <A> Short answer: <S> Probably. <S> However, there is one thing to keep in mind <S> is that cottage cheese usually has a higher sodium content than cream cheese. <S> Also to get a smoother blend faster try an immersion blender in the jar that came with it, or any narrow, deep 2 cup pyrex measuring cup. <S> I found that the food processor took a long time with a lot of stopping to scrape the sides back down. <S> Good luck!! <A> i don't know the science behind it, but even if you thoroughly blended your cottage cheese beforehand <S> (so there's no lumps) <S> i still would think that there would be a serious consistency and flavor difference between the two. <S> the flavor difference might not be unpleasant, but cottage cheese is so much more fluid than cream cheese, which might cause problems in the baking and setting of the cheesecake. <S> to be honest, if it were me, i would try it anyway (equal measurements and all) because that's one way to learn. <A> I've used cottage cheese and noticed too much liquid after baking the cheesecake. <S> I see some recipes add additional flour and then noticed on this blog <S> some drain it. <S> MMmmmmm...
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ABSOLUTELY you can substitute cottage cheese (even fat free) for cream cheese in a cheesecake recipe.
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What is the best temperature to store honey at? I was wondering what temperature is suitable to store honey bought from stores? Now in the summer, it can be around 30+ Celsius, and even nearly 40 on some day. Do you suggest keeping honey while being consumed in the refrigerator? If not, what harm can that cause? <Q> Honey should be stored at 50-70 <S> Degrees <S> Fahrenheit <S> between 50 and 70 degrees <S> Fahrenheit. <S> So, it's best to store it away from your oven or stove. <S> Also, it should not be refrigerated. <S> Extreme changes in temperature will spoil the flavor of honey. <S> Looks like this confirms that you may want to keep it in a cool place and away from hot temperature where it would cause honey to degrade in quality. <S> Shrem from Slashfood continues: <S> Remember <S> Do not store honey in a refrigerator or near a stove or oven. <S> Store it in an air-tight container. <S> Thus, choosing an appropriate container is an important part of the equation. <S> Penn State has a great article germane to this topic. <S> Refrigerating Honey <S> In the article , it talks mentions the crystallizing state of honey if it is refrigerated in no way it harms the honey at all. <S> Restoring honey from a crystalized form <S> I know this is not related to your question. <S> But something you asked in the comments. <S> Apparently, honey can be restored from it's crystalized form : placing it in the microwave for 20 seconds can restore it from a crystallized form. <S> Therefore, you can store it in the refrigerator and heat it afterwards. <S> The downside is that if stored in the fridge too long it'll turn hard and sugary . <S> Proper Storage Container <S> Since honey has very little moisture in it <S> it is difficult for microorganisms to grow. <S> Thus, an airtight container is of utmost importance. <S> If moisture gets in the container it can be an ideal environment for mold and yeast to grow. <S> Honey should be thrown out if it foams and smells like alcohol Long Term Storage of Honey <S> Honey can be stored for long periods of time without any issue. <S> Over time, honey will darken and intensify with flavor . <A> When I was a child, we used to keep honey (taken from our own bees, and not pasteurized or whipped or whatever) in the root cellar, where it was dark, and cool but not cold. <S> This was a situation where some of it would be kept for years. <S> Sometimes when honey gets cold it crystallizes, which is really no big deal - just sit the closed jar in warm water from the tap for a few hours, stir, maybe repeat. <S> Or scrape off however much you need with a sturdy spoon, and carry on with your life as though it wasn't crystallized. <S> It's harmless, just inconvenient. <S> Totally reversible if the inconvenience is getting to you. <S> If you just have a jar of it in your house, and you go buy another when it runs out, I don't think it matters. <S> Keep it where the ants are least likely to find it (for us this means out on a kitchen counter rather than away in a cupboard) but not in the fridge. <S> That's what we do with whatever current jar we're using. <S> The honey stores (from my adult hives, which have since died since I was not as good a beekeeper as my Dad, or perhaps it's because mites and such are a much bigger deal now, <S> but anyway we're working through a dwindling store over a multi year period) <S> are in the cool dark (but heated) room in the basement where we keep all our canned goods. <A> One of the wonderful properties of honey is that if it crystallizes all you need do is put it in a microwave (or warm it some other way) and it is just as good as it has ever been. <A> Honey crystallizes quickest at 14C (57F). <S> Above this temperature the rate of crystallization decreases until by 32C (90F) it will stay runny. <S> Similarly, below 14C the rate of crystallization decreases until by 0C (32F) <S> it will be frozen solid and no crystallization can occur. <S> You might deduce then that keeping it warm is best but this results in an increase in enzyme activity which increases the level of of a chemical called Hydroxymethylfurfural which is, apparently, bad for us. <S> Here in the UK it's illegal to sell honey for human consumption <S> is the level exceeds 40mg per Kg. <S> The darkening of honey is also due excessive warmth/enzyme activity. <S> So, from health perspective and to avoid degradation of the honey, in the fridge is best. <S> I have to admit though that I don't keep mine in there <S> (but it's not normally very warm here!). <S> FYI, Honey crystallizes differently according to the types of sugar present in the nectar. <S> Those high in Glucose set quickly with a fine crystal, those high in Fructose set slowly with a large crystal. " <S> Cream-style" honey is honey that has set solid (preferably small crystal) then warmed just enough to allow it to be mechanically agitated which breaks the bonds between the individual crystals and results in the lovely smooth texture. <S> Hope that helps. <A> I buy honey in 5lb. <S> plastic jugs, 6 per case. <S> if it crystallizes I warm it in my crock pot in water. <S> a better way to store is on the top shelf In my pantry ( heat rises) <S> so far none stored there has crystalised.
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Honey is similar in to olive oil and should be storaged between 50-70 Degrees Fahrenheit according to Max Shrem from Slashfood : Similar to olive oil, honey should be stored at a cool temperature
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Is it possible to create good hummus without a food processor? I don't own a food processor and because I don't have much storage in my apartment, I'm not entirely interested in purchasing one right now. Is it possible to create good hummus without a food processor? Would a blender be an alright substitute? <Q> While you can make a decent hummus with a blender, it will be thinner than the hummus you would make in a food processor (at least thinner than my recipe). <S> If you have a potato masher or ricer, either would do the job nicely, giving you a texture that is less smooth than you might get with a food processor, but definitely good. <S> I like the texture when done by hand (think lumpy mashed potatoes) and the flavor, of course, is the same. <S> You can accomplish the same thing a little easier with a stand or hand mixer. <S> Keep in mind that hummus has been around a lot longer than the food processor, so if you do it by hand, it will probably be more like "real" hummus. <A> mortar and pestle works perfectly. <S> Watch out for your fingers, though. <S> When the pestle gets all slippery it is pretty easy to hurt yourself. <S> In a pinch, I have also used a heavy glass (think mojito) with a thick bottom as a pestle, and a plastic bowl as a mortar. <S> Messy, but when you must have hummus messiness is just a detail. <A> I've always made my hummus in the blender. <S> Just make sure to put the oil, yogurt and any other liquid ingredients at the bottom (in first) so that they're blended in first, before it gets too dry from the chickpeas. <S> It'll get pretty thick, but a quick scrape with a spatula will get things moving again. <S> A recent trick I learned was to use warm chickpeas rather than cold or room temperature... <S> a couple seconds in the microwave <S> and they'll come out much smoother than if they're cold. <S> And don't forget the tahini! <A> Slow cooking your own chick peas make them come out very soft and easy to blend, it also makes for much better hummus than the canned variety, before I got an immersion blender, I used a potato masher. <A> Another idea: push the chick peas through a strainer with wooden spoon. <S> Worked for me. <A> I've used both the strainer method and the potato masher method. <S> It was a bit labor intensive to get the chick peas through the strainer, but worked OK. <S> I like the texture I get with the potato masher better. <S> It's an easy cleanup too; the masher is much easier to wash than the strainer with chickpea remnants is.
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You can probably get your hummus as smooth as you would with a blender.
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What is the difference between white and green asparagus? Is there any difference between white and green asparagus in terms of taste, texture, etc? I've had green asparagus lots of times but never white asparagus. <Q> Yes, there is a difference in taste. <S> I think it's the chlorophyll, but I may be wrong. <S> But the green asparagus has a "vegetable" or "grassy" taste which isn't present in the white asparagus. <S> The white one has its own distinct aroma, which is less pronounced in the green one. <S> As for texture, Caleb already said it. <S> White asparagus is more tender, if you buy it fresh enough. <S> On the other hand, non-tender green asparagus is snappy and somewhat brittle, like a normal stalk. <S> Non-tender white asparagus is tough and stringy. <S> When I cook white asparagus, I remove the lowest part (the most stringy one) and peel it (the outer layer is especially string prone) and sometimes, if it turns out to be low quality/old, it still has an unpleasant texture. <S> The green one seldom requires removal of the lower part, and never peeling. <S> Violet asparagus is like white one in both taste and texture, but not as common. <S> Oh, and what Caleb says about both being the same plant is correct, but I have never heard of little shades. <S> All farmers in Germany grow white asparagus underground. <S> They make mounds of earth above the place where the asparagus is planted, and it has to grow a lot before it reaches the surface. <S> They also cover the mounds with black foil to get the earth warm in spring. <S> The harvest starts sometime in April and ends by tradition on June 24. <S> It is done by hand, because machines would break the rods. <S> This makes it a quite costly vegetable. <S> And it should be eaten fresh, because the longer it spends outside of the earth, the stringier it gets. <S> I don't share the common German enthusiasm for white asparagus ("royal vegetable" etc.) <S> but think that it is a good vegetable in its own right. <S> If you can get it fresh, it is worth eating now and then. <A> Both green and white asparagus are the same variety of asparagus. <S> Farmers cover the white asparagus with little shades to prevent the sun from hitting it, and this keeps the asparagus white. <S> Left to its own, asparagus will turn green and eventually get stringy and tough. <S> Young asparagus, though, can be quite tender. <S> So one difference between them is that the white will generally be pretty tender, while the green may or may not be. <A> My Mom grew white asparagus to sell. <S> She didn't use "little shades" - she cut the asparagus below the surface of the dirt a good 6 inches deep as soon as she saw the head above the dirt. <S> It's white because it has not received the chlorophyll from the sun yet. <S> You can let the same plant grow above ground and get the green asparagus. <S> White asparagus is sweeter and YUMMY! <S> Judylee <A> The other difference is that green asparagus (in my experience anyway) is more robust. <S> You can stirfry it, BBQ it, grill it, roast it or steam it, and it will retain its shape and flavour. <S> Perhaps this is because I never peel green asparagus and always peel the white version - perhaps the outer layer helps to hold everything together for the rougher processes like stirfrying. <A> another interesting difference is that Green Asparagus contains all the nutrients, while the white asparagus contains very low nutrients (due to it being grow in the dark).this would explain the difference in taste.
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White asparagus is always pretty young; older asparagus tends to turn green.
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Explanation of the phrase "Eye of Round Roast" I need to translate the type of meat called "Eye of Round Roast" to Danish. It would be extremely lucky, if anyone here speaks Danish as well as having a quite good English cooking technical knowledge. It might be a long shot. So, if there isn't any Danish speaking helpfull mind here, I would really appreciate if I could get a good definition or explanation in English of what the eye of round roast is. I have tried with no luck the Google translator , www.ordbogen.com (a Danish very indepth dictionary), and other kinds fx www.thefreedictionary.com to try guessing the actual meaning. I need a dictionary with cooking specific technical phrases, and that is not exactly lying around. <Q> I think the Danish use the English style cutting and names not the US style, so direct translation is not really possible. <S> The round is often just English "Roast Beef" <S> The main part of the round we would call topside, which is Danish is Inderlår og klump (topside and rump) <S> The top part we call Silverside is the "Culotte" (leg) <S> There are other untranslatable parts like Tyksteg , Lårtunge , and Couvette ; these are referred to as just "Roast Beef"! <A> The word "eye" in the name of a cut of meat is like in the phrase "eye of the storm" - a round part in the middle of something. <S> There are well known cuts like rib eye, and less well known ones like chuck eye. <S> The Round specifically refers to part of the cow. <S> There's a good diagram at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beef#Cuts <S> and if you scroll down, you can see the UK cuts, which not only have different names, but different boundaries. <A> In the UK it's topside / silverside roast, but I don't know how standard cuts are across the rest of the EU. <S> Certainly France and UK are far more similar than UK and US, but for Scandinavia it might vary more. <S> You'll find the joint in any butcher or supermarket in UK as a standard cut for a Sunday lunch. <S> Very similar to rump roast. <S> My grandmother is Danish, and would know, but at this point has had far too many strokes to be know what a cow is, otherwise I'd ask. <S> Do you need it to be eye of round? <S> If you're translating recipes between countries the cuts can vary a fair bit. <S> It might be easier to not translate the cut directly, and rename it to something more local and appropriate, or there might be a similar dish with a name you can use. <S> eg. <S> in the UK, just saying roast beef would often imply a cut like this. <S> A better cut would be spelled out - rib roast. <S> It's the round muscle with a small layer of fat on the top. <A> I don't know if this helps, or just confuses the matter further, but the USDA Instutional Meat Purchase Specifications defines : <S> Item <S> No. <S> 171C <S> - Beef Round, Eye of Round (IM) - <S> This boneless item consists of the M. semitendinosus and shall not be severed on either end. <S> The eye is separated from the top and outside rounds and heel between the natural seams. <S> M. semitendinosus is the main muscle to force the knee of the hind leg to bend, and is located on the back side of the femur.
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Eye of round is just part of the ass of the cow, basically. If you're in Denmark, I would take one of the wikipedia diagrams, or just head to a butcher where there will be a diagram, and then point to the bit you want.
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Can you preserve zest? If a recipe asks for zest, I always use fresh fruit. I'm wondering if you can preserve it nicely. I put some in the fridge, but there was some mold after quite a while. I wanted to get rid of the moist, so I put fresh lemon zest in the oven on a low temperature. But I think I left it a bit too long, it's a bit brown now, instead of yellow. However, it still smells and tastes nice, a bit crunchy though. So I'm not satisfied with this result. Anyone else who has experimented and knows what works or what does not?Is it possible to preserve zest for months (or even longer), without losing too much flavour? <Q> I've successfully frozen yuzu (a Japanese citrus fruit slightly similar to lemon or grapefruit) zest for two or three months without much damage; the flavor isn't perfect, but it's usable as long as you don't get serious freezer burn. <S> I've kept it in a small Rubbermaid container. <S> There is a potential problem because citrus oils can damage certain types of plastic over time, but this didn't affect me; however, plastic bags won't work so well. <A> You can preserve it with sugar. <S> It doesn't taste as perfectly fresh as the real thing, more like candied citrus, but it is definitely usable this way. <S> It is well preserved, because it is too sweet/dehydrated for bacteria and mold to eat it. <S> I don't know the exact technique used, but I think it involves covering the zest in sugar syrup and drying it out. <S> Not sure about boiling. <S> Or you can forego the zest at all and use a spoonful of orange jam or lemon jam as a substitute. <S> If you keep those anyway, it is much easier. <S> If not, you still have one more item to keep track of, but at least is less perishable. <S> If you can't get good orange or citrus jam at a general supermarket, try at a store which sells British food. <A> zest is widely available . <S> Rose Levy Beranbaum (who wrote The Cake Bible ) says lemon zest can be frozen, and her community discusses ways to do that: everything from vacuum sealing to cutting off the whole rind to freeze, etc. <S> So yes, it seems like there are ways to preserve lemon zest, and drying or freezing look like your best options.
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You can preserve it by dehydrating it; dehydrated lemon peel/ The folks over at Chowhound say that freezing works reasonably well too, if you keep out the air.
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Why does my chicken get dry skin in the freezer? Sorry guys, but I suspect I have a bit of a newbie question here. When I buy raw chicken breast, I like to open up the package immediately and separate it out into 3 portions because that's roughly the amount I use each time I cook it. If I freeze immediately, it looks a bit like this after I defrost it: ... which is fine. But if I open the packet, then freeze, it looks like this when defrosted: Clearly the skin is drying out badly. :-) Is there a way I can stop this? I'm thinking of immediately covering the chicken again with clingfilm before refrosting but will that work? Or do I just have to keep it sealed in the packet? If covering it will work, why is that? Is the freezing process sucking moisture out of the skin? <Q> The name for what you're seeing is freezer burn . <S> It happens because water sublimates out of the exposed part of the meat while in the freezer, leaving it all dried out and unpleasant looking. <S> To solve the problem, wrap your chicken (or anything else) tightly in plastic wrap, or place in freezer bags and press out all the air before sealing, and then freeze. <A> I've actually found a combination of both aluminum foil and clingfilm to give the best protection. <S> The foil is most effective at preventing freezer burn, but does nothing to isolate odors. <S> Since the freezer is so cold, you don't ordinarily smell much when you stick your head in there, but that doesn't mean that the odors don't spread about, and you'll notice it only once you thaw your chicken (or other food item). <S> That's why I like to wrap my food in clingfilm as well, but more pertinent to your question, the foil is what you want to prevent freezer burn. <A> I do this with my chicken every time. <S> Buy the bulk pack and portion out at home. <S> I portion into zipper top bags and lay the chicken inside neatly (single layer, flat as possible) and manually squeeze out all the air before zipping the top. <S> I am a little obsessive about trying to squeeze every last pocket of air out, but am too lazy/cheap to get out my vacuum sealer for chicken <S> (save those bags for more expensive meats). <S> I defrost/use the chicken from 1-12 weeks later and haven't had any freezer burn in years. <A> Applying cling wrap should work. <S> If the problems continue, then you might want to invest in a vacuum sealer. <A> I like Caleb's answer <S> but I'd just like to add some detail <S> (and I guess get some karma :P) <S> Caleb's suggestion--wrapping tightly in plastic wrap, is probably a good enough solution if you're using the chicken soon enough. <S> The comment discussion on his answer is somewhat correct--most modern plastic wrap will not prevent freezer burn forever. <S> The formulas for plastic wrap have changed over time and have different molecule permeability protections--some will allow water molecules through (slowly) and some won't. <S> As I understand it, this is a function of humidity, temperature and pressure. <S> If you had a perfect seal--you'd still get a very small amount of sublimation, but the humidity inside your sealed bag/container would quickly rise to the saturation point. <S> Since the water vapor can't escape, the bag consistently has a high humidity inside and this prevents/minimizes further sublimation. <S> What vacuum sealers give you is a sealed container, but they're not the only way to do that. <S> I suspect that if you were to freeze a piece of chicken fully immersed in water, it would preserve similarly to a vacuum frozen one.
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Your chicken skin is drying out to sublimation--ice converting to water vapor without becoming a liquid first.
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How do you grill Shish Kabobs so they aren't so chewy? We cut beef stew into one inch cubes and pierce them on a stick with cherry tomatoes, onions, green peppers, etc, and grill them nicely. The meat is brown and grilled on the outside, pinkish in the middle, vegetables are grilled, but the meat ends up being not so tender. How can I make the Shish Kabobs tender? <Q> Using a cut of meat without too much connective tissue will definitely help. <S> Talk to your butcher about good options. <S> Stew meat isn't the best choice; it contains a lot of connective tissue which breaks down during the long, slow stewing process. <S> Grilling is too hot and quick to break down that tissue. <S> If you do grill stew meat, lower temperature and longer cooking time may help some, but in that case you'll probably want to do the veggies separately. <S> A good marinade will help. <S> You can add some meat tenderizer, or make fresh pineapple juice one of the marinade ingredients. <S> Pineapple contains an enzyme that'll break down some of the connective tissue, but it has to be fresh -- canned juice will have been heated, destroying the enzyme. <A> Also, they aren't as pretty with this strategy, but I've begun skewering my shish kabobs more in line with cooking time than for aesthetics. <S> So I will skewer all my meat together... <S> This would allow you to cook your meat kabobs seperately and only until they are cooked rather than trying to get everything on the kabob to cook at the right time. <S> Admittedly, I know once you get really good at this, it's totally doable (to cook it all on the same skewer), but I'm not there, and it might make your life easier as well... <A> The meat must have marbling and not come from an old animal. <S> Also, scoring the meat before marinading helps the liquid penetrate. <S> tenderizing chemicals like pinapple juice or papaya do work, but they can leave you with a mushy texture - not very appetizing. <S> Experiment before you get a nickname and a place in the family history... <A> I have found a pin style meat tenderizer (before you cube or marinade the meat) to be very helpful in using a cuts that might otherwise prove "too chewy". <S> This model is on Amazon . <S> Once penetrated by this type of tenderizer a good marinade (BEER) will work wonders on those connective tissues. <A> Another option is to cook the meat low and slow. <S> Once the meat is tender, let it cool in the fridge. <S> Once it's cooled, you can skewer it on to the shish (or is it the kabob?). <S> The high heat will now caramelize the outside and warm the inside. <S> At least in theory. <A> try marinating stewing beef in your favorite marinade... <S> then sprinkle some coffee grounds into it. <S> mix thouroughly. <S> i did this last week...marinated in the fridge for a day. <S> the tough cut was sooooo tender and cooked quickly with the veggies. <S> i sliced the stew beef in at least half to get quarter inch thick pieces. <S> my buddy was amazed.... <S> as was i. <A> I know I'm coming late to this discussion, but thought I'd answer for those referencing or googling the topic! <S> I use stew beef for souvlaki and shish kabob all the time. <S> The 2 best ways to get it tender are: 1) <S> This is my favourite because it's more adaptable. <S> Brining is not just for poultry or pork. <S> Just google brine for beef, but this is the ratio I start with 2 3/4 cups water1/4 cup salt3 tablespoons brown sugar2 cups <S> ice <S> Bring water salt and sugar to a low boil to dissolve sugar and salt. <S> Do not lower amounts of salt or sugar. <S> These are what break down the meat fibres and make it tender. <S> The meat will not be salty. <S> Add 2 cups of ice and let cool completely. <S> Place meat and brine in a baggie and keep in the fridge for a minimum of 2 hours, but preferably overnight. <S> Rinse the meat. <S> Pat dry. <S> Put on skewers with whatever accoutrement you like and grill away. <S> That is a basic brine. <S> I like to add extra stuff depending on my mood. <S> During the boiling stage I'll add things like mustard, herbs, vanilla and/or liquid smoke. <S> Many have mentioned beer. <S> Instead of ice, add alcohol during cooling stage. <S> I like adding Guinness. <S> Other faves are whiskey/bourbon or a bold red wine like Shiraz. <S> Do not add alcohol during boiling stage ( particularly whisky), as it will flare up. <S> Hope <S> this helps!! <S> Ps- <S> if I'm adding a BBQ sauce ( I rarely do) <S> I only add it in last few minutes of grilling, and I try to use something similar to the brine. <S> Guinness BBQ Sauce if I had Guinness in the brine for example. <S> Pps. <S> Also makes a difference to whole kabob if you Marinate the veggies. <S> Just use a cheap store brand Italian salad dressing. <S> Place pre cut veggies and dressing in a baggie and Marinate for as long as you like.
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a proper marinade helps, but if you want juicy soft meat there is no substitute for fat . Marinate over night in yogurt, just google yogurt marinades, but make sure you are using plain Balkan style yogurt 2) brine.
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Can you make orange juice with a blender? I have a box full of clementines. Can I make orange juice in a blender? <Q> Sure, you can juice with a blender, as long as (a) the blender is of reasonably good quality and (b) you're not expecting the same kind of yield or quality you'd get with a juicer (electric or manual). <S> You'll also need a very fine strainer, or cheesecloth if you're like me and hate any amount of pulp. <S> You'll have to peel them first, and try to remove the pips as well <S> (clementines shouldn't have very many, and might even be totally seedless). <S> The pith is less of an issue - some people remove it, some people don't, it's a matter of personal preference. <S> Once the oranges have been "cleaned", start blending them on the lowest speed and gradually bring it up to high. <S> Once you've got a fairly consistent purée, pass it through the strainer and mash the pulp against it with the back of a spoon or the bottom of a glass jar. <S> There's your juice. <S> You can throw some pulp (purée) back in if you like that texture. <S> Fruit purée from a blender doesn't really have the best flavour - it tends to turn out somewhat bitter - so you'll probably want to add a small amount of sugar and/or citric acid to compensate. <A> I would avoid that. <S> Orange juice is normally simply squeezed. <S> I would simply halve them and squeeze them. <S> If you were to blend it and if you happened to get seeds in there then when you turn on the blender it will puree it which would add a funny taste to the juice. <S> Was your intent to get extra pulp or to just speed up the process? <A> I just made orange juice with a blender. <S> Remove the orange peel and separate the pieces, patiently remove the pips. <S> Blend lightly for about 30-45 seconds. <S> Put sugar and black salt, a hint of lemon. <S> No need to remove the pulp <S> , it was very good. <S> I used the Indian Nagpur variety not tangerines.
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Oranges should have enough juice to blend on their own, but regardless of what fruit you use, be prepared to add water if the blender doesn't seem to be doing much.
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Can I use boiled potatoes in Spanish omelette? I have some leftover microwaved potatoes. Can I use these potatoes in Spanish omelette? Also, I read that tomatoes are not part of "authentic" Spanish omelette. Is that true? <Q> You shouldn't use boiled potatoes as you have to fry them. <S> This is a good recipe , and no, tomatoes are not part of "authentic" Spanish omelette. <A> Being grown in Spain I've eaten boiled potatoes Spanish omelette a few times: when my mother wasn't in aim for cleaning the splattered oil after cooking. <S> She stopped making omelettes that way: it simply didn't have the taste it should have. <S> IMHO potatoes should be deep fried in olive oil as that will give them a crust/scratching outer part with an inside part with the consistency of boiled potatoes. <S> To archieve this I heat oil up to 180C (350F) <S> and when I put the potatoes in, immediatelly set the temperature at 120~140C (250~280F), having the potatoes an irregular cutting. <S> I've seen potatoes omelette having added: onion (wheels or slices), green pepper (sliced, never red, don't know why), cooking chorizo or even jamon serrano dies (between .5 and 1cm ( <S> .93 <S> in.) cubes). <S> But never seen tomato being added to a potatoes omelette. <A> David G. has the 'correct' answer, but you can in fact use boiled potatoes. <S> Mash the boiled potatoes with a generous helping of olive oil (to taste). <S> Crude extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) has a different flavor than cooked. <S> It really stands out. <S> Then, go ahead with the rest of the recipe.
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In Spain we call it "Potato omelette" an the only ingredients are eggs, potatoes, olive oil, salt and sometimes onion.
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How do I make the panko bread stick to my egg-coated chicken? I am trying to do a pan-fried schnitzel with chicken breast coated in a mix of eggs, salt, pepper, some ketchup, a bit of olive-oil and sweet paprika. Once I coat the chicken in the egg mix, I try to cover it with panko bread, but for some reason it doesn't stick and leaves tiny holes once it's pan-fried. Somebody says I should coat the chicken with flour prior to the egg, but I'm not convinced that would do the trick. Does anyone care to explain what to do? <Q> Panko won't stick to chicken (too dry), but will stick to egg. <S> Flour will stick to chicken. <S> Dredge first through flour, then through (well beaten) <S> egg, then through panko. <S> It's a tricky combination, but if you do it right the results are excellent. <S> Any dry spices you want to put in can go in the flour. <S> While I don't know for sure, I would certainly wouldn't include any oils in the coating, as none of flour/egg/panko will stick to oils. <A> This works every time: dredge in the seasoned flour (a teaspoon each of oregano, dill, onion, garlic, ginger and paprika) <S> dredge in an egg/sour cream mixture dredge in the panko <S> This method should work great for your schnitzel. <A> Use water or milk to thin the eggs, and not oil. <S> I've found the eggs by themselves <S> were too thick and didn't stick well, but thinning them out let them wet the surface evenly enough to get breadcrumbs sticking nicely. <S> And oil won't help any of it stick, and doubly so because the oil will probably make it easier for the coating to dissolve in the cooking oil, rather than staying together. <S> Besides, you will likely get enough oil in the recipe from frying. <S> As for flour... <S> well, I've used it sometimes, and not used it sometimes <S> , I've never seen a dramatic effect from pre-flouring before an egg wash, at least not one that outweighs the extra fussiness of the step. <S> On the other hand, I sometimes make a thin batter with flour, spices and the egg mix, and dip in that before the breadcrumbs for a thicker crust... which is probably a similar effect to a flour layer, but much easier for me. <S> Disclaimer - I've used these breading techniques on cheese, or on vegetables like eggplant, and not actually on chicken - I think the principles would be similar, though. <A> I don't use flour when panko breading instead <S> I put a layer of panko on a tray and then dip each piece ofchicken or pork in a seasoned egg mixture and lay them on top of the layer of panko then put another layer of panko on top and let rest for 15 minutes to allow the pankao to absorb the moisture and bind to the meat... <S> then fry as usual
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Egg won't stick to chicken (too smooth and non-absorbant), but will stick to flour.
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How to store seeds so that they will not get full of insects? I am trying to use my seeds in fruits, but when I store them they become very soon full of insects. Because I do not get a lot of seeds at once, I am not going to dry individual seeds in oven. What is the best way to store the seeds? Could I freeze them? Related question about eating seeds: Are seeds in melons and other fruits good to eat? <Q> The rules are the same as keeping rice, beans, or lentils: keep them in a container that the insects can't chew through, and do not allow them access. <S> This means glass, thick plastic (not a bag), or metal. <S> I would do my best to dry off the seeds to prevent mold growth, beforehand. <S> Even laying them on a paper towel for 15-20 minutes should help. <S> If you have problems with mold, try using something like a canning jar and use fine cloth in place of the lid. <S> It should keep bugs out and allow moisture to escape. <S> Refrigeration will greatly extend the life of your seeds; if bugs do not have a chance to lay eggs on them, and the seeds are sufficiently dry to prevent mold, they should refrigerate for months. <S> Freezing is also good idea, as this will kill any bug larvae and prevent microbial spoilage; I'd try freezing a small batch of seeds first to make sure the moisture doesn't split them open. <A> I worked at a grocery store for about 7 years and the number one rule when it came to bugs and weavels in the flour, seeds, rice, etc... was always the freezer. <S> Very much to @BobMcGee's point, I would try a small amount to make sure the freezer doesn't affect them (but for most varieties, I think you're safe) <A> Seeds, grains and flours, being natural products, come with some natural flora (mold spores etc.) <S> and fauna (eggs of insects). <S> While they are cleaned fairly thoroughly, they are not usually sterilized. <S> The eggs of the insects will hatch and become the 'mealy bugs' we find in our cornmeal, rice, flour etc. <S> above about 17 degrees C/65 degrees <S> F. <S> Keeping these products in a tight container, in a bottom cabinet (is cooler down low), away from sources of heat and moisture, will help suppress the insect eggs existent from hatching and keep invading insects out. <A> Extending the point made by @BobMcGee & @Rikon <S> I would direct your attention to the " Svalbard Global Seed Vault " a "doomsday" storage facility buried deep in the frozen mountains of Norway. <S> As National Geographic points out this facility maintains significant samples of as many seeds as possible by freezing them for safe keeping. <S> While I don't subscribe to many of the doomsday scenerios they use to justify this facility, I do not doubt that the science they rely on to store the seeds, −18 °C (0 °F).
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I would put them in a zip lock bag or mason jar and tuck that away in a deep freeze.
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What sauce could I use for haddock? I'm doing fish fries tonight, and my wife doesn't like breaded fish. The thought was to pan sear hers and finish it with a sauce. Unfortunately, I'm having a tough time finding sauce ideas for haddock. What flavors/base would go well with haddock? I want to avoid tartar sauce for a pan seared fillet. <Q> Compound butter is a very nice accompaniment for fish. <S> "Compound butter is a mixture of softened butter and at least one other ingredient. <S> Some ideas for compound butter are: herbs, spices, citrus zest/juice, honey, fresh mint, soft cheeses (like goat), fresh or dried peppers, and nuts…you get the idea – this list could be endless!" <S> You can cook the fish on its own and then put the compound butter on top to melt over it. <S> While soft the butter can be put into a piping bag and piped as rosettes and refrigerated until ready to use. <S> Makes for a nice presentation. <S> Another common accompaniment to fish is mango salso or a combination of tropical fruits (mango pineapple for example). <S> This seemed like a good link for ideas for sauces for Haddock: http://www.wisegeek.com/what-are-different-types-of-sauce-for-haddock.htm <A> If I was eating it, I'd simply squeeze some lemon juice over the fish on my plate. <S> I've also had haddock with a white sauce or a cheese sauce. <S> I'd suggest making a cheese sauce using philly cream cheese and some milk. <S> An alternative to pan seared would be to bake. <S> There are lot of suggestions for baked haddock in google. <A> Mayonnaise, sweet mustard, curry powder and a dash of some salty seasoning. <S> Blend and eat with rice. <S> Roll the fish in wheat and spice with salt and lemon-pepper. <A> A bit late for your specific meal, but I've always found that mustard goes very well with fish. <S> To give it more texture and colour <S> I add some coarse grain mustard if we've got it, but this isn't a must. <S> Together with boiled potatoes and some lemon juice drizzled over the fish, I think it's delicious.
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I usually do a roux using flour and butter, pour in some cream or milk to slightly thin it, and then add some hot mustard to it, and season with salt & pepper.
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Can one preserve food by periodically heating it? I get that keeping food temperature low will slow down chemical reactions and preserve food, but sometimes my sister preserves food by heating it every 6 hours or so (up to 1-2 days). Does this help preserving the food? If yes, how does it work? If it matters, the food currently in question is this one , but I would appreciate a general explanation. In case anyone is wondering, she doesn't store it in the fridge because it is full. <Q> YES! <S> If food is quickly heated and kept above 140F/60C, microorganisms can't grow in the food. <S> Professional kitchens use steam tables to keep food warm at this temperature throughout a day's service. <S> If the product is cooled quickly (generally using an ice bath), then it can be used for more than one day. <S> Another approach is often used for stocks and soups: heat them to 165F/75C daily or every two days, to kill microorganisms, then cool them quickly with an ice bath to under 40F/5C. <S> This can be done 2-3 times to extend the fridge life of the product. <S> The most important part of both approaches is to use a food thermometer to verify that food is fully heated/cooled, and to make sure that heating and cooling is done QUICKLY. <S> For food safety, you do not want food to be in the 40F/5C to 140F/60C range for more than an hour if possible, or two hours tops. <S> Another trick to extend the fridge life of food is to immediately transfer it from a still-hot pot to a cool container, and then leave the top of the container open to allow steam to escape. <S> This greatly reduces cooling time; even in a refrigerator, a sealed container may take over an hour to cool down to a safe temperature. <A> No. <S> Although it depends on what you call preserve. <S> Heating will kill off most of the bacteria that may have grown, but will destroy more and more nutrients each time you reheat. <S> Also its important to reheat above 65C (maybe check that, its close to this figure). <S> For your sister, her pasta dish is perfect in the fridge for 2 days. <S> In fact if she doesn't hav e fridge, its probably better to just leave it out than to reheat it every 6 hours. <S> It wont grow anything dangerous in that time. <A> Different foods will provide different mediums for bacterial growth, some being more hazardous to leave in the danger zone (40f - 140f) than others. <S> The method described might not be as great a risk for something acid as it would be for say, rice. <S> But it should be taken into account that the heat used to kill bacteria will not necessarily denature the toxins that they excrete, so it strikes me that this sort of preservation strategy would become progressively more dangerous the longer you pursue it. <A> As people interested in cooking we should all be aware of food hygiene and take it very seriously. <S> As such I would recommend against your sister's methods, they are quite dangerous. <S> While bacteria can't grow or reproduce at 60C many types are more than capable of surviving; their cellular processes will shut down placing them in a kind of stasis or hibernation. <S> So in a restaurant freshly cooked food will stay bacteria free when kept at 60C, however that is not what your sister is doing. <S> The problem with these methods isn't the period when the food is hot, it's the period after its been heated as in practice it will stay warm for some time and this provides optimum conditions for bacterial growth. <S> Let's look at another piece of evidence, sterilisation. <S> If one wanted to sterilise a babies bottle say it would not be enough to just place it in boiling water, instead it is boiled for some time. <S> In fact a safer way is to use a machine which steams the bottle (steam can be far hotter). <S> The only way to be sure something is totally sterilised is to autoclave it, this involves both steam and high pressure and the items are kept in these extreme conditions for some time. <S> Ofcourse autoclaves are only used when one requires there to be 0 bacteria, say in a lab or hospital. <S> The lesson: bacteria are hardy things which are particularly hard to kill. <S> Final remark, better safe than sorry, particularly when young children are involved. <A> This is useful information, true, but there is bacteria normally in food <S> so it is not necessary or in one's best interest to injest food that is sterile and bacteria free. <S> Heating is good preservatory measure but is not good when intended to be in use for long periods of time. <S> ie: one can't plan to keep food preserved by constantly heating up for more than a day or two at most. <S> so each time the food stuff is heated nutrients are lost, the food gradually looses it's freshness and original taste. <S> In the long run, cooling is quite better.
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Heat also denatures food especially protein
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What is the "standard" salsa tomato? I make a lot of fresh salsa (pico de gallo style) in the summer, but I don't usually think much about the type of tomatoes I'm usuing. Usually I just buy whatever looks best (fresh & ripe) at the farmer's market, so I've used everything from beefsteak and heirloom to cherry and grape. I've been quite happy with the results, but I'm still wondering: is there a "standard" tomato variety for salsa? I've read this question and this question about homemade salsa, but neither of them really mention tomato varieties; the focus seems to be on other ingredients or preparation techniques. <Q> A standard tomato implies that there is a standard salsa, which there isn't - but let's stick with your specific case of pico de gallo AKA salsa cruda . <S> The distinguishing characteristic of salsa cruda is that it uses raw tomatoes - <S> the cruda literally means raw . <S> Since you aren't going to be cooking them, and since water is going to be your primary binding agent, you'll want to use plump, juicy tomatoes that have potent flavour when raw, and that just so happens to be those bog-standard globe tomatoes you see in the supermarket aisles. <S> Of course, if you can get garden-fresh tomatoes, so much the better. <S> Cherry tomatoes are also a great choice - they're very juicy and a little sweeter than globes - the only downside is that for a chopped salsa (as in pico de gallo), they tend to make preparation much more difficult and messy. <S> If you've got the time and patience, give it a try; cherry tomato salsas taste much "fresher" than those made from globes. <S> The other common types of tomatoes, most notably roma and pear tomatoes, are really meant more for cooking. <S> That's not to say you can't eat them raw, but they don't have a lot of juice or raw flavour, so they don't make a good base for cruda. <S> Roasted roma or heirloom tomatoes (especially fire-roasted) make a great addition to salsa, but of course, it's not really "cruda" anymore if you cook any of the ingredients. <S> Do yourself a favour and don't use the plum tomatoes in a can; they're plenty juicy but have almost no seeds and no flavour. <S> So, all in all, for pico de gallo I believe that regular globe tomatoes are the most appropriate, but any tomatoes with strong flavour and plenty of juice will do. <A> If we go by the seed companies, the fresh salsa tomato is a variety of plum tomato. <S> And I agree with Michael -- I prefer plum tomatoes varieties for pico de gallo, in part because they have a lot more 'meat' to them than seeds & gel, and seem to hold up a bit better after they've been salted. <A> the Jitomate is a (red) tomato that has an oval form and a belly button, normally smaller than round tomato. <S> Its flavor is more intense than the round tomato, it is ideal for pico de gallo, boiled and grilled sauces. <S> In the us you can find it in most grocery stores.
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The tomato variety used (for centuries) in most parts of Mexico for making salsa is the one called "Jitomate"
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Cooking Cauliflower so it doesn't fall apart? How do you avoid cauliflower from being so delicate? I cook it and it often falls apart. I heard there's a way from stopping it from doing this. P.S. Often we boil it, and cook it with a little of salt and butter; it's just simple and quick. <Q> With broccoli or cauliflower, if you cook it for too long, it'll get mushy and fall apart. <S> Boiling will exacerbate that a bit, so if you're looking for firmer cauliflower, I'd recommend steaming it, and keeping an eye on it. <S> When the fork goes in without a lot of work, it's done. <A> Roasted cauliflower is utterly awesome, and doesn't fall apart. <S> Slice a head of cauliflower into small-to-mid-sized florets, toss with about 1T of olive oil, spice to taste (I've had successes with curry powder, powdered ancho peppers, and even cocoa powder), and roast for 30 minutes at 400F. <A> Cut the bottom so that it is flat and sets upright in a pot, add enough salted water to steam gently for 15 to 20 minutes. <S> There are tons of things you can do with this. <S> A packet of dry onion soup scattered on the top of the cauliflower at the beginning will be carried into the heart of the cauliflower by the condensing steam. <S> Non-fat butter flavored powder is good too, as is crumbled bacon. <S> Your imagination is the limit. <S> Preparation is fast and easy. <S> When there were more people at home would make this and cut the whole head into 5 or 6 into wedges after cooking.
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I like to cook a whole head cauliflower.
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