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Does the cooking time, adding more water and using high quality and expensive rice help to produce soft and non-stick rice? Most of my friends told me that to prevent the rice from sticking at the bottom of the rice cooker pot (as shown in the picture below) and to prevent the rice from becoming very hard at the bottom of the rice cooker port, I have to do the following: Decrease the cooking time Adding more water and Using high quality and expensive rice (e.g. Paw San Fragrance rice) Currently, for each cup of rice that I added, I add two cup of water. The current cooking time is about 1 hour for two cup of rice and the rice use is the normal plain rice. Would appreciate if anyone can confirm that I should decrease my cooking time to 30 minutes and add 4 cup of water for each cup of rice and the use of high quality and expensive rice? <Q> This is what I do for cooking ONE cup rice: Soak one cup rice in one and a half cup water for 20 minutes. <S> This should be done after rinsing the rice properly since, the water used for soaking is NOT to be thrown away. <S> After 20 minutes put the vessel with the existing water on the gas stove (with a loose lid on) on a high heat. <S> When the water reaches the boiling point (indicator: water starts to pour out of the top of the vessel) , reduce the gas to a minimum . <S> After 4-5 minutes check whether the rice is done by taking the lid off sightly. <S> Keep it on the minimum gas till the water <S> bubbles on the top of the rice vanish completely . <S> Switch off the gas. <S> Let the rice vessel (with the lid on) be on that switched off gas for 15 minutes. <S> The inherent heat of the gas helps in setting the rice properly and reduces the chances of the rice getting stuck at the bottom. <S> Also, using a thick bottomed vessel for cooking rice is a must. <S> In a thin bottomed vessel, the food is more likely to get burnt if less water is used. <A> I'm sure Anisha's method works quite well for cooking rice in a pot. <S> However, your question was specifically in regard to a rice cooker. <S> So: The answer to your problem (hard, gummy rice at the bottom of the pot) can be simple and inexpensive: <S> Use the rice cooker's standard time for white rice <S> You don't need fancy rice, but don't use cheapest-you-can-find either. <S> Rinse and drain the rice twice. <S> Then add an equal amount of water as the amount of rice in the cooker (i.e. 1 cup for 1 cup) Reasons for the above: <S> I've never seen a rice cooker whose standard time for white rice was an hour. <S> Are you sure you're using it <S> right? <S> It should be more like 20-30 minutes. <S> Really cheap rice tends to have a lot of broken and abraded grains which release their starch and turn to a gummy mush on the bottom of the pot. <S> In the bag, rice will have a lot of "dust" from processing. <S> This is actually loose starch; if you don't rinse it off, it makes the rice at least sticky and at worst gummy. <S> Rice cookers require very little water for their rice since it's all absorbed. <S> The amount of water you are using is too much even for rice cooked in an open pot. <A> For me, the whole point of a rice cooker is that it's easy and forgiving to use. <S> It probably helps that we have rice almost every day, so we get lots of practice. <S> I rinse it at least twice, more if I don't think the water is clear enough. <S> Additional rinsing does make the rice less sticky, but it takes longer. <S> For adding water, I'm a bit less accurate than the other people who've answered. <S> We rarely make "a cup of rice," we just pour in as thick a layer in the cooker as we think we'll need. <S> If we want leftover to fry the next day or if we have a dish with a lot of sauce, we'll do more. <S> "A small amount" is a layer about a cm deep in the cooker, a "larger amount" is a bit more than 2 cm, and "a lot" is probably 4 or 5 cm deep. <S> After rinsing and draining most of the rinse water, fill the cooker until the water is a bit less than twice as deep as the rice. <S> i.e. if you put in a cm of rice, the water should be a 2cm deep. <S> Once you get to about an inch of rice, the water can be a bit less, so not quite 2 inches. <S> For brown rice, I put in about an extra cm of water. <S> If it were me, and my rice cooker didn't just work, I'd assume it was busted and get a new one. <S> We have one that just has a single button that you push down to start the cooking cycle, and it takes about 1/2 hour to cook an inch of white rice. <S> We also have a newer cooker than has both a Normal and a Fast setting, the Fast setting would take about 20 minutes to do the same amount.
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As others have mentioned, you have to rince your rice - for white rice
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How do I get a chewy crust from homemade pizza dough? There's a local pizzeria that makes a crust I really like and I'm trying to figure out what I'm doing wrong in reproducing it. The crust (under the toppings) is about a 1/4in thick. If you look at it as a cross-section, there's a thin layer of cooked crust topped by a more soft, doughy layer, almost like a "dumpling". Looking at the bottom, the crust is medium brown on average. The dough is homemade, rises for about 2 hours, worked into a crust (about 1/4in thick), and only sets long enough for me to top it. I've tried cooking on a pizza pan, a stone, a cookie sheet, 350, 400, etc. CLARIFICATION: The dough that I made is NOT from the pizzeria. It's from a recipe book on pizza doughs. CLARIFICATION 2: The specific part that I'm trying to reproduce is the "doughy" part. If you look at the pizza from the side it has a layer of what appears to be "not completely cooked" dough. No air pockets/bubbles/etc, just dough. I know I'm not explaining this very well, I apologize. Any suggestions? <Q> In general, you're going to be unable to reproduce pizzaria crust at home oven temperatures. <S> They are most likely baking their pizza at between 600F and 800F for only a few minutes, which produces a crust texture you can't achieve at 400F or even 500F. <S> This is the reason so many people are trying things like turning backyard grills into ad-hoc pizza ovens. <S> However, these general tips will help: use a pizza stone and put the pizza on the stone directly heat the oven to 500F for at least 1/2 hour, with the stone in it, before baking roll your pizza dough very thin don't put a lot of wet toppings on it <S> You also might want to consider cultivating a sourdough pizza crust, which will be chewier than one risen with commercial yeast. <A> I recommend starting with a chilled dough, puncturing with a knife or fork (see below), and cooking in a greased pan initially then bricking. <S> Cooking directly on the stone the entire time works better for thinner crusts than mid-dough. <S> By mid-dough, I am referring to the ones that plump up a bit and finish between 1/4" - 1/2" in thickness. <S> They can have both uniform, almost cake-y cross-sections, or air pockets and bubbles depending on how kneaded they are (more kneading means cake-ier, denser dough). <S> I worked in a shop that made a mid-dough similar to what you describe. <S> It was a standard dough recipe (flour, water, yeast), but I have had success replicating it at home at 450'F with beer and less kneading. <S> At home I use a pan and then finish either on the rack or a stone. <S> In any case, you get a dough that tears nicely and has a good chew. <S> The dough itself was mixed in the morning and kept refrigerated for as long as 12 hours as individual shells in greased pizza pans covered with saran wrap. <S> To prepare a pizza, we pulled the shell, punched it with a fork (puncture a ring around the edge to create a crust, puncture the inside to allow for air). <S> Dress with sauce and toppings. <S> We had a stone-bottomed oven, but initially the pizza is baked in the oven in the pan until the bottom of the dough has hardened enough to get "bricked" (the dough should be rigid enough as to be removed from the pan with one spatula). <S> At this point you remove the dough from the pan with a spatula and place it directly on the brick. <S> Cook until the top of the dough browns, and the cheese and other toppings are evenly browned. <A> I realize I'm coming into this rather late, however you may want to try adding molasses, instead of sugar, to the dough. <S> This will make the crust more chewier/soft instead of crispier. <S> It's what you put in the dough that will determine the end result. <A> The cooking tray should be slightly oiled beforehand. <S> Preheated oven is a “must”. <S> Pizza dough should be softer than bread dough. <S> When brushing pizza dough with tomato sauce (done before putting any toppings on) make sure not to use too much sauce. <S> I use bottom of the oven or the first grid depending on whether the pizza tray is stoneware or metal. <S> When the bottom still needs to be cooked, I place a thick sheet of aluminium foil on top of the pizza to prevent the toppings getting dried out/burned (not covering with foil, just covering it gently). <A> You need to develop the gluten in the flour to get a chewy consistency. <S> Be sure to knead the dough until is smoothly stretches when you pull it apart. <A> Another late answer here, but if you want that "raw" dumplingy layer under the sauce, and a crispy bottom, oil the pan (unless you use a stone) and use a sauce like that for spaghetti, instead of a thicker, pasty pizza sauce. <S> I find for me <S> I get that layer <S> and it's my favorite part. <S> I usually stretch mine into an oiled pan, and bake 12 min exactly in a 450 degree oven <S> and I get crispy golden crust, soft fluffy chewy inner, and <S> that dumpling like layer you're looking for. <A> Nobody mentioned the flour, I use bread flour for pizza crust and add a bit of gluten too. <S> The gluten and kneading help produce the chewy, elastic crust... <A> I use a recipe using 1/2 cup semolina flour and 2 1/2 cups bread flour, called Cheri's Favorite Pizza Dough .
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Some additional notes referring to my experience; When placing pizza dough in the cooking tray, make the sides of the dough a bit higher by pressing gently to the sides with your fingers in order not to let any topping’s juice to go underneath the dough.
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Is it ok to microwave veggies without water instead of blanching them in a pot of water? Whenever I see a recipe which requires me to blanch vegetables for a few minutes, I microwave them instead. It's sometimes faster, I don't have to get a pot dirty, and I don't usually have to dry the vegetables afterwards. The microwave seems to do a very good job of par-cooking any vegetable which is cut up into small, uniform-sized pieces. However, I've never seen a mainstream cookbook recommend microwaving instead of blanching. Is there a reason for this? Am I losing flavor or texture I would get with blanching? Or is this just one of those bits of propaganda one learns in Chef School, like how garlic presses are evil? So, is microwaving vegetables to cook them a fine substitute for blanching them, or am I Doing Things Wrong? <Q> My kitchen manager (fine dining restaurant) said that that the only thing a microwave should be used for in a professional kitchen is to heat water. <S> Microwaving tends to dry out the outside of vegetables, and hurts both texture and flavor. <S> Proper blanching takes about 5 minutes once you have water at a boil, and maintains both the crisp, fresh flavor and full texture. <S> Blanching also tends maintain color better, because the outside of the vegetables heats to the same extent as the inside, and this is doubly true if you use an ice bath to cool vegetables after blanching. <S> So yes, you are Doing Things Wrong. <S> That said, we all take shortcuts at times, and microwave ovens do work rather well for thawing frozen vegetables. <S> With frozen vegetables you've already lost a lot of the texture, so the microwaving doesn't do much further harm. <A> Much depends on how you cook your vegetables in the microwave. <S> I like to add butternut squash to pad out <S> Chicken Maykupi (my own completely inconsistent curry recipe, using whatever comes to hand, and whichever spices I fancy on the day) <S> and reduced the amount of chicken needed. <S> If I add it raw, it's never cooked enough, if I add it cooked it falls apart. <S> So I dice about half a squash into 3/4 inch cubes, put it in a bowl with a splash of water (2 tbsp-ish), cover with film and microwave for 4 minutes (850W). <S> It works a treat every time, and takes less time than boiling a pan of water to achieve the same result. <S> My rules of thumb for microwave cooking of veg are: always cover with film (or loose-fitting lid) cook for half the time, give it a good shake, then finish off. <S> Always cook for less time than you think, then give it another 30-60 seconds if necessary. <S> Don't get obsessed with always using full power. <S> 50% power for 50% longer can give a better result with heftier veg (e.g carrots). <S> Use little water so that it gets absorbed rather than rinsing vitamins etc away. <A> Microwaving vegetables is completely safe and actually enhances the flavor - providing you dont overcook the product. <S> I am a food technologist and have tested the products I use the microwave for all my vegetables and have done for 50 years. <S> Using a saucepan and boiling water washes the goodness out of the vegetable and then you throw the water away and the goodness with it. <S> Cooking in a microwave is as healthy as it is possible to achieve - other than eating the product raw. <S> I have achieved excellent results using a microwave with no more than a spoonful of water. <S> The only thing you need to watch is mixing the size of the vegetables and the cooking times. <S> If you are microwaving then ensure that the size of the items are about equal. <S> I would not mix beans with say a potato or other larger items. <S> The mix Cauliflower and Broccoli are perfect. <S> Pumpkin and potatoes the same. <A> The main difference between microwaving and blanching is you can add salt to the water. <S> Proper blanching takes 1-5 mins depending on what your blanching and how soft you want it. <S> There is no issues using a microwave <S> you still have a container to clean. <S> Microwave will save you about 5-10 mins waiting on the water to boil but considering you usually have to cook other things, what I do is first thing out on a pot of water prep/cook other things blanching something I do when I'm done with everything else <S> considering <S> I dont want the veg sitting there to long anyways considering <S> its still cooking after you take it out of the water.
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Personally I don't like microwaving veg cause I have never found one to cook the food evenly, compared to blanching.
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How can I make my Hot chocolate thicker? I've been trying to make a thicker hot chocolate and I'm not sure what to add without taking away from the flavor of the chocolate. Usually what I do is boil the milk, and then I add chocolate baking powder and shaved chocolate. <Q> Spanish hot chocolate and Italian cioccolata fiorentina both use cornstarch as a thickening agent. <S> Both are used more for dipping or sipping (churros in the former case), however you could easily just use less cornstarch to make it more 'drinkable'. <S> Try a teaspoon of cornstarch, mixed with a little cold water, added to the milk when you boil it. <S> As Kate Gregory suggests, you could also use full-fat milk, or loads of shaved chocolate. <A> I would agree with Kate to add higher-fat milk or cream to it <S> and I would avoid putting in thickening agent if possible. <S> One thing I have tried at a cafe before that instead of boiling the milk, they used the espresso machine steamer to mix milk and drinking chocolate powder together. <S> The hot chocolate turned out really nice and thick. <S> The other way of making thick chocolate I discovered was to melt cooking chocolate in a bowl on top of a pot of boiling hot water (just like hot you making chocolate cake, but no butter). <S> Therefore, you will get a very thick chocolate drink and you are always in control of the thickness. <A> Mexican style hot chocolate, Atole , is thickened with masa harina - a fine ground flour or meal made from corn that has been nixtamalized or processed with a strong alkaline, either slaked lime or lye, to improve its nutrition. <S> The corn taste is inoffensive in the Atoles <S> I've had, mild and sweet and complimenting the chocolate taste, a bonus rather than a problem. <S> This drink is traditionally flavored with cinnamon or other spices (this is specifically called champurrado ), but it is not required to to be tasty. <S> The result is a thick, hearty, and very chocolaty drink - just what you seem to be looking for. <A> If you're looking for a flavorless thickener which you cannot even tell is there, Guar Gum is your man. <S> You can get it in your cooking store or specialty grocery for an inflated price, or go to an arab or indian grocer <S> (trust me, there's one around you) and get it for cheap. <S> This is also good to have around because it is especially good at thickening acidic liquids, like some chocolates. <A> Cornstarch sifted if preferred for lumps and literally like 1/8th or maybe even less per every 8 ounces of fluid. <S> " <S> Bloom" your starch like you would yeast for breads in a small side cup with 1/4th a cup of warm milk stirred to remove any lumps and introduce it to your heated mixture before adding chocolate. <S> You can also use an egg yolk in the same manner ratios change to one yolk for every 12 ounces of liquid. <S> Or (bear with me <S> you non- <S> old world cooks) <S> pigs blood as a coagulation method adds a nice amount of richness and actually enhances the chocolate. <S> You can get it by the pint from a good butcher. <S> 2 oz blood for every 14 oz of chocolate. <S> Note that last measurement is not liquid! <S> Note: adding too much of any of these will turn your lusciously creamy drink into pudding by a fraction <S> so... Experiment. <S> (: <S> Source: <S> Italian grandparents made it these ways. <A> See if Ciobar is available in your country. <S> This is what you find in Italian grocery stores, cafés and homes. <S> If you can't find it at the local shop <S> I'm sure you can buy it online.
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While you are melting the chocolate, you may add in some sugar and cream or milk.
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How to get very smooth, flat cooked potato pieces For an upcoming party, my girlfriend and I have been discussing trying to create "potato jenga." The idea is to cook smooth, flat pieces of potato and stack them in a tower, so that everybody has to play a game of Jenga with the potato pieces. If anybody has tried any similar structural potato projects, I'm keen to learn how best to pull it off. (I'll also accept references to other fun ways to get party guests to play with their food, if this project proves impossible.) So, what method of cooking will make the most suitable potato pieces? I need to avoid warping or a rough texture. Is baking better than frying? Any particular oil I should use if I fry them? High heat or lower heat for more time? I'm at a bit of a loss with where to start because everything I know about cooking relates to the eating, rather than use as a building material! <Q> For Potato Jenga you are going to want to use a French Fry slicer like this one from Amazon . <S> The larger slicing grate will produce potato of about the right square size. <S> You will want to exclude the edges and end pieces. <S> Some additional tips: several hours to a day before you are going to serve them slice and blanch the potatoes in sweet water (boil water, add sugar, and potatoes boil for about 5 minutes, remove potatoes to and ice bath and store in the fridge.) <S> Just before frying, dry the potatoes on paper towels to remove surface moisture. <S> Once they are golden brown remove the fries to bowl and toss them with a light coat of olive oil. <S> [Edit added on 12/8/11] <S> Crispy Pototoey Goodness : Success <S> Jenga : FAIL <S> I love questions here that cause me to experiment with food. <S> So after answering this question I decided to try this myself. <S> Well, the potatoes came out nice and crispy and tasty, but I am afraid that @shujaa is correct, no matter how you cook them, you aren't going to get a good game of Jenga out of them... <S> You can get a good "Jenga Like Tower" this way, but you wont be able to play with your food... <S> Might I suggest carrot sticks sliced to the right size? <A> I think you'd be best doing something along the lines of 'confit potatoes'. <S> you cut the potatoes into the desired shapes. <S> If you want something similar to 'Jenga' then I don't think you'll be able to use a mandoline as it won't cut them thick enough, or <S> at least mine won't. <S> Waxy potatoes are a must for this as they'll hold their shape much better. <S> Then you can optionally fry the potatoes to give them some colour. <S> (I'd skip this step in your case as this will also give them a rough edge, no good for Jenga) <S> Then immerse the potatoes in a pan of goose or duck fat (plus any other flavourings you want) and bring the temperature of the fat up to a simmer. <S> Cook until the potatoes are tender, the amount of time will depend on the thickness of your 'Jenga pieces', but make sure you are not frying them in the fat, as this will ruin the texture. <S> A similar technique is described in this recipe Depending on the equipment available, you might also want to consider a sous-vide potatoe confit <A> I'm afraid that however you cook them, your potatoes will be rough or will stick to each other. <S> You could thoroughly rinse the cut potatoes to get off extra starch, and then coat them in oil so they don't stick to each other. <S> That way you won't have to worry about roughness or warped shapes due to cooking. <A> Instead of Jenga, why not Blockhead? <S> With Jenga, you start with a structured tower of identical pieces, pull out a piece and restack it on top. <S> With Blockhead, you start with irregular pieces, and begin a tower, with each person adding to it (and only the bottom piece can touch the table). <S> In both cases, the person knocking down the tower loses. <S> But with Blockhead, you could use various shapes of potatoes, carrots, and other hard veggies. <S> Google "blockhead game" images for pictures of some of the shapes, although that is not required. <A> You're pretty much talking about potato chips here. <S> If you want really smooth, "stackable" chips then use a mandoline to prepare them. <S> There is no faster or more reliable way to get perfectly uniform slices of even thickness. <S> Throw out the end pieces, obviously, since they won't be flat. <S> Just get a good coating of oil around the potato slices - you can either use a brush or do it shake-n-bake style as in the above link - and bake it. <S> It's possible to do in the microwave, but you'll have much better control over the crispness with a single layer of chips on a cookie sheet in the oven, especially because it sounds like you don't want yours to be quite as crisp as traditional potato chips. <S> Note <S> : use a silicone mat or parchment paper so that they don't stick. <S> They shouldn't warp much; not for the amount of time you'll be baking them, especially not if you slice them very thinly. <S> If you want something <S> much softer/tastier but <S> still in keeping with the thin/decorative theme then you might try a slightly modified scalloped potatoes recipe - just go easy on the sauce and toppings so that you end up with relatively plain cooked potatoes. <S> If you want to crisp them up, you can always separate the sauce and crisp them chip-style as above. <S> You could even serve the leftover sauce on the side for dipping, or keep it warm for recombining with the potatoes after your "event" is over. <S> Whichever way you go, keep a close eye on them while they're baking, and take them out if they seem done; start checking once you see them turning golden-brown.
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Perhaps you could play jenga with raw potatoes (cut into appropriate shapes) and have a pot of hot oil standing by to make fries as you draw pieces out.
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How long does parmesan sprinkle cheese last in the refrigerator? My boyfriend says parmesan sprinkle cheese is bad because it has been in the refrigerator for a long time. But I still use it long past it's date and don't seem to have any problems with it. What do you think? <Q> Use-by dates are set as the very minimum time that the product in question will be good for, provided that it is stored properly. <S> In addition, and as a general rule, because Parmesan is a dry, hard cheese, with very low water content, the use-by date is almost always far shorter than the actual time that the cheese will be good for, again, provided proper storage. <S> By "parmesan sprinkle cheese", I assume you are referring to the ones that come in a parmesan-wheel shaped box, such as this: <S> Their shelf life is far longer than their expiry date, and I would not be worried about using it beyond that date. <S> However, for those boxes, most manufacturers tend to use the youngest cheese possible (for Parmesan this means 12 months), meaning it has not had as much time to age (some parmesan is aged for as long as 36 months, and some manufacturers age it for even longer than that), meaning that there isn't much flavor in it. <S> Personally, I stopped using the boxes a few years back, when I realized that I used far more than I would if I simply used a grater and a piece of parmesan, meaning that it I spend less (if memory serves, I calculated the annual savings to something like 300 Norwegian Kroner/50 US Dollar) on parmesan, getting more, and I think better, flavor from it. <S> It should be noted that my family uses a LOT of parmesan ( <S> depending on how often we have guests, we go through anywhere from 1/4 kg to 1 kg per month), so the savings argument may not hold true for you. <A> It lasts a long while as long as it's stored properly. <S> I use mine up too fast to have a problem. <S> You may want to freeze half so you don't end up wasting it. <S> It freezes very well. <S> Hard cheeses naturally contain a lot of salt. <S> I buy the store brand and it contains no preservatives, just cheese and cellulose as a non-caking agent. <A> Cans of cheese sprinkles are made to be shelf-stable for a longer time than fresh or block cheese (often, this is because the sprinkles are not made with real cheese -- or, if they are, then they also contain a lot of preservatives). <S> That said, any fat in the sprinkles can go rancid and mold can take hold well before the expiration date. <S> If the contents of the can smell bad or the color of the sprinkle changes, don't take any chances; the cost of replacing the can is far lower than the cost of sickness. <A> Kraft's website says they pasteurize or heat treat all their cheeses to kill bacteria and they are confident they are safe to eat. <S> That includes their Kraft Parmesan grated cheese in the shaker container sold in the unrefrigerated aisle. <S> Some brands I've seen don't say on the bottle "refrigerate after opening." <S> Kraft does for legal protection, just to be safe from lawsuits because if you live in a very hot and humid climate (like Florida where I am), the opened container will absorb more moisture from the air and will begin to degrade sooner, also because of the heat. <S> Hard Parmesan cheese was first mentioned in the literature in the fourteenth century, obviousy long before refrigerators were invented. <S> So, as far as Kraft pre-grated cheese is concerned, any bacteria would have to come from an external source to begin to cause a problem, as the company claims it is sold bacteria free. <S> The cooler temperature helps keep the flavor fresh. <A> The rule with hard cheeses is you don't want to eat the moldy bits. <S> This is easy to avoid when the cheese is in a block because you can just cut the moldy part off. <S> With already ground cheese, the whole can is suspect the second you see any mold at all. <S> That said, the agreed upon time is 3 months past the date on the package . <S> I've used the cheese for longer than that myself <S> but I can't recommend doing so. <A> Gee, I just used mine about a month or so back and am using it again today; it's Kraft Parmesan Romano blend, its' expiration was June 2011. <S> It was refrigerated and had no odor, bad taste or odd coloring going on.
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The sprinkles should be safe to eat at least through their expiration date if stored properly.
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Will roasted corn work as soup croutons? How can I can use roasted corn to make a soup more interesting? I was thinking about boiling and then some kind of a heat-blast, but I am not sure how to achieve this kind of effect. <Q> The difficulty is that, as you surmised, the corn needs to be first cooked and then dried and toasted in the oven. <S> Also, small corn kernels don't work very well since they become almost microscopic when toasted and dried. <S> Here's how I've done it: <S> Bought dried "giant corn", or hominy of some variety from a Mexicanmarket. <S> Soaked corn overnight in cold water, then boiled it for 20 minutes. <S> Drained corn and then roasted it on a cookie sheet at 200F for anhour or so. <S> This is a lot of effort, and for that reason I never did it again even though it turned out well. <S> My easier effort suggestions would be: Start with canned hominy (have not tried this to see if it toasts well) <S> Find a natural foods store which will sell you unsalted "corn nuts" in bulk, then toast them briefly in the oven. <A> I use a whole eating corn cob. <S> Steam or microwave in the husk for six or so minutes, let cool a bit. <S> Pull back husk and threads, and use a sharp knife or husking tool to remove all the kernels. <S> Fry the kernels in a pan with a little oil until nearly dry again. <S> I spice them with some chili flakes before using. <A> Why not try Corn nuts? <S> They are already roasted and flavored. <S> Interesting soup topper that definitely will have a crunch.
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Yes, toasted corn works great as a soup topper, especially for "American" soups, like chili, tortilla soup, or cream-of-tomato.
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What is meant by "neutral" oils? What is meant by "neutral" oils? Conversely, what would make an oil not neutral? When is it important that the oil be neutral (or not)? <Q> Context would make me more sure, but I expect this is referring to neutral flavor. <S> For example, for frying and sauteeing, we rarely use strongly flavored oil. <S> (There's the additional problem that many flavors are destroyed at high heat; many more aromatic oils have lower smoke points.) <S> Oils like sesame oil, chili oil, and walnut oil are decidedly not neutral. <S> On the other end, oils like canola oil and grapeseed oil are neutral. <S> Close to neutral, there are very mildly-flavored oils like peanut oil. <S> Somewhere more in the middle there are things like olive oil, which has some flavor but isn't overwhelmingly strong. <S> Note that sometimes there's more than one type of oil from a given source, often a more refined one that's more neutral and a less refined one with more flavor. <S> For example, refined olive oil is quite neutral, but extra-virgin olive oil has plenty of flavor; "regular" peanut oil is fairly refined and mild, but there are also flavorful roasted peanut oils. <A> A neutral oil simply refers to the flavor. <S> Olive oil, for example, is not neutral, it brings a distinct range of flavors to a dish. <S> Grapeseed oil is considered one of the most neutral oils. <S> It is nearly flavorless and can be used for frying, making herb oils, and other situations where you may not want any noticeable flavor from the oil medium. <A> Canola oil is definitely not neutral! <S> To me, it has a distinct strong flavour that would spoil many dishes. <S> This is most probably a cultural distinction. <S> What's neutral for you may not be neutral for me. <S> I'd consider sunflower oil neutral, or even non extra virgin olive oil (second press). <S> Mayonnaise with canola oil tastes very synthetic. <S> Perhaps in countries with poor quality refined oils, people may think that refined oils seem neutral when they actually have a strong flavour. <S> I suspect a cultural influence here.
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If you need oil in something for purposes other than flavor, and want to make sure that the other flavors in the dish aren't affected or obscured, then you'd want a neutral oil.
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Why don't we make coffee in the same way we make tea? In tea, also there is tea powder, which we use. In coffee also, there is coffee powder. Why don't we make coffee in exactly the same way we make tea? <Q> I do make coffee the same way as tea. <S> I just did this morning, in fact. <S> It's called a "French press". <S> Which can also be used for tea ... <A> It boils down to temperature (pun intended). <S> According to Wikipedia the ideal temperature to brew coffee is 200°F, which is about 93°C. <S> That is, the temperature is a little below the boiling point of water (which is 100°C).That is just boiling the water and pouring it over the beans will result in too hot a temperature. <S> With a standard coffee machine like this one <S> the problem is solved elegantly. <S> The heating element makes the water boil. <S> The water then travels up through a tube. <S> This cools the water just enough, such that the temperature is about 93°C when it drips upon the coffee. <S> Tea, on the other hand, needs other temperatures. <S> Some teas (black tea, Pu'er tea and herbal tea) needs boiling water. <S> Thus one just boils water in a kettle and then pour it over the tea leaves. <S> See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tea for tea temperatures. <A> Tea is a dried leaf (which may be cooked, smoked, or fermented before it is dried). <S> Coffee is a ground-up seed. <S> Tea has more in common with dried oregano, or with cabbage, than with coffee. <S> Coffee has more in common with peanut butter, or perhaps powerded almonds, than with tea. <S> A better question would be "why is the way we prepare and consume these wildly different plants so similar? <S> " It's a wonder there aren't more differences than the ones you've noticed.
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Coffee and tea are used for similar purposes (hot beverage with caffeine; flavouring in a variety of other contexts) but that is their only similarity.
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Why is my pastry blistering in the microwave? I am trying to make my own shortcrust pastry, but don't have a blender or food mixer. I also don't have a gas or electric oven and am using the convection bake function of a microwave. I mix 1 1/4 cups of flour, 1/2 cup of butter (grated with a cheese grater then back in the fridge before finally mixing into the flour), 1/4 tsp sugar & 1/4 tsp salt, and about 5 tbs of ice water. Then I convection-bake it in the microwave. Somehow I just can't get it right. I tried blind baking and my pastry ended up looking like a very pimply kid with blisters all over. It was also sweating butter or something a fair bit when it was baking. It tastes okay, but a bit crunchy like a cookie, and impossible to cut without breaking apart. What am I doing wrong? Is it the temperature (190 degree Celsius/375 F)? Is it because I grated my butter? Too much water? The way I roll my pastry? Any advice is really appreciated as I'm a total newbie to baking and don't understand a whole lot about it yet. <Q> This is because you are using a microwave. <S> In theory, if you could turn off the microwaves in the microwave oven, you could use the convection function to bake things. <S> In practice, we have had several questions which indicate that this is not how convection microwaves work. <S> They keep nuking your dough, making it inedible. <S> In your case, they are cooking all the moisture locally, resulting in mini-steam-explosions which create blisters, and a dried out, hard and crispy dough. <S> I am sorry, but there is no way you can bake with a microwave, not short pastry, and not other things. <S> One exception might be quickly eaten "microwave cupcakes" which don't have much flour to start with and are baked for a very short time. <S> I have seen people claim that they work, but never actually tried them. <S> For baking, you need a non-microwaving oven. <A> I tried to make a mini chorizo pastie in the microwave but the chorizo burnt and the pastry utterly failed. <S> I would not recomened to put shortcrust pastry in a micorwave, the best way of cooking short crust pastry is in an electric oven. <A> It's the temperature. <S> Try at 170C. <S> It also helps if you put it on the turntable. <A> Also if you can put you pastry on the out side of the turntable most microwave have a dead spot which happens to be in the centre of the microwave.
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The cheapest solution is a toaster oven with a 30x30 cm inner size, they are somewhat trickier to use than a big oven, but good enough for a small budget.
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Any good substitutes for tamarind in Beef Rendang? I have seen recipes for Indonesian Beef Rendang that call for tamarind ( here is one ), but tamarind is a little difficult to find here in Japan. So I have two questions: What could serve as a substitute for tamarind in a Rendang recipe? And what does tamarind do for Rendang, exactly? <Q> To replicate it, you thus need something sour, like lemon juice, and a dark sugar flavour, like black treacle, molasses, or dark brown sugar. <S> For your recipe I would add 2 tablespoons of lemon juice and 1 tablespoon of dark brown sugar. <A> I'm not sure I agree with the addition of sugar to replicate the flavour of tamarind. <S> Tamarind has a somewhat tart, sour flavour, it's not really sweet. <S> It's a souring agent. <S> When I use tamarind, I use the dried blocks and break a part off, soak it, strain it and either use the liquid or reduce it to a thick paste. <S> I've also found that a few dashes of Worcestershire Sauce can impart a tamarind-type flavour without introducing any sweetness. <S> After all Worcestershire Sauce does have tamarind in it, amongst other things so it may be a more convenient substitute. <S> I've used Worcestershire Sauce in a number of Indian dishes in this way with quite good results. <S> I also cook beef rendang, but I've never used tamarind in it. <A> In a pinch, I've blended seedless raisins and lemon juice with enough water to get it runny <S> and that has fooled most people.
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Tamarind gives a sour and slightly molasses note to food, including rendang.
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Is it possible to steam steak? Steaming seems like an ideal cooking method; I've seen it used for mostly vegetables, sometimes fish (salmon). Is it possible to steam a steak? Does it cook well? (I assume the target is medium doneness.) What are the limitations of steaming steak? For example, I usually marinate mine in some oil, soy sauce, salt, black pepper, and garlic; I assume if I steam it, I would put the soy sauce in the steaming liquid. <Q> You could do it, and it would certianly cause the meat to be cooked. <S> However, I suspect it would lead to a less-than-tasty result. <S> There are two potential issues here that I can see: If you're steaming, the temperature maxes out at 100 degrees Centigrade. <S> This leads to longer cooking time, and a "washed" look. <S> Think of how the chicken meat looks in chicken soup. <S> You'll be losing the Maillard reaction, which is what gives that lovely outside texture to anything fried. <S> This is because of the relatively low temperature of steaming, and the lack of liquid (oil) to react with. <A> As Sean already says, yes you can. <S> The result will be different than cooking on a high heat. <S> So, if you are going to steam, think about: <S> Sous-vide (like) bags to prevent watering down the steak and losing flavor. <S> Low heat for some time (50ºC) for the enzymes to tenderize the meat (adjust time according to meat tenderness). <S> A bit higher heat (54ºC) for doneness (adjust according to meat/preference). <S> Let the meat rest until 50ºC, then sear very high heat, very short on both sides. <S> Look at Cooking Issues for more and better info. <S> This nice chart will give you the minimum temperature and time needed to fully pasteurize the food. <S> Source, again Cooking Issues . <A> Well I steam steak quite often, My mother in law is from Holland, and has this wonderful way to do it, AND so so tasty !!! <S> You will need the following. <S> 4 cloves of garlic - sliced thinlya bunch of parsley - chopped fine1 jar of bonoxaround a 1/2 a cup of butter. <S> Now find a Pyrex dish that will fit in side your pot, use that pot lid to cover the pyrex dish. <S> Slice the steak into thin slices <S> , then hammer / pound each slice until all is flattened. <S> Once this is done, smear butter or Margarine all over the walls and the bottom of the dish, lay the steak in a single layer, enough to cover the bottom of the dish. <S> add a few slices of garlic, and sprinkle over some parsley, place a few dollops of bonox around the steak and some knobs of butter. <S> Continue this in layers until all the meat is in the pyrex dish. <S> Now boil the kettle, place all the boiled water in the bottom of the pot, place the pyrex dish over the steaming water, and place the lid on the top of the pyrex dish. <S> Cooking time is around 2 to 3 hours depending on the volume of meat you are cooking, the steam / heat from the water melts the bonox and the butter, combined with the juice from the steak makes a very VERY tasty sauce. <S> I check the meat after the first hour, stir it around so it does not dry out, and all the meat is coated, as the heat in the pyrex dish builds up and the meat is getting hot, check every 15 to 30 minutes,AND don't forget to keep an eye on the water level in the pot, keep adding boilt water from the kettle. <S> I serve this up with HOT chips from the fish and chip shop and a warm vienna loaf of bread to mop up the sauce at the end. <S> I had also served mash potato in stead of chips. <S> Its a family favorite and have been asked by many how to cook it, as the flavor is out of this world. <S> So try it, and enjoy it !!! <A> It would provide a gentle cooking environment to get your cut of meat to a desired level of doneness, so you would be hedging against the drying effect that flareups can have. <S> And you are going to heat the outside surface quickly enough to overcome any objections to having meat in the danger zone for too long. <S> As far as limitations go, I don't know that there would be any from a cooking perspective, but it may alter the flavor profile (maybe for better, possibly for worse), and you're going to get a sickly looking piece of beef with uninteresting texture. <S> Maybe you get around that by searing it at the end, after you've reached your desired internal temperature. <S> The only way you'll find out if this is a winner or not is through experimentation. <S> Get two cheap steaks, both of the same cut and roughly equivalent size, and cook one the way you normally would, and the other with your steam method. <A> Steamed steak can be seasoned after cooking and added to salads. <S> Very delicious and easy. <S> Cooks a lot of fat away as well. <A> Steaming is actually very similar to sous vide. <S> There are ovens called combi ovens where you control both temperature and humidity. <S> First you steam until it has reached the appropriate internal temperature <S> and then you sear it in a hot dry oven or hot pan to give it a nice crust. <S> Here is a webpage of someone that has done it. <S> http://jetcitygastrophysics.com/2011/03/21/modernist-cuisine-at-home-combi-oven-rib-eye/ <A> Take aways from the answers: Steaming it in a dish with seasonings and flavorings allow you to cook the beef in this and its own flavorful juices. <S> You need to finish this steak for the browning or the Maillard reaction. <S> I suggest finishing on a lump charcoal chimney for a smoky grilled flavor. <S> Chimney will get very hot (hotter than an ordinary grill) and will enable you to sear the surface very quickly without overcooking the inside meat, much like a torch will do. <S> So in a way this is a lot like reverse searing your steak. <S> I would recommend a baste of an emulsion mixture prior to grilling. <S> Mayonnaise, butter and soy sauce or tamari. <S> Mayo is the emulsifier, butter for the flavor, tamari or soy for the umami and saltiness. <S> And mayo helps the surface brown well.
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I don't see any reason that you couldn't steam a steak.
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Does a lid on a pot safely "seal" soup? My in-laws have a practice in which they make soup with the lid on the pot, turn off the heat, and leave the pot on the stove without lifting the lid until the next day when they eat it. Their claim is the heat destroys any existing pathogens, and the lid prevents outside contamination, and that the contents are thus safe to consume. I found this all a bit dubious. It seems to me that if the lid did have such a good seal, there would be a pressure differential giving significant resistance when trying to remove it. Is this a safe means of short-term room-temperature preservation? <Q> The seal, the pot, none of it really matters. <S> You don't sterilize food when you cook it, you pasteurize . <S> Even if it was perfectly sealed, there's still baddies that didn't get killed. <S> Pasteurization brings food bateria to a safe level , not a 0 level. <S> Once food gets back in the 'danger zone', it can start growing pretty quick again. <S> This is the same reason you can't cook a sous vide meal and then leave it on the counter forever. <A> The reason you find it dubious is because you're right. <S> The lid will not keep pathogens from entering the system. <S> And even if it did, cooking the soup is not sterilizing the system, but just killing enough pathogens in it for it to be safe for consumption. <S> There will be bacteria in the pot that survived the cooking, and once the temperature drops into the danger zone, they will begin multiplying in earnest. <S> Sure, there are factors that may make this scenario safer than, say, leaving a roast on the counter overnight. <S> It's obvious that having a lid on the pot will mean fewer organizms are circulated over the soup. <S> And the soup is presumably a high-salt environment, which will inhibit bacterial growth. <S> Perhaps those factors conspire to make it safe to eat, or at least extend the "danger zone window" a bit, but I wouldn't recommend putting any faith in it. <A> With a pressure cooker, there is a seal, and as mentioned, there would be a pressure difference between the pot and the air outside it. <S> Normal pots have no such seal. <S> Therefore, the soup isn't sealed off from the outside world. <S> This means that anything to spoil the soup needs to come in from the air, which takes a relatively long time, as there is no pre-existing culture. <S> In my experience, a soup left out at night after being prepared in the evening is fine in the morning, which is when I usually put it in the fridge. <S> It may be worth a note that the government (FDA, I think) would like any foodstuff to be kept at above 60 degrees or below 4 degrees Centigrade, which is outside of what they call the danger zone. <S> In my opinion, the government is a bit on the panicky side of these matters. <A> You could ask your in-laws to keep the lid on for a few more days and see if they still want to eat it :D <S> Actually, leaving the pot on the stove top instead of putting in the fridge when it has cooled enough will give the bacteria/mold perfect growth conditions. <S> It is a humid and warm environment. <S> After a couple of days you wont be able to recognize the food.
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The quick answer is: No, the lid doesn't seal the pot. It is true, though, that the heat of cooking should destroy any pathogens that were in the soup's ingredients before cooking.
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How long will Tiramisú made with raw egg keep? Tiramisú tastes better the longer is kept. But it is made with raw eggs, so there must be a limit to how long you can keep it for without risking making people ill. What would you say is the min/max time on this? Thanks! <Q> Acids and alcohols will slow bacterial growth, giving you another day or two, but bacteria are remarkably sturdy, such that I would not count on the Madeira or other liqueur to "sterilize" the food. <S> Also, bacteria are equally happy growing in most egg substitutes -- protein is protein -- so the same safety rules apply. <S> (If your egg substitute is purely starch-based, such as the one made by Ener-G, you might have an extra safety margin, but I don't know how good the tiramisu will be.) <S> One way to improve your chances of avoiding food poisoning from bacterial contamination is to cook (Pasteurize) your eggs. <S> Many versions of tiramisu use a cooked zabaglione, made by beating eggs and sugar in a double boiler, whisking in the alcohol, and stirring until the mixture thickens (at about 160-165 F; 71-74 C), then chill very rapidly. <S> Of course, this won't affect bacteria that get into your dessert through other means, like Aunt Marge sneezing on the cookies, but at least it will help ensure the eggs are not the source. <A> Stilltasty.com gives 2-4 days on raw eggs in the fridge - so I'd expect the same. <S> Egg substitutes may trade some flavor for longer shelf life. <A> This, among other depends on your use of alcohol in the Tiramisu. <S> Without any Marsala or other alcohol you could expect the same lifetime as raw eggs (I throw out anything older than 2 days) with the added alcohol its disinfecting properties would prolong the lifetime with a couple of days. <S> But I think the Tiramisu is best within the first two days.
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According to the USDA, opened eggs kept under 40 degrees F (5 C) will remain safe up to 3-4 days.
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oil for cooking eggs I want to cook eggs and I want to know the amount of oil that I have to add for 4 eggs.The eggs' weight is about 75-80gr. <Q> Assuming you are talking about fried eggs, use a non-stick pan, and use just enough fat to coat the pan. <S> If you're using an oil, don't measure, just use a few drops, and make sure to spread it thinly on the pan. <S> You could also use cooking spray. <S> The key is having a really, really slick non-stick pan. <S> No pan with any kind of texture will do. <S> For scrambled, the same is true, but I'd suggest using butter, and just a little more than you need. <S> For 4 eggs, I'd use about a teaspoon of butter. <S> Of course, I also add whipping cream to my scrambled, do it over a double-boiler, and often finish with a small amount of melted butter on top as it is. <S> Here, you want to really keep the eggs moving to keep from sticking. <S> If you're talking about another cooking method, please be a little more specific. <A> if you are using olive oil, use little. <S> Perhaps a half spoon, at any rate enough to grease all the bottom of the pan but not enough to make a puddle. <S> If you use too much it will make bubbles at the edges of your eggs and spatter everywhere, but mostly on your hands and shirt. <A> Be sure to heat the pan and oil to a point where (1) the oil becomes very fluid and there is just a negligible amount on the bottom of the pan to swirl around freely and <S> (2) the oil should spit if you flick some water in it. <S> I have a 12" anodyzed pan and it only needs about two teaspoons vegetable oil. <S> If it's the kind of thing that concerns you, I find you can get away with less when you use peanut or sesame oil.
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Where frying eggs is concerned, an important element, almost as essential as how much oil you use, is that the pan is heated and the oil is at the right temperature.
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In which kind of food items can Asafoetida be used? I have heard about the medical benefits of Asafoetida . I used it once in Brinjals (which while cooking contained only Ginger powder, Fennel powder, salt and red chilli powder). The addition of Asafoetida resulted in the diluted flavor of the remaining spices in Brinjal curry. In which kind of foods does it make sense to use Asafoetida ? <Q> I have only seen it used in dahl dishes, presumably because of it's claimed digestive properties. <S> Asafoetida is incredibly pungent; anything more than a pinch seems too much and unpleasant. <S> I think of it as a flavour-enhancer, a natural, Indian MSG rather than a spice in the normal sense. <S> It makes your mouth water quite intensely and seems to stimulate the savory tatse buds (umami). <S> This is lovely when done subtley and kept in the background. <S> Therefore, I suspect you could add small pinches to all kinds of savoury food. <A> It goes well in just about any kind of curry-based dish in the styles of the Indian subcontinent, from Sri Lankan mutton rolls to biryani to traditional curries. <S> I've never seen it in tandoor-based dishes, but I don't get out much. <A> In the recipes I've seen (and made) it goes mostly in dahls and other dishes that cook relatively slowly. <S> I think it usually goes in about the same time you would put fenugreek in: After the vegetables and some water are already in the pot, not directly into the oil like cumin. <A> For a good flavor, use it in yellow dals. <A> I used to have a recipe for a Pakistani curry gravy that was heavy on the hing (asfoetida). <S> This was from a restaurant that used it as their base for many of their curry dishes. <S> Googling has failed to turn up any hits that look right <S> but I do get more and better hits by googling on hing than asafoetida. <A> Asafoetida or Heeng as known in Northern India should be used in lentils or any dish that has beans as its main ingredients. <S> Its anti flatulent but has strong odour, hence use with beans :-). <S> I remember its being part of South Indian pickle recipes as well. <S> Its must have in kitchen <A> You can use it in any dish as an alternative to garlic (but in smaller quantities). <S> To be honest though, I haven't been able to find a dish which indeed tastes better with asafoetida than with garlic. :) <A> Asafoetida is used by some Indian religious groups as a substitution for onion. <S> Unless you have a religious aversion to onion I would discourage this practice. <S> It is exceptionally pungent and has an onion-like aroma. <S> Recipes will call for as little as 1/8 tsp to flavor an entire pot. <S> The only application that I have found that I like it is in lemon pickles. <S> In that case I don't want chunks of onion <S> and I want the flavor subtly and evenly distributed through the jar. <A> So you'd predominantly use it in vegetable, lentil and bean dishes. <S> It adds little in terms of flavour and like turmeric is used mainly for its digestive qualities. <A> A Rogon Josh curry recipe I have calls for the meat to be marinated in a mixture of yoghurt and a half teaspoon of asafoetida. <S> I have tried the recipe both with and without and there is definitely something different, but I can't quite put my finger on it.
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We use it mainly in lentils or Dals. Asafoetida is a digestive aid or specifically anti-flatulence.
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How to balance out sourness of lemon juice, specifically in a mayonnaise? I've just made some mayonnaise, and it's turned out fine - texture wise. However, I used too much lemon juice when I made it. What are the possible ways to balance this out, mellowing the 'zing'? It's not terribly overmuch, but it could definately stand for a bit less. Recipe used: 1 egg yolk 1.5 dl oil Juice from 1/3 lemon Salt n pepper Can I go with some honey, or will this simply make it disgusting? I realize this wouldn't neutralize the sourness, but simply mask it. Any ideas? :) <Q> To balance acidity, add sugar. <S> It's how most mayonnaise manages to be acidic enough to prevent bacteria growth (pH 4.6 or lower), while still having a balanced and edible flavor. <S> You might get an edible result with honey, but sugar is more of a neutral flavor, so I would use that first. <S> Using a jigger of Dijon mustard is not beyond the pale, as well... might help hide the acid, to a lesser extent. <A> The last time i made lemon chicken it turned out too sour, so i added a bit of baking soda and stirred until the fizz was gone. <S> I tested and added a bit more. <S> It was perfect. <S> Very lemony but not sour. <S> I heard adding too much baking soda can leave a weird taste <S> but i guess i didn't add enough to have that problem. <S> Just my two cents, good luck! <A> As a chef of 6 years now working at a high level requirement in hotels around the country I will give you this tip: adding water will cut down the flavor <S> so I suggest to avoid watering down a dish, sugar is a balancing technique we use to balance out most of our sauces, and I will explain why this works. <S> When a person's palate tastes sugar immediately the brain picks it up, you may not notice it but think about it the next time you have a coffee with 1-2 sugars, or ask a friend to make 3-4 drinks add sugar to one of them. <S> The taste buds react with sugar/water in the mouth which sends a message to the brain <S> "this is sugar". <S> Not everyone likes a super sweet sauce <S> so I suggest adding a small amount at a time and Taste, depending on how much lemon you have used you can cut it down a spoon at a time. <A> I have used sugar or, on occasion, honey, though I usually mix it in at the start, before I've started adding oil. <S> It works fairly well. <S> Personally, I prefer an acidic mayonnaise, but some applications call for a sweeter one, so <S> I certainly don't think there's anything wrong with adding a bit of sweetener. <S> Additionally, you might succeed in taking the edge off with some contrasting flavors. <S> I usually have a little mustard in my mayonnaise, partially for the emulsifying effect, but also for flavor. <S> Some spanish paprika blended in may soften the acidity as well. <S> Each vinegar has its own properties, so there's plenty of room for experimentation. <S> I've usually used cider vinegar or rice vinegar, but occasionally I've started with an aromatic fruit vinegar. <A> I used sugar. <S> Depending on what your making, a dash of parm cheese works. <S> I used parm cheese for chicken picatta when I added to much lemon. <A> You can add more oil and/or cut it with water. <S> Mayonnaise is a very flexible emulsion once set -- if it's too tart, you can add more oil and then cut it with water to manage thickness. <S> You can then adjust salt/pepper as necessary.
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You can get a less sharp-tasting mayonnaise by using a vinegar instead of lemon juice, or slightly diluted lemon juice.
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Does liver reheat well? I have a large chunk of beef liver, too much to eat in one sitting. I would prefer to cook it all up at once, but would it be palatable reheated? Would it be ok cold? <Q> So this turned out to be delicious. <S> First, slice the cold, cooked liver into strips approximately 1/4 inch thick, then cut strips into bite sized bits, and set aside. <S> The liver needs to reach room temperature. <S> I then cooked a serving of rice in beef broth instead of water, with the lid off. <S> In a pan I sautéed <S> onions, bell pepper and carrot in olive oil, all cut fairly small. <S> Once the onion was translucent <S> I added about a 1/4 cup of merlot and let it cook from a few minutes. <S> I then combined the rice and the onion mixture, covered, and simmered until the rice was cooked. <S> The I carefully added the liver on top of the rice(do not stir it in) and steamed the liver for a minute and a half. <S> I removed the mixture from the heat and stirred the. <S> I let it rest for a few minutes. <S> The liver was still tender and moist. <S> I will definitely try this again. <A> With liver I'd say there isn't much point in reheating it as it'll cook in about the same time if you cut it thinly. <A> I hate to waste food <S> and I always have too much liver. <S> I use beef broth or bouillon <S> so the liver does not dry out or get tough. <S> To reheat: <S> Slice up fresh onions if you don't have enough left over onion. <S> Slice cooked liver on the diagonal into 1/2" thick strips. <S> In saucepan, make up enough beef broth or bouillon to completely cover liver in pan (about 3 cups), Keep hot. <S> Saute fresh batch of onions, remove from pan and set aside. <S> Add hot beef broth to pan, lightly scrape bottom to deglaze onion flavor. <S> Add liver to boiling broth for about 30-45 SECONDS, just enough to heat them through. <S> Quickly remove from heat and drain. <S> If desired, quickly toss onions in pan to reheat. <S> Serve onions over liver strips. <A> After reading different sources on how to reheat liver, I tried by placing liver and onion in foil wrap, placed in 350 F oven for about 3 to 5 minutes. <S> It came out very decent, not hot, not cold, but edible. <A> Palatability is largely a matter of taste... <S> Seriously, it will likely depend upon your cooking method. <S> If you are cooking short high-heat, then reheating may well not work as well, as it will cook further and would likely become tough. <S> Cold - mostly a matter of preference. <S> OK for me might not be OK for you. <A> Ok, I looked at the answers and thought about how to try it. <S> My 96 year old father said it was too tough when I reheated it the first time. <S> Like everyone else I had too much left over. <S> I sauteed more onions until they were almost burnt. <S> I then cut the heat off and place a piece of liver that I had in the fridge, covered it with the onions and put a lid on it and let it sit for about 10 minutes on the off electric burner. <S> It was not super hot but he enjoyed it almost as if it was freshly cooked. <S> Not tough at all. <S> I can not eat it because of gout. <S> Oh, I am just learning to cook at 66 years old.
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If you originally cooked in some kind of braising sauce, you are probably just fine to gently reheat, as the liquid should help to keep it tender. You could eat it cold but whether you'd like it is a matter of personal taste.
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Date cookies are thin and spread out When I bake my date cookies they spread out and don't get high. They are very thin. I follow the recipe but this happens. There is baking soda and baking powder in the recipe. Any suggestions? <Q> Presumably, you're following a standard cookie recipe that creams together butter and sugar, mixes with some flour, and adds leavening and other stuff. <S> In my experience, thin cookies are usually the result of two things: too much liquid, and white sugar. <S> The ratio of dry ingredients to wet ones should be pretty self explanatory: for thicker cookies you might want to try adding less liquid, and/or more flour. <S> White sugar liquifies at a high enough temperature, and in cookies this translates to a spreading out of the dough while baking. <S> Then when the cookies are cooled and the sugar crystallizes again, the cookies become hard. <S> To remedy this, start by substituting half of the white sugar in your recipe for brown sugar. <S> You can also try experimenting with other sweeteners such as molasses and honey, which should also help the cookies stay thicker (and likewise more cakey). <S> Just keep adjusting the ratio of white sugar to other sweeteners until you get the texture you like. <A> Substituting half of the white sugar for brown sugar should work, but I've found that if I'm making a lot of cookies the temperature of the room rises due to the constant heat leaking from the oven. <S> The problem with most recipes is that they assume that the dough and oven remain at a constant temperature and don't account for baking multiple trays of cookies with hot baking sheets, hot kitchen, etc. <S> First, make sure that you're using softened butter and creaming it properly with the sugar. <S> I use a regular fork and press the butter and sugar together (if you have a pastry blender, even better). <S> I know too many people that have your problem because they microwaved the butter until it became oil <S> x_x <S> Second, if the room is a bit warm and the dough has a sort of slimy texture try sticking the dough in the refrigerator for an hour or so. <S> Make sure that the dough is sealed airtight so that no nasty fridge smells mess up your cookies <S> -- I use cling wrap pressed tightly against the dough in the bowl. <A> I have to disagree with the two answers above in regards to the brown sugar. <S> Brown sugar always have more moisture (unless you left it out and its dry as a rock. <S> in which case its not very good brown sugar anymore) than granulated white sugar which makes the problem worse. <S> What I would suggest is to throw the dough into the refrigerator for a hour or two.
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More likely is that you're using too much white sugar.
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How to simulate an oven when what you actually have is a gas stove? Well, I currently don't have an oven. And also, I don't expect to prepare cakes on gas. :rolleyes: But, is it possible to bake things like garlic bread (at least) on gas stove somehow? If yes, then how? EDIT 1 I should have clarified, that I also want to bake biscuits (from scratch). <Q> Dutch oven (a proper cast iron one, mind you) <S> Put your dutch oven on the stove top with the lid on, and turn on the heat until it gets hot Place the thing(s) to be baked inside (but not directly touching the sides or bottom; a little rack or other standoff will be helpful) <S> Put the lid back on and turn the heat way down <S> Wait. <S> And this is a bit of a problem because it is hard to know the exact temperature, so baking is tricky. <S> This is also how one bakes over a campfire, though there you use coals and can get a reasonably repeatable temperature. <S> Works better with cobbler than cake <S> (I have seen cakes done this way, but more often I've seen them messed up), but it should do garlic bread just fine. <S> The pure mass of the iron serves to smooth out the uneven heating from the stove. <S> This is also the reason a proper dutch oven has a lip on the lid: so you can put some coals on there to insure the lid stays properly hot too. <A> Here is a link to a Coleman Camp Oven available on Amazon which is designed to sit a top a two burner gas stove. <S> While it's principal purpose is to allow one to bake in the great outdoors this may be an easy and inexpensive option that will work for you. <S> (I assume either Amazon will ship to you, or something competitive can be found in India) <S> A second option would be a counter top oven , like this one from Hamilton Beach. <S> There are similar products from Oster and Rival as well. <S> Either of these options should serve to get you an oven you can work with for more than just garlic bread, but a full range of baking and roasting activities. <A> If you just want to prepare garlic bread—assuming you're starting with already-baked bread—that shouldn't be too hard stovetop. <S> Heat some butter in a saucepan until water finishes evaporating <S> (the bubbling will look different), toss in some chopped garlic, stir for 30s or so until fragrant. <S> Remove from heat. <S> Lightly toast the bread (in a toaster, or by holding it with metal tongs above the burner). <S> Spread a little of the garlic butter on top of each piece. <S> Slice a piece of fresh garlic in half, rub over bread for some extra fresh-garlic flavor. <S> If using garlic powder just melt butter, then add garlic powder. <S> Then go ahead and spread on toast. <S> Or spread plain melted butter on bread, then sprinkle with garlic powder (and, personally, although its heresy, I add a little onion powder as well). <A> I make garlic bread, Naan style on the stove top. <S> You can use a basic bread dough like Hugh Fernley Whittingstalls basic bread dough (google it). <S> I mix garlic and herbs into the dough mix and put garlic butter ontop. <S> Took a few tries to get it right but worth some experiments! <A> If you have a large pot or wok made of heavy material (cast iron or cast aluminum) with a lid (or two woks of similar size, use one as a lid) and a metal trivet or short tin can, you can improvise a stove-top oven. <S> And a baking pan that will fit inside. <S> Put the pot/wok on the stove, with the trivet/can inside. <S> Cover and heat. <S> Once it has heated up, put the baking pan with whatever you want to bake on top of the trivet/can and cover. <S> Bake time is a guessing game; let your nose and experience be the guide. <S> I have successfully used this method for muffins, banana cake, PB cookies.
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Just prepare the dough, shape it into flat breads and cook on a skillet or frying pan.
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How to keep fresh-squeezed fruit juice? Is there any way to keep fresh-squeezed fruit juice (especially apple or orange) for at least one week without losing taste and vitamins in it? Would a jar with a tight lid be useful? <Q> Some quick research indicates there are enzymes in freshly-squeezed juice that will degrade it fairly rapidly, and that they can be deactivated by heat. <S> Of course, that also changes the flavor (especially since you're not going to be able to quickly heat and cool it, as it apparently only takes 30 seconds, but any method doable in a home kitchen will keep it hot much longer than that). <S> So heat-deactivation is out. <S> Even commercially-produced (that is, both pasteurized and enzyme-deactivated) juice is only supposed to keep 6 days in the fridge, so that's out. <S> Your best bet, then, is to freeze it. <S> According to the University of California's Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources Publication 8199 , you can freeze in clean glass jars or rigid plastic freeze containers. <S> They also note that navel oranges (and their juice) do not freeze well—they will become bitter. <S> Well, either that, or store the fruit instead, and only juice it as needed. <A> I have an orange tree and when fruit grows, I hate to see it hit the ground and go to waste. <S> I know <S> freshly squeezed is the best, but is it really worth the work every time you're thirsty? <S> If your going to freeze it in a container, make sure to keep the lid or cap open before the freezing process. <S> The pressure will explode if sealed. <A> Any tightly capped container will explode when fermentation gasses build up if left on counter, in purse or in car. <S> Just had a thick glass jar of OJ explode with shards like a grenade a 3:45 am. <S> Thankfully with no one in there... <A> Very seldom do I make juice for more than the moment <S> I'm about to drink it as the enzymes in the juice will degrade it quickly and there's not much you can do about that.
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With a funnel, juice reamer, and empty soda bottles, I'm able to stock up on orange juice for weeks.
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How long should I mature my mincemeat before making Mince Pies? Having decided on the spur of the moment to make Mince Pies with home-made mincemeat (a mixture of chopped fruit, distilled spirits, spices, and fat), I'm wondering if I really should leave the fruit to mature for some time before I make them? It's been soaking for a couple of hours, and all the recipe said was that it could be frozen, and if I did I should defrost it and leave to mature for 1-2 weeks. Does this hold for fresh mincemeat too? On the basis that I'm not dead yet, and the pies were quite tasty, I'd say that I clearly can make them without maturing the mincemeat (the initial question), but is there an optimum length of time I should leave it for? To clarify, this is about mincemeat as in "a mixture of chopped dried fruit, distilled spirits and spices, and fat, traditionally beef suet" rather than ground or minced meat. <Q> Mincemeat originally had meat in it along with suet and a small amount of fruits and spices. <S> As the cost of the fruits and spices dropped the quantities started to shift until now, you never see any meat at all besides the suet in traditional mincemeat. <S> Victorian times they would make the mincemeat in the late fall and set it aside in the root cellar for about 8 weeks but evidently could be held for upwards to 6 months . <S> The cool cellar and the high percent of spirits didn't cause much harm to them back then. <S> The longer the better as the fruit and suet would absorb more flavours. <S> Here's a link to a Google book that has a recipe from 1786: <S> http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=zZIEAAAAYAAJ&dq=mincemeat&pg=PA423#v=onepage&q=mincemeat&f=false <S> It doesn't sound that great <S> but then the really old dishes never were. <A> I'm reasonably sure the long holding time is there for two reasons - <S> one is that mincemeat was originally a preserved dish, with the alcohol and spices and fats used to preserve the meat (when it was included) and fruit in the dish. <S> So recipes may mention <S> how long the pies can be reasonably held, for preservation or for the convenience of cooking early or making a large batch once instead of several smaller. <S> The other reason, perhaps more recent, is that the flavors change over time, as the alcohol seeps in and the flavors meld and marry in the mincemeat (think pickles or alcohol preserves, it takes time for the flavors to change). <S> The time the recipe mentions for maturing might be the time over which the flavors are still improving as they are stored, or the compromise time between when it reaches a state the recipe-makers find most pleasing, and when the recipe-users find convenient (that is,it might not improve if matured longer, it might get worse, it might keep improving but most people get impatient). <S> In neither case should eating the mincemeat early be unsafe. <S> Maturing it significantly <S> longer than the recipe allows for might be less safe, since the preservative qualities will depend on proportions of alcohol and spices, storage conditions, and other things the recipe depends on to make that calculation in the first place. <S> And eating it early might give a less than ideal flavor, if the flavors haven't melded or mellowed or changed over time to reach the state the recipe makers intended. <A> A mixture intended for UK-style holiday-season Mince Pies should never be "matured" or let sit at room temperature. <S> It would go rancid.
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So if you like the mincemeat as it is, and if you're impatient, there is no harm in eating it early; while if you thought the flavors were less than you hoped, perhaps harsh or dissonant, or you just have the extra time and patience, you may find the extra couple weeks of waiting worthwhile.
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How do I remove bitterness from zucchini? I have thin-sliced zucchini and steamed it for use in my soup. One of the zucchini turns out to be bitter. I have saved half of it for use on the next day. Is there a cooking method that will remove the bitterness from that same zucchini, preferably with a presentation that is similar to steaming? <Q> Mild bitterness in zucchini, like that found in cucumber, may be result from environmental factors such as high temperature, low moisture, low soil nutrients, etc. <S> The bitterness is caused by compounds called cucurbitacins. <S> There is also a rare condition which can cause extreme bitterness in zucchini. <S> A compound called Cucurbitacin E is found in wild species of squash, but is extremely rare in cultivated species. <S> ( Univ. of Arizona ) Having bounced around to the various other sites I basically had what I've heard anecdotally before confirmed; salt and lay out to drain liquid. <S> I suppose the implication is that by dessicating the zuke a little bit, it can remove the Cucurbitacin (which is a steroid developed to ward off herbivores ). <S> Putting the zukes in salt water is also recommended by some. <S> It appears that people can become ill from incredibly bitter zukes, so be wary of eating extremely bitter ones . <S> In this case, you may want to follow the wisdom of your taste buds and drop the zucchini in the trash. <A> When I cook zucchuni <S> I slightly scrape the skin with help of a knife to reduce the bitterness. <S> Also for some meals prepared by mashing, I peel the skin off. <A> Also, salt masks bitter flavors; it's one of the reasons that, for example, bacon goes so well with cooked greens. <A> I learned a nice tip from a Sri Lankan friend which seems to make them taste less bitter: 1) <S> Chop off the stem end of the courgette with a sharp knife (not serrated) 2) <S> Press the stub / courgette surfaces back together and rotate the stub end against the courgette continually for a couple of minutes. <S> 3) <S> As you do so you will find a thick, white substance leeches out of the courgette through the cut end (it might continue for half a minute or for a few minutes) 4) <S> Once it's stopped leeching out (or you're bored!) <S> wipe off the white stuff and discard the stub. <S> 5) Continue to prepare / cook / <S> eat as planned. <S> It should taste better! <A> But after rubbing and letting the white liquid come out, I cut another slice of the zucchini off, to be sure none of the white liquid is still on there. <S> This method works most of the times for the bitterness to be gone. <S> From personal experience though, I have noticed that whenever the peel is very thick and dark it is best to peel the zucchini, because then its the only way to get rid of the bitterness, which goes as well for cucumbers. <A> My mom always taught me to rub the two cut surfaces of the zucchini together to get the bitterness out. <S> I also do this for cucumbers. <S> ( https://i.stack.imgur.com/KOq5E.jpg )
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Cutting off the tip of the zucchini with the stem part and rubbing the two cut ends together, is also what a Californian friend of mine recommended to me years ago.
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Where can I find (plain) Ramen noodles? I recently thought about trying to make the Chicken Ramen recipe from Wagamama , however I will need to know how to get the correct ingredients from the best sources. I don't know any good sources to get the right noodles for making the Ramen. Where should I look to acquire good-quality Ramen noodles for a recipe such as this? Here's the recipe in the book I took a snapshot of. EDIT: I found a website where you can purchase them from http://www.theasiancookshop.co.uk/fresh-ramen-noodles-400g-3570-p.asp <Q> "Ramen noodles" are a predominantly North American term for what the Japanese call "Chinese Noodles" ( Chukamen , which I've also seen spelled Yuukamen ). <S> In practice, you can use any wheat noodle that's made with eggs or kansui , including lamian or mee pok , or even buckwheat noodles (notably soba ). <S> Noodles made without either of those are not recommended. <S> It does not matter which of the above you use, although the Chukamen varieties are the more traditional. <S> Much like pasta, it's largely a matter of personal preferences and <S> how you want it to come out in terms of texture and appearance. <S> Across Canada there's a chain called T&T . <S> You should have no trouble finding some Asian grocery stores in your region with a phone book or maybe Google or Yelp. <A> Buy yourself a few packages of cheap Ramen Noodle Soup. <S> They can be found at most grocery stores for between $0.10 and $0.50 USD per package. <S> Boil them in a little bit of water, but don't add the seasoning packet. <S> Rinse and drain, then you have your noodles! <S> Here's an example: http://www.target.com/p/maruchan-174-ramen-noodle-soup-chicken-flavor-3oz/-/A-14767986 <A> A larger asian grocer will carry a few varieties of dried/fresh noodles labelled "Ramen" - some will be plain wheat noodles, some will be alkali processed (which is what you want). <S> The ingredient list on the package will tell you what kind actually is in the package - if it is alkali processed, the alkali will either be plainly named, or listed as E number 500 and/or 501. <A> There are many Asian supermarkets in the UK, and if you live in London there are markets in Brewer Street and The Japan centre on Shaftesbury Avenue. <S> There is also an on-line Japanese site... http://www.japanesekitchen.co.uk/
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You'll find a wide variety of all of these noodles in dried or fresh form at any Asian supermarket or grocery store.
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Eggs in Pancakes, health hazard? I want to make pancakes. I have a powder mix that needs only milk to be ready.However there is a note on the powder mix's box that says I can add an egg to the mix as well. How safe is that? Are pancakes cooked enough to avoid risk of salmonella? <Q> Eggs are completely safe in cooked food, and pancakes are cooked. <S> Pancakes made from scratch have egg in the batter too. <S> As long as you don't drink the batter, or more realistically, leave an uncooked bit in the middle of the pancakes, you're totally safe. <S> (And of course, it doesn't take much to kill salmonella, and a mL of uncooked batter right in the middle of a pancake has ridiculously small odds of getting you sick even if it's somehow still cold, but if you're trying to play by all the rules, then you should make sure they're fully cooked - you probably want that anyway.) <A> This isn't really a question about pancakes, it's about the risk of getting salmonella poisoning from eggs. <S> As to the likelihood of eggs having salmonella, you could start here: <S> Is it safe to eat raw eggs? <S> How does salmonella get into eggs? <S> If you really want to be sure they're safe, you could check the temperature of your pancakes once they're done. <S> Salmonella bacteria can be killed by a temperature of 160 F , so that's what you want to look for. <A> When using raw eggs to go with the Pancake. <S> I suggest you use the pasteurized shell egg. <S> That's the safest egg. <S> Pasteurized eggs kill bacteria right through the center of the yolk and destroy all the bacteria <S> and you don't have any risk.
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In any case, since you're going to be cooking the pancakes, you should be fine.
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How do I use a Chinese spoon? In Asian restaurants the soup comes with a flat-bottomed spoon . It seems awkward to use this spoon as one would a "western" spoon. Is there a special technique to using a Chinese Spoon? What is the functional reason for having the flat bottom? <Q> You would use the flat bottom spoon as you would use a regular spoon. <S> The main different between the flat-bottom spoon and western spoons is as you can see the flat bottom and the fact that the flat bottom spoons are usually bigger and can hold more liquid. <S> I'm not sure why it would be awkward to use it compared to a regular spoon. <S> You don't need to stick the whole spoon in your mouth. <S> There is a rounded edge around the spoon before it is flat. <S> You put just the rounded portion of the spoon into your mouth and drink from it. <S> The reason for the larger spoon probably stems from the fact that many Asian soups have noodles and large chuncks of vegetables and meats in it. <S> Using a western spoon, you would get some of the noodle or meat and have little room for the broth. <S> But with the larger flat bottom spoon you can get the noodle, meat and still fit an appropriate amount of broth on the spoon. <S> EDIT: Also note that it is common practice to use the flat bottom spoon and the chopsticks simulataneously while eating a bowl of noodle soup. <S> One would use the chopsticks in their dominant hand (right hand lets assume). <S> They would then use their left hand to use the spoon. <S> As you have probably experienced in your life unless you are ambidexterous, using the left hand to do thing you normally do with the right can be hard. <S> With the flat bottom, there is less chance of spilling than with a traditional rounded spoon. <A> The other answers haven't answered your first question about technique. <S> You hold the spoon with your index finger in the "groove" of the handle and your middle finger and thumb underneath: <S> This gives you a very secure grip and you scoop up soup by twisting your wrist. <A> The soup spoon the "western" equivalent of the Asian "flat-bottom" spoon. <S> Both are used to lift liquid which is to be sipped. <S> Think ladle. <S> They are different from "western" dessert spoons which are inserted into the mouth. <S> Think fork. <A> The channel that runs from the large spooned section of the Chinese flat-bottomed spoon, is used to carry the soup/gravy to <S> it's thinner end. <S> Just lift the large end higher and watch the liquid run along the channel to the other end. <S> This can be used to feed small babies and sick people more liquid food. <S> You just drain the liquid this way and leave the solids behind. <S> It is also an accurate way to transport the food without it escaping out both sides of the mouth. <S> This channel is a very useful and often forgotten feature. <A> The Asian or Chinese flat bottom spoon not only has its application in holding more soup broth and/or liquid, its material, usually made of ceramic or porcelain tends to keep its handle cool even when immersed in a hot soup unlike the European/Western metal or silver soup spoons. <S> The Chinese cuisine has been using such spoons for (almost 3,000) years and its application and contribution is so important in many Asian tables. <S> Use it as you would like a metal Western/European soup spoon.
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In addition, the ceramic/porcelain construction of the spoon is less likely to scrape the bottom or sides of a ceramic/porcelain soup bowls especially the elaborate decorative bowls. The flat bottom also makes them easy to store as they are stackable.
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Can you make your own black garlic? I've seen black garlic --fermented garlic with a complex flavor--used a number of times on TV cooking shows, but I've never tried it. The description of the flavor is intriguing. Is it possible to ferment garlic and make your own black garlic? What is the process? <Q> You can absolutely make your own black garlic. <S> All that is required is to have the garlic in a vaguely air-tight container (preferably individual wrapped or contained) for 30 days at 140 <S> °-155°F. <S> My method, covered at my blog , is to put the garlic in mason jars in my light bulb heated black garlic oven , which can be made for about $30 and can ferment 12 bulbs easily for about $4 of electricity over 40 days. <S> With the cost of garlic, glue, aluminum foil and the mason jars, the oven with one recipe is less expensive than an equivalent order would be online. <S> The first 30 days, the jars are kept sealed in the mason jars, to allow the garlic to ferment properly. <S> After 30 days, the lids are removed and the heat in the box dehydrates the garlic, leaving a dried out head with shriveled black cloves inside of it. <S> The flavor is reminiscent of balsamic vinegar and soy sauce, but without the sourness of vinegar or the saltiness of soy sauce. <S> The oven design is easily doable for anyone of any DIY skill level with access to a hardware store and an Academy (where they sell the Huskee cooler I use for $25). <A> As a chef who has studied black garlic for several years, including visiting China and a manufacturer in Austin to see how large factories make it...the answer is yes you can make it, but it will be nothing like true fine black garlic in any way. <S> Which is why even chefs in restaurants, such as myself, order their black garlic rather than making it. <S> It's like saying you can make caviar just by cutting up any old fish who has eggs. <S> It may look the same but the taste in texture is nothing like the good stuff. <S> Why? <S> the steps that can't be done at home. <S> The first day of making black garlic requires it to be steamed all day. <S> This is the only way to release the bitterness of regular garlic, a prime component in good black garlic. <S> Then you canNOT simply cook black garlic on low heat for 30 days as some believe. <S> It must be alternated in temperature, humidity and more steam and ideally for 40 days straight. <S> I have come close to making fine black garlic in a process of actually creating my own machinery to mimic the huge batch processes I've seen in China and in one black garlic manufacturer in Austin <S> but I still order my black garlic because really fine black garlic is exceptional and really fine homemade black garlic is always average to bad <A> You can make black garlic by putting garlic 10 days in a rice cooker, on low, and leaving them hanging in a cotton bag for 10 days. <S> My grandmother is Korean, and this is the way she makes black garlic. <A> I want to share how to make this wonderful fermented black garlic at home. <S> Buy 15-20 bulbs of organic garlic <S> (I used organic garlic from California). <S> In a electrical rice cooker that has cooking and warming settings for 10 cups, place the basket vegetable steamer at the bottom of the rice cooker. <S> Place the garlic about 15-20 bulbs in an upright position in the rice cooker. <S> Spray the garlic with draft beer (I used Asahi Japanese beer) lightly. <S> Closed the lid and plug the rice cooker, set it at warming. <S> I recommend keeping the rice cooker outside. <S> It smells really strong. <S> I kept mine on the deck under the patio table to keep the snow and rain out. <S> Leave it alone for 14 days. <S> DO NOT OPEN PRIOR TO 14 DAYS. <S> Take the garlic out and place them on a tray and let it dry for 14 days in a cool dark place. <S> I dried mine in the garage. <S> Put the garlic in a ziplock bag and store in the refrigerator. <S> Peel one bulb at a time. <A> Thee is a propensity to get better results at fermenting black garlic using hardneck garlic rather than softneck. <S> Yes I know, what in the world is a neck.well <S> it is the stem sprouting from the vented of the bulb. <S> Garlic grown in the Namhae region In Korea seems to be one of the better suited, or at least the one showing the best results. <A> I don't think it would be necessary to ferment the garlic for the full 40 days, but I'm also not finding any information how the garlic changes day to day. <S> Looks like you might have to experiment a little. <A> My wife is Korean and just made a batch of Black Garlic. <S> She peeled 10 bulbs, put them in a rice cooker, and cooked them on warm for nine (9) days. <S> Without opening the cooker, unplug it and leave for 11 days. <S> Then open, drain and peel ASAP. <S> They're as sweet as you can get.
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A rice cooker on a low setting would be feasible way to ferment garlic at home.
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Why grease the pan, then line with greaseproof/parchment paper? Many recipes I've seen request this. Is it just to stick the paper to the pan to make it easier to work with? <Q> Greasing and lining with paper is something of a belt-and-braces approach to simply ensure the cake doesn't stick to the bottom of the tin. <S> I have several recipes that go one step further and suggest greasing the paper as well afterwards. <A> As ElendilTheTall already pointed out , this is to prevent the paper from curling up. <S> I have recipes with tin foil (that's aluminum) and grease. <S> It goes like this: grease the tin, put the aluminum then grease the aluminum and flour... <S> But, I have great success (no cake sticking to the aluminum) without all this. <S> I put the aluminum in the tin, pour the batter and bake. <S> No problem. <S> OK, doesn't answer your question... <A> This is required when using grease proof paper. <S> Grease proof paper and parchment paper are different things. <S> Parchment paper is neither fat nor water permeable <S> so is non-stick in itself and doesn't require further greasing (although it's an option). <S> Grease proof paper isn't non-stick because while it isn't fat-permeable, it is water-permeable. <S> By adding a lining of fat, it becomes impermeable to water and properly non-stick. <S> I.e. it must be lined with fat to help release - like in your recipe. <S> The terms are often confused. <S> Actual grease-proof paper was standard but has now been mostly replaced with parchment paper. <S> The name and often the method persists though. <S> Many don't realise there's a difference and have probably never actually seen grease-proof paper.
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As you suggest, greasing the tin first also stops it from curling up.
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How to do hot spiced apple cider without apple cider? When I lived in the United States, I developed an addiction to hot apple cider. I relied on powder mixes (Alpine, Mott's and so on) - just adding hot water to the content of a package... Now I'm back to Italy, and I need to make the hot spiced apple cider myself. The first problem, in Italy is difficult to find apple cider. I've found only French cider from Brittany or Normandy, which is the fermented alcoholic drink. Questions: which version of apple cider should I ideally use? can I use the French cider instead? can I just use non-alcoholic apple juice instead of the cider? Edit: it seems that a source of misunderstanding is the word cider, that may indicate different drinks. In the USA it may be a fermented alcoholic beverage made from apple juice, or an unfiltered apple juice. Which one should be used to make hot spiced apple cider? <Q> According to Wikipedia , apple cider (US usage) is different from apple juice (US usage) in that: <S> "Apple juice and apple cider are both fruit beverages made from apples, but there is a difference between the two. <S> Fresh cider is raw apple juice that has not undergone a filtration process to remove coarse particles of pulp or sediment. <S> Apple juice is juice that has been filtered to remove solids and pasteurized so that it will stay fresh longer. <S> Or, in translation, "apple cider" is apple juice; "apple juice" is filtered apple juice. <S> So in Italy you should look for brands of apple juice with words like "with bits" or "unfiltered" on the label. <A> You could try making your own. <S> Pressing apples isnt that hard to do, but you require a descent amount to make it worth while. <S> Ideally try and find someone with an orchard and ask if you can pick some <S> , however it is very late in the season now and here in the UK at least you would probably be out of luck. <S> Alternativly just buy the best apple juice you can find, here in the UK we have a brand called Coppella which is high quality and not filtered (well, it contains sediment at least) which would probably work for this purpose. <S> But if you ask anyone in Europe for cider you will get an alcoholic drink, which can be served warm and spiced (it is around here at any rate). <S> And yes french cider is ok, but as vwiggins mentions you need to be careful of dry ciders - they will need extra sweetening. <S> I personally recommend Somerset cider if you can get it and strongly recommend against things like Bulmers, Magners and other mass produced cider. <A> Apple Cider, particularly for the purposes of heating and mulling, should be unfiltered, but more importantly unpasteurized . <S> This is a primary difference you will taste. <S> Also, don't rely on powdered mixes; if you are in Italy, look up a mix (i.e. clove, vanilla, star anise, whatever) and get some actual whole spices (I assume mulling spices are not uncommon) and prepare it like a tea. <A> In Europe we would use either. <S> Cider almost always refers to the alcoholic beverage (except in the US) and what I bought as cider in the US would be apple juice or apple squash maybe. <S> French cider can be very dry though so you would very likely need to add sugar <S> (brown is nice but anything works, honey is very strong tasting with the spices) <A> The powdered mixes are mostly sugar, apple flavoring, and other spices, such as cinnamon. <S> They are non-alcoholic. <S> Therefore, to duplicate that, use apple juice (fresh, unfiltered, filtered, whatever you can get, but the closer to the apple the better), and heat it with a cinnamom stick and perhaps some other whole spices, such as cloves or ginger. <S> If you only want a single serving, then take the juice and store it in the fridge, with the spices still in it. <S> Only heat what you want at a time. <A> You might consider ordering a few bottles of boiled cider, such as that sold by King Arthur . <S> I can't say that I've tried to reconstitute it, but the catalog copy claims that it works. <S> Another option, if you're really determined (sounds like you might be) and can get apples in large quantity, is to build or buy a cider press and make your own cider. <S> You could be responsible for introducing a new food to your region! <S> Major down side: powdered mixes will never again be acceptable to you.
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I think either spiced apple juice of spiced alcoholic cider are awesome.
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Best spices to use on minced quorn in spaghetti sauce and other recipes As a vegetarian, whenever I have to use minced meat I use minced quorn. But quorn does not add any flavour to dishes, only texture. What are the best "base spices" to add to the quorn when using it in any dish, for example spaghetti sauce? <Q> Simple answer: <S> So, for a Bolognese sauce, I would pick thyme and bay, for an "alla vodka" sauce, basil and garlic, and for Marinara, oregano and peppercorn. <S> Given that the underlying product (quorn) has virtually no flavor of its own -- or, to the extent it does, it is not a flavor I personally would seek to highlight <S> -- I would not worry about which herb or spice best complements it. <A> To add depth of flavour to Quorn mince, I fry the Quorn mince for a few minutes or until browned, and then add small quantities of vegetable stock, allowing it the stock to be absorbed or boil off between each addition. <S> This bulks up the mince somewhat and flavours the mince before continuing to add other ingredients as per whatever recipe you're attempting. <S> I do this for quorn mince when making spaghetti sauce and lasagne. <A> I have found liquid smoke great for enhancing the "meaty" flavors of various vegetarian dishes that would normally contain meat. <S> Perhaps add some shiitake mushrooms, as well, to provide more umami flavor. <S> Beyond that, I'd probably go for garlic and oregano in a spaghetti sauce. <S> In a more general sense, as Bruce said, try to use herbs or spices that would normally go into a traditional version of the particular thing that you're making.
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I would recommend using whatever herbs or spices you would use if you made the same dish with meat.
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Save meat from chicken broth? I made a chicken stock/broth with chicken parts including two chicken legs. After cooking the broth for three hours, is the meat in the pot considered edible? Should you save it and use it for something like chicken salad? Or is it considered lacking in all flavor and nutrients after being cooked for three hours? <Q> Edible? <S> Absolutely yes. <S> Flavorful? <S> .... <S> you should taste it and tell us. <S> Seriously, don't serve a meal to anyone, yourself included, until you've tasted it and it tastes at least decent. <S> (Not trying to be snarky here, that's literally the best cooking tip I was ever given) <S> Nutritious? <S> Probably somewhat--that chicken muscle is primarily protein after all. <S> Generally, soups are made with bones because bones can't be used for anything else, so it's more economical to get soup-flavor from bones (making the stock), then use meat for texture and to add variety to the liquid. <S> I was taught to put meat into soups in the last hour of cooking. <S> Many recipes <S> I've seen call for taking out the whole pieces of meat and shredding it or pulling it before serving it in the soup. <A> <A> I would use it only the same day <S> it’s cooked and as it is without any additional cooking process (e.g. on top of cooked rice/mashed potatoes or in salad). . <A> I've served the chicken from making chicken soup, as did my grandmother, but it's generally fairly flavorless after the long cooking. <S> The blandness was exactly why boiled chicken was the usual pre-fast meal for Yom Kippur in my grandmother's house. <S> I'll often use the bottom quarters, supplemented with additional necks and backs, to make the broth, reserving the breasts to add to the soup for service, along with fresh carrots and some fresh dill fronds (the spent veggies from making the broth are also discarded with the cooked-to-death chicken, except for a whole onion which is a cook's treat in the middle of the night). <A> Fry/roast <S> it, use spices and other ingredients copiously. <S> It's bland but perfectly edible and roasting will restore (or more accurately, create from scratch, apart from the original) <S> a good bit of the flavor. <A> You can use it in many recipes but you will have to add seasonings as the chicken will be bland. <S> One thing I use it for is chicken tacos, shred the meat a little, in a shallow pan add chopped onions, thin slices of red and green peppers, chopped garlic, and sautee with a little oil for a few minutes until onion is translucent, add the chicken a cube tomato and a little of the broth, add chilli powder, cumin, salt, and if you like it spicy either a chipotle pepper or mexican hot sauce, simmer covered for about 30 minutes, remove the cover and continue cooking until the sauce is thicker. <S> Now put it in a tortilla and add any condiments you like in your tacos, I prefer to keep it simple just cilantro and Mexican farmers cheese. <S> Enjoy!
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I freeze the soup meat and use it in chicken salad or casserole dishes where the sauce flavor is expected to be stronger than the chicken flavor
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Meaning of do not thaw for frozen food Today I bought frozen food for the first time and the brand is Mc Coin. I read the instructions, which have the following instructions; Do Not Thaw and cook from frozen I am unsure how to parse this. Can someone please tell me what the company is telling me in the instructions, and how I am to cook it? Should I put my opened packet into freezer ? Should I cook it directly from the packet ? <Q> If you're cooking store-bought frozen food (a pot pie for instance) and you thaw it first, following the cooking instructions on the package will lead to over-cooking, burnt crust, and a dry meal. <S> The instructions are predicated on direct from freezer to oven and you must adjust accordingly. <A> It means that the product is meant to go directly from the freezer into the oven / onto the pan. <S> For some types of food, thawing first, then cooking it in the oven, will lead to a not so crispy product - due to the moisture from the thawing. <A> Your question is slightly confusing <S> but I'll try to answer your question. <S> As far as I can tell McCoin brand is bags of frozen vegetables <S> (correct me if I am wrong).If <S> Thawing is the act of unfreezing something. <S> This can be accomplished by leaving something out at room temperature to naturally thaw. <S> So if you have frozen corn and want to put it in chili or soup, just throw the frozen corn directly in without thawing it. <A> I don't feel Do Not Thaw and cook from frozen is well particularly well worded. <S> Do not thaw prior to cooking would be better. <S> Leaving some foods such as meat to defrost out on the bench will see their outside reach temperatures conducive to bacteria growth while the middle is still defrosting. <S> Hence it can be safer to go straight from the freezer to the frypan. <S> Also cooking times can be more accurately stated as freezers have a tighter temperature range than room temperatures.
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it says do not thaw and to cook from frozen, it just means you do not need to thaw it before you cook it.
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What is the purpose of oil or butter in bread? Specifically in wheat and potato breads, what is the purpose of adding oil or butter to the dough? I have always assumed it was just for flavor, but I suspect there is some background chemical reasons for adding it. <Q> Breads get their structure from glutens--a type of protein formed by the combination of glutenin with gliaten. <S> Kneading and resting the dough helps the formation of glutens--I assume by shifting glutenin and gliatin molecules around, this increases the odds of bindings occurring. <S> Oils can bind to glutenin and gliatin and inhibit these reactions, so fats--oils and butter--definitely play a role in the texture control. <S> It prevents the dough from getting too elastic, which controls texture. <S> This elasticity change would also change the maximum air bubble size. <S> Altering resting times and yeast quantity also change these, but trading off for a different flavor. <S> Oil may play other roles, but these are what I recall reading about off the top of my head. <S> Yes, it does contribute to flavor as well. <A> As Eric Hu said in a previous answer, oil reduces the formation of gluten, therefore affecting the elasticity of the dough. <S> This is the case of French bread, for instance; French bread requires longer rising times to develop flavors, slower yeast activity (achieved by adding more salt to the dough), and no oil or fat, to get a more elastic dough and achieve its characteristic texture. <A> Personally butter and oil adds a particular flavor to bread and in fact the bread looks like cake and seems like chocolate cake. <S> When the bread especially the local type called kumba bread that I produced is oiled with enough butter inside before baking, the bread comes out from the oven very bright and having that coffee brown color so attractive to eat.
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From the chemical and physical point of view, without altering other variables (yeast, rising time, salt, amount of liquid,etc) a dough with less or no oil will me more elastic, allowing bigger bubbles and giving the bread a chewier texture.
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What precautions should be taken while cleaning silver utensils? I have silver cups, plates, and bowls too. Is it safe to clean them with normal washing powder? Or Does it need some extra attention? Also, how do I clean the layer of black tarnish/patina without damaging it? <Q> Dish soap will not damage silverware. <S> To remove tarnish you can get special silverware cleaning solutions like tarn- <S> x. <S> Note that the tarnish itself is a form if damage caused by the oxidized metal, <S> so by removing it you are essentially scraping of a tiny layer of silver every time. <S> Edit - A good tip <S> I forgot to mention: tarnish is self-limiting ( <S> meaning that only the surface of silver can get tarnished). <S> This means that the best way to prevent tarnish is by leaving on the existing layer of tarnish. <S> If you leave silver for 100 years and remove the tarnish the silverware will lose one layer of silver, then it will be good as new. <S> But if silver is de-tarnished every month for 100 years, you'd have to remove 1200 layers of silver. <S> So it's not good practice to de-tarnish too frequently; only do it when you need to. <A> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CsKLcc13WBo <S> No silver lost this way! <A> This is what I always do and it comes out <S> amazing http://howtohacklife101.blogspot.com/2012/02/how-to-clean-your-jewellery.html <S> I use the one with the shampoo
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Use a catalyst cleaning method; dunk your silverware into hot water with aluminium and soda http://www.darylscience.com/Demos/Silver.html
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How do I clean a pasta maker? I am experimenting with a home pasta maker, and after all the fun comes the cleaning up.My worries come from tiny bits of dry dough I find when I clean the machine. There always seem to be more every time I shake it, and they of course contain raw egg .On the instructions, it clearly says not to wash it with water. What's the best practice in this case (besides disassembling the thing)? <Q> The machine should not be accumulating bits of dough ... <S> it should be designed so that any stray crumbs of dough naturally fall out of it. <S> This is true of mine (Kitchen Aid Pasta Roller attachement) <S> an I merely use a stiff dry brush to clean off the bits of dough which stick to the outside. <S> If the pasta maker is metal, you definitely do not want to use water, as the instructions say. <S> You will never be able to dry it properly and it will rust. <S> If it's an inexpensive pasta maker, I would suggest trying a different brand. <S> If it's an expensive one, I would contact the manufacturer. <S> Otherwise, canned compressed air as the two commentors above suggest is worth a try. <S> FWIW, I wouldn't worry about the egg in the pasta dough becoming toxic. <S> However, I would worry about the dirty pasta maker attracting bugs. <A> A couple of things that might help help on this one: <S> Don't worry too much about any crumbs of dried egg dough making you sick. <S> You are going to boil whatever noodles you make for at least 3 minutes, aren't you? <S> If you washed your pasta machine with soap and water -like <S> I did- <S> just put it in a low oven (@150 degrees F.) for an hour, to gently dry the water out. <S> Don't go any hotter, and don't try to do this with a plastic machine. <S> The 3 hand cranked machines that I have seen had screws holding on the covers at either end of the rollers. <S> Open them up and brush a tiny bit of olive oil on the ends of the shafts and gears to keep them moving freely and to stop any rust. <A> I have a Kitchen Aide metal pasta maker! <S> You cannot make pasta without some particles getting caught in the machine no matter how carefull you are! <S> I have made Ravioli for 45 years and cannot understand why a machine was made that you cannot take apart and clean the inside! <S> We have tried a paper clip, straighten and shoved between the rollers. <S> Air is not the best either! <S> I get so frustrated every year with this darn thing! <A> Why not try a vacuum cleaner, rub a bit of mild disinfectant on the nozzle keep a little way from the machine. <S> It will certainly lift all the loose flour/semolina around the base of the machine <S> Set the rollers to their widest setting, hold the tube close to the rollers and as you crank the machine it should also remove all the gunk. <A> Perhaps being more careful would help but I doubt that you could prevent some pieces of dough from getting into the machine. <S> But with a little patience I have always succeeded. <S> I am not so much worried about getting any contamination as the dough is at the bottom and pretty far from the rollers. <S> It might be dangerous but my whole life I have eaten pasta as it dried. <S> Never got sick yet so <S> while I am not saying it is safe, I think I can say that it is rare that you will get toxic dough very easily. <S> If anyone knows of a maker that cleans easily please speak up.
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If your machine has a few dried pasta crumbs on it, just leave it out to dry and knock / pick the dried dough out with a brush or a chopstick. I usually end up taking it apart which is much easier than getting it back together. Inspect, and if you spot a few bits and pieces that haven’t been removed clean with a damp cloth
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How to deal with a fresh hare? My neighbour has just given me a freshly shot hare, but has been pretty unhelpful as to what I should do with it. Pheasants I can deal with, but this is a step too far. Any suggestions (apart from get rid of it) on how I can use it? How should I prepare it and what cooking methods will be effective? Note by the moderators: This question is not looking for recipe suggestions . It is OK to explain what methods (e.g. slow cooking, grilling, etc.) are generally good for a whole hare not prepared by a professional butcher. Answers about how to prepare it for cooking (e.g. gutting) are also welcome. Recipe suggestions will be deleted, as they are off-topic on our site. <Q> How to deal with a freshly shot hare. <S> Immediately it is shot, or as soon as possible thereafter, take hold of the carcase between the rear legs hold the legs downwards and apply pressure with both thumbs between the legs on the bladder to expel any urine onto the ground. <S> This will stop stale urine tainting the meat. <S> Do not paunch the hare. <S> Leave the entrails in situ and hang the hare by the hind legs in a cool dry place. <S> Use a perforated metal fly proof game larder if you have one. <S> If not, a cool dry area of a garage will suffice but you will need to inspect the carcase regularly to see that flies nave not laid eggs that have hatched into maggots. <S> Do not worry if it happens, just cut away and discard the affected area when you butcher the carcase. <S> The hare may drip blood from the nose this can be collected by tying a jam jar around the head to hang under the nose. <S> According to how gamey you like the meat to taste and the local temperature, ideally 40 – 50°F, hang the carcase for a week to two weeks. <S> After five days sniff it regularly to judge how ripe it is. <S> Fresh hare is tough, the longer it is left the tenderer and tastier it will become. <S> Paunch (remove the entrails) and skin the carcase. <S> Remove the head and tail but retain the liver, kidneys and heart to give added flavour to the stew. <S> Joint the carcase into from eight to ten pieces. <S> Cook <S> according to any recipe you fancy, There are lots on the web. <S> To my taste the essential ingredients among the many herbs listed are, in order of priority: juniper berries, a hot peppercorn (remove before serving), a glass or more of port, an onion studded with cloves (remove before serving) and other herbs to taste. <S> The keys to success are hanging the carcase until ripe and gamey and long slow cooking with plenty of herbs. <S> The dish is always nicer if left to cool overnight and then reheated. <S> Bon Appetit! <A> I've never worked with wild hare, but I know that Hank Shaw's site, http://honest-food.net , is a good source for game recipes, and instructions on breaking them down. <S> Here is a good starting point for hare: http://honest-food.net/wild-game/rabbit-hare-squirrel-recipes/ <A> I'll assume it is skinned and cleaned already. <S> Chop it into pieces (bigger than bite-size is fine--you don't really want bone fragments) and simmer it in broth on low heat until tender. <S> Probably the meat will be rather tough, so this cooking method will do well to make keep it moist and as tender as possible. <S> Typical European stew vegetables (onion, carrot, etc.) will go well with it. <A> Nonsense a freshly shot hare should be hung for up to 10 days at a temperature below 10degees celcius. <S> The head should always hang down in other words the hare should be hung up by its back legs. <S> The animal should NOT be paunched {cleaned and gutted or skinned until you are going to cook it. <S> I KNOW <S> I come from an old traditional knowledgable farming family. <A> From New Zealand... <S> I NEVER hang hares and I ALWAYS remove the stomach, intestines, bladder, pretty well right away after the hare is shot <S> and I head shoot or neck shoot my hares. <S> Simple recipe. <S> In the evening, in a bowl place the meat (know your meat, i.e. back steaks, rump, hind leg, etc). <S> You don't need to add salt. <S> You can use Garlic & Herb Salt. <S> Always sprinke pepper. <S> Mix. <S> Add thyme and sage - not too much. <S> You can also use cut up rosemary leaves which is really good to do. <S> Mix. <S> If you like you can pour over 1/2 Tablespoon of Rich Ruby Port. <S> Mix. <S> Cover with saucer plate and leave overnight in fridge. <S> Before cooking add chilli flakes - not too much - if you are me. <S> Fry on middle heat. <S> You don't have to cook all the meat as you take what you want and put the rest back in the refridgerator to age. <S> Tenderness depends on how you shot your hare! <S> And also the age of your hare. <S> Vegetables go in first before the hare meat. <S> Potatoes or cut up kumara go in first and meat doesn't go in until those are browned both sides (seasoned with pepper or tumeric or cumin). <S> Some red chilli slices and red capsicum slices go in when one side of potatoes or kumara browned. <S> Use olive oil and that burns off (vapourises) eventually or use Avocado Oil (nice). <S> Cut a tomato or two in halves and salt & pepper the halves and these go in when the meat is half cooked. <S> Use a lid over the pan! <S> The pan stops the hare meat drying out and the tomatoes add water which turns to steam to help moisturise and tenderise the meat! <S> Drink with whatever you want. <S> Hare for me is up there with Wildebeest and Thompson's Gazelle as my most favourite red meat or bascially my most favourite mammal meat. <S> No wonder Cheetahs hunt them down. <A> If you have a copy of The Joy of Cooking , it has a semi-decent overview of skinning/cleaning a rabbit, with illustrations.
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If you want to fancy it up a little, you could toss the hare pieces in flour and brown them in butter before adding to the stew. I would discard the organs and make a stew with it.
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What is the Purpose of Using Onions in (Almost) Every Soup Recipe? Almost every soup recipe seems to call for sauteed onions. For instance, I'm looking up recipes for squash soup, and every single one calls for onions -- but every soup recipe I can think of uses onions, so it's not just this type. So what's the purpose of adding onion? <Q> Sauteed onions can provide both caramel flavors (from the sugars in the onions) and Maillard reaction compounds , depending on how they are sauteed. <S> Thus onions can supply a range of "umami" flavors for soup which otherwise you need to get through roasting animal bones and other tissue (e.g. brown veal stock). <S> Of course, even beef stocks often add onion as well for extra flavor. <S> As an extreme example of this, I often prepare a vegetarian French Onion soup using a meat-free broth made entirely from onions, onion skins, and cheese rind. <S> Blind tasters often fail to distinguish it from a store-bought beef stock. <S> You can get a lot of the same flavors from combinations of other browned vegetables, but onions neatly supply a perfect package of flavor compounds in one inexpensive, long-keeping root vegetable. <S> Why use anything else? <A> Onion is a great way to add moisture without adding liquid. <S> It caramelizes beautifully and has a unique sugar. <S> It also makes the palate water and it thereby stimulates a chemical breakdown and, likewise stimulates the taste receptor activity. <S> As a component of mire-poix, it is a traditional component of older soups (typically of European origin). <S> The chemicals that make your eyes water open up your gustatory system to a broader spectrum of flavor. <A> It's a good flavor that goes with just about anything. <S> I think I use onions in about 80% of savory dishes that I cook. <A> In addition to all the answers stating the flavour benefits of onion, it is also worth remembering that onions are packed with important nutrients which we don't always get enough of. <S> Sulfur is important in a vast number of our physiological processes and onions and brassicas are excellent sources. <S> They also provide dietary fibre, vitamin C, folic acid and a range of anti-oxidants and other chemicals and minerals which can aid the body in regulating everything from bone density to blood sugar levels. <S> Bear in mind also that soups have a lot of water, so you need to work at building up a flavour profile to stop them tasting watery, particularly if animal fats and proteins are in short supply. <S> and nutrient <S> you get a lot of bang for your buck and onions and other alliums become traditional in soups. <S> Onions become traditional because they are extraordinarily good for us and while they may not be the most nutritionally dense package, being over 80% water, they have always been within the reach of all but the very poorest and also store well to provide vitamins and nutrients through the non-growing months. <S> Apparently we have been cultivating onions for so long that no-one now knows where the wild plants first originated, <S> when european settlers arrived in the Americas they had taken onions with them to cultivate, but found that the americans were already growing and cooking them.
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Soups and stews are often peasant dishes at root and onions are an easy thing to grow with access to only a small kitchen garden or allotment so for flavour
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Is it safe to put a plate directly on a recently-on gas burner? As someone who lives in an apartment with a small kitchen, I often find myself repurposing the stovetop as a food prep space. I've always tried to avoid putting plates down on a (gas) burner that was recently on, in case there's any residual heat in the guard (the iron part that actually holds up the pot...not sure of the correct word). I have cracked warm glasses by pouring cold liquid into them, and I don't want that to happen with a plate. However, I'm putting hot food straight from the pan onto that plate, and the pan was just recently on that burner. If the heat from the food doesn't crack the plate, does that mean that it would be safe to put the plate on the burner? <Q> I don't recommend it. <S> I have had a plate crack before after being placed on a recently turned-off burner, and on another occasion ended up with burned fingertips when I totally forget that I had done so. <S> I have in the past used a cooling rack over recently used burners that gives you a bit of elevation, and an automatic work space/storage space. <S> Hope this helps. <A> I disagree with the other answers. <S> The plate will be warmed, but not enough to shatter. <S> First, I assume that you are talking porcelain plates. <S> Glass (or Luminarc, etc.) is another matter. <S> Porcelain is much more heat shock resistant. <S> Second, while the metal has both a higher heat capacity and a higher mass than food (as Jefromi mentioned in his comment), it also has a much higher heat conductivity than food (80 W/(m. <S> K) for iron, 0.58 for water, and food is mostly water) which means that it loses heat quicker than food, not slower. <S> Third, look at the shape of the gas burner. <S> Unlike a resistive electrical stove, you don't put the plate on a heated plane surface. <S> There is a metal grid which supports the plate. <S> Yes, its bars are hot. <S> But they are small and thin, and sit in the air. <S> Which means that, due to their shape, they lose their heat quickly. <S> Fourth, look at the plate from below. <S> All plates I have seen have a small rim on the underside. <S> This means that you don't even have the whole metal bars come into contact with the plate (which still wouldn't have been too bad); the only part you get heat exchange are the small points where the plate rim touches the bars. <S> Take all this together, and you see that the heat transfer is very small. <S> A broken plate can't be completely ruled out, but based solely on the strength of the thermal shock, the chance for it happening is way below the chance of a room-temperature porcelain teapot shattering when somebody pours boiling water into it. <S> And people do that all the time, so <S> I would see it as an acceptable risk level. <S> (My urge to tell them to preheat their pot for better tea notwithstanding). <A> This is probably a bad idea - I forget the physical term for it, but the metal burner cover holds its heat much better than the food does - you would be willing to touch the food a few seconds off the flame, but you probably don't want to touch the metal for a good five or ten minutes. <A> EXPLODE <S> How i know this? <S> I accidently put a plate on my hot stove and it shattered
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I do not reccomand this because When you put a plate on it it will have a chance where the chemeicals in the plate will heat up and when it heats to a certian temputure it will Shatter or in other words
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Why am I getting runny whipped cream from my iSi canister? Lately when I try to use my iSi the whipped cream just comes out very runny. Does anyone know why this happens and what I can do about it? <Q> Things to check: Seal. <S> If the seal is broken/erroded gas will be able to escape and will therefore not whip your cream - giving you a liquid. <S> Canister (Charge) <S> - Are you using a fresh charge (ie. <S> NOS canister)? <S> While it is unlikely, it is possible that you have either a dud box <S> or it has somehow become damaged. <S> Position - Are you holding it correctly? <S> I believe it should be completely inverted when using it forcing the gas through the cream as it escapes. <S> Double check your instructions for your specific whipper. <S> Cold cream will work better than warm - What is the temperature of the cream you are trying to whip? <S> Also I assume you are using 100% dairy cream? <S> I've had mixed results with things like elmlea (a UK low fat "cream" that uses vegetable oil instead of dairy fat). <A> If you read the manual for the ISI whip, it has a few suggestions. <S> The list goes like this: -The whip is overfilled, pour some out and repressurize -The device was not shaken enough (shake it vigorously and try again) <S> -The contents are too hot (let cool in the fridge) <S> -Your cream contains too little fat (it needs to be 30% minimum) <S> -If using a binding agent, you may have added the improper amount or used it incorrectly. http://www.isinorthamerica.com/fileadmin/files/images/iSi_North_America/Images/Documents/Creative_Whip_ENGLISH.pdf <A> A cold canister held upside down works best. <S> I haven't read about doing this anywhere else <S> so maybe I'm going to blow myself up one day. <S> I also like to flavour my cream right in the canister. <S> A packet of good vanilla sugar does wonders. <S> I know some chefs heat the cream first to melt in a little white chocolate and then cool it and put it into the canister (haven't tried this yet).
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I double charge my canister and find it produces a better structured, denser cream.
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Vegetarian Alternative to Bacon-wrapped Sausages? I'm making a batch of Brown Sugar Smokies for a potluck, and wanted to provide a vegetarian alternative. I know that brown sugar'd carrots are good, so I figured they're a decent substitute for the sausages. Is there a good alternative for the bacon? I was thinking of using mushrooms, which probably have the right texture, but I don't eat them enough to know whether that would be a decent taste or just gross. <Q> I'm assuming your goal is to try and capture the main elements that make bacon wrapped smokies great: sweet, salty, meaty, and smoky. <S> For a vegetarian finger food, grilled tofu would be my first choice. <S> This recipe mirrors the flavor profile of the bacon wrapped smokies pretty closely: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/crispy-barbequed-tofu-slices/detail.aspx <S> If you're not a fan of tofu, mushrooms would be my second choice. <S> Stuffed mushrooms that are grilled instead of baked would give you a nice subtle smokiness, and they are always a crowd pleaser: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/mouth-watering-stuffed-mushrooms/detail.aspx <S> And last but not least, I'm a big fan of grilled eggplant. <S> This grilled eggplant and ricotta crostini recipe keeps a nice balance of sweet, salty, smoky, and rich: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/anne-burrell/grilled-eggplant-and-ricotta-crostini-recipe/index.html <A> This may be off-base as a one-to-one substitute, but I like Vegan Naked Fatties . <S> Basically, it is riffing on the Naked Fatties recipe here , only I had some alternative folks to appease . <S> Obviously it's not bacon but <S> I modified it to make for a similar salty-savory taste. <S> That said, if you're trying to impress vegan/vegetarian friends with a replicant, this one is an easy-to-accomplish endeavor. <S> Otherwise, you can just use Fake Bacon strips or Tofurkey slices to wrap it in faux-meat; those don't allow you much flexibility to complement flavors as well though. <A> There are a few vegan/vegetarian bacon products out there. <S> The one that we have been happiest with is Smart Bacon . <S> It has a good smoky flavor and if you're careful to not let it dry out, it has a pleasant, meaty texture. <S> If you're planning to wrap something in Smart Bacon, I would recommend using toothpicks, as it won't stick to itself like I've seen pork bacon do.
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Straight up breaded, fried tofu is also very tasty and versatile (it is fried, after all), and you could serve it with a variety of dipping sauces.
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Can cold-brew coffee be heated? Why? Apparently keeping coffee hot and reheating it both lead to bad flavors: How can I reheat coffee without imparting bad flavor? Why does coffee taste awful after reheating it in a microwave oven? However, can you cold-brew coffee and then heat it (microwave or other) without ruining the flavors? If so, why? <Q> Yes, you can. <S> In fact, this is a specific technique known as a " coffee toddy " which is a good way to take liquid coffee camping with you if you don't want to take brewing equipment. <S> Some people even prefer coffee made this way to other methods of brewing. <A> Yes. <S> Coffee gets its flavor from a number of compounds such as oils, which can break down at high temperatures. <S> But this takes time. <S> Also, caffeine is quite stable at hot-coffee temperatures. <A> Heating didnt work for me. <S> I tried this today. <S> Yesterday I soaked a tsp of illy in water for 24 hrs. <S> It came up quite good. <S> Not very bitter. <S> I filtered it and heated it on very low heat, (a setting of 3 out of 6 on my hot plate) until it started to give off a little steam. <S> Now it felt quite bitter on tasting. <S> I always make my hot coffee in a moka on this temprature and its doesnt burn, <S> So I dont think I burnt my cold brew <A> My experience of heating coffee in a microwave is very negative, although I cannot explain the mechanism for it turning out so awful. <S> It may be the effect of the hot coffee cooling down, rather than the effect of the reheating. <S> We've all experienced coffee that's been sat on the hotplate for too long; bitter and acrid. <S> You risk this "burning" effect if you heat cold coffee on a hotplate. <S> Cold press coffee is generally brewed very strong indeed; about twice as strong as espresso. <S> Hence you can add boiling water at a ratio of, say, 3:1 and have an acceptably warm cup of coffee - and this is what people usually do. <S> If you want to microwave for extra heat, just microwave the full-strength cold-brew for 10 seconds or so, before adding water from the kettle. <A> Cold brewing and storing in the fridge can be done with an Aeropress without loosing flavor. <S> This thread talks about both cold brewing and keeping it in the fridge: http://coffeegeek.com/forums/coffee/machines/432108
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As long as you drink the coffee before it gets stale, heating it should be fine.
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Why do black olives typically come in cans and green olives typically come in jars? Typically pitted ripe (black) olives are sold in cans but green olives and specialty olives (e.g., Kalamata) are in jars. Is this due to properties of the olives and different storage needs? <Q> It's for marketing purposes. <S> People who can see the food inside the jar are more likely to buy it. <S> Subconsciously a tall jar full of olives is more pleasing to the eyes than a can which is full to an unknown percentage. <S> Another good thing about a glass container is that it is resealable, so the olives remain fresh longer. <S> So why don't they do this with black olives? <S> Jars are more expensive than cans or other cheap plastic containers. <S> Green olives seem to be more popular in american cuisine than black olives. <S> Companies have more budget to afford more expensive packaging for green olives than for black olives. <A> I would speculate that typically, black olives are consumed all at one time, as they are usually an ingredient in something. <S> Green olives, however, are often consumed only a few at a time as a snack or in a drink, so being able to reseal the jar is much more useful. <A> If I understand this article correctly, it's because of how the two different types of olives are made, and packaged safely. <S> Most olives are green at first and then turn black/purple when they are ripe. <S> Most black olives that are sold at the grocery store have been ripened artificially with certain substances/chemicals. <S> These chemicals apparently are a good breeding ground for some bacteria and diseases. <S> So these artificially ripened black olives need to be cooked for a while at a certain temperature after being packaged in their container - a process that only metal cans allow for, not glass jars. <S> I suppose there is room for different kinds of olives and different processes, which is why you'll find exceptions to this in niche stores, but the commonly available, non-specialty olives are probably packaged like that for this reason. <S> There is another article <S> that's sort of confusing though, that validates the whole food safety issue.
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It also depends on where the olives come from - I eat a lot of olives from a niche Greek grocery store, and all of the olives (green or black) are in plastic containers, most likely because of the economics of the region from which they were imported.
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How do I get the flaky top on ooey gooey butter bars? I'm making Paula Deen's Ooey Gooey Butter Bars (also known as Ooey Gooey Butter Cake) for holiday goodie baskets. I'm having trouble getting the top to be flaky like it is on the bars sold at the store - the same kind of flaky top that's on brownies. I'm guessing I'm either not mixing something long enough or mixing it too long or something. I've seen pictures of the process online and my top batter looks EXACTLY like the batter in the picture, but something is going wrong. In my eight tries, it's only turned out right twice. I can tell when it's going wrong during the baking process, because the top fluffs up and the crust never forms. For the unfamiliar, this is a bar with a cake mix-butter-one egg crust on the bottom. The topping is a block of softened cream cheese, one stick of melted butter, two eggs, vanilla and two cups of powdered sugar. Could it be the quality of the ingredients? I've used no-name butter sometimes and other times Land O'Lakes. Help! <Q> With the recipe you mentioned there is no indication as to what temperature <S> the cream cheese and butter should be at <S> and I'm guessing that's one possible item making the difference. <S> Since it looks a little like a creaming or foaming (sponge) <S> method for whipping ingredients, I'd try to make sure my butter, eggs, and cream cheese, but especially butter, were around 70 degrees <S> F. <S> You want them to be able to incorporate air. <S> The first link talks about how to get things crispier or fluffier based on how long you cream, etc. <S> Then you will want to play around with batter temperature when it hits the oven. <S> Also note that more fat in a cookie recipe, at least, is equivalent to crispier. <S> Are you subbing nuefchatel cheese or low fat or no fat cream cheese for the cream cheese? <S> If so, don't. <S> Moisture in sugar has an impact so make sure you aren't subbing any other sugar for powdered. <S> Real gooey butter cake is a yeast cake rather than the rip-off versions that use cake mix and not really all that much more complicated, although more time consuming. <S> You may want to try doing a more authentic recipe , or at least one that uses a yeast cake. <S> I have had success with the one linked. <A> You can't really trust how batter looks. <S> A small change in how much baking soda or baking powder goes in would totally change the outcome, but wouldn't affect the batter's appearance. <S> If you've made it right twice before, it sounds like your problem is consistency. <S> Convert your recipe into one that uses weight instead of volume (grams/ounces instead of teaspoons/cups). <S> 1 cup of flour, packed, can be way more flour than 1 cup of flour sifted--there's really no way to be precise when using volume measurements. <S> I've spent time doing some Googling to convert a recipe from one that uses cups to one that uses grams, then measure out those quantities with a kitchen scale. <S> If you're using the built in oven thermostat, those can be extremely imprecise-- <S> I'd recommend buying an oven thermometer or borrowing one from a friend. <S> They're typically less than 10 dollars and are very accurate. <S> If it turns out that it's different from what temp your oven reports, trust the thermometer instead. <A> its' your sugar..it has to be 1 lb. <S> Your'e only using 2 cups. <S> Follow the instruction and you should end up with a flaky top.
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The other thing you may want to check is your oven temp.
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What caused my blueberry muffins to come out flat? I made blueberry muffins two times. The first time I used unbleached flour. I don't remember if I used salted or unsalted butter then. They came out looking like from a bakery. The second time, I used bleached flour and salted butter. They came out flat and didn't look nice. Was it the flour or the butter which made the difference? <Q> The difference was definitely not caused by the salted or unsalted butter. <S> It is also very unlikely that the problem was the flour. <S> Some of the usual reasons for muffins to come out flat are: <S> you forgot the baking powder ( <S> but then they are a complete failure, I guess you would have noticed if that had happened) <S> you measured by volume instead of by weight. <S> This is very imprecise and can easily result in too little baking powder for the amount of other ingredients. <S> You should use a recipe given in grams and a kitchen scale, if you want consistent results. <S> you let the prepared batter sit for too long before putting it into the oven, and the baking powder spent itself before the baking began <S> you baked at a wrong temperature, so the batter hardened either too early or too late. <S> you used ingredients at the wrong temperature (your eggs came from the fridge, your butter wasn't softened or you tried to soften it in a warm place and it melted, etc.) <S> Always start with room temperature ingredients for baking. <S> You don't give us enough information to know which happened, but if you want to have good muffins every time, avoid these common mistakes and your muffins have a good chance of looking good in every batch. <A> I'd say either baking powder or you opened the oven's door while it was baking. <S> I've experienced that both of them could be the reason of the flat muffins. <S> Sift the flour and mix baking powder with it before adding it to the batter. <A> I'd bet you stirred the batter to much. <S> When adding the dry ingredients, you should fold them in, not stir, and don't over fold either. <S> Once the dry ingredients are incorporated, stop.
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Also, the oven should be hot enough when you want to put the batter in it.
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How can I quickly save an unflavorful curry? I prepared an Indian curry last night for this evening's meal. The dish I made is based upon a lamb curry recipe, replacing the lamb with pieces of aubergine. The main ingredients are aubergines (eggplant), yoghurt, ginger, turmeric, cumin and chilli. Note that when I was adding in the aubergines, I was not paying close attention to the original recipe's quantities. After cooking it, I gave the dish a taste test, and the flavor is rather bland. I think the problem may be having too low a ration of spices to aubergines. Tonight, I will not have much time to fix the curry's flavor before dinnertime. Does anyone know what the best way would be to quickly add more flavor into this pre-made curry? Is it as simple as adding some raw ginger and spices, or is there a better approach? <Q> Indian curry traditionally has - in addition to the ginger, turmeric, cumin and chili (I assume you mean <S> chili powder) that you used - a generous amount of garam masala, coriander powder, and garlic. <S> Sometimes you'll see "curry powder" used in recipes instead of garam masala; they are similar but not exactly the same. <S> Either one of these would be fine, and arguably the most important missing ingredient here. <S> I'm not even sure you could legitimately call it a curry without one of the above. <S> Depending on your spice tolerance, you might need to add more chili powder as well. <S> Note that most spices in a curry will need to be heated before they'll really release their aromas (and therefore flavour) <S> , so you can't just add them cold, and I definitely don't think you'd want the taste of raw garlic/ginger in your curry, even if it is presently tasteless. <S> Give it a good simmer after adding some garlic (powder is fine) and garam masala or curry powder and you might be able to salvage it. <S> Or you could try heating the new spices dry, for a very short time, to give them a bit of a head start aroma-wise; just be very careful not to burn them. <A> if it was me, I'd blend garlic and ginger (and fresh chillies if you want) to a paste into a small blender/coffee grinder (not one you actually use for coffee though), I'd warm some cumin and coriander seeds in a dry pan, then grind them down in a pestle and mortar. <S> Then I'd heat a table spoon of oil, add the spices back to it, fry for a few seconds, then add the garlic/ginger/chilli paste, cook that for a few mins on a highish heat and add to the curry. <S> Then I'd season with lemon and salt/pepper. <S> you could also chop a handful of fresh coriander leaf and/or fresh mint and stir that through, which will give you a nice freshness and should compliment the lamb nicely. <S> If you have it, some tamarind loosened with a bit of hot water is a nice alternative to lemon, with a more savoury sourness, and can quickly add a bit of punch to a curry. <A> First suggestion is to check your seasonings. <S> Remember that the key when seasoning is to bring out the flavors already there - your dish shouldn't taste like salt, sugar, or acid. <S> You can certainly try and add more spices, but that won't make a difference if your seasoning is off. <S> Second suggestion would be to remove some of the aubergine. <S> By itself it doesn't have much flavor, so removing some of it to bring the rest of the ingredients in balance might help. <A> In Indian curries, you almost always fry onions, and add the spices to the frying onions (and continue frying for not too long.) <S> It sounds like you're making "bangan bharta" like this recipe . <S> Notice this step: <S> Heat oil in a pan, add garlic ,green chilli and chopped onions and fry over medium flame until light golden brown. <S> Add red chilli powder, garam masala powder and turmeric powder. <S> That's what you should do, and add the onions to the final product. <S> If you already have onions in your dish, just do this with less onion. <S> Also, don't forget the salt. <S> Salt can really affect how much you can taste the other spices. <A> If you have one medium bowl or dish that you need to rescue, try the below steps: <S> First cut an onion into small pieces. <S> Cut a medium size of the tomato (To make it tangier). <S> Now take two tablespoons of oil, heat in a pan and put a half teaspoon of cumin. <S> Put, the cut onion in the pan. <S> Just add salt for taste and cover it with a lid. <S> Keep the lid closed till the oil float on all the sides. <S> All this should be done in low flame. <S> Now after the oil floats on all the side add cut tomato and stir it with a ladle. <S> close the lid and cook for 3 mins. <S> Now add your bowl of curry to the pan and mix it well and keep the lid closed till the oil floats on all the sides in slow flame. <S> Now the dish is cooked. <S> Add some chopped coriander leafs. <S> The dish is ready to serve !!! <A> I recently made an eggplant curry using yellow Madras curry, onion, potato, sweet potato, fresh tomatoes, ginger paste, and coconut cream. <S> I sweated the onion first in some butter, added the dry spices and heated them before adding the harder vegetables (potato & sweet potato) and then added the softer tomatoes and eggplant with the coconut cream and let it all simmer. <S> My curry was great but still felt it was missing something; the next day I added heated it in a pan with a little lemon juice & a handful of fresh cilantro at the end. <S> The acid and hit from the freshly wilted herbs added dimension and helped the other flavours pop. <S> Lemon and cilantro are versatile since they can play nicely with either an Asian or an Indian spice palette. <S> Note: <S> the photo I have attached is from the first day <S> I made it without the herbs added.
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Adding various amounts of sweetener, salt, or acid (vinegar, lemon/lime juice, etc.) is the easiest way to bring out the flavors already there.
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How can I use my crock pot for a stove top soup? Some soup recipes want the soup to cook on the stove for a few hours. Most of the time it is not a problem for me to do that if I am home. However, sometimes I have to leave the house for a few hours and I do not like leaving with the stove on. To me, crock pots seem safer for that. I am not asking about the safety of leaving the house with the stove on though. I want to know what setting to put the crock pot on if the soup recipe says to simmer on low (referring to the stove). <Q> It depends on what kind of settings your crock pot has. <S> A low simmer on the stove is probably equivalent to something fairly low on your slow cooker, though. <S> If all you have is warm, low, and high, you want low - in some cases it might be too hot, though. <S> You're aiming for just short of boiling, so a setting that gets you a few bubbles now and then is good. <S> More than that <S> and you're cooking a bit vigorously, and on a "warm" setting you likely aren't heating it enough to cook properly and stay safe. <S> If you have some kind of continuous settings, you can possibly adjust to get exactly where you want! <A> <A> There are two reasons you may want to boil soup: <S> To hold the ingredients at the liquid's boiling point for a period of time, so that they get cooked To reduce the soup - that is to thicken it by removing water in the form of steam <S> You're not likely to be able to reduce soup effectively in a crock pot. <S> For one thing, they are only likely to bring the liquid to a very gentle boil -- usually to reduce soup we bring it to a full rolling boil, to lose as much water as possible. <S> For another thing, crock pots are designed to be run with the lid on, so very little steam gets lost. <S> Crock pots are brilliant, however, for holding food at boiling point. <S> Start it on high; as soon as you see bubbles, bump it down to low. <S> If you're going out, just set it to low - it'll reach boiling point eventually. <S> If you usually add water to the soup, use slightly less when using a crock pot, because less of it will boil away.
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An alternative to the crock pot is the oven: preheat your oven to 200F/90C; meanwhile, assemble the soup in a heavy oven-proof pot (no plastic handles!), bring to a simmer on the stove, then cover and bake.
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Omelet help.... gah why is it so hard? Possible Duplicate: How to succeed with making omelette Omelets continue to elude me... It appears to be such a simple concept, but I always end up making scramble eggs with the mushrooms and cheese. Here's what I do Mix egg and milkPour into skillet on low-med heat, and it fills the entire bottomlet it cook a little, then throw on the extras (mushroom, or meat and blackbean) Then it goes awry... i see uncooked egg so I'm hesitant to fold it over, and if I leave it to cook i'm scared of burning the egg. I'll eventually fold it with runny egg, then i think to flip the whole thing to cook it some more and then i breaks apart. or i'll watch it then it gets really questionable in the area of over-cooked, so I mash it up into scrambled eggs.. What should I be doing? Any tricks or secrets to the basic task of making an omelet? <Q> Cover it! <S> This in effect steams the top of the egg, ensuring it is cooked before the bottom burns <S> This also increases the fluffiness of the egg :-) <S> You will then be able to fold or flip with ease <A> Addressing specifically how to not get that raw egg... <S> I either cover it like @TFD suggests...or simply stick it in the oven for a minute or so under the broiler, it finishes nice and quick and you can visibly see when its done quite easily. <A> To minimize the uncooked egg, as soon as the egg starts to set, use a spatula to push the edges away from the sides of the pan. <S> Tilt the pan to drain some of the uncooked egg into the gap. <S> Continue doing this along the edges as uniformly as possible, until the majority of the runny eggs in the middle are gone. <S> The process of pushing the edges towards the middle should help avoid your center from becoming too thin, and should add some extra structure to it to avoid having it fall apart when you fold it. <A> When I started making omelets I had a hard time with the raw egg in the middle <S> so I would flip the whole egg like pancake and cook it inside out. <S> now I have come to terms but try that so you can get past the raw egg thing. <A> For technique like omelet making a video is worth a thousand words. <S> You will find an excellent presentation of omelet making from Alton Brown's show "Good Eats". <S> In the episode " Zen and the Art of Omelet Maintenance " you will learn the secrets of Omelet making. <S> (link is to part 1, there you will find a link to part 2) <A> Although of course you should make omelette to suit your own taste, the archetypal gourmet omelette has uncooked egg in the middle, so I personally fold it over quite early. <S> Here's what I do. <S> Crack a couple of eggs into a measuring jug, add salt and pepper, and give it a very gentle stir; enough to break the yolks, but not to make it completely homogeneous. <S> Don't use eggs straight from the fridge; they need to be room temperature. <S> Milk or cream is optional at this point. <S> Heat the frying pan on medium-to-high. <S> When it's hot, put in a knob of butter, and wait until it begins to smoke. <S> Tip in the mixed eggs; there should be an immediate sizzle. <S> Swirl the pan <S> so it covers the base of the pan. <S> Don't touch it until you're ready to fold, which for me is as soon it's solid enough for that to work. <S> If you don't like uncooked egg, maybe leave it longer. <S> If you're adding a filling, do it now ( <S> I like gently fried mushrooms). <S> Two ways to fold: <S> By taking the pan handle, shuffling the omelette up the pan side, and flicking it up and over onto itself. <S> With a spatula <S> Give it a few seconds more on that side, then flip the whole thing over to brown the other side. <S> It's ready! <A> In culinary school we spent HOURS on Omelets. <S> This is by far the easiest way to prepare a proper french omelet (as an aside a proper french omelet <S> should not have any color and should be just barely finished cooking on the inside). <S> Start with well beaten eggs, milk is not necessary. <S> Season with salt and pepper. <S> Place a liberal amount of clarified butter (clarified not necessary but helps) in a very clean nonstick pan (we would do a salt treatment - place cup of salt in pan and heat over flame for 20 mins - on our pans to ensure all impurities are gone). <S> Get your fat hot over medium high flame. <S> Now pour in your eggs and using a small plastic fork start scrambling the eggs. <S> This will get as much of the eggs on the heat as possible. <S> This part should take about 20-30 seconds if your pan is hot enough. <S> Now add your ingredients (my fav is shrimp and avocado). <S> At this point if you have any cheese in your ingredients you can cover to help it melt for another 30 or so seconds. <S> Now using a thin spatula, fold over one side and tip the pan over onto a plate. <S> When we were making them in school the chef had a stopwatch and as soon as we took longer than like 2:30 he would take the pan throw it away and make us start over, if it had any color, same thing. <S> It also is rather helpful if your other ingredients are already warm so you're not having to heat them through the egg barrier and only really just melting the cheese.
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The secret to omelette not having a runny middle, and being able to handle it without it breaking is to use a loose fitting lid (or another pan, upside down) as a cover for most of, if not all of the initial cooking
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For a baking beginner, what cake icing you recommend? I am a beginner in cooking/baking. I have tried a couple of cake and muffin recipes, the simple ones turn into a hard crust after a while. There are good ones that need temperature measurements and are complicated for me to make like "Cake Decorating: How to Make Buttercream Icing" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n9xIxBbocYI Is there a simpler one that a novice can make, for general cake or muffin icing? <Q> Buttercream is pretty simple, start with room temperature butter, beat it until it's white, slowly add icing sugar, add small amounts of milk as needed to keep the consistency right. <S> For each 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) of butter, use about 1 1/2 cups of icing sugar (sifted) and 3 Tbsp of milk. <S> You can do it in a mixer, a food processor, or just use a bowl and a whisk. <S> I used a whisk a few days ago when I realized my large stand mixer is overkill for the small amount of icing I wanted <S> and I found that microwaving the icing for about 10 seconds helped me stir in the sugar when it was getting too thick. <A> Half the time when I'm making buttercream type frosting, I go with melted butter, and just mix icing sugar in to taste - forming a kind of paste or glaze consistency. <S> It has a flatter, less fluffy consistency this way, instead of doing it the "right" way with whipped butter - but I am usually more concerned about the flavor profile, especially if its for casual eating rather than for guests. <S> Its quick and easy and foolproof, this way, and easy to add make just a little or add more if running low, since you don't have to fluff ingredients separately. <S> Other than that, you can make a glaze quickly by making a thick liquid or paste of the powdered sugar with any reasonable liquid (or, yanno, unreasonable ones if that floats your boat). <S> Water is easy, as ann mentioned, but you can use milk, or juice if you want a quickly flavored glaze, melted chocolate, any syrup that strikes your fancy, whatever. <A> It is made by mixing butter and powdered/confectioners sugar. <S> Sounds like that's what you've made and what the other posters are recommending. <S> American buttercream is a crusting buttercream. <S> So the crust you mentioned is normal. <S> If you prefer that it doesn't crust, you may want to try a different type of frosting or buttercream. <S> Chocolate ganache is a great frosting and very easy. <S> Use 1:1 heavy cream to chocolate that is chopped or chocolate chips. <S> Heat the cream to almost boiling. <S> Pour the hot cream over the chocolate. <S> Let it sit for a few minutes. <S> Then stir until smooth. <S> Let it cool until you like the consistency. <S> If you want, you can cool it all the way then whip it up for a lighter texture. <S> It will not crust. <A> The most basic recipe is to mix icing sugar with a very small amount of water to make a paste. <S> Drizzle it over the muffins. <S> But if you want something that you can pipe <S> then I agree buttercream is the way to go, I use this one... <S> https://www.howtocookthat.net/public_html/buttercream-cupcake-frosting-recipes/
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There are different types of buttercream, but the one most commonly used by new bakers is American buttercream.
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Are electric knives used in foodservice? After learning several months ago that immersion blenders and many other kitchen gadgets/appliances have foodservice equivalents that are usually much more powerful and durable than the consumer equivalents, I've been on the lookout for a "foodservice-grade" electric knife. However, after scouring several of my usual physical and online restaurant supply sources, it would appear that I'm chasing a ghost. "Electric [carving] knife" is a foreign concept. It's possible that they just go by another name (e.g. foodservice immersion blenders are often called "power mixers" or just "mixers") but I don't think so. So for those who've worked at one: Are electric knives ever seen in professional kitchens? If so, do they just use the cheap consumer products or is there a commercial equivalent? And if not, then why not - is it deemed impractical over a good-quality "manual" carving knife or is there some other reason why they seem to be shunned? <Q> I would consider the professional equivalent of the electric carving knife to be the meat slicer, i.e. the rotating blade device most often seen behind the deli counter. <S> At home, to break down a roast bird, take the meat off of a lamb-leg, etc., a good manual knife is most likely the proper tool. <S> If, on the other hand, I have a large ham (cooked or cold), or some other chunk of boneless meat that I want to slice more-or-less uniformly, then I will break out my electric knife. <S> For the home user, it is a fairly practical device, not taking up too much space, etc. <S> But its uniformity and speed cannot compare to the slicer. <S> As to a professional kitchen, you may or may not find one there. <S> In a more traditional restaurant they are not as concerned with quick production of sliced meat, so any slicing is probably done by hand. <A> I've been worked in the restaurant equipment and supply industry for 12 years, and have had many customers ask for these commercial electric knives. <S> No such thing...why? <S> Simple... <S> electric knives are not NSF (National Sanitation Foundation) approved. <S> All equipment and supplies used in a commercial food service application must comply with NSF standards. <S> Hope this helps! <A> I once worked int the kitchen at a chain bar-n-grill joint in the US. <S> They specified electric knives for carving sandwiches: supposedly they made a neater cut and didn't mush the bread so much. <S> Certainly it was hard to keep the main knives sharp enough to do a good job: <S> cheap junk that you couldn't pay me to use in my kitchen. <S> But teens on their second summer job don't have a lot of swing. <S> As far as I could tell the electric knifes supplied for the task were the same ones you'd use at home. <A> I don't think they caught on here at all, professional kitchen or amateur. <S> The closest thing you get here is the meat slicer at delis which sdg mentioned.
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Certainly in deli-type restaurants you would have them.
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When do I freeze tamales? I don't want to be ridiculous but I'm uncertain at what point I can freeze tamales. Do I steam them and then freeze or do I assemble and then freeze? I would like to make a large batch and freeze since they are time consuming. Also, when they come out of the freezer then what? Any help is greatly appreciated. <Q> I would steam them, let them cool, then freeze them. <S> If you buy them in large quantites from a vendor or from a fund raiser or something, they come already steamed. <S> As for prep, I would think the microwave is the best answer, as that ought to keep them nice and moist while they are cooking. <S> Steaming them again would probably work, but might take a while. <S> And while I haven't tried it, I suspect an oven might dry them out too much. <A> In response to when you should freeze your tamales; I have been making tamales with my family since I was a child. <S> We assembly our tamales and put a dozen of them in a freezer bag. <S> We usually make them two or three weeks in advance. <S> The morning that we cook them we set them on the kitchen counter to thaw. <S> We place them on towels, as they thaw they drip water. <S> We cook about 4 dozen at a time. <S> We steam them in a big pot with a steamer at the bottom of the pot. <S> I don't know what it is called, but it is a big disk with holes it in that fits in the bottom of the pot. <S> You know they are done when you take one out and let it set for about 5 minutes to cool. <S> It is done when it pulls away from the corn husk easily and is firm. <S> We have keep them in the freezer uncooked for up to a year! <S> They usually don't last that long because we eat them! <S> However, this year mom had some hiding in her freezer and we cooked them. <S> They were great. <S> To reheat after they are cooked, just steam them again for a little while. <A> The best way to reheat tamales either frozen or unfrozen is to wet a paper towel and wrap it around the tamale husk, making like a package. <S> Mike for a minute if unfrozen. <S> This way the masa stays nice and moist and never dries out. <S> As far as freezing is concerned, I don't freeze them unsteamed because the whole process is kind of damp or wet <S> and they could get freezer burn, I like to steam them first, thoroughly cool them and have them nice and dry, and then slip them into a Freezer Ziplock bag. <A> I would take the same tack as enchiladas; assemble then freeze. <S> Use a solid bag and a heated water bath to warm filing, then steam to get tamales where you want them with respect to the shell.
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We freeze them before we cook them. We steam them for 2 - 3 hours.
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Uses for juicer pulp What do you do with juicer pulp? Does it still contain any flavor to make something out of it? How about vitamins? <Q> This depends on the type of juicer and how well it extracts the juice from the fruit. <S> The best juicers leave a relatively flavourless pulp (which is, however, very high in fiber). <S> If you're curious about the flavour, try tasting it! <S> (I've heard of the pulp being used to make muffins, but other flavouring agents are definitely required). <S> I am not sure about the vitamins, I am willing to guess that they exist primarily suspended within liquid (water for the water-soluble vitamins, oil for the fat-soluble ones) and a good juicer will leave only trace amounts of either type in the pulp. <A> In some asian cuisine, you can sun dry the pulps (or remains) of fruits. <S> Use the dry pulps to stir fry meat dish could be tasty because these pulps gives out fruity aroma to the meat and also absorb excess oil from the meat to balance out the dish ingredients. <A> We have a twin-screw masticating juicer ( an older Angel juicer ) and have found that when we make carrot juice, the pulp works well in carrot bread or carrot muffins. <S> It's quite dry <S> and it's finely shredded and ready to be mixed in to the bread. <A> I have no evidence to support this, but based on my understanding, it should be a great source of fiber, it definitely has "some" flavor and color (in many cases enough), no juicer is perfect <S> so there are some remaining vitamins and other goodies that you expect from that fruit or veg in the first place that could be released (to be absorbed) by cooking. <S> So you need to try! <S> and report back so that we can get inspiration! <A> If you're talking about a rotary shredding juicer (such as a Mr. Juiceman), then the only use I've found for it is compost. <S> I wouldn't eat it though, personally. <A> I love the texture of pulp <S> so I mix it back into the juice.
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A combination of juicer shreddings and coffee grounds is an excellent way to enrich the soil for gardening.
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Is there a point in stuffing a chicken if I'm not planning on eating the stuffing part? I'm planning to cook a regular chicken on Sunday and I thought that I should probably try to season it somehow. I've never tried to cook a chicken before (first Christmas dinner as an adult obv!). I thought about stuffing it, but scooping out the stuffing after to eat seems a bit gross to me. Will the stuffing itself impart flavour to the chicken meat? <Q> You can put things in the cavity to help flavor the chicken as well. <S> A bundle of fresh herbs, garlic, an onion, fresh fruit, etc. <S> Stuffing from a cavity is divine though, don't knock it until you've tried it! <A> IMO you should only use herbs some onion and fresh fruit as others have stated. <S> Anything that is bread based must heat to 160 to be safe to eat after the fact which means by that time your chicken will be likely 170 and dry. <S> If you insist on a proper stuffing then pull your chicken at 160 then remove the stuffing and put it back in the oven till it's 160 <A> If I even bother making stuffing, I like to cook the it in a separate pan. <S> I usually have better luck getting the stuffing to a safe temperature without overcooking the meat, and it doesn't get as greasy. <S> It also lets me get plenty of crispy brown bits on the top of the stuffing, which you really don't get if you cook it in a bird. <S> I often use fat drained off of drippings from a previous roast chicken to cook the veg for the stuffing, and I use homemade, concentrated chicken stock (made from the carcasses of previous roast chickens), which I think gives the stuffing just as much chicken-y flavor as cooking it inside the chicken. <S> You can put other things into the bird to improve flavor if you're worried about it being bland. <S> I like to season with salt and pepper inside and out. <S> That's all you need if you have a really good chicken, but sometimes I'll cram half a lemon, half an onion, a couple cloves of garlic that I've bashed with the side of a knife to crack them open a bit, and some fresh herbs inside to play with the flavors. <A> This is an odd kind of answer to the question that you're not exactly asking; If you're interested in stuffing the bird, and consuming the stuffing, but not interested in the yuck of unstuffing the thing, you could fill an improvised food-grade net (i.e. cheesecloth, muslin wort/hop bag, grain sock, etc) that would be permeable AND allow for you to remove the stuffing more easily. <S> In this way, you get all the benefits of the stuffing flavoring the bird, you get a side dish, and both the act of stuffing and unstuffing will leave your hands reasonably clean. <A> I'd cook the stuffing separately; much easier to get both to the ideal temperature that way. <S> You do not want to serve overcooked chicken, and you must not serve undercooked chicken or undercooked stuffing exposed to raw chicken. <S> I'd suggest brining your chicken (in a brine containing herbs, garlic, onion). <S> Keep in mind that most of the herb flavor will stay in the brine, only a small amount will migrate into the bird; that is, if you taste the brine (before adding the chicken, obviously), it should taste of way too much salt, and also way too much of whichever herbs you used. <S> If you're going to roast the chicken with high heat, you'll want to have little if any sugar in the brine. <S> 5% or so salt (by weight vs. the water), maybe 1% sugar. <S> Look up some chicken brine recipes to find some good flavor combinations. <S> Cool the brine before adding the chicken (easy way: make it double-strength, and dilute 50% by weight using ice). <S> Brine for around 12 hours (in the fridge); rinse and dry the chicken as well as you can with paper towels; return to the fridge, uncovered, for an hour or so (to continue drying); then roast. <S> And, most importantly, do not overcook the chicken . <S> The brining gives you some leeway here, the goal is 165°F for the breast and 175°F for the legs. <S> If you make gravy or pan sauce, the drippings from a brined bird will be fairly salty; don't add additional salt without tasting, use unsalted butter in the roux (and have some low-sodium chicken stock on hand <S> should you need to dilute to reduce saltyness). <A> Note that the stuffing goes into the neck end, filling the flap of skin there, not the body cavity. <S> If you were to put stuffing into the body cavity, you would end up with a greasy, sloppy mess, and it would indeed be gross. <S> Stuff the neck end, and you're likely to find it more appetising than you're expecting. <S> The stuffing does impart some flavour to the meat, but it doesn't penetrate very far from where the stuffing is. <S> Stuffing does mean there's more mass to heat up, and impedes the transfer of heat into part of the chicken, so you need to take that into account when deciding how long to cook for. <S> I don't know what company you'll have, or how much emphasis your culture puts upon Christmas dinner -- <S> but I think it's pretty bold to try anything for the first time on Christmas day. <S> On that basis, I'd suggest making things as simple as possible, and that means not stuffing the chicken; try that another weekend. <S> Some form of stuffing is a Christmas dinner essential though. <S> Use packet mix and cook it in a separate tray.
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The stuffing doesn't add much flavor to the chicken, so no.
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By what method, other than heat, can I cause the alcohol in a liquid to evaporate? If boiling and other heat methods cause a deterioration of flavor, What is the fastest way of accelerating the evaporation rate of alcohol in a liquid like beer? <Q> Stick it in the freezer, and skim off the ice. <S> Keep the ice, discard the liquid and melt the ice. <S> If you had a freezer that you could precisely control the temperature, I believe there are certain preferred target temperatures, but simply checking on it frequently in a standard freezer should do the trick. <S> The vacuum based suggestions also sound good, if you have appropriate equipment for that. <S> Basically, you're asking about distillation in reverse . <S> Traditional distillation is primarily boiling, but there's also a few traditions (applejack, eisbock ) involving ice distillation. <S> In ice distillation they're after a higher alcohol product and keeping the liquid (discarding the ice), but I believe if you switch which part you keep you'll get the same results. <S> Much like any other distillation, you may need to run through the process multiple times to get the desired result. <S> With beer, the primary flavoring is from compounds extracted from hops, which react with oxygen to produce unpleasant flavors. <S> By "unpleasant" I mean turning the bitter and tangy flavors into something more like wet cardboard. <S> So depending on what you're doing you may also need to protect your beer from exposure to oxygen . <S> Depending on the style of beer, esters and phenols may also be important to the flavor. <S> In styles where those flavors are desired, it's typically a wide mix, and it's quite possible <S> some of them will evaporate easier than alcohol or be harder to freeze. <S> Note that no distillation method is "perfect", <S> with all distillation methods you'll have water and alcohol in both outputs of the process, you'll just have a greater amount of alcohol in the evaporated or unfrozen part and a lesser amount in the unevaporated or frozen part. <S> Note also that in the US any process for separating alcohol from something else is illegal at home . <A> The only thing I can think of: lower the air pressure in the container <S> it's in. <S> Probably not practical. <A> Let it sit in an open container and let it evaporate. <S> Of course, the water in the liquid will also evaporate. <S> Heat speeds this process. <A> I would look to using non-alcoholic beer, rather than try to remove alcohol by a means other than heating.
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Evaporation would work in theory, but unless you have expensive vacuum equipment, it isn't practical. I believe with beer the real enemy is oxygen, with heat or light accelerating the undesirable reactions. You could try ice distillation :
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How much water to put in my pasta pot? My pasta pot/steamer did not come with directions telling me how full to make it. It seems to boil over or not have enough water to cover the pasta. It is a large pot with the pasta strainer included. <Q> The pot choice should depend on the amount of water (which depends on the amount of pasta you're cooking) rather than the other way around. <S> For detailed advice on amounts, see these answers ( answer 1 , answer 2 ). <S> Generally (not using fresh pasta or very long pasta when more water is necessary) you just need to cover the pasta. <S> A bit of oil on top will help keep it from boiling over, as will keeping the lid off after it's begun boiling and just simmering it rather than a rolling boil. <A> There's two schools of thought to this. <S> I usually roughly half fill the pot with water bring it to the boil, and add pasta to make it roughly 3/4 <S> the way up (I always use the same pot), a splash or two of olive oil (well more than that. <S> The perfect pasta for me smells nice and strongly of olive oil, and edible with nothing else should i choose to, so i add a generous quantity) and salt. <S> I bring it to a boil, and turn down the heat, and keep stirring it. <S> I never had issues with it boiling over. <S> You can however also start with cold water <S> add the pasta <S> then bring it to the boil . <S> You should use a lot less water in that case. <S> I'm still working on this since i've had perfect results with the first method, and am still breaking the mental barrier to too little salt. <A> It is highly recommended to put at least 1 liters of water to 100 gr pasta. <S> So if we have 2 portions of 200 gr pasta each, we must put at least 4 liters of water. <S> And remember to put salt when its boiling, just before you put the pasta into the pot. <S> Good Luck! <A> There are two secrets related to water for cooking a good pasta: <S> the water should cover the pasta so that it all get cooked. <S> The water should be, if possible, very abundant. <S> pasta, indeed, release starch which might eventually make it a but pastly. <S> Simple and effective. <A> You specifically mention a "pasta pot/steamer", so I'm going to assume that it's one of those pots with a strainer insert that stays in the pot while you're cooking the pasta. <S> (and then you lift it out to drain the pasta). <S> The problem with most of them is that they're designed for steaming, and so the insert stops an inch or two below the level of the strainer portion. <S> This means you need more water than you'd need for the pasta in a standard pot; it's only really an advantage if you're making more than one batch, as you can lift it out, dump it, then add more pasta (or vegetables) to already hot water. <S> The second design flaw in every one that I've seen is that the strainer insert continues a couple of inches past the top of the outer pot. <S> This is great if you're steaming ... <S> but it's a problem because it makes it more difficult to tell where the outer pot ends when you're looking at the inside. <S> You need the water level to stop 3 or more inches below the edge of the outer pot ... <S> if you don't, when you add the pasta and bring it back to a boil, the water flows out of the pot and onto your stove. <S> (and being starchy pasta water, leaves this film you have to scrub off as it instantly boils off). <S> So ... my advice would be: fill the pot of water without the insert, and stop about 4 inches (10cm) from the top of the pot. <S> Then insert the strainer if you want to use it. <S> Adjust the distance for bulkier foods that will displace more water (eg, blanching vegetables). <S> consider not using the strainer in the pot when it's boiling. <S> consider turning down the heat when the water resumes its boil after adding the pasta, so that it's at a boil, but not overly vigorous (to make it less likely to spill out that seam between the strainer and pot). <S> And for those considering buying one of these -- if you're going to be using it almost exclusively for boiling and rarely for steaming, look for a strainer that gets close to the bottom of the pot. <A> The simplest rule of thumb to remember for pasta is 100:10:1 - 100g of pasta to 10g of salt to 1 litre of water. <S> This means you need a big pan if you're cooking for a lot of people, but it works.
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With longer pastas like spaghetti you should add more water than just enough to cover the pasta, but as long as the top of the water is more than an inch below the top of the pot (after adding the pasta) you shouldn't have trouble if you follow the precautions above.
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Use of pizza stone in gas oven I have a new gas kitchen stove. The oven seems to burn so easily. I have a thermometer in there and it is registering the temp that I have the oven set on. I have seen where people have used a pizza stone to even out the heat. I want to know if you place a rectangle pizza stone directly on the bottom of the oven or should it be placed on a rack on the lowest setting? I would appreciate replies from anyone who has used this and if it had helped the problem <Q> We had an older (1950's) gas oven for a decade which had very uneven heating and used a large pizza stone ( 13" by 16" ) to even out the heat. <S> We did this by putting the stone on an oven rack in the lowest position, and making sure to give the oven <S> at least 25min of heat-up time so the stone would be as hot as the oven. <S> This did, indeed, help even out hot spots in the oven and decrease its tendency to burn delicate foods like cookies. <S> It also eliminated the requirement to remember to take the pizza stone in and out of the oven. <S> You do not want to put the pizza stone directly on the oven floor. <S> Three reasons: It could block hot air vents from the flame into the oven chamber; The oven floor is generally not designed to support weight and couldbe damaged; <S> The pizza stone is liable to crack or even explode from thermalshock due to rapid heating if it's in direct contact with the metal over the burner. <S> Also, do be aware that your pizza stone will accumulate crud from food dripping/dropping in the oven, which burns into a black carbon powder. <S> We turned the stone upside down every few weeks limit accumulation. <A> For years, I have used an unglazed natural-stone tile that I picked up from the local home-improvement store (avoid manufactured stone products, as you don't know what chemicals might get transferred into food). <S> I do keep it on the bottom of my electric oven, <S> but I know it can go there because there are no air vents for it to block. <S> Moreover, the instructions for my oven say that doing so is safe. <A> I have an electric oven. <S> I heat my stone on the floor and the bottom is perfect in 5 minutes,I then transfer the pizza to the broiler to finish the top for about 2 minutes. <S> With perfect results.
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In a gas oven, which has air vents in the bottom of the oven, I would not dare put a stone directly on the bottom because it would substantially decrease heating and could pose a safety hazard.
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Why does strata have to come to room temperature before baking? I've made strata a few times before, usually for brunches where I have a number of guests coming over and don't want to spend all my time in the kitchen. I always follow instructions in the recipe; I assemble it the night before, refrigerate overnight, and then let it come to room temperature and bake it in the morning. I've never had any problems, but I'm planning on making this for New Year's brunch that I'm hosting, and I got to thinking about why I need to let the strata come to room temperature before baking it. (Every recipe I've seen for strata says to let it sit on the counter for at least a half an hour.) I bake mine in a glass casserole dish, so I know that one reason for this is to avoid extreme temperature change that could cause the dish to shatter. However, is there any chemistry or physics reason for this - i.e., would baking it (in a disposable aluminum pan, for instance) straight out of the fridge impact the taste/texture? <Q> My guess - and <S> this is just a (somewhat educated) guess - is that it's just to promote more even cooking. <S> Since you're talking about a layered dish, some parts are definitely going to cook faster than others. <S> If the entire dish starts from room temperature, as opposed to fridge temperature, then that means less time is required to cook it through. <S> Less time and less heat required to cook means that all of the layers will be more likely to end up at similar internal temperatures - as opposed to having burned bread, liquefied cheese, or rubbery eggs <S> (I'm not sure offhand which cooks the fastest). <S> Even if it's not an issue with the thermal capacities of your individual ingredients, you're also layering these each several times over, creating a very dense product, so there would still be a significant risk of the middle layers being undercooked, or the outer layers being overcooked. <S> I probably wouldn't chance it, at least not when preparing this for other people. <S> You tend to see the same recommendation for anything particularly dense, such as a roast, or anything layered, such as a lasagna, and generally, you do want to follow those recommendations for the same reason. <S> They cook rather poorly if you cook them from cold or frozen, leaving you with a charred surface and an only-mostly-cooked interior. <S> It can still happen even if you start off at room temperature, but it's less likely and the effect tends to be less pronounced. <A> Speaking from experience, it doesn't. <S> A good way to cook strata out of the fridge in the morning: <S> Get up and put on your bathrobe. <S> Place strata in cold oven. <S> Turn oven up to desired cooking temperature. <S> Set alarm for normal cooking time of strata plus 10 to 15 minutes ( <S> depending on how fast your oven normally heats up). <S> Remove robe and go back to bed. <S> Wake up when alarm goes off. <S> Wake your sweetie up too. <S> Remove strata from oven. <S> Eat. <S> This is how I make strata every time, and I've never had a problem with them cooking improperly. <S> I'm not sure why cookbook instructions would stress the need for strata to come up to room temperature; I suspect it's simply something the recipe author was once told and never questioned. <S> Now, cooking frozen items is different from refrigerated ones. <S> As Aaron points out, putting a frozen casserole directly in the oven can result in it being burnt on the outside and raw on the inside. <S> But the difference in temperature between fridge and room is at most 35 degrees farenheit, and really doesn't affect cooking at all. <S> Additionally, by placing the strata in a cold oven and having it there while the oven is heating, you allow it to gradually come up to temperature just in case there was a difference. <S> Also, putting a refrigerated pyrex casserole dish full of strata in a hot oven will not cause it to shatter unless it was at the end of its life anyway. <S> The strata acts as a heat sink and prevents any thermal shock to the baking dish. <S> I am also speaking from personal experience here. <A> One obvious reason is that eggs are a leavening agent, and they rise better when they are not cold. <S> It's the same reason you make a souffle with room-temperature eggs. <S> Not essential, but better in terms of lightness. <A> I like Fuzzychefs idea for bring the strata up to temp. <S> The recipes I have do say to let the strata sit for 30 minutes or more, but I always understood that to mean if you are not making it ahead of time to give the eggs and other liquids enough time to soak into the bread.
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You might be able to bake it straight out of the fridge; however, you would definitely have to increase the cooking time to account for the temperature difference, and there are a lot of variables that come into play which would affect how evenly it cooks: the intensity and location of your oven's heat source(s), the density of the casserole, the kind of baking dish you use -
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How to minimize the impact of unpopped kernels and kernel shards in popcorn? I've always had a fear of eating popcorn. The idea of breaking my tooth on a popcorn kernel is terrifying, the thought of getting a kernel shard lodged between my teeth or gums makes me squeamish, and I cringe at the possibility of chomping on a burnt piece. I suspect this all stems from some badly-made Jiffy Pop that my mom would serve up as a kid. It's not a debilitating fear or anything, I just avoid eating popcorn. I don't really talk about my popcorn-phobia, so I can't really blame my brother-in-law for getting me a subscription to a "popcorn of the month" club for Christmas. But that said, I'll be soon stuck with bags and bags of popcorn. I could offload these to my co-workers, but instead I've decided to overcome my fear of popcorn as one of my New Year's resolutions. It's been a solid few decades since I've tried popcorn, so I'm taking some baby steps and any tips would be appreciated. Specifically, my questions are: How do you avoid breaking your teeth? Does shaking the bag force loose kernels to the bottom? Is there a type of popcorn that doesn't "shard" as bad? <Q> Don't eat the popcorn straight from the bag. <S> Put it into a nice large bowl. <S> This will provide enough room for the unpopped kernels to fall to the bottom. <S> As for hull shards between your teeth, dental floss or a toothpick will take care of that quickly and relatively neatly. <S> Alternatively, set it all aside and serve it (in a nice bowl) when you have guests over. <S> They are unlikely to notice you're not eating any. <A> There are 2 keys to minimizing the loose kernels, Quality Popcorn Quality Appliance <S> For Quality Popcorn it starts with "Orville's" for basic quality grocery store popcorn. <S> However there are a variety of popping corns available. <S> I received a gift pack like this several years ago. <S> Searching Amazon for Pop Corn will lead you to a variety of choices. <S> As for a qualify device, the key is a constant stirring motion to allow the kernels to be heated uniformly and prevent the early poppers from burning while the rest of the corn pops. <S> The uniform heating will cause most of the kernels to pop within a very short period of time. <S> I personally have had great experience from the Whirley-Pop and the West Bend Stir Crazy . <S> I have a slight preference for the Whirley-Pop, but I cannot necessarily qualify "why". <A> If you are using microwaved popcorn, after you take it out of the microwave, pull two opposite corners just slightly, so that opening of the bag barely opens... <S> maybe 5mm wide at most. <S> Turn the bag upside down and shake over the sink (or trash <S> can once you are good at it) and almost all of the unpopped kernels will fall through the hole. <S> This of course doesn't work for stove top or air popped corn, but is a nice trick in a pinch. <A> If you're having problems with unpopped kernels, and this isn't microwave bags, consider an air popper. <S> As the kernels pop, they're pushed up by the air, and out into the bowl nearby. <S> Although occassionally you get unpopped or only partially popped kernels that eject, those that don't are then heated longer, giving them more of a chance to pop without scorching those that have already popped. <S> Once it's done, if there are any remaining unpopped kernels in the popper, you can just trash them directly. <S> (when I turn the popper off, those last few settle against the hot bottom and might give a late pop) <S> I direct the outflow into a rather large bowl, so that I can mist them with a pump oil sprayer and some popcorn salt, then <S> flip it a few times (generally mist a second or third time, too, so I'm not just getting the ones on top), and in that agitation process, the under-popped kernels fall to the bottom of the bowl. <S> ... and with all of that being said, I know some folks who specifically seek out the unpopped kernels. <S> And I say this after having shattered a tooth as a kid (eating a Snickers bar ... <S> I still won't touch them 25+ years later). <S> And the shards ... occassionally you'll get a hull trapped in between your gums and teeth, even when you're not chomping on the unpopped ones. <S> It's annoying and uncomfortable, <S> but I've never had one that a toothpick and/or floss couldn't take care of. <A> Heat a spoon of oil in a medium saucepan with a lid to medium hot. <S> Then add enough popcorn to cover just one layer thick. <S> Place lid on tightly. <S> After the first minute briefly shaken pan every ten or so seconds, when popping starts shake more often. <S> When popping subsided take off heat and pour into a large container. <S> Shake the container gently and the un-popped kernels will be at the bottom. <S> Do not attempt to eat these! <S> If you shake the pan enough while cooking there will not be any burnt pieces. <S> Do not shake too much that the cooking processes stops though! <S> It's not hard, it just take a few goes to practise it. <S> You can always through the first few batches away, until you get it right!
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Avoid burnt pieces by watching as you pour the popcorn into the bowl and as you take pieces to eat from the bowl. I'll occassionally chomp on them, and unless you have problems with calcium deficiency or teeth problems in your family, I wouldn't think that cracking a tooth would be likely (assuming no rocks got in there).
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What makes a chewy brownie? I've tried many different brownie recipes and most of mine bake to a cake-like consistency. The brownie holy grail for me is crusty top chewy brownies. What can I add/remove/do that will make my brownies chewier? <Q> Essentially you should be slightly undercooking the brownies so they don't dry out in the middle. <S> Use the cooking times given in recipes as a guide only, because each oven will vary. <S> 5-10 minutes before they 'should' be ready, start testing the centre of the brownies with a toothpick or cake tester: unlike a cake, you want a good amount of sticky crumbs on the skewer (but very little liquid batter). <S> Remember that the cooking process will continue even once the brownies are out of the oven. <S> Another factor that contributes to chewiness is the sugars you use: adding some sticky, dense, dark sugar will help create a fudgy brownie. <S> The brownie recipe I use, which is pretty damn good, uses 1.5 cups of granulated sugar and .5 cup of packed dark brown sugar. <A> America's Test Kitchen (AKA Cook's Illustrated) took on exactly this issue. <S> They were looking for both that chewy texture and that shiny, crusty, crackly top. <S> Good boxed brownie mixes achieve those qualities, but lack the intense chocolaty taste of homemade. <S> They tried different mixing methods. <S> They tried melting the butter, creaming the butter, and different sweeteners. <S> They tried a pizza stone and they tried an ice bath. <S> Nothing worked until they went to their science editor. <S> It was the science editor who suggested that their problem was the ratio of saturated vs unsaturated fat . <S> Sure enough, the good boxed brands had almost the reverse ratio of saturated vs unsaturated fat of the recipes they had been working with. <S> So they upped their vegetable oil, and reduced the amount of butter. <S> They also added two egg yolks for their emulsifying ability. <S> I can say from experience that the vegetable oil wants to separate from the rest of the batter until those yolks are added. <S> If you instinctively jump to the idea that more egg will defeat the purpose and make the brownies more cakey, it's the white that does that, not the yolk. <S> The classic recipes that they had been working with had 36% unsaturated fat to 64% saturated. <S> Their Chewy Brownie recipe has 71% unsaturated to 29% saturated. <S> As far as the shiny, crackly top, they found that plain white, granulated cane sugar was the best sweetener for achieving that. <S> Certainly, overcooking even these brownies will destroy that chewy texture. <S> You want to remove them from the oven while they're still underdone. <S> Carry-over cooking will complete the baking. <S> The recipe can be found here: Chewy Brownies <S> but it's paywalled. <S> If you don't have a subscription, they do offer a 14 day free trail. <S> You can pretty well suck the marrow out of the site in 14 days, and they will not charge your card if you cancel in that 14 day window. <S> Here's a picture of mine. <S> Of course, you can't tell from this how chewy they are (very), but you can see the shiny, crackly top. <A> the secret is corn syrup (20-30% of sugar) and undermixing/underbaking
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One of the most important factors in achieving a fudgy, chewy brownie is cooking time.
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How to use cast-iron teacup? I love my cast-iron teapots; however, for Christmas, I received a set of teacups to match my latest acquisition. Do I pre-warm them like I do the pot? Or is the intent for it to leech some heat out when poured so it's drinkable faster? They appear to be traditional Chinese-style: small and without handles. They also appear to be enameled on the inside, to match the pot. Also, is there anything I should know about the care and keeping of them above and beyond the usual cast-iron advice (no soap, dry well, et cetera)? <Q> I've never found cast-iron teacups to be practical to actually use. <S> One has to wait for the tea to cool to lukewarm before it's safe to touch one's lips to the cup. <S> As far as cleaning them goes, you can use soap and hand-wash, just don't put them in the dishwasher. <A> My son also got a beautiful cast iron set this last Christmas and we were having the same issues with the teacups being too hot to hold. <S> We set out on a mission to find a remedy and were told to either use two cups nested in each other or not fill the cup more than 1/4 of the way full. <S> So I decided to create something myself. <S> We came up with a heat diffuser product. <S> You can see it at www.tealovey.com. <S> As far as cleaning them, we just rinse the pot and cups out after use and wipe the lips with a wet soapy rag and rinse. <A> I love my Cast Iron cups more than anything. <S> In the winter they keep your hands warm forever but they do get extremely hot. <S> I love my tea and coffee so hot that they do cause a problem. <S> I don't preheat mine <S> and I just wipe them clean. <S> They are great for warm sake too. <A> The cast iron tea equipment is a Japanese development. <S> In Japan, tea is most commonly a green variety, and brewed at a lower temperature than boiling. <S> This can be as low as 104˚F (40˚C) for high grades of gyokuro, or as high as 167˚F (75˚C) for more common varieties of sencha. <S> The lower grade the tea, or the more oxidised/fermented the tea, the higher the temperature of the water recommended. <S> In western tea culture, where black tea is the norm, the water used for tea preparation is usually boiling, 212˚F (100˚C), so if you are using cast iron equipment to prepare tea in the western fashion, you may be in for some burned fingers. <S> This may also be the case for some Japanese ceramic tea services. <S> I have one favourite Japanese stoneware tea cup that is equally likely to burn you if you put boiling water in it, unless you wait 5 minutes or more for it to cool. <S> In any case, the cost associated with cast iron tea services is such that they are more often used for more formal settings in which a higher grade of tea, and therefore, a lower water temperature, are more likely to be indicated.
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Not only do you not want to warm them before pouring the tea in, after you pour it in the cups will be to hot to drink out of.
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Should chicken be cooked beforehand while making pizza? I was just wondering if I can arrange raw chicken on the pizza base and cook everything along or if I should cook the chicken first separately. <Q> Cook the chicken ahead of time. <S> I doubt your pizza cooking time and your chicken cooking time will be a perfect match, and it is more likely than anything that your chicken would be undercooked. <S> That would not be good for anyone. <S> If you are worried about the chicken being dry on your pizza, you can try par-cooking the pieces instead of fully cooking them (though that may be a little dangerous, too), or you can add the cooked pieces to the pizza after it has begun baking. <A> It has something to do with Salmonella . <S> That said, the high percentage of water released when cooking poultry , as opposed to other meats, might cause your pizza crust to become soggy, or your sauce liquidy. <S> Neither of these are good things when it comes to pizza. <A> i put the chicken on raw. <S> I cut it thin and in small pieces so that it cooks at 450f for about 15 minutes. <S> The trick is to cut it <S> when its still a little bit frozen it is much easier this way. <S> The chicken cooks perfectly and is not burnt, fried, not dry. <S> People are so scared of raw chicken its hilarious. <S> I cook my chicken, mushroom, and onion pizza RAW.
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I've a bias against putting raw chicken on anything that possibly might not get thoroughly cooked.
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How to effectively drain frozen vegetables? When using frozen vegetables, even if I let them unfreeze overnight, I am finding that they then render quite a bit of water when cooking. How can I drain vegetables more effectively, especially when I need to use them right out of the freezer? <Q> You can't drain them while they're frozen. <S> If you need to use them quickly, consider thawing them in the microwave, then draining them. <S> As for how to drain them, it depends on the type of vegetable. <S> Greens like spinach should be squeezed out. <S> Chunky vegetables should be drained in a colander and then dried with a towel. <S> Some of the water you get may be coming from inside the vegetables, though, in which case it's still going to come out only when cooking. <S> In that case, the only solution is not to overcrowd the pan. <A> Both fresh and frozen vegetables contain water in them that expels during the cooking proces. <S> An example would be cucumber salad. <S> Or else, you may end up with a watery cucumber salad. <S> Depending on what kind of vegetables you are cooking and how you cook it, this technique can also apply. <S> You can sprinkle salt on the vegetables or soak them in salt water overnight (or at least 6-8 hours). <S> Remove the salt and the excess water by flushing in running water before cooking them. <A> Try putting them through a salad spinner after thawing. <S> They are great for removing water from all kinds of vegetables - not only lettuce. <S> I use one made by OXO that can be found on Amazon for about $20. <A> steaming is the best way to remove water when cooking vegetables
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For some types of vegetables, soaking in salt or salt water helps remove excess water (and pesticides as well) in them. People usually soaked the whole cucumber in salt water or slice them up and sprinkle salt on them, before keeping them in the fridge overnight.
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What's the best way to learn what each seasoning is? For example, Iike cayenne pepper is spicy and marjorum has a smoky flavor. I just want to learn the different flavors of each seasoning, so I can know exactly what seasonings to use for the different types of food. Trying to educate myself, I want to become a chef someday. <Q> Spices can sometimes taste different when their context(other spices and foods) or preparation is altered. <S> Other than trying known recipes, I occasionally taste an unfamiliar spice in several states over a period of time: <S> raw in cheek for a little while Infused (like tea). <S> Try some plain, some with salt, and some with sugar, (an acid like lemon juice or vinegar may be a third option). <S> Cooked and raw with a grain like brown rice. <S> Try some plain, some with salt, and some with sugar. <S> Cooked and raw with meat. <S> Some spices have surprised me, such as turmeric, which was familiar to me with savory dishes, but which I had never previously tried with sugar. <S> Some spices taste about the same everywhere raw or cooked but you'll find new uses, like cinnamon in broth, while others will only be useful cooked or uncooked. <A> I once read that mixing a bit of spice in an unflavored yogurt and allowing it to rest is the best way to learn its basic taste. <A> Excellent question! <S> I've wondered this myself many times, and I can't claim to know the best way. <S> This is what's worked for me. <S> I browse through recipes, food blogs, and videos that I find interesting. <S> I try making some of what I see and learn by taste. <S> In other situations, I just get an idea by reading about the recipe. <S> From there, I might associate cayenne with spiciness and try to remember that when I eat foods with cayenne in them. <S> Overall, it just happens with time and experience. <S> One other thing that helps is to stick to making one or a few types of cuisine, at least for a few preparations. <S> Cultures tend to have their own core spices. <S> I find that if I've only tasted a spice once or twice, it's not easy to remember, so I need to have a few repeat encounters with it in a few-week span before I feel familiar with a it. <A> Smell them, taste them, and explore different combinations with different foods. <S> Start with the classics (for instance, taking recipes from a book) and start exploring variations of those. <S> Sometimes you will end up with awefully tasting things, that is a necessary part of the learning (and part of the fun too). <S> Don't restrain yourself to recipes. <S> If you think cumin tastes good with xyz, there you go, put it in, even if it is not the classic spice to put in <S> it does not mean you cannot use it.
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Not to sound obvious, but the best way to learn what each spice tastes like is... to try them!
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Cleaning habanero oils off of tools I made some habanero salsa last night for the first time (my god, was it delicious) and took care to clean everything that was used. I figured I was good when I had no problems taking my contacts out afterwards. So, fast forward to this morning. The slap chop was still out to dry (stop having a boring pepper, stop having a boring life!) so I put it all away aand then found out the hard way when I went to put my contacts in that I did not in fact clean the tools well enough. So, I've now got a slap chop, 2 knives and a cutting board which all need to be cleaned of the oils. What's the best way to do this? I can throw them all into the dishwasher at once if needed, none of the plastics should melt. <Q> You have a few options, including what should have worked. <S> Capsaicin will dissolve in high-proof alcohol, so if you have a bottle of 151 you might have a go with that. <S> Vinegar can also be used to dissolve the oils. <S> These are probably more effort and expenditure than they're worth though. <S> You were on the right track; soap should have worked. <S> In all likelihood, due to the concentration of the oils you simply did not wash it sufficiently. <S> It requires quite a few passes (especially if the cutting board is porous) of hot, hot water and suds. <S> As it is fat soluble you can try cleaning more thoroughly with most any soap with a de-greasing agent. <S> Moving forward, I have heard tell of spraying with non-stick spray to ward away the oils. <S> I haven't felt some inordinate compulsion to do this and cannot attest to its efficacy, however with a slap chop and its nook and crannies you may find it a suitable use case. <A> Dilute bleach denatures the capsaicin nicely. <S> Mix 1/4 cup bleach with 1 gallon water. <S> Soak your equipment 5 minutes and rinse thoroughly. <S> [insert "standard warnings on using bleach carefully" here]. <S> Unfortunately, @mfg's suggestion of vinegar will not work any better on capsaicin than it would on a stain of vegetable oil. <S> You need something that will either chemically alter the capsaicin molecules (something like bleach) or a strong surfactant (something like Murphy's Oil Soap). <S> Rubbing alcohol is said to work as a surfactant, and I have heard it used on capsaicin, but I have not tried it. <A> If you're really concerned that your normal dish soap will not do a good enough job, capsaicin is extremely soluble in alcohol. <S> A quick bath in an alcohol and soap mixture (the higher proof, the better) will severely dilute the capsaicin and enable you to wash it away more thoroughly. <S> Also, the boiling point of capsaicin is listed as 410F(210C) <S> so holding your utensils at this temperature for a while will cause it to boil off of the surface(although it will not disappear 100% in any reasonable time). <S> It goes without saying, but do not put plastic objects in this type of environment and wood will not burn at this temperature, but will discolor after some time and probably be structurally unsound afterwards depending on the type of wood and the original moisture content thereof. <A> Experience tells me that it is not the utensil that is hard to clean, but the surface upon which you cut the produce. <S> Dropping a plastic cutting board in the washer and hand cleaning the knife has never yielded problems for me. <S> That said, I've cut chiles on my wooden countertop and then prepped a meal the next day only to find myself in tears after touching my eyeball. <S> I don't know how hot naga chiles are, but I've been growing and processing Carolina Reapers and Trinidad 7 pot chiles for a few years without issue. <S> Take great care if you try to can these chiles! <S> The fumes are seriously dangerous!!!! <A> As someone who regularly uses very hot chillies, I have the following advice: <S> Use gloves (I don't, but I am told it helps. <S> I use my hands, but wash them carefully). <S> Cut the chillies on a metallic surface: they are easier to clean; wooden chopping boards hold a residue. <S> Wash hands and all surfaces with vegetable oil first. <S> The oil will be sticky (and, simultaneously, slick), so you have to do this patiently. <S> Small amounts of oil are usually fine. <S> Finally, rinse your hands and all surfaces with water. <A> Surfactants rock where capsaicin removal is involved. <S> I used to make a very sharp, hot - habanero jelly for the select few around Xmas. <S> I wore gloves to cut 1 kilo of habaneros that I grew in my backyard. <S> After the jelly making was done, all my kitchen instruments were soaked in a dilute solution of vinegar. <S> Once soaked, I ran out of the kitchen (the vapours can be a little strong too). <S> Unfortunately the next day <S> the nerves in my right fore-finger were on fire. <S> My hand protection on the right hand, had a small hole in it. <S> It turns out that habanero juice seeped into that hole...and marinated my finger the whole 4 hours I was chopping away at raw habaeneros. <S> After a week of uncomfortable nerve irritation, I soaked my finger in vinegar... <S> low and behold - relief!Holly <A> I have found that oil works well to get rid of chilli oil. <S> Use a little vegetable oil and rub in well, then use soap to remove all of the oil. <S> The logic is that the vegetable oil "picks up" and dilutes the chilli oils and also provides a much greater volume of oil that can be cleaned more easily. <S> The soap contains surfactants that grab the vegetable oil and pull it away from the surface. <S> This also works on hands.
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Wash the oil off with dishwashing liquid (you can use a drop or three of the liquid concentrate).
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How do you protect a pizza peel? I got a pizza peel that feels like it is just plain wood. How can I protect it? I thought I heard somewhere to use some sort of oil. <Q> I don't do anything for my peels. <S> I only wash them if they get sauce on them, and then only with hot water and a gentle sponging. <S> Never soak them with water. <A> Wood is actually a pretty good bacterial inhibitor. <S> Wood will last a long time - but not forever. <S> We have a pizza peel that is 5 years old <S> and it is used every day. <S> It still is just fine without mineral oil or any other wood pampering. <A> i use mineral oil, sometimes olive oil if i'm really out of everything else. <S> if you happen to have an Ikea near you, a lifetime supply of mineral oil will cost you a couple bucks. <S> i also clean it immediately after using it, so that nothing sits on the wood too long. <A> Mineral oil sold in a pharmacy is what you need. <S> It is safe for human consumption (it's in the pharmacy because its a laxative) and does not go rancid.
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If you want to add a bit of water resistance, you could use some cutting board oil (a.k.a. mineral oil) to add some protection.
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Pumpkin rotting, need to process it now - any ideas with a long shelf life? I bought 7 huge pumpkins from a gardener two weeks ago. The idea was to store them in the basement, and eat them as soup during the winter. However, sadly, they have started to rot. (I asked a related gardening question here , it seems to be a fungus from the field.) I need to cut them up, remove the rotting parts, and do something with the good parts right now, otherwise they will be lost. I know no pumpkin-lovers to give them away to, so I would like to continue to store them somehow. I have the possibility of putting them into cold storage at about 7°C (ca. 44°F). However, I fear that even there, they will go stale relatively quickly if I just cut them into pieces and do nothing further. I have very little space in the freezer, not nearly enough to take them all. Is there anything I can do with the good pieces that lasts a long time either in cold storage, or (ideally) at room temperature? I'm open to everything, any kind of processing into whatever. One thing I thought about was pesto - I've seen some very oily pumpkin pesto recipes that actually work with the pulp itself, not only the seeds like most recipes. I'm not sure about the resulting product's shelf life, though. Would the oil make it last longer? Suggestions would be very welcome, as it would be a shame to let these beautiful vegetables go to waste. <Q> I think once the outer skin is compromised, your room temperature storage options go out the window. <S> Your best bet is to puree the pumpkin pieces, and freeze it. <S> Not ideal, I know, <S> but if you don't want the pumpkin to go to waste, that's probably your option. <A> Other ideas instead of freezing: <S> Do some pumpkin jam <S> : I usually use 300-400g of sugar for 1Kg of pumpkin. <S> Procede as for a normal jam, add the juice of a lemon (and zest if you wish) and a pinch of nutmeg. <S> Candied pumpkin. <S> This is a classic recipe from Southern Italy, used in many cakes (e.g. cassata siciliana ). <S> 1:1 pumpkin:sugar, and you procede as you would normally do for any candied fruit. <S> Pumpkin chutney. <S> I've done pumpkin/apple/vinegar and pumpkin/ginger/raisins (plus various spices of course, be creative!) <S> I've seen recipes for pumpkin hummus, but never tried it myself. <A> There are plenty of recipies out there, but the important thing is that you want to make sure that the slices are thin enough that the heat during canning process will penetrate sufficiently into the pumpkin. <S> The vinegar in the brine will allow them to be shelf stable.
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I know this is late, but in case anyone else has the same problem in the future : pumpkin pickles.
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Advice on meat cuts for German rouladen I've been trying to figure out the best cut of beef to use for a German rouladen recipe. From the butcher and Google searches I've seen advice ranging from slicing flank steak (how would that work?) to pounding out a top round steak. (The final slice needs to be about 1/4 of an inch thick and 3+ by 6+ inches long and wide.) Could someone suggest a cut of meat and a process for arriving at right kind of slice? (I would like to avoid pounding/tenderizing if possible.) <Q> The meat for rouladen is cut from the upper part of the hind legs of the cow, or Oberschale . <S> You definitely don't pound rouladen; pounded meat tends to re-contract somewhat under heat, and this unacceptable in this case. <S> I don't know how to cut it that way at home. <S> In Germany, the butcher sells the meat pre-cut to the correct size. <S> I guess that he "peels" it from the cut with a sharp knife. <S> As far as I remember, it isn't cut across the grain like steaks. <S> And it has to be very thin, from memory <S> I would say that 1/7 inch thickness is normal. <S> On this site , you can see some close-ups of the raw meat, maybe the butcher can recognize how to cut it from that. <S> (Don't worry about the text, the recipe is far from traditional. <S> I only gave it as a good illustration of the raw cuts). <S> Also, rouladen are supposed to be tender. <S> If possible, get veal. <S> If not, young bull's meat is better than the normal beef used for steaks. <A> Wegmans sells it as top round, already sliced and in vacuum sealed packages. <S> Wegmans is a high end, regional grocery store in the eastern US. <S> They carry products you can't find in regular stores. <S> I buy 8-10 packs at a time and freeze, I'm ready to make rouladen at any time. <S> price just went up to $7.99 a lb, but if you've ever had boogered up rouladen meat, you know what I'm talking about, you will pay the extra and know what you're getting. <S> There are 4 slices per package and they are big enough to cut in half. <S> No pounding of meat required. <A> Milanesa cut works great! <S> That's what I used tonight. <A> In SC or where there is a Publix they sell the meat already cut from top round. <S> I have made German beef rolls all thru out my 30 years of marriage and never had a problem with this cut. <S> I make around 21 pieces. <S> It is pricey but well worth it. <S> My family loves this dish so I make it for special occasions. <A> It is usually sold on the small meat foam plates folded over onto itself before being saran covered. <S> It is sliced just under a 1/4 inch thick.... <S> any thinner <S> and it falls apart as it's rolled up. <S> It should be 12-16 inches long, <S> 5-6 inches wide when unfolded and slightly triangular in shape. <S> Once you've spread your german mustard, crumbled bacon, and caramelized (fried till browned) onions over it. <S> Starting at the wider end, place your pickle or pickles as 2 are often needed end to end for the width of the meat (gherkins are perfect) <S> Roast it and enjoy! <A> Use top round and slice it against the grain. <S> If you can partially freeze a piece and then use a deli slicer; it makes the job much more precise and a lot easier. <S> Fill with sweet caramelized onions mixed with minced bacon and brown mustard and close with a tooth pick. <S> Season with salt and pepper and sear in a hot pan in light oil on both sides. <S> discard excess oil in pan when finished. <S> Deglaze pan with white or red wine. <S> Cover 2/3 rds with thickened beef broth or demi glace and bring to a low simmer. <S> Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees until fork tender. <S> About 45 minute to an hour. <S> Serve over mashed potatoes and garnish with chopped parsley and enjoy! <A> you can use any cut of meat. <S> Just cut it on an angle to adjust for your size. <S> top sirloin works well. <S> so would round or rump roast sliced on an angle. <A> I have not had a problem with tenderizing at all. <S> It makes the meat nice and thin and when finished, you can eat it with a fork. <S> Do get it sliced as thin as possible though to save the labor as you tenderize. <S> Don't pour off the oil(I use butter to braise), as it makes the most delicious gravy ever. <S> Though I wish to drippings yielded more as everyone wants to take some gravy home, even if your out of meat!
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In Canada, I purchase the sliced beef labelled as inside round (rouladen cut) in traditional supermarkets, or inside round (sandwich steak) in Walmart.
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Can you pickle avocados? I wanted to see if anyone has tried to pickle avocados? Mostly I am interested to use only vinegar, and/or salt. <Q> I've never heard of it being done <S> and I can't imagine why you'd want to try. <S> An avocado is 70-80% water and 15% fat. <S> That means you would basically be making pickled fat. <S> Compare to cucumbers and peppers which are both in the range of 0.1 to 0.2% fat, and much firmer than even an unripe avocado when raw. <S> I'm sure that it would be safe as long as it's done properly and the pH is under 4.6, and the acidity would kill or slow down the enzymes enough to prevent it from turning black. <S> But I don't think it would be edible, even if you added oil to the mix. <S> We are biologically hardwired to perceive sour fat as being rancid, and unlike certain pickled meats, there's no umami in there to compete with that sensation. <S> If you feel you must try this, at least start with an unripe avocado and see what it's like after a few days. <A> Here is one recipe: <S> Lemon, Garlic & Rosemary Pickled Avocados (from the California Avocado Commission, also see their blog post about pickling and other avocado preservation ) <A> I have eaten the small finger avocado when I visited family in LA; they were delicious and were canned in a jar. <S> You ate skin and all. <S> I would like to find them. <S> I have a large box of baby avocados; I guess I will have to freeze them. <S> I might try to pickle some with my own brine. <A> I cannot understand why it would not work, you can pickle mango, apple and orange, why not Avacado! <S> see e.g. http://avocadodiva.blogspot.sg/2012/08/pickled-avocados.html
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A ripe avocado would almost certainly disintegrate in a pickling brine.
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Lifting the lid on cooking rice - is it such a big deal? I don't know about you, but some people I know will freak out if I lift up the lid on a pot of cooking rice to stir or check its done-ness. They say "you should never ever ever lift the lid". It is like a commandment.Sure I can see that some steam will be released, and temperature lowered.But is it such a problem to lift the lid once or twice when cooking rice?Are there some consequences that I am overlooking? <Q> I am going to assume you are cooking the rice on a pot rather than in rice cooker. <S> If you are cooking it in the rice cooker, you wouldn't need to lift the lid to check for done-ness. <S> However if you are cooking in a rice cooker, the lid should not be immediately lifted off after it says it is done cooking. <S> You need to let it sit for about 5-10 minutes so the steam can continue to cook. <S> If you are cooking in a pot, the main reason why you do not want to lift the lid is because you want a even cooking temperature throughout. <S> Typically when you cook rice(once again I am going to assume just plain white rice), you start the water/rice mixture by boiling it on high until it comes to a boil. <S> I do recommend stirring it at this point. <S> But not after covering. <S> Then you set it to very low and cover and let it simmer for about 15-20 minute or more depending on quantity. <S> By doing this, you can evenly cook the rice throughout so that the rice isn't too overcooked on the bottom. <S> If you continue to lift the lid, the temperature would drop, and the top would be less cooked than the bottom. <S> So you would need to cook it longer for the top to be cooked while the bottom is being overcooked. <S> In addition, the steam that is escaping is the water that you put into the rice. <S> thus when you lift the lid, the water is escaping and will result in the rice being dryer than optimal. <S> If you want to add more water, this will slow the cooking process on top of it already being slowed by losing temperature when you lift the lid. <S> This will result in slower cooked rice. <A> The effects are negligible, assuming you are not lifting the lid for more than a few seconds. <S> There is a lot of liquid water in the system, so heat loss will be barely measurable. <S> Same goes for the amount of water exiting the system in the form of steam. <A> I've had to do that before when cooking rice on the stove simply because it was foaming up too much due to the starch. <S> That being said, I haven't had to check rice for doneness before. <S> Jay's instructions for cooking rice are the same instructions I've used and it cooks the rice just fine. <S> Lifting it too much will result in rice as Jay noted, but once or twice, very briefly, shouldn't be a big deal. <A> Ok, here we go.... <S> my mom was a total tyrant when it came to cooking rice properly. <S> Yes, she is Japanese. <S> Yes, from Japan. <S> And yes, I'm one of those people who freak out when people lift the lid when it's cooking. <S> Here is how it was explained to me. <S> I have subsequently tested the theory and found hard, empirical evidence on why lifting the lid is BAD. <S> I agree with Jay on all his points. <S> Once this happens, by the time the temperature rises back to equilibrium, you will have OVERCOOKED the outside of the individual grains, which will become mushy. <S> Conversely, if you lift the lid and cook the rice for the normal amount of time, the center of the grain will be hard and UNDERCOOKED. <S> That's it. <A> All you have to do is cook rice and try it both ways to see the difference. <S> A significant amount of steam does escape if you check it <S> and it does affect the resultant consistency of the rice, which affects the taste and enjoyment of it. <S> If you don't care about that, hey, go nuts, but if you want it to turn out better/ <S> right, cook it at the specified time without lifting the lid, it's not rocket science.
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But here is the main reason for not lifting the lid: If the rice is still hard in the middle of the grain, lifting the lid will cause the temperature to drop. Opening it once or twice shouldn't be a problem, as long as you do it fairly quickly.
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How can I reliably bake pizza with no temperature control or pizza stone? How do I make a pizza in a gas oven, with no temperature control and no pizza stone? I have all ingredients to make pizza without actually knowing how it's made and baked. So I did some research first off course, and it seems I don't have the right "hardware" for the job. How do I make a good pizza without a pizza stone in an ancient oven with no control on the temperature or air flow? <Q> For your missing equipment, calibration, and control, you will have to substitute vigilance and technique. <S> Basically, if you parbake your crust, you should get something good. <S> Turn on your oven, probably as hot as it'll go. <S> Unless you have a thick crust and a very intense oven, it'll be hard to get too hot. <S> Roll out your dough into a baking pan/cooking sheet/pizza pan. <S> Bake in the oven until the dough is just starting to brown. <S> Take it out, add toppings to the more-cooked side of the crust (flipping the crust, if necessary). <S> Put it back in until the cheese starts to brown. <S> The process above is the lazy-man's method, and it works with my oven at 350F or at 500F or out on the grill at 750F and all points in between. <S> The "ideal" pizza that is the target of most pizza aficionados may well be beyond your reach. <S> However, I make pizza a couple times a week, and most nights I don't worry about that. <S> Delicious toppings on good bread and excellent cheese is a great meal, whether or not it matches stereotyped image of "pizza". <S> P.S. <S> If you do get some equipment, get the pizza stone and put the crust directly on it (w/ or w/o parchment paper). <S> Your crust will be crisper. <S> In a pan, sometimes your crust may seem closer to bread than to pizza. <A> What I do is to use a regular oven. <S> Mine goes to 275 C; however, I have measured it to about 285 C. <S> I let it preheat to 275 C for 30 minutes to ensure the entire oven has been thoroughly heated. <S> The cast iron works like a pizza stone, and helps keeping the temperature up when placing the pizza in the oven. <S> I then bake the pizza for a very short time (6-8 minutes) and get an amazing crust. <S> I use natural yeast and flour zero for the dough, and let it rest for 24 hours in refigirator before making pizzas. <A> The marketing of pizza stones drive me crazy. <S> Visit your local hardware store and buy a nice sized ceramic or even porcelain tile. <S> It will cost you a couple of bucks. <S> I've also used a tile on a gas barbecue with remarkable results. <S> The trick was getting the stone really hot before using it. <S> I find the results on the barbecue to be better than from the oven, so <S> a perfect controlled environment is not as necessary as you may think. <A> Buy an oven thermometer. <S> Use the thermometer to figure out how hot you can get your oven. <S> If it gets up above 500F (275C), then you can use normal pizza-making techniques, substituting an inverted baking sheet for the pizza stone. <S> Since your oven is hot, though, a thinly-stretched pizza dough with toppings on parchment paper will cook up fine. <S> If it won't get above 450F (225C), then use a two-stage baking technique as D Boy suggests. <S> Alternately, consider baking a foccacia with cheese & other stuff on top instead of a regular pizza.
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Instead of a pizza stone, I put in a baking sheet at the bottom and place a large cast iron lit on it (like this one ).
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Can I use my dehydrator to raise bread? I bought a dehydrator about a year ago and the product manual says that a dehydrator is great for leavening bread. I have tried this a number of times with (seemingly) good results, but I am unsure if the dehydrator is having an adverse affect on the final product. I have the 9 Tray Excalibur , and I usually place a bowl of warm water at the bottom, then place a large mixing bowl with a dish cloth over the top on the third tray (just above the bowl of water). I'll turn the dehydrator to 95°F (35°C), and let the dough rise according to the recipe. When dehydrating fruit/vegetables or making trail mixes, etc., the dehydration time is usually measured in days rather than hours. From that perspective, I don't think that my breads should be significantly dehydrated during the rising process, but I don't know for sure. Also, the Excalibur works by 'fanning' the moist air away from the trays inside. The fan is not forceful, and is not powerful enough to shift a damp dish towel, but it will easily lift a piece of paper towel or similar. As I typically use a damp towel to cover the bowl, I don't think air flow is an issue either. Are my assumptions correct that this is a safe thing to do, or am I setting myself up for failure and dooming some would-be delicious breads? <Q> Sounds like it's working for you. <S> As long as the dough doesn't form a skin, inhibiting rising, then looks like it ain't drying out. <S> Very even heating too, I imagine; that's critical: with the hot and cold patches of some big ovens, uneven fermentation and rising could ruin a loaf especially the final proofing. <S> Cracks in the sides of the crust can be blamed on this. <A> The faster you do your first rise on bread, the less complex the flavors. <S> Unless you're in a hurry, a slow, long overnight rise in the fridge will result in better flavors. <S> The enzymes in the bread will have more time to do their magic and convert the starch to sugar. <S> If you need a quick second rise or you're working with a highly enriched dough and you don't want to wait for 'complex flavors', then consider your dehydrator as a good source for a quick rise. <A> It's common practice to raise yeasted bread in a warm, humid environment -- it's what yeast like best. <S> Professional bakers will often use a proof box that lets them control the temperature and humidity. <S> Home bakers will often use a just-warm oven or a microwave oven (both turned off!) <S> with a container of warm water. <S> 95 <S> °F should be fine. <S> It's true that a long, slow rise (produced by rising at lower temperature) can produce more/better flavor in your final loaf. <S> On the other hand, the bread you make and eat today is much, much better than the bread that you forgot to start yesterday and can't eat today. <S> Besides, slow rising is only one of many ways to add great flavor.
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Using your dehydrator this way is absolutely fine so long as you keep the temperature low enough to keep the yeast happy.
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Gas burner is "clicking" - how can I stop this? The ignition is clicking on my burner even though I turned it off. How do I stop this? I unplugged the cooktop, but I don't know if it is safe to leave it this way. What should I look for? Can I keep it unplugged safely for any length of time? <Q> I bought a used cooktop off ebay once that did the same thing. <S> I discovered it to be one of the dials which was catching in the ignite position (although the dial didn't look depressed).Give the dials a good workout when the ignitor is clicking away--you might release the switch. <S> That fixed it for me <S> and I soon identified the culprit dial. <S> Every so often the constant ignition would come back <S> but I'd just smack the guilty dial and it would stop. <A> One of my old gas stoves would click as you describe when the ignitor got wet or clogged up with foodstuff. <S> Taking the top off each burner unit, if possible, and cleaning around in there might help. <A> The only purpose of plugging in a gas stove is for the electric ignition to work. <S> This is malfunctioning for you, but it is not a safety problem. <S> The gas output is controlled by turning the knobs on and off.
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You can successfully and safely use your gas burners by lighting them with a match.
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How can I prepare freshwater fish without completely cooking it? Can I eat freshwater fish raw? Besides a complete cooking like frying, baking, BBQ or smoking is there any other way to prepare freshwater fish that would render it safe to eat in a sushi type application? <Q> Other than catching it deep in the ocean, probably not. <S> The closer to land <S> the fish is caught, the more likely it is to be carrying parasites. <S> You can flash freeze fish to kill the parasites, but it is virtually impossible to achieve temperatures that low with noncommercial equipment. <A> ** <S> By land area, not by population. <S> In most heavily populated areas you cannot eat fresh fish, or coastal fish raw <A> I wouldn't recommend trying, really. <S> It's safest to just cook the fish. <S> Curing with lots of salt (as in gravlax) or acid (as in ceviche) would take care of most bacteria. <S> Freezing at a very low temperature (0°F) for 24 hours can kill most parasites, but home freezers cannot get cold enough. <S> If the fish was previously (and industrially) frozen, you might be able to use it in a ceviche preparation. <S> Just don't send me the hospital bill.
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In many** parts of the world, fresh water fish, and small species coastal fish are perfectly fine to eat raw without further processing Check with your local government food standards department on the water and fish quality where you live
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What chemical(s) gives molasses its flavor so that it is used as an ingredient? I'm curious why there isn't a zero-calorie molasses substitute. The USDA nutrient database lists a bunch of minerals, but what is it that gives it the "taste" of molasses? <Q> There is no single "molasses molecule". <S> It's a complex flavor from a complex combination of chemicals. <S> There is no "caramel molecule" either. <S> It also contains several different types of sugar (mono- and disaccharides), which impart their own flavor and calories. <S> It will include residual sugars, all the types of molecules produced during caramelization, along with a wide varieties of proteins and miscellaneous not-sugar-things that are found in sugar cane juice. <S> McGee lists a breakdown of 35% sucrose, 20% invert sugars, and 10% minerals (for blackstrap). <S> There's also some water and other organic material, as that obviously does not add up to 100%. <A> However, Blackstrap molasses has fewer calories than other versions as most of the sucrose is removed during processing. <S> As for the minerals, the sugar cane is not refined prior to processing for Molasses, therefore it retains many of its original minerals. <S> The taste comes from the repeated concentration of the juice from the sugar cane. <S> More info available on wikipedia . <A> Maillard reaction research proves that much of the flavor is indeed a bunch of different molecules created from high heat, low water, combination of amino acids and sugars
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There's no zero-calorie substitute because Molasses is made directly from sugar cane.
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What's the difference between Guatemalen, Honduran and Salvedorean Cream? All three are available at my local mexican market. How are they different? <Q> I haven't actually had these creams (I might have to try next time <S> Here's a review. <A> The primarily difference is where they are made. <S> But there's also a play on its acidity. <S> Kind of like milk vs. buttermilk or different types of plain yogurt. <S> I always thought of El Salvadorian crema was more acidic for my tastes. <S> I think of Honduran as a less acidic, more creamy taste <S> and I really enjoy it. <A> I find Salvadoran cream thinner and tastes like a very mild cheese (cheddar?) <S> And Mexican cream is like sour cream only 100 times better. <S> It's thick, made using live cultures like how yogurt is made and had a more profound dour cream flavor. <S> I love both. <S> Salvadoran cream is the best imho. <S> If they are making them in the Mexican market, you should try them!
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I'm at a Latin grocery), but a little research indicates that Guatemalen cream is something like a hybrid of American style sour cream, and creme fraiche; Honduran cream is saltier, and Salvadoran one is sweeter.
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What does the "bold" setting on my Cuisinart coffee maker do? I recently bought a Cuisinart coffee maker . It has a button to switch between "regular" and "bold" when brewing. I have no idea what this actually does. I thought that usually bold coffee came from different beans or from the amount you used, not from a setting on the coffee maker. What does this function do and when would I use it? <Q> This source confirms that this appears to be the case on at least one Cuisinart model. <A> When a coffee maker has a setting for bold coffee, this usually means that the amount of water that passes through the coffee grind and filter is slowed down so the water has a longer time to steep in the coffee grind which will produce stronger coffee. <A> I believe but cannot confirm, the water temp. <S> Is also hotter along with slower dripping as stated above. <S> Mine always seems hotter on Bold . <A> I find coffee brewed on the BOLD setting to be a bit darker and more flavorful than when brewed on the REGULAR setting. <S> I always go straight to the BOLD setting when it's an option <S> so I can't speak to the flavor of REGULAR. <S> The preceding explanations of how the process works makes a whole lot of sense too.
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"Bold" appears to be a flavor term in general, usually referring to a type of bean; however, on coffee makers, it appears that the water drips more slowly , which allows more flavor to be extracted from the beans.
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Are plastic (vs metal) immersion blenders safe for hot mixtures? I have a braun stick blender that I bought about 10 years ago. I love it because it's really versatile and I can make puree soups, etc. I usually will stick the immersion blender into the pot of hot mixture to puree the mixture. Is this safe? CLARIFICATION Is putting plastic in the hot mixture safe? <Q> Short of the danger of splashing hot liquid on you, or the standard immersion blender dangers of having it slip and hit you, there's no additional risk with using immersion blenders on hot mixtures. <S> Making hot soups creamy is pretty much exactly what they are designed for. <A> I'm afraid I don't that hard evidence to back up the following statements, but I thought I'd offer my thoughts based on the clarifications to the question from the OP's comments. <S> Regarding BPA/chemicals leaching into food: <S> This is likely a concern for most plastic products produced before a year or two ago (and a good number of them that have been produced recently, too). <S> You aren't storing food in this object, just putting it into contact with your food for a few seconds to a few minutes. <S> Yes, if the food is hot, there will probably be some leaching of chemicals, but it should be minuscule. <S> Regarding the possibility of the plastic melting : Again, I don't really have an evidence to back this up, but I'd say you're pretty safe on this front, too. <S> Braun is an established and respected brand, so they likely test their products pretty vigorously before sending them to market. <S> It's hard for me to imagine them producing an immersion blender that is not safe to use with hot foods. <S> Additionally, if you've been using the immersion blender for 10 years and haven't had an issues yet, you're probably more likely to have the motor wear out than to have to deal with melting plastic. <A> So a note on this that no one has discussed, it’s not always about the housing. <S> I’ve been through two metal immersion blenders that I was assured <S> were fine for hot foods and both were ruined due to the lubricant in the blade mechanism not being suitable for heat. <S> This meant the oil leached out and the mechanics ceased. <S> Before that happened, food started to taste chemical metallic, and I noticed after cleaning a dark liquid would appear on the surface I had it placed on where it was draining/drying. <S> Spend the money, get a pro immersion blender. <S> I’m still looking for the best one. <S> My suggestion in the interim with plastic or metal is to plan ahead so you can allow your foods to cool first. <S> Then re-heat food before serving. <A> My blender just melted (distorted shape) in hot soup and the blade took lumps out of the bottom of the metal pot. <S> Had to throw the whole batch away.
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However, I would say that in the grand scheme of health hazards related to cooking gear and food, your plastic immersion blender is mostly on the "Don't worry about it" end.
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Why doesn't my Lemon Posset thicken? What am I most likely doing wrong? I've have once succesfully made this Gordon Ramsay's Lemon Posset , but on the last two tries attempts I've not managed to thicken it. After it has bubbled and kept bubbling for approx. 3 mins, I pour in the lemon juice while stirring, but the substance just doesn't thicken. What are the most likely things I'm doing wrong? Not stirring strongly enough? Overboiling or underboiling? It did work fine the frist time (sigh) ... <Q> It sounds like your problem is most likely lack of acid. <S> The acid is what causes possets to thicken. <S> That could happen because the lemons aren't acidic enough <S> (maybe the ones you had the first time were more sour). <S> Re-reading your recipe, I notice that there's a second, simpler potential cause: your recipe simply asks for the juice of 1-2 lemons, and you might just have smaller lemons, or drier ones without as much juice. <S> For comparison, I've successfully made this lime and lemon posset , which uses 5 tablespoons of lemon and lime juice for 2.25 cups of cream. <S> That'd scale to 42 mL of lemon/lime juice for your recipe. <S> If that's not the problem, and your lemons are for some reason less acidic, then the main option is still to use more lemon juice. <S> Ideally you'd concentrate it, though, so that you don't end up with a smaller fraction of cream in the recipe. <S> You can juice more lemons, then reduce the juice on the stove down to the original volume. <S> (An easier option would be to add extra citric acid to your lemon juice, if you happen to have it.) <S> (Much of this was said in the comments, but I went ahead and made it an answer - please don't accept it unless you verify it though!) <A> I don't think the issue HAS to be acid. <S> Cream comes in a variety of grades, and some contains far more water than others. <S> If you used a different kind of cream, like one that doesn't have a thicker layer of fat at the top, maybe try boiling a little longer to concentrate the fat and make more of the casein proteins available. <A> I would say the lemons are too ripe. <S> It is the same with fruit And citris. <S> You make your Jam and Marmalade when fruit is a little under ripe. <S> My last lemon posset wasn't set right through . <S> I noticed my lemons were a little soft. <S> So maybe a little more lemon and reduce it a little before adding to the cream and sugar. <S> My Grandson said Lemon Posset was the best dessert he had tasted better than anything he had had in a restaurant. <A> I disagree with people saying its not to do with acid, I think the twice it's happened to me <S> I have used too much juice, due to adjusting the recipe from lemon to lime I used more limes, 4 the first time I used limes and 3 the second time as they're smaller and didn't set. <S> It always works nicely when I use 2 lemons. <S> I have a friend who is a chef <S> so I asked and took her advice and <S> it worked - To thicken un-set posset: take out the serving dishes and put it in a jug then add some cold double cream stirring as you do so <S> , it should instantly thicken, so you shouldn't need much, it's not an exact science so just add enough until you get the thick consistency you want, pour it back into your serving dishes and chill for a couple of hours and should be smooth, thick and creamy. <S> It has worked for me.
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If you think you simply didn't have as much juice as before, or that the volume was less than that, I'd start by simply using more lemon juice.
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Why are cheese curds squeaky? What causes the squeakiness, and why does it disappear so quickly? Why does microwaving bring back a bit of squeak? <Q> This article says it's not air and water: the squeakiness is caused by rubbing against the network of protein strands in the curds, and the squeakiness fades over time because the protein network deteriorates. <S> With respect to microwaving, it says: <S> The reason microwaving helps reinvigorate some of the squeakiness is that the heat starts to alter the amount of moisture trapped inside the curds and creates another bout of hydrolysis, dropping more negatively charged hydrogen ions from casein proteins while they bind to the internal heating water. <S> I'm inclined to believe this because it explains why cheese curds are different from, say, cheese, and it's a more detailed explanation consistent with the article cited in Laura's answer (saying the protein networks are more elastic when fresh), which also explains the effect of the microwave! <A> According to Wikipedia , cheese curds squeak "due to air trapped inside the porous material". <S> Louisa Kamps wrote an article for the New York Times Magazine in 2004, describing it like this: They squeal, most volubly within a day of their making, we learned, because their binding proteins are still superelastic, like new rubber bands. <S> Neatorama has an easier-to-understand explanation : <S> When curds are separated from whey, they are generally pressed, dehydrated, molded, and aged into cheese. <S> If these steps are skipped, the curds last only a few days. <S> These curds squeak because of the water that has not been pressed out. <S> The water disappears as the curds become less fresh (or, in the case of most cheeses, gets processed into the smoother and or harder wheels or bricks we buy from the store). <S> I'm not really sure of the physics behind why microwaving them <S> makes them a little squeakier; I think it's just because you're drawing out the remaining moisture again. <A> Much of the cheese curds sold are refrigerated. <S> But refrigerated cheese curds will never squeak. <S> Leave the cheese curds at room temperature and if they are not wet, then add a bit of water to them to make them moist. <S> If they are wet and at room temperature - NOT refrigerated - then they will most likely squeak. <S> All the squeaky cheese I've purchased over the years has been at room temp. <S> Refrigeration and dryness both turn off the squeak.
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The squeak is caused by the water and air trapped inside the curds.
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Why double fry French fries after blanching instead of just blanching and frying? I love good fries fries. I've made them with some success at home using the Steak Frites recipe originally developed by Cooks Illustrated/America's Test Kitchen. In their recipe cut potatoes are rinsed, soaked, fried at a lower temperature, then finished at a higher temperature. It did not involve blanching, and I've been convinced through research that blanching them can be helpful. In another recipe I've found for twice-cooked fries , they are merely blanched and then fried. Is this technique going to produce good fries? According to Serious Eats fries from McDonald's are both blanched and fried at a lower temperature , frozen, and then finally fried before being served to you. The French Culinary Institute has a technique that pre-blanches, blanches, freezes, and then twice fries - talk about work! From what I've read pectin is released during the blanching at certain temperatures. Also the blanching removes some external starches, which I assume rinsing and soaking may accomplish. Plus if you blanch in salted water you pre-salt the fries. My question is, what does that initial lower temperature fry do? Cook the inside? Why should I do it instead of just blanching and frying once? The accepted answer to this question says the initial fry is to cook the fries, which it seems blanching already does. It seems to have something to do with starch molecules, but I'm interested in the details. <Q> Tests have indicated that less oil is absorbed too, so this is a general health benefit <S> The blanch process is mainly for mass production reasons to stop potato chips from sticking together when packed. <S> It removes all surface starch. <S> Cold water rinsing is all that is needed for home, small scale production Cooling and drying the chips between steps generally makes for a better chip <S> The quality, and suitability of the potatoes is still probably got more to do with it than the cooking process <S> Interesting experiments at http://www.macheesmo.com/2010/02/the-great-baked-fry-experiment/ <A> Heston Blumenthal did a master class following his research into the perfect chip. <S> He refers to the science of how starch is released in boiling rather than blanching and makes good sense in reasoning for air drying to remove moisture. <S> The first fry seals the outer surface and is done hot so the potato sears and seals reducing fat up take, this is good for taste crunch and health. <S> The second fry colours and heats the fries ready to eat. <S> Quoting him from a webpage that now no longer exists: <S> These chips are one of my proudest legacies! <S> You see them on menus up and down the country now but the original recipe came out of endless experimenting at home long before I even opened the Fat Duck. <S> The first secret is cooking the chips until they are almost falling apart as the cracks are what makes them so crispy. <S> The second secret is allowing the chips to steam dry then sit in the freezer for an hour to get rid of as much moisture as possible. <S> The final secret is to cook the chips in very hot oil for a crispy, glass-like crust. <S> Recipe: <S> Heston Blumenthal's triple cooked chips Youtube videos: How to cook perfect chips - In Search of Perfection (BBS) and How To Cook Like Heston S01E06 Potato <A> I disagree with the accepted answer's premise that blanching is to keep potatoes from sticking. <S> Both blanching and double-frying initially cook the potatoes at a lower temperature. <S> This allows the first round of cooking to happen without crisping the outer layers. <S> The second "fry" is usually with oil at a higher temperature, which nicely crisps the outside of the fry. <S> If you're using a fry with the thickness of more than "shoestring" potatoes, the challenge is getting the inside cooked to a certain degree of tenderness without overcooking the outside. <S> If you cook it long enough for the heat to penetrate to the middle, with oil at a high enough temperature to crisp the outside, you're going to end up with a darker, tougher, thicker, over-fried exterior. <S> If you cut back the time or temperature enough to get the outside right, then you wind up with undercooked interior or greasy and soggy fries. <S> I've done both, and I find that blanching (with a bit of baking soda in the water, as suggested by Cook's Illustrated) gives me a nice fry. <S> The idea is to start the high temperature fry with an uncrisped/unbrowned, but partially cooked potato, with either technique. <S> Why fry twice instead of blanch and then fry? <S> Probably just a matter of personal preference <S> - maybe you don't get a "wet" fry that spatters when you put it back in the oil, maybe the first frying makes less of a starchy mess for handling..... <S> I'm not sure. <S> I think, for practical "final product" considerations, there isn't really that much difference in how you initially cook the fries. <S> If you Google "double-frying vs blanching french fries" you'll even see a lot of articles about double frying where they refer to the initial frying step as "blanching." <S> To circle back to the main thrust of the question - if you blanch, then frying once is fine. <S> There's no need to both blanch and double-fry. <A> When you cook it twice, the fries will absorbe fat less the second time. <A> I boil them and fry them once at very high heat. <S> This does the trick. <S> I tried even double frying, but didnt notice much of a difference. <S> Actually what I did notic, is that boiling them would roughen up the surface, thus creating more crispyness. <S> Also spices added after would stick better. <A> The blanche process actually, and quite importantly, leads to a fry that has a fluffy center and crispy exterior. <S> It is the superior method. <S> Blanche, then fry. <S> A restaurant I worked at made the best wedges I've ever had (executionally) blanched (in plenty of salt until almost fully cooked), cooled in the fridge, then par fried (golden), so that at service they needed less cook time in the fryer. <S> French cuisine teaches blanche, fry at a low temp <S> then flash fry again at a higher temp for crispy skin. <S> The double fry however does lead to a crisp exterior, but isn't necessarily something that couldn't be achieved by frying it for a longer period of time, one time.
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The double fry process is to make a crisper potato chip.
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What is a close alternative to Graeffe brown sugar? Maybe it's because I'm Belgian and grew up with the Graeffe brown sugar, but I've always found it superior to the hard/crystalline brown sugar you find in stores in the US. Is there a brand close to the Graeffe one that comes close or do I have to order it from Europe? Here you can find a picture of said sugar (on the left; the right is granulated sugar, for comparison). <Q> Normal cassonade is cane or candy sugar with added molasses (I don't know what the exact difference is with brown sugar, I think cassonade is just a type of brown sugar.), however this cassonade is from sugar beets. <S> My best guess to replicate it is to put some regular granulated sugar for a couple of seconds in a blender, so the size of the particles is smaller. <S> Then add some molasses and if you can find it, a drop of inverted sugar syrup. <S> I've also found that there is caramel added in Cassonade Graeffe, but I don't know whether they add that flavour or they caramelize the sugar for a short amount of time. <S> If I find the time, I will try to find out more, but it's not a product with a lot of information about. <S> If you just want a close alternative, I would advise you to just buy different kinds of brands of brown sugar. <S> Perhaps, one will be softer than the other (I don't live in the US, I can't speak to that). <S> Try to find brown sugar from beets, not from cane sugar (not sure if this is available).Or if you're willing to pay the taxes and shipping costs, I can send you a package. <A> I'm not familiar with the brand you mention, however given it's description <S> http://www.billingtons.co.uk/ <S> I use this brand regularly and it is relatively soft. <S> I also came across the following article which may help with substitutions: http://www.davidlebovitz.com/2009/11/french-sugars/ <A> It sounds a little like demerara sugar <S> which is softer than some.
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perhaps you could look for the following brand (which can be ordered through Amazon and no doubt other places):
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What kind of meats are good for quick or cook ahead preparation, and are reasonably priced? This year I plan to eat more meat, and fatty meat preferred. I'd like to know the general level of price per unit weight so I can judge if it's "worth it", compared to how much I like eating it. If it makes a difference, I probably will be eating the meat all by itself (just adding some leaf veggies on the side, and that will be my meal). You will probably ascertain that I'm not experienced in culinary ways at all, but simply would like to get data in this area of food availability/suitability. For instance, I believe that beef rib eye is great to eat, can be prepared very quickly, has a nice amount of fat, but is pretty expensive. Pork back ribs take a long time to cook tenderly, can be cooked ahead and be tasty and fatty. But because of the bones, I don't know where that falls (more expensive/less expensive) with respect to rib eye. There's also fatty fish, like salmon to compare. All the way to canned or those little bags of tuna. Optimally, I'd like to find a list of meats (cuts of meat) that included a price range (per edible weight vs with bones), the range of fat typically found in the meat. The list would include the whole range of source animals (not just beef, or not just fish, etc, but all available in the US). <Q> Pork shoulder/butt is very fatty. <S> You can get a small one, since there's only one of you, and make different things. <S> For example, you cook it once, and you can have pulled pork to add to salads, sandwiches, omelets, refried beans. <S> Roasts are pretty cheap, I'm thinking Chuck roast, Sirloin tip <S> oven roast, boneless Center cut pork roast. <S> One small roast gives me 3-4 meals. <S> So you can cook 3 roasts at once in the oven <S> and you'll have meat for about 9 meals. <S> Bacon is expensive, but if you ask for bacon "ends and pieces", it's very, very cheap (and it's also very fatty). <S> A lot of my suggestions will make way too much meat, if you're the only one eating, but they freeze well in small containers. <S> Chicken leg quarters are very cheap and fatty. <S> You can make so many things with them. <S> Shred it for salads, soups, coconut milk curries, or have it whole by roasting in the oven. <S> Canned sardines (in water) are cheap, and you can add something spicy to them (e.g. chili paste or paprika) drizzle some olive oil, then broil in the oven. <S> If you need help in preparing these foods, leave a comment and I'll try to help. <A> If you are planning on eating a lot of the fat then you may go for grass-fed beef or similar animals as the slower growth can help with marbling and you'll get more flavor in the fat. <S> Also get it from a butcher than will leave the fat on. <S> Of course the fat will be part of the price point and if you aren't a fan of gamey meats you may want to stick with corn fed. <S> My personal preference is pork. <S> Decent fat content and a very versatile meat for all kinds of dishes. <S> If you are serious about lots of meat and saving money then invest in a chest freezer and buy whole or partial parts of an animal. <S> You'll get a large variety of cuts (you can have ones you don't like ground) and the price will average out across all the cuts. <S> Search around for butcher/meat shops and most should provide you with a cut price list. <S> I usually get a pig or two a year. <S> Has ranged between 2-4 dollars a pound depending on who I had raise it (cheaper usually if directly via butcher) and any smoking (bacon/ham), sausage making, etc I had done. <A> This link will give you the amount of fat in each kind of meat, depending on the location. <S> However, keep in mind that this varies greatly depending on the origin. <S> Since you only buy a part of the global "ground beef" piece, and it is not homogeneous, some pieces of it will be fattier than others. <S> As a rule, the low fat pieces will be more expensive than high-fat pieces, which is actually a good point for your problems. <S> As for the price, it cannot be answered since it varies greatly. <S> However, beef tends to be more expensive than pork, which is more expensive than chicken. <S> I think you will have to detail exactly what you want. <S> As it is, the best answer to your answer would be to get leftover pork fat (pure fat, almost free), but I don't thik that is what you want. <S> You will have to specify the ratio fat/protein that you want, or the maximum percentage of fat that you would be able to eat.
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Chuck steak/beef stew meat, is very cheap, and you can make delicious stews to keep in the fridge or freezer in individual serving containers. Usually, the more protein there is, the more expensive it is.
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Is it necessary to rinse Chinese or other tea before first brew / steep / infusion? I've been told that I should be rinsing Chinese tea with the boiled water before the first full infusion intended for drinking. I make the occasional very-expensive tea from Taiwan and I feel it is a waste to throw away a first pot simply for "rinsing". However, my mother-in-law insists it is correct to rinse the tea first :-) Is this practice of rinsing always advisable, or are there specific cases or kinds of tea where rinsing is necessary? What are we trying to rinse away? Is the practice only for Chinese tea, or for other kinds of tea as well? Looking for some enlightenment from some tea experts. Thank you! Update: Since I asked the question, my mother-in-law came across a newspaper article, in Chinese, describing pesticides found on some teas from China, and so it is advisable to rinse before consuming. Here's a scan I made of the article: Something in English... Essentially, the article references a 2012 report by Greenpeace. You can read a press release about the report , and here's a link to the report itself: Pesticides: Hidden Ingredients in Chinese Tea Report (PDF) . Press release summary: A Greenpeace investigation has found pesticides banned for use on tea in the products marketed by some of China's top tea companies. Some of the firms, which include China Tea, Tenfu Tea and China Tea King, export tea products to Japan, the US and Europe. For that reason, I accepted the answer below which suggests rinsing for reduction of pesticides. Of course, I don't think I'd want to drink a tea with 17 kinds of pesticides present, even if rinsed! Caveat emptor ... I plan to ask more questions when I buy my tea. <Q> Usually the first infusion is to remove pesticides and some dust that accumulates while aging the tea. <S> Another reason is to let the dry leaves "breathe" to bring out their taste in subsequent infusions. <S> You're supposed to drain out the water in seconds; so it shouldn't take away the taste. <A> Yes, this is something you almost always want to do with fine Chinese (or Japanese) tea. <S> It is not necessary, or useful, with inexpensive tea. <S> The lighter and more delicate the flavor of the tea, the more important rinsing is; on spring green teas, for example, the initial bitterness can completely overwhelm any other flavor if you don't rinse. <S> It's not necessary to do this with all teas; for example, teas which come in ball, flower, or other artistic forms have usually been rinsed before shaping and drying. <S> If I get a chance to research later I'll give you some categorical advice on which other teas usually don't need rinsing. <S> EDITED TO ADD <S> : I asked a friend of mine who's a tea buyer about this (Silk Road Teas). <S> She said that rinsing is really only required with Oolong teas, and it's more to open the leaves than to wash away any bitterness. <S> The reason I needed to rinse the Spring Tea, for example, is that it's an oolong and not a green as I'd thought. <A> When I was in China (July 2012), we visited a tea merchant. <S> Our guide said that if we bought any tea we should throw out the first brew to get rid of the pesticides. <S> Since I couldn't see how the government would benefit by giving out that info (and I think most professional guides are affiliated with the government), she seemed pretty credible. <S> I've been looking on web sites for more precise directions, since I don't exactly remember the process she suggested. <S> Given China's record for other environmental abuses (e.g. their coal pollution problem and the Three River Gorges dam), I'm not surprised about Greenpeace's findings regarding pesticides. <A> As far as rinsing of tea leaves goes, it does help remove the pesticides to a great extent. <S> Teas made by fermenting, like the Darjeeling tea and Chinese teas are often rinsed to 'wake' the leaves . <S> A quick rinsing is required preferably less ten seconds. <S> Caffeine is removed to some extent because of rinsing but to remove the optimal level of caffeine one has to discard the tea got from more than 5minutes steeping. <S> If the intent is to remove caffeine than one has to compromise a bit on tea flavor and aromas. <S> To minimize the flavor and aroma loss one should always choose high quality tea leaves which produce consistent tea quality over multiple infusions. <A> You have to rinse pu-erh tea at least once. <S> http://www.teavivre.com/info/brew-an-enjoyable-pu-erh-tea/ <A> A recent Chinese study shows that rinsing tea can reduce pesticides but can't remove them completely: <S> The results showed that the 8 pesticides transferred into the rinse water at rates between 0.2% and 24% after 5, 10, 20, or 30 seconds. <S> Rinsing tea before brewing reduced the pesticide risk levels by 5 to 59% in the tea infusion. <S> https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30350971 <S> https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.jafc.8b04908
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The purpose of the first rinse is to rinse away some of the bitter compounds which will be present on the outside of the tea leaves, so that more of the full flavor of the tea can shine through when you actually steep it.
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How much could I safely heat a content-less cast-iron pan? To which temperature could I safely heat my cast-iron pan on the stove, without any contents? I don't want to re-season it afterwards. Afterwards, I'd just let the pan cool off in room temperature. The base is ~0.5 cm thick. <Q> If it is completely empty, you probably can't reach dangerous temperatures with your stove. <S> The iron itself melts at 1500°C. <S> The seasoning can be burnt off at much lower temperatures, a self-cleaning cycle in the oven is enough for it (500°C). <S> I have taken an iron pan to above 400°C without damaging the seasoning. <S> (I don't know exactly how high it was, my thermometer doesn't go above 400°C). <S> This was on an induction stove set at maximum, I doubt that any other kind of stove can produce such temperatures. <S> Edit <S> (and if you have a thermometer in this range, you can post your findings to further limit the range of 400° to 500°C, because I'm curious). <S> But if you say "no contents", be careful that it is actually just the pan. <S> You cannot oil it, because the self-ignition temperature (of flash point) of vegetable oil is low, Wikipedia gives it at 327°C. <S> It could just smoke terribly and throw a spark or two when you reach it, but it can also flame up and then you are holding a small brand in your hand. <A> I bring my cast-iron to 500C regularly for steaks. <S> I preheat the skillet in a 525F oven (as hot as it will go), then I put it on my hottest burner (electric coil stove) for 5 minutes. <S> Checked with an IR thermometer, that does in fact get the pan to 500C. <S> Once I answered the phone and let it go for longer than 5 minutes (8 maybe?). <S> It made an audible poof and burnt all the seasoning in the bottom of the pan to ash. <S> So, I'd say 500C for a short amount of time is your absolute upper limit if you want to preserve your seasoning. <A> Over 720°C you run the risk of changing the hardness and other properties. <S> A domestic stove should not be able to get anywhere near this temperature <S> This is best done outside on a standalone gas burner. <S> Do not have any liquids near by <S> Where are you going to get a suitable thermometer from :-)
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I just heard an example showing that you can take a pan on a resistive stove to above 500°C with prolonged heating, so you should be measuring it if you plan to go that high.
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How do I tone down the intensity of raw onion? How can I tone down the intensity of raw onion? Some onions have a more acute taste and smell than others of the same type, and I would like to avoid them in salad dish, or making dips with raw onion. If effectively none, an alternative solution that can also be helpful is to find out what condiments can I add/mix with raw onion to cancel out the intensity of the the acute taste. [EDIT] There is a uniquely (IMHO) sweet taste to onion that I like. But accompany with that is the acute scene and flavor to it that I wanted to get ride of. I do not want to waste away the taste of onion, but remove the acuteness and remain the sweetness. <Q> Two things control the "sharpness" of onions: variety and age. <S> While certain varieties of onions are sharper than others (i.e. Reds, walla-walls and vidalias are sweeter), any onion which has been in storage too long is going to be sulphurous and sharp-tasting. <S> Since it's January now, that's going to be pretty much all onions. <S> Since onion sharpness comes from sulphur compounds (as I understand it), the best way to sweeten onions is to release some of them ahead of using the onion. <S> The best way to do that is: Slice the onion thinly, crossways (parallel to its equator rather than pole-to-pole). <S> Place the sliced onion in a wide bowl, uncovered or very loosely covered, in the fridge or other cold place for at least an hour and up to a day. <S> Additionally, either vinegar or salt -- or both -- will help accelerate removing sharpness from onion. <S> For example, for a New Year's Eve appetizer this year I sliced a red onion in to rings, tossed it with 1/2 tsp salt and 2 tsp red wine vinegar, and left it in an open bowl on the 45F porch for 5 hours. <S> The result was intensely sweet red onion which could then be used as a canape topping. <S> If you're in a hurry, though, the only way to make the onion less sharp is to cook it. <A> Take the appropriate onion for the job. <S> There are sweeter varieties of onions, typically the larger kind (mostly as large as apples), which have widely varying names. <S> This kind of onion has a mellow flavor, and it is what is usually added to raw foods and salads, such as on gyros or so. <A> i've read that if you soak the chopped onion in cold water for a bit (5-10 mins) and then drain it well, it will lose much of its intensity. <A> After chopping the onion, rinse it with cold water and then soak overnight in non-skim milk. <A> Chop the onion into tiny cubes and plate in a container with a lid. <S> Add a small amount of vinegar and shake the onion until it begs for mercy. <S> When it comes out it will be sweet and retain its flavour. <S> It always works for me. <A> I am a Ph.D. synthetic chemist. <S> I want to share some tricks I have used you might not know about. <S> After burn is removed- can test vs. time- <S> drain off solution before use. <S> The result are onions raw you can use in cooking. <S> OR simple microwave a minute before use <S> does same thing. <S> Professor Marc <A> One method I've used repeatedly with successful results for red onion, is to chop the onion and let it soak in (white) balsamic vinegar for 10 to 15 minutes. <S> I've never done it with yellow onion, but I imagine that you would achieve similar results. <A> I drop them in boiling water for 60 seconds. <S> Reduces some of the bite but keeps some of the crispness. <S> I use for potato salad and add finely chopped celery for a bit of crunch
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If you want raw onions that are not sharp soak in either vinegar or lime or lemon juice or salt water prior to use.
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Why do you slice whole ducks in half when roasting but not for other poultry? Last time I made a roast, I used a recipe from BBC good food. Since I have had luck with those recipes, I decided to go for their roast duck recipe . That recipe involves cutting the whole duck in half and roasting the halves with the skin pointing up. I have never roasted a bird like that before, and I am wondering why someone would do it. Does it have to do with the flavor of the meat? Proportion of fat? I don't think I'd ever do that to a chicken because I'd be afraid the meat would go dry. But obviously the flavor of duck is different, and maybe if I know why people do that, I can use it intelligently in my cooking. <Q> I agree with Jay's answer that one of the reasons is because of keeping the skin crispy, but I don't agree about the difference with other types of poultry and have a bit more background info. <S> The root difference between duck and other poultry is that duck is much fattier, and most of that fat is stored under the skin. <S> If you don't do anything about the fat, you'll get a bird that will be too greasy to enjoy; and also the skin won't crisp as nicely as, say, chicken skin would with similar preparation, because the skin will be soggy with the fat that's rendering underneath. <S> There are more ways than one to get rid of the fat; a popular one is to steam the duck before you roast it , usually after sticking a fork into the skin a few times so that the rendered fat can get out easily. <S> This seems to be a different solution to the same problem: if you cut the duck in half and put the cut side down (which is the same as putting the skin side up), the fat will have a much easier way out than if you cooked the duck whole. <A> I routinely butterfly most poultry before roasting, not just duck. <S> The biggest reason I have is the bird cooks faster and more evenly without the cavity. <S> Since it cooks faster, there is less moisture loss. <S> I also get the backbone to save for stock. <A> The main reason why you want to cut the duck in half and roast them with the skin side pointing upwards is so the skin of the duck is nice and crispy. <A> One of the reasons for cutting poultry in half (butterfly, spattlecock or spatchcock) is to allow it to roast faster and even. <S> All parts of the poultry will cook to the same level (making the breast to be more juicy), and more of the skin is exposed. <S> There are two techniques to spatchcock or butterfly poultry: <S> Removing the backbone and laying the poultry with skin up, breaking the sternum (breastbone) pressing with the palm of the hand. <S> Removing the backbone and the sternum and splitting the poultry in halves (or in quarters). <S> It may be used with all kinds of poultry, no matter the size. <A> Cut the beast in half and slow roast on a broiling pan, skin side up. <S> You Do it for two reasons. <S> Second is to help make the skin crispy. <S> Firstly is because most of that abundant fat is under the skin. <S> This way the fat oozes out from under the skin and it has somewhere to go. <S> One bird can give you two cups of fat easy. <S> With an uncut bird the fat cannot escape so easily. <S> Cheers.
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Unlike most roasted poultry where you don't eat the skin, the duck's skin is considered a huge delicacy if it is crispy.
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Best way to hold deep-fried foods? If I'm deep-frying foods and want to hold batches of them so I can serve a large amount all at once, or even prepare a couple hours ahead, what's the best way to hold them until ready to serve? Should I put them on wire racks above a drip pan, or should I place them on paper towels? Or even in a paper cone? Should I keep them warm or should I let them cool and reheat them in a very hot oven (450F)? Or does it depend on the type of food, its shape, or the batter? What I'm looking for here is someone who's done some comparison testing between different methods of holding over deep-fried foods. Some example foods: garlic & pepper shrimp, tempura vegetables, latkes, felafel, and french fries. <Q> Then you can finish deep frying the batches. <S> The initial frying will dramatically reduce the time it takes to refry each batch. <S> I found this was the best solution for myself as I was able to serve hot and (almost)fresh out of the deep fryer food to a large group of people at lot faster. <S> I think the result is way better than if you had to store the fully deep fried food for 2 hours and had to reheat it up somehow. <A> I haven't tested all of the methods you mentioned, but from my experience, there is some variation depending on the type of fried food you're making. <S> For latkes and falafel, I find that they turn out best if I fry them, place on a wire rack over drip tray or on a layer of paper towels, let excess oil run off for a few minutes, and then transfer to a low oven (100-150 F) to stay warm while I cook the rest. <S> This works well for batches of dozens, but it probably not streamlined enough if you're making them by the hundreds (though it might work if you had help). <S> Additionally, it depends on your hold time; I wouldn't do this if I needed to hold them for more than 45-60 minutes. <S> For vegetables (pakora is what I'm familiar with, which is similar to tempura but made with gram flour), I'd go with Jay's method. <S> I actually double-fry them even if serving/consuming them immediately because I like that the second fry makes the veggies crispier, but par-frying, holding, and refrying is effective and scales well. <S> I would stay away from any method that lets the fully cooked food cool completely, so reheating in a hot oven is out. <S> The only food I've managed to hold that way and not have it result in a gross consistency <S> is a cornmeal-battered fried cod. <S> Anything else retains a pretty unappealing mushiness. <A> The best and freshest/crisp method, would be the one Jay describes. <S> Par-fry, refrigerate, and fry or bake to proper doneness. <S> Freezing before frying is good only if you need your product to set correctly, i.e. breading mac n' cheese balls. <S> The only way to serve a large quantity hot and crisp all at once is to invest in mulitple friers. <S> Otherwise, batch cooking is you're only option. <S> That's why restaurants have designated fry cooks. <S> Sorry, It's time consuming. <A> I prefer to pat them quickly on a paper towel to absorb excess oil and then put them on a wire rack over a sheet pan in the oven on it's lowest setting to stay warm. <S> I think the answer to your question really depends on what your cooking though. <S> The batter IMO makes a big difference. <S> If your working with breading i think it generally stays fairly crisp in a low oven for a while but for something that is more batter-like (i.e. frito misto, tempura, fried fish) <S> i find that it gets soggy no matter what I do to keep it warm since the point of a batter is to get as many bubbles as possible to make it airy and crispy. <A> I usually fry ahead <S> (I don't like the mess or the smell), then let it cool. <S> When guests start to arrive I warm up on plate at 225 degrees for 15 to 25 minutes and remove. <S> Comes out fine. <S> I don't believe in serving fried food piping hot. <S> Hope this helps. <A> When I serve tempura for a large crowd I deep fry <S> a few hours in advance, drain on paper towel on top of newspaper. <S> When guests arrive I warm up tempura for 5 minutes in an air fryer <S> and it comes out crisp. <S> A convection oven should do the trick too. <A> Well, the absolute best way to keep deep fried foods is to deep freeze them BEFORE you deep fry them, than unfreeze and deep-fry away as you wish. <S> Out of my personal experience, you can't freeze or refrigerate deep fried foods after they have been fried - they loose their crisp or even become inedible. <S> deep fried foods should be eaten straight after they have been fried! <S> there's nothing more disappointing than eating a dry falafel ball (dry, cuz <S> it was deep fried 2 hours ago...) or a shrimp tempura with rubber-like texture to it.
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The method I used in the past (which might not be the best way) is to lightly fry the food initially, drain it of all oils, and put it in the refridgerator until it is almost time to serve the large amount of food.
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Is it bad to cut onions and other vegetables on the same cutting board? Is it bad to cut onions and other vegetables on the same cutting board? Does the type of cutting board matter? For example, do wooden cutting boards that are regularly used to cut onions (or other potent veggies, garlic, etc.) start to smell permanently like onions? <Q> No it isn't bad. <S> It's all a matter of flavor. <S> I don't really mind getting some onion juices into my next dish, unless I'm making something sweet like fruit salad - in this case I would rinse the board before moving on. <S> My advice to you about boards is: Get yourself a proper wooden or bamboo board or butcher's block, treat it with care (clean it an soak it with mineral food grade oil every now or than...) <S> and that's all you'll even need. <S> I've been using my favorite board for over 10 years now. <S> And it doesn't smell of onions. <A> Assuming that you'll soon be cooking the vegetables in the same pan as the onions/garlic, you have little to worry about in terms of 'contaminating' the former with the latter. <S> However, it's a good idea to replace your cutting boards every few months anyway to guard against bacteria build up, so it shouldn't be too much of an issue. <A> Is it bad to cut onions and other vegetables on the same cutting board? <S> Cutting board flavor transfer concerns are a factor of: Is it really important to the recipe at hand? <S> Example, if cooking a gumbo, cutting board protocol is simply not needed. <S> Some recipes might need special handling, but none come to mid. <S> What is the cutting board surface (maple, bamboo, plastic, glass etc.) <S> How you clean the cutting board: frequency of cleaning and <S> does the method of cleaning match the board material <S> I cooked in restaurants for 10 years, and at home for 40 years: I've never had a problem with undesired flavor transfer of onions (or garlic, or shallots, or powerful seafood etc.). <S> Whatever your cutting board is made of... come back here and research how to clean it.
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Softer boards will accumulate scores and grooves from knives which will trap oils and juices from onions and garlic which may eventually start to make them smell.
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What determines how hard or soft a cheese will be? My knowledge of cheese making is extremely lacking, but what determines how hard or soft the final cheese product is when making your own cheese? <Q> It is mostly about how much water is left in the curd- <S> how hard and long you press it, aging, and sometimes microbial growth. <S> Soft cheeses like cream cheese are only barely pressed. <S> Fresh soft cheeses like queso fresco and paneer aren't even pressed at all- just hung to dry. <S> Cheddar is pressed firmly and aged for a relatively short time. <S> Cheeses like parmesan are pressed firmly and then aged for months to over a year. <S> Most of the liquid leaves during pressing and then they also dry considerably. <S> Some cheeses like Camembert are unique in that the mold that grows on them softens them as it digests compounds in the cheese. <S> This is what gives Brie, etc, their unique texture. <A> Harold McGee, in On Food and Cooking, is very detailed in his explanation of how cheese "works". <S> He describes three stages. <S> In the first stage, lactic acid bacteria convert milk sugar into lactic acid. <S> In the second stage, which overlaps with the first one, rennet (an extract of calf stomach - or, to be more precise, chymosin, a protein found in this extract and now also obtainable from yeasts and the like) curdles <S> the casein proteins and watery whey is drained from the concentrated curds. <S> And finally, in the third stage, the cheese ripens, and a whole host of different enzymes do all sorts of things to flavour and texture. <S> According to McGee, Acid and Rennet form very different kinds of curd structures -- acid a fine, fragile gel, rennet a coarse but robust, rubbery one -- so their relative contributions, and how quickly they act, help determine the ultimate texture of the cheese. <S> He goes on to describe how mostly acid coagulation leads to softer cheeses and mostly rennet-based coagulation leads to firmer curds and harder cheeses. <S> Draining of the whey also strongly affects the final texture, as Sobachatina points out in her excellent answer . <S> Pressing firmly expels much whey and thus leads to a harder cheese; softer cheeses are just allowed to drain some whey by gravity. <S> But there's another important factor here: heat. <S> Some cheeses are "cooked" in their whey at this stage, to a temperature as high as 55C (130F) for a rock-hard Parmesan or about 38C (100F) for a somewhat softer Tommes, and this expels even more whey from the curd particles (and, of course, also affects flavour). <S> At this stage, salt is also added. <S> Salt draws some moisture out of the curds as well and is a catalyst for the denaturing of casein, thus reinforcing the protein structure. <S> McGee also discusses aging of cheese at some length, but he doesn't really touch on the effect of aging on the structure of cheese. <S> That effect is certainly there; a very young Gouda cheese is almost as soft as a Camembert, whereas a very old one gets close to Parmesan hardness (if it doesn't crumble to dust). <S> I imagine that this is due to some moisture escaping the cheese, but also due to the fact that the protein networks keep growing more and more interconnected as the cheese ripens. <A> Actually, pressing is a minor player in the moisture level control. <S> How large or small the curds are cut...were the curds cooked after cutting, how long after adding rennet were the curds cut (the longer the more moisture is retained, how much salt is in the process (either in cheddaring or brining or dry salting) <S> all play a bigger part than pressing in determining how much moisture is in the cheese. <S> There are, btw, soft rennet coagulated cheeses.
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IN a nutshell...moisture level determines the "softness" of the cheese.
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Optimal shape to cut apples for apple pie I have always enjoyed a slice of apple pie... in the morning... afternoon... and after dinner. Or anytime actually. And as such, I had to learn to bake my own apple pie to satisfy my deep affinity with them. When I bake apple pies, I make sure to use the best apples I can find. I typically always go for Honey Crisp for its sweetness/slight tang and firmness to stand up to the baking. For the longest time, I have been cutting the apple by first peeling the apple, cutting the apple into 4 pieces down the middle and coring each piece. I then cut the apple pieces into slices in the shape of the apple so I get crescent shaped slices. I have alway had success with my pie and I'm actually quite proud of it. Recently however, I shared a slice with one of my roommates. He enjoyed it but he made a passing comment about how strange it was that I cut the apple in crescent slices(that ungrate... haha jk). That bruised my ego a bit. So now I want know how other people cut their apples when they bake their apple pie? And has anyone tried the crescent shaped method and a different method and found that one worked better? <Q> Nothing wrong with it at all. <S> If you don't have any special tools, it's probably the best way to get slices that are the full length of the apple. <S> It's probably what I'd do if I made a pie tonight. <S> A lot of people probably slice differently, though. <S> In particular, if you have a corer (which doesn't also slice) you can peel, core, and halve the apple, then cut thin slices perpendicular to where the core was. <S> It's easier to get thin slices this way, since you're making parallel vertical cuts. <S> Of course, it's a pain to core a whole or half apple without a special tool. <S> Perhaps some people out there, especially if using very large apples, peel, quarter, core, and then slice, getting quarter-circle slices. <S> Some people prefer small pieces; they might use a corer/slicer to get get 8 wedges, then slice those further. <S> People who make a lot of apple pies might have a device like this peeler/corer/slicer . <S> It does all three simultaneously, rotating the apple to peel it, pulling it across the corer, and slicing in a spiral as the apple rotates and moves horizontally. <S> Theoretically you end up with a peeled, cored apple that's thinly spiral-sliced the whole way through. <S> At that point you can just cut it straight down the middle, and end up with half-circle slices. <S> I expect your friend was simply used to one of those methods. <S> But any kind of apple pie you can think of is being made out there. <S> Slice them how you like! <A> Take an unpeeled and un-cored apple, and cut in half down the central core line Place cut side down and slice thinly perpendicular to the central core line <S> Any seed parts will fall out if not desired On a good variety apple <S> the the core (the actual fruit) is perfectly edible. <S> Especially when cooked it seems the same as the surrounding flesh (false fruit) Coring and peeling? <S> There is no need to waste perfectly healthy, tasty, and flavoursome parts of the fruit. <S> Just make sure you buy good quality fruit in the first place. <S> Peel and trim bruised fruit, and only core old apples <S> This method is very fast, and provides a much more interesting slice shape. <S> If you can hang onto the apple without the initial halving you will get the nice five pointed star profile when cut this way (for extra pixie points!) <S> This type of slice also cook more evenly as each slice is the same thickness all the way through, and is therefore much softer to the bite <A> I peel my apples by hand (with a paring knife), cut them in half, use a melon-baller to pop out the cores and then slice them, cut side down with a mandolin, the thinner the better. <A> One interesting option if you want the filling to be somewhat denser is to use staggered dice - say, 4 apples cut to 1/2" dice, 1 to 1/4", one to 1/8" or 1/16". <S> This way, voids between the big chunks will be filled well without needing to create a lot of thickened liquid in the filling. <S> About the coring problem: For baking, just cutting 2 large and 2 small blocks off, leaving a square core (maybe cutting it octagonal if there is too much usable apple left), usually is perfectly adequate :)
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I've eaten plenty of apple pies with crescent slices.
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How are mozzarella cheese sticks (string cheese) formed? I love string cheese. I have had some success making homemade mozzarella but I am not particularly skilled yet at kneading the curd. My mozzarella balls sometimes end up with an uneven texture. How can I knead the curd to end up with sticks where the cheese grain is all parallel along the length of the stick? ** First image hit on Google ** <Q> Oh you mean cheesesticks not the fried mozzeralla sticks. <S> I would imagine you would knead it by using the folding method in which you flatten the cheese and fold one end of the cheese over to the other end and continue folding it in that fashion(and the same direction). <S> Also note that the mozzeralla sticks you buy at grocery stores are machine processed and you can't really hope to achieve that same results/texture. <A> That's called String Cheese , and it's actually quite traditional to a number of cultures ... <S> Italian, Armenian, Mexican, Slovak ... as well as Wisconsin. <S> It's popular around the world because the technique for making it is easily learned and adaptable. <S> You can even make it from store-bought cheese, as well as your own cheese. <S> Make or buy a stretchy high-temperature (thermophilic) cheese, such as mozzarella. <S> Pull the cheese out into a long strand, then double it over. <S> Wear gloves, the cheese will be hot. <S> Repeat steps 2-3 as many times as necessary. <S> As the strands start getting thin, twist the cheese into a braid. <S> This is the sort of thing it's better to see than to describe, but I haven't been able to find a good video showing you how. <A> The stretch and fold method, over and over. <S> If your cheese is stretching with no curd chunks left, then this stretch fold method makes better string cheese than any I could buy. <S> After the repeated method done, role it into a long snake, then cut to size.
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Heat the cheese in very hot water (traditional method) or the microwave (modern method) until soft, pliable, and stretchy.
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Can I make tea with carbonated water? Whilst staying with a friend who lives somewhere with very hard water, we got used to making tea with bottled, still, water as the tap water was too hard to make a good cuppa. One day, we ran out of still water, but had some bottles of carbonated water. Having previously ruined a kettle when I was a kid with the 'genius' idea of boiling milk in there I was reluctant to risk ruining his kettle to see if you could make tea using the carbonated water. Once bitten, twice shy as they say. So would this have worked out ok? ie would anything have been damaged? would boiling water have spurted out of the kettle? And could I have made a good cuppa from carbonated water, or would it have worked but tasted terrible (no dissolved oxygen?)? <Q> In the interests of science I gave this a try. <S> Used a can of carbonated water, boiled in my kettle. <S> There was no boiling water explosion, although I more than half expected one. <S> It seemed to maybe boil a little faster, but that's more likely due to the fact that it's less liquid than I usually heat. <S> Being a tea fanatic <S> I have a lot of flavored teas <S> but I opted for PG Tips, figuring I would taste any difference a little more easily. <S> I caught very little flavor difference from usual, maybe a little stronger <S> but that could be chalked up to any number of things besides using carbonated water. <S> So <S> yeah <S> , I think carbonated water would probably work in a pinch. <S> Probably don't put too much of it in the kettle, though. <S> (A small part of me still suspects that had it been full <S> it would have shot boiling water everywhere). <A> Heating carbonated water will compel it to lose its dissolved CO2 more quickly. <S> Boiling it will probably get rid of the carbonation entirely. <S> It will certainly not ruin your kettle. <S> The only way it could conceivably cause an explosion is if you boiled it under pressure. <S> Also keep in mind that carbonated water is generally more acidic than tap water, unless it has other additives. <S> The acidity could change the taste of the tea a bit. <S> This answer goes in to more detail about the chemistry of carbonation. <S> Incidentally, I make tea with regular tap water, let it cool, and then force-carbonate it in a 600mL PET bottle... delicious! <A> <A> Tea made with carbonated water is just the same as the tea made with regular water. <S> It will boil a little faster and <S> i lol-ed so much about the crazy idea of exploding <S> :)) . <S> Maybe if you boil it under pressure , without a release valve . <S> The taste is all the same, the gas evaporates during the boiling process.
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Having not previously read anything about it I tried boiling carbonated water (without any salt in it however) and the tea's taste was the same as it usually is, since you lose the carbonation in the process of boiling the water.
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Substituting almond milk for evaporated Can almond milk be substituted for evaporated milk in a custard pie recipe? <Q> Almond milk is much, much thinner than evaporated milk. <S> Do you specifically need to use almond milk, or are you just looking for a non-dairy option? <S> I've used coconut milk for custards with some success; you might also be able to use a soy creamer (since you can get away with subbing cream for evaporated milk). <A> You would need to remove some of the liquid youself for this to work. <S> I have successfully made pies by subsitituting soymilk that I had reduced to half its starting volume over low heat. <S> Almond milk should work about the same, just needs to pour twice what your recipe calls for into a pot and simmer until it loses volume, wide surface area would speed up the process. <S> Using coconut milk is more efficient, as it is thick enough to work without being reduced. <A> As you know almond milk is not really milk at all, but almonds soaked in milk overnight say then blitzed and strained, it has the protein of milk but not any of the sugars or fats. <S> Evaporated milk is milk with about 60% of the liquid removed and sugar added. <S> If you wanted to use it in a pie recipe (lemon meringue or key lime by any chance?) <S> you would have to add additional thickener like corn-starch. <S> I would add take 2 tbs's and mix it with a tbs of almond milk to make a paste <S> then mix it with the remaining almond milk. <S> I would not cook it on the hob, I would just let it cook in the pie <S> but then perhaps that is wrong. <S> In addition to the extra thickener, you would have to add extra sugar <S> but I assume this won't actually change the result of the recipe so could be adapted to your taste. <S> Hope this helps! <A> The pumpkin pies had to be cooked longer. <S> Use a bit more spice if your family likes pumpkin spices. <S> I would reduce the amount of almond milk by an 1/8 of a cup.
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I have used almond milk and raw goat's milk with pure maple syrup when substituting for evaporated milk in pumpkin pie.
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Curing bacon with a wet brine, without nitrates When making bacon, many of the recipes call for a dry brine using curing salt with nitrates. I've read that it is possible to use a wet brine without the curing salt with the nitrates and just use Kosher salt (or some other salt). Is this possible and safe to use just kosher salt and water? From my understanding curing salt with nitrates can be toxic, but also protects against botulism but I'm still looking for a safer alternative. <Q> Nitrate, through the action of lactobacillus in meat, breaks down into nitrite. <S> Nitrite then rapidly breaks down releasing nitric oxide, which combines with myoglobin present in muscle tissue, 'curing' the meat. <S> When this process is complete, and if the correct amount of nitrates/nitrates were used in the cure, almost* all of the nitrate/nitrites will be broken down, and very little residual nitrates or nitrites will remain in the bacon. <S> Nitrosamine formation in bacon is the result of cooking it with high heat, but this is not limited to bacon - grilled hamburgers or steaks contain equally high levels of nitrosamines. <S> To greatly reduce or eliminate nitrosamine formation in bacon, simply fry it at a low temperature. <S> It will take longer to cook this way, but will cook more evenly and spatter less. <S> But if you're really worried about nitrosamine consumption, give up grilled meat. <S> And just to be safe, better give up green leafy vegetables too. <S> Spinach, for example, and celery (which contains 800 times more nitrate than cured bacon) produce nitrosamines in the stomach and digestive tract. <S> Ascorbic acid is added to accelerate the curing process and has no effect on botulism prevention. <S> to prevent the production of botulism toxins, it is generally considered safer to err on the side of a little too much nitrate/nitrite than to little. <A> A wet cure (brine) would be substantially less effective at this than a dry cure, unless you add much more salt to your brine and, also, you take the extra step of drying the meat afterwards. <S> Besides, the texture of the final product is likely to be substantially different, possibly not in a good way. <S> As you alluded, potassium nitrate (a/k/a saltpeter) is used in cures because, strangely, it does indeed stop the growth of Clostridium botulinum , the bacteria that causes botulism. <S> Other salt cures do not have this property, which might explain why some recipes call for adding a little powdered ascorbic acid to the salt. <S> Hopefully, however, you are not planning to leave your bacon in a vacuum-sealed bag at room temperature, so this should not be a major factor in which cure recipe you use. <S> I would be far more concerned about generating carcinogenic nitrosamines from frying nitrate-laden meat. <S> For extensive discussions, see the USDA/FSIS bacon fact sheet and the University of Georgia smoke-cure fact page , as well as the University of Minnesota's fact page on nitrites . <A> 400 years of using nitrites when you stored all of your food in the cool larder or cave around the corner was a safe way not to encounter botulism. <S> But we don't do that these days. <S> I can keep the temperature of my brined bacon or dry rubbed bacon same as my refrigerator throughout the entire process except when it goes in the smoker and up to 150F. <S> Then we take those slabs and partially freeze them to slice thin, package and freeze. <S> Amazing stuff homemade bacon and ham. <S> Would never go back to mystery variety in grocery stores. <S> F
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Salt inhibits bacterial growth mainly by drawing moisture out of the meat.
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Why skim "scum" from the surface of a simmering stock? I've been reading various Googled recipes and techniques for stockmaking, as I made my first stock tonight using raw chicken bones. Just about every article/recipe I read says to skim the surface of the stock in the beginning, while it is simmering. Different articles variously refer to the skimmed substances as "scum", "impurities", and "proteins". I had started out throwing all the vegetables in at the beginning, and probably had it at too high of a simmer, so I never actually got to see any foam or collections of anything other than apparently oils/fats from the chicken appear on the surface. This got me wondering: what is that stuff that floats to the surface? Is there any reason other than aesthetics to remove it from the stock? <Q> Skimming is for aesthetic purposes. <S> It is harmless and flavorless, but visually unappealing. <S> Eventually, the foam will break up into microscopic particles and disperse into your stock, leaving it grayish and cloudy. <S> The more vigorously your stock bubbles, the faster this process will occur. <S> If the grayness or cloudiness bothers you but skimming is not an option for some reason, you can always remove the micro-particulates later through the clarification process used to make consomme. <A> If you don't skim it off, the scum aggregates in a foamy layer on the surface, which acts as insulation. <S> It traps more heat in the stock and can cause your stock to boil when it would otherwise be simmering. <S> Also, since stock often sits unattended on the stove while simmering, un-skimmed stock presents a risk of boil-over. <A> Found these responses interesting. <S> Here's what Sally Fallon Morell has to say: Scum will rise to the surface. <S> This is a different kind of colloid, one in which larger molecules–impurities, alkaloids, large proteins called lectins–are distributed through a liquid. <S> One of the basic principles of the culinary art is that this effluvium should be carefully removed with a spoon. <S> Otherwise the broth will be ruined by strange flavors. <S> This is from the Broth <S> is Beautiful link on the Weston A Price website . <A> While skimming helps prevent a cloudy stock, I've found it unnecessary if the stock simmers very gently - like in a slow cooker, or overnight in a slow oven. <S> Some recipes suggest parboiling the bones and discarding the liquid, with the same goal in mind - to keep impurities from clouding the results. <A> The "impurities" are just protein or some fats, all very edible. <S> We've never skimmed; just stirred it all back in, and the soups my family makes are always delicious, very tasty, and quite nourishing. <S> It bothers me that every recipe I've seen online always says to skim off any foam, but they never really say why. <S> Break out of the box and just enjoy the soup/broth you've created! <A> Firstly, I agree that's for aesthetic purposes, many Cantonese stews are very clear when served. <S> Secondly, some people think it influences the flavor. <S> I think it might be related to the slaughter method. <S> For Halal meat, almost all the blood is drained, so it doesn't influence the taste. <S> But usually, it's not completely drained. <S> And I think if the myoglobin is not boiled, like the juice in medium steak, it's very juicy. <S> But if it's boiled for a long time, it tastes less tasty. <S> I think for chicken and beef, the difference is very small, especially when you use a slow cooker and your chicken is grass-fed. <S> But for pork, some people think the odor of pork is stronger, maybe because of boar taint <S> , hence you will see them skim pork ribs when they make rib stew. <S> Lastly, you can scoop the fat. <S> Update: I found a thesis trying to explain this: Cause and Prevention of Liver Off-flavor in Five Beef Chuck Muscles <S> It said "residual blood hemoglobin is known to contribute to liver off-flavor development". <S> So I guess some people are sensitive to this smell. <A> My mom skimmed the stock. <S> Have made soup both ways. <S> Depends on the soup. <S> Would skim for egg lemon soup. <S> Not for a hearty chicken soup that comes close to a stew. <S> There is a short cut with chicken with the skin left on. <S> After cooling the broth, put it in the fridge in a covered bowl overnight. <S> In the morning, there will be a layer of semi concealed fat (and scum) on the surface. <S> Easy to scrape off. <S> Then make soup with the broth. <A> I have never skimmed my broths and they are always amazing <A> My grandmother and mom ALWAYS skimmed the soup when it came to a simmer, never letting it boil until the very last bit of it was gone. <S> As a result, the broth, while yellow in color (Gramma used cleaned chicken feet, as well) was crystal clear. <S> Mom maintained it was the albumin that rose to the top. <S> Not sure if she was correct, but it's something I do, as well, because if it was good enough for Gramma and Mom.... <A> There are two answers: <S> If you are boiling meat, the scum is most likely animal fat. <S> If you leave the scum in and just mix it together, it will add to the flavor. <S> Though there are reasons to still remove the scum. <S> One is that you might be trying to make a leaner more meaty flavored stock. <S> Another reason is that pesticides in the animal's food collect in the fat cells. <S> You probably won't taste it, but if you're trying to go organic, you might want to dispose of this rather than consuming it yourself. <S> If you are boiling vegetables, the scum will include potassium hydroxide leaching out from the vegetable matter. <S> Potassium hydroxide, or lye, is a basic solution that will taste bitter, though won't harm you in such minute doses. <S> A typical westerner raised on a western diet has a dulled sense of taste and probably won't notice the bitter, <S> though a person from a different food culture will and as such might have a custom of skimming the scum even from boiled vegetable stocks and soups.
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Removing the scum makes it easier to control the temperature of the stock so you can maintain a constant simmer. I suspect that not skimming leaves a residual and very subtle bitterness. The scum is denatured protein, mostly comprising the same proteins that make up egg whites.
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How Do I Fix Curdled Mascarpone Cheese? I made a mascarpone mix for a Jamie Oliver cheesecake and it has curdled. The ingredients I added to the mixture include: full cream milk, vanilla essence, and icing sugar. Why would this mixture curdle? There is no acid in any of the ingredients. And what can I do to fix this curdled mascarpone mixture? <Q> Mascarpone is very prone to curdling in mixtures like this if any of the ingredients are different temperatures. <S> The best way to avoid this is to make sure everything is room temperature, and to add the liquids very slowly. <S> To fix it once it has already curdled, generally you would gently heat it over a double boiler (or microwave it a few seconds at a time) while whipping it until you've whipped the lumps out. <S> Once it's smooth, let it cool back to room temperature, stirring regularly, and rewhip it once it's cool. <A> I am guessing there is alcohol that denaturated the milk in the vanilla essence. <S> If the proteins are indeed denaturated, there is not much you can do. <S> Perhaps you can use it in some recipe that hides the weird texture. <A> Butters and soft cheeses do not just curdle with the addition of an acid, when you add any liquid into a butter or soft cheese and if it is added to quickly (as you are essentially forming an emulsion of liquid and fat) it will split and curdle. <S> This is why in creamed butter cakes you will often see the instruction to 'slowly add the beaten egg as not to curdle the butter' or something similar to that. <S> In a cake it won't make to much difference, it will just be a bit denser, but in something that's not cooked like a buttercream frosting it will leave an unpleasant, watery, almost gelatinous mouth feel and will separate out. <S> You can salvage it by putting in the fridge (which solidifies the fat and pulls the mixture together), then add some more icing sugar (which absorbs the remaining liquid) and give it a good mix and it should come back together. <S> Hope this helps!
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Generally, you whip the cheese to soften it and it warms up a bit in the process, then if the milk you added is colder than the cheese, the fats in the cheese will solidify again, causing it to appear curdled.
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How should a washed rind cheese be stored in the refrigerator? There's a dispute about whether to use plastic wrap, wax paper, aluminum foil, zip-loc bags and so on. Also, I've heard that its a good idea to take the cheese out and let it breath from time to time. Any washed rind cheese care advice? <Q> Your best bet is probably a specialty product intended to wrap chese—that is, cheese paper. <S> Cook's Illustrated tested and found that (for cheese in general), wrapping the cheese first in wax or parchment paper, then over-wrapped loosely with aluminum foil performs better than either alone, and almost as well as cheese paper. <S> They report that the wax paper-aluminum foil wrap kept brie and cheddar almost as good as new for over a month. <S> They also found that plastic (either bags or wrap) developed mold before any of the other methods. <S> (Unfortunately, unless you have a Cook's Illustrated online subscription, you won't be able to see that link.) <A> Sadly, nothing anyone can say will end that dispute. <S> Some things to keep in mind when storing most cheeses (other than, perhaps, fresh cheeses like ricotta): <S> (1) Cheese is alive with the yeasts, lactobacilli, and/or other wee beasties that helped to make the cheese, and they are a big part of your cheese's defenses against bacterial invaders. <S> They need oxygen to survive. <S> If the cheese goes anaerobic, the cheese will get funky in a not-so-pleasant way (likely sulfur, perhaps ammonia). <S> It is therefore a good idea to store the cheese in a way that it can get a little oxygen. <S> Just taking it out once in a while probably won't be enough. <S> (2) Wee beasies other than those that made the cheese (the molds, mildews, and other bacteria in your fridge) would love to munch on the cheese, given the chance. <S> They are helped if the cheese is kept in a moist environment, or in a place where condensation will collect next to the cheese. <S> Plastic bags and wrap are probably the worst for this, but that doesn't mean you should never wrap cheese in plastic, just be careful not to let water collect. <S> (3) Fats are like velcro for odors. <S> If you keep your cheese on just any old shelf, then the cheese will quickly begin to resemble last night's salmon mixed with Tuesday night's Chinese take-out. <S> Better to use a cheese drawer or, if your refrigerator does not have one, then get a plastic box and punch a couple holes in its lid. <S> (4) Finally, cheeses with a rind will deteriorate faster once the rind is cut, so get only as much as you expect will be eaten in a couple weeks. <A> I make artisan cheeses and here is my answer: <S> If it is a fresh cheese or soft cheese it needs some space to breathe and not get "wetter" than it already is. <S> Keep it in a plastic container with a paper towel in the bottom. <S> Really... <S> storing cheese (unless you mean for months) is pretty much just simple common sense. <S> If you are storing it for months than do some research on aging conditions (affinage) for the particular type of cheese you want to store. <S> Cheese papers are for bries and camemberts primarily. <S> The average consumer had no need for them. <S> Period
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If it is a hard cheese (parmesan or cheddar like) just keep it dry, cool and not exposed to the elements..a plastic container of ANY kind is fine.
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How to pair cheese with wine? It is common knowledge that cheese goes well with wine. However, the choice of which sort of cheese to pair with which wine seems an arcane discipline. Are there some easy, logical rules to follow? Something on the lines of "never serve fresh cheeses with dry red wines" or similar? If not, how can I go about making a good choice? Or does it all boil down to knowing a list of "acceptable combinations"? <Q> Well, picking the best wine to complement a given cheese -- or vice-versa -- is a bit complex to fix into a stackexchange answer. <S> I recommend Janet Fletcher's book Cheese & Wine if you're really serious about this. <S> However, picking a wine which goes OK with the cheese is a lot easier. <S> Here's a few tips based on my personal experience throwing wine & cheese parties: <S> Robust red wines ( Cabernet, Zinfandel, Syrah ) complement no cheeses <S> I know of; they swamp the taste of the cheese. <S> Fresh, lower-fat cheeses (chevre, ricotta, Nicasio's Foggy Morning) go well with light & sweet white wines, like a riesling or gewurtztraminer. <S> Brie goes well with fortified wines, like manzanilla or muscat. <S> Most hard aged cheeses ( manchego, cheddar, asiago ) go well with light, acidic reds like a lighter grenache, pinot noir, or tempranillo. <S> Blue cheese generally wants a very sweet fortified wine, like a ruby port or late harvest zinfandel. <S> Really, what you're trying to do is to have some complementary and some contrasting flavors in the wine as in the cheese. <S> And generally you want to err on the side of milder wines unless the flavor of the cheese is very strong, since it's too easy for the wine to wash out most of the cheese flavor. <S> The other fun thing to do is pair cheeses up with wines from the same culture. <S> Manchego with sherry and almonds <S> , Roquefort with sancerre and French bread, pecorino sardo with barbera, cheddar with brown ale. <S> Hope that helps some. <A> We asked this very question at a reputable gourmet food/wine shop in Boston, and were very surprised when the wine expert answered: rather than serving fine wine, try a fine Belgian beer such as the Duchess de Bourgogne or St. Bernardus Abt 12 . <S> My wife, who never drinks beer, thought this was ridiculous (not to mention blasphemy), but the expert had never steered us wrong before, so we tried it. <S> The tastes complemented each other extremely well and we've continued serving fine Belgian beers at all our "wine & cheese" parties. <S> It has worked well with numerous cheeses of different styles. <A> Look for wines that are produced in the cheese region...or cheeses produced in the wine region (not culture, since there is wide regional variation). <S> A good general rule is if it produced in very close proximity, it will probably work well together. <S> Once you recognize flavor profiles of wines and cheeses, you can branch out and experiment. <S> Personally, I prefer white wines with many cheeses, though there are many exceptions.
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Swiss-type cheeses ( emmenthaler, jarlesberg, St. George, etc. ) work well with medium white wines, like sauvignon blanc or unoaked chardonnay.
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How to get a smooth paste from ground chickpeas? I make Hummus quite often, and use my food processor to chop the chickpeas. This yields a sort of coarse paste, which is a little better if I peel the chickpeas first. Adding liquid to the mixture doesn't seem to help much, but only leads to watered down Hummus. I would like to get a much smoother paste, that resembles restaurant Hummus more closely. How can this smoother paste be achieved? <Q> You cannot make good hummus from canned chickpeas, you should make it from fresh dried beans <S> The beans need plenty of soaking and rinsing When cooking, add one tsp of baking soda per cup of beans. <S> Baking soda chemically softens the bean proteins. <S> Never add salt or other flavourings during the bean cooking stage <S> Traditional hummus is somewhat coarse, but very soft (due to baking soda). <S> It is made with a minimal amount of olive oil, but drizzled with olive oil and a sprinkle of cooked, and still warm chick peas when served Restaurant hummus is often just over processed junk made in a factory with a commercial grinder (like a peanut butter grinder) <S> Also, see <S> How should I prepare dried chickpeas? <S> if your chickpeas never go soft <A> I make hummus often, too, and I've used an immersion blender, mini food processor, and blender. <S> The secret to getting a smooth hummus, regardless of the tool, is using plenty of olive oil but adding a small amount of water to make it easy to blend thoroughly. <S> I use about 1/4 - 1/3 cup of olive oil per batch (with one 16-oz. <S> can of chickpeas, rinsed and drained), and add a splash of water at a time while blending, until I achieve the desired consistency. <S> (The other wet ingredients I use are about 3 tablespoons of tahini and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice.) <S> Since you didn't post your recipe, I'm not sure what your ingredients are, but if adding water makes your hummus too <S> watery <S> , I'd try increasing the amount of oil. <A> In addition to TFD's answer, I'd like to add that I use an indian food grinder , rather than a food processor or blender, to puree dips like hummus and baba ganouj. <S> It does a vastly better job than a food processor does. <A> Sorry, canned garbanzos can work too. <S> Season with salt, pepper, cayenne, garlic powder, and cumin to taste. <S> Blend till smooth and serve in a bowl with drizzle of olive oil. <S> Easy and yum. <A> The coarse paste texture suggest that the hummus does not have enough moisture. <S> You can correct that situation either by adding more olive oil or adding more water. <S> Oil will add more flavor, but water will make for a more healthful result. <S> I tend to compromise by adding the amount of olive oil called for in the recipe, then drizzling in water a little at a time until I get the consistency I want. <A> I'd suggest soaking the hummus overnight with a very small amount of bicarb soda (maybe a 1/4 teaspoon), adding the same amount when cooking. <S> If you can be bothered peel the skin and grind when the chickpeas are still warm. <S> For a whiter hummus, blend the tahini and lemon juice first before adding the other ingredients. <S> Reserve some of the cooking fluid and add it in if required to achieve a smooth paste. <S> You shouldn't need to add any olive oil to the hummus, it's traditionally drizzled on top, not added to the mix. <A> I feel that machine blending adds much air and 'fluffiness' to hummous and should be kept to a minimum by thorough cooking. <S> The goal should be whole yet completely tender beans. <S> Slow cooking in slightly alkaline water, as suggested above with soda, gives best results. <S> Slowing the soaking by using cold water overnight in fridge often helps prevent splitting and exploding. <S> Sieving out hard bits after blending is time-consuming but will give that extra smoothness. <S> If there are still troubles, you're not crazy: different crops and storage time all affect results. <S> The complicated chemistry of beans keeps food scientists busy! <S> Try a different batch. <A> Sorry to all the purists, but the best trick is to mix equal amount chickpeas and a small white bean like navy beans. <S> The taste is not noticeably different, but much, much smoother.
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Drain the beans, put in a blender or food processor with a small amount of chicken stock or liquid from a can.
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Are recirculation extractor hoods good? I am looking for a extractor hood, and I see that there exist ones with air recirculation, so a pipe to lead the smoke/greasy air away is not needed. So I wonder, how good are these? Can they really clean the smoke/greasy air they pull in? <Q> If you have a gas stove, you need a hood to send the exhaust outside. <S> One that recirculates is not sufficient. <S> If you do, however, you'll end up with a nasty, greasy dusty coating on everything in your kitchen. <S> I wouldn't bother with a recirculation hood if you ever cook things that involve grease or smoke. <S> For someone who mostly heats up processed foods, it's probably good enough. <A> In some kitchens external exhaust just cannot be done e.g. a flat in a block of flats, with shared ventilation shaft. <S> In such case the choice is: recirculation hood or no hood at all. <S> In such case the former may be better that nothing, as it catches at least a bit of the unwanted particles and odors, provided the filters are regularly replaced. <A> Burning gas produces noxious gases such as carbon monoxide and nitrogen dioxide that recirculating hoods do not remove. <S> Ducted hoods can be made quieter by locating the extractor fan at the far end of the ducting, away from the kitchen. <S> Recirculating hoods require regular replacement of their carbon filters, meaning expense. <S> Ducted hoods don't have or require filters. <S> If you're doing lots of frying or high heat wok cooking, your hood must be sufficiently capable or you will just get a horrible nasty grease film EVERYWHERE. <S> This is indeed a fire hazard with under-spec'd extraction often being the cause of Chinese restaurants burning down. <A> Depending on the brand/model you purchase you may not have to buy replacement filters, but instead clean them in the dishwasher and/or by baking them in oven.
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In my experience, the recirculator hoods work OK if you're not doing a lot of cooking. Because of the carbon filters in recirculating hoods they can not achieve the airflow ducted hoods can for equivalent motor sizes.
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What can I do with ginger syrup? I got a bottle of (supposedly high quality) ginger syrup for Christmas. I've never seen or tasted it before, so I have no idea how to use it. Since I like ginger, I considered just diluting it with water and drinking it. Or adding it to tea. Can it somehow be used for cooking or cocktails? I have tried searching, but my google-fu failed once again. <Q> Things you can combine it with: smoothies ice cream <S> pancakes <S> oatmeal <S> tea <S> hot almond milk <S> rhubarb pie <S> fruit salad dumplings (you can use the syrup as a sauce) <S> You can make cookies with it (e. g. this ). <S> Ginger syrup is basically ginger, water and sugar. <S> So practically everything that goes with ginger, will go with ginger syrup. <A> Boil some water with a slice of lemon in it, add ginger syrup and honey. <S> Very tasty, and fantastic when you have a cold. <S> As for cocktail, I once tasted a very nice vodka-based cocktail with ginger. <S> Not sure what the exact recipe was, but it had vodka, ginger, lemon and mint. <S> I guess substituting ginger with ginger syrup would do in this case. <A> I love ginger syrup and use it for many things. <S> I have just found that it is great for caramelising onions. <A> King Arthur has a recipe for ginger bread-yeasted-that includes a recipe for ginger syrup. <S> You could substitute the bottled stuff. <S> I've made it <S> and it lasts a long time. <S> Used it in a pinch for fresh ginger in a stir fry, also when canning peaches, pear or peach pie, mix with soda for ginger ale.
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You can make ginger ale with it (or put some in regular lemonade), or cocktails (e.g. Dark Ginger Daiquiri; Ginger Rogers; here 's a short list of cocktails containing ginger syrup).
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