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Which fruits and vegetables should be kept in a fridge, and which outside? I'm a bit unsure about which fruits and veggies should be kept outside the fridge and which inside. It seems that apples, oranges, and bananas, are normally kept outside, and melons, watermelons, etc are kept inside. How do I know which ones should be kept inside and which should be kept outside? Also, apart from making sure that fruits are stored on a different rack of the fridge than veggies, are there any other guidelines about storing them? I.e certain fruits that shouldn't be stored together, or anything? <Q> Apples, pears, and many other fruits are kept in cold storage after harvest, and keeping them in the fridge after buying them will help them keep longer. <S> Pears, peaches, and other fruits that are sold on the green side, should be removed from cold storage a day or two before using, to allow them to ripen a bit more. <S> Berries should be unwashed and refrigerated, and only washed right before using them. <S> Only a few fruits and vegetables are hurt by being refrigerated. <S> Bananas will turn brown, and tomatoes lose flavor. <S> Some veggies, such as winter squashes, have a long shelf life outside of the fridge, and refrigeration does not really add to that. <A> The most suitable range of temparatures for the storage of fruit is about 4-8 degrees Celsius. <S> Fridge temperature varies between 0 and 10 degrees. <S> Perishable fruits which contain lots of water (eg, strawberries) can be stored at the bottom of the fridge. <S> However, remember that you shouldn't wash them first. <S> When it comes to citrus, it can easily be stored in the fridge for some time. <S> However, they should be washed before storing. <S> You can, of course, put them into the fridge for a liitle time to prolong their lives, but it's better to store them at room temperature to ripe and became tastier. <S> If you decide to keep the fruits in the fridge - remember that they must have air flow. <S> Do not keep them in airtight bags or containers. <A> Find a grocery store (or grocery store chain) that you trust has done their research (I would think the bigger the better), and see how they setup their displays. <S> This would be especially reliable for items that store always carries (if they get, say, fresh peas once a year, they might not have done the research.)Always reuse the research others have paid for.
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It's not recommended to keepfin the fridge fruits, which ripens under the influence of temperature, such as apples, pears, bananas.
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Why did my pound cake turn out dry? I baked a pound cake in an enamel glazed fluted pan and it turned out dry. Was it the pan or what could it be? I followed the recipe. Any help on this would be appreciated. Does it have something to do with the heat ? But how and why ? <Q> Have you tried baking it for a shorter amount of time? <S> Cakes become dry if they are baked for too long. <S> if you use a tooth pick, it should not come out clean, but with crumbles attached. <S> Clean = dry. <S> Crumbles = moist and done.wet = not baked enough <A> It is most probably because of recipe. <S> In cakes there are generally four main ingredients which are flour, eggs, sugar and fat. <S> Whilst flour and eggs are the major structure-builders, sugar and fat actually soften the cake's structure by providing moisture. <S> If you have too much of the structure-building flour and eggs, the cake will be tough and dry. <S> If you have too much of fats and sugars, the cake might not set and probably will collapse. <S> Therefore the ratio of these four main ingredients are really important. <S> For pound cakes ideal ratio is 1:1:1:1 ratio. <S> Which is also known as flour=sugar | egg=butter rule as well. <S> This means flour and sugar should be equal in weight (not in volume) and <S> eggs and butter should be equal in weight as well. <S> Although you have the ratio and your cake is still dry <S> I suggest you to improve softeners (fat or sugar). <S> Another good alternative is to use liquid oils such as sunflower oil instead of butter. <S> Good luck for your future cakes.. <A> I have found, in my many years of baking, that simple over baking is the major cause of of a dry pound cake, I always decrease the baking time from a recipe for at least 15- 20 minutes.
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If a recipe is off balance with its ratio of dry and wet ingredients this is a main cause of baking failures.
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Is lavender used to season food? In almost every kitchen herb garden (at least around here), there is lavender growing. Is there anything that uses lavender for flavoring? <Q> For sure! <S> As you might expect, it's really good for desserts, as a light, spring-time flavor for cakes, frostings, paired with berries, etc. <S> — <S> but I have also seen it used with salmon and other savory dishes. <S> Check out this for some ideas: <A> Definitely! <S> Dried flowers can be put in a grinder with salt crystals for an interesting flavor. <S> For sweet applications, I steep into a simple syrup (great for cocktails, or pouring over cakes) or place in granulated sugar (for baking - excellent for a pound cake). <A> The first ice cream I ever made was honey and lavender (using the dried flowers). <S> It's an unusual taste and not everyone likes it. <S> The leaves can also be used as you would use rosemary. <S> I had thought all varieties of lavender were edible and have just used what ever was in the garden <S> but I was reading a recipe the other day that said to only use culinary lavender (which I'd never heard of). <S> A bit of research leads me to believe this is just English lavender that hasn't been treated with pesticides, but <S> having never bought it I could be wrong. <S> This same research seemed to imply not all varieties of lavender taste the same which makes sense. <S> This page in particular seemed helpful. <A> All parts of the Lavender bush are good for adding smoke to food in a wood or charcoal fired BBQ <S> When the BBQ heat is not on full, add crunched up bunches of Lavender to make a sweet and interesting smoky favour <A> I had a wonderful veal chop with a crust that contained lavender in Argentina <S> so it's definitely used. <S> That said, due to it's close botanical relationship to rosemary the most common meat I've seen it paired with is lamb.
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Lavender is a traditional component of Herbes de Provence , and works well in breads.
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Should I warm wine in the microwave? Although warming wine in the microwave might seem like a "horrible" thing to do it clearly has some practical benefits. So will the microwave change the aroma of the wine compared to the conventional way or is it fine to do this**. ** Maybe before the guests arrive <Q> According to Spanish winemaker guru the Marqués de Griñón, you can safely warm a bottle of wine to serving temperature (12ºC-14ºC). <S> Put the microwave at high for two seconds for every ºC you want to raise the temperature. <S> Also here <S> Edit: <S> I looked up the reference in his book . <S> It says to heat a bottle out of the fridge (where stored after opening) in the microwave for two minutes at low. <A> Generally, heating does change aroma. <S> But it changes in the same way in conventional heating and in microwave heating (given that you heat to the same internal temperature, which can be very different time and power settings for different types of heating devices). <S> What microwaves change is texture. <S> That's why the microwave is considered "a horrible thing" among chefs. <S> You can't bake doughs or batters in it, and other things like vegetables can also suffer. <S> Then there is the problem with uneven heating. <S> None of these factors matter with liquids. <A> I warm glasses of red in winter. <S> About 5 to 8 seconds on high does the trick. <S> I think it improves the drinking experience.
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No, it won't change the aroma compared to conventional heating. You can warm milk, wine, whatever, in the microwave, without fearing a taste change.
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Can you overmix a gluten-free cake? If you're making a regular cake, you add all the first ingredients (eggs, butter, sugar, ...) and mix everything well. When you add the last ingredient, the flour, you mix until it's just incorporated, since over-mixing can make the gluten form and you'll end up with a tough cake. If you work with gluten-free flour, can you mix as long as you want? <Q> I find, what makes overmixing an issue is the gums used in the recipes. <S> This being either xanthan or guar. <S> Cookie dough, when over-mixed, will become very tough and elastic-like. <S> Cookie dough should break apart easily when you separate it, but an overmixed cookie dough will stretch when pulled apart... <S> Kind of like play dough or fondant. <S> Just like when baking with wheat flour, GF recipes that use gums (so pretty much all of them) yield a tougher, somewhat unpleasant texture. <A> If there's leavening in the cake (baking soda or baking powder) that gets activated once incorporated with the rest of the ingredients, and you substantially overmix, you may lose some of its power as you help the gas escape from your batter. <S> Unless you're whipping it vigorously, you're not going to be bringing enough air into the batter to make up for it. <S> This is pretty much like letting the batter sit out on the counter for a while before baking, except faster. <A> It depends on what is in the flour. <S> Xanthan gum's binding power is certainly dependent on the amount of mixing. <S> More mixing produces a tougher colloid. <S> As many gluten-free recipes use xanthan gum as a binder, this will indeed be a problem with overmixing. <S> If you are using a pre-made gluten free flour, you have to read the ingredients. <S> If these are pure starches only, you can't overmix. <S> If they have thickening agents, it is possible that overmixing is bad or not, depends on the thickener used in the specific brand. <A> In terms of 'toughness', yes you can mix it a long time. <S> However, while you are mixing, you are incorporating air into the mixture, so you must take care to not go crazy. <S> That being said, the main reason to mix a cake until 'just incorporated' is because of gluten development. <S> I guess what I am saying is, that within reason, you can mix a gluten free cake for quite a while with no adverse affect. <A> In New Zealand, We have 2 main g/f flours to bake with. <S> Both are a combination of rice flour and tapioca among other ingredients. <S> using these flours it is easy to over-mix baking recipes using these flours and the baking becomes tough and chewy. <S> The more tender and delicate <S> you want your cake, the less you mix it in my case. <S> As long as I don't use rice flour in my custom blended g/f flour mixes, I can mix the batter "until the cows come home". <A> I use premixed GF flour available from most UK stores. <S> I start off building a thicker batter to start with by withholding the egg white until the end. <S> You can thin the mix out to make it easier to work in the earlier stages (I mix by hand). <S> Once the yolk and dried ingredients are combined sufficiently I then fold the whisked whites until almost fully incorporated. <S> The air trapped in the white also helps with the rise.
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I run a gluten free bakery and yes, over mixing is a concern for many cake batters, cookie doughs, pie crusts, etc. An over-mixed cake batter will become very stringy and goopy, and will not pour smoothly when run off of a spoon, for example.
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Preventing a burnt burger patty when pan frying So when I cook the burger patties on a frying pan (I lack fancier methods of cooking them), the bottom tends to get burnt pretty black. Yet when I bite into the burger, you can see that it's only a thin layer of burntness outside, but the inside was medium-rare. Is there a way to prevent them from being burnt too dark? I'm not sure if eating too much burnt stuff is good for the body. Perhaps it's a different oil that I must use? (I'm using canola oil atm). <Q> I would try frying at a lower temperature. <S> This will slow the burning of the exterior, but you'll need to re-assess how long to fry them to achieve medium-rare doneness. <A> You shouldn't need any oil when frying a hamburger, but you definitely need to lower the heat. <S> I fry my hamburgers on Medium-Heat in a stainless skillet. <S> Depending on the size of the patty <S> *, I put the patty into a heated up pan and flip after about 6 minutes, then flip again after another 6 minutes, then again after 2 <S> and then it should be done 2 minutes later. <S> This will make a medium-well burger with a little exterior char, but still juicy and tasty. <S> *I usually do about a 1/3rd pound patty <S> and I let the meat marinate in a generous amount of Worcestershire sauce before hand. <A> I've recently started making smashed burgers -- http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2014/03/ultra-smashed-cheeseburger-recipe-food-lab.html -- which you make thin, then double up. <S> It makes it much easier to get well-done but not overdone burgers. <S> You get a good taste because there's a lot of surface meat getting browned. <A> Also, is the meat really cold out of the fridge? <S> You may want to leave the meat out 10 to 15 mins to warm up a bit. <S> Really cold meat will burn or toughen in a skillet. <A> To avoid the middle being undercooked, once I sear the outside of the rissole, I cover the hotplate in foil, just loosely - this creates a little oven that the rissoles can cook through - it also improves the time taken to cook them. <A> I recommend cooking the meat on top of an onion slice. <S> You can cover the pan as well, though I don't. <S> Use a clean onion slice each time you flip the meat over, then it'll never burn and the meat will be well done. <A> Combine @Onepotmeals answer (letting the temp of the meat rise before cooking) and @JacobG (lower cooking temp) and you have the canonical answer. <S> Also you said you nothing fancier than a frying pan--don't stress on that. <S> My best meat cookery has been in my iron frying pan: stove top and in the oven. <A> Its not the pan temperature, its the oil. <S> You only need enough oil to cover the bottom of the pan for both sides. <S> When the pan is hot you add the oil, after 30sec to a min add the patty. <S> (Should be seasoned already). <S> Let it cook for two minutes. <S> Before the oil cooks all the way out but is 80 percent gone flip the patty and add no more than 1/8 a cup of water. <S> This will keep the juice in the burger, keep the bottom from burning and is a great test. <S> Once the water cooks out, flip repeat, and its done. <S> I recommend adding seasoning to the water because the water will wash out the seasoning on the burger.
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With thick steaks, the trick is to flip them once every 30 seconds, but burgers might fall apart if you try this too much.
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How to clean and trim parsnips? I have some parsnips, and recipe for them which said to: Wash and scrape parsnips, and cut into 2 inch strips. Place into 2 inches of boiling water, and cook for 10 minutes, covered. Drain, add butter, salt and pepper as desired. By "scrape", does the author want me to just clean of most of the dirt / color with a brush, or should I just peel the parsnips? Also, should I retain the core of the parsnip? <Q> Basically you hold your knife perpendicular to the vegetable and drag it down the length. <S> It's the same action as using a peeler. <S> In fact, I usually just peel mine with a peeler. <S> But scraping leaves a tiny bit more of the vegetable. <A> I generally peel parsnips like I would a carrot and then core them using this method : After trimming the ends and peeling the parsnip, quarter it lengthwise. <S> Hold a sharp paring >knife parallel to the cutting board and slowly run the knife between the core and the tender >outer part of the parsnip. <S> The core curves with the shape of the parsnip, so you won’t be >able to get it all, but that’s fine—just remove as much as you can without sacrificing too >much of the tender part. <S> Before I knew better I would also just slice them like a carrot prior to boiling and mashing, and that works ok for smaller parsnips when the core isn't too tough/woody. <A> I use a vegetable peeler. <S> I could use a knife, but I found I was losing a lot of parsnip that way. <S> I also found that they really needed to lose that outer layer, texture wise, after washing and popping them in the pot one time. <S> They were a bit... chewy.
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My grandmother scraped both her parsnips and her carrots.
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Why is orange juice or apple juice added in a smoothie? I currently have strawberries, bananas and yogurt in my fridge and this got me thinking about the Strawberry-Banana Julius from Orange Julius. Previously I've made smoothies with strawberries, bananas, yogurt, milk and a light dash of sugar. I know most places add in some orange juice or apple juice. What does the addition of orange juice or apple juice do to the smoothie? Does it amplify the flavor of the strawberries and/or bananas? How much would someone suggest adding if I do not want the juice flavor to overpower the smoothie? Thank you! <Q> Especially filtered apple juice has a rather subtle flavor which is easily covered by other fruit flavors. <S> Juice producers use this to make their juices cheaper - if a juice advertises 100% fruit, and a flavor from an expensive, non-juicy fruit like strawberries, it is usually a blend of a small amount of strawberry juice and a large amount of apple juice (this is not fraud, the ingredients are listed on the package if you care to read it). <S> Apple juice is normally made from low-acid apples, and it tastes quite sweet, so it is useful not only for bulking, but also for sweetening blends made with sour juices like elderberry, cranberry, etc. <S> In a smoothie, it will have the same effect as in a juice blend, plus a diluting effect, as it is less viscous than your other ingredients. <S> It won't amplify the flavor of the smoothie, it will even reduce it, as sugar tends to suppress other flavors in general. <S> But the reduction won't be too big, and you might find the overall result better if you are accustomed to heavily sweetened food. <S> You can also remove the sugar if you use apple juice - I wouldn't put it there anyway, even without juice. <S> Orange juice is much more acidic than apple juice, and it has a stronger aroma. <S> It will add an orange flavor to your smoothie. <S> I would count this as an advantage, because orange flavor goes especially well with bananas and is OK with strawberries too. <S> It will also make the smoothie taste more sour, and again dilute it. <S> Overall, the effect will be pleasant. <S> As for what constitutes "overpowering" the taste, I think this is subjective. <S> You should just experiment, adding a the juice in small proportions, until you have achieved the ratio which tastes good for you. <A> You need to add some kind of liquid to a smoothie to get the right consistency; otherwise it'll be too thick. <S> Milk does that in your current recipe. <S> Replacing the milk with juice would get you a more fruity, less milkshakey flavor to the drink (I prefer mine that way and use a variety of juices rather than soymilk). <S> Juices tend to be sweet, so you won't need the extra white sugar. <S> If you use juices that don't taste too heavy (you know how orange juice can sometimes be super heavily flavored? <S> Don't use those brands), you won't overpower the fruit before making the drink too diluted to really be called a smoothie. <S> Apple juice is usually safer than orange if you're worried about it. <S> I don't know how much milk you normally put, but assuming you like that ratio, try the same in apple juice -- I find ratio of liquid affects the consistency more strongly than the flavor. <A> There are a couple of " make your own Orange Julius " recipes online. <S> I would suggest starting with that and work in your strawberries and bananas to your own taste. <S> If you reduce the quantity for frozen OJ concentrate (but not eliminate it) and then sub in the fresh fruit and perhaps sub in your yogurt for some of the milk you should get pretty close. <A> It find it adds a bit of taste from the OJ (yum!), but the main thing it does is add excess sugar to the drink. <S> A cup of Orange juice can have over 20g of sugar!! <S> (That's about 5 teaspoons)
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Apple juice will give you very little additional taste, but it will sweeten your smoothie.
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What's an efficient way of removing seeds from citrus fruits? My application is for juicing but I guess it would apply to fruit salads as well. I have an auger-style crushing juicer and roughly remove seeds I see before ramming the orange/lemon/... pieces down the juicer chute. Unfortunately a few seeds escape detection and as I like to put the pulp back into the juice, I get a few crushed seeds in the juice. Not nice. Are there any accepted utensils/techniques for removing the seeds beyond probing each piece? <Q> We have a twin-screw masticating juicer ( an older model Angel juicer ) and although the seeds come out quite chewed up, I wouldn't want to drink them <S> and we've never put the pulp back into the juice. <S> One possibility that comes to mind is to cut the oranges, etc., into pieces and separate out the pieces that have seeds from those that don't. <S> Run the seedless ones through first and save that pulp to put into the juice. <S> Then run the pieces with seeds through and toss that pulp. <A> Had the same problem. <S> Solved with apple seed remover. <S> Just cut out the the middle part with it, and problem solved. <A> The best way I've found so far (for juicing) is to just thoroughly squeeze the pieces between thumb and forefinger over the flat part of the juicer chute so the juice flows down the chute and the seeds pop out for removal. <A> The fraction of pieces that still have seeds in them might be best processed with a food mill (mouli).
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With many citrus fruits, altering the way you cut them already helps - eg with many lemons, if you slice the sides off instead of cutting it into slices, you get all the seeds in the remaining centerpieces.
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How can I make the crust of my chicken pot pie crunchy? I was wondering how to make the breading/crust on the top of a chicken pot pie really crunchy, not flaky, but crunchy and crispy. I know all the ingredients to make the topping in the first place. I just don't know what to add to give it that extra crunch. I don't know if anyone has had the pot pie from KFC, but I want my topping and sides to be that crunchy. Can anyone help me? <Q> Just a thought, you might like to swap your normal breadcrumbs for "Panko" Japanese crumbs, (available in most supermarkets)these crisp up more efficiently with tiny dots of butter on top. <S> The other trick I often do for crispy breadcrumb toppings, is to add a small amount of dry couscous to the mix, before baking. <S> I also roll wet potatoes in dry couscous, to make roast potatoes really crispy, The extra texture and crunch is great. <A> What kind of ingredients are you using in your current crust topping? <A> I am going to assume that you used pastry for the crust of your pot pie. <S> Did you make the crust yourself or did you use store bought crust? <S> If you are making the crust yourself, then there are several things you can do to make the crust "crunchier. <S> " <S> You can change the recipe of the crust slightly and make it into a shortcrust pastry dough rather than the flaky pastry. <S> A shortcrust pastry is very similar in flavor to the flaky pastry but due to slightly different ratios and preparation, the texture is closer to what you desire. <S> It uses less fat to flour <S> ratio(about 2:1 flour to fat) and fully incorporates the butter and the flour. <S> Most pastry recipe will tell you to not over-mix the dough or it will not turn out flaky. <S> Since you want the opposite, you should on purposely fully mix it. <S> This will result in a less flaky, firmer crust. <S> Finally, adding an egg wash will also give the top crust some extra crunch. <S> These changes will insure that the taste is still relatively similar while the texture become a bit closer to what you want.
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Usually the addition of a bit of butter will add to the crunchiness a bit, that would be my first suggestion.
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Can I make gluten free crepes? I have seen recipes for gluten free American style pancakes, and suppose that they turn out OK as long as they contain something which keeps them from falling apart. But I was wondering if I can make gluten free palatschinken or crepes. I am reluctant to just use some gluten replacement like starch and non-wheat flours, because it won't bind the crepe together. And I want the result to be like a real crepe - very thin, and flexible enough to be rolled. Does anybody have experience with gluten-free crepes? Do they work? If yes, how are they made, what should I pay attention to? <Q> Crepes in particular because buckwheat makes a finer flour. <S> So, traditionally made crepes would be gluten free. <A> In south India we have a variation of the crepe called a dosa. <S> The dosa batter is made of rice and lentils, thereby gluten free. <S> You can buy the batter in an indian store nearby, or make it yourself using a blender/grinder. <S> The dosa is usually savory, so I think it would work best as a savory crepe, though you can try it with fruit, sugar etc . <S> http://chefinyou.com/2010/03/plain-dosa-recipe/ <A> I grew up in Quebec, needless to say I know about crepes. <S> My mother taught me how to cook them at a young age. <S> My fiancee is celiac so gluten <S> isn't a part of our kitchen at all. <S> I've been able to cook her everything that I would normally make with the exception of a few things. <S> Up until last week crepes were one of them. <S> I've tried using several all purpose gluten free flours and none did the trick, the crepe would just fall apart in the pan. <S> Even adding Xanthan Gum didn't work. <S> The answer is rice flour. <S> These crepes are a thicker in consistency then a white wheat flour crepe, but with a little bit of butter and maple syrup I enjoy them (and my fiancee loves them). <S> Ingredients 2 eggs 2 cups rice flour 2 cups milk 1/4 tbsp melted butter for each crepe 1/4 tbsp olive oil <S> Instructions Mix <S> all the ingredients except oil with a fork until smooth. <S> Heat a non stick pan and pour 1/4 tbsp butter and 1/4 tbsp oil in it. <S> The oil will allow the butter to be heated to an even higher temperature <S> then you normally could without burning the butter <S> When the oil/butter mixture is very hot pour a ladle of batter on the same point in the pan and roll the pan from side to side to give the batter a round shape. <S> Cook it for 1 or 2 minutes. <S> Just check the bottom with a wooden spatula when it releases and flip when it has the nice color you want. <S> Flip it up and cook the other side for 1 or 2 minutes and transfer it on a plate. <S> Repeat the same steps until you finish all the batter pouring 1/4 tbsp olive oil, and 1/4 tbsp butter in the pan each time. <S> Serve <S> these right after you make with various fillings aside. <S> My favorite is maple syrup with a little extra butter <A> Another indian ingredient to look at would be besan (chickpea flour), a batter made from it will hold together on its own or with some rice flour added.
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I thought that crepes (and tasty pancakes) were traditionally made with buckwheat flour.
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Why are parsnips sold pre-clipped? In Swedish and, I'm led to believe, British supermarkets, parsnips are often sold pre-clipped. Topped and tailed. If I have a choice, I prefer to buy my veg with a few leaves on so I can see how fresh it is. So I have rather cynically assumed that this is done to hide the age of the product. Whether or not this is the case, I wonder why the same trimming service is not extended to carrots. Anyone able to shed some light? Update: Quite often just the tip of the parsnip is trimmed. This appears to be a global phenomenon; here are some parsnips from an Australian market. The two answers I've so far received are good, but don't explain why the tip might also be trimmed. <Q> In the US, carrots are normally sold topless too. <S> I do understand the desire to see those fresh green leaves on it, but in fact, they're not helping. <S> Since they're still alive, they draw nutrients and water out of the root, decreasing what's left for you. <S> This means they may actually be worse than ones that had the tops left on them, especially if they've been stored for a while. <S> They'll have less flavor and won't be as crisp. <S> If you do buy them with the tops still on, it's a good idea to at least trim them before storing. <A> The leaves steal moisture from the root, resulting in a limp vegetable. <S> Removing the leaves increases storage life. <S> My guess is that supermarkets perform this service for their benefit rather than yours. <S> If they left the tops on, they would have to sell their entire stock daily, and have their suppliers pick fresh ones to replace what was sold. <S> This results in a more delicate, less reliable supply chain. <S> Either way, when you purchase carrots or parsnips with the tops on, remove the tops right away if you are not going to cook them that day. <A> The answer to why parsnips are topped is answered satisfactorily by both Steven and Jefromi. <S> So why are parsnips also trimmed at the tail? <S> This is obvious to anyone who is familiar with the unadulterated specimen. <S> Behold the untrimmed parsnip! <S> The full root is of quite variable length and sometimes long enough to be unwieldy in packaging. <S> If you're not happy about your parsnips being tailed, you can do as I once saw Jamie Oliver do and carve pointed tips back onto your parsnips for presentation purposes. <S> To summarise: There appears to be no chicanery here. <S> While sellers, most likely, do this for their own benefit, you might just as well top parsnips yourself if you are not going to use them directly. <S> This goes for both parsnips and carrots. <S> Parsnips are tailed, I hold, simply to make them a more manageable product. <S> For carrots this is unnecessary; the carrot varieties I have seen either appear to lack this long thin tail entirely, or have a very thin hairlike tail. <A> A lesser known problem is that contact with the leaves can cause skin burns, if one is exposed to sunlight after contact. <S> I think the medical term is phytophotodermatitis. <S> It is more common with the wild version of parsnip, but the garden variety parsnip causes the same affliction.
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The tops are trimmed to increase shelf life.
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What are some alternative uses for bread heels? I often buy bread loaves at the store and use them for sandwiches, french toast, etc. I don't particularly like using the heels for those purposes though, because of the texture and taste - heels don't make for a good sandwich, they can't absorb the eggs for french toast, and they get way too crispy for regular toast (and don't soak up butter!). This means that I end up with dozens of leftover heels. I hate throwing away food, so... what are some alternative uses? Is there any good use for leftover bread heels? <Q> some recipes, like serviettenknödel, work well with crust (for softer heels) <S> Crispbread - cut them into rectangles, and toast them for a long time in a low oven. <S> use to serve cheese (for more chewy heels) <S> Bread-thickened soups, such as sopa de ajo (for softer heels). <S> Feed birds or ducks <A> Try making panzanella of some sort: stale, hard bread becomes quite nice if you chunk it up (I used a meat tenderizing mallet) and soak it in tomato, olive oil, basil, onion, etc. <S> As you might expect, this is pretty versatile - we typically use whatever fresh herbs we have on hand, you can play with different types of oils and vinegars. <S> 101 Cookbooks even had a rather interesting strawberry panzanella recipe I intend to try the next time our strawberries aren't immediately eaten fresh. <A> Think about what type of bread applications benefit from those qualities that you listed. <S> Take crouton for example. <S> A lot of people enjoy croutons that are crunchy so the heel can be made into terrific croutons. <A> Put it in a container with brown sugar to keep the brown sugar soft or to soften it. <A> Use them to make bread pudding. <S> Receipe by Craig Claibourne published in the NYT Cook Book: Preheat oven to 375°F. <S> Scald (not boil) <S> 3½ cups milk. <S> While milk is heating, break bread heels into pieces, and place in a bowl. <S> When milk is scalded, add add ¼ cup butter. <S> When melted, pour over the bread heels that you have broken into pieces. <S> Soak for 5 mins. <S> While soaking, butter a baking dish. <S> Add ½ cup sugar and 2 eggs. <S> Add cinnamon, nutmeg, and mace to taste. <S> Add raisins, apples, or other dried fruit. <S> Pour mixture into buttered backing dish and bake until knife comes out clean, about 1 hour. <S> Enjoy!
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Bread crumbs - dry them and grate them Bread dumplings - You can add raisins and/or apples.
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What's the point of using sugar in savory dishes? I never get why people add a sweet substance to a savory dish. Especially in something like a a curry or noodles. People say it balances out the flavors. But which flavor is it actually balancing out? <Q> Hot Sour Salty Sweet Sugar balances both salty and sour flavors in dishes. <S> For example, the liquid base of the Pad Thai recipe I follow contains chili powder, fish sauce, tamarind, and light palm sugar. <S> The palm sugar balances out the sour from the tamarind and the salt from the fish sauce. <S> Without it, the noodles would come out too sour and too salty. <S> I don't know the physiological reasons for this. <S> Would be interesting to hear them if someone knew ... <A> Adding sugar to something acidic changes your perception of it up to a point <S> but if you add too much it will start to taste sweet. <S> The trick is to add the right amount so that it doesn't taste sweet but you get the reduction in the other property of the dish. <S> The same applies to bitter flavours which are masked by salt. <S> According to this article by Heston Blumenthal <S> they don't know why it happens but the important thing here is that it does: <S> Try this great experiment, and you'll see what I mean. <S> Pour some tonic water into two glasses. <S> Add a pinch of salt to one and taste it. <S> Now add a little more salt, and taste again - the tonic will have become sweeter. <S> Carry on adding salt and tasting, and each time the tonic will be sweeter. <S> You'll eventually reach a point where the tonic starts to taste salty, at which stage taste the two glasses of tonic water side by side. <S> You'll marvel at how the bitterness in the salted tonic has been reduced - there is as yet no hard and fast evidence as to why this happens, though one of the more likely theories is that the salt diverts the mind away from the bitterness inherent in the tonic, and it is the reduction in bitterness that creates the perception of sweetness. ' <A> Sugar doesn't have to add much sweetness to a dish if it's for browning. <S> Caribbean example: in your pot and mix in a couple tablespoons of brown sugar. <S> Heat it up til the mix starts to caramelize and smoke a bit. <S> Next add your beef cubes, sautéing them in the browning. <S> Along the way, you'll notice that the Browning adds a deep, rich dark-brown color and a wonderfully smoky, molasses-like scent.
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Adding just a little sugar makes salty things taste less salty and sour things taste less sour, without actually reducing the amount of salt or acid in the recipe.
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How do I prevent smoked brisket from being chewy? Last night I smoked my first brisket. I used a charcoal smoker which was given to me. I followed the advice given to me by the previous owner coupled with some quick reading from the manual and internet. While my brisket was full of flavor it was a bit chewy, though not dried out. I'm wondering if it is the way I prepared the meat. Here's an outline of the process I used: About 5 lbs. of brisket No marinade on brisket 1 gallon of Apple juice in pan Started smoking when about 1/3 of coals were white with ash Added soaked alder chips wrapped in tin foil Placed brisket on top rack of smoker Kept temperature to the left of ideal (advice from previous owner) Added more soaked alder chips and charcoal 2 1/2 hrs in Cooked for a little over 4 hrs Smoker was in sun for first hour Photo to illustrate what I mean by left of ideal : Which leads me to my questions: Is brisket generally chewy when smoked? Would a good marinade prevent chewiness? Is there something else wrong in my preparation (cook time, temperature, etc.)? <Q> Chewy means undercooked. <S> Most of your standard "barbecue cuts" of meat contain a lot of connective tissue. <S> This must be rendered to achieve tenderness. <S> This goes for brisket, pork butt, and ribs, to name a few. <S> Your time/temperature pretty much confirms it. <S> The best thing you can do is deemphasize time and temperature as your measure of "done." <S> Rather, use a skewer to probe your meat when you think you are getting close. <S> It should slide in and out of the brisket with VERY little resistance. <S> Some people like to wrap in foil a few hours in. <S> This will finish the brisket faster, as you will mitigate the evaporative cooling effect that causes your cooking process to stall . <S> Plus, you can add some liquids and spices to the foil, which adds to the flavor profile of your meat. <S> This is better known as the " Texas Crutch ," and there is no shame in using it. <S> Plenty of competitions have been won employing these tactics. <S> Brisket is a little intimidating because of the small window between "too chewy" and "dry and falling apart. <S> " But you should probably err more on the side of the latter, as that can be more easily compensated. <S> The real takeaway here is have patience, and look to the meat itself for clues as to whether or not it is done, rather than using a timer and thermometer. <A> Here is a good basic technique for smoking brisket. <S> The important points are to smoke it until it reaches an internal temperature of about 160 F, then wrap in foil. <S> The meat won't absorb any more smoke flavor at that point anyway, and the foil will protect it from drying out during the rest of the cooking process. <S> You can add a little bit of liquid inside the foil, though I've never bothered. <S> After foiling the brisket, continue cooking until it reaches 195-200 or so. <S> Remove it from heat and allow it to rest for a while. <S> Some people will store it in an insulated cooler. <S> Properly cooking brisket can take 12 hours or more. <S> If you can't manage that kind of time, think about smoking chuck roasts ("chuckies") or making pulled pork. <A> As the other answers point out your brisket was vastly undercooked. <S> Understand that this style of cooking requires not only cooking to doneness but also "time at temperature" in order to break down the connective tissue. <S> Some poeple do inject marinades, but that's not where you are going to find the gains you are looking for here. <S> Your biggest opportunity to improve this dish is to cook much longer. <S> Generally at least 12 hours at 225 degrees F. <S> If you want, you can begin on the smoke and then move to an oven to finish. <S> The reason I wanted to add on to the existing answers was because I do not see a mention of slicing technique. <S> Be sure to cut your finished product against the grain for maximum tenderness. <S> This is one of those things that makes a huge difference but people are often skeptical about unless they've seen it first hand. <S> Check out Franklin's slicing video on youtube for one surefire method. <S> This whole series is great. <S> It was produced for PBS (American public television).
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If you are using the words "chewy" or "tough" to describe the texture of your meat, in nearly all cases it has not been cooked enough. The general rule of thumb is that you don't get much more smoke adhesion after hour 2 or so.
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How to get falafel to hold together when pan-frying? I like to pan-fry my falafel (as some of the answers to this question suggest), but have had the cakes fall apart or degenerate into mush when trying to turn them over. For ingredients I use chickpeas, olive oil, spices, and tahini. Is there a trick, either in ingredients or in preparation, to making them hold together better? (I've seen a few recipes that include flour in the mixture; if that is the common answer then I'd like to know of any gluten-free alternatives. But since I don't know if it is really a factor I'll hold off on adding the gluten-free tag - don't want to unfairly get another entry in this week's contest !) <Q> I used almond flour as an alternative and it worked pretty well. <S> The perfect temperature is difficult at first but just keep trying.... <S> falafels are worth the efforts. <A> Crumble a piece of (gluten-free)bread.(You can also rub two pieces of rusk biscuit against each other to get some dry crumbles). <S> Make a mixture of a little bit of olive oil and the crumbles. <S> Before putting the falafel in the frying pan, dip them in this mixture. <S> Because the crumbles form a bit of a crust, it's easier to flip them over without them falling apart. <S> It may not be ideal for the structure of traditional falafel, because this could give the falafel a crusty bite. <S> But you might give this a go, because it works quite well for me. <S> Good luck! <A> If you do not want to use flour you might consider these tips: If they are turning into mush it is likely because your temperature is too high on your frying pan. <S> Try turning it down to medium or medium low. <S> Also, one thing you might try when making your falafel mix is to use the coldest water possible in it. <S> This will help the falafel to stick together when frying. <A> I've also heard(haven't actually tried) that egg works as a good binder, like a meatball mixture, and that seems to make sense. <A> Adapting the joy of cooking recipe, I ended up with chickpeas, onion, spices, flour and baking soda. <S> It worked well though I ended up with something akin to a fried chickpea dumpling... <S> I liked it, but not super traditional. <S> I've read that if you want to make it without adding flour, you can't used canned chickpeas, but I've not tried dried chickpeas myself. <S> If you're going to use flour, you can find a good list of wheat free flours here . <A> Most of the time it's as simple as over blending the mixture. <S> When the mixture is over-blended it becomes too sloppy and doesn't hold together during the frying. <S> Pulse sparingly and even use a fork to mush any big garbanzo. <S> Also try to chop ingredients smaller so less blending is needed.
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I resolved this by using flour, it acts as a binder and thickener.
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Benefits of vinaigrette vs. pouring oil and vinegar separately on salad? I was reading Essentials of classic Italian cooking by Marcella Hazan where I noticed she first pours a lot of olive oil to "protect the salad" from the vinegar as it prevents the acid from doing its "cooking". So, that is one unproven benefit I know of. I am also interested in taste differences. If it tastes about the same I would much rather not spend all that time making a vinaigrette. The consistency of the liquid would obviously be different - does that give a different mouthfeel perhaps? Any experienced salad makers here with some insights? <Q> A vinaigrette is not a stable emulsion so it will eventually separate- however it will stay together long enough for the salad to be immediately served and eaten. <S> I find that pouring the oil and acid separately creates a salad with a mouthful of olive oil coating the leaves and pool of vinegar at the bottom of the plate. <S> It's true that the oil in a vinaigrette will eventually wilt the salad but that is why it should be added at the last minute or even after the salads have been portioned. <A> that's all you're using. <S> For some salads, like caprese, there's really no other way to dress them. <S> In addition to the problem Sobachatina mentions (that it's hard to get even distribution of oil and vinegar when applied separately), there's another reason to mix a vinaigrette before pouring: you may have additional ingredients in addition to oil and vinegar. <S> Further, these ingredients might be added in such small quantities as to be impossible to add to the salad evenly on their own. <S> For example, a vinaigrette might include 1/2 tsp of mustard, salt and/or sugar. <S> It might contain 1 tsp of pressed garlic or finely minced shallot <S> It might also have citrus zest or dried herbs or spices which need to marinate in the dressing for a while. <S> Or other ingredients. <S> You get the idea. <S> These need to be mixed in the base of vinegar and oil so that they can spread over the salad evenly, instead of ending up in one clump somewhere. <A> I have a tip for both taste and ease. <S> The others are right, if O&V is added separately it is not as good. <S> Take your main bowl where you’re mixing the salad. <S> Add your vinegar first and then spices. <S> The vinegar penetrates the spices faster without the oil. <S> Then start with a 1/2 tsp. <S> of mustard, my fav Grey Poupon. <S> (It does make a difference). <S> I am not fond of mustard in cooking, but you won't be able to tell. <S> At this point depending on my mood I will add a little sugar or honey. <S> Wisk together breaking up the mustard, then start adding your oil. <S> I don't use a lot of oil; it all comes down to personal preference. <S> Once done, taste. <S> Is it good? <S> If it starts to separate, add another 1/2 tsp. <S> of mustard or adjust your seasonings. <S> Then proceed with the salad. <S> Don't put the lettuce in first. <S> Put in your Tomatoes, cucs, celery or whatever you like. <S> Then put the lettuce on top. <S> Now you can store the salad in the fridge for up to 2 hours until you’re ready. <S> I have pushed it longer. <S> Then toss well, sides to middle. <S> Not just a few times, till you see everything covered. <S> Now try the most amazing salad you ever made. <A> I like a green salad and have it several times a week. <S> The green salad usually includes other cut up vegetables. <S> Many years ago a young woman of Italian background said the oil, always olive oil, goes on first to coat the leaves, then the cut up raw vegetables and then the vinegar (or lemon juice, which is what I prefer.) <S> Leftover salad keeps well in the refrigerator for a day or two and does NOT WILT.Not only my family, but guests often comment that they like the taste of my salads. <S> I never mix my salad dressing ahead.
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So, first of all, pouring oil, then vinegar, directly onto the salad and tossing is a perfectly good way to dress a salad, especially if it's high quality oil and vinegar and
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Exploding or alcoholic soda Well, I tried to follow a very simple recipe from "Cooking for Geeks" for Ginger Lemon Soda. I made a simple ginger syrup by cooking ~200g of chopped ginger together with 2 cups of sugar, then I used half of that syrup together with 1/2 a teaspoon of yeast (from the local home-brew store), and topped off with 900 ml of water. The recipe says: Let rest at room temperature for two days, then refrigerate and drink. Well, for the first batch, I had so much pressure that when I opened it, it came out like champagne and I lost half of the soda. For the second batch, I put it in the fridge after one day. Now the level of carbonation is just right, but it's still a bit alcoholic. I had half a glass and I can definitely tell that there was some alcohol involved. I wonder: What is the way to go to get nice sparkling soda that isn't also high in alcohol? <Q> This recipe is listed under the section for fermentation, together with beer, wine and mead. <S> The section starts with the sentence "Wine, beer and traditional sodas all depend on yeast to ferment sugar into alcohol and generate carbonation". <S> I don't know enough about the history of soda to know if early sodas were alcoholic. <S> Or rather, I am quite sure that there were alcoholic, fermented, carbonated drinks long before what we call "soda" today existed, but I don't know if they were called soda. <S> Whatever the language problem is, this recipe is definitely intended to produce a low-alcohol beverage, comparable to beer. <S> If you want carbonated syrup, you should buy a carbonating machine. <S> These take a bullet full of CO2 and press it into the drink base you have selected. <S> As for the too-strong carbonation, this is probably due to the vague term "room temperature". <S> Yeast growth speed depends on temperature. <S> Because it is an exponential growth, even small changes in temperature can lead to vastly different results. <S> If you want to repeat the experiment despite the alcohol production, try better controlling for the temperature. <S> As I don't brew, I can't tell you the temperature for optimal carbonation after two days, you will have to find it out by yourself. <A> Pick up a Carbonater and a CO2 setup (CO2 tank, Regulator, Hose, Ball lock connector. <S> This will let you force carbonate a 2 liter bottle. <A> As others have said- anything with yeast contains alcohol. <S> However, the alcohol content should be negligible at 0.25%-0.5%. <S> Refrigeration is necessary for stopping the fermentation. <S> The bottles should only be fermented until they are firm or else you risk explosion as you discovered. <S> I would say that your second batch was handled correctly. <S> Another common alternative to the yeast carbonation approach is to add some dry ice to a partially sealed cooler. <A> Typically, beer is brewed in several stages. <S> All but the last stage produce a flat alcoholic barley wine, and the final stage is carbonation and fermentation. <S> For a home brewer, two teaspoons of sugar is added to each bottle (350 - 500 ml) so for your purposes, I'd add 4 teaspoons for the 900 ml bottle. <S> (It may take a bit longer for it to reach the drinking stage.) <S> There will be some alcohol, but well below 1%. <S> This means that you've now got an unsweetened ginger beer, with low alcohol. <S> Now you need to figure out a way to sweeten it up. <S> Obviously, one way would be to add some syrup at serving time. <S> Another way would be to add a non-fermentable sugar such as sucralose (Splenda) at the syrup making stage. <A> It sounds to me like you may want to try using less yeast and possibly less sugar. <S> I recently made my own Root Beer and the portions I went with were 1-liter <S> water : <S> 1/2-tablespoon Rootbeer flavoring : 1/2-Cup of Sugar : 1/8 teaspoon of yeast. <S> I'm not sure of the alcohol content <S> (mostly because I was already tired when I finally sat down to try the 1st batch), but by the numbers I have read of what to expect this recipe should <S> but you at about 0.1% to 0.05% abv. <S> Alcoholic beer is generally 6% to 8%, and as low as 3%. <S> Near-beer is generally 1%, I think. <S> It seems like yeast is the wild beast to reign in on carbonation: <S> For instance, I saw two recipes that were only supposed to take 1-4 days to carbonate, one was for 2-liters (1/2 gallon) of liquid and 1-cup of sugar, the other was for 1 gallon (4-liters) and used 2 cups of sugar, but both recipes called for 1/4 teaspoon of yeast and 1-4 days for carbonation. <S> I saw a 3rd recipe that used only 7-grains of yeast per 20oz[US] <S> (about 1/2 liter), however it took nearly a full week to carbonate. <S> So, yeast is not a direct proportion and <S> I would say that 1/2 teaspoon for just under 1-liter is why you are getting so much alcohol (and CO2) production. <S> I would scale it back. <S> Sugar, maybe yes, maybe no.... <S> ginger is spicy enough, it may actually require the 2 cups of sugar you are using in order to be palatable. <S> But even then, you would be trying to retain more sugar and use less yeast to process less of it. <S> I'd like to use natural ingredients instead of flavoring, but I'm trying to do my homework on the possibility of Methanol production from roots. <S> Methanol can make you blind. <S> Ethanol can make you drunk. <S> Ethanol can counter Methanol poisoning (if caught soon enough!)
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You will also have to add a preservative of some sort to prevent fermentation.
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How do I control the smoke from a chimney starter? I'm seasoning my new Weber Smoky Mountain smoker according to the excellent instructions , given for free, on Amazon, by a 20x BBQ grand champion. (What an amazing thing for this guy to do!) Anyway, I'm using a Weber RapidFire chimney starter , and both times I've used it so far, it's completely filled the entire backyard with wood and paper smoke. My upstairs neighbors sleep with their windows cracked when it's warmer (which is when I'll be BBQing), and so I'd really like to not smoke them out of their own bedrooms at 6 in the morning. Any advice for minimizing smoke when using a chimney starter? There's some advice here about using only one sheet of newspaper doused with a bit of oil, but I don't know if that mitigates smoke. <Q> First off, I'd cease using paper as your tinder. <S> While it is the cheapest way to get your charcoal started, it does create a lot of smoke and ash flying around. <S> And avoid oil-soaked paper. <S> This will create even more smoke (I speak from experience). <S> I started using firestarter cubes, as they burn hotter and longer, meaning my coals are ready for cooking faster. <S> Also, another side effect has been that the only smoke I see is from the charcoal itself. <S> I started using the Weber ones, but they are expensive and don't burn as long. <S> So I switched to a different fire lighter. <S> You'll have to forgive me, as the name escapes me -- once I get home <S> I'll edit this answer with a picture of the bag. <S> Anyway, they're cheap, at about US$ 5-6 for a bag of 72. <S> And they burn long, hot, and smoke-free. <S> The only remaining problem you'll have is that when charcoal begins igniting from a low starting temperature, it puts out quite a bit of smoke. <S> If you are still worried about smoking your neighbors out, you will probably want to experiment with different brands and types. <S> Stubbs briquettes are a bit less smoky on ignition, as is most lump charcoal. <S> If you use lump, though, you should make sure you pack the charcoal ring in your WSM nice and tight, or it will burn very hot and fast. <S> Also, put a piece of expanded steel on the charcoal grate to keep the small pieces of charcoal from falling through. <A> (i'm using a small gas torch dedicated to crème brulée, but any gas torch will do). <S> light the top of the chimney, not the bottom Burning from the top, the black smoke is burnt by the flames and doesn't escape. <S> The ignition of the full chimney doesn't take more time than the bottom up method. <A> Use alcohol (ethanol, meths, methylated spirits, rubbing alcohol depending where you live)) to start the charcoal Fill a cup from a bottle of alcohol, and close the bottle. <S> Slowly pour the cup over the charcoal, give it a few seconds to soak in, and flick a match at it <S> It will flare up about .5 m (2') <S> so stand back. <S> The flames will die down quickly, and will light the charcoal without any smoke Remember to always close the alcohol bottle before starting the fire. <S> Never pour from bottle onto a potential fire, Never add more alcohol to a fire that has already been lit, even if it goes out
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I've had this problem for years, but i found the perfect solution: Use a gas torche on the charcoal
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Removing ramekins from a bain marie So you've just cooked your creme caramels in a water bath/bain marie/double boiler with only about a quarter of the ramekin appearing above water level. I've tried the follow methods in the past and feel there must be a more efficient, more secure or less dangerous way: tea towel/oven mitt: not enough ramekin to grab onto without dipping the towel/mitt and your hands into boiling water. Tongs: very unstable grip, ramekin can easily slip. Lifting out with an egg flip: flips bends due to weight of ramekin. Scooping water out: too much manual labor, often awkward as little room to scoop from. <Q> A true bain-marie actually has a fitted rack or platform that allows water through, which you can lift out with handles. <S> It's very convenient. <S> If you're just using a baking dish filled with water, I'd suggest getting yourself a mesh roasting pan with handles, like this one: <S> Then you can put all your ramekins on top and just lift out the whole rack when you're done. <S> If I don't have one of these on hand, I usually use a wide shallow bowl to scoop water out; you don't need to scoop it <S> all out, just enough to firmly grip the top of the ramekins. <S> and so they'll protect your hands from the hot/boiling water just fine. <A> Yet another alternative: canning tongs. <S> These are designed to grip wet, round things. <S> They're what we use to lift ramekins out of hot water -- as well as for canning! <A> You could siphon the water out (fill the siphon with cold water before inserting it to the hot water, of course). <S> Not sure how good your tongs are—better ones may help. <S> Lastly, if ramekins are the right size, jar lifters (as used in home caning, with mason jars) would certainly work well. <A> I will add two other suggestions for completeness, although they are not as good as the ones already mentioned. <S> Adjust the baking time so that you can let them cool gently in the bain marie, then remove them. <S> Get silicone oven mitts and plunge into the boiling water. <A> One more trick that might keep you from needing to buy new equipment: Take a couple of wide rubber bands, and twist them around each side of the tongs. <S> (no idea what they're called ... <S> arm? <S> tong?). <S> I save the really wide ones from when I buy broccoli in the grocery store. <S> This will give your tongs more grip and make the ramekins less likely to slip. <A> This kind of pincer-style tong is primarily used for grabbing and lifting pots off the fire (for the kind of pots that have no attached handle). <S> There's a gap or space, which can hold the lip of your pot (or in this case, ramekin), <S> while the gripping power is where the metal flattens and braces against itself - so you hold it like a vertical handle over one side of the pot, grab the edge (it won't slip because the side of the pot is gripped securely between the metal pincers, with the strength of your fist), and lift the ramekin up and out. <S> You might also look into pot grippers or pan grippers, there seem to be a variety of tools (with different designs, handles, and so on) under that name for securely bracing, holding, or lifting hot pans even when they have no suitable handle. <S> Depending on how full the ramekins are, and how you need to set the grip, you should be aware that they may puncture a small hole in one edge of your creme caramel or whatever, since the gripping surface runs down into the pot - so if you're going for photo-presentability, that may be an issue, if you're going for how to safely lift the ramekins out, that may be an acceptable trade-off. <A> Twist a wire cage (from some food safe wire - iron should be fine, electrical wire IS NOT) around your ramekin, eg a few loops of wire twisted together. <S> let top wires stick out far enough to safely hold them.
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Some silicone oven mitts might also help; they don't get "wet" like regular oven mitts You should be able to find one suited to gripping the edge of your ramekin firmly enough to lift it out of the water-bath. You might look into Indian-style tongs, sometimes called pakkad or sharashi
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How to make lactose free mashed potatoes To begin with, I use soy cream instead of dairy-based cream. It tastes alright, but not superb, and it seems to require more salt. What is missing that I should find a substitute to add back in? <Q> By "cream" do you mean "milk? <S> " If you are lactose intolerant, I suggest some margarine and either sour cream or yogurt. <A> I made some this past week with a little olive oil (maybe 1 tablespoon?) <S> and a little almond milk (maybe 1 teaspoon?). <S> (I am unable to eat dairy.) <S> I also had a rutebega mashed in--one rutebega to 4 Russet potatoes. <S> It was delicious and even my husband, who can eat all the dairy he wants, thought they were just fine. <A> Mashed potatoes do not require anything to be added? <S> People typically add milk or cream to old or dry potatoes. <S> Use a better potato for better results without adding anything. <S> Reserve some of the boiling liquid to fluff up dry potatoes a little if required <A> I've been told that ghee has no lactose in it, so that might be one alternative to butter, but not to the milk, as I find you need some water-based liquid to get the consistency I like <S> -- you're rupturing starch into the liquid, which gives a creamy mouthfeel. <S> I personally use stock, not milk to adjust the liquid in my potatoes. <S> You have to adjust the salt, but I personally prefer it. <S> (and it has nothing with my not being able to eat dairy.) <S> You can add some olive oil to change the mouth feel, although too much <S> and it's pretty obvious <S> it's olive oil in there. <S> As milk is sweet, you might also consider adding a bit of other root vegetables like carrots or sweet potatoes in, but that'll significantly change the color, which the kids may not like (or they may love ... you never know). <S> If you use carrots, you'll want to start them cooking while you're prepping the pototes, so they get a head start on the cooking, and it doesn't hurt to cut them a bit thinner. <A> You can add fried bacon, and be sure to include the fat rendered off while frying to compensate for the lack of butter. <A> If you can have butter (some people can, as the amount of lactose remaining is small), that can add a rich fattiness that soymilk sometimes lacks. <S> Another good add-in is roasted garlic cloves, which you can mash with the potatoes -- I find even with dairy in them, that kicks the potatoes up to the next level quite handily. <S> I usually find milk and soymilk interchangeable, but almost always add butter and/or garlic. <A> I have tried lactose free milk <S> and I was surprised how good it was. <S> I love milk. <S> My mother not so much. <S> She can't have dairy at all. <S> I go to the Asian markets, sometimes health food stores. <S> They have a dairy free cream cheese that was surprisingly good. <S> I use that when my mother visits. <S> Add seasoning last <S> so not to over-season. <S> To thin and smooth it out, us a little of the potato water or a little soy milk. <S> If you don't, it will be very lumpy. <S> I didn't find just using soy milk as good. <S> You should check out their other non diary items. <S> Not to shabby, some brands better then the other. <S> Also, Smart Balance makes a margarine that is non dairy. <S> Pretty good.
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If you have a lactose allergy, still margarine, more alternate dairy products, and some kind of spice mix, like an Italian seasoning. Use a fresh potato variety suitable for mashing (check with you local vegetable supplier), all you need is to mash them, and introduce some air by using a whipping process (a fork will do)
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Can I let my bread dough rise in the mixer bowl? When I bake bread, I often let the dough rise in the metal mixer bowl. I was wondering if this is a good idea, as the metal is probably colder than a regular bowl and may inhibit rising. Would it be better to transfer the dough to a glass or plastic bowl to rise instead? (Note: I've done this often and my dough does rise, I just wondered if it might rise more if it wasn't in a metal bowl.) <Q> Your metal bowl sitting in your 70°F room is 70°F (at least, if its been sitting there for a bit). <S> Your plastic bowl, or glass bowl, or ceramic bowl, or any other bowl sitting in the same room is also 70°F. <S> They're all actually the same temperature. <S> Now, given, when you touch the metal bowl, it feels cooler than the plastic one. <S> This is because your finger isn't 70°F, and your body heat is transferred away quicker by metal than (say) plastic. <S> If the dough is room temperature, it won't matter—heat isn't flowing out of it. <S> The dough itself doesn't generate much heat. <S> If your dough started above room temperature, it will cool a little quicker in a metal bowl. <S> But, if you wanted to keep it from cooling, putting it in a warm place is much more effective. <S> A stainless steel bowl is fine. <S> I'd avoid aluminum (and copper, if anyone makes a mixer with such a thing) due to them being reactive, especially if you're making sourdough. <A> Warmth, and in my experience, moisture, are the keys. <S> Steps I add to any bread recipe I prepare: <S> I prewarm the mixer bowl in the oven for a few minutes while my yeast is blooming. <S> Once I am done kneading the dough I turn it out, wipe out the bowl, add oil, and turn the dough in it to make sure it and the bowl are both coated. <S> I then put the bowl in the oven along with a pan of hot water. <S> Turn the oven on "warm" and crack the door open. <S> This creates a wonderful, moist womb for the dough to rise in. <S> I've never had this method fail me. <S> Give it a shot :) <A> <A> Another alternative to transferring the dough to a second bowl and making a bigger mess is letting the dough rise in a white garbage bag. <S> I've tried this a couple of times and it was super successful! <A> The steel bowl gives you a precise ability to heat or cool the dough as necessary. <S> If you have an infra red thermometer you can just find places in the house that are warmer or cooler. <S> Us the fridge or a warming mat if necessary.
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It is just fine that you let your dough rise in your mixer bowl as long as you keep it in a dry, warm place so that it would rise faster. Personally, I always use my stainless steel mixer bowl.
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What's the difference between latte, mocha, and all the other drinks on a coffee-house menu? There are many different coffee-based drinks on an average coffee-house menu. But what makes them different from each other? What are the differences / distinguishing characteristics between: latte, caffe misto, cappuccino, mocha, macchiato, Americano, and Cafe Au Lait? <Q> I am surprised no one has mentioned this wonderful graphic (Credit: Espresso Field Guide by the aptly named Jay Mug ): <A> Espresso: This is a finely ground very dark roast coffee, packed somewhat tightly in a special metal filter, with water "expressed" through it under pressure. <S> A very strong dark coffee, typically served in 1-2 ounce portions. <S> Very commonly incorrectly called "Expresso." <S> Americano: <S> Italians typically don't drink American Strength coffee. <S> They drink espresso in tiny cups. <S> Then the tourists came and wanted a mug of coffee like they get at home. <S> The Italian solution was to make an espresso and keep the water running through the grounds to weaken the coffee, and make the desired quantity. <S> (edit: Some locations may simply add hot water to the espresso in the cup. <S> This doesn't change the basic concept.) <S> An Americano is simply an espresso that has been drawn out with extra water to an American strength beverage -- Not to be confused with the typical brewed coffee, which is usually filtered. <S> Caffe au Lait: This is strong filtered or brewed coffee (not espresso), with warmed milk. <S> This is probably the easiest specialty coffee to make at home. <S> Just scald some milk in a pot and pour it over strongly brewed coffee. <S> Cappuccino: A 1:1:1 ratio of espresso, steamed milk, and milk foam. <S> Typically the milk is steamed through a special high pressure steam pipe on the espresso machine. <S> This serves two functions. <S> To warm up the milk and to create a stiff foam on the top. <S> When pouring, the foam is held back with a spoon, and then scooped out on top. <S> I'll arbitrarily define the cappuccino as the base beverage for all that follow. <S> Macchiato: <S> Typically in North America, this is a cappuccino, but with the steamed milk component missing. <S> That is, it is espresso and frothed milk foam only. <S> Also called a "Dry" Cappuccino. <S> Macchiato has different meanings elsewhere. <S> Latte: A "wet" cappuccino. <S> Hold back the foam with a spoon, and pour the warm milk over the espresso. <S> Put a little bit of foam on top for decoration only. <S> Mocha: <S> Any one of the above espresso + milk drinks with chocolate added. <S> Some places will add hot chocolate to the drink, others will add a chocolate syrup. <S> A mocha latte is the common preparation. <S> Not to be confused with Mocha beans, which are an Ethiopian coffee bean which has a little bit of a naturally occurring chocolate flavour. <S> Misto: <S> A Starbucks synonym for a Cafe au Lait. <A> Latte: <S> An espresso drink that consists of espresso, steamed milk, and foam. <S> In a latte there is a greater percentage of steamed milk than foam. <S> Mocha: <S> An espresso drink that consists of espresso, steamed milk, foam, and chocolate syrup. <S> Cappuccino: <S> An espresso drink that also consists of espresso, steamed milk, and foam. <S> In a latte there is an equal percentage of steamed milk and foam. <S> In a wet cappuccino there is a slightly greater percentage of steamed milk. <S> In a dry cappuccino there is almost no steamed milk and consists of almost pure foam. <S> Espresso Macchiato: <S> A real macchiato is a shot of espresso and a single dollop of foam on top. <S> The shots can vary from 1 to 4. <S> Any more takes too long to pull and spoils the first 2 shots. <S> *Starbucks has a drink called a caramel macchiato which is just an inverted latte with vanilla syrup at the bottom and caramel drizzle on top. <S> Americano: <S> A cup filled with hot water and topped with espresso shots. <S> An americano is an alternative to a regular cup of coffee and usually is more flavorful. <S> Cafe <S> Au <S> Lait: <S> A cup of coffee filled 1/3 of the way with steamed milk. <S> An au lait is preferred by customers who want to add milk or cream to their coffee but do not want to lose the heat by adding cold milk. <S> Red Eye: A cup of coffee that has shots of espresso added to make it stronger. <A> There is a fantastic graphic from Oatmeal , that explains the contents of most of your coffees. <S> I'd argue that a true cappuccino only contains foam, and no steamed milk, but besides that, to me, it's quite accurate. <S> The one it doesn't mention that I've made before, and is often confused with a mocha is a Cafés viennoise. <S> This is a latte where the milk is replaced by hot chocolate. <A> Irish coffee (Irish: caife Gaelach) is a cocktail consisting of hot coffee, Irish whiskey, and sugar (some recipes specify that brown sugar should be used), stirred, and topped with thick cream. <S> The original recipe explicitly uses cream that has not been whipped. <S> The coffee is drunk through the cream.
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In a mocha the chocolate syrup in stirred with the espresso to create a caffeinated hot chocolate with foam.
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Create a water + baking soda solution? I was wondering if there is a way I can mix the two and put it in a spray bottle? I would like to use water + baking soda in some cases to spray a little rather than have large amounts. Is it possible? I've tried, but the nozzle always ends up clogged. <Q> Baking soda is soluble in water at up to 90 grams per liter . <S> If you add more than that to water, you'll end up with a saturated solution at 90 g/L plus some crystalline baking soda on the bottom of the container. <S> A teaspoon of baking soda has a mass of about 4.8 grams, so it'll take 53 ml of your saturated soda solution to deliver 1 teaspoon baking soda. <S> In Fully metric terms, that's 11.1 ml of solution per gram baking soda. <A> <A> I really have no idea why you'd need to do this for cooking. <S> The amount of baking soda in solution in a few sprays of a bottle is going to be tiny. <S> If this is actually cooking related, I'm sure there's a better way. <S> But if there's some use for your spray bottle of solution, you probably just need to clean the nozzle periodically - spraying plain water through it now and then would work. <S> Nothing's going to stop the water in the nozzle from evaporating, though.
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A small pot of water and baking soda (over saturated is OK), and a simple brush is all you need A quick stir of the pot with the brush, and wash it on what you need works fine
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What purpose does coffee serve in a chocolate cake recipe? I have a recipe for a chocolate buttermilk cake. It's not constructed like most cakes, but it's always turned out OK. I've always wondered what does the coffee in the recipe do? Is the coffee just there as an additional flavor? (The cake never tastes strongly of coffee.) Can I use a cheap instant coffee, or will a higher quality coffee make a difference? Does the acid in the coffee do something? Does the temperature of the coffee really matter? Here's the recipe: 3 cups flour, 2 1/2 cups sugar, 1 1/2 tablespoons baking soda, 1/2 tsp salt, 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, 1 1/3 cups vegetable oil, 1 1/2 cups buttermilk, 3 eggs, 1 1/2 cups freshly brewed hot coffee , 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract Slowly combine the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt and cocoa powder. Blend (on medium speed) in the oil and buttermilk. On low, mix in the eggs, one at a time. Add the hot coffee and vanilla and mix on low speed. Divide into two 9 inch round cake pans and bake at 350° for 30-35 minutes. from Caprial's Desserts by Caprial Pence and Melissa Carey <Q> it's probably there to add depth to the flavor, since chocolate and coffee complement each other <S> so well. <S> i've used the instant kind in similar recipes <S> and it's just fine. <A> If you add coffee to a recipe with chocolate, the coffee will enhance the chocolate flavour and normally, you won't taste the coffee. <S> I'm not that sure in your case, since it's a lot of coffee. <S> You surely can use instant espresso powder or something similar. <S> I don't think the temperature does anything (make sure it's not too hot, or you'll cook the eggs). <A> coffee enhances the chocolate / cocoa for a more chocolatey cake. <S> I don't think you should be able to taste the coffee though, the fact that you can taste the coffee suggests that either there's too much coffee or its too strong, to correct this <S> you can try reducing the amount of coffee or try with instant coffee as I believe it's not as strong, I also don't think using instant coffee will make too much of a difference. <S> Most recipes call for instant coffee. <S> And if it's asking for hot coffee, then make sure that's what you use. <S> Personally I'd try using instant coffee instead of freshly brewed, first, and see how that tastes. <S> The cake won't be as chocolatey without the coffee, however should you wish to remove it, you can by simply substituting the same amount of hot water with the amount of coffee specified by the recipe. <S> Hope <S> this helps. <A> it's just replacing water for added, complimentary flavour in your cake. <S> it's like making a soup or stew with chicken or vegetable stock instead of just water. <S> you can get the same effect with water and instant coffee/espresso added. <S> coffee and chocolate are best friends.
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I guess it's there to make sure you use fresh coffee (which has a better taste than old coffee).
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How to make boiled and partially fried vegetables palatable? I boiled carrot and beans pieces till they were soft, fried onions and green chillies in a pan, added 1kg of the carrot and beans to the pan, few pinches of salt and some powdered spices. Fried this for 20min and the taste of the veggies were still bland. No taste at all. I was told to add red chilly powder to it, but I did not have any at 11pm in the night. Kept the pan in the fridge. I can buy red-chilly powder today and try continuing to fry it. Do you have any suggestions on what I could add to it, how much chilly powder to add, how long to fry it without spoiling it or any other precautions and tips to make it into a tasty dish? <Q> If I was frying vegetables like beans and carrots for twenty minutes, I wouldn't bother boiling them at all: you are simply boiling out the nutrients and flavour. <S> In point of fact, I wouldn't fry those vegetables for twenty minutes anyway. <S> I would slice the vegetables so they were roughly the same size, on a diagonal to maximise surface area, then stir fry them quickly over a very high heat. <S> Sprinkle in any spices in the last few minutes, and perhaps add a splash of water if you want a little sauce. <A> I would do two things to make them more palatable. <S> Boil the briefly (5-10 mins depending on how hard of a veg they are) in salted water. <S> Something like a tablespoon of kosher salt per 4 quarts water (3.7L water). <S> So if I was cooking the carrots and (green/string?) <S> beans and wanted to use chili powder I would chop some onion and saute that in olive oil while the other veg parboils. <S> Then, add 1-2 tablespoons chili powder to the onions (and maybe some garlic, because everything is better with garlic) and let those flavors meld while you drain the veg. <S> Once you have the veggies drained add them to the onions and spice with a bit of liquid (wine, beer, stock; maybe 1/2 cup) and let them cook on low until they are as done as you would like them. <A> If you really need that extra cooking time (instead of just frying) you may want to consider steaming rather than boiling. <S> You can even do it all in the same pan if it's all getting cooked that way, such as in Alton Brown's glazed carrot recipe (which also uses chili powder). <S> For some vegetables, I'll do it the other way around -- <S> eg, for brocolli, I'll sauté the sliced up stems, then add the florets, toss in a little water and slap a lid on it to let it steam for a couple minutes, then drain any excess water (hold lid on loosely, then tip the whole thing over the sink to let the water run out), then return to the stove <S> w/ the lid off to evaporate the remaining moisture. <S> In this particular case, I'd go with what amedinasmith said, but steam rather than boil in the first step as it's faster <S> (don't have to bring a large quantity of water up to temperature), and you'll retain more of the flavor as it doesn't leach into the water.
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After they are parboiled, I then will saute, simmer, or braise (depending on the recipe/mood/vegetable) in a highly flavored sauce or spice mix until they are cooked.
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If a recipe doesn't specify the type of vinegar, is there a standard type implied? I occasionally come across recipes that call for vinegar, but don't specify which of the many varieties they mean. (A recent example is this recipe for a corn and pepper salad , which just says "2 tbsp. vinegar".) While I recognize that sometimes this may just be that the recipe is badly written, I've encountered it often enough to wonder: is there a "standard" or implied type of vinegar that should be used when a recipe simply calls for vinegar? Or is it assumed that the chef will be familiar with the flavor profiles of the dish they are trying to make and will be able to choose an appropriate vinegar by their own knowledge and discretion? I've been unable to find an authoritative answer to this: other forums provide conflicting answers with no documentation or reasoning for the answer put forth, or make it seem like your only options are white vinegar and cider vinegar. <Q> If a recipe asks for "vinegar", a standard type is implied, namely white vinegar .There certainly are more vinegars than just the white and the cider one (white wine or balsamic are also often used). <S> However, cultural differences can play a role. <S> I've found on wikipedia that English people put malt vinegar on their fish 'n' chips. <S> I'm sure there are other cultures which use other vinegars as standard. <S> You can always ask some people in your environment. <S> If they all agree, you can assume that's your standard vinegar. <A> I don't think there is any “standard” type of vinegar worlwide. <S> In recipes for French dishes, an unspecified vinegar can be assumed to be a red wine vinegar. <S> Mien seems to have a different opinion, so I'd say it's pretty much a cultural issue. <A> I am not a chef, so for me it comes down to personal preference. <S> I love using vinegar, but like regular wine you really should pare it with what you are cooking. <S> Yes it could be a regional thing, but again for me it comes down to simple choices. <S> If you don’t want to add flavor you just want the punch or enhancing other flavors - Plain white (I use rice wine vinegar in my Pot Roast) <S> If you want to add flavor; Red, dark & heavy sauces – Red wine vinegar Light & white sauces <S> - Plain white, White wine, Sherry, Champaign etc. <S> Pasta and regular salads - Any of the above including Balsamic & Apple Cider Fruit - Balsamic reduce with a little sugar added (Yummy!) <S> It is really important to pick a good brand for Pasta and Regular salads since they won’t cook out. <S> If you don’t think there is a difference I challenge you to do a taste test. <S> Start with the good one and compare to a cheap one. <S> Also watch out for artificially flavored vinegars, the flavor does not cook down or blend at all. <S> That is my two cents for ya. <A> The American Standard is White Vinegar when your recipe does not specify. <S> That is the official word on it from a chef. <A> When I was growing up in the 70’s, mom and grandma only had one kind of vinegar they cooked with, which was red wine vinegar. <S> That was “vinegar” back in the dark days before new flavors from around the world started easing into our pantries. <S> My guess, if it’s a recipe out of a family cookbook in the northeastern or Midwest US, that’s what they are talking about. <S> And not knowing better, I will try balsamic in that case.
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If you would see a recipe for fish 'n' chips that calls for "vinegar", my guess is that malt vinegar is meant.
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What is club soda and how do I make it? After many searches on the Google, I still can't find out how to make club soda. So, I have to ask the question - what is club soda exactly? I bought a iSi Soda Siphon and have figured out how to make carbonated water (finally). Now what do I have to do to make club soda? How about seltzer? <Q> Seltzer and carbonated water are the same thing. <S> Club soda is slightly different. <S> "Seltzer" comes from German: <S> The term seltzer water is a genericized trademark that derives from the German town Selters, which is renowned for its mineral springs. <S> Naturally carbonated water has been commercially bottled and shipped from this town since the 18th century or earlier. <S> Generally, seltzer water has no added sodium salts, while club soda still retains the sodium salts. <S> So, the primary difference is that seltzer has no added ingredients, but club soda does : Sodium bicarbonate, sodium chloride, sodium phosphate and sodium citrate are added to club soda… <S> Here's a decent review of the ingredients list and taste of various types of fizzy water. <A> 2tsps of baking soda for 1 liter of tap water better if filtered. <S> 1 liter =1.05 quartAdd squirt of lemon to help make the medicine go downGood luck <A> I carbonate both 33 oz and 20 oz bottles of water (the sizes of the bottles I bought club soda in at the Giant). <S> I add a 1/16th of a teaspoon of potassium citrate powder and 1/32nd of a teaspoon of potassium bicarbonate to both sizes... <S> just a little lighter on the citrate for the 20 oz. <S> I carbonate the bottles for 45 seconds with a five pound CO2 cylinder. <A> I personally think that club soda and sparkling water are similar but not the same. <S> You can make club soda by mixing baking soda and tap water together.
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So to answer your question directly, you can make seltzer just by carbonating regular tap water, and you can make club soda by adding potassium bicarbonate, potassium sulfate, or baking soda to water and carbonating it.
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Why does my oil cake drop in the centre My cake initially rises perfectly, but after about 20 - 25 minutes, the cake starts to slightly droop with the cake also pulling away from the side of the pan. I don't mind that too much, as the initial rising seemed to be a bit exaggerated anyway. But once I remove the cake from the oven, it droops further - in fact, it collapses. I take great care preparing the batter by sifting dry ingredients, and using eggs at room temperature. The procedure I used to prepare the cake batter is: I first cream egg yolks and sugar for about 1 minute Then I add flour/baking powder mixture, oil, water, beat again for about 1 minute Then beat and fold in the egg whites. Any ideas what I might be doing wrong? <Q> There are couple of reasons that causes a cake to collapse. <S> One reason could be flour/baking powder ratio. <S> As far as I understand from your description this applies to your case. <S> Because the procedure that you follow is fine. <S> I suggest to use this ratio: 1 cup plain flour 1 teaspoon baking powder <S> If it does not work then try to use less baking powder. <A> Try creaming them till they're aerated and fluffy. <A> Although you say it's an oil cake, I'm not familar with ones that use whipped egg whites. <S> This would make it similar to a chiffon cake. <S> The typical recommendation for chiffon is to treat them like an angel food cake : place the pan upside-down while it cools, as it doesn't have the same internal strength as a traditional cake. <S> If you're not making it in an angel food pan, which is designed for this (it has little legs on it), make sure you're not filling the pan too far <S> so it swells too much over the pan edge, and flip it over onto a cooling rack to allow air to get under it. <S> This won't solve all of your problems, but should help with the sag after it comes out of the oven. <S> Based on it pulling away from the sides of the pans and an exaggerated rise, I would have expected your oven to be miscalibrated, as that would indicate it's too hot. <S> (and then if you pull it when it's browned, the inside won't be cooked fully, so more likely to collapse ... <S> basically, the same problems as a souffle.) <S> .... <S> but you said you had that checked. <S> (I'm mentioning this, just in case someone else has a similar problem). <S> You can run into similar problems with an undercooked center if you over-fill the pan, or you cook a cake in a round pan that's intended for a bundt or tube pan.
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It's also possible that you aren't creaming the eggs and sugar together long enough, meaning the air bubbles are underdeveloped.
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How can I prepare left over Stir Fry for the fridge? I like making Stir Fry and I've tried several times to make two meal's worth so I can refrigerate half and take it to work, but so far every attempt has been sub-bar. It's veggie stir fry and I use a variety of sauces (most of which involve soy sauce) and a little vegetable oil. The problem is mostly the sauce; I can't seem to drain it out, so it builds up at the bottom and gets nasty, or at the least it smells very strongly by the next day. I can't strain out the liquid from the bottom of my Wok very well and even after separating out the portion to be refrigerated I can't quite strain it; the sauce is there but just thick enough to not drain off. Is there anything I can do to properly drain out the excess sauce or is there some method I can use to make sure the extra portion is edible, at least for a day? I know it's not going to be half as good, but it's completely inedible after a night in the fridge. <Q> I make stir fry all the time and do the same thing as you. <S> I would make extra, enough for 2 - 3 meals. <S> The thing I do to prevent the vegetables from getting too mushy in the refrigerator is by cooking the stirfry about 75%(I make sure if I am doing this that the meat is fully cooked first) and then take out the portion that I intend to refrigerate. <S> This allows me to either finish cooking it in the microwave if I am taking it to work or reheat it up in the stove if I am staying home. <S> Also since I am taking the portions from the upper part of the stirfry, there is less sauce that the vegetables will be steeping in so that should solve your problem of too much sauce. <S> Another thing you should remember is that the types of vegetables you use makes a big difference. <S> The trick is to use a variety of textured vegetables. <S> Also I dont want to state the obvious but if your problem is your sauce, have you ever tried using a different(lighter <S> ) sauce recipe? <A> I'm beginning to use a Wok for cooking and also notice excess moisture after the first cooking. <S> It's possible you're adding to much oil and Soy sauce at the beginning. <S> The rice will absorb some of the excess moisture and flavor (as long as the flavor is still desirable the next day). <A> The answer likely depends on how you're going to be reheating the stir-fry. <S> In a 'take to work' situation, odds are, it's going to be a microwave. <S> For that case, I just put down a bed of rice in the container first, then the stir-fry on top of it. <S> The sauce will soak into the rice, helping to dry out the vegetables some, which in turn slows down their heating in the microwave.
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Also, if you have cooked rice that hasn't been added to the Wok during the initial cooking, you could try adding the cooked rice to the to-go dish the morning of. If you choose all vegetables that turns really soft when cooked(onion, squash, peppers) then reheated stirfry using those vegetables will be not as unpalatable.
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What does cream of tartar do in baking recipes? I am making the following recipe for a birthday party: Pinata cookies! , and it calls for cream of tartar in the dough. This is the first time I've seen that in a cookie recipe and I can't figure out what the purpose of it is. Anyone know what cream of tartar does in baking recipes? <Q> As @rumtscho said, it is an acid and in your recipe above it is for activating the soda. <S> However, in general, recipes almost never call for cream of tartar for this purpose. <S> Modern recipes, if they need acid to activate the soda, will call for baking powder instead which has the cream of tartar already mixed in. <S> The acid denatures some of the egg white proteins and makes the eggs froth up faster and makes a stiffer meringue. <S> Cream of tartar is good for this as it is dry so it doesn't throw off the liquid content <S> and it has little flavor of its own. <A> It is a weak acid. <S> It purpose is to react with the baking soda for leavening. <S> If you can't get it, you can use some other acid, e.g. citric acid, but it will introduce a slight taste of its own, and it is stronger than cream of tartar. <S> You can also substitute baking powder instead of the baking soda + cream of tartar combination. <A> The cream of tartar gets in the way of sugar's natural tendency to bind together and prevents sugar crystals from forming. <S> makeing a light pillowy texture rather than a sugary crunch
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Almost every time I see cream of tartar called for in a recipe it is when making a meringue.
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How can I get a corn tortilla to be pliable enough to work with? I like the flavor and texture of corn tortillas (store-bought), but they always tear apart whenever I try to use them in a non-flat way - enchilada-style, for example. How can I make the corn tortillas soft enough to work with (to roll around some ingredients, for example)? <Q> You need to warm them up a bit. <S> There are a number of ways to do this 20 or 30 seconds on a griddle (or a comal if you have one) wrap a stack in foil and place in 325 oven for until warm wrap a stack in a clean towel and steam them using a steamer slightly moisten a towel and wrap it around a stack and microwave them for a bit If you've warmed them and they are still tearing then <S> your tortillas are no longer fresh. <A> If possible, don't buy your tortillas from a modern super market, but look for a source of homemade/fresh tortillas. <S> These can be found in many cities in the U.S. at Mexican or Latin American stores or neighboroods. <S> Perhaps check your yellow pages for "Tortilleria" (The spanish word for "Tortilla Store"). <S> These tortillas will also taste much better (at least in my opinion), and have fewer preservatives or other additives (such as artificial colors, etc). <S> If you can find a good source of fresh tortillas, they will generally be much softer than those you buy pre-packaged in a supermarket. <S> They will be fresher, and if you find a good source, they'll be sold to you still warm (often kept in an ice chest or similar, to keep them warm until sale). <S> If you can't find this, you can learn to make your own tortillas. <S> Or, you can do as @djmadscribbler suggested, and warm your tortillas gently. <S> Between warming and using, keep them covered so they don't dry out or cool down. <S> Don't overheat them, or you'll dry them out (especially if you're warming them individually on the stove). <A> I spread coconut oil on the tortilla (thin layer like butter) and heat them in a hot skillet for about 15 seconds per side, drop it in the enchilada sauce, stuff and roll. <S> That way the tortilla gets pliable, the sauce gets on the tortilla, and the sauce helps it stick together and look nice and neat. <S> I've tried many ways (enchiladas are one of my favorite dinners to make with leftover beef or chicken) and this one has proven to be the easiest for me. <A> My husband is Mexican grew up in Puebla, Mexico, the proud "mecca" of Mexican cuisine. <S> His family puts their corn tortillas in a plastic grocery bag and microwaves them for a few seconds. <S> Or, they warm them in a frying pan in olive oil for a few moments on each side, long enough to soften but not crisp them. <S> I've never seen Poblano cuisine use crispy tortillas. <A> i have kind of given up on having perfect store bought corn tortillas. <S> so i decided to just layer them all across the bottom of a casserole dish and then filling and then all across the top with whatever sauce and cheeses <S> you want to add. <S> almost lasagna like. <S> i know its fake bu <S> i slice them in enchilada size portions. <S> no one knows the difference. <A> However, now the tortillas I get turn mushy and tear easily, so I think something about the tortillas in my neightborhood has changed. <S> A friend's family's technique is to fry them in oil until they are almost hard enough for tostadas since she explained that the enchilada sauce will soften the tortillas once they are cooked. <A> Using tongs, dip corn tortillas in hot manteca (lard) briefly on both sides, and drain on paper towels. <A> Just made a large pan of chicken enchiladas. <S> Heated the corn tortillas in a small, dry skillet (no oil). <S> This is the first time I have not either dipped them in enchilada sauce or fried in oil. <S> Was able to easily roll them, except for repeatedly burning my fingers. <S> :o <S> ( I think I prefer the dry way, as I'd rather not add additional calories if I don't have to. <S> [Note: <S> the tortillas were pretty fresh, which I do believe helped.]
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I used to make enchiladas all the time and what I did was dip the corn tortilla in hot oil briefly, flip and do it again.
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How can I rehydrate dried chillies more efficiently? When I make chilli, I use dried ancho and chipotle chillies which I rehydrate in beef stock. However, as they are light, they just float on top of the liquid and so they don't rehydrate very efficiently - one side can still be a little dry. Is there some way I can ensure even, efficient rehydration? <Q> I had the same problem with floating chillis <S> so I now soak mine in a cafetiere. <A> I have been following the advice of Homesick Texan on this one for awhile: <S> Heat the dried chiles (anchos, pasillas, costenos, guajillos and chiles de arbol) in a dry, cast-iron skillet on medium for a couple of minutes on each side. <S> Turn off the heat and then add enough water to the skillet to cover the chiles, and let them soak for half an hour. <S> the advantage to efficiency here being that you're not using beef broth/stock. <S> That said, aside from imparting some bitterness, you should be able to reuse your soaking liquid. <S> If your concern is solely with the fact that one side is floating, and not getting wet, place a plate atop the soaking peppers to press them down into the liquid. <S> You might also slice them in advance to allow air to escape and lessen their buoyancy (and would make it easier to remove the pith later without the pepper falling to shreds). <S> However, in my experience, one side floating has never been a problem, though I typically stir the skillet a few times as well. <A> I don't like using them whole because I find the reconstituted texture to be unpleasant. <S> I remove the seeds and membranes and cut them into the pan with kitchen shears to be toasted and then simmered. <S> As they are cut up there is no problem with floating. <A>
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When I am using dried chilis they are always pureed into a sauce. I keep them submerged in a pot using the lid of the next-smaller pot to weigh them down.
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Is there an alternative wrapping for tamales? I'd like to have a go at making tamales, but the corn husk wrappers are hard to come by here. Is there anything I can use as a substitute wrapper? <Q> I've had the same problem once. <S> The first substitute is banana leaves . <S> But they're not easy to find either. <S> The second one is using big leaves of chard . <S> Tamales will be done in the same time and you could eat the leaf if you want. <S> I've tried it once and it came out great. <S> Here it's a recipe for tamales from Michoacan made with chard . <S> Here it is a graphic step by step recipe for tamales with chard . <S> They are written in Spanish, let me know if you need a translator ;) PS. <S> My mexican mother in law used to do it with chard. <A> My mom (from Guadalajara) used to often wrap them in parchment paper, since it can withstand being heated/steamed. <S> I don't know why she started doing it - probably because it annoyed her that the delicious filling often oozed out of the tamales during the steaming. <S> Anyway, Just to make sure, I would use double sheets the first time you try the parchment to replace the corn husks. <S> There really wont be any difference in flavor. <A>
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You could use banana leaves or avocado leaves, though I'm not sure those would be easier to come by. If you can't get a hold of any of those I would try wrapping them in parchment.
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What can I use instead of annatto? Annatto is a common spice in Mexican cookery, especially in the Yucatan. However, like many Mexican ingredients, it's hard to find in Europe. What can I use as a substitute to give the same colour and approximate flavour? <Q> The flavor is described as being very mild and unless the recipe calls for a ton of the stuff it is probably being used mostly for color. <S> The color it gives is a yellow-orange. <S> Substitutions used are turmeric, paprika, or a mixture of the two. <S> It was often used itself as a substitution for saffron but of course saffron would be too expensive to make the substitution back. <S> If your recipe does use a lot of annatto (or you are serving it to people who claim to be able to detect the difference) then your best bet would probably be to just buy it online. <S> It is a seed so it isn't fragile and ships well. <S> http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=annatto <A> Annatto (or achiote) is occasionally used in Portugal and Spain and is commonly used in English cheeses like Gloucester and some cheddars, including French Mimolette; it wasn't that hard to find in Germany, in my experience, when I lived there, though I think I tended to buy it at small markets run by Turkish immigrants or other ethnic markets. <S> So I would challenge your assertion that it's particularly hard to find in Europe; it's in plenty of foods and is a recognized additive (E160b). <S> In Mexico annatto is a common alternative to saffron, so you could go that route, though I imagine saffron is more expensive than even mail ordering annatto seeds. <S> Turmeric offers the color, without the nice flavor of annatto cooked oils. <S> (Fresh turmeric has a good flavor of its own, though). <A> There is no substitute here. <S> It would be the equivalent of saying "what can I use instead of tomatoes in tomato sauce?"
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You can use something else to give you a red/orange color, but annatto seed is the main ingredient and main flavor in achiote paste, so if you replace it, you aren't making achiote paste - you are making a different, possibly tasty paste.
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How sharp should a filleting knife be? I'm trying to learn to fillet and skin fish, and getting conflicting advice. Most sources say that the boning/filleting knife should be quite sharp. But when an instructor showed me how to skin a trout fillet, the knife wasn't particularly sharp, and the technique seemed akin to scraping the flesh off the skin in one pass. I've even seen some information on-line by a surgeon who got good results with the "blunt dissection" approach, skinning a fillet with the handle of a table spoon . I haven't bought a boning/filleting knife yet, but in experiments my chef's knife (I know, too thick and stiff) tends to cut right through the skin. I'm coming to the conclusion that a knife for this purpose should be only moderately sharp. (Part of the problem may be standards-- I hone my own knives, and I don't call a knife sharp unless I can shave the hairs off my wrist with it.) Am I on the right track? <Q> It should be slightly duller than a fresh razor blade. <S> Skill can make up for lack of sharpness, but if you don't have the skills you'll mash the fish more than slice. <S> This is why instructors and surgeons can get away with dull knives; they've got years of experience cutting flesh. <S> Traditionally, fillet and boning knives are sharpened to a shallower angle than general-use chef knives, to allow a keener edge. <S> The only knife in a cook's arsenal that should be sharper is the slicer, which sees rarer use, and needs to be super-sharp for thin slices. <A> I've even seen some information on-line by a surgeon who got good results with the "blunt dissection" approach, skinning a fillet with the handle of a table spoon. <S> The tissue that connects the fillets to the bones is usually pretty minimal and often doesn't require cutting so much as pulling. <S> Sometimes it seems like you could do a decent job with just your fingers <S> once you've reached the point of removing the fillets . <S> The biggest reason you want a good sharp knife is to help you get to that point with minimal damage to the fillet. <S> Fish skin can be tough, and the fins and tail are a lot tougher. <A> As sharp as you can possibly make your knife. <A> I'm of the opinion that sharp knives are better than dull knives. <S> You're less likely to try and brute force something when your knife is sharp, that when it is dull, and (accidental) cuts from sharp knives heal better and faster than cuts from dull knives. <S> Whether or not you MUST have a certain sharpness to complete the task is a different question, but I'd argue the task will be easier and more neatly done with a sharp knife than a dull one.
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A sharp knife will help you make clean cuts around the edges of the fillet.
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What's the difference between masa for tortillas and for tamales? I often buy fresh prepared masa from Mexican markets in order to make tamales and pupusas. Mexican cookbook authors stress getting the correct masa for the recipe, either masa for tamales or masa for tortillas. However, the masa at the market is in an unlabelled bag and is identified by the proprietor as just "masa". Questions: is this more likely to be tamale or tortilla masa? is there a real difference? What? if there's a real difference, is there a way you can modify one type of masa into the other? Clarifying: the above question is about fresh corn masa, not dried flour. Prepared masa, in particular, has at least oil and salt added to the fresh-ground corn. <Q> I found a link that will provide the explanation you are looking for: <S> http://www.mymexicanrecipes.com/ingredients/masa-harina.html <S> Here is a direct quote from the site: <S> Masa is dried corn that has been cooked in limewater (cal), soaked overnight, and then ground up while still wet. <S> Sold in this form, it's called fresh masa, and it makes the lightest, fluffiest tamales. <S> In Mexico, it can be purchased at tortilla factories in two ways: with smooth consistency for making tortillas and, upon request (if you are lucky), with a coarser consistency for making tamales. <S> (Be careful to differentiate between masa para tamales and masa preparada para tamales; the latter, available at some tortilla factories and large Mexican groceries, is the coarse-textured masa mixed with lard and flavorings. <A> This might be an old question but I still stumbled on it and figured others would too, so it's still worth answering. <S> Difference:The grind makes all the difference. <S> Pre-made masa for tortillas doesn't have lard mixed into it. <S> It's just finely ground and mixed with water to make the dough. <S> Great for tortillas. <S> Pre-made masa for tamales is very light and fluffy because whipped lard is added to a coarse ground masa. <S> It may also have spices added to it, depending on who made it. <S> I get it from a mexican market and they each have their own recipe. <S> If you make a tamale with masa for tortillas, it will be much denser/heavier, and not in a good way. <S> The taste will be off because lard gives a lot of flavour. <S> The other trick is adding broth or some of the sauce you'll use to stuff the tamale to the masa dough and mix it in well. <S> It just gives that extra oomph. <S> You don't have to. <S> How to altar it if you buy the wrong one:I just ask the employees if the unmarked bag is "masa preparada para tamales", and I never have to alter. <S> If you end up with the wrong type, it may be the wrong coarseness but the taste may be greatly improved if you add about 1 cup of heavily whipped pork lard to 1 1/2 lbs of prepared masa plain masa dough. <S> Add in your spices and other flavourings if you like <S> but the basic is just adding the lard. <S> You have to whip it until it turns lighter in colour, then mix it into the dough. <S> Normally, you don't mix lard into dough, but this is the only thing I can think of to get that ingredient back in. <A> Tamales and tortillas could be made using the same ingredients: Maseca flour and water. <S> Tamales are always made with Maseca flour, but there are four types of tortillas: tortillas de harina or Maseca flour <S> tortillas, tortillas de maíz or corn flour <S> tortillas, <S> tortillas azules or blue tortillas, made with blue corn flour, tortillas moradas or purple tortillas, madre with purple corn flour <S> Flour <S> tortillas are whiter, bigger and more flexible. <S> This is why burritos are made with flour tortillas. <S> Flour tortillas are used for tacos, quesadillas, ... <S> Corn tortillas are yellowish, smaller and less flexible. <S> They are usually used for little tacos, tostadas, nachos, ... <S> You should try to buy Maseca flour and just add water. <S> It will be cheaper and fresher, you can do it the moment you want to start cooking because it is a masa with no rising time. <A> Fresh masa <S> the type you buy at your local molino is basicalltly the same. <S> The masa for tamales spreads easier on the cor chuck than the masa <S> fo <S> tortillas. <S> Same holds true with maseca for tortilla or for tamales. <S> Maseca is dried corn flour. <S> Fresh masa is made in a molino (tortilla factory). <A> Masa para tamales is simply a coarser grind. <S> In some markets it is referred to as masa quebradita. <S> Masa para <S> tortillas is a finer grind. <S> Neither is made from dry powder and neither is made from fresh corn. <S> Both are made from dried corn cooked in cal and ground when wet. <S> If you see only one kind, it is likely the finer masa for tortillas. <S> It will work in tamales if that’s all you can get. <A> Most will take the fresh corn that has been removed from the cob to a tortilla factory and let them process the corn, as the skin on the kernels of corn need to be mechanically separated. <S> This "fresh" corn masa is DELICIOUS, My ex-wife is Hispanic and is from Tucson Arizona and this type of tamale is traditional with her family. <S> sll they put in them is a strip if green Chili and a piece of cheese. <S> They and I make the other type of tamales with the dried corn masa but the fresh ( they call them green corn)tamales are extra special.
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Many Mexicans when referring to fresh corn masa for tamale are referring to masa that is made from fresh white corn that has been stripped from the cob and processed into masa.
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Are chillies hotter when they're ripe? This answer might vary between types of chillies, but I'm curious to know when they're hottest. <Q> McGee writes: "Capsaicin appears to accumulate in the fruit concurrently with the pigment during ripening". <S> (On Food and Cooking, p.212) <S> Many chili varieties are picked and sold in stores while still unripe and green (e.g. jalapeño, serrano, poblano), but you will occasionally see ripe, red ones in stores. <S> All of the dried chilis I've seen in stores have been completely ripened before drying (e.g. chipotles, which are smoked, dried red jalapeños and anchos, which are dried, red poblano peppers). <S> I've personally observed this effect with padron peppers, which are usually picked green and mild, but can ripen to red, hot peppers if left on the plant. <A> I know this is an old post, but had to reply. <S> I grew jalapenos this year, and the heat difference between green and fully-ripened red is astounding. <S> The green jalapenos had a very, well, green flavor like that of a green bell pepper, but with a mild heat. <S> After reading a lot of posts around the web, that almost all seem to say that peppers get "smoother" as they ripen, I interpreted that as meaning that the heat wouldn't increase. <S> My interpretation was faulty! <S> The red, ripened pepper was many, many times hotter than the green. <S> I wasn't expecting that burst of flavor when I popped a slice of pepper in my mouth to experience the "smoothness" of the ripe pepper! <S> I can't tell you the science behind it, but I can verify that, at least in my garden and with my jalapenos, the ripe peppers are far hotter than the green. <A> Not really. <S> The chemical that gives chillies their heat is called capsaicin . <S> It is an extremely stable alkaloid, and so remains potent even after a long period of time: note, for example that dried chillies and even chilli flakes are still hot. <A> Most chiles become more picante as they ripen. <S> But they also become much sweeter. <S> Jalapenos are a good example. <S> Red jalapenos are much more delicious than green ones. <S> Most of the 'heat' is in the seeds and the tissue connecting the seeds to the capsule. <S> You can pare those parts out with a small knife. <S> I eat most of my ripe jalapenos right in the garden, pocket knife in hand! <A> I have traveled the world seeking hot peppers here is what serious farmers have helped me to understand. <S> Mother nature uses animals to spread seeds. <S> If you notice most peppers have two strategies to make sure animals don't eat the fruits before the seeds are mature. <S> First one when the pods are immature the peppers are well camouflaged (blends in with the srems or leaves) and as they start getting larger and more noticable they get very hot so as to deter animals from eating them until the seeds are ready to be distributed in the animals "poop". <S> Just prior to maturity the placenta is larger and the hottest. <S> Very quickly now the pods change color and become noticable and sweeter to attract the distributors but the placenta membranes start shrinking and the "hot" concentrates briefly. <S> At this moment when they are changing color is the best if you want the heat. <S> A couple of days can make a huge difference in heat and either bitterness or "sweetness", just understand this is not a "sweetness" as in sugar or honey but a reduction in bitterness. <A> According to my next door neighbour, a chilli farmer, heat isn't determined by colour, but by how long you leave them on the bush.
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So yes, chilis get hotter as they ripen (that is, as they turn from green to red).
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Why are poblanos sometimes called pasillas? Background information: poblano peppers are one of the most common peppers in Mexican food. Pasilla peppers are something entirely different - the dried form of the chilaca. I'm originally from Texas, where poblanos are commonly found in grocery stores. I moved to California a while back, and here they're still pretty easy to find, but they're always labeled "pasilla". Even at a local produce market with a decent amount of Mexican food (and Spanish-speaking employees) - and just recently I noticed they even have anchos (dried poblanos) labeled as "dried pasillas". I did manage to find one local Mexican restaurant menu online describing a chile relleno as a stuffed poblano, but otherwise it seems pretty universal. So where did this come from? Via the above-linked wikipedia article, I did find a website saying it's the fault of the California produce industry for labeling them this way, but that's not the original reason. Is it all just the result of a single person getting it wrong a long time ago, and an entire produce industry building off of that? <Q> I have not been able to find any kind of detailed history of the pepper crop in California online. <S> However, I will observe that I've only seen chilaca peppers available in Northern California in the last 5 years. <S> Previously, one never saw them, even at Latin markets. <S> On the other hand, California grows enormous quantities of poblano peppers, which are larger, hardier, and have a longer shelf life than chilacas when fresh. <S> Based on that, I suspect that some enterprising, dishonest produce supplier started supplying ancho peppers as pasillas to Mexicans in California decades ago, and after several decades of misnaming, the new names stuck. <S> I'll also observe that the dried poblanos sold as "anchos" in NorCal are a bit hotter than the ones sold as "pasilla", so it's also likely that there's two different varietals, bred here. <S> So it's also possible that whoever bred the milder poblanos named them "pasillas" to differentiate them from the hotter ones, confusing everyone. <A> We use 100's of "pasilla" chiles at work each week (in California). <S> Although they are all labeled as pasilla, it is obvious that they are poblano. <S> The poblano, as previously stated, is a dark green, wide shouldered, about 4-5" in length, medium to hot chile. <S> Also correctly stated earlier, an ancho ("ancho" actually translates to "wide") is a dried poblano. <S> Pasilla's are actually a fairly difficult chile to obtain on a regular basis. <S> I wanted to note, however; that the poblano's that we receive are more often than not grown IN MEXICO AND LABELED AS PASILLA. <S> Curious. <S> Most pasilla that are commercially grown are used for dried chile. <A> I asked a checker, who is from Mexico, in my local market why the market mislables anchos as pasillas. <S> She said some areas of Mexico call the ancho a pasilla and other areas call it poblano <S> and so it depends on where the chilis come from. <S> The problem with that explanation is that most chiles in American markets come from California.
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Pasilla chiles are a bit narrower at the shoulders, a bit longer than an ancho and depending on the growing environment, are about the same in heat index.
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Can dried peppers get hotter with aging? I have some dried hot peppers which are over a year old. These are hybrids, part chile de arbol, but less hot so that I can use them for mixed company. A friend grew them for me specifically because of their medium hotness. After around 16 months in doubled ziplock bags, I used some of these in a couple recipes last week, including a Mexican squash casserole. The dried peppers were partly rehydrated prior to use. While I remember being able to use 2 or even 3 of these peppers in a recipe when I first got them, even one of them made the dish so hot I had to quickly make something else for two of our guests. This happened three times over the last couple months, so it's not just which individual pepper I pulled out. It seems like these peppers got hotter with ageing, something I'd think was impossible ... shouldn't they lose capsaicin as they age? So, my question is: Is it possible for a dried chili pepper to become hotter with ageing, instead of losing flavor? If so, what causes this? I'm guessing that it's just my faulty memory, but I'd love some verification. Thanks! <Q> You could be just that lucky to get hotter peppers recently. <S> Chilli peppers are known to have variable hotness, even when harvested from a single plant. <S> Most of peppers on a plant may be mild, but a few very hot. <S> Also, you can remember them being milder than they are if you were used to eating them more then. <A> I'm going to say yes . <S> In 2013 we grew 6 varieties of mild to hot peppers. <S> On the mild side was Poblano, and on the other was an extremely hot habanero variety. <S> As these peppers matured we would pick them, slice them, dry them on a dehydrator then deep freeze them. <S> At the end of the season we had around 2.5 gallons of dried, frozen peppers. <S> They were not stored by type but all mixed together. <S> That Christmas we ground down the 6 pepper mix into a powder, filled several spice jars and sent them to family along with our raw honey and homemade soap. <S> This mix packed a serious punch. <S> I use it on just about everything and we got nothing but rave reviews from those we sent it to, all folks that love spicy food. <S> Now in 2015, I finally used the last of the spice <S> so I dove into the coffin freezer, pushed aside the 2014 and 2015 harvests and pulled out the last gallon of 2013 peppers. <S> Since they had been frozen for two years I put them on a dehydrator for 24 hours then ground them up just like I had before. <S> I'm telling you these peppers are so much hotter than the first batch <S> it's not even funny. <S> This coming from a guy that can drink Siracha. <S> If you can so much as see the small red dots on your food then you put too much on. <S> The difference between the same peppers ground up in 2013 vs 2015 is incredible. <A> Chilies do not lose their flavor when they dry. <S> What happens to a chili that dries: <S> It shrinks in size. <S> If you have the same amount of flavor, in a smaller area, the taste of the chili is more concentrated, and so the taste will be stronger. <S> You can put the dried chilies in a bowl of hot water before using them. <S> However, I would just recommend to use less of the dried chilies. <S> It might even be nice to use this effect, by roasting chilies in the oven, to get very rich flavored chilies. <S> You can get more information about this on the following site: http://www.worldofchillies.com/dried_chillies/driedchillies.html <A> I had a sealed glass jar of cayenne pepper that I forgot about in the back of my pantry. <S> It <S> wS nearly a decade old. <S> If I use more than a pinch <S> it’s overwhelming. <S> It’s the same brand I always use and <S> it absolutely was not this hot originally because I cannot tolerate overly spicy foods. <S> This cayenne has changed over the years and is absolutely hotter. <S> To answer your question, yes, my experience says cayenne pepper can get hotter over the years. <A> It's important to realize that if you use any noticeable amount of hot spice in a dish, there will be people (such as my mother) who will refuse to eat it; if you don't know anything about peoples' preferences beforehand, it's usually best to have alternatives. <S> I also suspect that dried chiles may have the same problem that pepper flakes have (in dishes that aren't cooked to the point where the flavors meld): <S> unlike powdered hot spices, with flakes, you're not so much deciding how hot a dish is when you decide how many flakes to put in, as you are how many intensely hot spots there are in the dish. <S> If the dried chiles started dry as in apricots, they might continue to dry further in storage, increasing that effect as they age. <S> Pre-soaking (regardless of whether you use the soaking water in the dish) would reduce that effect by getting the pepper ready to release its flavor into the dish from the moment it is added, giving a more uniform heat to the resulting dish. <S> There is a trade-off with regard to people trying to avoid hot spice with that approach: they'll be able to avoid less of the heat by trying to eat around the peppers, since more has leached out into the dish, but for people who have some threshold of hot spice that they enjoy, the hot spots are less likely to exceed it. <A> I have always seen peppers get less hot with age. <S> This is from what I seen when making my own hot sauce and chili flakes from peppers I grew.
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Dried chiles (especially if not pre-soaked) will take longer to disperse their flavor than fresh, which would result in less overall warmth and more hot spots than fresh chilies in the same dish.
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Ready to eat food not suitable for microwave I bought a pre-made cornish pasty fromt the supermarket. The packaging says it can be eaten hot or cold, which presumably means it is already cooked. But the packaging also says it "is not suitable for microwave" and recommends 22 minutes in an oven at 200Cif it is to be heated. Why can't I heat it up in the microwave? <Q> Because it is made from pastry dough. <S> Pastry dough (and any other kind of dough) gets ruined by a microwave. <S> See this question for details of what will probably happen. <S> Any other kind of dough is destroyed by the water escaping the starch as steam. <A> I had cheese and onion pasties in the microwave for 2 minutes. <S> They weren't soggy or anything. <S> They were nice. <S> I do it all the time. <S> There's nothing wrong with it. <S> Just ignore the packaging and what some people say. <S> It's safe; don't worry. <S> It's a lot nicer and quick. <A> I heated my pies in my microwave, they were delicious. <S> Take no notice of advice on wrapper.
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The only exceptions for dough in the microwave is pasta (which is supposed to be boiled in water anyway) and some kinds of very soft batter, which can be eaten immediately as a "microwave cupcake" (I think they get unappetizing if left to stay for a while).
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Any tips on crushing garlic for alioli? I tried making alioli at home, but in the first step (turning the garlic into a fine paste), I didn't make much progress. I chopped the garlic fairly finely first, but when I tried crushing them with a wooden spoon in a wide low mug, the little pieces just ping off. What's the trick? Is there some way of softening them up first? Note that I'm not making it in commercial quantities, so the amount of garlic I'm using would scarcely reach up to the blade on my immersion blender. <Q> I make garlic paste quite often, using this technique I saw on Bobby Flay. <S> Put the whole clove on the board. <S> Lay knife flat, and smack it with your hand. <S> Remove paper and root. <S> Dice finely. <S> Sprinkle with the quantity of salt your recipe calls for. <S> With the knife relatively flat, grind the garlic into the salt with the knife. <S> Typically, I'll make a pass in one direction with the edge on the board, leading with the spine, and then come back with the spine on the board, leading with the edge. <S> You need a wide knife (at least a french chef's knife, cleaver or santuko) in order to keep your fingers out of danger. <S> I apply the downward pressure with the top of my palm, with my fingers curled back. <S> Check this for a similar technique - http://www.howdini.com/howdini-video-6688064.html <S> (The mincing starts around 2:40After 5 or 6 passes, you should have a nice fine paste. <A> Garlic Press <S> I like to use a garlic press for this sort of thing. <S> You drop a whole clove or two in the device, squeeze, and you get a perfectly smooth garlic paste. <S> The one downside is that it can be quite a pain to clean. <S> Microplane <S> There is also the Microplane (I'm not sure if there is a generic name for this type of rasp-style grater). <S> Although I see it as ideally suited for hard cheeses and citrus zests, it generally does a fine job on garlic too. <S> It means that you don't have to have on extra specialized tool. <S> The downsides are again the cleaning (though not as bad as the press) and the likelihood of nicking your finger as you get down to the last bit of garlic. <S> Knife Skills <S> Here's a simple method that I use when I really don't feel like getting one more device out (or dirty). <S> Lay the garlic clove on a cutting board and lay the side of a chef's knife over top of it. <S> Then smack it with the heel of your hand hard enough until you feel the garlic yield under the pressure. <S> The garlic has been "crushed" but is still holding together. <S> If you dice it very finely at this point, it will have a much better "crushed" texture than if you do not smack it first. <S> I do find that the other methods yield a superior result, but this method is often more than sufficient. <A> The traditional way is to use a mortar and pestle. <S> It works with very small quantities. <S> If you don't have a mortar and pestle, try approximating one with a cup rounded on the inside for the mortar and something sufficiently round for the pestle, for example the end of a rolling pin. <S> It won't be as good as mortar and pestle, but will give you something crushed. <S> Another option is to use the immersion blender on a whole head or two of garlic, then freeze the part you won't be using immediately. <S> If you do so in small portion, you can always get out a single portion for seasoning a dish. <A> Strong plastic bag and a rolling pin <A> Cutting board and a flat, heavy pan. <S> Just grab the edges of the pan firmly and apply your weight down, creating some arcing motions from side to side. <A> I'd like to second the microplane zester. <S> Produces the smoothest results exceptionally quickly. <S> I also like the fact that I can get half garlic clove mashed to a paste. <S> Most other methods work better on larger quantities. <S> Here is a little video on how this works: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=alY0OUKUeCA <A> Having successfully made aioli, I find that a garlic press squeezes each clove just fine. <S> What's more, it retains the thick part of the peel. <A> I use a variation on Chris Cudmore's method given elsewhere in this thread: Instead of dicing the garlic (Chris' step 4) <S> This actually squashes the garlic to a paste instead of dicing it. <S> This is usually enough for most recipes that require 'crushed garlic' and is actually faster than dicer. <S> Chris' steps 5 and 6 are not usually required though for a really smooth paste I may go on to 'grind' the garlic too. <S> Note that the above technique requires a large, heavy, thick-bladed knife. <S> The back of the blade must be thick (mine is 3 or 4mm) or it won't work. <S> The best part of this (and Chris') method is that there is no fiddly washing up of processors, graters, crushers etc.
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I use the back of the knife blade to 'slice' the garlic very thinly.
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Is curry ketchup just ketchup with curry powder? We use both tomato ketchup and curry ketchup as condiments in Belgium. On the curry ketchup label, amongst other ingredients is "curry (1%)". So I tried adding curry powder to regular ketchup to see whether I could end up with curry ketchup, but I think the taste was off. The colour was close though. I know "curry powder" is a spice mix that can differ, but is curry ketchup really just ketchup with curry powder added? Or do they mean a bit of a real curry (the dish)? Or are there other differences? Is it possible to make curry ketchup with regular ketchup? <Q> I suppose the Belgian "curry ketchup" is similar to the German varieties and no, they are usually not only seasoned with curry powder, but also other spices. <S> There is no standard seasoning mix for curry ketchup, but common additional spices are ginger, black pepper, paprika, cayenne or other chili powders. <S> I also think that some brands contain onions. <A> Curry Ketchup is made with a Ketchup base, but then adds Curry, vinegar, a small amount of spices like pepprika, and two little known ingredients... apples and soy sauce... <S> if you make it to this recipe then you can get close. <S> See the following from Hienz Water, sugar, tomato paste (17%), vinegar, apples, modified starch, curry (2.2%) (contains mustard and celery), salt, soy sauce (water, soy beans, wheat, salt), spices, thickener (guar kernel flour, xanthan) <S> herb extracts. <S> Ps make sure that the apple juice/sauce and soy sauce are minimal (as they are near the end of the ingredient list <S> its the least used but the apple does make the difference in the sauce and <S> the small amount of soyu brings it back from tasting too much like candy :) <A> Not likely. <S> Standard curry powders are really not good if they are added to anything and left raw (some brands might not even be safe!) <S> , they tend to taste raw, unharmonic, floury, bitter then ... <S> Adding them while MAKING the ketchup, or adding it to the ketchup then cooking the resulting sauce, or blooming it in hot oil THEN adding it to ketchup, could all work reasonably well. <A> This article seems to suggest that this is the case. <S> http://www.thekitchn.com/ketchup-with-a-kick-add-curry-87686
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The brownisher colour of curry ketchup is mostly because of the turmeric in the curry powder, so just adding the powder to regular ketchup will get you a colour match even without the additional spices or ingredients.
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How much does a cup of Nutella weigh? I want to make Nutella cookies. I've found a recipe for it, but it's in volume measurements. It asks for a cup of Nutella and I don't own a cup. I tried searching my regular converters, but the only one with a hit was Wolfram-Alpha and I've noticed this result can be quite wrong. Is anybody kind enough to weigh a cup of Nutella? Or do you use a converter that knows the weight of a cup of Nutella? Note: I do own a tablespoon measure, so if nobody knows, I'll just scoop out some and calculate it myself. And post it as an answer of course. <Q> According to the nutella nutritional fact label, 1 tbsp = 19g. <S> There are 16 tbsp in a cup <S> so 16 * 19g <S> = 304g <A> I actually measured and weighed a cup of Nutella <S> and I got 290g. <S> Of course we have to take into consideration my 1 cup measurement <S> (I'm pretty sure they are not exactly the same) and my scale. <S> But it just shows that the 300g mark is not far off. <A> On my Nutella jar it says that 2 tablespoons of the deliciousness is 37 grams. <S> So, 37x8= 296 grams of Nutella is one cup. <A> Here's my trick for measuring sticky, dense things like Nutella: Take whatever liquid you're using and measure an amount, like 1 cup. <S> add the Nutella to the liquid and the level will rise to the measurement you need. <S> For example, if I need 1/2 cup of Nutella and there is milk in my recipe, I'll put 1 cup of milk on my measuring cup, add enough Nutella to bring the combined volume to 1.5 cups. <S> Makes cleaning easier too. <A> I estimated that 1 cup of nutella is around 294 grams: <S> I bought a jar of 350 grams of nutella, used a marker to indicate the nutella level of the jar. <S> Emptied it (I was gonna use it for cookies anyway adjusting the recipe to just one 1 jar). <S> After cleaning the jar out. <S> I put it on a scale and filled with water. <S> In went 282 grams of water = 282 milliliter of water = 1.19 cups of water. <S> The 350 grams of Nutella in the jar was 1.19 cups - <S> > <S> Ergo: 1 cup of Nutella = <S> 350/1.19 = 294 grams. <S> Note 1 <S> : The = sign should be interpreted as "equals about" Note 2: <S> Who would write a recipe needing a cup of nutella, it is almost impossible to measure it. <A> Nutella is a bit specialised for most online converters, but butter is virtually the same density, and a cup of that weighs 238g. <S> I wouldn't think you'd go far wrong with that. <A> In my research I found my answer to my question. <S> A 13 oz jar of Nutella is equivalent to 1.6 cups for persons that use volume measurements. <S> I used 1 cup 6 <S> oz. <S> Hope <S> this helps somebody:) <S> Fredsmom <A> Therefore 300grams is equal to 250ml. <A> The recipe I saw asking for Nutella cookies measured by cup specified 'using dry measuring cup rather than the one used for liquids'. <S> I live in (non-UK) <S> Europe where we routinely do everything by grams and deciliters subsituting weight for volume and the normal substitution would be around 235-250 ml more or less depending on weight per volume
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The density of Nutella is 1.2g/ml.
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Is there a difference between coca, focaccia and pizza? I've made a number of pizza's and coca's lately and I thought about making a focaccia... When reading about coca, focaccia was mentioned, and when reading about focaccia, pizza was mentioned. I have an excellent book on Italian cooking , it explains that focaccia is unleavened (no yeast) because of the climate. However, the wikipedia states that it does contain yeast... The pizza I make has yeast and some olive oil. The coca has baking powder and lots of oil, and the focaccia also has lots of oil, but no yeast nor baking powder. But I've seen recipes with coca's with yeast and less oil (=pizza recipe)... So, is there a clear definition or is it just the name you care to use? <Q> First of all is coca a Spanish dish with huge variety. <S> A coca can just as well be made of thin yeast dough with savory topping (similar to an Italian pizza but not necessarily with cheese) as well as sponge-cake-like (leavened just with the beaten eggs or with baking soda) with sweet topping. <S> Foccacia also comes in many varieties, but typical foccacia is made of yeast dough, about one inch thick, which is sprinkled with olive oil and herbs before baking. <S> Foccacia can also be made thinner and without yeast, but that makes a much crispier bread. <S> It may be topped with other ingredients, but does not have to and if it is topped, it is mostly only a simple topping like olives, onions or cheese. <S> It is usually not eaten alone, but as a side dish. <S> Here is a typical foccacia, topped with black olives. <S> Pizza dough is very similar to foccacia, but in Italy, a pizza is always much thinner. <S> The thick American style pizza is not common in Italy. <S> A pizza is almost always topped with at least tomatoes or tomato sauce and cheese and mostly with other savory ingredients. <A> As you know, focaccia and pizza are Italian dishes, and coca is Catalonian (a region at Spain's northeast). <S> They all have toppings, and similar doughs (with wheat flour and yeast). <S> Classical focaccias : <S> Are thicker than [Italian] <S> pizzas (about 3˜4 cm (1.2˜1.6 in) thick) Have rectangular shape Have herbs, salt and olive oil as topping Are baked for about 20 minutes. <S> Italian pizzas : <S> Are thin (less than 5 mm (0.2 in)) except their outer part <S> Are round <S> (see notes below) Have many different toppings, almost always including cheese, and most of the times tomato sauce or whole tomato Are baked for about 90 seconds <S> (this is very important for italian pizzas) <S> Cocas : <S> Can be as thick as focaccias or as pizzas , usually depending on the topping. <S> Are either rectangular like focaccias , or really long shaped like these ones from Barcelona . <S> Can be either sweet or salty. <S> Sweet ones are usually thin as pizzas , always having sugar as topping and maybe pinnions, candied/confited fruit and/or anis (it might remind you to a Spanish Roscón de Reyes). <S> Salty are just a bit thicker than pizzas, and may have many ingrediets, but never cheese or any sauce: usually onions, green/red pepper, eggplant, cooking chorizo, blackpudding, butifarra, olives, hardboiled eggs, etc . <S> Are baked for 30 to 45 minutes (aprox) (which is, in my opinion, their biggest distinction with pizzas) <S> Notes : <S> I know there are some pizzas in America that do not fit in the description I gave. <S> But I understand your question is focusing on Italian pizzas. <S> Also, sure there are pizza <S> al taglio in italy, <S> but despite having different shapes and cooking time than pizza pizza, they share the same Italian spirit, and can be noticed different different to cocas. <S> You can make the three of them with natural yeasts , like sourdough/lievito naturale/massa mare, but certainly not with chemical rising agents. <A> In some regions, focaccia is referred to as pizza, and vice versa. <S> Then focaccia comes in several forms. <S> There's the traditional focaccia, which is a yeast dough, there is focaccia di recco (or al formaggio) which consists of a non yeast dough but is rolled out very flat and filled with prescinseûa, a ligurian fresh cheese) and there is a double baked focaccia, which is a baking powder dough. <S> I would advise the books of Fred Plotkin, and especially this one: http://www.amazon.com/Recipes-Paradise-Life-Italian-Riviera/dp/0316710717/ref=la_B0034P0YQI_1_10?ie=UTF8&qid=1351975671&sr=1-10 for more information and classic recipies
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Except for the thickness, the difference between foccacia and pizza is much more in the topping.
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How to thicken a raw fruit relish? I have a raw fruit relish that I'd like to like to thicken into more of a jam consistency. I'm thinking about heating in a saucepan with some cornstarch or syrup, but I don't have any idea how much cornstarch to use, and I don't want to mess this up. What approach should I take to thicken this relish? Here is the recipe for the relish: 2 pounds fresh cranberries 1 cup sugar 1/4 cup Grand Marnier liqueur 1 orange, zested and juiced Place all the ingredients in the bowl of a food processor, pulse several times to breakdown the cranberries and incorporate the ingredients; it should still be a bit chunky. Allow the cranberry relish to sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes, so the flavors can marry. From Fresh Cranberry Relish by Tyler Florence and JoAnn Cianciulli . <Q> If I need one, I usually use guar gum as thickening agent in raw dishes. <S> The result is similar to using corn starch, it is more or less without flavour, but does not need heat to activate. <S> I would probably dissolve some in the orange juice and then mix with the other ingredients. <A> Cranberries have a ton of pectin- which is one reason why cranberry jelly is so prevalent. <S> Just simmer the cranberries, sugar, and orange juice together for a while <S> and they will eventually gel. <S> I don't know how the liqueur will behave <S> but if it was supposed to be served raw then you probably would want to add it after boiling so the alcohol wouldn't boil off. <S> Of course- <S> you won't be able to call this a "raw fruit relish" anymore- <S> it would become a pretty standard cranberry sauce recipe. <S> If you want to keep the berries raw then I would recommend combining the sugar and orange juice with some other thickener such as corn starch or gelatin. <A> If you go this route you will preserve the "raw" designation, and not have to worry about cooking off the taste or activating the thickening/gelling agent. <S> It will not have the surface tension of arrow root or corn starch or some other boiled ingredient, but for raw it should improve the consistency.
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I would recommend a flax or chia egg ; it is a common substitute for egg in many recipes as it is a gelling agent that requires no cooking.
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When I'm separating egg whites, how much does it matter if a little yolk gets in? I was separating egg whites today and one of the yolks broke and contaminated my bowl of whites. I started from scratch, but I'm wondering if I really needed to; would a tiny bit of yolk (say, 1/8 tspn in 4 egg whites) mixed in with the whites make a big difference? To provide some context, I was about to whip the whites with castor sugar to make almond macaroons. <Q> Yes, it matters a lot. <S> When you are separating egg whites, it is for whipping them into a foam. <S> This foam is a protein-based foam, relying on protein ends hooking into each other. <S> Even small traces of fat will prevent the foam from forming. <S> Egg yolks contain high amounts of fat. <S> Once an egg yolk breaks in your whites, you have to start the separation anew, because it can prevent your foam from forming. <S> Also, don't use plastic bowls for whipping egg whites <S> (their surface retains some fat molecules even after washing, giving you a less stable foam) and only whip with a cleanly washed whisk or mixer attachment (not one you have just used for something else, not even if you wiped it clean). <S> To prevent big mishaps, just separate each new egg in a teacup and only add the new white to the old whites after it has separated cleanly. <S> Else you are in big trouble if you are separating a lot and the last egg contaminates the whole whites with yolk. <S> And a single contaminated egg is easily reused for a quick egg-and-feta sandwich or something else. <S> Contamination <S> the other way round isn't so worrisome. <S> This is because yolk foams are fat-based, and small amounts of protein don't prevent a fat foam from forming. <A> I just stumbled upon this to see if I ruined my angel food cake when some egg yolk leaked into my whites. <S> I spooned out as much as I could <S> but there was still a little in the whites <S> but I didn't have enough eggs to start over. <S> Gave it a go, and I was able to get stiff peaks. <S> Took a tad longer than normal <S> but I got stiff peaks nonetheless. <A> I know that this question was from over a year ago, but id just like to point out that i make meringues at least once a month and often a little bit of yolk gets in. <S> This is never a big issue!!I just whisk the egg whites like normal and almost always it is fine. <S> Good Luck with future meringues!! <A> I had the same problem this morning as I was trying to make waffles, but I still got stiff peaks. <S> I had a significant amount of yolk in my whites and <S> what I did was I tried to scoop as much yolk as I could out of the whites with a spoon and, <S> even though there were still some wisps of yolk leftover, the whites still became stiff peaks quite quickly (of course I was using the second highest setting on my electric mixer). <S> Waffles were delicious! <A> Before discarding, you can give this a try. <S> Worked for me today <S> (I was making tiramisu). <S> Lift as much of yellow specks from the egg whites in your bowl as you can <S> and then start beating it, adding little sugar at a time. <S> Even after beating long enough if you do not see the anti-gravity feature of the meringue, just let your bowl sit undisturbed for some time (maybe half an hour). <S> Once you are back, you should see a foam-like surface on the bowl. <S> Scoop the foam up carefully with a spoon <S> (don't dig too deep, else the liquid might come in too) and now hold the spoon upside down. <S> If the foam doesn't fall off, yippee, there you have your meringue!! <S> Collect as much of this foam as you can(remember to check for the anti-gravity feature) and add it to your cream mixture (in case of tiramisu) <S> , very gently mixing it in. <S> You will find that the cream slowly thickens. <S> Ofcourse, this method will not produce as much meringue as expected out of x number of eggs, but, it does come in handy. <A> Well I have had a little contamination from a broken yolk on two occasions but both times pressed on and had no problem getting the mix stiff enough in a normal timescale and the end product was perfect. <S> I was making pavlova. <S> So in my mind I have disproved the old wives tale that even minute amounts of yolk contamination make a foam impossible to sustain. <S> I think the sugar beaten in stabilizes it strongly. <A> A speck of yolk shouldn't matter but more than that you should start over because you'll be disappointed in the final result I speak from decades of baking <A> If you are going to beat the egg whites to peaks, a teeny tiny bit of yolk wont spoil the effort IF you add 1/4 tsp of cream of tartar. <S> This is my experience.
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You still want to work as precisely as possible, as yolk-only recipes will often have somewhat worse texture if eggwhite is included, but small contaminating amounts are usually not noticeable in the finished product, even in foams (zabaglione, mayonnaise).
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What is the best method/product for cleaning pasta's starch residue from colander and cooking pot? After cooking pasta, I typically drain it in a colander. I have found the starch residue in both the cooking pot and particularly the colander is difficult to clean without hand scrubbing it. I am curious if anyone knows a solution - either a method or product that makes clean-up quicker and easier. Thanks for any ideas you may have! <Q> Soaking in water works for me. <S> Put the colander in the pot, fill it with water - preferably before it dries out in the first place - and then leave it alone until you are ready to do the dishes, whether that's after dinner or (gasp!) <S> in the morning. <S> Either way the starch will slip off easily. <A> In my opinion, the most important part is to rinse immediately after use. <S> If you use the collander, then let it sit for a few hours (through dinner) or 'til the morning, you're going to have to soak and/or scrub. <S> A quick spray-down immediately after using will save you a ton of work later: pour pasta into collander. <S> spray down the pot <S> (I have a pull-out sprayer, and I spray around the edge where the ring formed at the water level; you can give it a quick swipe with a scrub sponge, but you have to be careful about soap near the sink if there's a collander of pasta sitting in there) <S> ) <S> dump out the pot (not over the collander) <S> pour the stuff in the collander back into the pot or whatever serving vessel. <S> spray down the collander (both sides) & move to the dish drain for full cleaning later <A> If there is some build-up then a soak in mild borax solution will get colander shiny new again. <S> However, starch will then again want to stick even more easily... <S> Prevent it with a wee spray of non-stick. <S> I justify my use in that I spare a good deal of hot water in the clean up. <A> I am aware that I address the question indirectly. <S> What I have observed is that starch is a problem only if the concentration of starch in the water is high. <S> What I do, is to make sure that I cook the pasta in way more water than most people do. <S> I try to use at least 1-2 L of water for every 50g of dry pasta. <S> The main reason why I prefer to use that much water is because the quality of the pasta turn out considerably better that way. <S> The easier washing is just a side effect :) <S> Yes, bringing all that water to a boil does take a bit more time. <A> I've only found that hand-scrubbing works. <S> I use a soap and Bon Ami (no-scratch cleanser), at least for the colander. <S> Regular soap and a no-scratch scrubbing sponge works on the pot for me, too. <A> Here's a trick I just discovered. <S> What I used: <S> Non-Stick dishwasher-safe pot <S> that's starch-encrusted after 2 years of use, a couple times a week every week. <S> (Shush, I like spaghetti..) <S> I've put it through the dishwasher before and tried to scrub it off, but never had any success; it's always looked just as bad after drying of as before I started trying to clean it. <S> Dawn ultra-concentrated dishwashing liquid (The only dishwashing liquid I've used on pots/pans; I use it because my parents did. <S> Others will probably work as well) <S> Disposable scrubbing sponge <S> (Very cheap; I found them at Walgreens) <S> Dishwasher Cascade detergent pacs (powered by Dawn) , for the dishwasher <S> Steps <S> I took: Put a few drops of Dawn in the pot, turn on the faucet at high blast so the agitation makes it foam up. <S> Fill it to the brim. <S> I only let it soak for about 2 hours, more might work better. <S> Use the scrub-sponge over the whole internal surface to get off the loose starch. <S> You shouldn't need to actually scrub hard; I lightly brushed it for a short time, like 2 or 3 minutes, and so much residue was coming off that had I to rinse the sponge often. <S> Put it in the dishwasher. <S> Come tonight, about 80% of the inside of the pot was completely clean of residue, no evidence it was ever there in the first place. <S> The remaining residue has streaks in it as though the scrubber just didn't get all the surface-starch off. <S> I'm pretty confident that doing this only one or two more times will have it looking as good as new. <A> I looked up how to do it <S> and it seems there is no easy answer. <S> I decided to try baking soda and vinegar. <S> It worked pretty well! <S> The abrasive soda helps loosen the starch and the vinegar starts to bubble up. <S> I left the colander in the bowl of vinegar for a while, scrubbed again and rinsed. <S> It was a lot better, but needed another round. <S> I poured more baking soda into the colander, scrubbed and left it in the vinegar again. <S> It looks so much better. <S> I might try heating the vinegar the next time to see if it speeds up the process! <A> I've always used the Lagostina stainless steel pot cleaner to remove starch stains and it works great! :) <A> I was always told to rinse the colander or pot with cold water as soon as the food is removed to prevent the starch from setting up on the utensil. <A> Rinse with cold water immediately, then wash in warm. <S> Hot water makes the starch turn gluier; cold water releases it.
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I put vinegar in a bowl, got the colander wet with the vinegar, poured baking soda into the colander and scrubbed it a bit.
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What is the standard amount (if there is one) for a "glass" of wine? I have seen wine poured to various amounts in a wine glass; what amount is generally considered standard...4 oz, 6 oz, 8 oz? <Q> It comes from two different measurements, typical wine bottle size, and government alcohol regulations <S> Typical wine bottles are 750 ml, and this divides exactly into five or six servings of 150 or 125 ml (thanks peter). <S> So many traditional wine glass serves are "exactly" 150 or 125 ml (~5 or 4 oz) <S> depending in which country you live in For typical government regulation, a standard drink is; a 100 ml glass of table wine, or a 330 ml can of beer, or a 30 ml glass of straight spirits. <S> Each of these contains on average 10 g of alcohol. <S> So many liquor licensing guidelines recommend the serving of wine by 100 ml (3.5 oz) <S> standard drink sizes Governments will use this to produce such amazing guidelines such as: For women: <S> Two standard drinks a day, and no more than ten standard drinks a weekFor men: Three standard drinks a day, and no more than fifteen standard drinks a weekAnd for both at least two alcohol-free days every week <S> Standard drink sizes Drink Guidlines <A> In the UK it's either 175ml or 125 ml and confusion reigns, as bars will happily serve you a 250 mil and charge the large glass price! <A> 125ml would be considered a standard amount in France. <A> In Canada wine usually put on the menu as 6oz with the option for 9oz. <S> Never worked anywhere that serves any other number, but once went to a restaurant which did 5oz, which was very unusual.
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In most western countries the standard drink range is from 8 to 12 g of alcohol, except in the USA where it is super-sized to 14 g Update; references from ICAP I would tend to believe 175ml in restaurants and 125ml for medical advice.
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What is the danger of salmonella in 'home laid eggs' and how should I clean them? I have a question additional to this question How does salmonella get into eggs . This tells me that salmonella is mostly found on the shell of an egg. However, eggs are treated (typically washed) such that most egg shells do not contain any salmonella anymore. I eat eggs which I get from my mother-in-law who has her own chickens, so these eggs are not 'treated'. I was wondering a few things: What is the risk that these eggs contain salmonella? Is this risk negligible? Should I use supermarket eggs to make food with raw eggs in it, for example chocolate mouse, and only use these eggs for food which is heated? If there is a risk, how should I clean the shells? (using hot water is not an option for eggs, of course). A related question might be Is it safe to eat raw eggs? . The answer seem to be yes, but here it also seems that it is about 'supermarket eggs'. <Q> See the accepted answer to this question: How long can I keep eggs in the refrigerator? <S> Eggs are naturally laid with a protective coating on them that will keep out bacteria. <S> An egg keeps for a long time in a nest after all. <S> Commercially produced eggs are washed- <S> I assume for cosmetic reasons- <S> which destroys this coating and makes the porous egg shells very susceptible to bacteria. <S> You should discard eggs that have damaged shells but other than that you can consider your mother-in-laws eggs much safer than any you could get at the supermarket. <A> If you need the eggs raw, you could submerge them in boiling water for 5 sec. <S> That would kill any bacteria on the shell and the egg would still be raw inside. <S> Put the eggs in cold water right away to prevent the egg from heating up by the residual heat in the shell. <S> I have tried this many times and the eggs do not cook. <S> If you are serving the eggs to very young children, pregnant women or someone who are sick, you should buy pasteurized eggs instead. <S> But normally it's safer to eat eggs from chickens you raise, than the ones from a factory, because they are more healthy and their immune system is well developed enough to kill the salmonella itself. <A> Your risk is likely lower than that of Americans, as your user info lists you being in the Netherlands. <S> European chickens are often innoculated against salmonella, which brings down the risk significantly . <S> I would ask your mother-in-law to be certain if this is the case, especially if she's in another country (eg, if you're near the Netherlands / Belgium border). <S> As for supermarket eggs: if they're sold as unrefrigerated, then they'd have also been from innoculated chickens, and still have their bloom intact. <S> The risk may be slightly increased from your supermarket eggs, as they're likely slightly older, and likely have been raised in more crowded conditions.
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The danger of bacterial contamination is much lower in home laid eggs than in commercially produced eggs exactly because of the washing process that eggs go though in the US.
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Is it okay to put baking powder in Yorkshire Pudding batter? It's just that, the first time I tried, they didn't rise as much as I thought they would. would baking powder help? <Q> Yorkshire puddings rise because of the eggs in them. <S> This means that the mixture for you Yorkshire puddings needs heat to rise So <S> if your oven is not hot enough, they won't rise as much as you want. <S> So here are some tips: -make sure your oven is hot before putting your puddings in -Don't open the oven while cooking your puddings <S> -I always pre heat the muffin trays before I use them. <S> So you put your mixture in a hot muffin tray (or something <S> els you use), put the hot muffin tray in a hot oven, and don't open the oven anymore before the cooking time is over. <S> So I won't use baking powder, I first try it by making sure the heat is there. <S> Note that of course every oven is different and so you might need a couple of time before have the right temperature. <S> Also I recommend this site for more information about Yorkshire puds: http://www.hub-uk.com/tallyrecip03/recipe0124.htm <A> I thought I would try adding baking powder to see if my usually really good Yorkshire puddings would rise any more but no batter went like light cake mixture was a waste of time will stick with my old recipe. <S> If having trouble add another egg I always use 2 and not the recommended one and they are brilliant. <S> Don't know why I messed around <A> I use a mix from a cash and carry for yorkshire puddings for my pub sunday lunch service (it's as cheap as buying the ingredients separately), to which you just add water. <S> It has bicarbonate of soda in it as a raising agent. <S> The puddings are OK, but not brilliant. <S> Last week I used my emergency pack of Aunt Bessies mix, and the puds were amazing. <S> These are the ingredients list: WHEAT Flour, Dried EGG, Skimmed MILK Powder, Raising Agent (Sodium Bicarbonate), Salt, Sugar, Potato Starch, Emulsifiers (Mono- and Di-glycerides of Fatty Acids, Lacto Glycerides, Propylene Glycol Esters of Fatty Acids), Dried Glucose Syrup, Maltodextrin, Stabiliser (Diphosphates). <S> So it seems that bicarb is commonly used in prepackaged mixes. <A> It's an absolute no no, the rise rise LESS and have a cake type texture
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Don't use baking powder in your mixture.
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Is it true that honey never spoils? Why? I've heard that "honey never spoils", but I'm incredulous. Is this true, and if so, how? Isn't there some indicator that I should throw the honey in my cupboard away? <Q> Honey is very stable for a number of reasons. <S> The main ones though are the low amount of water (most honey is under 18% water) and the high amount of sugar (which is a preservative). <S> Both of these things keep things like mold and bacteria from being able to grow. <S> This PDF from the National Honey board <S> http://www.honey.com/images/downloads/shelflife.pdf <S> says that a shelf life of 2 years is often stated. <S> On Chowhound I saw a discussion that said that in the UK the "best by" dates are usually 4 years out <S> so I'm guessing that those dates have far more to do with decisions by the respective governments (i.e. laws that state a maximum best by date no matter what the food is) <S> then the actual shelf life of honey. <S> As the honey in your cupboard, if it's only a few months or a year old as long as it's been in a sealed container then it most likely should be fine. <A> In addition to the really high sugar-content, Honey has antibacterial properties; so far that some kinds of honey are used as an antibiotic on wounds. <S> http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/06/100630111037.htm has an article on that aspect of honey. <S> This adds to the "no spoiling" capabilities of honey, because it will prevent any bacteria-related spoiling. <A> Sealed honey is good forever.. thousands of years at least. <S> we know this from jars of honey found around the world that were sealed by ancient civilizations. <S> It is an amazing substance.
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Over a long period of time (and if left unsealed) the honey could absorb moisture and then ferment (the sugar would turn to alcohol) but if sealed then your honey should be fine for a long time.
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How can I stop my pie from burning? My oven heats up by putting on the grill. Yesterday I was making pie and the top burned a little bit. This happens almost every time. It happens at the moment the grill goes on for a short moment because the oven has cooled down a bit. So the top of my pie burns, but the middle is not fully cooked jet. I always make sure the oven is fully heated before putting in the pie, and of course keep the oven door open as short as possible. I was wondering, is there a trick so that my pie does not get burned when the oven is re-heating? Right now I turn down the oven a little bit so it won't re-heat which indeed prevent the pie from burning. However, in this way I do not get the optimal result. <Q> What you need is to deflect the heat from the top of your pie. <S> If you have two racks in your oven, and can position them so that the pie is in the middle with a rack above it, place a piece of aluminum foil directly above the pie. <S> Either way will protect the top from direct heat, allowing the ambient heat to penetrate and bake the whole pie. <A> Simply cover the the pie with foil once it has browned sufficiently. <S> The foil will protect the pastry while the filling cooks. <S> This is a common method for preventing pie crusts that are blind-baked from over-browning. <A> I have tried brushing with cold water every 10 mins if some bits of the crust, e.g. edges, are going brown too fast. <S> Seems to work pretty well.
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Another option would be to set a piece of foil on top of the pie after it has partially baked.
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Jalapeno Poppers and getting a thick crust? How can I make my batter stick to the outside of the jalapeno so it is thick? It seems every time I try a thicker batter it wont stick as well. <Q> I have found that the problem with thicker batters not adhering to peppers generally is to do with the outer membrane protecting the flesh of the jalapeno. <S> Essentially, you need to try to remove or weaken its effect. <S> Also, the pepper may have a decent layer of wax on it; this you can try to wash off with hot water and a thorough scrubbing. <A> After many attempts at trying to keep my batter on my stuffed poppers as they are deep fried, I finally found what works best. <S> I roll the stuffed peppers in flour (I season it with salt and a bit of corn meal) <S> , then I dip them in milk. <S> Then, I return them to the flour for a final roll. <S> After that, I dip them completely in batter (similar to a pancake batter without sugar or much leavening - but extra salt so the poppers aren't bland - sometimes I add a little corn meal). <S> I find that the cheese stays in the popper (which I stuff after removing seeds with either a cherry pitter or a jalapeno corer) and the batter stays on. <S> Beautiful results. <A> I read an article on seriouseats that suggested "double breading" them. <S> They also suggest tossing them in the freezer for a while before breading and before frying to prevent the filling from leaking. <A> Parboil...flash boil... <S> then ice water bath to stop cooking process. <S> Use buttermilk instead. <S> Clean the wax off the peppers. <S> Wet, flour, wet, breadcrumbs, freezer, fry. <S> Regular milk is too thin. <S> Better to use egg for ur wet instead of regular milk. <S> Good luck.
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You can minimize the effect of the membrane by: roasting the pepper, then steam in a brown paper bag and remove it scoring the membrane with a fork
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What's the fastest way to hull a strawberry? I often need to hull and slice large batches of strawberries. But hulling by cutting a cone out of the top of the berry with a paring knife can be slow work. How can I quickly remove the core (the hard white part near the stem) from the strawberry? What do professional chefs and kitchens do to quickly hull strawberries? <Q> I don't usually hull strawberries, but when I do I use a straw. <S> The idea is that you push the straw up through the tip of the strawberry and it comes out at the stem. <S> For pictures you can see http://amy-newnostalgia.blogspot.com/2010/06/hulling-strawberries-with-straw.html are just Google "hull strawberries with a straw" <A> I always use a teaspoon to scoop out the green. <S> Going any deeper than 5 mm is unnecessary anyway (it's only the green and the little stalk that are unpleasant), but you can go as deep as you like. <S> It is fast and it works perfectly. <S> You press the spoon's edge into your thumb, so to speak, with the strawberry in between. <S> You can easily continue to hold it in the right position in your right hand while you pick up new strawberries with your left hand. <S> When I found this out years ago, I couldn't understand why the whole world wasn't using this, just as with grating garlic. <S> The only thing quicker than a teaspoon would be a teaspoon with thinner (= sharper) edges. <S> Pictures from Thepioneerwoman.com <A> Never used it, but I'm assuming these exist for a reason: <A> Alton Brown recommends a star-shaped tip from a pastry piping bag. <S> He mentioned this in the Good Eats episode on strawberries, which has tons of good info on why hulling is important and the effects of not hulling. <A> Try using the small end of a melon baller (AKA Parisienne scoop). <A> I think it'll work better than using a spoon if you don't have a sharp/thin enough spoon and your berries are pretty ripe; otherwise they're roughly equivalent. <S> For another dedicated gadget option, a tomato/strawberry corer/huller : I tried my grandmother's a couple times; it works fine, though I'm personally happy with a paring knife and a tiny bit of waste.
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All you really need to remove is the stem and leaves, so just a quick down and up cut (or a V, one cut from each side) will get it done, just wasting a little of the top of the berry on either side of the stem.
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Basil - to wash or not to wash? Best practices? I know that washing basil weakens it's flavor significantly. I often buy it from local supermarkets where everyone can touch it, that's why I just have to wash it. But even when I buy organic basil, I still feel the urge to wash it.How do you deal with that? Is there any way to 'wash' the basil without weaken it's flavour? <Q> People generally wash fruit and vegetables (organic or not) to remove surface contamination ,and the bacteria it may host, from the farm and supply chain <S> This includes soil (ground based animal faeces), compost (rotted vegetable matter), airborne dropped bird faeces, road dust (often high in animal faeces), and other surface contamination that can host bacteria A short and simple wash by hand in a bowl or sink of cold tap water <S> will remove large amounts of these surface contamination from most fruit and vegetables. <S> Some may require light brushing or scrubbing. <S> And for best results rinse in running cold tap water after washing. <S> Shaking water off usually works better than trying to blot it off with a tea towel <S> Gentle washing will NOT remove any significant flavour or aromas. <S> Think about what happens when it rains :-) <A> If you feel the urge to wash it before using, then wash it. <S> The stress of not having washed it is not worth it. <S> I used to work in the Adelaide Central Markets, and having seen what some people did before touching the produce, I habitually wash goods that were within reach of the public before I use them. <S> When you've seen customers stick their hand in their pants to scratch their butt and straight afterwards pick up the fruit, you get a bit paranoid. <S> I accept that most of the time, I don't need to wash the produce. <S> I also accept that that does not matter to my brain what I tell it, <S> if it wants me to wash the stuff before using it, it's not worth arguing. <S> When I do wash my ingredients, I don't dry them immediately. <S> Instead, I leave them in the dish drainer on the sink while I do another part of meal preparation. <S> Most of the water will drain away without having to put in any effort, and what's left can be shaken off or blotted, depending on how fragile I feel the ingredients are. <S> The other way you can deal with feeling the urge to wash produce before using it is to grow your own, or acquire it from a friend or relative. <S> I get my basil from my Dad, who always grows about ten times as much as my parents will use. <A> Basil is easy to grow in a pot on a warm windowsill, so perhaps you could grow your own and avoid any misgivings about the hygiene aspects that way?
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Washing basil (or indeed, anything) in lukewarm water is going to do very little to remove germs; in fact, you're probably just giving them an excuse to party.
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Extracting colour out of strawberries Are there any techniques which I can use to get the colour of strawberries condensed in a way that doesn't contain the flavour? I am looking to colour cakes in particular with a more natural alternative to bottled colouring agents without affecting the flavour and thought strawberries might be a good place to start! <Q> As the comments seem to suggest, making food coloring from strawberries is generally not done because there is not enough red pigment in the strawberries to develop a concentrated red dye. <S> Food dyes generally need to be really concentrated to provide the coloration without introducing too much liquid(especially in baked goods). <S> It seems unlikely or at least very impractical to concentrate the pigment enough to be useable as food coloring (unless you want a pale pink). <S> In this article, someone makes a dye from strawberries to dye yarn: <S> http://knitting.about.com/od/dyeingyarn/ss/Dyeing-Yarn-With-Strawberries.htm by boiling strawberries and then simmering for 20 minutes. <S> But the concentration of the dye needed to dye yarn is much less than what would be need to dye cake. <S> The dye would introduce way too much liquid in the cake before it can really dye the cake the vibrant red. <S> It seems likely that if you boil down the strawberry liquid enough, you might be able to produce a dye that gives a light pink but nowhere near the bright red that you seem to want. <A> Strain and weigh the resulting liquid. <S> the additional liquid has to be subtracted from recipe too. <S> Problem there is that sugar is a good flavor vehicle... <S> Tomato? <S> There are those crazy old-fashioned red velvet cakes. <S> Could also try beautifully ripe red bellpeppers (chilli peppers work too, ouch) either as a puree or used to stain the recipe's fat/oil/butter. <S> Nothing above is even close to commercial colors in that consistency or flavor is influenced <S> but maybe you will find a combination that satisfies you. <S> I'm still looking for a natural orange for kids Halloween! <A> I have had success making a naturally dyed pink cake... <S> Puree <S> The color with raspberries is better, but I have used strawberry puree too. <S> The recipes with puree (even simmered, reduced, and strained) always seem a bit too wet in the end, to me. <S> What a sad waste of good ingredients. <S> Here are the posts on my blog of cake with raspberry puree and one with strawberry puree . <S> The people I fed liked it, the flavor was very pleasant. <S> But, I wasn't totally pleased with the texture. <S> Freeze Dried <S> Strawberries/Raspberries <S> Again the color with raspberries is a little bit more strong, but both work! <S> To color the batter I processed the fruit in a blender until powdered. <S> Then, I sifted the powder to remove any seeds or larger pieces. <S> Finally, I added the sifted powder to the dry ingredients of a white cake recipe. <S> This is my preferred method (over puree). <S> I also posted the results of this process on my blog. <S> One last thing...do not bother with fresh beets. <S> I have not tried using canned, but the fresh beets DO NOT WORK. <S> I tried it many ways, pureed, steeped in the wet ingredients then strained, I made a very acidic batter hoping that would help...none of it worked. <S> They also tasted faintly dirty. <S> Blegh. <S> Every time the batter would be gorgeously pink, but, like a sick magic trick, the color would cook out. <S> I would still love to find a way to make a pink cake that is very intense, but the powdered freeze dried fruit does result in a pretty, soft pink. <S> I hope this helps!
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Could get some color into the cake by macerating strawberries in a cake recipe's entire sugar quantity.
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Are strawberries really dyed? I stopped by a farm stand last weekend, and found the strawberries were rather pale looking. I commented on this, and the farmer assured me that this was no worry, and that furthermore I should be wary of bright red strawberries. His claim was that bright red strawberries at the supermarket are in fact dyed that color. Is it common practice to dye berries? Is it even legal? Is this something one would normally expect to find at a grocery store, or is a technique used elsewhere (say, commercially, or in restaurants?) Or is this guy just trying to convince me to buy his product? <Q> Strawberries turn a natural red color in their ripening process. <S> This is usually a very strong, ruby-red color. <S> Rest assured, strawberries in the US are not dyed. <S> FDA clearly lists all adulteration done to fruits ( oranges can be dyed ), but strawberries only has a regulation of when the product is considered moldy , etc. <S> Note that even though dyed strawberries may not be sold in US, they may be exported in countries that permit it <S> ( fruit intended for export is exempt ). <S> Rest of the world is a different story. <S> It wouldn't be uncommon for you to find strawberries that are picked too early in the process, or are just grown in poor conditions that are dyed red to give it the luscious red appearance. <S> There have been anecdotal reports of this in China - this color comes right off when washed, showing a white strawberry. <S> Strawberries do leech a red fluid when washed, but that shouldn't result in a white strawberry. <A> I found a patent titled “ Method for dyeing strawberry .” <S> That such patents exist doesn't mean it's legal to apply the techniques they describe in food sold for consumption though. <S> It's easy enough to find out that the FDA has regulations for dyed oranges . <S> But I haven't found any page on their site about regulations for dyes applied to strawberries. <S> I'm going to assume that unless someone can dig up such a page, the FDA hasn't approved any strawberry dyeing practices. <S> So to (tentatively) answer your question, oranges might be dyed with “ Citrus Red No. 2 ”, but strawberries aren't dyed (at least in the US). <A> I just purchased some bright red strawberries from an indigenous seller in southern Mexico. <S> After buying the strawberries I became suspicious of their bright colour and the red moisture. <S> They are really ruby red and almost 'unreal' looking - perhaps too perfect. <S> I washed the strawberries, and the colour did not change. <S> Upon eating the berries they are bright red throughout, and soft and sweet. <S> I believe they are natural and actually surprisingly the best strawberries <S> I have ever eaten. <A> The label on most boxes just says "strawberries", doesn't it? <S> I can't comment on the legality of dying fruit to produce a more attractive color.
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I think it's safe to say that most strawberries sold commercially in the US are not dyed, and that this would be an uncommon practice.
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What should I look for in strawberries at the market? When I'm selecting strawberries at the market or farmer's stand, what should I look for to indicate the most flavorful berries? I don't need the strawberries to keep; I'll be using them immediately. <Q> I mostly agree with Rumtscho, except that I think "red through and through" is a bit too strong: a bit of white at the top doesn't have to mean anything, as long as it is not too much, and as long as there is not white in the bottom half— <S> so these look good: <S> Another thing to watch out for is how far apart the seeds are. <S> I also like the ones where the seeds are a bit deeper into the skin better. <S> The ones above look good in both respects. <S> These, however, do not: <A> Smell. <S> Really, this is the most reliable criterion for practically any fruit. <S> Flavor contains both taste and smell. <S> For a strawberry, you want a fragrant smell together with enough sweetness. <S> For both, the berry has to be ripe enough. <S> If it was picked underripe, it won't smell good enough yet, and it will also be hard and sour. <S> If it was picked long ago and is not fresh any more, it will have lost the more volatile components of its fragrance. <S> So ripe, fresh strawberries smell great. <S> I have had occasions when I entered a supermarket to quickly buy one thing, aimed at the correct aisle, but when the smell of good strawberries reached me near the produce, I turned and added a pack of them. <S> I have never been disappointed with such strawberries. <S> Also, if you smell the slightest hint of mold, fermentation, or foulness, you know they may not keep even one night. <S> Another sign is that a ripe strawberry will be red through and through. <S> A strawberry picked underripe will be white or even slightly greenish at the top. <S> It doesn't taste good then. <S> But this is a negative sign, because not all red strawberries taste good. <S> Don't ever go by shape. <S> The tastiest sort of strawberries my grandparents grew produced ugly, lumpy strawberries of a light, slightly orange color. <S> They also had a few rows of a sort which produced perfectly conical, deep red strawberries, they looked like an advertisement - but they were hard and dry, and didn't have much aroma. <S> Probably, there are some strawberries which both look and taste good - just don't think that looks or color predict a good strawberry, because they are independent. <S> And of course, any strawberries which have visible mold or fouled spots are not good any more. <S> You can usually also recognize overripened strawberries in their appearance, but I don't know how to describe it well. <S> They just look old. <A> One thing I learnt from villagers in Central/Eastern Europe where wild strawberries were often seen growing along the sides of streets was that smaller strawberries have more flavor. <S> It was though each strawberry was born with 'x' units of flavor, so the bigger it got, the less flavor-dense it became. <S> I've never done any scientific testing of this, but I must say since those days I've been only choosing smaller strawberries and my success rate feels like it has gone up. <A> This is anecdotal, but I think accurate. <S> I am not a farmer, but buy strawberries at a farmer's market where there is quite a bit of friendly competition for things like "best tasting strawberries. <S> " From what I've heard, farmers here make a choice whether or not to irrigate their berry plants. <S> Those who do tend to end up with bumper crops of not very exciting strawberries. <S> Those who don't have lower yields, but more intensely-flavored strawberries. <S> You can always ask the farmer, but it doesn't take much taste-testing to figure out which ones go for the concentrated flavor over a quick buck. <S> I'm not sure about the science behind this, but I've heard it holds true for tomatoes as well.
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I think one can never be sure of anything with strawberries, but, if the seeds are farther apart, that usually means they are sweeter.
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Vermouth for use in Drinks - can I freeze it? I have a well stocked bar at home so from time to time I mix some drinks.Many popular drinks list Vermouth (e.g. Noilly Prat) as an ingredient. Basically, Vermouth can be compared to a special kind of wine as it also produced from wine.This is where the trouble starts: As soon as you open a bottle Vermouth for the first time, you have to store it in a fridge and after 2-3 weeks have to throw the bottle away because you can't use it anymore. So to really empty the bottle, you have to drink a lot. This is a common problem for many people and there are many ideas for solutions (spraying some protective gas into the bottle, filling many smaller bottles, sucking the air out of the bottle, writing to companies and asking for miniature bottles...) but none of them really works.Now I just had another idea: Can I just fill an ice cube form with Vermouth and put it in the freezer and then just take out the amount I need? Or will it loose it's flavor due to the freezing process? <Q> Water freezes at 0° C (or 32° F), but ethanol freezes at -114° C <S> , so you can guess your vermouth with freeze somewhere in between those two temperatures. <S> Noilly Prat is 18% ABV, or 15% alcohol by weight, which means it would freeze at around -6° C to -7° C, or 19-21 <S> ° F. <S> Your freezer may or may not be tuned to be that cold, but if not, you should be able to crank it a bit and get your Noilly Prat just frozen. <S> You may notice that old ice tastes funny. <S> Even though you may not notice your freezer smelling, that's partly because the cold blocks smells. <S> Just because you don't notice them doesn't mean the odors aren't there to ruin your Noilly Prat. <S> I would recommend leaving them for a day until just frozen <S> (covered if you like), and then moving them to a Ziploc for long term storage. <S> All that said, freezing will not halt oxidation altogether, but it will help, as only the exposed surfaces areas should be able to be oxidized. <S> Since ice cubes by design have a relatively high surface area, you may consider minimizing the exposure to oxygen by other means. <S> If you have a vacuum sealer, using that would be a fairly simple means to limit that exposure, but a similar effect can be done with a simple Ziploc bag, as described here (note this link is focused on using this technique for cooking, but it is translatable to your scenario). <S> Drop your ice cubes in a bag, and then slowly lower the bag into a container of cold water (the colder the better, here, to minimize melting), leaving the seal exposed. <S> I sometimes clip things onto the bag to weigh it down as well. <S> Then begin closing the seal, and lower the bag further into the water as you continue sealing, so that only the unsealed portion is exposed. <S> Finally complete the seal and you should have a reasonably low-oxygen environment to mitigate further degradation of your vermouth. <A> There is no easy answer to this problem. <S> The consensus seems to be to try and buy small bottles where available (difficult) and always refrigerate . <S> But throwing away after 2-3 weeks seems a bit extreme. <S> Vermouth doesn't tend to go off completely straight away, it just gradually loses character. <S> Its also worth noting that Sweet Vermouth tends to fair better on the shelf than Dry . <A> Vermouth is white or red wine that has been infused with a mixture of botanicals and fortified by the addition of a neutral alcohol like un-aged brandy or grain alcohol. <S> The fact that it is fortified leads many people to believe that it is shelf-stable, that is simply not true. <S> For a better vermouth experience, buy a high quality product such as one of the offerings from Boissiere, Noilly Prat, or Vya, and always buy from a source with high turnover. <S> Vermouth should be used within 6-8 months of bottling or it begins to go off. <S> Once opened, it should be stored in the refrigerator and away from light. <S> Even when stored properly, it oxidizes like any other wine, so it is advisable to finish the bottle within a month after opening. <S> Unfortunately, this means you should almost never order vermouth (or a cocktail containing it) in a random bar where the bottle is just sitting out and has been open for who knows how long. <S> Find a cocktail establishment where they care about these things, or make it yourself at home.
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That said, I would not really recommend leaving an ice cube tray full of vermouth hanging out in your freezer.
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What is the secret to baking bread with a very fine crumb? I've noticed bread purchased from the local baker always has a very fine crumb. How is this achieved?? <Q> A couple of things will help give you smaller holes: <S> Keep the hydration reasonably low (say, 60% with American-style bread flour). <S> Use some oil or butter. <S> Try 10% (baker's ratio). <S> Knead very well, something like 10–15 minutes in a stand mixer. <S> After the first rise, normally you try to be gentle, and not press out all the air. <S> Don't. <S> Instead, press it out. <S> Bake in a moderate (say, 350°F <S> ) oven. <S> You don't particularly want much oven spring here. <S> For even finer texture, part way through the second rise, you can press it out again, and let it start a third rise (but not to double). <S> Also, adding some whole wheat or rye flour will give a denser crumb. <S> With different flavor, too, of course. <A> a small amount of fat emulsifies, trapping multiple bubbles instead of a few giant ones faster overall processing: a single rise denser dough and worked til highly elastic. <S> Dough for a sandwich loaf would be portioned into three balls and worked til taut, lined up snuggly in pan and proofed to only half of its rising capacity then baked with a lid on to further compact the crumb. <A> Try using slightly less liquid or slightly more flour.
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My experience is that the drier your bread dough is, the finer the crumb and smaller the holes.
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How to get chocolate of chocolate covered strawberries shiny? Yesterday, I made strawberries covered with chocolate. Both my strawberries and milk chocolate were at room temperature. I heated the chocolate in the microwave together with a drop of peanut oil, stirred and dipped the berries in it. I let it all cool down in my cellar (+-15° C /+-60° F) on a piece of parchment paper. While the taste was great, I didn't like that they looked a bit 'dull'. I would prefer it if they shone. I added the oil, because I read it somewhere as a tip to get shiny strawberry-chocolates. I don't think it was as much as they adviced me to do though. Can I do anything to make the chocolate shiny? <Q> Chocolate which has been melted will look dull when cooled down again. <S> Cocoa butter contains crystals, and when heating and cooling chocolate, there will form crystals of different sizes. <S> Because of this, your chocolate look matt. <S> There will only form 'right' crystals with this technique. <S> If you google 'tempering chocolate' <S> you get lots of good results, which give you a better description of what to do then I can. <S> For example you can use this sites description: <S> http://candy.about.com/od/candybasics/ht/temperchoc.htm Or this site which give the description using both Celcius and Fahrenheit: <S> http://allrecipes.com/howto/tempering-chocolate/ <A> It's all about the tempering. <S> A shiny "snappy" chocolate coating is tempered, and a dull coating isn't tempered. <S> In a chocolate dipping class I took in February, we used fruit which was chilled from the refrigerator, and that helped the chocolate to temper. <S> See <S> Why would dipping a cold item in chocolate "help" with tempering? . <S> Also see Is it possible to temper chocolate at home? <S> and What is the purpose of tempering chocolate? <S> for more about tempering chocolate. <A> Tempering is important, but not enough. <S> Assuming that you have perfectly tempered chocolate and you dip your strawberries in it, you can still get either shiny or dull chocolate, depending on how quickly you cool it, and from which side. <S> To get shiny confections, you need tempered chocolate at 33°C, you have to quickly dip a filling at 27°C into it, and let it cool at 20°C. <S> These temperatures are guidelines, but a few degrees deviation in any direction will give you less nice chocolate. <S> See also my more expansive answer on strawberries and dipping: https://cooking.stackexchange.com/a/21142/4638 .
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You can use the technique of tempering chocolate to get great shiny chocolate.
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extracting banana flavour for an iced coffee Now that the sun has started to shine in the frozen north I can start thinking on using my espresso machine for some cold drinks. I was thinking of a banana iced coffee. But I would like a more natural flavour than most of the syrups I can buy in my local coffee shop. Do I was wondering if it would be possible to extract the flavour from a banana, without getting the texture/consistency from the fruit? <Q> Consider making a banana consomme via gelatin filtration . <S> As described in Harold McGee's 2007 NYT article , this technique produces liquids with the taste of all sorts of foodstuffs that are otherwise full of texture and color. <S> A tomato consomme, for example, is clear and watery, rather than red and pulpy, while retaining the flavor of a tomato juice. <S> The same technique can be (and has been) done with breads, meats, vegetables, fish, etc. <S> The process is to make a loose banana gel by mixing a banana with water, adding gelatin, and heating until the gelatin is dissolved. <S> The mixture is then frozen until solid, then suspended in a strainer over a bowl in the refrigerator for a couple of days until the liquid essence distills out and the solids are left in the strainer trapped in a gelatin net. <S> The particular advantage <S> I believe gelatin filtration will give you in this case <S> is that it will give your coffee a full banana flavor without making it thick, pulpy, or cloudy. <A> Although isoamyl acetate is the most commonly used bannana flavoring commercially, this is usually produced artificially (like banana milkshake powder) and so isn't what you want. <S> I would make a 'natural' bannana syrup to flavour the coffee. <S> I would try layering halved bannanas with sugar and leave it for a few day to let the water be drawn out. <S> Then I would discard the bananas and add enough water to make a syrup and heat it to dissolve. <S> Having not tried it <S> I don't know if it would produce a strong enough flavour; I don't know if anyone else has any other ideas... <A> Let the bananas turn as brown and spotty as you dare. <S> The banana flavor improves as they ripen and over-ripen. <S> Then freeze them and thaw them again. <S> This will bust up the cell walls and turn them into a gloppy mess. <S> Use a colander or something to separate the liquid. <A> The peels actually contain quite a bit of flavor but aren't generally usable, and they should impart minimal texture to the final infusion.
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I would try steeping the banana peels in alcohol.
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What kind of containers for homemade ice cream? In the past, I've usually stored homemade ice creams and sorbets in reusable/disposable plastic containers (e.g. Gladware), but I've busted more than a couple of these when trying to scoop hard-frozen ice cream. The cold plastic is somewhat brittle, and the scoop can easily punch a hole in the side. One solution is to let the ice cream warm up a bit so that it's easier to serve, but who has time for that? Can you suggest an airtight, ice cream-friendly storage vessel that'll stand up to a forcefully-wielded scoop? <Q> Restaurants solve this problem one of two ways: <S> Tough, professional-grade stainless or Lexan containers. <S> I suggest 4" to 6" deep 1/6 size hotel pans AKA steam table inserts, or lidded 2-4 quart Cambro containers . <S> Cheap, disposable quart delitainers. <S> These are actually reusable and dishwasher/microwave safe, but at $0.25-0.50 apiece, it doesn't matter if they break regularly! <S> Just remember to recycle the broken ones. <S> You've probably seen these used for take-out soups in Chinese restaurants or delis, because they're cheap but work well. <S> For the first option, remember that professional-grade equipment is built to survive YEARS of punishing abuse, but you'll pay more for that quality. <S> Expect a pricetag of $5-7 or more for each of the smaller containers, or slightly less if you find a good restaurant supply store. <S> Sam's Club also carries some of that stuff. <S> The flipside is that you shouldn't ever have to replace the containers unless you do something really dumb, such as putting a pan hot off the stove down on the lid. <S> For this reason I suggest planning ahead before making a purchase, because you want to get the right sizes for regular use. <A> After punching through a bunch of brittle plastic containers myself, I bought a set of 25 paperboard quart containers from Sweet Bliss , and like them very much. <S> The lid design is especially nice, using a second piece of card inside the lid with holes cleverly placed to push air out of the containers. <S> On their website they say: <S> In 1996, my husband and I received an ice cream machine as a wedding gift. <S> Soon after, we were invited to dinner by some friends and I offered to bring homemade ice cream. <S> I wanted to present it in a nice container since I was putting in some time and effort along with fresh ingredients. <S> I thought the container should reflect all of these things, "homemade and delicious." <S> I set out in Atlanta to find a storage container for ice cream <S> and there wasn't a product made for storing and protecting homemade ice cream. <S> I was disappointed, but it occurred to me at that instant that there was a need <S> and I was going to one day fulfill that need. <S> Over the next nine years I would ask anyone and everyone what they stored their homemade ice cream in, and over and over I heard the same thing. <S> They would say that they stored it in a plastic storage container, but it was always hard as a rock and that it lost its original consistency. <S> I knew I was ready to launch an idea that many could benefit from, a storage solution for homemade frozen desserts! <A> BobMcGee's specific suggestions are fairly good, but I'd suggest that the only things that really matter are that they're rectangular and not disposable. <S> Rectangular means they'll pack well into your freezer, and anything non-disposable should should stand up just fine to the scoop. <S> Of course, even disposable containers (even when reused many times) should be okay - <S> I've used them for ice cream. <S> Is it possible that your ice cream is a bit on the hard side, and you're scooping before it softens with a heavy, sharp scoop? <S> If that's the case, you might want to look into making softer ice cream (see this question or this blog post ), as well as scooping it when it's not quite as cold (store it in the door, increase freezer temperature, or let it sit on the counter for a few minutes). <A> Not the answer you were looking for <S> but this is how I solved my problem which also involved limited freezer space. <S> Packed ice-cream into quart/liter freezer ziplocks and froze flat and even. <S> Broke off portions to be softened in fridge as needed. <S> A quick thwack on the counter edge worked as well as a knife with less risk. <S> Can pre-portion <S> these inch thick slabs in another container in freezer as they don't stick together if you have been quick about it. <A> If you want something really sturdy, glass is a good option. <S> I recently bought a glass container for homemade ice creams, and it works well. <S> But you have to choose the right container. <S> temperature tolerance. <S> Some glasses can spring in the freezer. <S> Buy a container which is marked as freezer-safe. <S> closing. <S> Buy a container which has a tightly-closing lid. <S> You want to minimize smell contamination, freezer burn, and the chance that a non-tight lid will slip when you are getting something else from the fridge and let some other packet fall in the exposed ice cream. <S> corners. <S> The nice thing about glass containers is that they tend to have rounded inner corners, making scooping easier than from plastic. <S> The glass container will have a higher temperature capacity than your regular tupperware container. <S> This means that if you fill freshly-churned ice cream into room-temperature glass, the outermost layer will melt before you have finished filling it. <S> You should pre-chill the container. <S> To avoid heat shocks, I put the empty container in the fridge together with the just-made ice cream base, and when the base is chilled and goes into the churner, the empty container goes into the freezer. <S> Also, this type of tempered container is usually heat-proof too, so, when not in use for ice cream, you can bake casseroles in it. <S> This is the container <S> I got. <S> I chose the rectangular type, because it stacks better. <S> The 1.3 liter size fits well for one ice cream recipe (about 800 ml base).
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The upside is that, when you take out the container to scoop and serve the ice cream, the glass will keep cold for a longer time than a thin plastic container, or also than a metal one (because metal conducts heat better).
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How do I avoid hot fudge turning my ice cream into a soupy mess? My pregnant wife's cravings have recently turned towards sweets, and this week it is banana splits, with a very specific formula: chocolate ice cream, banana, whipped cream, and hot fudge. It's not such an extraordinary recipe, I suppose, but the hot fudge is simply not a topping we keep in our house or really have a lot of experience with. So after picking up a jar of hot fudge topping, and zapping it in the microwave, per the instructions, I experienced the obvious result that has presumably been experienced by millions before: hot fudge melts cold ice cream. Rather quickly, the sundae disintegrated into a soupy mess at the bottom of the bowl, with a rapidly decreasing scoop of ice cream bathing in the pool, and banana bits swimming about. It was not a pretty sight. What means could I take to mitigate the fudge's effect on the ice cream, or are my wife's hopes and expectations just a dream in the shadow of this bleak reality? <Q> I don't have any direct experience to share, but it seems a little logic may be applicable. <S> I suggest that your hot fudge is too hot and your ice cream is not icy (cold) enough. <S> Rather than microwaving the fudge, try a hot water bath on the stove. <S> Yeah, it's slower, but you also won't burn the bejeezus out of the sugar at the edges. <S> Taste occasionally while stirring until you get that pleasingly warm mouthfeel. <S> Stirring frequently* will help distribute the heat. <S> Alternately, microwave in small bursts, stirring* as you stop and taste. <S> *Sanitary practice compels me to advise you to use a fresh spoon every time you stir and taste in order to avoid contamination. <S> But it's your house. <S> The hot part being taken care of, make sure your freezer is actually freezing cold. <S> Don't take the ice cream out ahead of serving so it doesn't soften. <S> Best way to scoop hard ice cream is to use a metal scoop dipped in very hot water. <S> Cuts through like buttah. <A> Eat it faster. <S> Seriously. <S> I am a huge fan of homemade hot fudge and much of the appeal is the contrast between the cold and the hot. <S> Freezing your ice cream more solid will help but insufficiently heating the chocolate won't. <S> If the fudge gets too cool it sets up into one solid chewy chunk. <S> Perhaps your best solution would be to serve smaller portions that can be consumed before the fudge and the ice cream reach equilibrium and the magic is lost. <A> I think isolating the fudge could be a good way to fix this. <S> It might complicate your dish, but it might add both to the presentation as well as to the texture of the ice cream. <S> Try getting hold of or make your own biscuit rolls <S> (I don't know the name). <S> Fill these up with hot fudge. <S> The biscuit will act as isolation keep the texture of both the ice cream and the fudge. <S> In this way the only time the two will get in contact with each other is when one breaks up the biscuit to eat it. <S> If biscuits doesn't cut it, chocolate tubes or similar could do the same trick. <A> When I was a teen in a rollerskating ice cream parlour, we had to get sundaes out quick with hot fudge. <S> Most of the fudge was swirled around the glass container (somehow colder than porcelain) and only a bit on top before a blast of cream and a shower of nuts. <A> My parents always enjoyed making hot fudge but had similar issues to you. <S> Two great benefits with this method. <S> Ice cream doesn't melt/Fudge doesn't cool off as quickly. <S> Every person gets to enjoy as much or as little fudge as they like. <S> Hope you can find a way that works for you. <A> It's a simple matter of thermodynamics. <S> Consider the variables: temperature of ice cream, T ic temperature of fudge, T f heat transfer coefficient, h heat transfer surface area, <S> A <S> I'll leave the derivation of the heat transfer equation as it pertains to sundaes as an exercise for the reader, but it's intuitive that you have a number of options, including: colder ice cream not quite so hot fudge modifying the heat transfer coefficient, such as by adding insulating materials or using an ice cream with lower thermal conductivity (it'd be interesting to study the effect of overage on heat transfer) <S> decrease the area of contact between fudge and ice cream <S> ; it's a good be that sundaes are traditionally served in tall, narrow glasses for just this reason <A> I’d say scoop the ice cream and then lay it on a sheet pan (cookie sheet if you prefer that name lol) <S> scooped out for like ten mins or so then melt the fudge <S> let it sit for a min or two assemble the sundae and let her pour it on
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So they found very small bowls and now serve the ice cream in normal sized dishes (with any additional non-melting toppings) and provide a small side dish of fudge.
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Can I freeze Parmesan? I am thinking about buying a larger amount of Parmesan and freeze it for later use. Is this possible? How long can I keep it for? How is the taste/texture affected? <Q> Yes, you can freeze parmesan cheese. <S> Even without freezing, Parmesan is very durable since the low water and high salt content prevents mould from growing. <S> Just remember to keep it wrapped in paper, not in a sealed plastic container to prevent a buildup of condensation. <A> I'm not going to add much as Tor-Einar Jarnbjo's answer was very thorough but just to note that you can also freeze parmesan rinds to add to soups and stews for an easy umami boost. <A> There is absolutely no need to freeze it. <S> Keep it dry and cool and everything will be just fine. <S> I make artisan cheeses... <S> cool and dry is how it is aged and is all it requires.
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The younger varieties may be more prone to mould growth (having a higher water content), but I've kept ripe Parmesan (30-36 months) for at least a year in the fridge without problems (and it would probably have stayed good much longer).
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How to bake Frozen French Fries I bought a couple of packets of frozen fries and I absolutely can't fry them. My only option is to bake them. I have access to oil if necessary. How do I bake the fries to make them resemble (as far as possible) the McDonald type fries ? What I have tried: Preheating oven to 250C, throwing them in (on a baking tray) till they look golden. Didn't work, they tasted weird and were soggy-ish. Maybe lack of oil? Citation Here Same as above but with an added step before throwing them in : gently pouring oil over them and mixing them by hand. Result was not very different. <Q> I take a piece of aluminum foil, crumple it up <S> then smooth it out somewhat still leaving slight concave and convex angles for the fries to crisp evenly without the need of flipping halfway through baking. <A> The problem with baking frozen french fries is that they lie on their side on the baking sheet, and the side that touches the sheet never gets a chance to become crisp. <S> To solve the problem, make sure that you lay the fries out in a single layer on the baking sheet. <S> Pull the sheet out of the oven about halfway through the baking process and give 'em a good toss. <S> That will turn enough of the fries over that you shouldn't get too many soggy spots. <S> If your diet allows, toss the cooked fries with salt to taste. <S> Frozen french fries will have already been fried once at the factory. <S> They may not have the same hot-from-the-fryer coat of fat that you get from deep-fried fries, but a bigger difference is probably the moisture content. <S> The hot air in an oven tends to dry fries (and anything else) out. <S> The hot fat in a fryer pushes against the steam inside the fries, not exactly trapping it, but keeping more moisture inside the fries while still crisping the outer surface. <S> Frying and baking are simply different processes that produce different results. <A> as well as laying the chips out in a single layer on a baking tray, try heating up the tray first too and also the last 2 or 3 mins of roasting leave the tray in the oven but turn the oven off and leave the door open, this often helps crisp them up too. <A> I've also noticed that using a hotter oven helps with making fries crispy, say around 450 <S> *. <S> I've done this with left-over deep-fried french fries and it re-crisps them nicely, and I've also done homemade baked fries and they come out nice and crispy. <S> Not sure if the pre-made frozen fries will react the same way, but maybe you can tweak it some. <S> :) <S> The hotter oven makes sense to me since deep friers at places like McDonalds and Burger King tend to run about 350-365 <S> *. <S> Recipes that you can find online for baked fries also suggest higher temps: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/baked-french-fries-i/ . <S> I suspect that using higher heat helps trap in some of the moisture because the outside crisps up more quickly, but I could be wrong about that. <A> frozen french fries are handy, but not necessarily tasty. <S> try partially thawing first, patting dry, put in large bowl (gently), add a little olive oil, sea salt, toss gently, then put them on a baking cooling rack (the type w/ little squarishish grids), on top of a cookie sheet, <S> this allows air to circulate, and get all sides - preheat oven to 400-425F, depending on whether you have fat or skinny fries (fat ones on higher temp.). <S> cook for 15 -25 minutes... <S> keeping checking, it just depends on the size of the fries. <S> it's worked for me, although real french fries are just still the best.mc in oakland <A> DO not use olive oil for your fries. <S> in a deep fryer fries reach best crispness at 160+. <S> olive oil has a smoke point of 120 <S> * the lowest of all the cooking oils. <S> Special deep fryer mixes are available which have a high smoke point <S> , Best results is no cover <S> the fries in oil and salt then put them on a griddle in layers in the oven. <S> You can criss cross them to get more on <S> but this just seems like a lot of work for something that is supposed to be quick and easy and all that work for not graet results seems a waste. <A> One trick you may want to try is an egg white wash. <S> This helps lots of baked goods brown and crisp as they bake. <S> Try beating 1 tsp water with 1 egg white and brushing this on your fries before they go in the oven. <A> I love tossing them with a ranch packet with canola oil. <S> Do not use olive oil <S> it is not made for crisping it will just make them soggy. <S> Also do not let them thaw; that's the worst thing you can do. <S> Just coat with plenty of seasoning and oil. <S> Cook about 15 minutes longer than instructions tell you to, but at the same temperature. <S> Pull out after 3/4 of the baking time, pour in a heat resistant bowl, shake well, then continue baking. <S> Nice and crisp with great flavor. <A> I had some frozen hashbrowns one time which had different preparation instructions and were great. <S> The next time I got frozen fries, I tried the same method. <S> Every time i prepared frozen french fries according to the standard instructions, they tasted like cardboard. <S> I like Cajun fries <S> so I used the seasonings. <S> Put the amount of frozen fries you will use into a freezer box. <S> Add the Cajun seasonings and toss. <S> Thaw in the microwave. <S> Heat a non stick skillet or griddle plate. <S> Add some butter or other type of fat as you prefer. <S> Toss the fries around with a couple of spatulas until brown. <S> Add salt to taste and enjoy what tastes just like freshly made fries. <S> This is the one exception I make to following the instructions, since I do not enjoy cardboard for dinner.
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Well, I'm sorry to say that Baked french fries rarely have the same texture of freshly deep-fried ones.
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Is it safe to roast marshmallows over a sterno flame? It's become common practice around my apartment to use a sterno to roast marshmallows because it's easy, cheap and (primarily) because we can't have a campfire in my living room. Is this dangerous? <Q> Those marked “methanol” are not meant for direct food heating. <A> Sterno suggests this use in multiple ways. <S> On their site they have a pdf recipe for smores "indoors" that instructs you to roast the marshmallows over a can of Sterno. <S> They also manufacture a Smores-n-more set that is really just a ceramic pot with a grill that you place a can of Sterno in to keep people from getting too close to the open flame. <S> My guess is that they wouldn't do this if it weren't safe as they be opening themselves up to a lawsuit. <A> Sterno is (roughly) alcohol mixed with gel. <S> The same type of alcohol (ethanol mixed with enough methanol to make it poisonous) is commonly used in marine stoves because it's considered to be quite safe: it doesn't explode and it can be extinguished with water. <S> Alcohol also burns cleanly and quite completely, so there are essentially no methanol molecules in the flame that could land on your marshmallows and harm you. <A> There are 2 types of Sternos out there. <S> There IS a type that burns something harmful for open-flame-to-food cooking. <S> I believe it's an older way of making them though and that Sterno just makes the "safe" ones today. <S> Just wanted to put this out there though. <S> I own a Sterno can <S> that is probably over 7 years old <S> and it says to not eat food that touches the flame, but the new ones say they are safe.
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After contacting Sterno with the same question, they indicated that the only safe gel product for direct food heating is marked “ethanol” on the canister.
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Can salted butter be used for yellow cake recipe? I need help D:I'm making 300 yellow cupcakes for prom in 2 days and I've purchase salted butter instead of unsalted . - Can I use the salted butter instead of using unsalted and just not add in salt ? <Q> Might be worth making one batch and seeing how it turns out. <A> I'm very far from being an expert in the kitchen, so take this with a grain of salt (sorry), but: <S> Unsalted butter has a negligible amount of sodium. <S> Table salt has about 2400 milligrams of sodium per teaspoon. <S> Different salted butters have differing amounts of salt , so check your salted butter's label for the sodium content. <S> If the amount of butter you're using has, say, 600 milligrams of sodium, figure that's about a quarter of a teaspoon of salt, and reduce the salt in your recipe accordingly. <S> Or see if the supermarket will allow you to exchange the salted butter for unsalted. <A> The folks at Cook's Illustrated had this to say to a similar quesiton: <S> We advise against cooking with salted butter for three reasons. <S> First, the amount of salt in salted butter varies from brand to brand—it can range from 1.25 percent to 1.75 percent of the total weight, making it impossible to offer conversion amounts that will work with all brands. <S> Second, because salt masks some of the flavor nuances found in butter, salted butter tastes different from unsalted butter. <S> Finally, salted butter almost always contains more water than unsalted butter. <S> The water in butter ranges from 10 to 18 percent. <S> In baking, butter with a low water content is preferred, since excess water can interfere with the development of gluten. <S> In fact, when we used the same brand of both salted and unsalted butter to make brownies and drop biscuits, tasters noticed that samples made with salted butter were a little mushy and pasty; they preferred the texture of baked goods made with unsalted butter. <S> However, if it's all you have, I wouldn't worry too much. <S> Just reduce the salt called for in your recipe by 1.7 grams or 1/3 of a teaspoon (table salt) for each 8 tablespoons (stick) of salted butter you use. <S> This is the average amount of salt in a stick of salted butter.
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Yes, you should be able to get away with it, but it does depend on how salty the butter is.
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Pizza in Oven : Bottom/Mid/Top I make pizza in a baking tray in my oven. My question is where do I place my baking tray in the oven, the bottom top or middle? The resources I have seen so far on the internet are far too ambiguous. For instance, Yahoo Answers have given many different answers to the same question. <Q> Ideally, of course, you'd be baking your pizza on a baking stone, which you would heat to 500F for 1/2 hour before putting the pizza in the oven. <S> However, you asked about baking a pizza in a metal pan. <S> In general, you want to get as much radiant heat into the bottom crust as possible in order to make sure the crust is fully cooked and not soggy. <S> This means that in an oven with a bottom baking element (whether gas or electric) you want your oven rack in the bottom position. <S> Again, make sure the oven is thouroughly heated to 500F (250C) (or more, if it'll go higher) before you put the pizza in. <S> If you have a top-heating oven, things get a bit more complicated. <S> You'll need to somehow ensure that the bottom of the crust gets cooked, which won't happen if you just put the pizza in the oven, regardless of position. <S> There's a couple of different ways to take care of this: <S> Blind-bake the crust <S> until halfway done, flip it, put the toppings on top and finish it, <S> Do the pizza in a cast-iron pan first on the stove top, finishing in the oven. <S> In either case, with a top-heating oven, you want to put the rack close to the element ... in the middle or top position, so that the pizza is only about 2-3 inches (5-8cm) away from the element. <A> Serious Eats <S> compared the results of cooking six of the same pizza crusts on different racks of the oven. <S> The oven was set to 560F, with the heating element on the bottom. <S> The pizza stone was preheated for 45 mins, and other precautions were taken to make sure that the results were not biased (ie: the stone was taken out of the oven between testings for 30 mins, to allow for temp differences between the different racks). <S> The results showed that:-Pizza's cooked on the highest rack will have over-cooked toppings- no good.-Pizza's cooked on the middle rack will have over-cooked bottoms- no good.-Pizza's cooked on the bottom rack will have burnt bottoms- <S> very bad. <S> Generally, they concluded that the rack in-between the middle and top (known as the 'upper rack') will produce the best results. <A> It depends on your type of oven and your used setting. <S> Your goal is to have the highest possible temperature to bake your pizza. <A> Cook pizza on bottom rack, then check half-way before it is done. <S> If it looks like the pizza crust is very close to being done, but the toppings are not, then move the pizza up a rack or two or more, so the crust will stop cooking and to allow more time for the toppings to finish cooking. <S> You might even need to reduce your oven temp at this time too. <S> For an example: If you have it set to 550F, reduce it to 450F until toppings are done. <A> Please note the question... <S> You shouldn't have to be moving your pizza around in the oven or play with the heat! <S> That's why people are asking this question, so they don't have to do this. <S> Set oven to highest setting. <S> Place on top rack and depending on fresh or par baked crust and amount of toppings, see how this works. <S> At most, you might have to drop the next pizza down to the upper rack.(just below the top rack) Variables..... <S> Amount of toppings, thickness of crust, type and style of oven.
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In short: Highest heat, start at top and work your way down till your pizza comes out to your liking.
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What makes bacon chewy? My mom likes bacon crispy (and dry enough to choke on). I like bacon to be chewy. I have noticed some techniques that will make bacon chewy or crispy but it sometimes seems like luck. Making it crispy is easy. I just cook it in a well drained pan for too long. Chewy is more elusive and it seems like a fine line between raw and floppy to dry and the chewiness is lost. Is it just the temperature it is cooked to or is there some other magic that can ensure chewy bacon? <Q> Having water in your skillet will keep the cooking temperature low while preserving the bacon's moisture. <S> As in explained in the video, once the water reaches its boiling point, the fat will be pretty much all rendered, so you'll be less likely to burn the meat while waiting for the fat to cook off. <S> It would seem the secret, whatever the method, is to preserve the moisture in the bacon to prevent it from going dry, while of course thoroughly cooking it. <S> Perhaps cooking it covered with a lid would achieve something similar. <A> I love chewy bacon, so long as the fat is fully cooked. <S> Cooked right, the fat will crisp up, with the meat still chewy. <S> I find that cooking with a low heat works best, allow time for the fat to slowly render. <S> I also found that if I am making large quantities, I might cook the bacon 90% of the way in a pan and placing the bacon in the oven. <S> I keep the temperature of the oven fairly low, such as 300 degrees. <S> It nicely finishes the fat, and keeps the meat from crisping up. <S> I love it that way. <S> It allows me to keep a small portion in the pan to crisp up for my wife, while having the chewy stuff ready and waiting for me and my daughter. <A> Microwaved bacon will be chewy, but it drains out the fat so that might not be what you want. <S> And bacon that is microwave cooked part way through and then finished in a frying pan will still be fairly chewy.
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According to this America's Test Kitchen video , you can get plump crisp and tender bacon by barely covering your bacon with water in a skillet over high heat, turning the heat down to medium when the water starts boiling and down again to medium-low once it has all evaporated and cook until ready.
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How can I get my bacon flatter? When frying bacon, it tends to curl up. I don't like it because my bacon doesn't cook equally and it's hard to get it crisp that way. Is there a technique or a tip so I can have flat bacon? <Q> This is how I cook bacon, and also produce almost perfectly flat bacon. <S> No special tools required (Well, I'm assuming most people have the following in their kitchen). <S> Tools Sheet <S> Tray Cooling Rack (slightly smaller than the sheet tray) parchment paper (Optional, but makes for easier cleanup). <S> BACON <S> (I like the extra-thick cut). <S> Steps <S> Take the sheet tray and line with parchment paper. <S> Lay bacon down on parchment paper. <S> You can fill the tray up, but I make sure the bacon stays in a single layer with no overlapping. <S> Place the cooling rack upside down onto the bacon. <S> This should keep it from curling. <S> Place into oven and turn oven to 400 F. <S> I don't find I need to pre-heat it, as, well, bacon isn't very complicated to cook. <S> In about 15 minutes or so, you'll have cooked, flat bacon. <S> (Adjust cooking time depending on your preference of crispiness. <S> Take out of oven and remove from tray. <S> (The tray and fat are hot, the bacon will keep cooking if you don't) <S> The cooling rack should keep it from curling while the fat slowly renders out. <S> As a bonus, I don't need to clean my stove after. <S> Alternatively, the mention of the George Forman grill reminds me of an idea I saw somewhere <S> Use it just like the grill in Ward's answer. <A> This is specifically the reason for the invention of Bacon Presses <A> A George Foreman -type grill does a good job keeping bacon flat, and also lets the fat drain away as it cooks: <A> This is the way I cook bacon and it almost always gives me flat bacon: <S> Put the bacon in a cold pan. <S> Put the pan on the stove and turn it to medium heat. <S> Let the fat slowly render out and fry the bacon on its own. <S> Cook to your desired crispness <S> The gradual heating helps the bacon maintain its shape and is the best way to cook bacon, IMO. <A> This is very old practical way to get flat bacon - take your cold water bottle from the fridge, pour into a dish or pan, and let the strips of bacon lay in the coolness. <S> In just a few minutes, the cool water will work its magic. <S> Then cook. <S> It will come out flat every single time. <S> This is an old trick from my great grandmother. <S> Don't dirty up a bunch of pans, or buy weights. <S> Just use cold, cold water! <A> If you only need a small amount of bacon, microwaved bacon tends to be very, very flat. <S> Of course, it doesn't scale well to quantities for more than one or two people, in which case the oven method already mentioned is extremely effective. <A> <A> I made my own bacon press hack and it worked absolutely perfectly. <S> First you need really decent bacon as there are some brands that have killer qualities, but most brands are lackluster, especially supermarket brands. <S> One of these brands is <S> Farmers applewood smoked that I get at Costco. <S> It's a bargain <S> but what is most important is that it tastes as good or better than most restaurants. <S> I also freeze it in six slice sections because it freezes very well with no difference in taste from fresh because of it's high fat content. <S> That said, this bacon tends to curl. <S> One thing I realized in my decades of bacon experience is that the bacon, and most food for that matter, tastes much much better when cooked under medium to high heat and in regards to bacon, it lends a beautiful crispy outside and a gentle chewy inside. <S> Perfect texture! <S> Bacon press hack: <S> I found a 5 quart pot that had a footprint that fit perfectly into my nonstick frying pan. <S> Filled it with a few inches of water so it had some weight, and of course cleaned off the bottom really well, and tried this as a bacon press hack for the first time yesterday. <S> All I can say is the result was perfect, even, bacon HEAVEN . <S> In lieu of a dedicated bacon press, this hack works perfectly. <A> I just make incisions on the fatty rind before frying. <S> I do however use a press to smooth the creases out of my morning newspaper... <A> If you are specifically frying them in a pan, I would turn the heat way down, and use a bit more oil. <S> This cooks like it slowly, so the bacon doesn't curl. <S> It does however take like, a good 30 mins to cook a strip of bacon. <S> But you get nice orange color bacon that is ultra crispy. <S> Cutting the strip in half makes it curl less too. <A> My mother-in-law told me to cover the bacon when you cook it; we use the oven method. <S> I'm covering the top of the bacon with a piece of foil and will see how that works. <A> Two ways: Heat the oven to 400 degrees. <S> Line a baking sheet with sides with parchment paper. <S> Add the bacon, add a second pan to weigh it down. <S> No need to turn Second method: Place bacon in a cold skillet. <S> Add another heavy frying pan over the top. <S> Fry on low heat, turn after 5 to 8 minutes, turn with tongs, replace the other skillet, and fry until desired doneness: <S> Chewy or crispy. <S> No need for a press if using another skillet nested into the frying pan. <A> If I am pan frying, I cover the bacon with cold water, and cook on medium til the water evaporates. <S> Then cook until finished. <S> The bacon cooks evenly and stays flat. <S> Since I like my bacon extra crisp <S> I will put foil on the bottom of a small pot and press down on the bacon and let it sit for 1 minute or so depending on the cut of bacon.
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I've found that baking the bacon on a cooling rack (so the fat drips away) also results in flatter bacon. (might have been Good Eats), use a waffle Iron!
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How can I get my bacon less salty? I was reading this question , and there's a solution to the OP's answer. I'm not fond of salt and this is a drawback for bacon (to me, that is). I do want to end up with pieces of cooked bacon (so mixing in milk or less bacon won't work), but less salty. Where I live, we also don't have 10 brands of bacon, so choosing the brand with the smallest amount of salt isn't good enough. Is there a way that I can reduce the saltiness of bacon? I don't care about the actual salt percentage. I'm curious about salt perception, so masking up the salt would be nice. <Q> Soak and rinse... <S> A cooler is best for this, as it keeps the meat cool and offers lots of water for the salt to dilute into, otherwise a use a large pot in the fridge. <S> The downside is that this may also affect the "cure" - the smoke-flavor that many manufacturers add in lieu of actually smoking the bacon. <S> Higher quality bacon may not have this issue (but then again, higher quality bacon won't be so salty). <A> You will probably need to experiment with blanching times to find what you prefer. <S> Method: <S> Bring a shallow pan of water to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low. <S> Place bacon in simmering water for 30-60 seconds. <S> Blot it dry with paper towels. <S> Cook it <S> however you would normally. <S> If you just want to mask the saltiness you could try cutting the saltiness with sweetness by making bacon candy , or just eat it with a little bit of maple syrup. <S> You can also cut the saltiness by adding a bit of acid by spritzing it with lemon juice. <A> I get "fresh side" from a local farmer. <S> It's basically bacon that hasn't gone through the curing process to actually turn it into bacon. <S> Since it doesn't have any salt or anything in it, I typically salt the meat as I'm eating it. <S> This would be an easy way to get the exact amount of salt you want. <S> It doesn't taste exactly like bacon, but it's delicious! <A> We have just finished curing and smoking a pork belly. <S> We tested a slice and found it was extremely salty. <S> We had rinsed and rinsed, and then let it soak in cold water for 2 hours. <S> Still it was so salty we couldn't eat it. <S> We decided to rinse and soak again even though it had been smoked. <S> We took a scraper to it to scrape off what we could. <S> I was thinking we'd have to re-smoke it, but another test strip revealed it still held its smokiness. <S> We were able to save the bacon! <A> Bacon when well cooked loses a substantial amount of it's sodium content. <S> just cook it well and be sure to drain it properly on paper towel. <S> Remove as much of the bacon grease as possible as it will contain much of the sodium from the bacon. <S> Some manufacturers will even tell you in the nutritional info on the package how much sodium is removed after cooking <A> Blanching or just soaking in water helps remove salt. <S> I cure my own bacon and smoke it. <S> I make a practice of washing off the salt cure, then soaking it for one hour in water prior to smoking it. <S> That gets rid of salt <S> and I get a less salty bacon. <A> You can also add potato chunks to the water as potatoes love to soak up salt....
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The saltiness can be reduced by blanching. completely immerse the side of bacon for a few hours in clean, cold ice-water, drain, rinse, and repeat.
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Turkey bacon a good stand-in for bacon? On a kosher diet, I can't eat bacon. Someone who knows this recommended turkey bacon as a close substitute. Is it really? That is, does turkey bacon truly have the taste and texture of bacon? Is there any particular kind of turkey bacon I should get for this purpose? (I see that the question "Non Pork Bacon Alternatives" implies that turkey bacon is not a good substitute for bacon, but perhaps the asker simply ate the wrong turkey bacon.) <Q> From a 'culinary' perspective, you can use turkey bacon anywhere you might otherwise choose to use real bacon. <S> It is fine with eggs or on a BLT. <S> You can crisp it, crumble it and put it in a salad or an omelet. <S> I have even wrapped a filet with turkey bacon. <S> While my personal opinion is that the result was not " as good as " the real McCoy it also was not " BAD ". <S> The only 'real' answer to this question is for you to answer the question <S> "Do I LIKE turkey bacon? <S> " If you like it, does it really matter if it is a 'good stand-in'? <S> Conversely, if you don't like it, would it matter if the whole of "Seasoned Advice" rang out in a single voice, "Yes"? <A> Turkey bacon tastes like turkey, which is a rather different flavor than pork. <S> In addition, turkey is a lot less fatty, so I've found turkey bacon hard to crisp. <A> Turkey bacon is mostly problematic in other recipes where the fat is a primary constituent of not just flavor but the structure of a dish. <S> The first example that springs to mind is gravy; rendering the fat in turkey bacon will never yield the quantity it would in pork bacon. <S> Also, for grease eggs, where you make bacon and then eggs and cook the top of the eggs by splashing the bacon grease on top, turkey bacon won't provide enough for this technique. <S> Turkey bacon also doesn't taste right when candied as it has less of an intense flavor to pair with the brown sugar. <S> Turkey bacon does not really have the rigor when fried of pork bacon, so if you intend to plate with turkey bacon you would probably do well to bake instead of fry. <S> Those concerns aside, turkey bacon isn't pork bacon, but it works in the vast majority of situations just fine. <S> That said, relative to the difference, you could also use fakin' bakin (or your own thinly sliced, marinated, and fried) tempeh strips if you liked those, and you'd be able to serve them on a cheese plate as they're vegan.
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Turkey can be a substitute for pork in, for example, turkey sausage, but I've never had turkey bacon that tasted anything like pork bacon.
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Is “ghee” clarified butter or beurre noisette? Reading the Wikipedia pages on “ Ghee ,” “ Clarified butter ” and “ Beurre noisette ” has left me somewhat confused as to what ghee is. Some statements on the pages seem to suggest that it's always clarified butter, some that it's always beurre noisette, others that it can be either of the two depending on regional variations, and then it also might just be something in-between. Can someone clear up my confusion? Does it make (much) of a difference for cooking Indian recipes (I presume not, as ghee plays a less prominent role in a curry than beurre noisette does when it's used as a sauce). <Q> I was doing some product demonstrations at an Asian market in Portland once, and an Indian vendor treated me to some of his samples brushed with a brownish ghee. <S> I mentioned that I had never seen this kind of ghee before; I was used to a more yellowish, clarified-butter style. <S> He told me " <S> Yeah, my wife hates it when I make this kind of ghee, but I prefer it because it has more flavor." <S> So, there's at least some anecdotal evidence that within the Indian ghee can vary in style from a simple clarified butter to a strained brown butter. <S> His was slightly less brown than when I make a brown butter, but I suspect there's a broad continuum. <A> Judging from those Wikipedia articles: Clarified butter is rendered butter, which means that the solids are removed. <S> Beurre noisette is browned butter, which contains the solids. <S> Ghee is slightly-browned (it should have a golden color) butter that is rendered. <S> So you melt the butter till it's golden. <S> Then you remove the solids by pouring the top layer into a container. <S> So you have a combination (if you like) of clarified and browned butter. <A> The primary distinction between ghee and beurre noisette is twofold: <S> In preparing ghee, every effort is made to ensure that all of the water is evaporated from the butter, so that it is has good long term storage properties. <S> Evaporating the water is a side effect in making beurre noisette, and so it may or may not be fully purged, and room temperature storage is not recommended. <S> In preparing ghee, the milk solids are left behind (again, so that it has a long shelf life), and the product is essentially pure milkfat. <S> Any color imparted to ghee during the preparation is flavor and color compounds that have dissolved into the fat phase, as the milk solids are not part of the final product. <S> In beurre noisette, the browned milk solids and the flavor that they impart are the entire reason for making it, so they are included in the final product. <S> The name reflects the color (as of hazelnuts) of the browned butter, due to the browning of the milk solids. <A> For your question if ghee is clarified butter or not <S> , the answer is <S> yes, it is sort of clarified butter <S> but it is not Beurre noisette. <S> As for your confusion, it is not Beurre noisette as for beurre noisette you need to caramelize the milk solids present in the butter to achieve the nutty flavour profile and a little bit browning of the product. <S> It does not make much difference if you use either of ghee or beurre noisette to cook Indian recipes because there are many Indian recipes that are changing across the globe according to people's taste preferences. <A> It definitely varies regionally, but I have always thought: it is both. <S> It is generally made by clarifying butter, but taking a longer time to do it so the nutty flavors characteristic to beurre noisette are more prominent. <A> Of course, the degree to which it's browned can vary to taste or custom, as I'm sure it does with beurre noisette too. <S> Note also that, if you intend to produce ghee , you need to brown before clarifying; it's the milk solids that will brown, and clarifying removes them leaving only (in the case of ghee , infused) butterfat.
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Ghee is clarified & browned ( fait noisette ) butter ( beurre ).
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What are those black fibers in my mango? I was cutting up a mango, when I noticed some black threads inside. What are those? They are quite tough, brown-black, about an inch long (2.5 cm): <Q> When dark spots start appearing on the side of a mango, it's starting to rot. <S> A mango can rot from the pit, the skin, or from the non-stem end. <S> Any black fibers also indicate that the fruit has started to rot, and at that point, you need to toss it into the trash. <S> From: Student's Vegetarian Cookbook For Dummies, page 301 <S> Edit : Yes, the above is probably being overcautious in stating “ any black fibers? <S> → trash!” <S> It's from a “Dummies” book after all. <S> ;) <S> I couldn't really find another good reference. <S> But I'm sure you can make the distinction between a piece of fruit that has a small brown spot and one <S> that's black and shriveled. <S> Still, the color of the fibers is a result of the late ripening/rotting process of the mango, rather than a result of an earlier stage in its growth. <S> But having eaten this mango with the one, tiny black fiber shown in her picture, I don't really expect to read Mien's obituary on this site tomorrow. <S> ;) <A> Black streaks in mango. <S> Please read the following articles from www.abc.net.au: <S> Mango industry baffled by mystery disorder Mystery mango disease not so mysterious <S> These articles identify the presence of well delineated black veins in otherwise good, fresh mango as a "disease" of the fruit. <S> It turns out that this is caused by the mango trees lacking sufficient fertilizer. <A> I believe some mangos do that in early stages of over-ripening (similar to how an avocado does that). <S> I usually cut around them and keep eating. <A> It's not mango rot its actually a disease called Resin Canal which causes black fibers to appear in mangoes, there is no idea <S> what causes the problem <A> Mango industry discovers highly infectious bacteria as cause of ugly veins of resin canal discolouration https://www.abc.net.au/news/rural/2019-03-19/resin-canal-discolouration-breakthrough-for-mango-industry/10912520 <A> Although unappealing, they are safe to eat, as described in this article: https://www.abc.net.au/news/rural/2019-03-19/resin-canal-discolouration-breakthrough-for-mango-industry/10912520
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It's an indication that the fruit has started to rot: Just to keep this thread accurate and current, the black fibers/veins in the picture are known as Resin Canal Disease, or RCD.
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Can you really keep feta for 3 months in a milk bath? I just came across some instructions on how to store feta cheese, mentioning you can keep it for about 3 months in the fridge in a brine or milk bath: Store the cheese in a brine or milk bath if you do not intend to use it for a long period of time. A milk bath will result in a creamier, softer taste, while brine will add depth to the cheese and retain its pleasant saltiness. To make brine, mix 1 lb. of kosher salt in 1 gallon of water. Place the feta into an airtight container and cover it with the brine or milk. Cover the container with a lid and store it in the refrigerator to keep it fresh for up to three months. From: http://www.ehow.com/how_6496964_store-feta-cheese.html A similar claim is stated here: If you will not be consuming it immediately, store feta cheese in a brine or milk bath. The milk bath will reduce the saltiness and help keep the cheese moist and mild in flavor. Properly stored in brine or milk and refrigerated, feta cheese will last up to 3 months. Feta cheese is not a candidate for freezing. From: http://homecooking.about.com/od/cheeseinformation/a/fetatips.htm I can believe the feta will keep that long in the brine, given the pound of salt that goes in. But I'm more skeptical about the milk bath. Wouldn't the milk spoil a lot sooner and affect the feta too? Or does enough salt leak out of the feta to act as a preservative for the milk as well? Or is the idea simply that you regularly replace the milk (though the instructions don't mention this)? Does anyone have any experience with this? <Q> I'm not sure when that about.com article was written, but if it was posted less than about about 8 months ago, it may have plagarized The Culinarian: <S> A Kitchen Desk Reference by Barbara Ann Kipfer. <S> In that, Kipfer provides "Hints" after the description of what feta is (p. 224-225; you can view it on Google Books ): <S> Consumers who dislike feta's salty taste may soak the cheese in fresh water to leach out some of the salt... <S> Feta cheese is best when eaten fresh, so always check the date. <S> The milk bath will reduce the saltiness and help keep the cheese moist and mild in flavor. <S> Properly stored in brine or milk and refrigerated, feta cheese will last for up to three months. <S> Feta cheese is not a candidate for freezing. <S> Barrel-aged feta sold straight from the barrel may be wrapped in lightweight paper, then wrapped in a plastic bag or plastic wrap and stored in the refrigerator. <S> Keep the feta in paper, even when the paper gets soggy from the cheese moisture. <S> Emphasis is mine to show you that the bit about the milk bath matches about.com's article word for word. <S> Since The Culinarian was published by Wiley & Sons, a reputable publisher that puts out a lot of textbooks and academic and trade journals, I would assume that it was properly fact-checked. <S> Given that Kipfer talks about salt leaching out into regular water and the milk bath reducing the saltiness of the cheese, I would guess that there's a strong chance enough salt leaches into the milk bath to act as a preservative. <S> Take all this with a grain of salt, though (no pun intended); I've never tried keeping feta in a milk bath myself. <A> Just a note: You should not "store" feta in a milk bath. <S> If you wish to reduce the saltiness, soak what you are going to immediately use in milk for a couple of hours prior to use. <S> Otherwise you want to store feta in a brine solution, preferable 12-16% salt by weight. <S> The recommendations of 1 pound of salt per gallon of water is a saturated brine and will increase the saltiness of your feta. <S> On the other hand, if you want to store the feta for months that is likely the way to go, and then just do the soak in milk thing for what you are going to use. <S> I make my own cheeses, including feta and it is quite amazing how much misinformation is available on the web. <A> I’m Greek and have eaten feta all my life. <S> It is common practice for all Greek people to store their feta in milk once they bring it home from the shop, and in an airtight container, in the refrigerator. <S> This does make the cheese creamier and less salty. <S> It also preserves the cheese longer but definitely not as long as 3 months. <S> You will be lucky to get 2 weeks maximum from this method. <S> Feta cheese turns very quickly so it must be eaten as soon as possible. <S> It does not freeze well. <A> I knew a Greek family back in the mid 1960s that introduced us to Feta. <S> The dad bought it in bulk packed in brine. <S> He advised my Mom to repack it in milk. <S> It did not stay long. <S> Never spoiled. <S> Been doing that for decades. <S> (Not buying in bulk). <S> His cheese was creamy. <S> Took me years to find 'creamy' feta. <S> Similar to what we know as Bulgarian or French. <S> Hope this helps with info.
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If you will not be consuming it immediately, store feta cheese in a brine or milk bath in the refrigerator.
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What happens to an acorn squash when its skin turns orange? I purchased an acorn squash at the farmer's market quite a while ago and its skin was initially dark green with a small patch of orange. I have been keeping it in my pantry. Over time the skin has turned completely orange like a ripe pumpkin. I am assuming that the squash is ripening as well but it appears unchanged except for the color. Is my squash still good and can I use it like I would a normal green acorn squash? <Q> As long as it doesn't have soft spots, and when you cut it open there is no mold or rot inside, it is still fine. <S> I've often used acorn squash that have partially turned orange, <S> and yes, that is just further (but unneeded) ripening. <A> I just bought two orange acorn squash at the grocery store. <S> I have grown acorn squash myself many times and even when stored into next spring they stayed dark green. <S> I just assumed these were a new variety. <S> Unfortunately, "Wayfaring Stranger" is right. <S> The flesh is slightly stringy (very unusual for an acorn, in my experience) and the flavour is worse than bland. <S> There is actually a quite off-putting almost metallic taste to the squash. <S> The meat is also very pale, not even yellow but a pale beige almost. <S> Most disappointing and a waste of butter & oven time. <S> I'll know better next time. <A> Yes, it's still good. <S> I find the orange ones to be much sweeter than the green ones. <A> a farmer in Michigan told me to choose an acorn squash that is green with some orange on the bottom. <S> He said this is the perfect ripeness
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These are apparently over ripe.
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How do I calculate the nutritional values of a recipe? I love to cook and experiment with recipes. While I'm aware that calories are not a perfect measure of what makes you gain weight and what doesn't, I would still love to have a rough idea of the energy values of the dishes I'm preparing, and ideally be able to fiddle with the ingredients just to see what happens to the calorie count. How would I best approach this? My vision is that of a tool that lets you enter a recipe's ingredients and amounts, and can calculate an approximate calorie count for the most common ingredients ideally, lets you add other ingredients and their energy values? I know for a fact there is software like this, but all the good products I've seen are for professional diet advisors, nutritional consultants and the like, and tend to be very expensive. I guess the basic functionality could be achieved with an Excel sheet, but where to get high-quality nutritional data from? Are there industry-standard databases for this? This question matches mine in the title, but seems to be more about the calorie differences between cooked and raw food, which is not my concern. <Q> To use it <S> I think you need to start an account. <S> To access it, you hit the Settings tab and then select Recipes in the left-hand column. <S> Then select "New" and follow the prompts. <S> This calculator allows you to enter the ingredients of a dish you are preparing. <S> Most common ingredients will pop-up in the site's list with their respective caloric values. <S> You can also manually enter in the values if you know them or if the ingredient is not in their list. <S> You then set the "serving size" of your dish as its total volume. <S> Then, when you enter in the amount you are eating into your daily food log, the site automatically shows you the caloric value of your portion. <S> The fifth screenshot here , shows you what it looks like. <A> Wolfram Alpha has high quality nutritional data , with common ranges, not just absolute values. <S> It will gives amount per 100 grams, or per cup etc. <S> Load it into a Google Docs Spreadsheet (or Excel) and go crazy. <S> Feel free to share your Google Docs Spreadsheet when finished :-) <S> Calories are a very good indicator of excess food consumption. <S> Eating more calories than you need will stuff you or the loo up <S> The cheat sheet is: - Carbohydrate <S> 1 gram = 4 calories - <S> Protein <S> 1 gram = 4 calories - Fat 1 gram = 9 <S> calories - Alcohol <S> 1 gram = 7 calories <S> E.g. <S> 50 g slice of bread has around 70% carb & protein, and a little fat,so ~140 calories Glass of wine (150 g) <S> at 13% alcohol has ~130 calories etc. <S> Some starter spreadsheets <S> calorie-tracker.thelongmores <S> choosemyplate.gov/SuperTracker <S> nutritional_calculator_spreadsheet <A> Tool calculation: alacalc.com - vast database of stock ingredients and some branded, professional results outputs. <S> Even has a function to 'nudge' ingredient quantities up or down and watch the key nutrition values go up or down. <S> Lab calculation <S> : Make your dish, send it to a food testing lab, wait a couple weeks and get your results Manual calculation: <S> *Do this calculation for every component you wish to know the value (e.g. calories/protein/carbs/etc). <S> Get the data from USDA SR26 . <S> ( (<component quantity of ingredient 1> x <quantity of ingredient 1>) <S> + ... + (<ingredient <S> *n*> x <quantity of ingredient <S> *n*>) ) <S> x (<weight after cooking> / <the total weight of all ingredients>) <S> x 100 x <portion size> <A> http://www.rippedrecipes.com <S> allows you to build a recipe ingredient by ingredient, it calculates all the nutritional information automatically, it also allows you to search for other recipes by nutritional goals (300-500 calories, at least 20g of protein etc...). <A> The USDA provides the data you want, but you'd have to roll your own software. <S> You can currently download the data from here: <S> http://www.ars.usda.gov/Services/docs.htm?docid=8964 <S> That's Release 26; they do update the database, so if the link breaks or this post is old, you may want to search for the current version. <S> They provide the nutrition values per 100 g of ingredient. <S> The last few columns of the excel sheet have translations from common measurements (e.g. 1 cup) to grams. <S> There is a simplified excel table and a more comprehensive raw ascii relational database. <S> The excel version documents fewer nutrients and only gives the first two "weights for common measures". <S> You can explore some of the data online through this page: http://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ <S> (It also links to the full database, currently via the About the Database link in the top nav bar.) <A> HappyForks's Analyzer is a tool you are looking for. <S> It's designed to copy-paste list of ingredients. <S> Sometimes manual corrections are needed, unfortunately it's not 100% automated. <S> Detailed report, you can know what you want. <S> You can combine several recipes, also mixed with individual products/ingredients. <S> So you can add ingredients to existing recipe on your list and next go to report. <S> Analyzer is not required, you can <S> manual add every product/ingredient to your list and go to report. <S> It's possible to see nutritional values of individual ingredients: analyzer -> [add to list] - <S> > <S> open saved recipe - <S> > go to bottom and see links to ingredients <S> It's free <S> and you don't need to create an account. <S> Generally, it's easy to make changes on products/ingredients list and see how nutritional values are changing . <S> I use this for personal purposes, but I would not risk to use it commercially.
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Lose It! , a free weight-loss site, has this feature.
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What type of tea should I use to make Thai Iced Tea? I love the sweet iced tea you get at Thai restaurants, and want to make my own at home. I used to buy a concentrated solution online (added water and half and half), but they discontinued it. I'm not sure what type of tea is used, but it is reddish in color and has hints of coconut taste in it. Cheers! <Q> I currently live in Thailand and there is really only 1 brand that's used <S> (If there is another brand I've never seen anyone use it!) <S> nationwide by all the street vendors to make traditional Thai Ice Tea <S> and that's this one... <S> I don't know the name of it <S> but I'm pretty sure it's just Number <S> One Brand. <S> I'll confirm the name when I get chance! <A> Most of the recipes I've seen don't have any coconut in them. <S> The most common way to get that flavor would be to use coconut milk instead of some (or even all) of the dairy. <S> This could be pretty rich, but given that you're using half-and-half already, probably won't bother you too much. <S> As for the type of tea, it really depends on what you have available. <S> If you're lucky, you have a well-stocked grocery store or an Asian one, and you can just get traditional Thai tea. <S> If not, you want black tea. <S> Either way, it should be brewed strongly. <S> Any vibrant color is generally just from food coloring, not the tea itself. <S> If you can buy Thai tea, it might well have the color in it. <S> If you're using some kind of plain black tea, reproducing the color would probably mean adding a little bit of red and yellow food coloring. <A> The kind of tea you want is Jasmine. <S> It has a nice floral note to it that is used in Thai Ice Tea, but can taste slightly coconut-y. <A> Celestial Seasonings makes a Thai Coconut Chai which may get you a little closer in flavor and color. <S> Coconut milk instead of half and half sounds good, too.
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I bought some bottled jasmine tea from a local store, added some sugar and heavy cream over ice, and it tasted just like the tea you'd get from a Thai place.
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how to ensure carrot pieces stay longer in the refrigerator? I blanched a big carrot and cut them into pieces and stored them in a airtight container in the refrigerator. I ate them for about 5 days - one piece out of the container for each meal. But after that, they've gone stale - some sour liquid leaking out of the pieces, and sour taste and smell. I had to threw them out. What can I do next time to make them stay longer? What sauce should I sprinkle to the pieces for better preservation? Would it be better if I put them in the freezer? Would it be worse? This is a big/thick carrot, so it needed to be cut to pieces before a human mouth & teeth can handle it. They don't sell thin weaponized carrots like in Shoot Em Up where I live. By the way, that sour taste and smell, I encountered the same taste when I blanched nappa cabbage and stored it in an airtight bag in the refrigerator. I was probably making the same mistake. Edit: I should mention that I haven't used salt when blanching them. I also forgot to put the vegetable in cold water after. Maybe the problem was I didn't blanch right? <Q> Sounds like fermentation to me. <S> Without some preservative (salt or acid like vinegar, for example), you're going to pick up some bacteria out of the air <S> and they'll eventually have their way with your food. <S> You can't expect cooked vegetables to last but so long in the refrigerator, especially unpreserved food that you're dipping back into regularly. <S> I'm curious why you feel the need to cook a week's worth of carrot in one go. <S> As I'm sure you know, blanching doesn't take all that long. <S> Surely you could just cook one or two days' worth at a time, and know that while you'll have to cook your carrot more often, you will also have a lot less risk of having to throw any spoiled carrot out. <S> That's the solution I'd recommend. <A> First, how many days would you like them to last? <S> A week? <S> Or even more? <S> If you want them to last even more than a week, try to make them as pickles. <A> I would not blanch before refrigerating stored vegetables, especially if I wanted to take my time using them up. <S> Carrots store very well immersed in cold water, however the water should be changed daily. <S> This keeps them fresh and hydrated. <S> I have done carrots this way for years, and can keep them for at least two weeks (until they are used up). <S> A general rule of thumb for most vegetables would be to keep them hydrated until used.
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Try to add to the container cold water, and change this water periodically, this way, they can last for about a week (I do this method), or try adding some citric acid to the water.
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electric smoking 2 pork loins, increase time and or temp? We're using our electric smoker to do 2 pork loins close to equal size. We did only one loin before and it was great! Do we need to adjust the time and or temp to do it right again? We want to do them together. We are using the "Masterbuilt" brand smoker. <Q> Another good point to remember is that if you are smoking at more than 250F your meat will 'coast' (continue to cook after being removed from the heat) for a good deal longer than if you cook it at less than 250°F (120°C). <S> At greater than 250°F you will see an increase in internal temp of 12-18°F (~10°C) after the meat is removed, at under 250°F <S> it is only likely rise 2-4° <S> F (~2°C). <A> Because you're working with a greater volume of meat, when you put it in, it will take longer for the smoker to get back up to working temperature, and it may be quite a while before the overall temperature in your smoker is where it needs to be. <S> If your smoker doesn't auto-adjust its cooking temperature (turn itself up temporarily), then you can assume it will take longer to cook both loins properly. <S> Increasing the temperature of the cooking overall can help with this, but you do run the risk of making the outsides of the loins more cooked than you want. <S> One of the advantages of low and slow cooking is that the meat, even a large cut, can be more uniform in temperature throughout, rather than especially done on the outside and rare in the middle. <S> If you turn up your temperature to make up for the extra meat, you will be casting some of the low and slow advantage aside. <S> My choice would be to use the same temperature you did before, but cook it longer. <S> You'll eventually make up for the extra thermal mass of the meat, and you'll still have the advantages of slower cooking. <S> As Cos Callis said, you'll do well to use the internal temperature of the meat as your guide to how much longer you should cook. <S> Rule number 1 of smoking/barbecue: <S> Don't try to make the meat come out at a specific time. <S> It needs as long as it needs, and there's very little <S> you can or should do about it. <S> If you're on a deadline, start early enough that you're certain to be early with the meat, then hold it at temperature. <S> Much better results than rushing it. <A> Get a probe thermometer for each pork butt or at least one which you should put in the thickest butt and go by that. <S> Set smoker to about 225-240, and just let it take as long as it needs. <S> Take the butts out at an internal temp of 195. <S> I've got the Masterbuilt digital smoker and have done 4 at once <S> , so two won't be any trouble, just go by internal temp.
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When smoking pork loins (or anything else) it is best to focus on the internal temperature of the meat as the measure of 'doneness' with time and temp as a loose guideline.
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How can I make carrot cake more fruity and fresh? I am planning to create a carrot cake that should be a bit different from what people usually think of when they think of carrot cake. Please note: This is not a recipe request!My carrot cake recipe consists of the usual stuff cinnamon, nutmeg, walnuts...and of course carrots. The frosting is classically cream cheese.The purpose of this question is more to ask for classic flavor combinations or well knows flavor combinations. I want to be creative, but not too bold. Basically I just want to add different textures and bit of a fruity and fresh flavor to it, so: What do you think about a layer of raspberry gel inside the cake? What do you think about a layer of orange gel inside the cake, maybe with a bit of ginger? What do you think about a passionfruit layer? Maybe together with the orange? Do you think a bit of lemon and basil or mint in the frosting could be used to create a refreshing aftertaste? <Q> Culinary Artistry by Andrew Dornenburg and Karen Page has a large section on food pairings. <S> For carrots they mention orange, ginger, lemon, basil and mint. <S> I think any of these could work well, if done right. <S> My suggestion would be first to use really good, flavorful carrots—preferably from a farmer's market. <S> Second, I would tone down or even leave out some of the usual carrot cake spices so that you don't cover up the carrot flavor or the subtle flavors of your possible additions. <S> Maybe fresh or candied ginger in the cake itself would be good. <S> Orange or lemon curd and/or zest would work particulary well in offsetting the cream cheese icing. <S> I'm thinking basil and mint might be better saved for another dessert. <A> Orange is an amazing flavor <S> but I also really like maple in the frosting <A> I would make the standard cream cheese frosting with finely grated orange rind sprinkled on top and the juice from that orange in the frosting. <S> Yummm. <A> Pineapple, ( tinned crushed pineapple works best) the pineapple works great and helps kept it moist as well as adding a nice flavour.
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Orange and ginger are already a classic combination in a carrot cake so that would work well.
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Can any KitchenAid stand mixer attachments be used to make peanut butter? Can I use any of the various attachments for my Kitchenaid stand mixer to make peanut butter? I was thinking one of the different grinding attachments might work, insofar as the machine at my local merchant looks like a hopper full of peanuts and a grinder. <Q> The only one that could feasibly handle it would be the grinder. <S> However, in the manual http://www.kitchenaid.com/assets/pdfs/product/ZUSECARE/FGA_Use%20and%20Care_EN.pdf on page 5 <S> it states " <S> Note: Very hard, dense foods such as totally dried homemade bread should not be ground in the Food Grinder. <S> Homemade bread should be ground fresh and then oven or air-dried. <S> " If dried, dense bread is too much for the grinder then peanuts would definitely be to much as well. <S> My recommendation is to use a food processor. <A> KitchenAid meat grinder <S> WOO <S> HOO!The answer is yes. <S> Having read a number of homemade peanut butter posts, and coming to the conclusion that no one was brave enough to take a chance ruining their mixer or attachment, I took it on myself to try it with the meat grinder. <S> I used the small plate. <S> What came out in just seconds, looked like spaghetti. <S> On closer inspection it is just smooth, slightly grainy peanut butter. <S> No strain on the mixer. <S> I ran it through a second time. <S> It came out with a sheen that indicated the nut oils were being pressed out of the nuts in the process. <S> I have used food processors. <S> The drawback is that even the heavy duty food processors will burn out if you do it too often. <S> It also takes a while to do it this way, and can be a pain to clean up. <S> I bought two different models of Nostalgia peanut butter machines. <S> Both work but not optimally. <S> I'm ready to sell my other attempts on craigslist. <S> Note: peanuts are actually very oily beans. <S> They are not hard, and as the oils are extruded, the knife is lubricated. <S> As I stated, no strain on the mixer at all. <A> About the question if Kitchen Aid has an attachment that will make peanut butter and watching the video on the Food Processor Attachment Slicer, I would safely say that Kitchen Aid does not at this time have an attachment that will make peanut butter.
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The KitchenAid mixer with the meat grinder attachment is a very simple and fast way to make peanut butter with no additives (just peanuts).
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How can I improve the texture of my home-made sausages? I am experimenting with home made sausages. Grinding chuck to make the sausage.Typically I pass it through the grinder 2-3 times (kitchenaid grinder, small die). I've gotten the flavor nice, but when cooked the sausages are mealy and soft. When I reduce the number of grinds I get a sausage that is grainy and feels like hamburger in the mouth. No matter what cooking technique I use (steaming, simmering, sloooow grilling, fast grilling) I get a sausage that is so flimsy it falls apart on the way to the plate. What am I missing? <Q> Chuck? <S> As in beef chuck? <S> Not that it won't work, but it'll be slightly different taste and texture wise than the more common pork sausage. <S> I don't think the # of grinds is the issue. <S> I'd be looking more at: temperature. <S> Do you put the meat in the freezer for an hour or so before grinding, and are your bowls/grinder/etc cold? <S> If your meat gets too warm, it'll separate from the fat, resulting in a mealy sausage. <S> are you beating the ground meat & spices with the paddle blade and a bit of liquid at the end? <S> You want to do that to produce a bind and end up with a tight (not crumbly) sausage. <A> Pinhead rusk in the right quantities makes a huge difference as does keeping the meat virtually frozen while preparing it. <S> It took a long time for me to get it right <S> but I would say 10% of the weight needs to be proper sausage rusk. <S> Also, when I grind my meat up I throw in some ice cubes, but I make my ice cubes fresh with filtered water and chopped fresh sage. <A> Are you using enough salt? <S> This then leads to a sausage which stays together rather than crumbling apart when it's cooked. <S> From my (admittedly limited experience) you either have to go for the hamburger route (handle the ground meat as little as possible <S> so it stays fairly distinct) or the sausage route (use salt and mix it thoroughly to get it to stick to itself). <S> In between has never worked well for me at all.
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Salt has a massive effect on meat proteins, and when you grind meat and get salt involved it makes the meat cohere much more than it would without.
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What is the shelf life of a garlic bulb, with the "skin" still on, left in the fridge? I purchased a head of garlic and I have 2/3's of it left over, I am storing it in the fridge in a ceramic covered dish (made specifically for garlic :) a gift from my mother) and I would like to know how long I can continue to expect fresh flavor from it. What would the garlic look like if it had indeed spoiled? <Q> Garlic will spoil faster in the fridge actually. <S> I believe one reason is that your fridge is generally too humid. <S> In my experience, garlic kept in the fridge is also more likely to develop mould (goes soft, and dark discolouration). <S> I keep mine in a ceramic thing in one of my cupboards. <S> It lasts anywhere from a few weeks to a few months depending on the garlic (probably how long it sat before getting to my kitchen). <S> If you store it like that, garlic that goes "bad" will usually start to sprout (green shoots, will come through the top. <A> Garlic will hold amazingly well for a couple of months. <S> I have one bulb without any protection whatsoever, although it's out of direct sunlight. <S> The cloves will 'go' one by one. <S> Some will start to sprout. <S> I guess this depends on the environment. <S> Others will dry. <S> Others will rot (black mold, it will turn to dust). <S> Discard the rotten ones and cut away the dry parts. <S> But you can use the sprouted ones, just take the germ out. <S> At any rate, just buy the least amount you'll use (I buy one bulb at a time). <A> I'm reading up on this topic, this is the fourth web page I've read. <S> According to the other sites: Everything so far has said store in: cool (60F/15C), warmer will make it sprout or go bad faster <S> dry out of sunlight breathable (so not in plastic, not sealed) <S> How long it will last on the shelf depends on what condition it's in: <S> Whole bulb will store for up to half a year. <S> Unpeeled clove will store for 10 days to a month. <S> Peeled clove will last for a few days to a week in the fridge. <S> Brown spots mean the garlic is going bad. <S> Yellow/tan means it's starting to go bad. <S> It will taste hotter at this stage. <S> Most sources said storing garlic in the fridge will make it sprout faster. <S> If you slice the clove in half and it's starting to sprout, discard the sprout part. <S> The remainder is edible but will be milder than pre-sprouting. <S> One site I read said you can store peeled and/or chopped garlic for a longer period in the fridge (or even longer in the freezer) by putting it in a sealed container, covered in oil. <S> How long, I don't know, but I wouldn't be surprised if it's a very long time. <S> Using oil to keep air away from the food in a common preservation mechanism, and you can buy minced garlic in oil at the supermarket. <A> I've stored garlic bulbs in the fridge for up to about 2 months for best results.
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Peeled and chopped garlic will last for a few days in the fridge. I don't know how long it will last in the fridge, but I understand that it lasts longer if you leave it in a cool, dark, dry storage.
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Too much water in box cake mix batter. Can it be fixed? I added too much water in my box cake mix and I already mixed the 2 together. What can I do to save the cake? Could I add another box of cake mix to the batter? <Q> If batter just looks a bit too loose then switching to a sheet pan should take care of it. <S> Sprinkling something absorbent onto the base of pan before pouring batter also helps: <S> raisins currents even cookie crumbs (I save gingersnaps for baking) or fistful of fine semolina <A> If you are only over by a small amount (¼ cup or less) just add half the volume of flour(±). <S> If you added a moderate amount of extra water(½ to 1 cup) add half the volume of flour and ½ tsp baking powder and sugar equal to ⅓ the flour. <S> Cakes fixed this way will be slightly dry but serviceable, particularly given that you started with a boxed cake anyway. <S> Beyond that point just make a double recipe. <A> I just did this this morning when making cinnamon chocolate <S> swirl cake added 1 3/4 cups of water instead of 3/4 cups of water worried and not sure what to do <S> I just added 1 cup of pancake <S> mix the complete kind and hoped for the best. <S> It took a little longer to cook <S> but no one was the wiser <S> and it was really good <S> not too dry. <S> I guess I lucked out on this one. <S> Next time I will put my glasses on before mixing. <S> Hope <S> this works for you also. <A> 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour,1 cup sugar,2 teaspoon baking powder,1/4 teaspoon baking soda,Whisk together. <S> Add to cake mix until you get the right consistency. <S> I use this recipe to actually get a bigger yield out of a mix and then add a bit more liquid. <S> I keep the mixture in a mason jar. <S> Cake mixes are less ounces today and really helps getting 2 dozen versus 18 cupcakes without having to get another mix. <A> I accidentally doubled the water to 1/2 cup but went ahead and baked it anyway. <S> It turned out fine, more cake than brownie. <S> My teen boys couldn’t care less. <S> Picture shows what was left an hour after it came out of the oven. <A> I just did this on accident. <S> I added 2 cups when i was supposeda add only 1. <S> What i did bc <S> i was lucky enuff to have a spare box, was added a little bit of cake mix to my mixture and mixed until it got to the correct consistancy. <S> All worked out thankfully. <A> I accidentally added an extra cup of water when it should have been only 1 1/4 cup. <S> Came out good. <S> Will try the pancake mix next time I make a mistake
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I just used 1/2 box of a new cake mix box to save mine.
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How to prevent pureed blueberries from gelling? I have a sparkling new ice cream machine. The first batch, Philadelphia-style plain vanilla ice cream, worked perfectly. I decided to try a sorbet, and made Lebovitz's Blueberry-banana sorbet, but used less blueberries than in the recipe, because I didn't have enough. I cooled the base in the fridge for 9 hours. When I took it out to churn it, it was gelled, I assume due to the pectin in the blueberries. I whipped it a bit with a whisk, which broke it up into small lumps, but didn't really returned it to liquid. When I filled it in the ice cream maker, I discovered that it didn't have enough torque. The mass climbed up the dasher, and started rotating with it as one big lump. Eventually (after over an hour, although the instructions say that half a portion of well-chilled base should only take 20 min) it was ready. The texture was OK, not really crystalized, and definitely no lumps, but still I feel that it would have worked better if the mass had been liquid instead of semisolid from the beginning. What can I do to prevent the blueberries from gelling during the chilling phase next time? I used 1 banana (90 g peeled), 125 g fresh blueberries, 50 g sugar, 90 g water, and 7 g lemon juice. Everything thrown into a blender and pureed, no heating. Then chilled for 9 hours in the fridge before churning. <Q> Blueberries have about .4 <S> g per 100g <S> compared to apples which have .5g. <S> As you suspected this is almost definitely causing the problem. <S> Many blueberry jam recipes consist of just heating pureed blueberries with sugar and acid- <S> no added pectin needed. <S> When you heated your pureed blueberries the pectins dissolved out of the cell walls and developed a negative charge that would keep them from gelling. <S> The acid in your recipe, as well as the sugar, created perfect conditions for those pectins to re-tangle and gel. <S> Solutions to this problem would be: <S> Use riper blueberries- ripe blueberries are lower in pectin. <S> Use less sugar <S> Add <S> less acid <S> Obviously the last two suggestions are easier but will change the flavor of the recipe somewhat. <S> You could also add less fruit but, as you noticed, a little pectin goes a long way. <S> I fear you would have to drastically reduce the amount of fruit which would be sad. <S> An interesting paper about pectin says in reference to LM pectins: "The presence of acetyl groups prevents gel formation with calcium ions but gives the pectin emulsion stabilising properties." <S> Of HM pectins <S> it says: "Acetyl groups prevent gelation and the DM within the group of high methoxyl pectins determines the setting temperature of a gel." <S> Other papers point out that the more acetic acid that can be extracted from a fruit the poorer the gelling properties of its pectin. <S> Wikipedia concurs that acetylation prevents gelling of pectin . <S> Acetylation of salicylic acid to make aspirin is done with Acetic anhydride . <S> If you could get your hands on this compound it seems likely it would drastically decrease the gelling ability of your pectins. <S> I included this last suggestion for the sake of the anonymous hordes on the internets because, as Acetic anhydride will react with water in the air to form acetic acid, it reeks of vinegar. <S> And everyone knows that you hate that smell. <A> A couple simple, practical things to go with Sobachatina's suggestions: <S> First, you can break up the gel with a serious blender , not just a whisk. <S> If it gets liquid really flowing, it'll disintegrate pretty well. <S> Even easier, though: <S> just don't chill it , at least not that much. <S> What exactly you can get away with depends on your ice cream maker, the temperature of your freezer, and the ambient temperature, but in general, it sounds like your situation can handle this. <S> Make sure everything's cool before blending it (keep your fruit in the fridge), then blend it and put it straight into the ice cream maker. <S> I've done this with several things, probably with an ice cream maker like yours and a much warmer apartment. <S> Note that you should definitely not try this with a hot custard (i.e. French-style ice cream) <S> ; it's unlikely your ice cream maker can handle that. <S> I'd also suggest trying it with previously-chilled ingredients (blended fruit from the fridge, like above) before trying it with something that's actually room temperature. <S> If you have the frozen canister style ice cream maker, and you push it too far, it's not fun. <S> At that point you can try to salvage it by alternating a couple minutes in the freezer and a couple minutes churning - but you'll probably still get some frozen on the sides. <S> The safe solution at that point is just to scoop it out, refreeze the canister, and start over a few hours later. <A> In my experiments with pureed blueberries as a photosensitizer in optical detectors, I've experienced that the pectin tends to leave the top fluid phase when centrifuged a lot. <S> 4000G, for 60 minutes, has done the trick - at least I don't experience gelling of my samples. <S> Admittedly, it's of somewhat limited usefulness, but you never know. <A> The enzyme, Pectinase AKA Polygalacturonase, might prove useful to you. <S> Apparently, winemakers use it to reduce cloudiness . <S> You can buy it online.
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Blueberries, and especially underripe blueberries, have a lot of pectin.
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How do I prevent tomatoes from falling in a green salad? When making a green salad, I have taken to grating carrots instead of dicing them so they will mix better with the leaves. I can't grate tomatoes. No matter how small I dice them (short of pureeing) they always precipitate out and fall to the bottom of the bowl. How can I prepare the tomatoes or the salad to keep them mixed? <Q> I'm not sure of a way to keep them incorporated. <A> Cut it into very thin slices? <S> The thinner the better <S> and then maybe you can get it to just lay flat on top of leaves? <A> While I don't grate tomatoes, I cut them much smaller than salads I see in restaurants, or on TV commercials for salad dressing. <S> Typically I will cut the tomato into 4 wedges, and if it's large, cut each wedge into 2 thinner ones, then lay the wedge down on the board and cut it into 6 or 8 pieces about the size of a pea. <S> Careful not to dislodge or lose the jelly which has most of the flavour. <S> Also, don't make your lettuce pieces too small. <S> And finally, don't feel that your salad should somehow stay emulsified no matter what you do. <S> Toss it just before you serve it, and be prepared to mix things up a little while you are eating it. <A> Try serving on a plate or shallower bowl, then nothing can fall to the bottom. <S> You'll probably notice that it's rare to see salad served in a bowl at a restaurant.
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I work around this by serving tomatoes on the top of the individual salads after they've been portioned out.
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What can be used as an alternative for Applesauce? This banana bread recipe calls for applesauce and it's not something that's available at the stores here. Will it be okay if I just leave it out or can I use any other common ingredient to replicate the effect? <Q> Applesauce has little flavor and almost no nutritional value. <S> It is added to baked goods for the one thing it does have- pectin. <S> Pectin interferes with gluten in a similar manner to fat although by a different mechanism. <S> For this reason applesauce is often used to replace some of the fat in recipes for health-conscious bakers. <S> See this question . <S> Other banana bread recipes are very similar to cakes and rely on a huge amount of fat- often creamed with a large amount of sugar. <S> Your options are then to: <S> Replace the applesauce with some other oil substitute. <S> Another puree of high-pectin fruit would work. <S> Switch to a recipe that just uses the fat and enjoy a richer banana bread. <A> Why not making your own? <S> Making your own applesauce is actually very easy. <S> So I bet there are apples for sale in the stores? <S> The simpelest I can think of is:4 apples 3/4 cup water(1/4 cup sugar)1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamonPeel core and chop the apples. <S> Cook it all together on medium heat until the apples are soft. <S> (15-20 minutes)It is no work at all and tastes delicious. <S> Personally I would use applesauce with no added sugar when using it in cakes. <S> However if you think it is to much work anyways (but I do not hope so!) <S> it is good to know that in lots of recipes, applesauce is used to replace oil to lower the amount of calories. <S> (Some also claim that applesauce replaces eggs, but I have no experience with that)However, stating something like: 'replace 1 cup of applesauce by 1 cup of oil' can not be done properly. <S> Applesauce contains water where oil does not. <S> So it will make your cake more fat, and applesauce make the baking more 'cakier'. <S> Also you are making a fruit cake, and of course the apple taste improves this fruity taste. <S> I also think using oil will make you cake more 'heavy' then applesauce. <S> You can read more about applesauce replacing oil via this link. <S> I think if you are going to replace the applesauce by oil, you have to experiment about the substitution rate. <S> But I would start with using 1/4 cup of oil in stand of the 1/4 cup of applesauce. <S> If you don't want to make your own applesauce, nor replacing the sauce by oil you might want to look at baby-food. <A> The unsweetened applesauce also provides a bit of acid. <S> How about replacing the same weight, not volume, with apple juice and increasing the banana content by an small amount -say half a sm banana? <S> According to http://www.onlineconversion.com/weight_volume_cooking.htm <S> 1 cup AS = <S> 8.6 <S> oz so <S> 2 oz of juice would be about right With only 1/4C in the recipe <S> , I am assuming that changes here and there won't spell disaster. <A> Use chocolate pudding out of a little kids cup. <S> It adds an amazing chocolate flavor to the banana <S> but it's not over powering. <S> Use the same amount of pudding as you would with applesauce. <A> Look for applesauce in the baby food section. <A> A whipped fat can substitute the missing applesauce.
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Some jars of baby-food contain just some kind of apple puree.
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How to make a chocolate fudge/syrup sauce that does not freeze? I'm looking for a good recipe to make a chocolate fudge/syrup style sauce that will not freeze solid when placed in the freezer, but rather retain its "liquid" consistency. It does not need to be runny when frozen, but I just do not want it to freeze. I plan to add it into an ice cream cake so do not want it to solidify or become hard when I bite into the cake. Any suggestions for something that would work well? EDIT I tried something with chocolate, evaporated milk and butter and sugar, and although functional (ie: does not seem to freeze solid, but becomes taffy like), tastes way too buttery for me. My recipe was something along the lines of: 1/2 cup butter3 oz chocolate2 cup sugar350ml evaporated milk Basically melt butter & chocolate, add sugar and milk and reduce to desired consistency. But like I said, although it works, it is way too buttery. I would love to figure out a recipe that would allow me to do make something of a similar consistency, but with dairy free w/ dark chocolate (ie: no milk/butter). But I am not sure what gives the sauce the taffy consistency vs. freezing up. I immediately discounted any recipes that I saw which were water based due to the freezing/crystalizing issue. END EDIT Thanks, Eric <Q> Alcohol Sugar Fat. <S> Your recipe needs to be more of those and less of water; just like an ice cream. <S> I had luck with agave syrup as a base (maple or cornsyrup?) <S> that I tested by freezing; when I was satisfied by my choice, I melted in chocolate and additional fat (good coconut oil I think). <S> Certainly won't be fudgy outside of freezer so finding a recipe is tricky... <S> Have a look also at that ice cream topping chocolate hard-shell. <S> It has a super low melting point with its high fat content. <S> Wouldn't take much more sugar in the form of a syrup to make it fudgy. <A> First, one obvious thought is to use a fat that doesn't solidify, like most vegetable oils. <S> If you don't want that flavour <S> you could try groundnut or almond oil. <S> I guess you might need some emulsifier though to prevent it separating. <S> A little corn flour might do it (it's great in Spanish hot chocolate, so why not?). <S> Second, glucose (powder or syrup, it doesn't matter) leads to a lower freezing point than normal sugar (sucrose). <S> That is at least partly because, since it is much less sweet than sucrose, you need to use more for the same sweetness, leading to higher content of sugars which will lower the freezing point. <S> I use a mix of glucose and sucrose to make soft-scoop ice cream at home. <A> I know adding marshmallows will make it taffy-like melting the chocolate and adding the marshmallows and stir quickly to dissolve it like making fudgeHave you considered reducing the amount of butter in it? <A> I would use a basic ganache receipe <S> but it isn't dairy free.
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Hazelnut oil is really delicious in chocolate sauce and will probably have the right effect.
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Waffle iron with changeable plates for butter galettes I'm looking for a recommendation for a waffle iron with interchangeable plates for butter galettes . I have one but it's over 30 years old, falling apart and runs off 220V to boot.Are there any replacements? I cannot find any, anywhere. <Q> You should be able to use the waffle iron as is and just not close it, I would think. <S> Though I am also not able to find a replacement, except through alibaba. <S> Edit based on apparent flag and mod comment: All a special galette plate will provide is the shape. <S> You can still make the batter, spoon a couple of tablespoons onto a hot waffle iron and yield exactly the same thing, albeit in a different shape. <A> I think it's hard to find this online. <S> You better check your kitchen appliance store. <S> I did find this that is compatible with these plates, but I don't think they'll ship to where you live. <S> Plus they are quite expensive and I have no idea about their quality. <A> If you are trying to find a new iron they are available. <S> Check their website under specialty items.
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Try Verkinderen belgian cookie iron, they are available, to the best of my knowledge, at DeRonne Hardware store.
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Why is mixing good whiskey with cola/ginger ale frowned upon? I ordered a Jameson and ginger ale at a pub the other night and my brother asked me why I wasn't ordering it neat or on the rocks, since it was "pretty good" whiskey. Right now I'm having some good Kentucky bourbon (Willet) with Reed's ginger ale. Is this "wrong"? Does it matter if the ginger ale is good? I know that this could be considered an opinion question by some but I'm asking if serious whiskey buffs would scoff at this or if they have done so in any specific literature. You know...collectors, bartenders, distillers, etc. What is the reasoning behind the common practice of discouraging mixing good or better whiskeys? <Q> It is about the same thing as putting A-1 on prime rib. <S> Mixers, like cola or ginger ale, tend to mask the flavors of the whiskey, something which is understandable for an 'inferior' brand but is thought of as 'taboo' for a 'fine' blend. <S> The drink that results from mixing your fine whiskey with the mixers is (roughly) 'the same' as if you had mixed a cheaper blend, having concealed the subtleties that aging and craftsmanship have worked to create. <S> That said...if you like it, it is your drink. <A> With that said, Jameson is not really a "good" whiskey. <S> It's middle-shelf, and I like it <S> , personally - I wouldn't mix it with cola because I'm not a huge fan of mixing whiskey with cola, but it's not a sin like mixing a single malt whisky would be. <S> I often mix it with coffee myself. <S> So the answer is that yes, serious whiskey buffs would never mix "good" whiskey with anything except a little water (preferably from the same source the distillery gets their water from). <S> But if it costs less than $30 a bottle <S> it's probably fine. <S> EDIT: as to your second question, it actually might matter if the soda was "good" too, but I think you'd have to ask the individual about that. <A> If you want to get the best out of your expensive bottles of whisky, drink them without mixers like soda water, cola, or fruit juice. <S> There are plenty of fantastic cocktails (even some inventive ones using young peated malts to imbue smokiness in the drink) out there, but you’re better off using blends or inexpensive malts for this as well. <S> The quality improvement in the cocktail from using expensive whisky is just not going to offset the massive increase in price. <S> You won’t be able to taste the fine nuances of a single-malt, and so you’ll end up “wasting” the money you spent on that nice bottle. <S> http://scotchnoob.com/2011/03/09/water-ice-or-neat/
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Well, yes, mixing good whiskey with your average soft drink is going to be a waste of good whiskey, since it's likely to destroy any subtlety in the flavor.
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How can I make the tops of my macarons smooth? After a recent trip to France, I have become mildly obsessed with making macarons (using this recipe ). I have made a couple of batches so far - the first didn't turn out well, more like cookies than macarons , due to under-whipped egg whites and too-coarse almonds. The second batch has turned out better, much more like macarons . I whipped the egg whites to stiff, glossy peaks and blitzed the almonds, powdered sugar and cocoa in a food processor to remove lumps and make the almonds finer. Some of the macarons even have the characteristic little 'feet'. However, while the flavour and texture seem generally good, they don't have the smooth, perfect surface of a proper macaron . Looking at videos online, it would seem my mixture is too stiff, because any little tip of mixture left by the piping bag fails to 'melt' into the main part of the macaron - it simply sits there. Also, any little craters left by air holes in the mixture fail to smooth themselves out, so the result is a bumpy macaron . Given that the egg whites need to be stiff and glossy, what else could be a factor in achieving a smooth macaron ? I assume the amount of powdered sugar is a factor, but how much can I safely reduce the amount by? <Q> The meringue should be glossy and form soft peaks. <S> When you take your whisk out of the meringue it should look like this: <S> The French say that when you take the whisk out of the meringue, it has to look a bit like a bird's beak, hence the way the meringue forms a soft peak slightly pointing downwards. <S> But to be honest, I don't believe that is you problem. <S> People often say it has to fall like a ribbon or like magma, but I always thought that is hard to imagine. <S> You can take a knife and cut through the batter. <S> If it flows back immediately, it's ready. <S> But let me tell you: One or two strokes too much with the spatula and the batter becomes unusable. <S> And one tip I can give you: The process of transferring the batter into the piping bag also 'mixes' the batter, so maybe don't go too far if you are unsure. <S> And as already said, it is important to tap the the tray from the bottom after piping as it helps to remove any air bubbles in there. <S> Also, always pipe straight from the top (90° angle). <S> This also helps the batter to smooth out. <S> I wouldn't recommend you to chance the amount of powdered sugar, as the French use Tant pour Tant (TPT) for their macarons, which means fine almond meal and powdered sugar <S> are mixed proportional to each other. <S> When mixed perfect, it looks like this: http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_WhPHUKwckUw/S4WP1eBE7pI/AAAAAAAAB00/gYqFjGOvEiU/s1600-h/5.jpg <S> When gone too far, it looks like this: http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_WhPHUKwckUw/S4WP-q8RrdI/AAAAAAAAB08/7R6uO1uGfBQ/s1600-h/6.jpg <S> Maybe try counting your strokes while mixing, some people say that it helped them. <A> When I've seen people make macarons in the past, they drop the tray onto the work surface once or twice (from a relatively low height) before they leave them to sit before going in the oven. <S> If you haven't been doing this with yours you might want to try adding this step to your process as I believe it could help with your problems. <A> Check it & pulse again if needed. <S> It will only take a few pulses to loosen. <S> The consistency you are trying to achieve is still very thick but will flow slowly off the beaters like lava. <S> Also when you pipe the little peaks should point straight up to help the mixture flow to a smooth domed finish. <S> After piping gently tap under the tray twice to help air bubble out. <S> To achieve a smooth finish & feet they need to sit & dry out for 10-15 minutes on the bench before baking. <S> There are some very detailed videos on the zumbobaking website. <S> Although they are for his baking mixes the technique is exactly the same for macarons from scratch.
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I guess you just undermix your batter. according to Adriano Zumbo the trick to thinning the mixture comes after you have folded all your sieved ingredients into your stiff peaked egg white: using an electric beater give the mixture a pulse to loosen it.
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Why must potato salad be placed in the refrigerator before serving? Many recipes for potato salad state that one should place the salad in the refrigerator after preparing. Some recipes state that one hour is enough. Others ask for several hours. Some recipes even require it to be stored overnight before being served. Why do these recipes have this requirement? <Q> Flavors change with temperature, and some dishes get the correct taste when cold. <S> Flavors get to blend more. <S> Aromatic spices sometimes take time to soak into the sauce, and liquids absorb into the potatoes more Cold is an easy way to prevent spoilage. <S> Potato salad usually contains mayonnaise, which is a natural growth medium for bacteria. <S> By cooling the salad you can leave it out to serve for a couple hours without risking illness. <S> Food safety of Potato Salad: <S> For potato salad, you have about 2 hours of safe eating in the 40-140F temperature range. <S> Refrigerating is an easy way to extend this, by cooling below 40F. For hot salads, you can either reheat before serving, or keep it hotter than 140F by using a chafing dish and can of Sterno. <S> About Mayonnaise in Potato Salad: Commercial mayonnaise is too acidic to spoil easily, but when mixed in with potato salad it can be diluted enough to spoil. <S> It is better to refrigerate than take the risk, right? <S> If you use homemade mayonnaise, you run the risk of salmonella on top of this. <A> I love warm potato salad, especially with a salty porky dinner like oktoberfest sausages. <S> If you are making it and serving it right away, it is not going to poison anyone - think of all those recipes for garlic mashed potatoes that basically involve stirring a mayo-based garlicy caesar salad dressing into mashed potatoes. <S> After dinner if there is any left I put it in the fridge. <S> (The next day, my teens are quite likely to microwave their portions - they prefer to eat it warm.) <S> Now if you're making it to take to a picnic, that's a different story. <S> Get it cold right away and keep it cold while you're transporting it. <S> But there's no need if it's for immediate consumption. <A> I'm with Kate on serving temperature, although Bob has a significant point about the flavors marrying. <S> In truth, it's often just worth refrigerating the salad well in large gathering scenarios, as Kate mentioned, and if someone wants it warm, they can request that their portion be removed from refrigeration early or actively warmed. <S> The serving temp is really a matter of personal opinion, as far as I can tell. <S> Disclaimer: completely subjective and in a hurry to get to a glass of bourbon. <A> I also find that refrigeration helps to thicken the dressing. <S> I'm not a fan of runny potato salad.
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Refrigerating accomplishes several things: It is the right temperature to get the intended flavor.
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How can I infuse alcohol with 'fragile' herbs? I would like to infuse alcohol (gin specifically) with basil, but basil is quite a fragile plant and doesn't seem to react well to sitting in booze for a few days. I tried muddling basil and putting it in an air tight container with my gin. I stored it at room temperature in a dark cabinet and tasted it daily. After one day it was starting to get a hint of basil, but the taste was not strong enough. The color was a pleasant light green. After two days, the color had gone greenish brown and the flavor had gone south. It's hard to explain, but it was not good. I assume you'd have the same issues with mint, parsley, cilantro, etc. How can I get a better basil flavor in my infusion? Should I just use a ton of basil and infuse for a day? Should I not muddle the basil? Should I blanch the basil? <Q> Vanilla and ginger can take a week, cucumber vodkas can entail a fourteen day sit. <S> Some constituents will infuse quickly (habanero, strong flavor), some will not (cucumber, subtle flavor) <S> Some should be processed whole to avoid " off-flavors " or other reactions like browning (basil), while others should be crushed (garlic, promoting allicin production), shredded (carrots, increasing surface to area to increase extraction), or chopped (pears). <S> Many variables play into how various ingredients will infuse various liquors, and I don't feel it would be fair to really say there is a general rule to follow. <S> To begin, though, I would identify your main variables with respect to solute (look for basil recipes, if none then other leafy herbs), solvent (look at the pH of the alcohol in addition to the type and proof), and method (duration, preparation of solute, agitations, single v. multiple/compound macerations), and look to similar approaches. <S> Hands-on Patience is the real virtue here though; vis-a-vis frequent sampling. <S> From everything I have read and seen in both my limited experience and another friend's, even returning to what you thought was a 'tried-and-true' can yield very different results. <S> With respect to discussions on vodka & gin VS. <S> Everclear extractions, there is a Chow thread of interest With respect to the industrial processing of macerations and compound distillates, <S> I found an interesting article on ICS <S> If the browning continues, you might consider adding a citrus like lime or lemon to see if that stems the browning as the added acid may inhibit this (Gordon's has a pH of 6.9, others, particularly cheaper gins, range down to 3.8). <S> That said, in my limited explorations with infused vodkas I have not run into a browning issue so it may simply result from muddling (bruising). <A> If you have access to an iSi or other whipped cream charger, you can use it to infuse very quickly, eliminating any off-colours or off-flavours that would develop from steeping. <S> There are several posts on this process, including one at Cooking Issues and another at Playing with Fire and Water . <S> It's really very simple, just add your flavouring agents to room-temperature liquid, charge up, swirl for 30 seconds, let stand for 30 seconds, vent and strain. <S> The working theory seems to be that the high pressure forces tiny bubbles into the flavouring items, which then escape back into the liquid after releasing the pressure. <S> Whatever the scientific explanation is, it works brilliantly. <S> Don't crush or muddle them first. <S> That leads to rapid enzymatic browning, even when preserved in alcohol. <A> In the off chance you have access to a rotary evaporator (or you are willing and able to build one ), it does seem to be possible to infuse vodka with delicate herbs like cilantro and thai basil .
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Refrain from muddling, use more (fresh) basil, (try agitating,) and infuse for a longer duration; I quickly found one recipe for basil-infused vodka requiring a four day sit and two "fists" of basil.
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Is "angostura" (as in bitters) a flavor? I'm confused by drink recipes calling for "Angosutra bitters". Is "angostura" (as in bitters) a specific flavor combination? Or is "Angosutra" a specific brand or manufacturer (like "Tylenol" is to aspirin)? If so, what's the closest possible replacement for it? <Q> The Angostura in the name refers to the town where it was originally produced. <A> I think this is a good question, as it is an issue that is frequently misunderstood. <S> There is an aromatic flavoring called angostura bark, though it seems to be more used in traditional medicine than in any food or cooking situation. <S> Angostura brand bitters, on the other hand, do not actually contain the bark at all--they are instead a brand--House of Angostura--named for Angostura, Venezuela. <S> As a flavor, this formula belongs to a class of bitters called "aromatic bitters" (as opposed to, say, orange bitters . <S> Angostura is probably the best-selling brand of aromatic bitters, at least in the US, but they are by no means the only player. <S> Fee Brothers and Peychaud's are both popular alternatives. <S> Though there is a fairly wide variety among aromatic bitters, and their formulas are secret, they do have some commonalities. <S> For example, gentian root tends to be the strongest flavor. <S> They are also, as the name implies, very aromatic, so that a "dash" or two is plenty to flavor a drink. <A> As stated by Bob, it's a brand. <S> Every type of bitters I've heard of is a proprietary blend, like some patented elixir recipe from some old crone. <S> For some extra info, check out this Webtender Wiki Entry , lengthy blog entry on bitters , a bit more history , and some more history .
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Angostura Bitters is a specific brand of bitters.
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How should I use lime leaves when making Thai green curry? When making Thai green curry should the fresh lime leaves be torn in to big pieces and then taken out when ready or shredded so that they can be eaten ? I have found that when I shred them they never quite break down enough to be enjoyable so I am wondering if they are like bay leaves and are only to be used to impart their flavor and not really to be eaten. <Q> Kaffir Lime Leaves are using in Thai and Indian cooking in two ways: They may be added whole to a recipe (such as a soup) and behave like bay leaves; diners take them out and don't eat them. <S> They can be ground fine as part of a spice paste and make the flavoring base for the recipe. <S> There are a few recipes which use slivered kaffir lime leaves, but they are extremely fibrous and can't really be eaten unless ground down to a paste. <A> According to David Thompson 's great recipe , kaffir lime leaves (ใบมะกรูด in Thai) are used as a finishing ingredient rather than simmered in the green curry (แกงเขียวหวาน). <S> My experience living in Thailand concurs with this. <S> There are odd occasions when the lime leaves are simmered and they depend on whether the dish is made in bulk or the other ingredients in the dish. <S> E.g. using beef . <S> (Thais don't eat roti with their curry as is suggested by their appearance in that video) <S> Whether to include them and in what form are entirely up to the chef. <S> Simmered leaves produce an earthier, less pungent flavour throughout the entire curry. <S> A chiffonade of leaves as a finishing ingredient gives the diner some bursts of strong lime flavour along with a textural pleasure. <S> I suggest you try them in separate dishes to see which you prefer. <S> Personally, I prefer the chiffonade for it's intense flavour and textural contrast. <S> A little more detail about Kaffir lime leaves for the initiated reader. <S> Kaffir lime leaves are eaten in many forms here in Thailand. <S> These are the different forms I have seen: <S> In soups they are used as a herb in much the same way as bay leaves. <S> Typical example of this is clear tom yum (ต้มยำ). <S> Typical examples of this are phad phrik khing (ผัดพริกขิง) and pad panaeng (ผัดพะแนง). <S> On deep fried whole fish and with roasted peanuts they add deep fried kaffir lime leaves (ใบมะกรูดทอด) <A> In Thai recipes, basil is thinly sliced or shredded and works well to integrate nicely with the thick stock of a curry or peanut sauce. <S> However, although (kaffir) lime leaves are frequently shredded finely and used in Tod Mun, typically, lime leaf usage in simmering stocks is more akin to lemongrass and bay leaves than basil (typically I simmer then in the sauce with a tea bag). <S> One tip I have seen repeated that does not apply to those two, however, is to bruise the leaf prior to immersion.
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In dry curries they use a leaf chiffonade (i.e. sliced finely lengthwise into long, very thin strips) and added to the dish as a finishing garnish so they retain their pungency giving the dish a large contrast in flavour and texture.
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Is ginger a good substitute for galangal in Thai green curry? Is fresh ginger a good substitute for galangal in a Thai Green curry? (I cannot get fresh galangal here anywhere) Would I use less or more ginger than galangal quantity? <Q> Scottish, Use equal amounts of ginger to substitute for galangal. <S> And yes, it is the best substitute available from your average non-Asian grocery store. <S> If you can get your hands on dried, powdered galangal, however, you can do better. <S> Add about half the amount of ginger, and around midway through cooking add a teaspoon of powdered galangal for every tablespoon of fresh in the recipe. <S> Also, if you make a field trip to an Asian market, peeled galangal cut into chunks freezes quite well. <A> It won't be quite the same in flavour, but it is near enough that the food will still taste good and the combinations of flavours will work well. <S> Unfortunately, I too have had only store-bought ginger since my galangal died... <A> I know it sounds strange, but when in Thailand, at a cooking course, I was told that the substitute for galangal was lemongrass. <A> Because of its flavor, I would say you need mostly ginger and a bit of lemongrass together to approximate the galangal flavor (in a pinch, a little lemon, or better yet, a kaffir lime leaf).
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The combination of fresh ginger and powdered galangal will be very close to fresh galangal in flavor.
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Does placing a metal spoon in an open bottle of sparkling wine (etc.. .) help keep its fizz? Does placing a metal spoon in an open bottles of bubbles, sparkling wine & Champagne help keep its fizz ? If so why is this ? <Q> As a beer brewer, I'm pretty concerned with fizz ;) <S> Since the below may be a little tl;dr, the short answer to your question is, "I don't think so." <S> This is actually the first time I've heard of the metal spoon "trick", so I can't directly comment on that, but I'll share a little of what I know about carbonation. <S> Carbonation is carbon dioxide (CO2) that is dissolved in the liquid (beer, champagne, soda). <S> The fizz is that CO2 coming out of solution and escaping into the air. <S> Keeping it cold helps keep the fizz, as CO2 dissolves more readily into a cold liquid. <S> And conversely, comes out of a warm liquid more readily. <S> Ever pour a glass of warm soda or champagne straight after opening? <S> It'll foam over everywhere. <S> The only way to not lose all that CO2 is to seal the container. <S> Even then, the CO2 will come out of solution and pressurize the headspace (space in the top of the container). <S> That's why you get a hiss when you first open a bottle. <S> Again, temperature comes into play. <S> In a warm bottle, more of the CO2 comes out of solution and pressurizes the headspace. <S> Chill that same bottle down, and the CO2 can dissolve back into the liquid, giving you a sparkling beverage again. <S> Now, back to the spoon. <S> I would think that putting a spoon in the carbonation liquid would produce nucleation points , causing the CO2 to come out of solution faster. <S> This is why many beer glass manufacturers are coming out with laser-etched designs on the bottom of their glasses - the effervescence caused by the nucleation points helps bring out the hop aromas. <A> My own experience confirms the answers from the related question from Skeptics. <S> However, I've been able to keep the fizz in the bottle for a couple of days by putting cling film over the top. <A> Doesn't work. <S> The CO2 gas was dissolved in the soda liquid under pressure. <S> Once the cap is opened the liquid is now at a lower pressure (room pressure) and the gas comes out of solution. <S> That is, it fizzes. <S> Putting a spoon in the bottle does nothing. <S> Resealing the bottle would stop the loss of fizz.
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If you hang a spoon inside an open bottle, the fizz goes out.
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