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How to inject carbon dioxide into hard candy, to make popping rocks? I have a great idea for a unique candy recipe, but to achieve this I need to be able to make pop rocks. The pop rocks would be inside the candy. Doing some research I have learned that pop rocks have pressurized carbon dioxide gas inside each tiny rock. I would not have any problem trying batch after batch and getting the ingredients right to make these pop rocks. But it would be useless if I can't get the CO 2 inside. Does anyone knows of an easy way of doing this at home? If not, what type of machinery do you need? <Q> Looks like it takes about 600psi CO2 to treat the liquid candy .Patent <S> search should reveal more detail: US patent 3012893 Patent links are notorious for decaying over a short time frame. <S> If the second link is dead go <S> http://www.uspto.gov/patents-application-process/search-patents or here to find find out how the inventors did it. <S> Patents before 1976, are in image format, and are hard to look through, sometimes Google is a better choice than USPTO on these. <S> See also US Patent 4289794 (1981) <S> Gasified candy which produces a more pronounced popping sensation is prepared by maintaining a sugar melt at a temperature of below about 280° F. ... <S> Such a candy is made by a process which comprises melting crystalline sugar, contacting such sugar with gas at a pressure of 50 to 1,000 psig for a time sufficient to permit incorporation in said sugar of 0.5 to 15 cm3 of gas per gram of sugar, maintaining the temperature of said sugar during said absorption above the solidification temperature of the melted sugar, and cooling said sugar under pressure to produce a solid amorphous sugar containing the gas. <S> Upon the release of the pressure, the solid gasified candy fractures into granules of assorted sizes. <S> High temperature, high pressure. <S> Even as a hard candy, the stuff has a short shelf life .Baking <S> soda/acid mixture candies are just Fizzies in disguise. <S> Feel weird when they bubble in your mouth, but they do <S> not explode like pop rocks. <A> There are recipes on the internet for making home made pop rocks. <S> I would assume that you could also use baking powder if you can't find powdered acids. <A> Applied Science, a YouTube channel, had a video about making carbonated candy a la Pop Rocks: <S> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qsSwvmNEr0Q <S> Here's a broad outline: <S> Craft a mixing chamber that can hold 600 psi (40 bar), has an inlet for CO 2 , and a rotary pressure seal with a mixing/whisk attachment. <S> Make a hard candy (280 °F/137 °C) on the stove Preheat the chamber to avoid the candy solidifying too quickly <S> Pour molten candy into the chamber Close and pressurize to 600 psi. <S> Mix (with drill or whatever) for 3-4 minutes Let cool while under pressure Depressurize and open chamber, remove candy with mallet, chisel, and/or hammer. <S> Enjoy! <A> 600 PSI sounds dangerous. <S> Water will absorb carbon dioxide. <S> The colder the water, the more it will absorb. <S> I make beer. <S> I usually do in the bottle conditioning <S> but when I do forced carbonation the highest PSI I will typically use is 30PSI. <S> If your candy is a syrup at some point, and not too hot, that would be where to add the CO2. <S> Perhaps you could buy a pressure cooker and drill <S> /tap the lid <S> so you can add a valve and attach a CO2 cylinder. <S> You can get a small 5 pound cylinder at home brew stores <S> but you'll also need a regulator and probably some other fittings. <S> The cylinders come empty so you also need a place to fill the cylinder. <S> There are also smaller versions of this that are mainly used for keeping kegs of beer pressurized at parties. <S> They typically use 72 gram CO2 cylinders and the mini-regulator I have maxes out at 20PSI... <S> just enough to push the beer out of the keg.
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Some of them call for using baking soda plus an acid, so that you generate carbon dioxide in the syrup, rather than injecting it as a pressurized gas. The trick would be how to carbonate it before it cools and solidifies. Look for a place that services fire extinguishers.
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When spicing rice, should you add the spices in the water beforehand or after the rice has cooked? Newbie cook here. I use a small inexpensive rice cooker to cook my rice. Are you supposed to add your various spices to the water when you put the rice in the pot? Or should you add the spices in at the end when the rice is fully cooked and stir them in? Does it matter what kinds of spices you are using? Edit: Please explain why . Is this only for aesthetics or does it actually affect taste? <Q> I can only answer from a perspective of the Indonesian kitchen, and my own personal experience, but in general the answer is: In the water, with the rice <S> I quite often use saffron, turmeric, cloves, daun salam <S> (The English Wiki entry links to bay leaf, which, completely, utterly, is not the same thing), and lemongrass, and they all go in while cooking the rice. <S> Possible exceptions would be green leafy herbs, (coriander / cilantro for instance), which you put in the end. <S> Not so much to flavor the rice, but more to "scent" the bowl of rice. <S> [Edit] <S> In answer to your edit: There is no preferred way. <S> The preferred way depends on the herb, as observed by thrig in his/her answer. <S> Going by experience, and the herbs I use myself , the answer is in the water with the rice . <S> Putting a bay leaf in after the fact, is not going to do much for a dish. <S> Putting it in while cooking the dish is. <S> This goes for a lot of herbs: Turmeric, ginger and laos (galangal?) <S> can flavor rice, but not if you put it in the end. <S> On the other hand: Putting cilantro while cooking the rice will just destroy the cilantro, and leave nothing to show for it. <S> I lack the knowledge of what is water-soluble, and what is fat-soluble, but as a general guideline I use my highly personal "is-this-going-to-survive-the-15-to-20-minute-cooking-process-or-not?" guideline, and the even more personal "did-it-work? <S> " guideline. <S> In addition, and perhaps also supporting thrig 's answer, Indonesians are not shy of cooking their rice in <S> santen (again: English wiki does not do justice, <S> creamed coconut is not quite the same), adding a mildy greasy layer to the grains, aiding in flavor absorption, although I have to say it's not a common practice, but more often used for festive occasions. <A> I think a good rule of thumb is whether or not the spice is dried. <S> For example, dried Rosemary will soften to the texture of the rice if cooked in the water with the rice, but will be crunchy if added after. <S> However, fresh Rosemary can be stirred in after to add flavor. <A> "On Food and Cooking" (McGee) has notes on the spices, what chemicals they contain, and more (see: chapter 8). <S> Notably, "oils and fats dissolve more aroma molecules than water during cooking, but also hang on to them during eating, so that their flavor appears more gradually and persists longer." <S> (p.399) <S> Alcohol is also efficient, but has an evaporation problem (and sometimes cultural issues, see e.g. the Eighteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution). <S> Another method besides the already mentioned steaming or frying in oil is to dry roast whole spices (e.g. mustard), which should mellow their effect (and, bonus: no oily pan to wash). <A> For a rice cooker of average size, add cumin seeds (1 tea spoon), cloves (4-5), mace (1 piece), cardamom (1-2 pods) and a pinch of salt at the beginning of cooking to get fragrant rice (e.g. for biryani). <S> Add finely chopped mint and coriander leaves after cooking to get the best results. <S> This is a fail-proof recipe to make Indian rice. <S> As you are using rice cooker it will always come out well. <S> Quantities and timings of adding ingredients DO matter. <S> For example, cumin et al will give out essential oils in the water bath when boiled throughout. <S> Mint and coriander will add nice green colour and fragrance when added just before serving (but will turn black and the fragrance will be lost if added any earlier). <S> Enjoy :).
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Probably depends on whether the spices are water-soluble or fat-soluble; if fat-soluble, and the rice is being cooked without fats, then there's probably little point in adding them to the rice cooker.
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If uncooked rice is soaked for 2 days, is it still safe to eat (after it's cooked)? I completely forgot I soaked the rice on Monday night. It was completely submerged in water. Left at room temperature. If I cook it now, would it be safe to eat? <Q> Food is generally not safe to leave at room temperature for more than 2 hours. <S> Foods which are shelf-stable (can be left out, it doesn't matter how long) <S> are the ones which have had some of the necessary bacteria growth factors removed. <S> Rice is a food which doesn't grow bacteria because it doesn't have enough water to sustain a colony. <S> Once you add the water back in, you remove the exact circumstance which protects it from spoiling. <S> It is certainly not safe. <S> Besides, "after cooking" doesn't matter, as you can't turn unsafe food back to safe, not by cooking or by anything else. <A> Hmm, well, I've soaked rice for two days, though that was in a 3% - 5% salt solution and in a sealed (rubber gasket) container. <S> No idea in your case whether the good microbes (those would be the lactic acid bacteria) won, or whether the rice has just spoiled. <A> I agree with the previous answer. <S> Interesting question. <S> If people always simply discarded, things like cheese and wine wouldn't exist. <S> But way back, when people were discovering how to eat disgusting and rotten foods, nobody even knew about bacteria. <S> The little fellas weren't discovered yet. <S> Technically speaking, if the bacteria was simply salmonella, you could cook the rice and be home free. <S> Other bacteria leave nasty toxins behind as calling cards that may not be readily killed by a quick fling in the saucepan. <S> Back in the middle ages, there's no question. <S> They would have eaten the stuff. <S> Things are a little different now. <S> Your nose knows...if it smells bad, it probably is... <S> but then, do you really want to risk pooping your brains out...or worse? <S> When in doubt, throw it out. <S> At room temp, not so much. <S> When those little baci boys get started, they multiply exponentially. <S> Good turns to bad very quickly. <S> Don't take a chance. <S> Toss it.
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If the rice had been in the fridge, in water, for 2 days, I would cook and eat it. No, certainly not.
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Is it safe to boil water in a microwave? Our electric kettle broke. So this morning I used the microwave to boil water for the first cup of coffee. Only thing is - the water in south Africa is not really the best of quality when you get it from the tap. I presume using a kettle kills of some of the bacteria that is still in the water. So my question is: Is it safe to boil water in the microwave and then consuming it in coffee? What other complication might boiling water in the microwave bring other than from a bacterial point of view? <Q> There is one very different issue to be kept in mind - water in a microwave can overheat and "explode" once it is disturbed. <S> Another poster had exactly this problem a short while ago: Water exploded in Microwave So follow the usual precautions, e.g. putting a wooden toothpick or a small, very clean stone (chemists have them in their labs) in your vessel. <S> In a pinch, a spoon will do, but not all microwaves handle metal objects well. <S> If you are worried that heating your water in a microwave might not be sufficient to kill all "nasties", remember that killing bacteria is a function of time and temperature, so you might feel safer if you not only bring your water to a boil, but continue boiling it for another minute or so. <S> I would assume that this is mostly for your psychological benefit, but it certainly won't hurt. <S> The temperature reached is identical for different heating devices as physics dictates the boiling point of water and it can't exceed that as long as it's liquid. <A> There is no difference. <S> Whether you boil water in a kettle or in a microwave, it reaches a temperature of 100 °C/212 °F at sea level. <S> Not only that, but no method that doesn't involve pressure will get the water to reach a temperature of over 100 ° <S> C/212 °F. <S> Water boiled in a microwave is just as safe as water boiled in a kettle. <A> Even If i put on the tin foil beanie and assert that microwaves are dangerous to food, the microwave remains an ideal way to boil and heat water. <S> Leaving aside the steam dangers which are mostly common to steam regardless of heat source (steam is dangerous) the most dangerous chemical reactions possible from high energy ionization is to produce mild base (HO ions), mild acid (H ions), Hydrogen gas, Oxygen gas, and most of the base will be neutralized by the acid forming water, and the hydrogen and oxygen are not enough to measure. <S> This is actually the safest use for a microwave. <S> It is even slightly more effective at killing bacteria, as some bacteria are also sensitive to microwave radiation as well as heat, but for good practice I would still heat to the recommended temperatures. <A> Boiling water will kill any live bacteria or viruses that might be in your water. <S> The only thing that can "survive" are bacterial spores. <S> Spores are like seeds or eggs which can hatch to live bacteria. <S> Interestingly, this process is what is used to make salt risen bread... <S> a type of bread leavened by hydrogen-producing bacteria instead of carbon dioxide producing yeast. <S> The only way to kill spores is the use of a pressure cooker. <S> As another answer mentioned, this does nothing to the chemical dangers, just the biological dangers. <S> If the water is so filthy that you expect there to be actual toxins in the water, purification by RO or distillation is the best bet. <S> The most significant danger is the super-heated water phenomena. <S> the microwave heats water so gently, that it can actually remain liquid above 100 degrees C. However, the addition of coffee grounds will provide places for steam bubbles to begin to form. <S> The water will then immediately and violently begin to boil, and you could receive some serious burns. <S> If you place a small pinch of coffee into the water while it is in the microwave, it will promote boiling and prevent superheating. <A> The time needed to disinfect water depends on the temperature: for example, according to Water Disinfection for International and Wilderness Travelers , five minutes at 60°C, three minutes at 65°C, or one minute at 70°C is sufficient to kill E. Coli . <S> Normally, simply heating the water to boiling and letting it cool is sufficient, but if you've got an exceptionally powerful heat source or unusually cool air, the water may not spend long enough at high temperature. <S> Because of this, the same source recommends holding the water at a boil for one minute as a safety measure.
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From a bacterial standpoint, boiling water in your microwave is probably sufficient to kill everything of concern.
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Eggs sticking to the pan Everytime I fry eggs, in any pan, it sticks. If I add oil or butter it helps, BUT if I go to make a second egg, it sticks unless I add more butter or oil. And when I add more, the butter or oil burns and makes my eggs taste gross. What am I doing wrong? <Q> If it's a stainless steel pan then the eggs should not be sticking. <S> Your pan is too hot I think. <S> I always remember this: “More butter less heat”. <A> If the butter or oil burns, then lower the heat. <S> Remember that the longer the pan stays on the heat, the warmer it will get; maybe when you cooked your first egg, the pan is not fully heated. <S> I would clean (wipe clean) <S> the pan between each batch of eggs to remove the oil and butter residue <A> If the oil/butter is burning, it will impart a burnt flavor to the eggs. <S> If you cook on low heat, all you will taste is the butter and eggs. <S> So based on what you wrote, try turning the heat down. <S> That the oil/butter is burning is a red flag...for me anyway. <S> I don't like non-stick pans <S> but I use them for eggs. <S> I put a pat of butter in the pan and swoosh it around to coat the entire pan. <S> I add my eggs <S> but I am using very low heat the whole time <S> and they never stick, at all. <S> The majority of my other pans are stainless steel. <S> I don't have any cast iron. <S> I don't remember stainless steel sticking <S> but I'll try them the next time I cook eggs. <S> When I cook eggs, I basically melt the butter and coat the bottom. <S> I add the eggs before the butter can ever bubble. <S> At the low heat I'm using, it's unlikely to anyway. <S> I usually make scrambled eggs but fried are the same.
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It is always best to cook eggs over low heat, they won’t stick that way. Sounds like you're using too much heat.
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How to tell when water reaches 100 degrees Fahrenheit without a candy thermometer for the purposes of disolving gelatin? I found a recipe for a gelatin desert I'd like to try. But there was one step I don't feel prepared to tackle: In the meantime, in a small sauce pan heat ¼ cup of water to about 100 degrees. Add the gelatin to the water and let dissolve. I don't have a candy thermometer to measure the temperature of my water. Would it be sufficient to use hot tap water? Or should I bring the water to a slow or full boil? Does the precise temperature make a difference when dissolving gelatin or is it ok to be rather approximate? <Q> Gelatin is quite tolerant, but with a few restrictions: Never boil gelatine, because it looses it's binding/gelling properties. <S> Liquifying gelatine requires temperatures that feel "warm" to the touch, but not all recipes handle warm additions <S> well - e.g. whipped cream. <S> Cooling liquid gelatine for heat sensitive recipes should happen fairly quick, and so should incorporating the coolish gelatine to the other ingredients : <S> Stir well or you end up with "gummy bear"- like lumps. <S> So without knowing the details of your recipe I suggest using fairly warm water in the range of "warm bath water" or "comfortable for washing hands" but not at all "hot". <S> (Note that I don't give a precise temperature range on purpose.) <S> Hot tap water should suffice, but heating it on the stove is fine, too. <S> Just use gentle heat and don't let the gelatine rest on the bottom of the pot to avoid overheating. <S> Depending on your next steps, you might want to stir the liquid gelatine until it's barely warm to the touch or add a few spoonfulls of whatever cool mixture you are planning to bind, stir, then add to the rest. <S> For warm other ingredients, extra cooling is not required, just mix and let set. <A> You are not specifying whether it's 100 degrees Celsius or Farenheit . <S> If it's Celsius , 100°C is the temperature of boiling water (at sea level). <S> Just full boil it. <S> If it's Farenheit , 100°F is very close to body temperature (if you're not ill). <S> You can use a normal medical thermometer. <A> Besides the usual measuring cups and a tongue for licking the cake batter bowel, you should have a digital scale and a thermometer as standard "kit" (as the Brits would say). <S> You don't need a high temp candy thermometer for most cooking. <S> There are some thermometers that you can put in the oven and some that you can't... <S> they will literally melt. <S> You need a general thermometer for food safety. <S> I recommend a probe thermometer. <S> The newer ones don't contain mercury. <S> They have alcohol with a dye. <S> So I would consider it safe to use. <S> Likewise, if you have a medical thermometer in your medicine chest, the 98.6 thermometers used for humans is in the ballpark of the 100F degrees you're looking for. <S> A digital medical thermometer would be even better as they give you an accurate reading in a split second.
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In a pinch, if you have a window thermometer, the glass bulb kind, you might be able to clean it up a bit and use that.
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Why are wire beaters becoming more common in hand mixers? It seemed to me that most hand mixers in the past used centre post beaters. They seemed more sturdy and durable, thicker construction. I saw one recently by Kitchen aid and the wire beaters seem very minimal, thin, with little surface area compared to the centre post beaters of the past. However I was wondering why most are now moving towards wire beaters? I don't know if this is a manufacturing issue - perhaps it is cheaper and easier to build the wire beaters. Perhaps it is a cost savings approach? Or is there some other reason like some benefit to mixing with the wire beaters? <Q> Different beaters are used to achieve distinct effects. <S> We ask a lot of our electric home mixers: they have to aerate cream, knead dough, mix cakes, among many operations. <S> Various forces and mixing patterns are needed for these operations. <S> To aerate air needs to be mixed into a liquid. <S> A fast moving, half immersed wire forms vortices that mix the air and the liquids. <S> Thin blades, some parallel and others perpendicular to the beater's motion will break clumps of solids and disperse them among the mixing liquids. <S> Dough needs to be stretched and folded and for that a single pole into the dough following some planetary motion seems to do the job. <S> When compared to wire beaters, those with a central post have larger surfaces demanding a stronger motor to rotate them. <S> A wire beater, while not ideal to mix a cake batter, can get the job done given more time. <S> The central post also collects material, so better designs have been developed for cake mixing. <S> The type of beaters sold with a mixer are more likely a function of the motor strength and the price category. <A> These mixers advertise the lack of a center post as an explicit feature. <S> One description says: These stainless steel turbo beaters deliver extra mixing power as a result of the post-free design. <S> Without a center post to hinder mixing within the beater, ingredients are blended more thoroughly. <S> Another one says: Constructed with no center posts to promote thorough mixing and minimal batter buildup. <S> The dishwasher-safe design simplifies cleanup. <S> A product manual reads: <S> The TurboBeater™ Accessories that come with your mixer have an open shape with no center post: this design permits thorough mixing with no clogging, little splashing, and minimal food collection. <S> So, it seems like this is at least marketed by KitchenAid as a feature with specific claimed benefits. <A> I looked at what I think is the mixer you're referring to. <S> My thought was the wires look a bit flimsy. <S> You couldn't use those beaters to knead bread, but then the motor in the mixer is not designed for that. <S> I am sure they would work just fine for things like cake batter. <S> Likewise, they probably are cheaper to build and not as sturdy...but still adequate. <S> I have often thought about buying a hand mixer just because it's quicker to whip out for small jobs. <S> Then again, I don't need a mixer all that often. <S> My big brute KitchenAid commercial mixer is good enough. <S> To be honest, the main thing I would need that for is kneading bread <S> but I always knead by hand anyway. <S> I have a Vitamix too which is somewhat redundant. <S> Maybe I could use it for washing socks? <S> ... <S> The KitchenAid...not the Vitamix :) <A> Hamilton Beach, among a few other brands, still offer the traditional beaters (a necessity for thicker batters) along with wire beaters and the dough hook! <S> Just keep looking until you find them.
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From an engineering perspective, I would say the beaters are appropriate for the mixer and its anticipated usage.
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How to remove garlic smell from refrigerator/ice maker Is there a certain cleaner or chemical that will remove a lingering garlic odor from an ice maker or other food processing equipment? About a month ago, my wife and I noticed that the ice from our fridge had a slight garlic smell and taste. On inspection, I noticed a jar of minced garlic that wasn't completely closed in the door right under the ice maker (The ice maker is in the fridge, and has a rubber seal to the door where the ice comes out like this .) I removed the garlic, dumped the ice, and soaked the removable ice tray/conveyer mechanism in hot soapy water. The first few batches of ice were better, but now the smell and taste are back. Right now we simply can't use the ice maker. Is there a trick to garlic smell? Also, the garlic issue with the ice maker was from garlic fumes only. The jar did not spill, and there was never any direct contact between the garlic and the fridge. <Q> Basically you need to turn it off, remove everything from it and then thoroughly clean it using a solution of warm water and baking soda. <S> Once that is done and it has completely dried, you can restock the fridge, examining carefully anything you are putting back in for cracks, leaks or spillage that might have caused the bad smell. <S> Note that it is more likely that any smell is coming from something spoiled or spilled in the fridge rather than the fridge itself as refrigerators are made out of materials that are designed to <S> NOT absorb bad smells. <A> Have you tried baking soda? <S> It will absorb odors in your refrigerator. <S> Often, people leave a box in the fridge all the time (though it needs to be changed every few months to stay effective). <S> Some manufacturers (such as Arm & Hammer) even package it in boxes that have a whole side that opens, exposing a coffee filter like material to help expose more surface for absorption. <A> Buy an activated charcoal filter. <S> They make some specifically for the fridge (search on Amazon): <S> Fridge- <S> It Naturally Activated Charcoal Odor Absorber - $6 <S> And ones that you can use anywhere (and they last up to two years): <S> Mini Moso Natural Air Purifying Bags - $10 To me, at least, it seems like the old baking soda in the fridge thing doesn't work; but activated charcoal clears up everything, even stale cigarette smoke. <A> The coal absorb the garlic's smell.
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Baking soda will help remove/absorb any odors that have leeched into the fabric of the fridge. Old fashion method-put a piece of coal on the fridge shelf.
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Why did my ginger garlic paste have a bitter aftertaste? I cooked a base for indian sauce based on lots of onion, homemade ginger garlic paste, some veggies (I used carrot, a little napa cabbage, bell peppers) and spices. After cooking, the sauce had an unfortunate bitter aftertaste. Nothing burned, I cooked over careful heat. First I thought it wasn't cooked enough, so I cooked some more over low heat. The bitter taste did not disappear. After considering this some more, my suspicion turned to my homemade ginger garlic paste. It turned green after grinding the ginger and garlic, but that didn't bother me, it's a fairly common phenomenon. But I fried some paste in two batches, and then tasted the result. One was fried until it browned. The other was just fried for 2-3 minutes, and remained quite green. Here's a picture showing (clockwise from lower right) raw, lightly cooked and browned ginger garlic paste: The browned batch was sweet, followed by the pungent ginger. The lightly fried batch was quite bitter, and also pungent. So I think the bitterness in my sauce was caused by my ginger garlic paste. But why? What happened? <Q> I see three possibilities based on what you've said: the germ of the garlic. <S> The germ, or new sprout of the garlic, should be removed before cooking . <S> acid. <S> Cooking garlic in an acid environment can cause chemical changes in the garlic, such as turning blue-green or bitter -- as in your picture. <S> Ginger and onions might even be enough to trigger this, or other components of the dish. <S> over-cooking the garlic. <S> Though you said you were careful with heat, it's easy to burn garlic just enough to make it bitter. <A> The green color of the paste is telltale for a lot of properly sprouted garlic... <S> as hoc_age already said, the sprouts turn bitter when cooked, so break up your garlic and remove anything green inside before making the paste. <S> Also, blenders tend to oxidize oils, if the result is still not satisfactory, try using a mortar and pestle instead - garlic and ginger are easily broken down in a mortar if coarse salt is added and used as an abrasive... just remember to put less salt in the dish! <A> Cooking ginger/garlic paste too long at high heat (that didn't burn because it was premixed into a couple cups of yoghurt/spices/meat), seems to have caused the bitter taste in the portions of the meal that were towards the bottom of the pot. <S> I have an Indian recipe for Hyderabadi Chicken Biryani that calls for 4 Tablespoons of Ginger Garlic Paste mixed into two cups of yogurt, along with the meat and spices and top layer of par-cooked rice. <S> Normally the mixture is cooked on the stove in a lidded pot for 5 minutes on High, 15 minutes on Medium and 10 on low. <S> The juices from the meat mix with the yoghurt mixture and everything works out well. <S> I've made this dish several times with success, so thought to change it up, and not having goat on hand <S> I used beef sirloin instead of chicken. <S> So I thought I would need to switch to a pressure cooker pot to make sure the beef is tender, instead of the regular pot, and cooked it for 10-15 minutes on High and remainder on Medium. <S> The bottom layer did not discolor as if it was burned, however I tasted bitter portions throughout the dish, and moreso as I mixed the cooked dish completely. <S> Adding lemon helped, but now I have a pot full of tender beef, occasional bites that are good, and the rest that is sooo bitter!Next time I will use the regular pot approach, and just cook it longer on low to make sure the beef is tender and the Ginger Garlic paste does not overcook to become bitter. <A> When you add the garlic paste, don't stir it too much, and don't put garlic paste in oil when there is nothing else in it. <S> When the raw smell of garlic goes away, that means it's cooked through, it won't have the bitter taste. <A> I have struggled with this too and after very carefully making and remaking a recipe (4 times in one day), I found the problem was with the ginger. <S> The longer the recipe cooked, the more bitter it would become until it was inedible. <S> I bought new ginger thinking it could just be old but the same thing happened so I take the fresh ginger out completely and just add some powdered ginger later on in the recipe. <S> Haven't had the problem since. <S> I wish I could use fresh <S> but it just won't cooperate. <S> Maybe I am cooking it too hot
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If your garlic had started to sprout and especially if you left in the germ, this is a possible cause of the bitterness.
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How to tell if cheese is vegetarian? I do not eat farmed animals, including animal rennet, which is used in making many kinds of cheese. Cheeses here in the U.S. vary in what they use as curdling agent and I have seen the following labels listed in ingredients: Animal Rennet Rennet Microbial Rennet Cheese Cultures (does this mean animal rennet?) Vegetarian Rennet Unless the ingredient list makes is explicit that it is of animal origin, such as the first or probably the second bullet point above, is there any way to guess which origin the Cheese Cultures connotes? Is there a special marking on the product (like a kosher label) that denotes that it is safe for consumption by non-meat eaters? <Q> Unfortunately, as you suggest, this is tricky. <S> The short answer is: if it's labeled "vegetarian rennet," "vegetable rennet," or "microbial rennet," it is probably , but not necessarily, vegetarian . <S> Otherwise, it is probably not vegetarian. <S> If you're willing to substitute different "cheeses:" Consider cheese types (or cheese-like products) made without rennet in the first place , such as acid-set cheeses or bacterially-cultured cheeses, like quark, cream cheese, queso blanco, paneer, certain types of ricotta, crème fraîche, marscarpone, etc. <S> Clearly some of those are more traditional "cheeses" than others. <S> As for more mainstream cheeses: There are various guides, such as this one from The Vegetarian Society with a little more detail, including nuggets like that proper Parmesan <S> (Parmigiano-Reggiano) cheese is never vegetarian <S> -- i.e., DOP/PDO certification guidelines specify the use of calf rennet. <S> Whey cheeses like mysost or traditional ricotta <S> are also unlikely to be rennet-free, because the whey used is often a by-product of "conventionally" processed cheese. <S> Some places around the world have better markings; e.g., in India there is the vegetarian mark , which is required on certain packaged foods. <S> In the US, for instance, there is no federal, legal definition of "vegetarian," though there are now some certification bodies (akin to Kosher or Organic) as noted in this Vegetarian Resource Group article. <S> Other companies and markets have their own hieroglyphics (e.g., vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, low-sodium, ...), but they're not always clear nor are they standardized. <S> A couple other sites have guidance, such as Vegetarian Times , or lists such as Joyous Living . <S> For completeness: Make sure to understand the source of microbial rennet to make sure you're okay with the possible sources, but this wasn't really your question. <S> Similar problems exist for determining the vegetarian-suitability of "natural flavours" or other additives, but that's a different question also! <A> Checking for kosher-dairy markings can be helpful because it should not be permitted to have any meat products in it (except kosher fish which are not considered to be meat according to kosher food rules). <S> The problem with this is that it is a very old religious rule which means there are multiple interpretations and no legal definition. <S> You first need to check what the rules are for the kosher certifying group whose marks you are relying on. <S> Some groups are stricter than others, and some don't consider highly processed animal-sources chemicals to be meat anymore from aa religious perspective. <S> I generally trust Orthodox Union, but they aren't the only good resource for vegetarians. <S> You should read up on their standards and see if you agree with them, and try to figure out what group is certifying whatever cheeses you're considering. <S> https://oukosher.org/the-kosher-primer/ <A> You seem to be under some misunderstanding. <S> The cultures are just the micro organism that feeds on the sugars in the milk (Lactose) <S> this provides the cheese with a certain amount of Lactic Acid which is basically where most of the strong flavours in cheese comes from. <S> These things are just simple bacteria though and have little bearing on the vegetarian status of the cheese. <S> What does have an influence though is the rennet. <S> This is what is often used to coagulate the milk. <S> That is to say separate the whey from the curds. <S> Traditional Rennet comes from Mammalian stomach linings and are therefore unsuitable for vegetarians. <S> There do exist alternatives though. <S> There are plant, fungal and bacterial coagulants as well. <S> The most widespread non-animal coagulant used in the making of cheese comes from fermentation-produced chymosin. <S> FPC is produced by injecting host bacteria with DNA extracted from calf cells. <S> This makes the product a bacteria made through genetic modification. <S> The deal with this is that this type of coagulant is a lot less effective. <S> It will almost always give a lower yield when producing cheese. <S> It is also a lot more complicated to produce and just plain more expensive. <S> With this in mind you have to realise that if a cheese producer goes through the real effort to make these provisions in the production of there cheeses they simply are going to mention it. <S> The converse is also true if the cheese is not very expensive and the label only tells the word rennet assume it was the non vegetarian / traditional version. <S> Look for an explicit indication of non animal rennet, vegetarian cheese or vegetarian rennet. <S> I commend you for taking your vegetarian lifestyle so seriously. <A> One of the essential ingredient of cheese is rennet . <S> It comes from calf’s stomach and therefore unacceptable for vegetarians. <S> However vegetarian rennet is becoming increasingly common. <S> It is a non-animal product used in the making of vegetarian cheeses to aid in the coagulation process. <S> You can also check the company website. <S> If all else fails call the company/distributor and ask for information from the nutrition or development department.
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So to find out whether the cheese is vegetarian or not check the label carefully and look for the source of rennet.
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What is the difference between Atlantic and Steelhead farmed salmon in taste and how to cook? I noticed today at the grocery for the first time a new type of salmon called Steelhead farmed salmon next to the regular Atlantic farmed salmon. The Steelhead was about 10% cheaper in price and slightly deeper pink/red (the packaging assured me that the color was artificial like the Atlantic). What is the difference between Atlantic and Steelhead farmed salmon in taste and how to cook? <Q> Technically, steelhead is an ocean-going subspecies of rainbow trout (a term more commonly applied to fish who live only in fresh water). <S> They're definitely related, though; salmon, trout, and char (you can often find Arctic char in the fish case alongside salmon) <S> are all members of the Salmonidae family . <S> As such they're pretty similar from a culinary perspective. <S> Personally, I find the flavor to be somewhat "fishier" and the texture less oily than Atlantic salmon , which is relatively mild. <S> Steelhead is a bit closer (as the color would indicate) to Pacific salmon varieties , with coho being the closest match in my experience. <S> But farmed fish are almost always milder, so don't expect anything close to really flavorful wild salmon. <S> The bigger difference is likely to be the physical size of the filets you get from steelhead. <S> They are smaller fish than the quite large Atlantic salmon, which means a generally thinner filet and a finer grain. <S> That in turn means they'll cook more quickly than thicker Atlantic filets. <S> Definitely an easy substitution, and not a bad difference in price (which is probably more due to where you're located in relation to the respective fish farms). <A> Steelhead is not salmon. <S> Salmon Trout and Steelhead are types of trout , an entirely different fish from the same family of fish as salmon. <S> A salmon is always a salmon, but a Steelhead starts its life out as a Rainbow Trout. <S> If the Rainbow Trout migrates to the ocean, it becomes a Steelhead. <S> If it never goes to the ocean, it stays a rainbow trout for its entire life. <S> Because they are closely related, and taste similar, Steelhead is sometimes marketed as Steelhead Salmon. <S> The store had it improperly labeled as such. <A> I find the two very close in flavor and would say it is probably a matter of taste. <S> If offered one and told it was the other I would probably believe it. <S> That is not the case with most wild caught salmon. <S> The Steelhead (scientific name Oncorhynchus mykiss ) is a rainbow trout (a type of salmon) that has gone to live in the ocean. <S> They are from the same Genus as the salmon from the Pacific side (Sockeye salmon's scientific name is Oncorhynchus nerka ). <S> The Atlanic salmon ( Salmo salar ) is from another genus. <S> Make sure your Steelhead is farm raised in good conditions. <S> Steelheads are between a threatened to endangered species. <S> For some yet unknown reason, those raised in farms become domesticated and do not do well in the wild, so restoring them appears to be difficult. <S> The farmed Steelheads also taste better in my opinion. <S> Wild salmon gets its red and pink shades from a carotenoid in their krill based diet. <S> The farmed salmon (including the steelheads) have carotenoids (canthaxanthin and astaxanthin) added to their diets, so color does not help much to determine quality when buying farm raised salmon, but it does help in the presentation. <S> Because of their lower fat content compared to other salmon, I would pan fry the filets (unless you have an unusually thick piece). <S> You can follow the suggestions in this article at Serious Eats which goes through common problems arising while frying salmon. <A> Cook at highest heat (oven broil) don't cover, skin down, sprinkle steak spice, a little maple sirop, remove when golden and "WOW" just like candy.
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The farmed Steelhead, in my appreciation of taste and cooking is tastier (less fishy) and not as dry as the Atlantic Salmon.
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Can I use Bisquick instead of All Purpose Flour? Can I use Bisquick instead of All Purpose Flour? <Q> You cannot directly use Bisquick in place of AP flour. <S> According to the company web site and Wikipedia, Bisquick consists of bleached all-purpose flour with several other ingredients, including fat (shortening), leavening (baking powder), sugar, and salt . <S> It is essentially a self-rising flour with added fat. <S> Because of all of the extra ingredients, it will not behave the same as regular all-purpose flour. <A> Yes, sometimes you can use Bisquik instead of flour. <S> I rarely cook, but I had been ending up with overripe bananas fairly often so I decided to make banana bread. <S> I thought the container in the top shelf of the cupboard was flour. <S> After making four batches of banana bread and one of zucchini bread over a couple of months, the container of flour was almost empty. <S> That's when I found the back of the Bisquik box under the container. <S> I had been using Bisquik all along, thinking it was flour. <S> (I told you I rarely cook! <S> I remember now I bought Bisquik to make pancakes eons ago.) <S> All the bread turned out great. <S> I took it to work, where it quickly disappeared, so that's more than just my opinion. <S> So maybe sometimes you can't just substitute Bisquik for flour, but sometimes a 1:1 substitution works just fine. <S> In fact, I'm a little leery of using real flour next time! :-) <A> Yesterday, I had made scones. <S> I wasn't sure it was going to work with the Bisquick powder but it came out great. <S> I put all the ingredients needed plus the Bisquick powder. <S> Although in some recipes it may not work, so just be mindful.
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Depending on the recipe or application, you may be able to substitute or remove some of the other ingredients to make use of a pre-mixed flour like Bisquick.
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Why does my apple crumble develop a bitter aftertaste? I tend to make Apple Crumble in a very basic way, using Bramley apples cooked down with plenty of sugar ( enough to leave a little tartness to balance out the sweet crumble mix ) and a bit of cinnamon. The outcome is delicious but if I go back for a second helping, which has been known, that seems to develop a really strong sour or bitter aftertaste in the back of my mouth. Now I acknowledge that modest portions are probably a virtue, but this seems to be a standard pattern over several years- that first portion is so good and the second one is so bad and I'm sure there must be something wrong with the way I'm preparing the dish. What do I need to change? The crumble recipe I use is a typical flour/sugar/butter with a few oats and sometimes crunched up nuts too. Any variance in the crumble doesn't seem to change the aftertaste. <Q> It may be that the specific flavour has a compounding effect, in the same way that spciy heat (capsaicin) does. <S> The first bite is great, the second one is more sour, and by the second portion it is the only thing you can taste. <A> I've noticed this with stewed apples as well. <S> The texture changes as it cools but also an aftertaste develops. <S> I assumed it was something to do with pectin. <S> It's usually better when reheating in the oven though? <S> I changed how I do crumbles in the last few years. <S> I now make a compote with apples and say blackberries and initially cook he crumble separately. <S> I then combine the two when the compote is cool and then bake for a very short time. <S> This keeps the fruit tasting fresh because its not baked to death. <A> What sort of dish are you using to bake the apples/crumble in? <S> Is it possible that the bitterness is caused by metallic or other leaching from the baking dish into the fruit? <S> This might explain why it gets a little stronger for the second serving, because it has had a little more time in contact with the fruit in particular. <S> Just a thought.
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It happens because of the way the mouth's flavour sensors react to certain flavour compounds, but I don't know enough to explain how it works exactly.
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How many times can you reuse bones to make broth? I recently cooked a chicken and made chicken broth from the bones. I also kept a few pieces of meat to add to the broth to give it more flavor. I know you can freeze the broth and use it for later but specifically how many times can I reuse the bones to make broth? Is there a time when it loses flavor or is not good for you? Does it differ depending on the animal/meat? <Q> Beef bones can be used multiple times, but less flavor and gelatin will be extracted from each additional use. <S> Harold McGee's "On Food and Cooking" describes this. <S> Because a standard kitchen extraction of eight hours releases only about 20% of the gelatin in beef bones, the bones may be extracted for a second time, for a total of up to 24 hours. <S> The resulting liquid can then be used to start the next fresh extraction of meat and bones. <S> I would imagine chicken bones would be similar, although, since they are smaller, the first batch may be more effective than 20%. <A> You can use chicken bones to make broth only once, all the goodness gets cooked out of them the first use. <S> You could re-cook them for hours and get nothing from them. <A> There's a specific term for reusing ingredients for stock twice: remouillage (which literally means a "rewetting"). <S> Usually this "second stock" is not used directly for broth, as it has significantly less flavor than the primary stock. <S> That said, depending on the type of bones, the amount of meat used in making the stock, etc. <S> , it may still have a very pleasant (if lighter) flavor. <S> In traditional French cuisine it tends to be used as a cooking liquid to make a new stock with (that is, you might cook chicken #1 twice, and use the second stock from chicken #1 to make a richer stock using the bones from chicken #2). <S> It can also be reduced for a glace, in which case the significant concentration will make it taste a bit more flavorful. <S> I personally tend to do this frequently when I'm making stock and save the "second stock" for miscellaneous uses, like a cooking liquid for rice or vegetables, or as the basis for a future broth. <S> Any flavor that does still exist will also become increasingly unbalanced. <A> I just pressure cooked a turkey, with roasting in the boiler just prior to the initial pressure cooking session, then afterwards, pressure cooking the carcass (bones and remaining skin and unused meat) two more times. <S> After the second pressure cooking session of the turkey carcass and remains, the turkey bones were easily broken apart, either broken in the middle or the ends of the larger bones could be somewhat broken open. <S> I pressure cooked one more time, for a third time. <S> I cannot recall the condition of the bones afterwards, but everything fit nicely within a sieve afterwards. <S> I'm starting to look at this question from a different angle, if you were held within a prison camp, how many times are you going to cook the carcass for nutrients? <S> I think we can cook the carcass as many times as we want, the bones will likely just liquefy at some extent, but is this material (calcium) desirable or pleasant on the pallet? <S> Likely not. <S> I think performing enough cycles for the bones to start showing weakening, and upon weakening, break them open and process them one more time might be best? <A> The flavor of a good broth is gained by the liquid extracting the flavors and substances from the bones over a period of time. <S> If your stock/broth has decent flavor, then, naturally, the bones should have little to none left to give any subsequent attempts at extraction. <S> Ideally, the answer should be "none" if you've made a great broth or stock on the first try.
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Generally, doing a third (or more) use of the bones for broth will extract very little flavor, mostly only giving you a bit of the remaining gelatin.
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Cooking steak in frying pan, problem with oil splatter I was using canola oil and put the stove top setting on "high - 9". I read plenty of guides suggesting there will infact be oil splatter, but it was pretty excessive and burning my arm with one drop getting near my eye before I stopped. I turned the heat setting down to "medium - 4", where the oil splatter seemed to drop substantially. Before I try to make steak again I'd like to get some clarification So my questions are: Which heat setting am I supposed to use? Is that type of oil splatter normal or should I try using a different oil, and if so, what oil? Should oiling the meat instead of the pan help the problem? <Q> You need to realize that oil doesn't splatter, water does . <S> In fact, you could heat oil until it catches fire without any mayor movement. <S> But the moment water reaches the oil, which in a hot pan is way beyond the boiling point for water, it will instantly turn into steam, expand and pull oil drops with it . <S> So apart from lowering the heat - which is not what you want to do for a well-seared piece of meat - you want to make sure your meat is as dry as possible on the outside. <S> Kitchen towels to blot off your meat would be my first choice. <S> In cases of wet marinades, remove the marinade and either grill your meat or lower the heat of your pan a bit. <S> But not because of splatters, but because the marinade may burn. <S> The more oil you use, the more can splatter. <S> A thin layer, possibly even just brushed on with a silicone brush will suffice in most cases. <S> You may also oil the meat instead of the pan. <S> For the type of oil, just stick with an oil that can handle high heat (save your extra virgin olive oil for a salad), canola is fine and so is peanut and some others. <S> And finally, there are splatter-guards on the market that can catch those propelled oil droplets. <S> They are made from a fine metal mesh and placed on the pan like a lid. <S> My prefered "hack" is using an inverted round cooling rack with a single layer of kitchen towel for these "will certainly splatter" cases. <S> It lets steam escape better than many of these fine-mesh splatter guards and the towel absorbs moisture, which then can't drip back into the pan. <S> Besides the rack can go in the dishwasher while at least some splatter guards need hand washing (if only because the mesh tends to catch debris from the water). <A> In Scandinavia we have this thing: The "lid" is a thin wire mesh that allows steam to escape and keeps most of the oil in. <S> I have no idea what it is called in english :-) <A> Get a griddle pan. <S> Not only will it stop splashes from the water / juice as it is trapped in the grooves, it caramelises the meat and leaves a beautiful criss-cross pattern if you turn it 90° as you cook it. <S> Make sure you season the steak <S> well too. <S> Bonus: deglaze the griddle with Jameson whiskey, add the juice to reduced cream & pepper for the nicest steak sauce in the world. <A> yes, if it looks wet on the surface then it will splatter. <S> I use them to thoroughly dry a steak or the skin side of a fish so that it can be brushed in oil cooked on a medium heat and crisp up nicely rather than char and splatter of the highest heat. <A> Mix a spoon or two of wheat flour into the frying oil and wait until it gets brown. <S> Then put your steaks in the pan and fry then as usual.
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One of the best investments I have ever made in the kitchen is to buy decent kitchen towels that don't turn to slush.
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Can you eat turkey eggs? I'm considering acquiring a few turkey hens and was wondering can you eat Turkey eggs? Has anyone eaten one? How do they taste? <Q> Yes, you absolutely can eat turkey eggs. <S> They are somewhat like duck eggs in that they are richer and creamier in taste. <S> However, turkeys don't lay nearly as many eggs as chickens - perhaps 100 a year as opposed to a hen's 300, so don't expect to enjoy them too often. <A> The ones I have tried had a higher yolk to white ratio, and were much richer as a result. <S> Perfectly safe to eat. <A> Yes, and here's a rare example of some on sale in a supermarket, in the "eggs" section. <S> These images are taken from the Buzzfeed article "19 Times Waitrose Went Way, Way Too Far" , which gently makes fun of a UK supermarket chain that has a reputation for being rather posh. <S> Individual Twitter users are credited in that article. <S> For a size comparison, you can just make out a box of hen's eggs on the left. <S> For an alternative size comparison, here's the same company's brand of osterich egg(s), duck eggs and quail eggs, on similar shelving in a branch of the same supermarket: <A> Yes - they are even commercially available now. <S> In fact, almost all bird eggs are edible. <S> Only a few birds have any kind of poison, and they live in Indonesia. <S> This source gives more details about the two kinds of birds that are known to be toxic, and the nutritional benefits of eating eggs. <S> However, given the difficulty of obtaining eggs from large hens and finding the nests of smaller birds, they are not often described in survival or wildlife guides.
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Turkey eggs look and taste like chicken eggs, they are just bigger.
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Should I peel my tomatoes before making a sauce? What are the pros and cons of peeling my tomatoes before making a sauce? I basically make two different sauces a classical red sauce and a "pink" sauce that is a light alfredo infused with white wine and then chopped tomatoes are added and reduced. When making my pink sauce you can see some skin afterwards but not much and most people like the texture. However I am talking to a local chef and we are picking tomatoes in his back yard and he tells me he skins them all... I have never had issues but ??? Note: I am getting a lot of feedback and I think there may be confusion. I chop my tomatoes into relative small cubes (let's say 1/3" cubed). There isn't much trace of skins and those left are very small slivers. Also is skin on vs skin off affecting taste? People love my pink sauce so I don't want to change the taste. <Q> They tend to curl up into tube sticks that don't chew very well and can hurt if you chew one accidentally <S> and you have a sensitive tooth or gum disease. <S> Peeling it very easy. <S> Score an x at the bottom of each tomatoe and blanch. <S> The skin will curl back and leave you with a whole but peeled tomato. <S> Edit based on change to question:The skins will have almost no affect to the taste either way. <A> Yes, I think you should peel tomatoes, but I have a thing about tomato skins. <S> In my opinion, you should either peel them or use a food mill to weed out the skins. <S> If they don't bother you or your guests, it's an unnecessary step. <S> Even if the tomatoes are diced, some of the tomato skin will separate from the meat of the tomatoes and make a paper-like curl in the sauce. <S> I dislike what that does to the texture of dishes, but it doesn't have any effect on the flavor. <S> Most canned tomatoes are peeled for that textural reason. <A> Once we do that it goes back in the pot with our spices until it's reduced enough for our liking. <S> We prefer smooth sauces.
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We cook down our tomatoes with skins on and then about half way through we strain the juice out to get rid of skins and seeds. It is unnecessary, however some people don't like the skins.
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Are there any calories in roasted coffee beans? Why is black coffee 0 kcal? Are there any calories in roasted coffee beans? And why do they seem to 'disappear' when turned into black coffee? According to some websites, there are (I've seen values between 300 and 400 kcal per 100 g). At the same time, when I check nutrition facts about black coffee - it says 0 kcal. Where do all the calories of the coffee beans go when they turn into black coffee? I read that when coffee is filtered (with paper filters), some oils are absorbed in the filter. But this alone does not seem enough to account for the missing calories. Also note that although the nutrition facts for black coffee are 'diluted' (i.e. it's expected they would be a lot less than the actual coffee in powder form, because there's water added), that is also not enough to bring the value to 0 kcal (however the rounding is performed). And what about coffee that is not filtered (French press?) or even about eating whole roasted coffee beans - what would the calories be then? Thanks Below are some sources with confusing/conflicting data: Sources: Coffee beans kcal per 100 g: 406 kcal: http://www.waitrose.com/shop/DisplayProductFlyout?productId=28551 417 kcal: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Orzo-Coffee-Ground-Roasted-400/dp/B00EXPZIT6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1443103310&sr=8-1 300 kcal: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/food/calories/generic-whole-plain-medium-roast-coffee-beans-eaten-227569387 267 kcal: http://www.nestle.co.uk/brands/coffee/dolcegusto/dolcegustopods <Q> Flatly, the calories are in the filter: in the grounds that you dump on your compost. <S> In the water that went through the grounds, there are mostly aromatic substances and traces of coffee oils, few enough that a cup of coffee has (rounded) <S> 0 calories. <S> The caloric values given for coffee beans are valid if eaten - which is rarely done in significant amounts (except perhaps the occasional chocolate-covered bean or truffle garnish). <S> That the values differ between sources is typical - it happens with other foods as well. <S> Measurement methods vary and so do nutrition contents in different batches / breeds / origins of beans. <S> If you prepare your coffee with a method that leaves some coffee grounds in your cup (e.g. Turkish coffee) and you consume them (as opposed to leaving the dregs), your cup will have some calories. <S> Yet probably not enough to be relevant for your daily calorie intake. <S> My estimate would be that an amount of black coffee that would supply a significant amount of calories would have you shaking that much that you would burn them again just from the side-effects of the caffeine or from the additional trips to the bathroom. <A> Remember that calories are basically how much energy you can get by burning stuff. <S> If you try to evaporate a cup of coffee, you will only have a small amount of dark brown residue left. <S> If you didn't use a filter, you'll have more residue. <S> Same goes for tea with a few tea leaves in a cup. <S> The situation is different for a cup of coffee or tea with added sugar, because when you evaporate them, you will have some burnable sugar left, which is definitely worth some calories. <A> Coffee is not 0 calories. <S> However most coffee is less than 5 calories per serving (1 cup) <S> therefore according to US packaging regulations can be rounded to 0. <A> Well with a very simple answer, because you don't really drink the stuff with calories. <S> If you get your coffee from the coffee machine, that black stuff is left in the machine, if you do it yourself, you don't drink that stuff, but just drink the liquid, which doesn't have too much calories, so all the remaining stuff with calories gets thrown away to your waste bin... <A> The main thing why there aren´t <S> any calories in coffee are: most of all calories were burned during the roasting process, lefted calories (fibers) in ground coffee are retained by the filter, so it seems to be logical that a Cup of coffee should have less than 5 calories.
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People usually don't drink up the ground coffee in their cups, so for the purpose of counting how much burnable material you consume, you can approximate it to zero.
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Why is cheese never used in Americanized Chinese food? While working weekends in an Americanized Chinese food restaurant I realized while many ingredients are used, no dishes contain cheese. This seems to be the case for every chinese dish I have ever seen in America, where as almost any other type of restaurants at least features some items with cheese on their menus. Why is this? <Q> It's simple; Americanized Chinese food rarely contains cheese because Chinese food rarely contains cheese. <S> As many as 90% of Chinese people are, to some degree, lactose intolerant. <S> Dairy is simply not a large part of Chinese food culture. <S> Dairy is growing as a business in China. <S> However, since dairy makes most Chinese sick, I imagine the dairy industry will be primarily an industry of exportation. <S> EDIT <S> As I promised in comments, I did look for citations for that 90% figure. <S> The figure is ubiquitous. <S> It may in fact have more to do with societal evolution than anything innate in the genetics of the Chinese people, but the fact remains. <S> Most Chinese people react poorly to dairy. <S> Neato Chart <A> Jolenealaska is right, that a large majority of Far Eastern people are lactose intolerant. <S> I think the answer to the question about cheese is that historically the peoples of the Far East did not keep milk-yielding cattle herds, which is why so many of them are lactose-intolerant, and why we never see cheese in Far Eastern dishes. <S> If someone wants to have a go incorporating dairy in fusion Chinese-Western cooking I would suggest that they go to something like Xueo , a Tibetan yoghurt-like dish made from fermented yak milk. <S> That might match traditional food a little better than cheese! <A> I am a Chinese american but also lived in Hong Kong and Taiwan and traveled in China and Singapore, so I'm familiar with americanized Chinese food as well as Chinese food in Hong Kong, Taiwan and China. <S> Food in China, Taiwan and Hong Kong has evolved and changed in really complicated ways as they modernized and got access to new ingredients and exposure to western cultures like Britain and other asian cultures like Japan. <S> People in China, Hong Kong and Taiwan definitely consume dairy products in spite of whatever lactose intolerance they might have. <S> Milk and yogurt are commonly consumed in China today. <S> Milk appears in certain traditional Chinese desserts (almond tofu jelly and steamed milk). <S> Parmesan and even mozzarella cheese is used as a topping for 'baked rice' in Hong Kong, which are traditional casserole dishes that probably developed with some British influence. <S> Fluffy baked cheese cake is a popular dessert in Hong Kong and Taiwan bakeries (probably result of Japanese bakery influence). <S> Milk is very popular in beverages like milk tea, yin-yeung (mixture of coffee and tea), bubble tea, and coffee. <S> While food in China, Hong Kong and Taiwan has evolved to incorporate nontraditional ingredients such as milk and cheese gradually, it is curious that this hasn't happened with american style chinese food despite the availability of milk and cheese products. <A> "Americanized" Chinese is not an invented cuisine, but rather an adaptation by Chinese immigrants to the US to adjust for local palates. <S> That subset of cuisine as a whole still stays largely true to traditional methods and ingredients. <S> While you may see the incorporation of more localized produce, it would be very unlikely to see such a foreign ingredient as cheese introduced. <S> Probably the closest you'll ever see is the cream cheese in Crab Rangoon. <A> Restaurants are businesses first and foremost. <S> In areas where Hispanics live Chinese restaurants serve cheese and meat enchiladas, pizza, baked fish with cheese topping besides all traditional chinese foods. <S> Maybe this is Mexicanized chinese food.
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I think cheese doesn't appear in American style chinese food more because of the way that american style chinese food has evolved (or hasn't evolved) as a cuisine, rather than because milk and cheese aren't traditional chinese ingredients.
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How do I prevent crust formation when proofing pizza dough? While proofing, the crust can appear on the dough balls if in contact with air (oxygen). I tried preventing by damp cloth but it still happens. The only thing that works 100% is plastic foil wrap, but that would prevent the dough from rising. I'd like to proof for long time this time, so it is even more important to get that technique right. <Q> If you insist on using a damp cloth, you have to make it wet again and again, so this is quite cumbersome especially with long proofing times. <S> Tightly wrapping the dough itself obviously won't work. <S> My prefered method for these very long raises is a large food-safe plastic container with a lid. <S> It doesn't have to be super-airtight and as I usually do a round of "stretch and fold" or quick punchdown every 12-24 hours I never had a problem with dried or overflowing dough. <A> Try coating the dough ball with a little olive oil or a non-stick spray. <S> I don't know if that's the reason <S> why <S> but it's what I always do when baking bread <S> and I never have a crust form during the rise. <A> Commercial pizza places usually use plastic dough proofing trays. <S> They interlock and provide a relatively air-tight seal when they stack on top of each other. <S> If you're looking for something that fits in your refrigerator, you should look into Artisan DoughMate trays. <S> They are are 1/2 of the size of standard restaurant sized trays and you can fit a couple in your home fridge (Just under 18" <S> x 14") <S> They stack with a very good air-tight seal and you just need a lid for the top one. <S> You should be able to fit about six dough balls to a tray. <S> If your only talking 2-3 dough balls then one tray would work, with a lid. <S> But you also can look at aluminum dough pans. <S> Some of these are also stackable with lids, and you put one dough ball into each one. <S> I've often seen people spray the pans with oil so that the dough releases easily, or spray the dough balls so that if they spread into each other while proofing that don't make one massive dough ball.
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Much easier is plastic wrap, which doesn't prevent the dough from rising if you use it to cover a sufficiently large bowl .
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Why do I add stock to risotto slowly? Risotto recipes always call for adding the stock slowly. Why do we do that? I've read in a couple of places it may help cooking the rice more evenly, or prevent it going stodgy? <Q> All due respect, it's a myth. <S> You don't need to add liquid slowly. <S> Perhaps there used to be a reason (maybe years ago rice was processed differently), but at this point you're pretty much wasting your time constantly stirring. <S> Many cooking publication/blog has a "no stir" risotto. <S> You can check out Serious Eats - which has a great breakdown of why risotto can be cooked w/out stirring every minute, and <S> Cook's Illustrated - though CI doesn't have any of their usual "science" notes. <S> Yes, people call the "no stir" a half way risotto, or say that the technique is what makes it risotto. <S> But it's only backed up by tradition and hand-waving, "The starch is on the outside, so the grains need to rub each other. <S> " Of course the grains need to rub each other, and you probably still sear your meat to "keep the juices in" too. <A> For the risotto to be "creamy", the rice starch need to be released slowly. <S> You add the hot liquid (water, broth, bouillon) slowly to let the rice absorb it and let the rice release some of its starch to the remaining liquid. <S> I, personally like my risotto on the "dryer" but the more classic risotto is more "wet" and runny. <A> Agreeing with Trey Jackson <S> But there is also a reason to add stock slowly that's because the person hasn't made it enough times to know how much stock is require for a certain amount of rice <S> And if you don't know how much stock is needed and you dump stock in halfway and don't stir it, the stock will sit on top while the bottom burns. <S> And that's how the whole you gotta add slowly all the while stirring comes from :P <S> So if you know how much stock is required and what heat setting ... you just set and forget and start cooking something else while your waiting for the risotto to be done
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Adding the liquid slowly also let you control the cooking more closely, you can then add a little bit more or stop adding when your preferred texture is attained.
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Only the core of my banana is black. Is it safe to eat? This banana had a bit of bruising I wasn't too concerned until I noticed the core (and only the core) was dark brown/black in color. In addition, it's somewhat dry and hollow, unlike normal banana flesh. I've read elsewhere on the Internet that this happens when they've been dropped (which, incidentally, this one has been). Is this true? Are bananas like this still generally safe to eat? <Q> According to my grandfather, it's still under-ripe - he liked them after they were brown/black all over outside and pretty well brown all the way through inside. <S> So I'm pretty sure <S> it's perfectly safe to eat. <A> From a 1989 Chicago Tribune article : ... some said that almost all the bananas they had purchased lately had such an unpleasant, dark center that they were inedible. <S> We received a more thorough explanation from Chiquita Bananas along with the admission that the problem is occurring with more frequency than ever before. <S> Russ Caid, special director of banana and technical services for Chiquita, said that the condition is called black center syndrome. <S> He explained that once bananas have begun to ripen, they are very fragile and must be handled with care. <S> Dropping a crate of ripening bananas as little as one foot can cause them to have black centers. <S> Banana growers and shippers are aware of that and insulate the bananas from any rough handling. <S> However, once these bananas are closer to their final destination, either at distribution centers or the supermarket, handling may become less careful, causing black center syndrome. <S> Caid said that at Chiquita they are very concerned about the problem and are trying to orient and train people at all levels of handling to eliminate the condition. <S> Unfortunately, he concluded, there is no way to tell if a banana has black center syndrome until it is peeled. <A> I know this is old but for anybody reading here for info in the future... <S> If the banana is brown but not from bruising it's usually from being chilled below 0 Celsius either by the shop or in air freight as that is not heated and bananas go brown when frozen. <S> All fruit is good to eat as long as it doesn't smell or taste funny <S> so just use your senses. <A> That looks to be. <S> It is not a hole up threw the seeds or center. <S> There are times a insect will go up the center of a banana. <S> A fungus can set in. <S> Some people have got sick of such. <S> We throw them away. <S> Or brown centers like yours. <S> But bananas are most times free for the taking <S> were I live. <S> Or we need give some away. <S> Mix them in feed for the pigs or such. <S> The banana you eat are picked so unripe this is not normally a problem with them. <S> The insect getting in them. <S> But dropping near ripe bananas can do what you see there. <S> It is not a hollow hole so safe to eat.
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when a banana is almost black just in the 3 central cores it is because it is beginning to change from fruit to seed and is perfectly fine to eat.
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Flavor difference between marzipan and persipan I know that persipan is a cheap substitute for marzipan, using apricot or peach kernels in place of almonds. How do the flavor profiles of these two food items differ? Is marzipan really "better" in some sense than persipan? <Q> If you want to give something the flavor of almonds, then starting with almonds, in my opinion, is superior to starting with the cousin of almonds. <S> Of course, if your persipan is, in your opinion, indistinguishable from marzipan, then go ahead and use it in good health, but it is likely that it has added flavors to get it to that point (natural or otherwise, depending on manufacturer). <S> and, I would presume, peach kernels (I haven't eaten those). <S> Almonds, peaches and apricots are close relatives and the kernels are generally quite similar. <S> Most peach and apricot kernels (as well as bitter almonds) are not edible in their fresh, raw state because they contain cyanide in the form of amygdalin. <S> There are actually some apricots with kernels that are edible without extra processing and in my experience, they aren't as flavorful as almonds, although I guess there could be some varieties with more flavorful kernels, but I think the ones that are being used for the persipan are more likely to be leftover from fruit production and <S> not a specific variety bred for the kernel itself. <S> When you make marzipan, you just need to grind up blanched almonds. <S> When you make persipan, you need to process the kernels to remove toxic chemicals, which removes much of the bitterness, and then grind them up and probably add in some flavoring. <S> I expect it is possible to get the persipan to approximate the flavor of marzipan, and I would expect the texture to be about right to begin with, but personally, I would say that yes, making marzipan from almonds is superior. <S> It's using the variant of that particular nut-bearing tree that was bred throughout the centuries to make the flavor that this food item is most expected to highlight. <S> Marzipan IS almond. <S> ... <S> and sugar, sure, fine, whatever. <S> ;-) <A> Indeed, the flavor might well be stronger, though the choice would come down to "what you like better" and I can't tell you that. <S> I don't think I've ever found "persipan" or "apricot kernel paste" (other than mail order in absurd quantities at absurd prices) <S> but I'm quite fond of amaretti, and there isn't an almond involved in Amaretti di Saronno, anyway - sugar, apricot kernels, egg whites and raising agent. <S> Kinda funny for a product often thought to be "almond"-flavored, and quite strongly flavored at that. <S> I can more easily get marzipan or almond paste, and I generally choose the latter as it has more almonds (percentage-wise), typically. <S> But based on Amaretti di Saronno <S> I'd quite happily buy apricot kernel paste if I could find it at a reasonable cost, either locally or including shipping. <A> Persipan is a bold strong bitter almond taste, whereas almond and Marzipan paste is a much lighter smoother almond flavor and texture.. <S> Hope this helps!!!
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Modern, sweet, cultivated almonds have a stronger almond-y (and in my opinion, better) flavor than apricot kernels
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I accidentally dropped the lid from a can of diced tomatos in my crockpot of cabbage roll soup! I went to stir the cabbage roll soup and found the metal lid to the diced tomatoes in the soup. It's been in there for at least an hour with all the food in the crockpot cooking on high. I got it out and still have the food cooking. I'm not sure if we can eat this now or not? <Q> When you can foods, even in a mass production setting, you're pouring near boiling contents into the cans. <S> So heating it in your soup is no different than having used those tomatoes in the soup. <S> If it wasn't food safe it wouldn't be used for canning. <S> It would do no more harm to eat the soup than it would be to eat the tomatoes out of that can. <S> Addition: <S> While there may have been health risk in the past with the coating on many canned products, its incredibly rare in modern day. <S> While trace amount of tin are generally safe, in a larger quantity they can cause nausea and vomiting, but generally no long term effects as these are mostly related to the inability to digest tin. <S> In the UK some canned products are coated in a Bisphenol-A compound which is a known carcinogen. <S> Though this is becoming less common, as BPA is generally avoided in food containment. <S> Though the toxicity of BPA is still widely debated, its generally best to avoid it. <S> Most cans are made of steel, which if dissolved, even in relatively large quantities is not a health risk. <S> For instance, many pans are made of steel or iron. <S> Most commonly these cans are coated with aluminum as its much cheaper to plate steel with aluminum rather than tin. <S> Aluminum can be toxic in large quantities, but aluminum is very resistant to corrosion, as it tends to form an oxidized coating which prevent most corrosion. <S> There are some minor safety hazard in consuming the coating on certain canned products, though its increasingly less common to find products canned in these containers that contain potentially hazardous materials. <S> Tin coated cans have made people nauseous in the past, due to the tin dissolving from acidic contents like fruit. <S> Though generally the can has to be rather old, and discoloration is a good indicator in this case to avoid consuming problematic amounts of tin. <S> I'd say being that there are no reports of people becoming ill from cooking a portion of a can, that its safe to assume that there are no major health implications. <S> Though if you are worried, you may want to contact the company that packages the specific brand of canned goods you are using. <S> sources : <S> Wikipedia, Tin Can Mount Sinai Hospital, Aluminum Toxicity <A> It's nothing. <S> Since you've already fished it out, you're done having to deal with it, just keep going. <S> No harm will come to you or your dish. <A> Though the other answers correctly state that the lid is harmless <S> , what was dropped into the soup was the lid and additionally everything else on that lid . <S> I had once briefly worked at a warehouse that handled, among other things, some food products. <S> There I learned that the outside of the can is no less important than the inside. <S> I have seen rat poison distributed on a pallet of canned soda, which was later distributed to stores to be put in vending machines. <S> If the lid was properly cleaned , then there is probably no worry. <S> But if the lid was exposed to chemicals, poisons, or dirt then it would have to be properly cleaned to be safe. <S> If you wouldn't lick the lid, then don't serve the food.
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I like the "lick test": If you would comfortably lick that lid, then the food is probably safe.
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Why boil octopus with wine cork? I saw a recipe (in Croatian, check out if you understand) for making octopus salad that says boil the octopus with a piece of wine cork. The article doesn't explain what effect the cork gives. Do you know what the purpose of it may be when added to boiling octopus? <Q> The muscle fibers of octopus are very thin compared to other species, arranged in multiple layers and alternating rings, which are then even further reinforced with collagen, 3-5 times more than regular fish muscle fiber. <S> It's basically the reinforced concrete in the world of muscle fibers. <S> There are exactly two ways to get tender octopus: <S> Destroy the collagen by force or to cook it for a very long time like a stew <S> Barely cook it to a core temperature of not more than 130-135°F/55-57°C. <S> At 140°/60° temperature the collagen layers will contract and you are screwed. <S> Note that these two methods generate edible octopus, but with different texture. <S> The wine cork serves no purpose. <S> If it has any effect at all, it will negatively affect the destruction of the collagen, as tannin is actually used to cross-link, a process to make the collagen stable and durable, which is the complete opposite of what you want, when you want tender octopus. <S> References: [1]: On Food and Cooking [2]: Stabilization of Collagen by Its Interaction with Tannin [3]: Tannin used for the conservation of leather by stabilizing collagen <S> As an unrelated side note, octopus and squids have the least flavorful flesh of all fish and molluscs, as they use Trimethylamine N-oxide for osmotic balance; which happens to be completely tasteless. <S> Other species use tasty amino acids. <S> Unless you happen to have one as free by-catch on your own fisherboat, there is not much reason to invest the time and costs to make a dish out of it. <A> I cook octopus from time to time, and I always put a wine cork in the boil water together with the octopus, because my mother in-law told me that the high content of the tannin from the cork (of red wine) makes the octopus tender. <A> In Galicia, corks were tied to squids. <S> That made it easier for the cook to raise and lower the squid out of boiling water - the historic recipe calls for doing that to the squid 5-7 times. <S> With modern cooking utensils, that practice became obsolete, and wine cork is thrown in the pot purely as a historic tradition. <A> http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/05/dining/05curious.html?_r=0 Roger, <A> In my humble experience, cooking squid or octopus is either very short or very long and slow. <S> Squid or octopus in any Mediterranean salad is parboiled for a minute or less in acid liquid, water with either lemon, vinegar, wine and then cooled. <S> This results in something 'chewy' for a salad. <S> I doubt large pieces of octopus would work. <S> If you desire tender, then long and slow is the way to go. <S> Roger,
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I would guess that it is the wine residue in the cork that helps.
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How can I improve the texture of my whole grain pancakes? I've been experimenting for a while with whole grain pancake recipes that I can make in a blender. This is the best variation I've come up with so far: ½ cup hard white wheat 1 cup rolled oats 1 ½ cups milk 2 large eggs 1 tablespoon baking powder ¾ teaspoon salt Put all ingredients in a blender. Blend on high speed for 6 minutes. Cook on a 325° griddle. I like the pancakes, but some of my kids complain about the texture. What can I do to make them lighter and fluffier? I don't want to significantly increase the fat or sugar. I don't want to significantly decrease the fiber or protein. Are there any good options within these parameters? <Q> Debbie's right about the gluten - overmixing is a reliable way to get tough pancakes. <S> I'm not sure what the best solution is within your process. <S> Failing that, I think you want to grind the grains up dry, and then it really won't take much mixing at all to eliminate clumps. <S> That's going to require something other than a blender, though. <A> Perhaps separate the egg whites, whip those whites until soft peaks form, then fold that into (perhaps a smaller portion of the) batter just before grilling? <A> It's definitely going to make them sweeter <S> but the sugar from fruit is healthy!
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Adding a mashed banana or a half cup of applesauce can help make them fluffier and more moist! By far the easiest thing would be simply to use wholegrain wheat flour, letting someone else do the grinding for you.
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Is Foul Fair? (Or what is this mystery bean) I came across this at my local hypermarket, and I'm wondering what it is, and what one can do with it. If it isn't obvious from the picture (Bigger version here https://i.stack.imgur.com/M4TKG.jpg ) Its a dark brown bean, roughly the size of a coffee bean, and a medium dark brown colour. The specific manufacturer typically sells iranian/middle eastern herbs, so its likely to be from that area. What is it, and how generally does one use this? <Q> <A> I'm pretty sure that's fava beans. <S> It's usually transliterated as ful, but seems close enough. <S> See for example <S> ful medames - <S> the first word in Arabic on your package is the same as the first one there. <S> They also certainly look like fava beans, though it's a little hard to see clearly in that photo. <S> See the Google image search results for fava beans . <A> Foul is an alternate spelling of ful , an Egyptian dish made of fava beans. <S> Fava beans are therefor known to some as foul beans, dried foul or ful/foul Medammes.
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These are fava beans , the term "foul" (uncommon transliteration) on the pack hinting at a dish that these beans are typically used for: A ful , a stew-like dish of cooked and spiced beans from the Middle East.
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What can I use instead of Sriracha if I only want to make a dish non-spicy, but similarly flavorful? The specific recipe I'm making is http://www.budgetbytes.com/2012/08/spicy-noodles/ (copied at bottom for posterity). I'm a big fan of the spice, but my guests and partner are often not. Since the sriracha is a critical part of the sauce, and makes the noodles quite spicy, I'd like to somehow avoid the spicy effect, while keeping the flavor, texture, and if possible color, reasonably similar. The dish is alright if you simply remove the sriracha and keep the soy sauce and brown sugar, but it's not as flavorful. Is there anything that is similarly flavorful that I could use, but that doesn't have the spice? I've also tried an equal amount tomato paste, and holy crap was that a mistake. There might be some other way to use tomatoes, though. Ingredients 4 oz. lo mein noodles $1.13 2 Tbsp butter $0.20 ¼ tsp crushed red pepper $0.02 1 large egg $0.25 1 Tbsp brown sugar $0.02 1 Tbsp soy sauce $0.02 1 Tbsp sriracha (rooster sauce) $0.08 1 handful fresh cilantro $0.22 1 sliced green onion $0.06 Instructions Begin to boil water for the noodles. Once the water reaches a full boil, add the noodles and cook according to the package directions (boil for 5-7 minutes). While waiting for the water to boil, prepare the sauce. In a small bowl stir together the brown sugar, soy sauce, and sriracha. In a large skillet melt 2 tablespoons of butter over medium-low heat. Add the red pepper to the butter as it melts. Whisk an egg in a bowl and then add to the melted butter. Stir gently and cook through. Once the egg is done cooking, turn off the heat. When the noodles are tender, drain the water and then add them to the skillet with the cooked egg. Also add the prepared sauce. Turn the heat on to low to evaporate excess moisture, and stir until everything is coated well with the sauce. Sprinkle the sliced green onions and cilantro leaves (whole) on top and serve! ``` <Q> There are a lot of things you could add that would deliver a similar pepper and garlic flavor. <S> One thing that comes to mind is Ajvar . <S> It's a Serbian relish made primarily from red bell peppers, garlic, and eggplant. <S> I live in the US, and the local supermarket carries it in both mild and spicy versions. <S> Aside from being a lot milder, the flavor profile is pretty similar to sriracha sauce. <S> If you don't mind doing some more work, you could roast, skin, and mash some red bell peppers yourself. <S> Then add some garlic, a bit of something sweet (optional), and some hot pepper (also optional). <A> It is also not as smooth. <S> If you want to have a closer texture, you might need to press it through a sieve and discard the seeds (which could also further reduce the spiciness -- but I really don't find this sauce to be hot at all). <S> Depending on the heat tolerance of your audience, you may also need to sacrifice your crushed red pepper in the egg. <S> Perhaps you could serve some chili oil on the side for people who want to turn up the heat? <S> Edit: <S> Another option based on MHH's suggestion that the chili-garlic might still be too spicy. <S> Replace both the sugar and most of the sriracha with Sweet Thai Chili sauce. <A> It's not a common ingredient unless you have a Dutch or German market near you -- but I'd substitute Curry Ketchup (aka Gewurz Ketchup, aka. <S> Schaschlik Sauce). <S> Hela makes a garlic (knoblauch) variety that would likely best fit your need, but there are other varieties of different heat: mild (delikat), sharp (scharf), extra hot. <S> Admittedly, there are some other spices in there (mustard, cloves, etc.), <S> but I think it would help to round out the flavors and create some other interest as you're removing the heat from the chilies.
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I make a similar sauce using Chili Garlic Sauce, which has a similar (but not identical) flavor profile and color and adds a lot less heat.
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Does using Electric stove vs Gas stove have any difference in food taste? Does it make any difference in taste when you use Gas stove and Electric Stove?AFAIK, it doesn't but some people I know (amateur cooks) say that it does make a difference in taste. Enlighten me on this one please? <Q> The simple answer is: no, heat is heat, it should taste the same. <S> Reality is slightly more complicated than that. <S> In reality, a cook learns how to cook well by instinct with his stove. <S> When he changes to a stove with a different behavior, his instinct is suddenly wrong, but he probably does not know it. <S> So he cooks as usual. <S> But because the stove works differently, he should have changed the setting and time he uses. <S> So, a stove change alone can cause food to taste worse - not because the stove is worse, but because the cook's skill is lacking. <S> Also, an electric stove (especially an old fashioned one with iron hobs) cannot do some things a gas stove can, such as a very quick change in temperature. <S> If the food absolutely requires this, it can turn out worse on the electric stove. <S> But a good cook should be able to work around that. <S> So, the more complete statement should be: <A> There is no difference in food taste when cooking using gas or electric. <S> Gas burns pretty cleanly <S> so is not going to leave a flavor residue you could detect. <S> Cooking over flame as in a barbecue or a pot over a campfire does change the flavor because of the smoke, that's the only case I can think of where the heat source can change the flavor of the food. <A> No Only when smokes is added by the cooking method does it effect the taste. <S> The only real reason why gas is preferred over conventional stoves is that you can control the temperature of a gas stove much more accurately. <S> Gas mark 1, 2 and are a much more universally accepted temperature gauge <S> then what is the case with conventional stoves that may all be different in the temperatures they give at there various marks. <A> I think there might be a maybe? <S> I find that there is of course differences in responsiveness between gas and electric. <S> Gas is much quicker to respond in temperature, either raising it or lowering it. <S> Electric is much less responsive. <S> I'll take a gas range over an electric one any day of the week. <S> But here is my maybe...if you were to actually cook food directly with the actual heat of a gas or electric stove, there might be a difference. <S> I would say that the heat from gas has more water vapor. <S> If you put a clear heat proof glass container a little above a gas flame you will see some vapor on it. <S> I would say this is lacking in electric, it is a dry heat. <S> I will frequently cook/reheat both corn and flour tortillas or charring veggies, directly on the gas hob and also directly on those old fashioned electric coils. <S> I would say that there is a difference, as the electric coil heated tortilla has less moisture and a bit more crispy. <S> And ones heated on gas is warm, but not as crispy. <S> With the coils, you can place food directly on the coiled surface, which will cook differently. <S> The gas flame needs that little bit of space between it and foods you cooking, or else it is extinguished. <S> Or perhaps it's just me, but this difference only exists when you cook food directly with the heat from either gas or electric. <A> If you compare a high quality electrical stove vs. a gas stove - from my personal experience, there is no difference. <S> But, if you're talking about cheap electrical stoves, those heat and cool very slowly and might cause food to over\under cook. <S> Personally, I always prefer the good old gas stove.
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There is no difference in taste between cooking on electric or gas stove, if the cook knows how to compensate for the difference in heating speed .
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An electronic tool for mixing while the pot is on the fire When cooking a pudding cream, we need to constantly mix the cream while it is on the fire, in order to prevent chunks from forming and keep the cream smooth. It takes a long time and the hand becomes tired. Is there an electronic tool that can be used to mix the cream while it is on the fire? <Q> Some even have removable shafts, <S> so you can change the length of stick attachment to fit your pot, or switch it out for different accessories, like a whisk attachment . <S> And at risk of sounding like an infomercial, they even sell bowl clamps for hands free operation! <S> Me personally, I like a drill and mixer attachment. <A> Perhaps a Thermomix would do the job? <S> ...or a magnetic stirrer/hotplate? <S> Search Chemistry supply houses. <S> Though the pudding may be too thick for that to work. <A> There exist automatic pot stirrers: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0000TPBYG <S> http://www.amazon.com/dp/B013L1XYU2/ <S> http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004JELGHE/ <S> http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00F3WUB8Q/ ... <S> but unless it's just the right size for the pot, I would think that you would run into issues with it not clearing the corners of the pot well, and scorching the cream. <S> (note : I've never used any of them ... and the product pages don't show the working end of the device except for the last one ... which obviously won't get to the corners)
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For thick sauces and puddings, I would think an immersion blender is the way to go.
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What regular product can replace Philadelphia cooking creme in a chicken pie recipe? This is the recipe: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/220694/philly-chicken-pot-pie/ It's perfect because it's so simple, except I don't like the "cooking creme", which is an unappetizing concoction of strange ingredients and too much salt. What regular food (or combination thereof) can be used in this recipe instead? <Q> Why not make your own cheese sauce. <S> Or you could always use something like ricotta cheese or boursin cheese that is a spreadable and more natural cheese. <A> You could try mixing some (tbs or two) cornflour with a little water to make a paste, stir that through some thickened cream (250/300ml?), mix in some dried or fresh herbs of choice then stir that together with your chicken and veg mixture till it just starts to thicken. <S> I would also add a good amount of fresh pepper and some cheese, otherwise it is going to be very bland indeed. <S> Bake as directed in recipe. <S> If you want the garlic flavour you should fry it at the same time as the chicken, or maybe use garlic powder or garlic infused oil. <S> Incidentally, if it is simplicity you are after you could further amend this dish to use a pre-cooked chicken or leftovers and forego the saucepans altogether. <A> I've never used the stuff, but posts online suggest that you can thin cream cheese (8oz cream cheese + 1/2c chicken broth) . <S> Other alternatives might be a yogurt or Mexican crema. <S> You'll also need to adjust salt and other seasonings. <A> I make pies like this quite often <S> and I use white wine and double cream as the liquid. <S> I put 200ml or so of wine which I bubble down till it's about half or a bit less then add 300ml or so of double cream (and usually mustard and tarragon) and bubble slowly into it thickens. <S> Usually it's thick enough like this to make a delicious creamy filling, but sometimes I need to reduce a little. <S> Honestly though the idea of using frozen defrosted veg is the thing that puts me off that recipe. <S> I'd just soften some onions, carrots and celery in butter, add the browned chicken (and some halved mushrooms), then add the wine and cream. <S> YMMV.
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You could do something like; roux, milk and cheese .
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Old oil on cast iron Dutch oven I have a Dutch oven that remained in storage for about three years. Apparently I covered it with oil prior to the storing. Now,it has that old oil smell to it that I can't get of. Any advice on how to remove the oil and smell? <Q> Try burning it off. <S> Put it in a 500 degree oven for an hour or so. <S> If there is oil on it, it will smoke. <S> After that, you may need to re-season the Dutch oven. <S> Good luck. <A> Yes, this can be huge pain to deal with. <S> Note for the future - if "oiling prior to storage" mineral oil (USP) might be a better choice than vegetable oil, as it does not go rancid. <S> If you have a dishwasher you can run the pan through the dishwasher to remove most of the (now rancid) oil. <S> Then follow @user40124's advice to burn it off (but have less smoke) and finally re-season it. <S> Alternatively, burn it off in a wood fire where the additional smoke won't be an issue. <S> The thread I just linked in a comment on the question suggests running it in a self-cleaning oven on the the clean cycle. <S> Dry promptly after the dishwasher runs or it will rust. <S> Likewise, don't wait a long time between burning it off and re-seasoning, or the clean, oil-free pan will quickly rust. <A> Strip it and re-season it. <S> Depending on your choice of oil, it will be plus or minus 385 degrees until the oil is dry. <S> About an hour usually if the pot is cold. <S> I don't use nor recommend FGMO, I don't want to eat that whether or not it's supposed to be harmless.
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Just make sure that when you prepare the cast iron for storage, that you bake the oil on, and don't store the cast iron wet.
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Why does yoghurt need to feed on milk products? Why not plain sugar? My understanding is that yoghurt is is the biproduct of a yoghurt culture, a bacteria, eating lactose and excreting the yoghurt. My question is - why does it need to be lactose that the yoghurt culture is eating? For yeast to produce alcohol, for example, the yeast can eat any sugar, and it's up to the brewer to decide whether that's sucrose, corn, barley, grapes etc to affect the taste. Why is that that yoghurt cultures need lactose specifically? <Q> Lactobacillus is the genus of the bacteria responsible for making yogurt. <S> These bacteria consume sugars and excrete lactic acid. <S> The acid denatures the proteins in the milk, causing them to coagulate into a delicious gel. <S> Lactobacilli can consume sugars other than just lactose. <S> https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lactobacillus <S> There is more than enough lactose in milk to make yogurt. <S> There's no reason to add other sugars. <S> Lactobacilli are also responsible for the fermentation of pickles. <S> In that case, even though they still produce lactic acid, they are consuming the sugars available in the vegetables, not lactose. <A> If you are lactose intolerant or you avoid animal proteins, a thick custard style yogurt culture can be made with yellow pea protein non-dairy "milk". <S> I am not sure if you have access to non-diary milk products made with pea protein, but they are becoming more popular in the U.S.A. and are much higher in protein than other non-dairy milks. <S> A small amount of sugar in the milk is helpful to kick-start the cultures, and the standard (non unsweetened) versions of these milks contain what you need. <S> Just as it is with dairy milk, it is important to heat the non-dairy milk to about 180 F (82 C) and let it cool to 110 F (43 C) before introducing the cultures. <S> The heating helps with the denaturing of the proteins once the cultures start their process, and you will end up with a thicker, more creamy yogurt. <A> Although LB bacteria can survive on Glucose, they prefer milk because it's a complete package of Sugars, minerals, fats, and proteins. <S> Also, just as plants and animals have an affinity for specific foods, the same goes for microorganisms.
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The reason they eat lactose when making yogurt is because that's what they have.
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Why is my garlic brown and slightly translucent? I have a whole garlic where almost all cloves are slightly brown, a bit translucent and soft. This is a photo of one of the cloves: The cloves are also a bit sticky when peeled. It reminds me a bit of how pickled garlic looks like: These are not brown spots , so it doesn't seem bruised. Tastewise the garlic seems less strong than regular, light yellow garlic. Does anybody know how these cloves ended up like this? <Q> See http://livegpath.cals.cornell.edu/gallery/garlic/waxy-breakdown-on-garlic/ , which also mentions that anaerobic storage conditions are also considered a possible cause or contributing factor by scientists. <A> I now buy only organic garlic. <S> It is always typical garlic white, just as the non-organic stuff I used to buy. <S> However, my most recent purchase (of 3 days ago), is a different story. <S> First use the day of purchase yielded one clove, rotted to the point that its sac collapsed, a common occurrence under long term storage, so no big deal. <S> Other cloves I used at that time were fine. <S> This morning I found another much as described by OP above. <S> This particular clove is not sticky, not particularly soft/squishy, but brown, translucent, and putting off a heavy garlic odor, as opposed to the typical clove which does not smell strong until cut or crushed, in other words, damaged in some way. <S> So in my case at least, I believe bruising is the answer. <S> Examination of the outer clove surface seems to support this; it shows a line of demarcation of damage, where deterioration is not quite complete on the left (also incomplete on the inside), so damage seems to have occurred on the right side of the clove and deterioration process is moving left and inward. <S> I'm tossing the clove out of precaution, though I believe it is probably fine. <S> If, in my case, the whole head had been affected, I would think waxy breakdown, but I offer this observation as another option for those coming to this site for answers. <S> I appreciate my new-found knowledge about waxy breakdown. <S> Thank you rackandboneman! <A> It looks like it has been frozen then thawed, although that should not leave it sticky. <S> The stickiness makes me suspect rotting as well, but I would expect you to be able to smell that. <S> High heat could also cause the softening <S> but I'd expect more color change in that case. <S> (Heat could cause a milder flavor, though. <S> Freezing usually doesn't.) <S> You should take it back to the store and complain, and ask them to look into how it has been handled. <S> Be prepared to tell them how you have handled it, too, but a decent market will want to look into this because it could be a health hazard. <S> If you bought it very recently they may also have other bulbs from the same batch to compare. <S> When buying garlic, the bulb should feel firm and the papery skin should not feel very loose. <S> Over time, in normal storage (cool, dry, decent air circulation), garlic will tend to wither and shrivel and will become a bit rubbery, and it may start to sprout. <S> It will not become translucent or sticky in normal storage conditions. <A> Some of my garlic looks somewhat like that after it's been stored for a year (some looks worse and gets composted, some looks better.) <S> I've got a few heads from 2014 to use up before I start on the 2015 crop. <S> But that also resembles (even more) <S> garlic that has been roasted. <S> Allowing for the fact that nearly all recipes for "roasting" garlic are essentially steaming it in foil, with some small opportunity for caramelization, but mostly steam. <A> Garlic is not supposed to look like that. <S> Its sticky, brown and soft -- I would throw that out. <S> How did you store the bulb? <S> Garlic does well in a dry, circulated area at room temperature.
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This is a defect known as "waxy breakdown" or "waxy decomposition", and is caused by growing or storing the garlic under too hot conditions.
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Can I use just flour instead of roux in my gumbo I'm scared of making roux. Hot oil=Scary! Can I use just flour instead of roux when making gumbo? Will it thicken the soup in a similar way? <Q> I wouldn't recommend it. <S> Dark roux is actually a pretty weak thickener compared to a light roux. <S> As you get darker, it's more of a flavoring. <S> Flour on its own gives an obvious raw flour taste. <S> As an alternate method to make darker rouxes, search for 'oven roux', where you're working with a more easily controlled, even heat, as opposed to something that you have to keep stirring. <S> If you're still scared of roux even after that, I'd recommend a slurry of cornstarch or arrowroot over plain flour. <A> A French roux is made with butter (this is how I usually make it). <S> Other options for thickening include a slurry (flour well mixed with cold water or milk), corn starch (also mixed with cold water first), a Beurre Manié (a paste of butter and flour), or depending on the application, gelatine, arrowroot, xanthan gum, or any number of more exotic thickeners. <S> Each thickener has its advantages and disadvantages, as well as different flavor profiles. <S> In your case, you could just make a Beurre Manié and cook it into a roux without much danger of hot oils. <A> When you make your roux, the slurry of flour and hot oil (lard tastes better) does not have to done at an extremely hot temperature. <S> Just make sure you have the flour and oil/lard mixed well before adding other liquids -- for a good gumbo you'll want to use about a cup of coffee (black, and preferably with chicory - Café Du Monde, or my favorite Community Coffee). <A> You can thicken using just flour. <S> HOWEVER, you must brown the flour first to prevent the raw taste of uncooked flour.
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You don't have to thicken things with a roux , and a roux doesn't have to be made with oil.
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Why pour water over the covering plate while cooking okra? When my mom makes okra, she adds okra in the pan with all the masala. When she covers the pan with a plate for the okra to cook, she pours some water over the plate. She says it helps it to cook faster or something, but she doesn't know any scientific reason. It's more like advice passed down from others. Is there any reason we should? <Q> The reason she puts water on the plate is to weigh it down so it seals better. <S> Weight will press the plate down, less steam will escape so the okra will cook at a slightly higher temperature. <S> It works, but it's not as good as a tight fitting lid on a good pot. <A> I guess it is to protect the plate which is used to cover it. <A> As a chemist a "lid" on a pot would not raise the boiling point of the water. <S> You'd need a pressure cooker to do that. <S> A "lid" would help keep steam inside the pot when you cook something like dumplings which are above the fluid level. <S> Having any sort of unpressurized "lid" on the pot would also allow the steam from the pan to condense and drip back in the pot. <S> This could help keep the pan from boiling dry. <S> So "faster" depends on the fluid level to the okra pods. <S> To me the extra weight of the water would help keep a light plate from "bumping" up and down on the top edge of the pot. <S> Not so much a "better" seal from a pressure point of view but a less noisy one. <S> Moment of inertia thing. <A> Yes, multi-purpose. <S> To trap steam and distribute heat inside like a pressure cooker, yet protecting itself. <S> A pressure cooker has a thick wall, but a thin top cover can otherwise get overheated. <A> The plate and water keep it from getting too hot too fast. <S> Okra is a fibrous plant seed pod and needs extra time and would burn other wise.
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The water will absorb the direct heat and protects the plate from cracking. The reason is to keep the okra from cooking to fast and cooks evenly.
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How to make white risotto I want to make white risotto, but I can't as the broth is usually brownish and makes the rice to have the same color. I don't know how to make/get white broth, any ideas how to make white risotto? <Q> Normally a white risotto would be made with chicken or fish stock. <S> While the stock you get at the store is normally brown, homemade stock can be quite light in color if made properly and won't impart much color. <S> Further, a splash of cream and a bit of a white cheese at the end of cooking can have a whitening effect. <A> The liquid you use would very likely have to be clear or white (unless you could find some strange edible mix that turned clear or white). <S> That rules out most natural liquids other than water, milk, or pure vinegar (which would probably make the risotto more like sushi rice than risotto). <S> Sugar and salt of course could also be used to balance other flavors. <S> EDIT: <S> coconut milk would also work--you'd get something like the base for Thai mango sticky rice (which is pretty tasty, but more desserty than risotto). <S> You might be able to get away with white wine, though that usually has some yellow color. <S> Some oils are also nearly clear and might impart good flavor. <S> Many artificial flavorings or extracts are also clear, but I can't imagine them making a good risotto--they just taste too artificial. <S> Are you trying to get it white just for fun? <S> EDIT: <S> of course now that you mention it, fish and cheese are perfect for this. <S> I'm embarrassed that I didn't think of that. <S> You've got my vote <S> @SourDoh. <S> I've had risotto several times, but never the fish or cheese variety (mushroom is my favorite). <S> I've heard <S> several Italian food experts say that fish and cheese should NEVER be used together, but separately would certainly be an option. <S> Carefully homemade chicken broth would work as well, but you may have to leave out the carrots to keep it clear and use the flesh of the onions and not whole onions with the skins as some TV chefs have recommended. <A> Raymond Blanc makes a white risotto from "Tomato water" <S> Maybe there is a faster version of this somewhere... <S> his takes 24 hours. <S> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1l5iqiNfo4A <A> She would often save the shells from other dishes, and make the stock from that and freeze it for another day, but <S> if you're planning on making a shrimp risotto: <S> Get some shrimp with the shells still on. <S> (preferably, heads still on, too). <S> De-vein the shrimp if it's not already (if you need to, peel it too) <S> Poach the shrimp 'til barely cooked through. <S> Peal the shrimp (if not already done) and take the heads off. <S> Reserve the meat. <S> Put the heads, shells, legs & tails back into the poaching liquid. <S> Continue simmering the liquid for about 20-30 minutes. <S> (maybe 10-15 if you have heads, but longer is better) <S> ... <S> Make your risotto as normal (wine optional) using the poaching liquid as your broth. <S> Add the shrimp back in when the risotto's just about done. <S> If you start to run low on broth as you're making the risotto, just add some water back to the pot with the shells (and give it a chance to heat back up before adding it to the rice). <S> If you're getting close at the end, you can strain the broth to get the last bit of liquid without shells. <S> If you're going to make the stock to use another time, let it cook for a full hour before straining it. <S> We can get away with less time for the risotto as it's continuing to simmer as the rice is cooking.
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My mom would typically make risotto with shrimp stock.
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Combining melted chocolate with eggs I've come across a number of recipes (the most recent of which was this ) which suggest various combinations of adding hot melted chocolate to a mixture that contains eggs. The problem that I have here is that if I let the chocolate mixture go cold, it hardens and can't be mixed, and if I don't, it cooks the eggs. I've tried stirring the mixture as the chocolate is added, which seems to be the most common suggestion, but it makes no difference. Can anyone offer any other methods of avoiding scrambled egg cake? <Q> The cocoa butter in your chocolate melts fully at 43 degrees Celsius (110 F). <S> But it stays liquid until at least 30 degrees C (85 F). <S> The most heat sensitive proteins in an egg white coagulate at around 65 degrees C (145 F), most proteins stay stable until 85 degrees C (185 F). <S> As you shouldn't overheat your chocolate anyway, you have a certain temperature range where the chocolate will stay liquid, yet the egg unaffected. <S> Note that the real problem and culinary art therefore is not the coagulating egg, but the effect of warm chocolate on any "foam" you might have produced in an earlier step : Too warm, and the bubbles might pop, too cool and the chocolate will harden as the cool other ingredients take up too much heat before it is fully incorporated. <S> Rule of thumb <S> : Melt the chocolate gently and let cool until barely warm to the touch. <S> Stir quickly, yet gently, when incorporating the liquid chocolate into your batter. <S> (And read the recipe in case you need to deviate from this.) <A> Don't let the chocolate mixture go cold , let it go cool enough that it won't cook the eggs. <S> It can still be reasonably warm - above room temperature certainly - and still be nowhere near hot enough to cook eggs. <S> I usually place the bowl in another, larger, bowl filled with cold water, and give it a stir to bring it down quicker. <A> The tempering method is the easiest I've found when combining eggs and a hot liquid, and it doesn't require a thermometer! <S> http://noshon.it/tips/why-to-use-room-temperature-eggs-when-baking-cakes/ <S> That said, the technique I use when adding eggs to the warm liquid in my ice cream bases is to simply add a small amount of the hot liquid to the bowl of eggs (I prefer to beat mine first, though apparently this isn't necessary), and whisk constantly as the liquid is added, slowly bringing the temperature of the mixture up without cooking the eggs. <S> This way, you don't really need to wait for the liquid to cool all that much nor, as I said, do you need to keep a constant check on the temp of your melted chocolate. <S> http://www.tablespoon.com/posts/how-to-temper-an-egg/e838d2ab-8509-4db0-bf67-8539a3aa1b06
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First of all always let your eggs come to room temp before using them.
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I have a French Coconut pie recipe that calls for 1/2 cup butter. Could I replace it with condensed milk instead? I have a coconut pie recipe that uses 1/2 cup butter and 3 eggs. Could I replace some of the butter with condensed milk? Any other substitutes besides margarine? <Q> Butter is about 80% fat, maybe a bit lower if you're getting it direct from the farmer; condensed milk is about 10% fat, so you'd need to use a lot of condensed milk <S> and you'd probably have too much excess water to compensate by reducing extra liquids. <S> The best substitute would be another fat which is solid at room temperature. <A> It will not come out the same. <S> Butter and condensed milk are not really similar. <S> Consenses or evaporated milk is what gives key lime pie filing its consistency. <S> Coconut cream you want more of a pudding or custard like consistency. <A> Honestly, butter is somehow far away from condensed milk <S> so I don't think you can use condensed milk as a substitution of butter at all. <S> your pie will turn out totally different. <S> As opposed to butter, you can use oil instead such as vegetable oil or coconut oil, both will work well. <S> hope it helps. <S> cheers
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There aren't many (at least, not if you restrict to vegetable fats), but one which does meet the criterion is coconut oil, and since you're making a coconut pie that seems like an excellent substitute.
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Forgot to add spices to curry I made a jalfrezi today for tomorrow and I forgot to add spices, (cumin, tumeric, paprika).Is there a way I can add them now getting the most from them? <Q> You will need to cook the spices before adding them, but you can add them in now and it will be fine. <S> You can either dry-roast the spices in the pan or cook them in a little oil like making a tadka. <S> Probably if the cumin is whole, dry roast it until it starts to turn golden then add the turmeric and paprika and cook it for just a few seconds more. <S> If everything is powder, I'd heat a bit of oil and add all the spices at once and cook for a few seconds. <S> If there is coriander, too, though, I feel that needs a bit more cooking. <S> The flavors will blend overnight in the fridge, and further when you heat it before serving, so as long as the spices are cooked, it is fine to just mix them in. <A> Use one of these small pans to add spices later on. <S> You can use it directly over the flame. <S> Pour some oil in it and bring it to heat, add cumins and other spices and cook it for some time. <S> Then add the cooked spices in your jalfrezi.. :) <A> I'm wondering what you did cook. <S> Spices are such an integral (and usually fundamental) part of Indian cooking that omitting them is going to leave you with a completely different dish. <S> So take out those spices and <S> you're left with: Meat Onion Tomatoes <S> Chilli <S> Garlic <S> There are food-safety issues here so if your meat-and-tomato dish is already cooled, I'd probably save this step for when I was reheating it for serving. <S> Don't add a hot oily spice mix to a cooled meat dish and then cool the whole lot again. <S> But will it be good? <S> Again, with a Jalfrezi, you'd start by frying off the spices on the meat. <S> I assume your meat wasn't pre-prepared (eg tikka'd) <S> so adding the spice now is going to see very limited flavour penetration. <S> What you do have is a fairly solid base for a lot of Italian dishes. <S> Stir in a bunch of fresh herbs (oregano, basil, parsley, thyme, etc) as you're reheating and it'll likely take on enough flavour for an Italian style dish.
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So yes, you could fry up some spice in some more oil and mix that through your existing batch.
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Baking with oven without bottom heating element My mom wants to do baking but her oven doesn't have bottom heating element. It only has an element on top, with a fan at the back. She told me that she can't make me a good pizza or cake without it. Is there any way around? <Q> For things that can be baked for a short period of time, you can partially compensate by adding a baking stone in the bottom of the oven, then sufficiently preheating the oven. <S> The stone will release its heat, resulting in there being some additional heat coming from the bottom of the oven. <S> If this still isn't enough for cooking a pizza, you can put the naked crust on the stone, let it cook until it's developed a bit of a crust on the top, flip it until you've browned the bottom, then remove it, top the pizza, and slide it back in (right side up). <S> You can also just brown it and then flip and top it, but your pizza will seem strange, as the top is now the flat side of the crust ... and the toppings will be more likely to slide. <A> Many modern ovens seem to have unusual element configurations, but with a fan it makes no difference, just use as the oven manual indicates Cooking a pizza in any domestic electric oven is tricky, as it requires more heat than an electric oven can generate. <S> Using a metal or stone slab helps <A> I have a similar type of oven. <S> For basic baking (cake/brownies), I started turning the temp on the oven down about 20 degrees and baking the items for the max time. <S> That seems to be helping. <S> HOWEVER, I am still struggling with pizza and pies (thus searching the internet, and stumbling onto this thread). <S> I might try the pizza stone method... <A> I know using a cast iron skillet starting off your pizzas on the bottom rack depending on the thickness of the crust for 15 to 25 minutes and raising it to the second to the top for the last 7 to 12 minutes and the cast iron skillet will continue cooking once you shut the oven off to make it nice and crispy... <S> I will absolutely not make a pizza any other way
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For pizzas, you can move the stone closer to the top element, so that you can get it very hot, and then lay the pizza onto the stone, so that the bottom will cook from conduction, not just radiant heat.
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Fast way to cook steel-cut oats when no microwave is available I am looking for a way to prepare fast steel-cut oats. I do not have a microwave, and I would like to have them for breakfast but I can not cook for ~40 mins to prepare them in the morning. I have tried to cook them by simmering them ~10 mins till the water is gone but they did not taste good (were actually uncooked). I have also tried leaving them overnight in a bowl of milk but they were not easy to eat either (was like chewing gum) Note1: yes I know about instant oats etc but these are less nutritious than steel-cut oats so I am looking for a way to prepare them fast. Note2: I don't care if the fast method suggested is for a warm or cold recipe. Either warm or cold are fine by me. <Q> My low-effort steel cut is to set the bowl of steel-cut and water in a steamer and let it go about 20 minutes (or longer) - <S> unlike (my experience of) cooking them in a pot, there's no stirring, boilovers, or other drama. <S> IME the drama fully applies in the microwave and no time is saved by it. <S> But you are not going to cook them in 10 minutes time (2 minutes active work, yes, 10 minutes time, no.) <S> On the other hand, I don't see why you'd be cooking for 40 minutes in any case. <S> Edit: <S> I begin to suspect from the comments that @Jim is not familiar with the concept of steaming. <S> So, steaming, the short explanation: <S> A small amount of water in a large enough pot. <S> A rack set on the bottom of the pot to elevate the bowl. <S> A bowl contianing food (in this case, steel cut oats and water in a ratio of 1:2) is set on the rack above the water. <S> The lid is put on the pot, the water is boiled, the steam in the pot cooks the food. <S> Other method I haven't used in years but which worked then and should work now, is to put the oats and boiling water into a wide-mouthed thermos flask the night before. <S> Given that the main reason I haven't done it in years was that I dropped and broke the glass on my wide mouth thermos flask, I would suggest a stainless-steel version rather than a glass version (my stainless steel narrow-mouthed flask is old and dented and still going strong, more than 3 decades after it was new. <S> But I wouldn't want to put anything other than a liquid in it due to the size of the mouth.) <A> I usually leave mine overnight. <S> Bring the water to a boil, throw the oats in, stir, cover, and remove from heat. <S> In the morning they just need a quick reheat. <A> One way to prepare oats which allows them to be stored and eaten cold and which avoids excessive chewiness is to make flapjack. <S> I sometimes do this at the weekend to eat it as breakfast over the course of the week. <S> In the absolute minimal form you just need butter and oats (I've tried roasting oats by themselves, but it's too easy to burn them). <S> Without any sugar to bind them the result is very crumbly but perfectly edible. <S> You can add sugar, fruit, etc. <S> before baking or search for more elaborate recipes as desired. <S> If you care about the calcium from the dairy then you can eat them with yoghurt. <A> they will absorb some of the water, but faster, according to "The Joy of Cooking"
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Try soaking the oats in cold water overnight-
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Pizza dough changed from usable to sticky Advice needed please. My son has a small pizzeria, a family run affair. Since 2011 we have made several thousand pizza, one size fits all.A problem we are hitting now is inconsistency of dough mix. Hydration has been varied over the years starting at 59% and now at 56%. Even at this lower figure it seems the dough is now coming out too wet for our needs.We use zero zero flour from the same supplier in 25 kg bags. Oil added at the end of the mixing. All ingredients have stayed the same for the last 3 years, no improvers are added.Our local temperature while mixing the dough is between 29C and 35C and humidity from 65 to 75% based in central Indonesia. All items into the dough are measured within one gramWe work accurately so I must assume that it’s the variation of temperature and humidity that is making the dough sticky. I have cross checked the scales with gold scale weights and it’s accurate.If my assumption is right about humidity and temperature being a factor; is there a table where I can refer to adjust the hydration? <Q> Thanks for the replies. <S> I have experimented a bit with hydration with a 2 kilo of flour batch. <S> I found reducing the water by 25 grams to have 1100 gram of water gave better dough. <S> That was at shade temperature 29.5C and 90% relative humidity. <S> The reason I started the question is a friend’s son worked for a large pizza franchise and they had correction tables for temperature and humidity changes. <S> Yes it is possible <S> the flour mix has changed but they are the only supplier available <S> so I cannot try another brand yet. <S> I have not measured the water PH. <S> I do know it is high in calcium and magnesium salts. <S> It’s from a bore 33 metres deep. <S> It’s been used for pizza dough for 2 years but a change in its make up is possible. <S> I will try the longer kneading, maybe that will work. <S> Our present system is ‘just in time’ dough making as we are running out of fridge space. <S> Water at 40C is weighed out part is used to activate the yeast which takes minutes. <S> When mixing of the dough is done it is proofed in covered stainless steel bowls. <S> First rise takes about 40 minutes. <S> It is turned over and punched down. <S> Then it stays in a refrigerator up to 2 days. <S> Using cold water is not an option as we sell thousands of pizza a year. <A> Also, the water that you normally use may have changed. <S> I would try using a small batch of dough with water of a different PH, and if you have a litmus strip test you can see where your water sits. <A> Kneading time is also very important. <S> 8-10 min should be enough to develop a good gluten structure. <S> To check if there is enough protein in your flour mix make a firm ball of dough. <S> Also well knead. <S> Soak it in a bowl of cold water for 10 min and then start to wash off the starch. <S> Change the water 6-8 times until you are left will only the protein. <S> It should be about 10-12% of the original mass.
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It's possible a change in the flour mix has changed from the vendor.
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Sauerkraut/sourkraut - ratio of grams of salt to grams of raw cabbage? Yes, obviously it can vary. I'm just looking for an approximate range, as a good place to start for my first time making a batch. A good answer would be something along the lines of: 10 to 20 grams of salt per 100 grams of raw cabbage Or something like that. [EDIT: that was just the format of answer I wanted. That actual ratio would probably be about ten times too much salt.] <Q> 2% (20g per 1000g) would be my default recommendation based on sources local to me, but with care less salt may work if sanitation is extremely good (to minimize introduction of undesirable bacteria which the salt helps to supress.) <S> On the high end, I can say that 4% seems to slow things down, but work, and 8% seems to be simply too much. <S> The pictured jars are 2%, 4% and 8% salt, using red cabbage, which acts as a pH indicator. <S> The 8% jar (rightmost) has not turned pink (and is growing mold on the surface) while the other two are successfully acidifying (the 2% somewhat faster than the 4%) and mold-free. <S> The lids are put on "fingertip-tight" as in canning, so they form a crude but effective airlock seal (they "burp" themselves as needed, just as in canning <S> - they are not loosened manually to relieve pressure.) <S> Actually 75% red cabbage and 25% apples for these. <S> And the stuff on top is some ceramic tile as improvised weights. <S> Other than for pictures, they are kept in the dark. <A> So anywhere between one and a generous two teaspoons per kilogram (two pounds) should be fine. <S> But what exactly is the salt doing in your cabbage/sauerkraut? <S> Well, in theory you could leave it out. <S> The bacteria and yeasts necessary for the process will work just fine without it. <S> Unfortunately, so will unwanted bacteria which may be present on your equipment, your cabbage or your environment. <S> Should you choose to try this, work very cleanly, sterilize your gear and do not attempt the open jar method. <S> Still the risk of failure is high. <S> Salt in your cabbage will hinder all microbiological activity, including your "friendly ones". <S> But unwanted "guests" will be affected far more than your desired acetic and lactic acid bacteria in the range recommended above . <S> Too much salt will stop all fermentation, salt is a preservative, after all. <S> There is another reason to add some salt, though: <S> The addition of salt supports the release of liquid from your shredded cabbage (together with "kneading" or "pounding" the cabbage), effectively speeding up the formation of the brine. <S> 1 <S> I guess we are nicknamed Krauts for a reason... <A> Based on converting from the barbaric units from this source , I guess something like: 15 to 23 grams of salt per 1000 grams of cabbage <A> This PDF from the University of Wisconsin says to use 2.25 - 2.5 % of non-iodized salt by weight. <S> https://learningstore.uwex.edu/Assets/pdfs/B2087.pdf
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I checked a few German Sources 1 and found a range between 7.5g salt per kg cabbage 2 and 20g salt per kg cabbage 3 .
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Can I refrigerate bread dough after the first rise and bake it later? I do not have enough time to bake my bread. Can I refrigerate it or let it sit on the counter and bake it later in the day? <Q> Yes, you can refrigerate bread dough, and in fact you will probably find that it will give you better, tastier results, because the yeast has more time to do its work. <S> Any bread baker worth his salt (flour?) will tell you that a slow, cold rise is better than a fast, warm one. <S> You should refrigerate the dough immediately after mixing, not after a rise. <S> Depending on the amount of yeast in your recipe, this can be for a few hours or even overnight. <S> Allow the dough to warm up a little before baking. <A> Just to add to other answers, it's often easier to refrigerate for the first proof. <S> That is: mix <S> , refrigerate for a "first rise" (from a few hours to a few days), then remove from fridge, shape, and then let rise the second time until read to bake. <S> (The second rise can take anywhere from an hour to a few hours, depending on amount and activity of yeast.) <S> It is possible to shape loaves before refrigeration, but it's more likely to produce an uneven rise or misshapen loaves. <S> It can also be more difficult to judge when to bake, since the center of a large loaf will warm much more slowly after removed from the fridge. <S> (If you shape after refrigeration, you can fold the dough a few times periodically to redistribute the heat and warm the loaf throughout more quickly.) <S> If you try this, you should generally be prepared to de-gas and shape the dough after the long rise, doing your final rise right before baking. <S> (Otherwise, an overproofed dough could collapse during baking.) <S> If you're just adding an extra hour or something to the rise time, this is unlikely to cause problems. <S> If you need to let it sit on the counter for longer and the room is warm, you'll need to decrease the yeast content in the recipe. <A> I've refrigerated bread dough numerous times, up to two or three days. <S> Just let it get to room temperature before baking. <A> Just thought I would add a little more to this question. <S> While hot temperatures kill yeast, it does survive at low ones. <S> You can also freeze dough after the first rise, knocked-back (and shaped if rolls or loaf / pizza base does not need this).
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To answer the other part of the question about letting it "sit on the counter," that depends on your room temperature, how fast the dough rises, and other things.
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What's the closest replacement for clam juice? I've been searching all over the stores in my area for clam juice so I can make some gumbo or clam chowder, and can't find a single can of it anywhere. What's the closest replacement to clam juice that would keep roughly the same flavor? <Q> Cook's Thesaurus recommends fish stock or 50:50 chicken stock & water . <S> As I don't tend to make fish stock, I'd probably either use shrimp stock (take the shells and heads, simmer in water for about an hour), or crab stock (just use the shells, and maybe the smaller legs if you didn't extract the meat from them) <S> If you can find it, some stores will carry 'seafood bullion' or 'shrimp bullion'. <S> As they tend to be salty, I'd probably only use them at half strength, like the recommendation for substituting chicken stock. <S> In a real pinch, you might be able to use water + fish sauce, but I have no idea what the proportions would be. <S> (I'd probably compare sodium levels, and try to match that. <S> So 1400mg/TB vs. 120-280mg/2 <S> oz ... <S> so averages 800mg/cup, so about 1.5tsp fish sauce + water to replace a cup of clam juice). <A> But you can also just make it yourself if you want, and have the ingredients (i.e.: clams) available to you: <S> As far as I know, it's just the strained liquid (to remove sand and other particles) from steamed or cooked clams, without the flesh of the clams. <S> Buy yourself some clams (about a kilogram a person, unshelled 1 ), prepare them, remove clams, safe liquid, eat clams that night, eat gumbo the next :) <S> 1 <S> The amount given is for mussels, you may need more or less for clams, but I would guess it's about the same <A> This is not an alternative ingredient, but an alternative product to buy to get the ingredient. <S> Minced clams
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Most likely a fish stock will do.
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What happens if bread is made with sparkling water? I am making a white bread with 500g regular flour, about 300g water, sourdough starter, yeast and salt. It will rest and raise some time before being baked. Pretty basic. Now I was wondering, what would happen if I used sparkling water. Will the bubbles do something to the chemical reaction that builds gluten? Or maybe create additional holes in the bread when it's done? Will the bread be significantly different from using plain water? <Q> I am not a chemist, but my grandma always used to make bread (and similar stuff) with sparkling water instead of still water. <S> She always mentioned that the result will be more fluffy and airy. <S> This only addresses the question about the (important) consistency though, but I guess you should just try it out yourself. <S> Edit: <S> Some benefits of using sparkling water in the kitchen <S> As this answer got downvoted to zero <S> I guess my grandma was not convincing enough. <S> So I asked a befriended chef who works at a luxury hotel chain in Germany. <S> Here's what he explained: Desserts can be made more creamy without actually adding cream. <S> Here he gave examples of pudding/mousse-ish desserts Vegetables steamed with sparkling water results in less loss of color (i.e. brighter colors), more crispyness, and stronger taste. <S> He particularly recommended to try it with carrots, broccoli or cauliflower. <S> Similar with Salad dressings <S> Last <S> but not least he confirmed precisely what my grandma said. <S> For doughs and similar stuff (for salty or sweet dishes) you would get a nice fluffy texture. <S> Kudos to my grandma at this point. <A> i have a book called Baking With Passion by Dan Lepard and Richard Whittington. <S> (Dan L runs some very classy bakeries in London and, I believe, is a highly respected baker.) <S> In there, it says "We prefer to use bottled still spring water. <S> This does not rule out the use of tap water, but bottled water is less likely to contain chlorine or other chemicals which might well impede yeast activity. <S> " I use ordinary tap water that has been boiled, adjusted to the right temperature with cold water straight from the tap. <S> I agree with Catja's reply <S> and I wouldn't think there could be any air left from the bubbles once the bread has been mixed, kneaded, proved, and pummeled again. <A> Re: Sparkling water. <S> It doesn't go flat as quickly as you think. <S> The mineral water has a lot of dissolved calcium (french or italian brands) and thus the CO2 binds to the CaCO3 <S> and it takes a while for the bonds to break. <S> You can leave the stuff uncapped overnight and find it still fizzy in the morning. <S> The same can't be said for soft drinks. <S> They are called soft drinks, because the distilled water has no minerals. <S> (Actually, I made that last line up - but its true!) <S> Something I learned in fish keeping and live aquatic plant care.
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You can add sparkling water to thick soups shortly before serving to get them more foamy.
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How do I remove aluminum foil from the bottom of my oven? I had this brilliant idea to put aluminum foil at the bottom of my oven while I cooked pizza at very high temperatures. I was hoping it would catch any toppings that fell off so I could quickly remove them and prevent smoke. The result is that the foil bonded to the oven and now I'm not sure how to get it off. Any chemicals or tools I should use in this situation? <Q> That looks a lot like melted aluminum. <S> Easy <S> Off Heavy Duty Oven Cleaner is NaOH based, so that'll probably work for you, and is easier to find than straight lye nowadays. <S> Just follow the directions. <S> If the aluminum is thick, you may have to do things twice. <S> Other brands of oven cleaner will likely work as well as long as they contain sodium hydroxide (lye). <S> It will help A LOT for you people who need aluminum foil off your oven! <A> There was an article about How to Remove Melted Aluminum Foil from the Oven , but following several disappointing results by the participants, a user suggested a solution that was met with resounding success by those who tried it. <S> The author suggested an application of naval jelly (from the paint department at your local hardware store) as the solution that actually worked. <S> Naval jelly is pink goop containing phosphoric acid that is used to remove rust from iron or steel, leaving a clean surface. <S> Essentially, you spread aluminum jelly over the aluminum, smear it around every few hours, leave it overnight, wipe clean and repeat process until the residue is gone. <S> It might take a few days, but it is a gentle process with no fumes. <S> The solution was was verified enthusiastically by several users in that conversation. <S> You can read more about the process and reviews starting here: <S> BK says: Back in November, I searched for a way to fix our new oven … Bonus solution: <S> The original article also claims that the entire bottom plate of your oven can be replaced usually for less than US$30.00. <S> Contact your manufacturer for a replacement part and guidance on installing it. <A> Trying to burn it off with self clean heat does not work. <S> I tried. <S> Maybe made is worse. <S> I'm on sixth application and o 75% gone. <S> Putty knife helps. <S> Careful of the fumes. <S> I read that when sodium hydroxide reacts with aluminum it can be dangerous. <A> Unfortunately I can't post my pictures. <S> But I recently did exactly what he did here and with worse consequences of foil. <S> After reading everyone's post on several web sites, I tried the Heavy Duty Easy Off Oven Cleaner. <S> After 4 applications and scraping with a "decal razor" scraper, I got nearly 97% of the foil off. <S> I let the solution sit for an hour on each application. <S> I was able to take the oven plate out of my oven and do this outside of the house. <A> Lining the bottom of an oven with aluminum foil or a foil liner is quite common and acceptable <S> provided that the electric heating element is ABOVE the oven bottom, not below and that the liner is between the element and the bottom. <S> This of course is not possible with a gas oven. <S> With that said, you could try scraping the foil off with a putty knife, if it is not interfering with the operation of the oven, leave it. <S> Unsightly, but better than scratching up the porcelain finish of the oven. <S> The oven bottom should be removable and you could order another and be back to pristine in a matter of a few days. <S> Probably not what you wanted to hear. <S> If you are thinking of ordering a new bottom pan, you might get a friend to try heating the stuck on aluminum with a portable propane torch to soften the aluminum and maybe it can be scraped off with little to no damage to the underlying oven bottom thus saving you some money. <A> The Works toilet bowl cleaner from Wal Mart will dissolve it. <S> Put it on and let it sit for 4 or 5 hours. <S> What ever is in it dissolves the whole mess.
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I'd use a solution of sodium hydroxide to dissolve it; probably won't even hurt the oven paint. Easy Off Heavy Duty works but takes many tries.
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Why do some eggs crack while being boiled? It doesn't happen with every egg. It happens with only some of them. It doesn't have anything to do with fridge. Almost always I take the eggs out of the fridge and put them in water for boiling. Many times they don't crack. Some times they do. What is cause of eggs getting cracked while boiling? <Q> Well, sometimes eggs have non-visible (or non-visible without candling - shining a very bright light into the egg and looking at the light coming out of the egg) cracks. <S> That would be one possible cause - the crack pre-existed. <S> Even if it was not cracked when graded, cracks both visible and invisible are possible in the distribution process. <S> If actually boiling them I'd suggest a simmer, but in fact I don't suggest that at all - just boil the pot of water, lower eggs in with a spoon, turn the heat off and cover - yank when they suit your concept of "done" (if hard boiled, 20-30 minutes by this method.) <S> "Coddling" is sometimes used to describe this, though it's also used to describe cooking (without shell, and possibly with added ingredients) in a specialized ceramic container (an egg coddler.) <S> Anyway, it greatly reduces the odds of cracking via "rattling around in the pot" (though not why I do it that way; I do it because it appears, observationally, to reduce my incidence of overcooking the yolk and making it nasty.) <A> The thickness of the egg shell varies. <S> The cooking procedure results in a pressure of about 1 bar / 14 psi inside the egg, 0.3 bar / 4 psi due to the expanding air and 0.7 bar / 10 psi due to the expanding water of the egg white - at a temperature inside of 90 <S> °C/194°F, which is a reasonable maximum temperature during cooking. <S> Some egg shells can bear a pressure of up to 3.5 bar / 50 psi (yes, more than a tire!), but some already fail below 1 bar / 14 psi. <S> (The answer assumes chicken eggs.) <A> If you purchase genuine free range eggs from a farm that feeds there hens on good quality feed, the eggs never crack when boiled, supermarkets that claim free range eggs are normally kept in a barn, grossly overcrowded and to keep prices down are fed on a relatively poor diet which is why the shells are thin and weak
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Getting cracked from moving around in the pot is possible, depending on how hard you boil them.
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Why is black tea sold in crumbled form? The black tea is sold in a crumbled form. I am yet to see a brand, where I live, selling black tea as whole leaves. I want to know why is that so? Does crumbled leaves have effect on taste which whole leaves don't have? This issue is only with the black tea, not with the green tea. What's the deal here? <Q> Twinings whole leaf black tea is roughly 50 cents per teabag as opposed to the equivalent processed tea bags at about 8 cents. <S> To make black tea, the leaves are wilted and processed by various methods - none of the mechanical methods will produce whole leaf tea. <A> Top tier Indian / Sri Lankan black tea is always whole leaf. <S> I would argue that a top tier broken orange pekoe easily trounces any OP1, but broken teas tend to be much more bitter than similarly ranked unbroken ones. <S> Meanwhile Chinese black teas are virtually always sold whole leaf (e.g. http://www.teavivre.com/black-tea/ ). <S> On the other hand, there's a long tradition of ground grean tea in Chinese / Japanese tea culture. <S> During Tang and Song dynasty virtually all tea was ground and matcha is still very popular today. <S> So I think it's mostly down to tradition. <S> As for why, I can only guess that with the more intense, full-bodied flavours of Indian black teas the bitterness and "dustiness" due to broken leaves isn't that noticable. <A> Tea in crumbled form is also known as CTC tea, and are mainly used for tea bags. <S> By crushing the leaves, more tea will fit in a bag, and the tea will release flavor faster than whole leaf teas. <S> Whole leaf teas, on the other hand, are often more expensive and higher grade. <S> They're more often presented in loose leaf as they need more space to expand and properly infuse.
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Whole leaf black tea is available, but because it has to be processed by hand it is expensive.
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Why did my tiramisù cream become grainy? Late Friday night, I prepared tiramisù and refrigerated it until serving it the next day, I guess about 20 hours or so later. The texture of the cream layer seemed fine when I prepared it, but when I served it, it was grainy. It still tasted normal The graininess really is quite uniformly distributed and dissolves on the tongue. It's not an overcooked-custard kind of grainy, and the grainy bits seemed like fat, not sugar or ice. The uniformity makes me feel like it is something that precipitated out of the mixture while it was chilling. Here's a picture, you can see the texture of the cream (although I guess it turned out a bit blurry). I've made tiramisù successfully quite a few times in the past; this is the first time I've had this happen to me. I was following the Williams-Sonoma recipe which has you make a zabaglione (essentially) with the yolks and sugar, beat the mascarpone, whip the cream, fold the mascarpone into the cream then beat the egg whites to stiff peaks and fold the cream-mascarpone mixture into the egg whites. I think I followed everything precisely EXCEPT that I currently only have one whisk attachment for my mixer and I was tired and didn't want to thoroughly wash it in-between to be sure every speck of oil from the cream was gone, so I beat the egg whites before whipping the cream (I rinsed the whisk after doing the egg whites, but didn't wash it) so the egg whites were standing for a bit longer than they should have because they stood the whole time while I folded the mascarpone into the whipped cream, and then of course I folded them in. I was using room-temperature store-bought mascarpone, chilled heavy whipping cream, room-temperature egg whites. Was the texture doomed by letting the egg whites stand too long, or did I over-whip the cream? Or do I wrack my brains further to see if I did something else? Luckily, my audience on Saturday was not the picky type and it seems that only my husband and I were bothered by it. But I'd like to avoid it in future... (I'm already planning to get some toys to help with the ordering problem next time.) <Q> It's funny google directed me to an unanswered question when I went looking for ways to keep my mascarpone from curdling. <S> That's what I think happened to you by the way. <S> The same thing happened to my tiramisu cream last week. <S> I probably shouldn't jump to conclusions since it was a different recipe, but I noticed when I was beating my mascarpone into my zabarengue (to use Chef John's parlance) <S> it took on a somewhat broken appearance. <S> It happened once before in a different dessert when I got impatient and decided I could fold my mascarpone into my barely warm berry syrup. <S> The tiramisu recipe I recently tried called for the yolks and whites to be beaten together with the sugar over a double-boiler for several minutes, allowed to cool, and then the mascarpone beaten into it. <S> Either I didn't let my egg mixture cool completely (my guess), or the different fat content of the zabarengue disagreed with the mascarpone. <S> It split at that stage, and after refrigerating, it had the exact same grainy texture you described. <S> EDIT: <S> After further googling, it seems like contrary to common law, it's better to use mascarpone cold. <S> It's so high in butterfat, that it's very easy to overmix and essentially churn it. <S> I recently made a bananamisu (tiramisu with bananas) and used the same previously curdled recipe, and by beating the cold tiramisu a little to soften it and then beating the zabarengue into the mascarpone a bit at a time, and folding the whipped cream in by hand, I can happily report no separation issues. <A> What Brand of Mascarpone did you use? <S> This happened to me 3 times. <S> The first time I used a recipe that I acquired from a cooking class in Chianti Italy. <S> It came out grainy. <S> I then tried it again with a different recipe and I had to throw out 2 batches because of the graininess again. <S> Someone on a thread mentioned the Brand Bel Gioioso can cause this. <S> This is the brand I was using both times. <S> I went to an Italian deli and bought a brand imported from Italy and Presto! <S> It was as smooth as can be when I incorporated it into the yolk mixture. <S> So for me, it was the brand of Mascarpone that I was using. <S> Hope that helps!! <A> The same thing happened to me. <S> I think in my case the coffee I used to dip the ladyfingers in was too hot - it should be room temperature or cold. <S> If it's too hot, it can mess with the eggs and mascarpone.
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After much panicked googling, I discovered that mascarpone can actually be quite temperamental when combining it with ingredients that are different temperatures, but I also think the moisture content can encourage separation and curdling.
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What are the advantages of serving fries in a metal cone? We ate at BURGR a few weeks ago. And we had a burger and fries. The burgers were good - 7 out of 10. The fries were served in a cone. Now when my wife and I were eating the (truffle) fries we both thought they were dramatically under-seasoned. Now I can eat salt straight so I felt like maybe I shouldn't complain but the wife doesn't like much salt on anything. Of course we ate the fries (because we paid for them - BURGR just gives you a burger). As I got to the bottom of the cone I got a surprise. Little fry piece, garlic salt, salt, truffle powder, pepper, and other deliciousness (that should have been on my fries). Me having no manners just ate the bottom part. The wife didn't partake. So my question is - is there any taste benefit in serving fries like this? I strongly get the feeling if someone on Ramsey's show served him fries like this he would say something like, "You dumb cow. You don't understand how gravity works. Where in the bloody hell do you think your salt will fall?" Note: There are some pretty good comments about it being normal for fries to be served inside a paper wrapped cone in some parts of the world. Yes. But this is different. First the seasoning is not a dressing/liquid, second with a paper wrapper you can shake the fries around, and third the paper cone can be sat on its side more or less. The configuration here cannot be adjusted without spilling condiments and people looking at you funny. <Q> In a traditional British chip shop, you would have got your chips (fries for Americans) in yesterday's newspaper, wrapped into a cone shape. <S> These days of course, it's food grade greaseproof paper, but it's still in the same shape. <S> I suspect the reason for serving chips in a cone is that simple tradition. <S> I can't speak about the seasonings. <S> Traditional chips would just have salt and vinegar poured n from the top by the customer himself. <A> The paper cone is a traditional single serve package shape for street vendors, so you can walk away with your chips (fries), and eat while walking. <S> Many street vendors set up shop near parks and beaches (dunes) <S> It is used in other countries too for a single serve, though many use a punnet (cone with point cut off), so it can sit on a park bench etc. <S> For large servings to be taken away by the customer, they are traditionally wrapped in paper (recycled and/or virgin newsprint) in a rectangular shape, or packaged into a flat box made of thin cardboard with a paper bag <S> lid <S> The technical issues are portability (carrying something that's very hot), and stopping them from steaming up, and going limp <S> The cone works well for small serves about to be eaten immediately. <S> With the lower volume of chips in the bottom and layers of paper, this allows you to hold on to them whilst still piping hot. <S> Also the lower volume of chips at the bottom wont steam up too much, by the time you have eaten the top layer of chips, as the paper can absorb a small amount of steam <S> The crux of the answer <S> So when a restaurant serves you fries in a metal cone, they are trying to evoke the old world charm of traditional chips from Europe, but since you are sitting down in a warm restaurant, there is only one answer. <S> They are "marketing" their brand to you, it ads nothing, and in your experience, actually subtracted something from the quality of the fries A better serving container for fries with flavoured salt would be a flattish tray or bowl with some thermal insulating properties <A> Presentation: <S> It is traditional. <S> It simply looks nice. <S> Palatability: The fries won't get cold as quickly without direct contact with a colder plate. <S> The orientation of the fries - standing upright - allows steam to escape rather than condensing on a plate or getting trapped and making them soggy. <S> Oil, if there is any excess, can drip off rather than soaking in. <S> They won't get juices and sauce from the entrée all over them. <A> I imagine that there are two reasons. <S> One is that it appears nicer [than just serving on a plate] and thus helps justify the cost of the restaurant. <S> And the second is that minimizing the surface area of the fries in contact with the air will keep them warmer for longer.
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Also, there may be thermal reasons, that it allows the chips on the top to get cool enough to eat, without the chips at the bottom getting too cold by the time you get to them. Easier to share with others.
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Are reddish egg whites safe to eat? 5 minutes ago I cracked an egg and was surprised with an orange, reddish egg white. It has the color of light fish sauce. The chalazae is red. I would assume that the reddish color comes from the blood. The egg smells fine, no sulfurous smell. Before cracking the egg, the shell was intact. Is this egg safe to eat? I know the rule "in doubt, throw it out" but I'm interested if the egg is still edible. <Q> Intact and good-looking eggs are generally safe to eat -- any spoilage very quickly results in horrible smell. <S> Anyway, I'm regularly eating eggs like that since childhood <S> and I'm still here. <S> It's safe. <S> (PS. <S> I never tried to drink anything like this uncooked, but there are many other reasons not to try that. :D) <A> They're meat spots , and safe (though unpleasant) to eat. <A> Pinkish egg whites are a sign of spoilage.
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The thing you're seeing might actually be a very tiny remain of something related with embryo (there's a tiny red piece of embryo in all eggs, you just have to search a bit) or a colored piece of internal egg-white structure (I heard that grass- and mineral-rich food may cause coloring like that), just bigger for some reason. You may not die from it, but it could make you mildly or severely ill depending on what is causing the spoilage (just age/deterioration, or how much bacteria is growing in it and what type of bacteria).
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What are the white tendrils at the bottom of these garlic cloves? What are the white tendrils at the bottom of these garlic cloves? Are they the beginning of new roots? I'm afraid they are indications of fungus or mold. <Q> Those are garlic roots, no reason to worry. <S> If you plan to use these cloves, note that they are about to leave the dormant stage and start to sprout, so make sure you remove the green sprout in the middle of the clove. <S> It is rather likely to have turned bitter now. <S> I found this video on youtube, which shows the roots forming on a garlic clove; in a rather early stage you can clearly see the little stubs your garlic has. <A> These are roots, just cut them off. <S> Sometimes you might get a sprout coming out of the top, that's fine too. <S> Garlic sprouts after being exposed to cold <S> , if you store garlic in your fridge it is likely to sprout, so store it at room temperature or a cool but not cold place. <A> I eat the sprouts and have never noticed a bitter flavour. <A> If you want to keep your garlic from going off, wrap it in some kitchen roll at room temperature. <S> The paper helps so much in prolonging the life of your clove.
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I grow a field of garlic, your picture shows nascent roots.
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How to make a strong cup of milk tea without boiling it much? As it is known that boiling the tea for a quite some time extracts tannins. But, that is the only way I know of making strong tea. Cup size: 150 ml. I put 3/4 cup of milk and 1/4 cup of water in a vessel with 1/2 tbsp of tea and 1/2 tbsp of jaggery on a slow flame, and let it boil for some time. What is other way to get a strong cup of milk tea? Is there a way to get a strong cup of tea without boiling tea at all? This is the tea I use: http://www.tataglobalbeverages.com/brands/tea/tata-tea/premium These leaves are totally crumbled. <Q> As a general rule for tea, milk tea or otherwise... <S> You can make it "stronger" a few ways. <S> Increase the amount of tea, increase the steep time, increase amount of tea or raise the temp. <S> I would suggest trying it in that order. <S> Increase the amount of tea. <S> More leaves, means more stuff extracted. <S> Increase the steep time. <S> This should work, as essentially you're allowing more time for the water/milk to extract the flavours from the leaves. <S> However the potential downside is over-steeping, which could result in more of the bitter tannins tastes coming out of the leaves. <S> Since Milk Tea has a large quantity of milk and usually is a stronger tea to balance, this might be what you're looking for. <S> Raise the temperature. <S> This might result in more "flavours" coming out, but generally, they're not the flavours you want. <S> Most of the pleasant flavours of tea dissolve at a lower temperature than the tannins. <S> Again, as milk tea is generally a stronger drink, that may be what you want. <S> But I'd try this last, as you could also lose the other flavours in the tea. <S> Also, not entirely clear from your question, but it appears that you're adding the tea to the cold liquid? <S> I'd probably heat the milk/water to about 80-90C before adding the tea. <S> If for no other reason, than making it more predictable/repeatable as to how long to steep for. <A> You could make a reduced syrup then use that as a base for milk tea drinks: place a large amount of tea in a pot on the stove, add water till covered and heat gently until it has reduced down to a strong syrup. <S> Store this syrup in the fridge. <S> When you make tea, heat the milk to the temp you wish to drink at and pour in the syrup, sugar to taste, enjoy. <A> you can make tea at very low temperatures but it will take more time there is something i learned froma homeless man in california, he put a tea bag, or other herbal leaves, into a glass bottle of water which he carried in his backpack, throughout the day the teas flavour was imparted into the water which became warm though the day. <S> in the evening he had a strong tea which was luke warm, to drink. <S> then add the milk at the end. <S> warm milk obviously wouldnt be advisable becuase it may sour, so you would have to leave out the milk. <S> also i notice when making chai tea that if i put the tea and water in before the milk the tea seems stronger, i think the milk impedes the tea tannins from coming out, so you could try leaving the milk till the end. <S> hope this helps. <A> I found the solution which suits me: <S> I first boil the milk, water, and jaggery together in quantity mentioned in the question. <S> After the mixture reaches boiling point, I switch off the gas stove and throw in 2 table spoons of tea. <S> I close the lid of the vessel and let the it sit on the gas itself for 6 minutes. <S> After 6 minutes, I strain the tea and the result is a non woody strong hot tea. <S> I think it is important to let the covered vessel sit on the gas because otherwise the tea will cool off in 6 minutes.
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so you could try steeping the tea overnight in just the water and then warming it over a low heat for as long as it takes to get to the strength you like.
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How to fry eggplant with less oil? Frying eggplant is somewhat tricky, as it absorbs oil like a sponge. I read some tricks like brushing egg white or flour on the eggplant slices before frying. None of these tricks are good enough to avoid oil soaking into the eggplant body. Is there any practical way to fry eggplant using minimal oil? <Q> I had the same problem before, but I learned this great trick from Larousse: <S> The salt will draw out a lot of water from the vegetable, making it less spongy. <S> Then, dry off the slices before adding them to very hot oil in a frying pan. <S> The hot oil should help make a nice sear, sealing off the eggplant, so it doesn't soak up anymore oil. <S> If you need to, turn down the heat after the eggplant is browned to let it finish cooking. <A> I've had the best luck using the following method: <S> Gently rub some salt on the eggplant and leave for a few minutes Dab the eggplant pieces with a paper towel to absorb the excess moisture. <S> Microwave (I know, it sounds awful, but give it a shot) the eggplant for couple of minutes. <S> This will partially cook the eggplant and also collapse the air pockets in the eggplant, reducing the amount of oil that it will absorb when frying Fry with a bit of oil <S> The result is some of the best fried eggplant I've had. <A> Spray them lightly with olive oil on both sides, add your choice of fresh herbs¹, put them on an oven shelf and bake them in the oven at 150°C (300°F) until you get the texture you want. <S> Don't go above that T° as the smoke point for olive oil is 160°C. <S> Disadvantage: <S> It's not really frying, it's baking Advantage: no extra sodium! :-) <S> ¹ <S> : I like a mix of oregano and thyme myself, but YMMV... <A> I experimented with salting and brining. <S> Brining the cut-up pieces of aubergine for a few hours gives by far the best results. <S> This methods gets rid of the bitter taste, and even takes care of the slightly allergic reaction I always get eating aubergines. <S> The brine becomes quite brown. <S> They will hardly take up any oil like this, cook quickly and evenly. <S> I brine in water about a salty as sea water, more or less. <S> This website agrees with me, check it out! http://www.seriouseats.com/2015/02/how-to-make-sichuan-hot-and-sour-eggplant-vegan-experience-food-lab-fish-fragrant-eggplant.html <A> i have grilled egg plant before with a little brush of oil and it came out fine. <S> i think this could work with frying if you fried it on a gentle heat for a longer time so the water was released,and so it steams in its own juice. <S> they are very juicy when they are cooked. <S> i have also baked with minimal oil, just a drizzle and tossed, and into a medium oven. <S> i think keeping the heat down is key as it allows time for the moisture to be released. <A> According to other answers I read "rub some salt on the eggplant and leave for a few minutes" is great, but it might not be the way to reduce its absorption of oil, I guess !? <S> My way is : 1) <S> Use round pan 2) <S> Pour some oil (a small amount - but enough amount to fry the eggplants) into the pan 3) <S> Shake the pan after the oil has been cooked. <S> (make sure oil are all over the pan and not gathering in the middle) <S> 4) Fry those eggplants. <S> Preparations before above steps <S> You can cut the eggplants into round shape (slicing horizontally) or stick shape (slicing vertically). <S> Don't cut into very big size. <S> And yes, rub it with a little salt together with water in a bowl for 10~15 minutes before getting started to fry. <S> Hope <S> it helps! ;-)
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Try sprinkling slices of your eggplant with plenty of salt on both sides and let rest for about fifteen minutes.
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How to pick good clementines and mandarins at the supermarket? Sometimes I get some "dry" clementines with barely any juice, and sometimes they are juicy but bitter. How do I make sure they're juicy and not bitter? <Q> Bitterness can come from underripe fruit (although a lot of times they'll just be sour or less flavorful), lack of juice is usually something that has been stored too long and dried out. <S> A ripe mandarin or clementine should be firm but not hard with a good, bright citrusy fragrance. <S> Rubbing your finger on the skin should impart some citrus oil (unless it's waxed of coated...) <S> I think usually the smell is the best guideline for flavor, although I have still sometimes had a fruit that smells great and tastes pretty bland. <S> But I think usually if they are really fragrant <S> that's a good sign. <S> The skin should be somewhat loose-feeling. <S> If the skin is tight on the fruit, it is either not ripe or it is drying out ( <S> or it's not a mandarin or clementine). <S> Don't squeeze the fruit and bruise it, but when you pick it up, there should be a bit of give in the skin. <S> Mandarins and clementines have very thin skins, but these still have the sort of spongy texture of other citrus. <S> Because they are thin, they dry out quickly. <S> It's hard to describe what drying citrus skin feels like - progressively rougher and harder than fresh, eventually turning into a crisp and brittle almost stony layer. <S> I'm sure you would notice far before it gets to that stage, but it's not going to happen overnight. <S> (But the fruit shouldn't be squishy or have soft spots, that is generally spoilage or damage.) <S> It should not feel dry and hard. <S> A juicy citrus will feel heavy for its size, although for really small ones <S> that's kind of hard to judge. <S> One more thing to note, though, is that most of the time, the whole batch of whatever type of fruit at the grocery store or at a particular market stall at any given time will very likely come from the same source. <S> While there might be some better and some worse ones, overall they'll probably be pretty similar, unless you can clearly see that some are older or from a different source. <S> If you're not sure about a batch, just buy a couple and then get more after you see that they're good. <S> (And if you find some great ones, buy a lot and freeze some for juice for later.) <A> Ripe citrus fruits have a distinct sweet odor mixed in with the citrus flavor. <S> Hold the fruit some distance away and get a feel for the flavor. <S> The rind of citrus fruits is almost always bitter, so if you hold the fruit too close, all you would smell is the bitterness. <S> Another aspect is the skin of the fruit. <S> It should be moist and somewhat yielding. <S> Note that clementines bruise very easily because of their thin skins, so be sure not to press too hard. <S> If the fruit feels hard or stretched , it has probably dried out. <S> Also, most of the weight of a citrus fruit comes from water, so a dried out fruit will feel much lighter than a good one. <S> Dried fruits also tend to "rattle" a bit when you move them around, so make sure that there are no hollows or depressions under the skin. <S> And of course, there's always the color :). <S> Green citrus is almost always bitter. <S> Try to pick one that is yellow, orange or the like (depending on the type). <S> Dried fruits also tend to go yellow though, so keep an eye out for that. <A> Note that they are two different fruits. <S> A good mandarine is juicy, but not especially sweet. <S> A good clementine is sweet, but drier than a mandarine. <S> There certainly are bad mandarines, which are dry in addition to being unsweet (I find them more sour than bitter), and bad clementines, which are not really sweet in addition to not being especially juicy. <S> There are good specimens of each fruit, of course, and it is worth trying to find them. <S> But they are good within the range typical for their fruit type . <S> If this is what you were interested in, see the other answers here, they're pretty good. <S> But if you think of all mandarines and clementines you've ever had, let's call them "maclems", and insist on finding a fruit which is as sweet as the sweetest maclem, and as juicy as the juiciest maclem, this fruit does not exist. <A> Colour is not a true indication of ripening. <S> Smell is a better indication by sounds of it. <S> Mine a falling of tree half green. <S> Other years have not. <S> Might be due to lighter rains maybe.
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The most reliable indicator of whether citrus fruits are sweet/bitter is their smell.
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Where is a 'coffee cup' measured to? A coffee cup that is described as a 8 ounce (for example) will hold this amount filled to the top of the cup's lip or to some other arbitrary level? <Q> I assume you're talking about understanding quoted manufacturer's dimensions of a drinking vessel (and not some measure of what an abstract "coffee cup" might be, as when people talk about a "4-cup" coffee maker or whatever). <S> To my knowledge, there is no standard at least in the U.S. for these sorts of measurements. <S> However, that "error" seems to vary quite a bit. <S> Years ago, I tried filling a few different mugs I had purchased just to get a sense of their accuracy in size. <S> If they were supposed to hold X ounces, some would be full up to within about 1/16th of an inch of the top, while others had a gap of 1/2 inch or more below the lip. <S> (Beyond my own anecdote, I also found more people's anecdotes here describing a similar trend.) <S> If I recall correctly, for whatever reason, there didn't seem to be as much error with glass measurements as there were with coffee mugs. <S> Particularly if you see a very specific measurement advertised (e.g., "8.6 oz. capacity"), it seems more likely that the measurement is right up to the top. <S> Obviously if you have a cup or glass with a line printed on it, it's generally more accurate. <S> (This is more common in Europe.) <S> If you're asking about this to use a random cup as a "measuring cup," I wouldn't trust any listed specifications for capacity unless you actually measure the specific cup yourself. <A> Although the previous answer is "true" and "correct". <S> For me so far, every drinking vessel labeled as 12 or 16 oz or whatever almost always fills just to <S> the brim almost overflowing when I poured a can or bottle of 12 or 16 oz into them. <A> When brewing coffee the cup is measured at 5 ounces. <S> So two cups of water would be 10 ounces,measured in a glass liquid measuring cup.
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My anecdotal experience is that cups and mugs are often slightly larger in capacity than advertised when filled to the brim, probably to take into account people's expectation that they can put a drink of X ounces in a cup made to hold X ounces without spilling it.
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To par-boil or not to par-boil root vegetables before roasting? I'm looking at some recipes for roasted root vegetables and there appears to be a split between those that par boil then roast for ~30 minutes versus those that just roast for ~45 minutes Excluding potatoes - where there appears to be a consensus that par boiling is necessary, what are the pros and cons of each approach? and is it more important for particular types of root veg? <Q> I think this depends on how big the pieces are, and of course which ingredients. <S> Some veg cook faster than others. <S> If you are using 1 inch or smaller pieces, you may not need to parboil, but if you are using larger pieces you may wish to par boil for longer as the pieces get bigger. <S> This lets you cook the interior without burning the exterior when you roast. <S> Of course if you add things like squash or broccoli to the veg roast, add those last and they don't need par boiling. <A> Parboil if you like your moist (boiled) <S> veg to have a bit of color and chewiness. <S> No parboil if you like veg flavor concentrated and texture to be more leathery. <A> Parboil potatoes, carrots, turnips and celeriac and the like because they are very dense. <S> Don't parboil onions or other less dense roots. <A> However I find cooking root veg whole at a lower heat for longer keeps root veg moist inside. <S> Carrots and parsnips at160 Cecius/140 fan for 1.5 hours. <S> I tend to cook my carrots Vichy style. <S> Put single layer in pan with butter, a wee but of sugar and maybe some star anise which is lovely. <S> Once they are soft you can fish out and pan fry briefly for a crispy coating. <S> The real bonus is that adding a little stock to the carrot cooking juice and reducing gives you a magnificent sauce with the added bonus of carrot vitamins and minerals which may be lost to the water when parboiling.
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Parboil is faster and useful if you can't vary the heat of your oven e.g roasting a bird.
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How to parcook a casserole? I have a wonderful mousaka recipe which involves layers of baked potato, eggplant, and beef. It is topped with a cheesy bachamel and cooked until golden brown on top. It is very similar to a lasagna. I would like to cook this dish for a party for 20 people. Unfortunately I cannot prepare everything immediate beforehand. So I would like to complete as much as possible a day in advance. I could cook this dish completely and then reheat it in the oven before the party, but I'm afraid the bachamel top will over crisp and the bottom will burn. Can I instead parcook this dish? I believe I could cool all the ingredients up until the point the bachamel is added, then chill it, and then simply bake as is for 1.5 hours until warmed through and the topping browns nicely. Or should I worry about the sauce clumping or other concerns? <Q> My family does this with lasagne every year for Christmas. <S> It works with most casseroles that are prepared in advance: <S> Make the casserole in advance, then either chill (if night before) or freeze (if a week before). <S> Place the cold dish in a cold oven, covered in aluminum foil, then turn it to medium-low heat (about 300°F/150°C). <S> Heat until the center of the casserole is sufficiently warmed through. <S> Turn the heat on the oven down to 'warm' Just before guests arrive, make the bechamel. <S> Keep it on low heat on the stovetop, stirring every 10-15 minutes or so. <S> (20-30 mins before service) uncover the casseroles Top with some of the bechamel (reserving the rest so people can add extra as they wish) <S> Crank the oven to 'broil' or 'grill' or <S> whatever they call the 'top only heat' setting in your country, and cook the top to desired brown-ness. <S> If you don't have a broil/grill setting, move the casserole as close to the top element as you can without the food actually touching it, and turn the heat as high as the oven will go. <S> Remove the casserole and let rest to firm back up. <S> (take notes on how long this time, as that'll affect the exact time when you start broiling the next time you do this). <S> Place the reserved bechamel in a gravy boat. <S> Slice & serve <S> Note that there's also bechamel in the lassagne we make <S> -- so you just make a little bit less when making the casserole initially, if it's needed for middle layers as well. <A> I think your idea is a good one. <S> You can cook the whole thing thoroughly through, but without the topping. <S> Then when you are ready, cook it at a higher than normal temp so the topping can brown properly while the inside just needs to get warmed up to serving temp. <A> Make your bechamel sauce. <S> Assemble everything in the baking dish and put it in the fridge. <S> When your guests arrive, put it in the oven for a bit longer than usual (as it is cold), perhaps on a lower temperature, or with some foil on top to prevent it from drying out.
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What I would do is in advance prepare the potato, eggplant and beef in the pan (fully cooked).
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Is there a reason for storing ground spices separately (unmixed)? I always use the same spice mix for dal. Instead of taking 1-2 tsp of each, I would rather keep a special container for the dal of the ready made mix in the proportions I want. Is there any reason not to do so? Shelf-life, aggregation, ..? <Q> I'm aware of three reasons that you might not want to do so: <S> You tie up spices that you might want to use in other dishes individually <S> You don't always want to add the spices at the same time. <S> You can't always keep spices well-blended. <S> If you only tend to cook one dish or you leave some of each spice in reserve, the first one isn't really a problem. <S> The second one is a function of the dish being prepared, which I'll assume isn't the case here. <S> The last one is less of a problem with ground spices, but can be significant for whole seeds -- as you jostle the container with use, some spices will tend to float to the top, while others sink to the bottom. <S> The end result is that when you go take your measure of mixed spices, it might not have the same proportion as what you had expected. <S> You can partially mitigate the issue by taking your container and rolling it around on its side for a bit before righting the container and taking your measurement. <S> It's not perfect, but it will help in re-distributing the spices. <S> If there are certain spices that would be a major problem if they weren't help in balance (eg, ground hot peppers), you can blend everything else and leave that one item separate. <A> In the middle-east, there are always several spice mixtures available in shops. <S> The most famous of which are Ras-al-Hanout and Baharat. <S> These are spice mixtures sold as pre-mixed combinations by the shopkeeper, who is usually the one who grinds the spices. <A> You may want to keep them separate for shelf-life reasons. <S> If you combine them, the shelf life of the mixture will be limited by the freshness of the least-fresh spice you mixed into it. <S> Different spices' flavors also degrade at different rates, though generally you don't have to worry about the flavor of dried, ground spices degrading for at least 6 months. <S> Depending on how much of this mixture you use, these things may not be a factor. <A> For some here there might be two other reasons: Practice, and variation. <S> Mixing spices as part of the prep trains your memory, and sometimes helps you understand the mixtures, and there is a learning effect both from getting the balance slightly wrong and from getting it right in a subtly different way. <S> This can also prevent a dish from getting boring if you make it a lot. <A> You can combine them and make your own spice mix, but keep in mind, there may be some separation and you may need to shake or roll your space shaker to keep things mixed. <S> The coarser spices will end up on top while the finely ground will end up on the bottom if you don't mix up before use.
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Assuming you're using spices which are all dried and ground, there should be no problem.
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Is there any way to kill bacteria in food without using heat? The title says it all. Context: food preservation <Q> As Lars Friedrich already wrote, curing with salt is a way to kill bacteria. <S> A high sugar content and the removal of water in general alters the water activity . <S> 1 <S> Some chemicals are toxic to bacteria (and to some extend also toxic to humans) like borax (which is used to preserve caviar; I'm not sure if it only inhibits the growth of bacteria) or ethanol (drinking alcohol). <S> Sulfites are used - not exclusively - in wine making and on dried fruit. <S> You can alter the pH . <S> I doubt the food will be edible as-it-is. <S> Last but not least you can irradiate the food to sterilize it. <S> Irradiation is also commonly used to sterilize (disposable?) <S> medical equipment. <S> Please note that freezing does not kill any bacteria. <S> Side note: There are some other bacteria that survive even in such adverse environments but they are not common as foodborne pathogens. <S> If you really want to be sure that the food is sterile without cooking, you have pressure-sterilize, "poison" it or irradiate it. <S> You can also preserve food even with bacteria and fungi: A sourdough has an almost indefinitely shelf-live. <S> It basically only consists of flour, water and a mix of many different bacteria and yeasts. <S> Cultured milk also has a very long shelf life. <S> For further reading: The FAT TOM rule describes the six favorable conditions required for the growth of foodborne pathogens. <S> 1 <S> Caveat: <S> (Botulinum) spores survive in honey. <S> Do they count as bacteria? <A> The removal of the water and the addition of salt leads to an osmotic pressure that draws the water out of the bacteria. <A> The term is "cold sterilization"; most methods will indeed be out of reach of home users. <S> Some of the methods used in industry seem to be just sieving the bacteria out (microfiltration), pressurizing everything to 50000 psi, or obviously chemicals that remain in the food as preservatives or that self-decompose into relatively inert compounds in storage (Dimethyldicarbonate). <S> Some compounds in common seasonings (Turmeric, Onions/Garlic, Chilies) are claimed to have an effect that lowers bacterial growth (but does not completely inhibit it). <A> Classic sour pickles actually contain a very small amount of salt -- just enough to discourage most bacteria and encourage the growth of Lactobacillus acidophilus. <S> LBA's byproducts then kill off whatever else was trying to compete with it. <S> Vinegar pickles likewise are a hostile environment for most organisms. <S> (Folks not too much younger than me can remember when stores had barrels of pickles <S> and you'd just grab the ones you wanted with a pair of tongs. <S> No refrigeration needed.) <S> Other folks have covered other traditional ways of preserving food -- drying, smoking, etc. <S> A properly cured ham can hang on a hook for years and still be edible, though you may need to trim off the moldy outer surface. <S> While we're speaking of mold: cheese is another food protected by curing, using various cultures. <S> And again, if you don't mind trimming off the rind, many hard cheeses can pretty much look after themselves. <S> So can butter, actually -- it may go rancid due to chemical breakdown if not kept cool, but other than that it doesn't need to be refrigerated. <S> Ditto most oils. <S> Ditto most fruit; it may get moldy or start to ferment due to harmless organisms, but otherwise can look after itself longer than most Americans think it can. <A> Certain viruses can be used : <S> In the Federal Register of August 18, 2006, FDA announced that it had approved the use of a bacteriophage preparation made from six individually purified phages to be used on RTE meat and poultry products as an antimicrobial agent against Listeria monocytogenes. <A> In Home-settings; our family do as the following - For meat = <S> > <S> Use Lemons or limes - Just simply slice the lemons and squeeze it over the meat in a bowl. <S> - Leave it for 15 minutes or more (can also refrigerated for overnight if you wish to prepare for another day) For vegetable = <S> > <S> Use salt - <S> In a bowl of water, add some amount of salt - Then, add vegetable (after cut) - Leave it for 15 minutes or more <S> I hope that's what you are looking for. <S> Thanks. <A> Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) is used to treat liquids such as milk and stored water. <S> Only a couple of drops of 3-7% aqueous solution of H2O2 in 1L of liquid is enough to disinfect. <S> Fresh milk could last 2 weeks easily when treated.
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The most common method to kill bacteria without heat is curing with salt.
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Are there any sugar substitutes for preserving food? A quote from the Live Strong website Just like with salt, some forms of sugar can draw water out of food and tie up water within the food so it is not available for biochemical reactions. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization, fructose and sucrose are very effective for preserving food while glucose is not. Sugar may also encourage the growth of healthy bacteria that prevent bacteria that will make you sick from growing. High concentrations of sugar also exert osmotic pressure that will draw water out of bacteria, preventing them from growing. Are there any substitutes that will do the same? Bonus: without altering the taste :-) <Q> It's hard to understand what you are asking about here. <S> If you mean a substitute as something you drop into an existing recipe instead of the required sugar, then no, there aren't any. <S> There are other methods for preserving food instead of sugar-based ones though. <S> So, if you don't like pumpkin jam, you can make pickled pumpkin instead. <S> If this is what you meant, then there are "substitutes". <S> There are no methods for food preservation which don't alter the taste. <S> Freezing comes closest. <S> It preserves flavor, but not texture. <A> The term for what you are influencing with the salt/sugar is "water activity", you can find a boatload about it and how to reduce it on the net. <S> Some of the sugar substitutes mentioned - sugar alcohols like xylitol, erithrol, mannitol etc not high intensity sweeteners like aspartame, saccharine <S> , stevia! - do influence it. <S> And yes, alcohols - without the sugar - also do (there are chemical similarities between sugars and alcohols). <A> The short answer really is no.
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Sugar substitutes/artificial sweeteners aren't nearly the same thing, though they may preserve due to partial desiccation, they aren't doing the same thing and it will not taste the same.
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Why is the handle of sauce pans tilted and not horizontal? Why is the handle of a saucepan tilted upwards now-a-days rather than the old fashioned horizontal handles? <Q> The answer from the 'Product Manager - Cookware' of Zwilling , translated to English: <S> [Snipped introduction] Different factors influence the design of the handle during the product creation process. <S> At the first step there are optical reasons. <S> This is the phase of the first design drawings. <S> As soon as we decide internally on a draft, we craft plastic prototypes that are attached to the corresponding pan body to see the size ratio "live" and verify the look and feel. <S> If we feel that one of the two factors is not optimal, we do another design round. <S> [The last paragraph was likely in reference to my question about having a certain tilt angle for better hanging on a handle. <S> " <S> Better" was interpreted as 'more long lasting'.] <S> The answer from the 'Consumer Service WMF ', translated to English: <S> [Snipped introduction] <S> The pan body shapes and the handles are only attributable to the design. <S> As every human has a different taste, we have an assortment of different designs. <S> There is no other technical reason for the handles and shapes of sauce pans. <S> Summary: <S> An aesthetically pleasing hanging on a handle is at least not such a concern during the design process at Zwilling that it was mentioned. <S> WMF flat out says it's just design. <S> If the premise of the question is actually true, that there was indeed a change over time, which is questionable, then at least these days such issues play no longer any role for large companies. <A> Did some looking and while I haven't found an authoritative answer, in the introduction to this design paper , he describes a theory that I think makes a lot of sense. <S> Traditionally, pots and pans have always had a long straight handle, since they were designed to be used in an open fire. <S> With the advent of modern stovetops, pots and pans were lifted off the hearth, and the handles simply shortened, with the incidental benefit of saving space in a smaller environment. <S> I suspect that makes the most sense. <S> With a fire, you want to keep your hand as low and out of the fire as much as possible. <S> In a stove as there is a lot less radiant heat than a fire, it is much more beneficial to just simply move your hand a few extra inches away from the burner. <S> Up and out makes a little more sense then. <S> In essence, I suspect the pot/cookware design more closely matches to the available heat sources available. <S> As I'm typing this, another theory, is that the change of material used for the handle also makes a difference. <S> With a wooden or plastic handle, you need to move it up and away from the heat source more so than a handle made of pure metal. <A> For example:
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So that the handle hangs straight down if it's used to hang the saucepan from a rack, which is more aesthetically pleasing than having it hang at an angle, which a straight handle would do. Stability does essentially not play any role for the tilt angle, more decisive are the handle connection and material thickness.
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What can I substitute for Gruyère in quiche lorràine? Gruyère cheese is too expensive here and I want make quiche lorràine. Is there some other cheese that I could substitute for the gruyère that would preserve the original flavor? <Q> There are a couple variations that if you're lucky might be cheaper: Beaufort and Comté. <S> (I've only actually tried Comté, but I've seen Beaufort listed along with it and Gruyère.) <S> A bit farther away are Emmentaler and Jarlsberg. <S> They both have the Swiss cheese flavor but aren't quite as firm nicely aged. <S> If you use one of the farther away substitutes, I'd suggest adding in some hard aged cheese as well to make up for the difference. <S> For example, I've used (American) Swiss cheese plus dry jack and parmesan and been pretty happy with it. <S> The specific hard aged cheese probably doesn't matter a whole lot, as long as it has some nice aged flavor and not a lot of overpowering other flavors. <A> If you want to be faithful to the French terminology, a quiche (lorraine) does not contain cheese. <S> Ever. <S> It's not even a matter of being "classic" or "authentic", putting cheese on a tarte is very common, but it's just called differently if you do (namely tarte ). <S> Have you ever tried an actual French quiche (i.e. without cheese)? <S> Maybe you will like it. <S> Alternatively, you can put just about any cheese on it. <S> Results will differ, hard somewhat aged cow-milk cheese like those suggested by @Jefromi will be closest to gruyère but anything goes really: Dutch cheese, soft cheese like maroilles or munster, blue cheese, goat cheese, feta cheese, feel free to experiment with what's available where you are. <S> Incidentally, if anything, I think it's actually more common to add a relatively bland, creamy cheese like emmentaler rather than a stronger older cheese to a tarte <S> so there is no reason to consider the latter as the ingredient to be substituted or a tarte with gruyère as the "original flavor" to aim for. <S> Now if you like that and want to do it on the cheap, then maybe comté or beaufort are not very good options, as they might be just as expensive and possibly harder to find. <S> I would try to look for an aged Dutch-like cheese (locally produced Gouda imitation or something like that). <A> You could just find a recipe that doesn't use it. <S> Classic quiche Lorraine does not contain cheese.
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Beyond that there's simply all the varieties of (American) Swiss cheese, which are generally roughly like Emmanteler but likely even softer.
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How will the taste of black tea change when I infuse it with water colder than 90-100 degrees Celsius? I recently bought a small glass teapot. I want to use it at work. On the box there's a warning that 80 degrees Celsius is maximum for this teapot. I know that you shouldn't brew green tea in too high temperature, as it makes tea more bitter, hiding the real taste we're after. I want to prepare black tea in my teapot. How will the taste change I infuse it in 80 degrees or less? <Q> TFD's answer is true: the most likely change is the reduction in some astringent flavors. <S> I would just add that people have been brewing black tea for iced tea for many years at or near room temperature (e.g., the traditional "sun tea" method), or even in the refrigerator ("cold-brewed" tea). <S> The flavor notes which come out are different, but a lot of people still find the tea produced to be acceptable or even preferable to "hot-brewed" tea. <S> Granted, these processes are used mostly for tea meant to be consumed at cooler temperatures. <S> But my point is that those who insist that black tea must be brewed as close to 100C as possible <S> are just brewing one possible "version" of tea from those leaves. <S> (Sometimes, they simply taste "weaker" for some reason, even when still brewed longer to take into account the lower temperature. <S> Sometimes this can be fixed by adding more tea leaves per cup; other times this still creates an imbalance.) <S> I could cite a number of studies which show the various amounts of certain chemical components in tea and how fast they dissolve at various temperatures. <S> But those really won't take into account the balance of individual flavor components in a particular black tea. <S> In this case, I think it's really a matter of personal judgment to see whether your particular tea tastes fine to you <S> brewed at a lower temperature. <A> Tea brewing is a time + temp equation, and different tea types brew at different rates <S> Some compounds in the tea ( <S> many of the astringent ones) dissolve out much slower in cooler water, and this is why many people brew tea at 80°C to 90°C. <S> Some people like the astringent taste and brew closer to 100°C <S> This is probably all unrelated to the warning sticker, which is there probably to absolve the manufacturer from any legal claim <S> should you hurt yourself with the teapot! <S> Normal food safe glass has no problem at these temperatures? <A> Iced tea will always be sweeter if brewed (steeped) <S> cold. <S> Use the same amount of tea as you would to make the same amount of hot tea, and let it brew for over 1 hour, but not more than 2 hours. <S> In 2 hours it will have started to draw the astringent components of the tea. <S> Just over 1 hour cold brew is my sweet spot for the most refreshing unsweetened tea.
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In my own experiments, I've found that certain black teas taste good when brewed at lower temperatures for a long time, though others end up "unbalanced" in some way.
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What's the difference between heirloom and direct-set yogurt cultures? Yogurt cultures seem to come in two varieties: heirloom and direct-set. The difference between the varieties is that one is a carefully selected mix of bacterial strains (direct-set), and the other is a "mother" that's been cultivated and sustained over generations (heirloom). Most direct-set culture will specify that the culture cannot be reused. This means that once the yogurt is done culturing, one should not use a part of that yogurt to culture more milk. On the other hand, heirloom cultures are specifically meant to be reused and sustained. Where does the difference lie? My guess is that the direct-set is not a "stable" symbiotic mixture of microbes, so the fear is that if one reuses that yogurt AFTER it's been sitting in the fridge, it'll have some additional microbes it may have picked up in it, which may foul the next batch. The heirloom variety may be more "stable" in some way, so any additional microbes may be out-competed and won't survive into the next batch. Another question is: if contamination is the only worry in direct-set cultures, could one immediately freeze direct-set yogurt (to avoid contamination) and then reuse it to get similar results? <Q> It's simple. <S> Heirlooms will produce expected results no matter how many times you reinoculate your culture. <S> Direct set is a blend of species and eventually only the strongest strain will remain and it may not create anything you want to eat. <S> I never bought cultures, I just buy plain or vanilla yogurt, eat it and use what's left behind to make another batch. <S> Remember the single most important part of yogurt making is hygiene. <S> I can't stress this enough. <S> Yogurt won't always tell you it's bad until it's too late <S> and you eat it and get very very sick. <S> Trust me on this from experience. <S> With yogurt HYGIENE is the most important part of the process.!!! <A> I have re-used my direct set with success; <S> just No Guarantee. <S> Contamination issue is no different. <A> 40 Batches with "Direct-Set" and no Problems <S> 12 years ago I never heard of heirloom cultures and at the time I had started my culture from a freeze-dried starter that lasted 40 batches without degradation in quality and the only reason it stopped <S> was because I was out of country for three months. <S> That starter would have been described now as "commercial" or "direct-set". <S> I have started again with a freeze-dried starter <S> and I'm 4 batches in and see no degradation in quality just as before. <S> No Proof of Heirloom cultures <S> The only mention I can find of "Heirloom cultures" and the terms such as "commercial direct-set culture" points back to two sources. <S> One being a website called: https://www.culturesforhealth.com and a book which is also sold on that website called "The Art of Fermentation". <S> There's no real proof or scientific study for these "heirloom cultures" and since there is only one know place to buy "heirloom cultures" its just as reasonable to believe its a marketing lie. <S> Easy to believe you need to a Heirloom Culture to mask learning failure <S> When I first started making yogurt <S> I had quite a few failed batches, but this was corrected when: <S> I got yogurt makers to keep the incubation temp consistent stir constantly <S> so temp was evenly distributed invested in a digital thermometer learned to be patience and heat my milk at the lowest setting ensure to hold the temp at 180F for 15-30mins to get desired thickness <S> keep my yogurt plain for starter, and mix my flavour at time of eating and start new batches within 7-12 days. <S> If I was for the first time learning now I might falsely believed it was my culture being a so called "direct-set" because I would keep thinking "what if?". <A> I think putting your starter (some yogurt you want to use as) in the freezer will also prolong and ensure how many generations of batches will be able to be made in the future. <S> My mother in the US taught me how to make yogurt as a child. <S> Then when I lived in India with my Uncle <S> I learned how to make (heirloom) Starter; yogurt from scratch with no previously originated Starter; or previous yogurt to use to in the fermentation process. <S> Heirlooms vary (how to make) <S> Starter by Country.
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Think of Heirloom as an old-time garden tomato vrs a high performing hybrid that won't breed true.
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Can a disposable aluminium pan be used to bake a cake? I want to know if an aluminium lasagna pan can be used in an oven for baking a cake? <Q> It says Lasagna Pan on the label, as in you're meant to bake a lasagna in it. <S> No reason why a cake would be dangerous. <S> I imagine you'd be baking the cake at a lower temp than a lasagna. <S> You'd want to worry about the cake sticking to the sides maybe. <S> You'd also want to account for the fact that the pan is thinner and heat transfer would be different (cooking times and temperatures might need to be adjusted). <A> Given that they sell pans that are identical in all respects except for being smaller for the specific purpose of baking cakes in them, I'm not sure what possible trouble you're anticipating. <S> Because of the large size of the lasagna pan, you might end up with a thinner layer of batter than you'd get in a cake pan; if so, reduce the baking time accordingly. <S> As mentioned by others, the thin aluminum will transfer heat faster than a thicker and/or non-aluminum pan would, so you may need to reduce the oven temperature a bit. <S> The non-smooth sides seem like they ought to cause sticking, but in actual practice, as long as you prepare the pans appropriately for your cake recipe (butter & flour vs. butter only), you shouldn't have any problem. <A> Yes, you can use an aluminum pan for lasagna, but you should add one or two Wilton cake "heating cores" or a Wilton cake "nails" in the middle. <S> Google these items at Wilton. <S> Prepare them by applying shortening and flour. <S> Adjust oven temperature down 15-25° and add 15-30 min to your cook time. <S> Begin monitoring it after the regular cook time approaches.
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If you're asking if you can bake a cake in that aluminum tin because you're wondering if it's safe, then the answer is yes.
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Making Fudge or Candy While it is Raining or Snowing I've heard and old wives tales that when you try to make fudge or candy when it's raining or snowing outside that the fudge or candy will not set. What is the truth behind this tale? If it is true, how do you make fudge or candy on days that it is raining or snowing? <Q> It's not an old wives tale; it's actually true to a point. <S> I can't say it better than Exploratorium, Science of Cooking <S> Can weather affect candy making? <S> Oddly enough, it can. <S> Cooking candy syrup to the desired temperature means achieving a certain ratio of sugar to moisture in the candy. <S> On a humid day, once the candy has cooled to the point where it is no longer evaporating moisture into the air, it can actually start reabsorbing moisture from the air. <S> This can make the resulting candy softer than it is supposed to be. <S> That’s why dry days are recommended for candy making, although the effects of humidity can be somewhat counterbalanced by cooking the candy to the upper end of the appropriate temperature stage. <S> Cool weather is also recommended for candy making, because—generally—the faster candy cools, the less chance it has to form unwanted crystals. <S> At The Fudge House on Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco, they like to make fudge on cool days for another reason: <S> According to owner and candy maker Tom Lowe, people eat more fudge when it’s cooler. <S> Huge commercial operations are in humidity controlled buildings, but you can get home dehumidifiers too. <S> Perhaps one in the kitchen could help. <A> It is more correct for fudge, not so much for candy overall. <S> The texture of fudge and fondant depends a lot on the water contents where a 1% difference will matter and it will absorb moisture from the air during the cooling and beating period. <S> So a high humidity will result in a runny fudge. <S> Source: <S> "On Food and Cooking", Harold McGee <A> If it was true at one time, modern HVAC makes it moot. <S> Also, it is specific to where the saying came from: "cool" and "humid" mean different things in different places, to the point where dry in Kauaʻi is more humid than wet in Indio. <S> If it's raining outside but the heater is on because it's also cold outside <S> , it's probably very dry inside. <S> So the advice is very vague. <S> It would be far better to make a statement about the relative humidity in the vacinity of the candy, which is not the same as outside and need not be the same as the kitchen in general. <S> Just as you can use a candy thermometer instead of relying on expert knowledge of indirect observations, you can get one or more cheap digital thermometer/humidity meters. <S> You can position these (after making sure a cheap one is accurate via the salt water tupperware test) where you’re working, and collect precise advice on how the relative humidity and temperature where the bowl is affect the recipe. <A> Just did some research as I'm making caramels, which hate humidity. <S> It said approximately 35% or less is best. <S> If that isn't feasible run your A/C unit a day or two before. <S> I would assume a good dehumidifier would work, too. <S> Personally, I'll keep waiting for a low humidity day.
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This is actually (partially) true.
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Is the oily liquid from roasting a turkey worth keeping? I placed a 14 lb young Round Hill Frozen Basted Turkey in a pan, and roasted it inside an oven. After it was roasted, there was quite an amount of oily liquid left in the pan. Is this liquid worth keeping, and for what purpose? <Q> Before you use the drippings, taste them. <S> If they taste good on their own, they will be great for gravy. <S> Often, the oil left in the pan after roasting turkey is used to make the roux to thicken gravy to go with that turkey. <S> If it looks like all oil, you can use it as such. <S> Especially since the turkey was pre-basted, the drippings might be a mixture of oil and juices. <S> Pour the drippings into a clear container so you can see just how much is oil and how much is juice. <S> Scoop off the oil and cook it (and added butter as necessary) on the stove (preferably in the roasting pan) with an equal (roughly) amount of flour. <S> To make a roux gravy, the basic formula is 2 tablespoons fat, 2 tablespoons flour, and 1 cup of liquid to equal 1 cup of gravy. <S> Quote from about food which meshes with my own experience. <S> As you cook the flour and oil to a medium brown, try to scrape up any brown bits stuck to the pan. <S> Those are huge flavor bombs. <S> The liquid portion of the drippings poured off can be added with the broth that is the liquid part of the gravy. <S> The above link leads to more detailed instructions. <A> I would pour all the juices into a jug and refrigerate it. <S> The fat will solidify on top, and I would remove that to use for roasting potatoes, saving the juices below for gravy making, with boiling water and gravy granules - quick and simple. <S> This is what I did when cooking roast dinners for 40 to 100 customers every Sunday at my traditional English pub for a couple of years. <S> People used to comment regularly on how tasty the gravy and potatoes were. <A> I've also been known to freeze the juices once cooled and used them later in the year once thawed to moisten some of the frozen and thawed turkey meat from our Christmas dinner. <A> Im not so sure about a pre-basted turkey as I reckon there will be hydrogenated fats in there. <S> However if you're roasting a fresh free-range bird this is for you! <S> The turkey drippings (or fat, think chicken fat 2.0!)i is a combination of both fat and meat juices from the roasting and is absolute gold-dust when it comes to flavour!! <S> We usually pour it into a heat-proof jug and allow it to cool. <S> You can use a couple of spoonfuls to pour over your stuffing to finish it off with flavour and ditto for roast potatoes but not too much as it has a high water content which can splash and burn easily in the oven causing smokiness. <S> The real treat is when heating up leftovers the next day or two, spoon over a few spoonfuls onto sliced meat, stuffing and even potatoes. <S> It will add lots of good tasty extra taste. <S> BUT the BEST thing we use it for is for making fried bread for that post-Christmas fry-up. <S> Slice some fresh white bread (on the thick side) <S> Heat a little olive oil in a non-stick pan. <S> Spoon in about three dessertspoons of turkey fat. <S> It will sizzle and splash, so immediately, place your bread on top and move it around the pan to capture all that wonderful taste. <S> Lower heat slightly and allow it to brown somewhat <S> (watch out it may burn easily), flip it over and toast the underside a little (mostly for texture) <S> Then place on a warmed plate, under a warmed grill. <S> Do a couple slices and serve hot. <S> Sprinkle with salt and enjoy. <S> I guarantee you won't bother with the rest of the fry-up once you've tasted this. <S> You may run out of bread!! <S> A Christmas treat for us from my Grandmother's kitchen <S> and we all love it to pieces - we fight over the last bit!!
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I agree with Joelenealaska and usually save the turkey juices to be used for gravy and roasting potatoes.
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How to make butter and sugar mixture into a breadcrumb consistency? I've been following a recipe for cinnamon biscuits which states to mix butter and sugar together until it forms a breadcrumb like consistency. Every time I attempt this is makes more of a creamy like consistency. I don't have a food processor which I've heard is ideal to use as they are quite expensive. Can someone tell me where I am going wrong? <Q> Use chilled butter and don't touch it with your fingers unless you can be really fast about it, you don't want the butter to start to melt. <S> Use a fork, a couple of knives or ideally a pastry cutter to cut up the butter and coat the cold little pieces of butter with the sugar. <A> As other people said, use butter from the fridge. <S> Usually, when making dough similar to what I guess you are making, I mix the butter with the flour and not with the sugar to get the same result, or with the flour and sugar. <S> I cut it into small pieces(about 1cm cubes) and then rub them between my fingers together with the flour/sugar. <S> I think the knife method will take forever. <A> I always recommend a pastry cutter or stout balloon whisk (use it to stomp into the flour)... <S> The exact ratio of fat to flour makes a big difference there, +/- <S> 10% can be significant ... <S> if in doubt, use a bit less fat and help with small amounts of oil when stirring the dough together until the consistency is right. <S> Same principle when adding non-fat liquid to that dough afterwards - a little at a time, the curve from dust to sludge is steep there.
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You can even use a cheese grater to grate the frozen butter and toss the grated butter with the sugar.
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Aged cheese allergy, what would be a good substitution? I am allergic to parmesean cheese - any aged cheese really (due to the mold created from the aging process). However, I can eat blue cheese. I'm making a ricotta gnocchi that calls for parmesan. What can I use as a substitute? <Q> Some cheeses, especially here in the Netherlands, are covered in a plastic layer to prevent moulds from gaining access to the product. <S> It will provide you with a very similar taste, provided you go for the really aged kinds, like <S> This brand that is sold internationally To get the effect that you would normally get from Parmesan <S> you need to get a cheese that was aged at least 10 months, otherwise it will be too creamy and might ruin the texture of your dish. <A> I don't see any reason why you couldn't sub in bleu cheese for parmagian. <S> I'm Sicilian and this sounds good. <S> I have made various types of gnocchi over the years but never thought of bleu! <S> What is the proportion of the cheeses, bread crumbs/flour, egg <S> and/or spinach? <S> The only problem you might have is that the bleu may have more moisture than it should have and could melt out in boiling. <S> If it's only a tablespoon or two, it should be okay. <S> Make sure the bleu is very finely crumbled so that the bread crumbs and/or flour can contain and absorb it better. <S> If you're making the recipe I think you are and have made it before, all you have to do, if too moist, is to add just a little more bread crumbs. <S> That's all. <S> Would you be able to make 1/4 of the recipe to test? <S> If you're not allergic to Romano, you can sub that in without any adjustments. <S> It's just a teeny bit saltier. <S> Cooking is a journey for all of us. <S> We each have our different ovens, altitudes, ingredients and recipes we like to 'fix' to make it unique and ours. <A> Fermented Tofu products (Sufu/Furu), Miso, or even nutritional yeast might work in that recipe. <S> However, while these products do not involve mold, they are still cultured/fermented products that you might want to approach with care.
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If the molds are indeed all you are allergic to, you might want to try an aged Gouda cheese as a substitute for Parmesan.
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What to call this utensil I'd like to know how to call this cooking utensil, great for stirring soup and sauces. Origin eastern european, this particular one is Polish. Am trying to buy more but do not know what name to look for. <Q> I'm unsure about an English term, but in German it is a " Quirl ", related to the " whorl " of twigs on a stem it was originally made of - for example from old Christmas trees: ( source ) <S> Later versions mimicked this with a star-shaped wooden or porcelain "head" on a wooden handle, ( source / source ) <S> the plastic head is a more modern twist: ( source ) <S> In Central Europe you should be able to buy them from either kitchen stores or - if regionally less common - from various online retailers. <A> I suspect it would be called "trzepaczka" in Poland. <S> EDIT: <S> The exact variety on your photo is probably not produced anymore, it's a kind-of-very-post-communistic item here. :) <A> The other answers are interesting (and likely correct) but for completeness' sake, if one were looking for such a thing in the US , or something for similar purposes, a molinillo might be a useful term to look up. <S> The molinillo is a wooden whisk (much like the pictures of the german quirl in Stephanie's answer) traditionally used for chocolate making. <S> The rounder shapes are popularized online and a bit easier to find in the US, though reportedly variations are widely available in Mexico and further south. <S> The one most commonly seen is circular, with deep ridges, elaborate carvings and loose rings to make the chocolate more frothy (as seen in the first image), but I have seen ones more similar to the original instrument (with fewer flat paddles) as seen in the second picture below. <S> There are some interim shapes (and alternate names like batidor) here . <S> And, if one were looking for such a thing in India or possibly through asia, one might look for a handheld buttermilk churn . <S> The steel varieties look more like the original picture, the wooden ones look more like the molinillo or quirl (rounder and with ridges instead of paddles). <S> One site I looked at called it a steel <S> Mathu , another mentioned it as a handheld mixer or churner - but these terms are hard to search generically, and seem to be website-specific when I search for them. <S> Looking for buttermilk churner seems to indicate the right tool in a conversation or an internet search.
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"Kvedlačka" in czech, probably something like "twirl-stick" in english.
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How to know the doneness for a tough cut of meat You're always hearing that a tougher cut of meat like a brisket or a shoulder be cooked low and slow to break down the tissue and be tender. I have also heard (by the experts) that a tough cut of meat like a flank steak be cooked no further than medium rare for tenderness? How does one know what doneness goes with a tougher cut of meat? <Q> There are two basic cooking methods for tough cuts: <S> The thing is, while many people mention the second method, it's still going to produce a relatively tough piece of meat. <S> Some people claim that you could take a piece of chuck steak or round steak and make it as tender as a ribeye as long as you cook it fast and don't overcook it. <S> That's just not true, but it's a way of cooking the meat fast , while minimizing the amount of toughness that occurs with fast cooking. <S> Usually you'd want to do this either with <S> very thin steaks (which is one the reasons flank is often sliced very thin) or with the type of meat that you'd slice into thin strips before serving. <S> Many people cook a traditional "London Broil" this way (which tends to be a relatively lean and somewhat tough cut): very fast cooking on both sides, then slice thinly and serve. <S> The reason for these two conflicting pieces of advice is that "tough" meat reaches its maximum toughness when it's just "well-done." <S> You generally want to cook it to medium-rare, because that's when beef is juiciest, so you get juice and still less tough. <S> But once you go beyond medium-rare, it just gets tougher and less juicy. <S> At that point, the way forward is to continue to cook for a long time, which will eventually break down the tissues that make the meat tough (as you note), so you'll end up with thoroughly cooked but more tender meat in the end. <A> The culprit for "chew-y" is all the connective tissues; ligaments, tendons, silver skin, collagen. <S> These need lots of time or very high heat (usually both) to break down into something edible. <S> By the time the meat breaks down to this level you have also cooked every bit of flavor and moisture right out of the meat. <S> This is why lots of BBQ sauce is needed for brisket. <S> If you cook these tougher cuts to medium rare; then you need to thin slice against the muscle fiber as the above post mentions. <S> Great flavor; but VERY chewey. <S> Now if you want both; what do you? <S> Besides spitting out 200 bucks for a rib roast instead... <S> The real answer is Sous Vide cooking; as they are now finally affordable for home kitchens. <S> Before we were left to smoking; as that was the nearest we could get to precision cooking at lower temperatures over extended periods. <S> http://www.amazon.com/Anova-Culinary-Bluetooth-Precision-Cooker/dp/B00UKPBXM4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1449120337&sr=8-1&keywords=sous+vide <S> Fairly affordable <S> and you can do a water bath precision cooking for days. <S> My current experiments for beef brisket; I water-bath at 131 Degrees for 72 hours; then sear in the oven for 30 mins; This gives a perfect medium rare that is as tender and flavorful as a filet Mignon. <A> In your question, it seems like you have large pieces of meat in mind. <S> There are alternative cooking techniques for preserving tenderness, though this often involves changing the meat significantly from monolithic pieces. <S> For flank steak, for example: Slice meat thinly across the grain. <S> Muscle fibers contract as you heat them; slicing across the grain means the fibers will contract in the thin dimension of the meat instead of shriveling. <S> Marinate in sauce with acid, like lemon juice. <S> There are other techniques too: <S> Salting <S> /Brining Pounding <S> Grinding (chuck which often gets tough, is often used for hamburger)
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Cook for a long time ("low and slow"): this is appropriate for large pieces like roasts Sear very quickly on both sides and remove while barely medium-rare: this is appropriate for thin steaks
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Substitute for coconut milk in curry I would like to make Thai yellow curry or Panang curry but there is a severe coconut allergy in my family so I cannot put even a trace of coconut into it. I have the Mae Ploy curry pastes for both but they both call for coconut milk to be mixed in.Oh, and I am allergic to nuts so almonds (almond milk) and cashews (cashew milk) are out too :/ I have seen cream suggested but am concerned about depth of flavor <Q> It will lack the specific coconut flavour, obviously, but that's fine in this case. <S> What's more important is the fat as a flavour carrier, and the creaminess in the texture. <S> A soy based cream, or even oat milk should work equally well here, too. <S> On the other hand, rice milk would probably not work so well, as it tends to separate quite quickly, and is generally more watery. <A> You may also want to try Thai country-style curry recipes. <S> Country-style curry contains no coconut milk <S> so there is no need to try to replicate a primary ingredient; the dish just has a different character. <S> Here are some recipe examples, though I have not made these. <S> http://www.finecooking.com/recipes/red-curry-beef-shiitakes-edamame.aspx <S> http://www.food.com/recipe/thai-country-style-curry-with-ground-beef-and-green-beans-384479 <A> I often cut my coconut milk in half (to decrease fat) with onion puree as is produced in Indian restaurants: youtube masala gravy. <S> Just skip all the seasoning and use straight onion: lightly satueed then allowed to simmer in own juices for a good long while then pureed. <S> Silky and enough body -add cream of choice if you want richer sauce. <S> Does, however, require considerable advanced prep. <S> Make a big batch and freeze flat in ziplocked bags for convenience.
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A reasonably light cream (about 15% fat) should be fine as a substitute.
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Can durian be used as a cocktail ingredient? I saw that a local Asian supermarket sells durian, so I picked one up, and was thinking that making an alcoholic drink for Christmas would be a great idea, but what kind of drinks could I make? It seems to be difficult to find recipes. For example, searching for "durian cocktail recipes" has a couple recipes but most results aren't actually cocktails. There are even a couple results talking about whether it's even safe to mix with alcohol. So, are there any cocktails which use durian? If yes, how do I find the recipes? <Q> There are even a couple results talking about whether it's even safe to mix with alcohol. <S> I think this is the interesting part of this question: you obviously can use durian in a cocktail, but should you? <S> As you point out, there's a question of safety. <S> There are at least two reasons to believe that mixing durian and alcohol might not be entirely safe: <S> One study suggests that a component of durian can interfere with alcohol metabolism . <S> There's evidence that eating durian can increase blood pressure . <S> For most healthy people, the risk associated with drinking a durian cocktail might not be all that great. <S> On the other hand, sharing a cocktail with friends and family should be a safe, enjoyable activity that doesn't require interviews about the imbibers' medical conditions and the signing of waivers. <S> The last thing you want to do as a host is to offer your guests something that you don't know to be safe. <S> There are hundreds of other fruits available for use in cocktails, so I'd steer clear of durian until more is known about its interaction with alcohol metabolism and blood pressure. <A> Durian does blend into a smoothie very well, and also into a milkshake , similar to the way one would make a banana milkshake with a banana, some milk and a sweetener of your choice. <S> The best part about milkshakes is that they take the addition of vodka very well - it will enhance the flavors in the drink, and not bring too much of its own to conflict with the durian. <S> You can experiment with other liqueurs, but I would avoid fruit-flavors and strong aromatics. <S> Brandy and coffee liqueur may be suitable points of departure. <A> Durian has the tag of "smells like hell, tastes like heaven". <S> Most hotels in south east Asia will not allow you to bring the fruit into the hotel and there is a fine if you do. <S> The fruit juice street vendors in Siem Reap Cambodia just mix the fruit with tinned sweetened milk, water and ice cubes and make a smoothie at a cost of US$1. <S> So for a cocktail you just need to add an alcohol that will be harmonious with the taste of the Durian. <S> So what cocktails go with fruit or fruit juice? <S> Mai Tai, piña colada, there are many. <S> Maybe white rum, maybe dark rum, just experiment, should be fun. <S> I'll do the same thing next trip to south east Asia when I have some fresh durian fruit, and cheap booze to play with.
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Durian has a powerful flavor and a creamy consistency, so the usual tricks of soaking durian pieces in liqueur or incorporating them into a sangria or juicing it for punch or isn't going to work very well.
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My cast iron has become flaky, did I damage it? So I am quite new to this cast iron thing. After few uses I tried to clean it with kosher salt. Now some parts of it look like it's all flaky, as if the layer will come off if I scratch it with my fingernail. The part is grayish in color. Is it the seasoning that has come off, or have I damaged my pan? How do you really know the difference? I mean, how easy it is to damage a cast iron pan in a way it is no longer useful, and what will that damage look like? <Q> If it's flaking, it wasn't seasoned right to begin with. <S> However it really only matters on the cooking surface. <S> You want seasoning to build up, but it shouldn't flake. <S> See if it really is coming off, try with you fingernail. <S> If it's coming off then get all of it off that you can by chipping it away. <S> Scrape it off. <S> If it doesn't come off then leave it alone, and season as normal another new layer. <S> If you aren't happy with it, you can always strip it and start over <S> but that's usually something you end up wishing you hadn't done. <S> You do this by putting your cast iron in the oven and running it through a cleaning cycle. <S> Be warned, don't do this unless you already know what to do and how to season your newly bare cast iron. <S> Old cast iron seasoning is the best, you don't want to start over. <S> I have some with a 1/4 inch of seasoning (I am exaggerating) on the outside of the pan <S> and it looks crusty, but the inside seasoning and finish is baby skin smooth and slicker than any Teflon coating. <S> I keep it that way by scrubbing lightly with a green scrubby to "tip" the bumps down before putting back in the hot stove to cook another thin layer of oil. <S> You can't ruin cast iron except by breaking it. <S> Don't worry, it's not ruined, it just needs some care. <S> Some of my best cast iron was a lump of rust I rescued from the junk store. <A> I have a decades old Indian "tava." <S> It's an 8", round, concave, cast iron surface for cooking flat breads on a stove top. <S> The outer 1" of the tava (the 1" around the edges, furthest from the center or the flame, routinely flakes for two reasons:1. <S> Because the outer edge typically doesn't get hot enough, as it's furthest from the flame.2. <S> Because the outer edge typically doesn't get cooked upon. <S> (A typical flat bread is less than 7" diameter). <S> So, oils that I add to the flat bread only minimally, if at all, reach the outer edges of the tava. <S> About once a year I have to scrape the flaked material off. <S> After doing this I very lightly coat the entire cooking surface with canola oil and place the tava in a 450-degree oven to season it. <S> Regardless, the outer edge of the tava will start to flake again because of how I use the pan. <S> I suppose I could overcome this imbalance in the cooking surface by routinely seasoning the outer edge, but that's a lot of work. <S> The main thing I care about is that the inner 7" is smooth as glass and performs beautifully - even after 50+ years (My mother used this tava and now I use it). <A> I had that problem at first — I believe it was because I had been too aggressive in my initial seasoning process, by using too much oil. <S> I decided to start over by leaving the pans in a super hot oven (550°F) for a few hours <S> — you could also use the self-cleaning cycle if your oven has one. <S> After cooling, all the old seasoning can be scrubbed off with soap and water and you'll be down to bare cast iron. <S> It's important to immediately season the pan again or it will start to rust. <S> People have differing philosophies about what kind of oil to use. <S> I used plain old canola oil, with very good results. <S> The most important thing I learned was to only use a very thin coat of oil — wipe it on, and then off again with a paper towel. <S> If there's a "layer of oil" on the pan, that's what will form that soft coating that flakes off. <S> It'll take a few cycles of seasoning before the pan is ready to use, but the thin coatings will result in a much harder seasoned surface that will remain beautifully non-stick, the more you continue to cook with it.
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Bottom line, flaking is normal under these conditions.
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How to make soft popsicles Frozen juice or frozen punch freeze up as a solid block of ice. I want them to be more like a sorbet or gelato, though still solid enough to hold the shape. How might I make them softer? Either aerated, or polycrystalline without having to "do anything" while it's in the freezer? One thought is to somehow make it more syrupy so it will hold air long enough to stay there while freezing. Gelatin comes to mind, but I wonder if something better is advised? <Q> The main factors are a gelling agent, alcohol, sugar and air/stirring. <S> Sugars may decrease the freezig point - add enough sugar and your ice remains soft-ish. <S> Unfortunately this can mean your ice gets too sweet. <S> So instead of using plain sugar, add some "inverted sugar": glucose syrup (aka corn syrup), which stays runny and doesn't crystalize. <S> You could even take it up a notch and use trehalose , which is basically two linked glucose molecules. <S> It is used in ice-cream making to inhibit the formation of ice crystals. <S> It tastes also less sweet than regular sugar, allowing for less sweet ice cream. <S> Find an award-winning sample recipe here (further down). <S> And if you really must have some hard science, a study on the use of trehalose in ice cream. <S> Alcohol has a low freezing point. <S> But apart from the question whether you want to use it at all, you should note that you need a certain amount of ethanol to have a noticeable effect - high-proof alcohol <S> and yes, you will taste it. <S> Glycerine (a sugar alcohol) helps keep ice cream soft. <S> Likewise the addition of gelling agents may inhibit the formation of ice crystals - <S> locust bean gum is often used to replace eggs in custard-based ice cream and agar agar and pectin may serve a simmilar purpose. <S> And finally you can mechanically avoid / <S> hinder the formation of large ice crystals by churning your juice first and freezing the slush instead of pouring the juice straight in the molds. <S> The ice will still be rather hard, but not as much of a "solid icicle", especially if combined with one of the additives above. <A> I love to make popsicles out of store bought yogurt. <S> They stay creamy and are delicious in any yogurt flavor. <A> A great choice for that is adding alcohol, as long as everybody eating them can also imbibe. <S> Since pure alcohol resists freezing until it's as cold as -114°C (-173.2°F), it doesn't take a whole lot of alcohol to inhibit popsicles from freezing hard. <S> A great list of recipes for use as a guide can be found here . <A> Simply adjusting (increasing) <S> the sugar level will do it, and/or other things that interfere with crystal formation, such as pectin (either use some jelly/jam in making the mixture, or add pectin sold for making jelly/jam to your mixture.) <S> If your juice label tells you how much sugar it has per volume, try adding sufficient sugar to have 30g/100ml as a "typical known to work" level - but you may want to aim higher or lower based on personal preference.
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I'd encourage doing some practical tests where you add known amounts of sugar to your mixture until you find a level that works for the texture you want.
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Can I store dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, baking soda, etc) together? I am planning on making a bunch of gingerbread this year, the recipe I use takes both baking powder and baking soda. In order to cut down on dishes and time I thought I might mix all of the dry ingredients together in multiple batches and store it in the fridge for a week or two until I have time to actually bake it. Can anyone tell me if it will cause problems to store baking powder and baking soda (and the rest of the ingredients) mixed together for couple of weeks in the fridge? <Q> Again, if it's just dry ingredients, I see no need to refrigerate it. <S> I would put it in an airtight container — preferably a glass jar <S> *. <S> Placed in your pantry, it should have a shelf-life of a least a couple of months. <S> * Glass jars are my preference for storing dry ingredients — they're easy sanitize, and the twist-off cover makes an airtight seal: <A> @ElmerCat is almost completely correct (cake mix has a slightly shorter shelf life than the ingredients but still years), but in the specific case of baking soda and baking powder, there is additional assurance available: baking powder is made by grinding baking soda with cream of tartar, therefore mixing them is only making a modified ratio, and will not shorten shelf life at all. <S> Other dry ingredients added to the mix may shorten the shelf life some (Not that you would notice in normal usage). <A> You're basically making self-raising flour this way (slightly different proportions). <S> It will keep as long as the flour, at room temperature. <S> And if kept clean and dry the date on flour is quite conservative. <S> You've probably got months to use it, and the worst that would happen is slightly less rise. <S> Damp of course is another matter.
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As long as they're all dry ingredients, then you should be just fine — after all, that's exactly what a box of packaged cake mix is.
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Preventing my toast from becoming wet when I put it on the plate Since I moved to my new flat, I have a problem when heating bread in any way. What happens is that if I put it on a plate, it gets very wet on the plate side. This is so acute that drops appear on the plate. If I put paper around the bread, both get wet. The only way I found to get dry heated bread is leaving it in the toaster/grill until it is cold... but then it is obviously cold! What can I do in order to get warm and dry bread? <Q> Warm your plate. <S> The moisture in your toast is coming off the toast and then is getting condensed into the cold plate just like a glass of ice water attracts the moisture from the warm air around it. <S> If you heat the plate, the moisture will not condense on top the plate. <A> An old classic option is the " Toast Rack ": <S> By maintaining air gaps between the slices, the toast rack allows water vapor to escape from hot toast instead of condensing into adjacent slices and making them soggy. <S> However, this increased air flow can also mean that the toast becomes cold more quickly. <S> My personal preference is to simply not heat up the toast until I actually want to eat it... and then pop it directly from my toaster into my mouth... with a quick stop for butter and jam on the way. <A> The reason your toast is getting moist is that the cold plate is causing the water in the air trapped in the bread to condense into a liquid, you need to keep the toast off the plate and let the air circulate. <S> The method I use is to lean 2 pieces of toast against each other in a T shape before buttering. <A> Another option you could try is to "pinwheel" the toast... but this only works if you're planning to cut it anyway. <S> I've seen a lot of restaurants do this <S> and I think it helps with the moisture/sogginess by limiting the amount of toast touching the plate. <S> It might take some practice to get them interleaved correctly but it may help. <S> This has the added benefit of allowing the toast to keep itself warm but lifts the toast away from the plate <A> Hotels frequently serve toast atop a paper napkin (a paper towel would do). <S> This presumably absorbs the moisture that would otherwise condense on a cold plate. <S> Expensive places occasionally wrap toast in linen napkins which has the advantage that the toast does not get stuck to paper.
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After buttering I put the toast on the edge of a plate with a raised lip, the raised lip will keep the toast off the plate and keep it from getting soggy.
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What are the consequences of infusing a tea bag longer than recommended? I'm a regular consumer of tea (since about 2 years ago), usually from commercial tea bags. They advise to infuse tea for 3 to 5 minutes, but there is some times that I have left it longer by accident. So I have been wondering what are the consequences -if any- of infusing tea bag longer than recommended by sellers (sometimes up to 10 minutes). My question is general, but I'm especially interested in black tea. <Q> Over-steeping sometimes gives a bitter flavor as well. <S> (I am guilty of frequently over-steeping as I have the attention span of a goldfish. <S> Sometimes I remember to set a timer, sometimes not.) <A> It's all about balance: the fresh bright and stimulating effect of the early part of brewing, first minute or so, versus the calming deep flavours of the later part of brewing. <S> some folks use more tea for less time to achieve that first effect; conversely, less for longer for the latter. <S> stewing for 10min spoils a proper English cuppa. <S> One trick worth trying with bags is to dip briefly in a small amount of boiling water and discard: this is to rid the 'dust'. <S> One can then steep the 'fannings' longer without too strong a pot. <S> Interestingly, green tea is traditionally rinsed this way more for hygiene than flavour. <A> The principle adverse affect is added astringency of your tea. <S> If you like stronger tea, use a second bag and steep for less time. <A> There are many chemical compounds in tea, and some more more soluble than others. <S> So a short steep will extract the more soluble compounds, while not extracting much of the less soluble ones. <S> The time when it starts getting bad is a function of both the tea and the water temperature. <S> I personally like stronger teas (5-15 minute steep in hot water), but I know that if you make sun tea <S> it'll get really nasty (bitter) if you leave it for 24 hours. <S> But a 24 hour steep in the fridge is fine. <S> It's possible that a tea container recommending no more than a 3 minute soak is either made with a variety of tea that has more of the problematic chemical compounds, or that it's made with finer particles.
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The tea will be stronger than you'd like if you steep it for too long.
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What is the best temperature and method to cook bacon in a grill pan? Weekend mornings is always a breakfast feast in our house. When it comes to the bacon it's a war zone in the kitchen with hot fat drops shooting everywhere, and sometimes I get hit. The texture of the bacon is never the same from soft to crispy, probably because I play with the heat so much that its never consistent. I am only doing that because I am trying to eliminate the hot fat drops. I use a cast iron grill pan to cook the bacon on medium heat (most of the time) on a gas stove. I do preheat the pan, and use about 3 teaspoons of olive oil per 300g of bacon. I presume I am missing a trick here or my heat is wrong. SO: What is the best temperature and method too cook bacon in a grill pan? Please help me bring back the peace to my kitchen. :) <Q> I use two methods for bacon, depending on how much I am trying to make: For small batches, I use a cast iron pan. <S> I place the bacon on the pan cold, and cook over medium heat, turning and swapping strips around as necessary to cook evenly. <S> I find it easier to control sticking with the cold pan over a preheated one. <S> I do not add oil because there is so much fat in the bacon already. <S> I place the bacon in a single layer on a large pan(s), and cook at 300F for approximately 30 minutes. <S> I find people can be very particular in their bacon preferences for fatty, crispy, and degrees in between. <S> This may change your cooking time substantially. <A> Cast iron is great for bacon, but not a grill pan. <S> The bacon really needs to be floating on its own grease for nice even heating. <S> The best bacon is cooked slowly. <S> Preheat the pan <S> so it is an evenly heated cooking surface, then slide you bacon on to the hot pan. <S> By slide, I mean move it around on the pan before you drop it so the pan gets a coat of grease before dropping the bacon and getting it stuck on the hot pan. <S> Let it cook at medium low heat, it will take longer but <S> you'll get less splatter, the bacon won't burn, and it won't dry out either, you also have a larger window of opportunity to pick up the bacon while it's "just right" whatever that is for you. <A> You'll usually end up with less-cooked bits where the fat is chewy, and there is nothing to contain the splatter. <S> A regular pan will contain the splatter better and cook more evenly, but my preferred method is in the microwave on a plate with an inverted plate covering it. <S> This contains all the splatter and cooks the bacon much more evenly. <S> Also, I can't think why you would need oil to cook bacon on ANY surface. <S> It's got plenty of fat by itself.
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I know that you are specifically asking about using a grill pan, but a grill pan seems like a bad place to start for bacon. For large batches, I prefer the oven where you can cook more at once.
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How do I recover from overheating my cast-iron skillet? This morning, as with many, I let my skillet dry by leaving it on the burner. Unfortunately, my attention was drawn away and I forgot to take it off the burner! Of course, the moment I noticed, I moved it to another burner to cool, but this light-brown ring appeared. After it cooled, touched the ring and discovered it was a powder, not merely a discoloration: I'm not sure what this signifies. How do I recover the skillet? <Q> Cast iron is virtually indestructible. <S> As long as it's not cracked, it can always be cleaned up and used again. <A> It is hard to tell from the picture, but this doesn't look like burned off seasoning, it is more like a burned on residue. <S> If that's the case, you can try cleaning it some way. <S> The problem is that physical cleaning methods probably won't be sufficient, chemical cleaning with alkali will damage the seasoning and chemical cleaning with acid, if the seasoning is compromised, can rust the pan a bit. <S> So there is a high chance you will end up reseasoning. <S> If this really looks and feels like a buildup and not like exposed oxidised metal, my preference would be to soak in warm, not hot, acid. <S> Vinegar or a citric acid solution should work well. <S> Afterwards, try to scrub off with a stiff plastic brush. <S> If it doesn't go away, or the seasoning goes away too, or if this was missing seasoning from the beginning, you have to strip and reseason. <S> We have several questions on the topic, and the Internet is also full of suggestions. <S> I personally prefer doing it with lye (best results, strips both old seasoning and rust), owners of self-cleaning ovens like incinerating it, and there are a list of other methods to work with. <A> Don't worry, it takes far more than that to damage a cast iron pan. <S> The worst that could happen is that you overheat the seasoning on it, in which case it may flake off. <S> If it does start flaking then you need to remove what is loose and then re-season. <A> That's the great thing about cast iron. <S> Rub it with salt, steel wool, sandpaper, heck even sandblast it. <S> Give it a good rinse, re-season it and carry on. <S> Like <S> @Jason Whipple says, unless you've cracked it, you can usually recover it. <A> I did this same exact thing <S> and I believe the reddish-brown powder is rust. <S> It stuck on my fingers like rust would. <S> When I wiped off the powder, the bottom was no longer slick <S> so I think I burned the seasoning off. <S> There were no flakes per se, but around the rust area there was a light yellowish ring which I beleived to be the seasoning starting to peel away from the metal. <S> I used sandpaper on it, rinsed it, and reseasoned it. <A> This looks like rust. <S> I believe what happened is you burned the seasoning clear off and quickly so that ash didn't get a chance to develop but went up with the smoke. <S> While cooling the bare iron developed a surface layer of rust. <S> This happens also when you strip your cast iron in the clean cycle of your oven. <S> As it cools it turns orange, which then needs to be scrubbed off again, and the cast iron put back in the oven to warm just enough to drive off the moisture before wiping on the first layer of oil. <S> The resolution here is to use hot water and a green scrubby to get rid of the rust. <S> The hot water simply preheats the pan so it dries faster. <S> Put the pan back on the burner, and wipe out the water with a paper towel. <S> Check thenair about an inch over the surface of the pan starts. <S> When is starts to feel like the pan is near cooking heat, pour in a teaspoon or two of your prefered seasoning oil. <S> Spread it out and wipe it back up with a paper towel. <S> Leave the pan on medium low heat, and don't go anywhere. <S> As the oil starts to lump up (it will climb into drops on the bottom of the pan) use a fresh paper towel to wipe them up. <S> Let the bottom of the pan get dry from the heat, then pour in another teaspoon of oil, and repeat 3 or 4 times to restore a few layers of seasoning. <S> If you wish you can continue this for even up to 9 times SO LONG AS YOU DRY THE OIL <S> EVERY CYCLE, <S> but you eventually lose return on investment. <S> It just won't get any better. <S> The only way to continue to improve the seasoning is to use the pan and care for it properly and the seasoning will build up nice smooth and slick.
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Give it a good salt scrub and re-season.
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Why is putting an egg in the microwave not recommended? I would like to know why it is not recommended to put an egg in the microwave.Where does this "legend" comes from ? <Q> This probably refers to whole eggs mostly... <S> Here is a video showing an experiment with ca. <S> 180 eggs in a microwave oven, which after a minute or two rupture simultaneously and with enough force to blow the oven open, with debris being propelled several meters. <A> As someone who tried this out at a young age, I thoroughly DO recommend it! <S> The microwave makes a huge bang and jumps 2 inches off the bench. <S> Good times! <S> (However, you need to do some heavy duty cleaning before mum gets home.) <S> However, by breaking another rule, you can boil an egg in a microwave. <S> Steps <S> : 2/3 fill a coffee cup with boiling water. <S> Wrap an egg in aluminiumfoil. <S> Place wrapped egg in cup. <S> Ensure the water covers all the aluminium foil. <S> Microwave for 4 - 5 minutes. <S> There may be some overflow from boiled water in the microwave if your coffee cup isn't big enough. <S> A paper towel under the cup will take care of that. <S> The foil prevents the microwaves exploding the egg, however the water surrounding the foil prevents the arcing that normally happens with metal in the microwave. <S> A great snack for office workers. <A> A simple undamaged raw egg in a microwave at full power will explode . <S> Unless you have a deep desire to thoroughly scrub your microwave <S> I can not recommend that approach. <S> The problem is that the egg will be heated to more than 100C, that means the water will start to vaporize and steam has the nasty habit of needing way more room than liquid, and you get a pressurized egg or an "egg-bomb". <S> An egg's shell is a quite robust construction, especially where pressure from the outer side is concerned. <S> Nevertheless, at one point the shell will burst and the egg "explodes". <S> So how to prevent this? <S> Method: <S> Avoid steam. <S> If you heat the egg very, very gently , i.e. in short bursts witl low energy, you might keep the interior pressure low enough. <S> Frankly, if I have a pot and a stove, I'd go that route any time, especially as I can limit the inner temperature better. <S> As boiling water doesn't exceed 100C, the egg will always stay below that, meaning no steam is created. <S> Method <S> : Avoid the build-up of pressure. <S> If you crack the shell and transfer the egg to a bowl, you can easily boil it or make microwave scrambeled eggs etc. <A> In addition to the excellent answers you already got, there are a few more issues: Microwaving cooks inside out. <S> As a result, the yolk will cook first (or at least at the same time as the white). <S> Some late-night-TV gadgets promise to let you cook omlettes in the microwave. <S> In reality, the eggs will still explode, even after scrambling, but the mess is contained in the gadget. <S> The other issue is that you end up with bits of egg superglued to the plastic. <S> There is a way to cook eggs in a microwave that has worked safely for me: poaching. <S> Fill a bowl with water, and crack a couple eggs into the water. <S> Cook for three to five minutes. <S> Remove with a slotted spoon. <S> The eggs will not be as nice as stove-poached eggs, because the yolk will be hard-boiled, but other than that, the eggs always turn out nice. <S> The real problem with the egg occurs after it is already hard-boiled. <S> When you buy a package of hard-boiled eggs from the refrigerated section in some grocery stores, those come with a warning "do not microwave". <S> That is a mstake you only make once... <S> When you heat a hard-boild egg in the microwave, it will turn out nice and hot - and then explode in your face and burn your lip when you bite into it. <S> Cutting the egg in half does not help - the yolk will explode and jump right out of the half egg and evenly distribute in the microwave. <S> I don't know exactly why all this happens. <S> My best guess is that there are two separate processes at work. <S> First, the yolk gets heated faster than the white. <S> It tries to expand, but instead builds up pressure. <S> Secondly, even in a hard-boiled egg, there probably is enough residual water to create quite a bit of steam. <S> Worse: <S> the boiled egg white, as well as the egg yolk are fairly gas tight, so the steam is trapped in lots of pockets in the yolk. <A> Delia Smith recommends using a pin to prick a small hole in the wide end of the egg, where the air bubble is. <S> That way the steam escapes from the shell avoiding a pressure build up. <S> This has <S> always worked for me when water boiling an egg and the shell never cracks. <S> This might work in the microwave too. <S> It would be an interesting experiment to match the hole size to the rate of steam production, to the power output of the oven. <S> Is that over sciencing the egg making process?
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A microwave can boil water very rapidly, and a tight but fragile container like a whole egg will violently rupture if such rapid boiling happens inside it, because the overpressure inside it is already significant when the shell finally breaks.
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How do I know when my avocado has gone bad, and how can I keep it fresh? I am a big fan of avocados but I usually don't eat a full one in one sitting. I usually cut them in half, leave the pit in the side I don't eat, and use the other half. In a day or two, when I come back to the uneaten portion of avocado - it is usually black and doesn't look good. How can I recognize whether my avocado has gone bad or not? (besides blatant mold) I usually put whats left of the avocado in a bag in the fridge and keep the pit in. Are these best practices to extend the life of my avocado? <Q> An avocado will keep a few days in the refrigerator after it has been cut. <S> The cut portion will turn brown/black due to oxidation, you can just cut that off, it is not harmful. <S> From California Avocado Commission to keep the avocado from discoloring sprinkle it with lemon/lime juice or vinegar and wrap tightly in plastic wrap or place in an airtight container. <S> I don't know why this is, but I suspect that it has to do with the sulfur <S> compounds that the onion releases. <S> This is the same sulfur that makes you cry when you chop onions, but it is also used as a preservative. <S> The onion's smell and taste don't seem to transfer to the avocado, as far as I can tell. <S> But I'm not overly sensitive to onions, so you may want to check this out first if you are. <S> When not to use, from WebMD <S> if your avocado's flesh has become very dark or the flesh has become stringy you should avoid eating it, particularly if there is any sign of mold. <S> Avocados have a very high fat content, so they oxidize and become rancid very quickly at room temperature and will need to be thrown away. <A> I've found that the best way to extend the life of a ripe avocado is: mash it up, put it in a plastic container, flatten it out a bit, cover it with an inch of water, and finally put the lid on the container and put it in the fridge. <S> It will keep for a few days like this. <S> The water will seal the air out. <S> After a couple days you may have to scrape off the top layer of avocado. <S> Someone may know a better way but besides seeing that the avocado is bad (which should suffice for most cases) you have to feel it. <S> If there is very little resistance then it's probably bad. <S> Cut it open and see. <A> For less surface area to go black, try cutting in half (equal mass-wise) vertically; a bit of stone will peak out. <S> I blot dry with paper towel and that seems to prevent blackening; goes leathery instead. <S> If you must bag, keep a dry paper towel in too; condensation is unkind to ripe avocados, cut or uncut. <A> Brush the exposed avocado flesh with vitamin C, a tablet dissolved in water works fine as long as it's reasonably pure. <S> Store the avocado in a sealed Tupperware container in the refrigerator. <S> Browning is caused by harmless oxidation, it's fine to eat or to cut any darkened flesh away. <S> Black, moldy or stringy avocado should be tossed. <S> For a write up of experiments on the subject, see Browning Avocado Experimentation .
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From thekitchn storing a cut avocado with a piece of cut onion in an airtight container will stop the oxidation.
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How can I cool tea quickly? Imagine you're making someone a tea, but for whatever reason they have to leave soon. How can I cool the tea so that they don't have to choose between leaving it unfinished or burning their mouth? Ideally the method should not only be fast, but also let me reliably reach about the same temperature every time. I've thought of the following: Add additional milk - cools tea, but affects taste. Heat the water less - won't make tea as hot, but might affect how well the tea infuses. Add cool water to boiled water - would cool down a fully-infused tea, but hard to control resulting temperature. Put it in the fridge for 30 seconds or so - would cool tea, but seems like a bad idea. <Q> What is wrong with a regular ice cube? <S> As you state that the tea is not yet ready, you just use slightly less water and then add the ice cube, which has a fixed temperature. <S> I use this for large scale ice tea production. <S> As I use 1:1 hot water : ice cubes I simply brew a double strong tea. <A> One solution would be to use Whiskey Stones . <S> These are essentially stone (or metal) cubes that you normally use for whiskey to chill it without diluting it. <S> This will also work for your tea <S> However, if this is a problem you run into regularly, you can freeze an ice tray with tea to make tea ice cubes and use that to cool down your tea. <S> The main downside is, you would need to use the ice cubes on the same type of tea or it will affect the taste of the tea. <A> Possibly even easier than using ice or fridges or anything... pour it repeatedly from one container to another. <S> (Just make sure you pour accurately, or use larger containers. <S> Spilling hot tea is no fun.) <S> Here's an example of a street vendor, who likes to be a show-off with this kind of thing. <S> You can see him cool tea to drinking temperature in 10 seconds. <S> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-surEvJXj34 <A> I do this everyday before I leave for work. <S> I can't have really hot tea. <S> So once my tea is ready: <S> I put it in a tea pan (a deep pan used to make tea). <S> You can substitute with any other clean deep pan. <S> Add cold water to the kitchen sink <S> Stand the tea pan in the kitchen sink for 2-4 minutes <S> And I have the perfect temperature for my tea that suits me :) <S> You can always stand it in cold water for more or less time to suit you. <S> And it does not affect the taste of the tea. <S> I have tried to put the tea in the fridge before but it hasn't worked for me. <A> Pour the tea back and forth between two cups until the desired temperature. <S> Adjusting the height of pouring is fun to play with to get faster results but try it over a kitchen sink. <A> If you'd love to bring a gadget into play: Many parents use a "Cool Twister" to quickly bring the water for baby bottles from boiling to a choosen temperature in less than 90 seconds. <S> You could also run your tea through it and cool it down - or parts of it. <S> The manufacturer suggests the use for tea and coffee on his website as well: <S> Can the Cool Twister also cool down coffee or tea? <S> Basically yes. <S> The temperature can be chosen individually between approx. <S> 40 and 80° C. [...] <A> Boring but effective:brew, pour and sugar/cream as usual; when teacup/mug is hot to the touch, transfer to fresh cup. <A> I put a silver spoon in the tea. <S> It makes the spoon extremely hot very quickly, but the silver spoon will take the heat. <S> Careful when removing the spoon as it will be hotter than you imagine! <A> make a concentrated infusion (same amount of tea less (boiling) water). <S> When finished fill up with cold water. <A> The system I use at my office desk is this:I have a small aluminum soda <S> can (7.5 oz size) <S> that I keep about an inch and a half of water in. <S> I leave about 1.75" of empty space from the top of my mug. <S> Once the tea is made and infused, I simply float the can in the tea for a bit. <S> This pulls out just enough heat to make the tea pleasantly hot with no mouth burning. <S> (Note: <S> Don't forget to clean the can and change the water so the water doesn't get nasty.) <A> A saucer was invented for that purpose (to accompany cups with a handle). <A> Stirring with any metal spoon will rapidly cool the tea, as the metal will absorb the heat. <S> Silver, as suggested, is a good conductor, but any metal will do. <S> According to Physics. <S> SE (and graciously cited by XKCD <S> What-If ), dipping the spoon in and out is slightly faster, though not by a highly significant value, and stirring or simply doing nothing will still get similar results. <S> Note that while you could use the results of that first link to time your own tea-cooling, I would recommend timing it yourself in your own environment, since the temperature and air pressure is likely to be different for you wherever you drink tea. <A> Shake it up (in a cocktail shaker?) <S> with ice cubes then pour it out again through a strainer. <S> This is how I make iced tea in summer. <S> Obviously you shake it a bit longer for iced tea! <A> If you like to sugar your tea, you can replace the sugar by honey. <S> It's better to me (but it also depends on your taste ^^). <S> Enjoy your tea !
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Pour hot tea into saucer using the handle provided and slowly drink off from a point on its edge while raising the diametrically opposite point. Constant exposure to the air will rapidly cool the drink, you can get it to drinking temperature in less than a minute.
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How can I use molasses without making a mess? I love using molasses in many different recipes, but I have found it difficult to avoid making a mess when using it. Both spooning molasses from the jar and trying to pour it out wind up leaving molasses trails on the jar and my working surface, which if not wiped off immediately dry into a mass that is almost impossible to clean. <Q> Try slowly twisting the jar as you slow down your pour. <S> This is what I do and it works pretty well. <S> This is actually something you'll see waiters and bartenders do when pouring wine, too. <S> This video shows the action at around 3:20 in. <S> Twisting the bottle causes the drip to collect on the inside of the rim and keeps it from dripping down the side. <S> Because the molasses is more viscous than wine, it may take a bit more turning but it does work well. <A> Can you pour your molasses into a squeeze bottle? <S> A lot of beekeeping supply outlets sell caps that work very well with thicker viscous fluids like honey which is very similar to molasses in that regard. <S> Alternatively. <S> It helps to turn the jar as you stop pouring so that last bit of drizzle gets tossed/twisted into the jar. <A> Use a flip-top bottle. <S> They make it much easier to dispense the exact amount desired, with less chance of making a mess. <S> You still have to watch the bottle for occasional drips, but it's far better than dealing with a jar of molasses. <S> You can also keep it upside down when nearly empty, and not waste a single drop. <S> Foods such as barbecue sauce, ketchup, and mayonnaise are often sold in this type of flip-top dispenser. <S> If you can't find molasses in such a bottle, or don't wish to buy that brand, you could re-use a washed out bottle from something else for your molasses. <S> Or, you can buy them empty. <A> If your molasses container fits, put it briefly in the microwave. <S> When heated it is much less viscous and easier to handle. <A> I find that to be far more convenient to pour neatly from than a jar. <S> I usually touch the lip of the jug to the thing I'm pouring it into to get the vast majority of what would be drippage. <S> And I actively avoid precisely measuring it, rather than have the waste and extra cleaning of a measuring cup coated with it. <S> I glop some straight into the mixing bowl, usually.
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I buy it in gallon jugs (not all that frequently, but it's a better deal and does not go bad in my experience.) Some brands of molasses are sold in flip-top bottles.
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I have a frozen brown bear (roast?) from somewhere in Alaska I have a small 1.3-pound brown bear roast and don't know what to do with it.It looks pretty lean thru the plastic wrapper.I am certain it was handled and prepared well, though have no more info.I tried a marinade on 2 small steaks and have 2 more left. It was pretty good overall, though the (connective tissue?) was stringy. Would chunks in the crock pot be best?Any advice appreciated. <Q> Brown bear, even if taken in the early spring (before they start eating salmon), is pretty strongly flavored. <S> A lot of hunters in Alaska don't even eat brown bears that they take, preferring to use them for taxidermy purposes only. <S> (BTW, I don't like that <S> , I firmly believe that hunters should eat what they kill, but that's beside the point) <S> Considering the gaminess of brown bear, that your cut appears lean, and that you're not entirely sure what cut it is; I recommend that you make sausage. <S> Trim away any noticeable pockets of fat since bear fat is not particularly pleasant. <S> Grind the roast with about 25% fat by weight. <S> Since pork is the closest easily available fat to bear, I would go with that if you can. <S> You can use a meat grinder, if you have one available, or food processor. <S> If you don't have either of those, you can also use a knife. <S> Just pound it as you mince it as finely as possible. <S> From there, you can use any recipe for pork sausage that appeals to you, just increase spice a bit to compensate for the strength of bear meat flavor. <S> You don't need to stuff sausage casings or anything like that unless you care to. <S> Smoking or any other specialty technique is also entirely optional. <S> The one thing that isn't optional is that bear meat should be cooked to a minimum of 160°F (71°C) because many bears carry trichinosis. <S> Quit looking at my avatar! <A> Lean, gamey meat benefits from braising <S> - it will result in a somewhat more tender dish, taking some of the unpleasant intensity from the game and imparting pleasant complimentary flavors. <S> With game as strong-tasting as bear, a braising liquid with a similarly strong base component would be ideal. <S> Try braising recipes that include red wine as the primary ingredient, with fresh herbs and aromatics more on the intense side of the spectrum. <A> This could be the perfect instance to cook the roast sous vide which would tenderize the connective tissue without drying out the meat. <S> It works wonders on the toughest cuts of beef.
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Like any meat, the best cooking method for bear depends a lot upon the cut of meat.
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Can I freeze custard? I have some spare egg yolks that I want to use and not throw away and I've decided to make some vanilla custard. But I have no use for the custard right now and might decide to make Portuguese tarts later. So, is it possible to freeze custard and for how long will it keep? If yes, are there any tips to thaw it? <Q> Custard does not freeze well, it has a tendency to separate. <S> If you do freeze it, freeze it right away, leave it frozen for as little time as possible, and defrost it in the refrigerator. <S> I wouldn't leave it in the freezer for more than a month. <S> One way to freeze custard and get great results is to make ice cream! <S> If you have an ice cream maker, great. <S> If not, that's OK too. <S> Custard based ice creams get less icy than other types of ice cream when made without churning. <S> Just thoroughly stir every half an hour while freezing for at least three hours. <A> However, you can successfully freeze just the egg yolks. <S> According to the American Egg Board's eggcyclopedia: The gelation property of egg yolk causes it to thicken or gel when frozen, so you need to give yolks special treatment. <S> If you freeze them as they are, egg yolks will eventually become so gelatinous that they will be almost impossible to use in a recipe. <S> To help retard this gelation, beat in either 1/8 teaspoon salt or 11/2 teaspoons sugar or corn syrup per 1/4 cup of egg yolks (about 4yolks). <S> Label the container with the number of yolks, the date, <S> andwhether you’ve added salt (for main dishes) or sweetener (for bakingor desserts). <S> Curiously, in the United States, soft ice cream is sometimes called Frozen Custard. <S> As @Jolenealaska points out, you could make that instead, though it's probably quite different than what you have in mind. <A> If you add 1/2 tsp of cornflour to your custard before freezing it will prevent it from separating/curdling during the defrosting stage. <S> Also let it defrost naturally in the fridge rather than using a microwave to defrost as the heat from the microwave may cause the egg yolks to actually cook and all you'll end up with is sweet scrambled eggs.
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Freezing and thawing the prepared custard will likely result in an undesirable texture.
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Bread substitute for wheat allergic What types of bread and bread substitutes are there for people who are allergic to wheat (and also soy), as a part of breakfast fare (sandwiches etc)? Unfortunately most of store-bought bread here in Poland, be it rye bread or corn (maize) bread include quite a large amount of wheat among its ingredients. One that doesn't is Lithuanian black rye bread, but it is hard to get. Perhaps there is something that can be made at home? <Q> If you want to cast a wide net, searching for gluten-free bread might be your best here, even though is a wheat allergy rather than gluten intolerance, since removing the gluten necessarily means removing the wheat. <S> Soy isn't too common an ingredient in breads so you should still be okay. <S> Since gluten-free food is a big thing these days, a lot of people have put a lot of effort into figuring out recipes for gluten-free bread, so you should be able to find a variety. <S> The tricky thing will then be finding the necessary flours. <S> Bread normally depends quite a bit on gluten for structure, so it takes some effort to make recipes work well without it, and following them exactly is pretty important unless you're prepared for some serious trial and error. <S> So when a recipe asks for white rice flour, brown rice flour, potato starch, tapioca starch, and powder, you want to either find those things or find a different recipe to try. <S> I don't know a lot about names of traditional wheat-free breads that you might be able to buy as-is, unfortunately, but I'm guessing that a lot of them will have a pretty different texture from wheat bread, so you might not be as happy with them. <S> Of course, if you like Lithuanian black rye bread, you could certainly look for recipes for it or other rye-only breads. <A> Disclaimer: The following answer is aimed at wheat intolerance or allergy, not gluten intolerance. <S> Sometimes the two terms are incorrectly used interchangeably, especially with some "trends" in diet. <S> The suggestions below are not gluten-free, but wheat-free! <S> Fluffy light sandwich breads rely on a gluten network to trap CO2 and steam and create a sponge-like structure. <S> Unfortunately this typically means using wheat for the bread because wheat allows for the best gluten development while rye needs sourdough to inhibit the enzymes that would destroy the gluten network. <S> Gluten-free breads try to emulate this with various substitutions, which are often but not always wheat free. <S> So read either the label or the recipe carefully - also to make sure that there are no soy-based substitutions. <S> The Internet is full of gluten-free recipes and ready-made flour mixes and breads are available, if not in a standard supermarket, then perhaps in healthfood stores or online. <S> But there are breads that are traditionally wheat-free (albeit not gluten-free) <S> : <S> Rye bread can be baked either as dark, dense wholegrain variety like pumpernickel or similar long-lasting breads or from finely-ground rye, leavened with sourdough and sometimes additional yeast. <S> ( Source ) <S> They can be easily baked in a home kitchen, just need a bit more time because the sourdough needs more time to work than yeast-only breads. <S> While many rye breads have some wheat mixed in, this is not always the case, so either ask your baker, read the ingredient list in the supermarket or choose a 100% rye recipe. <S> Traditional Scandinavian crispbread was made with wholewheat rye bread, some brands use part wheat, so again: <S> read the label or choose the right recipe. <S> Corn tortillas , the Central and South American food staple might be difficult to buy in an European shop, but could be worth a try at home. <S> They are also gluten-free. <A> Almost all 'gluten free' breads lose much of their elasticity when they're cold ... <S> in some cases, they'll crumble if you try using them for cold sandwiches, or they'll be so dry that you need lots of mayo on them. <S> (mustard and other 'wet' condiments can cause them to break down, making things worse). <S> If you're willing to do some cooking yourself, the easiest replacement is salvadoran corn tortillas . <S> They're much thicker than your typical corn tortilla, and it's made with masa de harina, which is a very finely ground cornmeal (it's essentially corn flour, but <S> beware that 'corn flour' in the UK is 'corn starch' and not what you want). <S> You can mix up the amount that's appropriate for what you need, let it sit to hydrate, form into a thick disk, and then cook it over a griddle.
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And yes, you can make plenty of kinds of gluten-free bread at home, just search for recipes.
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What temperature does "keep refrigerated" mean? The packages of my cheese and hotdogs say "Keep Refrigerated" (see photos below). Does that mean I should put them in the freezer, or the other room of the refrigerator? Many food products' packages say "Keep Refrigerated", for example, eggs are labeled as such and with temperature at least or at most 45 Fahrenheit. If not explicitly saying some temperature, how can I know if I should put a product in the freezer or the other room of the refrigerator? Cheese: Hotdogs: <Q> I think there's a bit of linguistic confusion here. <S> Although combination fridge-freezers (i.e. two compartments, one above freezing and one below) are common and we often call the entire appliance a refrigerator, <S> that's more just a simplification. <S> We'd never refer to the freezer compartment (or a standalone freezer) as refrigerating things; it freezes them. <S> So if someone says "put it in the fridge" or "refrigerate that" or "keep refrigerated", they mean the fridge, not the freezer. <S> It's rare for things to have more specific refrigeration temperature requirements than that. <S> You can't really adjust your fridge much; it needs to be 40F/4C or lower to be safe . <S> In practice that means you aim for more like 35F/2C so that if some parts of the fridge are a bit warmer it's still safe. <S> That means that even if you wanted to keep something slightly warmer, the warmest you could really keep it is 40F/4C. <S> If you really want to store a food at a higher temperature, you need a different solution; this is why people store potatoes in cellars, for example. <S> As for what things can be frozen if desired... it's hard to generalize a ton. <S> The main issue with freezing is that it can mess with the texture of food. <S> Fresh fruit and vegetables will generally lose their structure when frozen, so if they're subsequently thawed they'll end up mushy and leaking juice, making them only good for cooking. <S> Things with less structure like meat, dairy/cheese, and a lot of cooked food tend to freeze well. <S> So your cheese and hot dogs will be fine frozen, but if you have a lot of other things you're interested in freezing <S> and you don't have an intuition for what will and won't work, you're probably best off googling each one. <A> When a product is labeled "Keep Refrigerated", it does not mean you should put in the freezer. <S> Some foods (including cheese) do not freeze well, and will suffer a degradation in texture or other problems. <S> Other foods (such as hot dogs) may be frozen to extend the shelf life, though they're normally just kept in the refrigerator. <S> If you purchase an extra quantity of something like meat (or hot dogs) that requires refrigeration, refer to the expiration or "best by" date on the product. <S> If you don't expect to cook the product before then, you might consider freezing it. <S> Hopefully you'll use your cheese before March 18th, but note your hot dogs already passed their "best by" date a couple of months ago. <A> "Keep refrigerated" means store in the refrigerator at a temperature between 32F and 40F, ideally at about 35F. The main compartment of your refrigerator should be in this temperature range. <S> You can, if you wish, store either of these products in the freezer. <S> Kept frozen they'll be safe to eat indefinitely, however they may suffer in other ways. <S> In my experience hot dogs keep well in the freezer and after being defrosted come out just like they went in. <S> Cheese is a different story, and freezing can change its texture. <S> If you freeze your string cheese you may find that it loses some of its stringiness. <A> Any working fridge or freezer should be automatically at the correct temperature.
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"Keep refrigerated" means it should be kept in the refrigerator (fridge); "keep frozen" means it should be kept in the freezer.
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Is cereal supposed to be cooked? I saw many people eat cereal by pouring in milk. I don't have milk. Is boiling or microwaving cereal in water a good idea? Or should I cool drinking water to melt the cereal without any heating? <Q> Packaged cereal such as corn flakes, raisin bran, or the Toasty O's in your picture is "ready-to-eat" — you can eat it dry, right out of the box if you wish, although many people enjoy adding some kind of milk (cows milk, soy milk, almond milk, etc.). <S> I don't think it would taste very good <S> just mushed up with water. <S> If that's all I had, I'd eat the cereal dry and drink the water separately — you can easily try it yourself and see what appeals to you. <S> Other cereals like oatmeal and wheat farina usually taste better when cooked, though you could eat dry oatmeal if you wanted. <A> There are a few main reasons people generally eat cereal with milk: Without any liquid, cereal would be pretty dry and hard to eat a lot of - you'd end up really wanting something to drink. <S> Adding liquid also softens the cereal, not enough to make it totally soggy, but enough to lessen the crunch a little bit and make it more pleasant to chew. <S> Milk has flavor, and people like that combination. <S> Unless you're using skim milk, the fat in the milk changes the mouthfeel a bit, and people like that too. <S> People are used to it. <S> In the US at least, most everyone has been eating cereal with milk since they were a kid. <S> None of that is anything to do with cooking! <S> You use cold milk, and eat it right away before it gets soggy. <S> Depending on the cereal, by the time you finish the bowl, it might already be more soggy than you like. <S> It doesn't need cooking. <S> So, you certainly could eat cereal with cool/cold water if you wanted to. <S> Most people would probably find it pretty bland, but it might be better than trying to eat a ton of it dry. <S> Alternatively, just eat it dry as a snack; you'll probably eat less of it, and more slowly, but it'll still taste good, and you can drink some water when your mouth gets too dry. <S> You definitely don't want to use hot water or actually boil it with this kind of cereal, though. <S> You'll end up with an awful mess of disintegrated cereal. <S> Same goes for anything else in a rectangular box from the cereal aisle like the one you have. <S> If you want a hot, cooked cereal, you need something like oatmeal or cream of wheat that has enough texture and substance to survive that. <S> A final note: all of that was based on you not having milk, as you said in the question. <S> But if you hadn't said that, by far my first recommendation would've been to just get some milk. <S> Milk and cereal is great. <A> With cold breakfast cereals <S> the milk isn't meant to "melt" the cereal. <S> The milk is just added to provide flavour and nutrition, adding water would do neither. <S> If you don't have any milk I'd recommend just eating these sorts of breakfast cereals plain with anything added. <S> They can make for a nice snack this way, though I wouldn't want to have plain cereal regularly for breakfast.
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Ideally the cereal is consumed before it gets soggy, while the cereal is still crunchy. Anything meant to be cooked will have instructions on the package for cooking it.
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Peeling very ripe plantains? I'm following the "slit & peel" advice, but I'm not getting consistant results. Sometimes, my ripe plantain (90% black) has a peel that is impossibly hard to remove - it's dry and sticks to a very soft flesh. I end up throwing most of it away - even though the bits I mange to save are sweet and tasty. Have I stored it incorrectly? It would appear that I have no trouble peeling 50% black plantains, but as they get closer to full black (max sweetness), they tend to dry up and the peel sticks. <Q> I will often freeze black bananas that are too soft to peel, then thaw or run warm water over them till I can remove the peel from the still frozen fruit. <A> where I live a black plantain isn't often so mature on the inside that the peel sticks. <S> when it does, you are tempted to put down the knife and do it by hand, and it clearly is the wrong thing to do. <S> The advice I would give is "don't put down the knife". <S> In fact, if you have to, split the plantain lengthwise before removing the skin once you realize that it is a sticky situation. <A> If the flesh is not too mushy, you could use a vegetable peeler, but you said yours was very soft, so a more gentle approach would be to use a knife, just like you might to peel an apple with a knife.
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If the peel is dry and lacks structural integrity to pull cleanly off the flesh, I would try slicing it off with a knife.
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Is it possible to turn Rice Krispies back into rice? Specifically, would it be possible to turn Rice Krispies into rice suitable for serving with chicken teriyaki? One of the main characters of the webcomic Leftover Soup is an expert cook. To establish the character's skills, the author has him prepare a restaurant-quality meal from the contents of an extremely understocked kitchen, with only one hand. One of the feats involved in preparing this meal is reconstituting Rice Krispies into rice, to go with chicken teriyaki. I have no idea how realistic this scene is. Is this actually something you can do with Rice Krispies? If this is possible, how would you do it, and would the results be any good? The author's notes say it'll be explained in the strip how this works, but by the time I stopped reading, it hadn't been explained yet. <Q> Rice Krispies are made from a sweetened, malted and cooked and partially dried rice that is then "popped" similar to popcorn . <S> The manufacturer writes : <S> Each piece is made from a single, toasted grain of rice (...) <S> The physical/chemical process is basically the same as for popcorn. <S> Unlike corn, rice grains contain very little water so the initial boiling step introduces enough humidity inside the kernel. <S> The partial re-drying to harden the shell allows it to hold it inside while the water turns into steam and pressure builds. <S> When the grain can't contain the steam any longer, it will expand and the gelatinized starch forms a sponge-like texture. <S> Note that a careful balance of humidity and drying is required to get the best results. <S> As you are changing the structure of the starch , consider this a one-way process. <S> Neither popcorn nor puffed rice can be transformed back to their original "kernel / grain state": <S> All the king's horses and all the king's men Couldn't put Humpty together again. <S> The "modern" puffed rice method using pressure / sudden release is attributed to Alexander P. Anderson , who stumbeled about it when testing the humidity of grains in the early 1900s. <S> The process was taken over by Quaker Oats and used for other grains as well. <A> According to the company itself on their website and in this video , individual grains of Rice Krispies are in fact individual grains of rice, but there is no way to make them fluffy again. <S> If I were to use the product in a savory application, I agree with @ElmerCat that the best way to do it would be to treat it as a crunchy element, like crunchy chow mein noodles. <S> In comments, you linked to the answer in the comic strip that made you wonder, so that answer is here <S> That particular comic is oddly apropos for Seasoned Advice :-) <A> If Rice Krispies are all you have to work with, then use them exactly as they are right out of the box. <S> It sounds interesting and possibly appetizing to think of Rice Krispies in a savory setting such as chicken teriyaki, similar to chow mein being served with crispy noodles. <S> As @Stephie correctly points out, you can't turn them back into actual grains of rice.
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No, you can't revert a Rice Krispies kernel back into something that resembles a grain of steamed rice.
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Why pasta keeps always damp and moist when I cook it? Boiling pasta in itself is easy - however, there's a problem I could never avoid or solve. When I judge the pasta is ready, I pour the unnecessary water out of the vessel, though even if I use a colander, the pasta keeps damp and moist, and even if I put it back to the fridge for a night or two, it keeps like that. Even adding salt and oil to the water did not help it. What can I do against it? <Q> Refrigeration does not improve pasta texture; on that front my advice is to cook only as much as you are going to eat each time. <S> Other than that, it sounds like you are overcooking the pasta, so "when you judge it done" appears to be in error, and you should alter your judgement to an earlier point if you find the pasta too wet/soft <S> they way you have been doing it. <S> The time needed varies depending on the shape. <S> When it is done it should be removed from the water (or the water removed from it) immediately. <S> I find no benefit to adding oil to the water - save the oil for adding just after it's been drained if you want it to do something useful. <A> Some pasta types are more prone to become waterlogged than others. <S> Try using a decent pasta brand. <S> Not necessarily the most expensive one you can find, something widespread like Barilla will do. <S> The point is to be sure it meets some minimum standards for quality, as the discounter's own brands are hit and miss. <S> Also, I find that egg pasta's texture feels less soggy. <S> It's possible that you have been eating egg pasta in restaurants but making semolina pasta at home. <S> Try an egg pasta to see if it feels better to you. <S> Of course, this comes in addition to the "correct cooking time" advice. <S> You can cook any pasta to mush if you don't get it out in time. <A> If you want to conserve for some time your pasta, when in colander wash it immediately with plenty cold water to cool immediately. <S> Also if you want to conserve it add some oil and ground cheese after cooking to keep from sticking all together. <S> In "ristorante" normally pasta is semi cooked and when required placed in boiling water for few minutes before serving it. <S> Personally i like conserved pasta when in "minestrone" that is in vegetable soup, but is very good also fried with some ground cheese like parmesan, gruyere or emmenthaler.
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Consider that it may be a problem with the pasta you are buying.
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What is a substitute for milk when making ham balls? I'm making ham balls (with ground pork and ham), but I need something to substitute for milk. This is because of allergies, not just lactose intolerance: lactose-free milk still causes allergy problems. 2 lb. ham, ground 1 lb. pork, ground 2 eggs 1 c. bread (used corn chex due to gluten allergy) 1 c. milk 1 Tbsp worchestershire sauce. Mix and roll into balls Sauce: 1 1/2 c brown sugar 1 Tbsp dry mustard 1/2 c. vinegar 1/2 c. water Pour on ham balls. Bake at 350 for about 1/2 hour. <Q> As ChrisH said in the comments, probably all that matters is that the milk is a liquid. <S> If the end result is supposed to be something solid, there can't possibly be that much milk in there, and the fat and flavor of the milk are pretty small compared to the meat. <S> So, just use another liquid. <S> If you're not worried about flavor, water would work. <S> Stock/broth might be a nice small step up. <S> Or if you want to tweak the recipe, you could take the opportunity to add other flavors. <S> If the recipe calls for the milk to be mixed with bread or something else starchy (like this recipe , for example), that's called a panade , and it indeed works with all kinds of liquids. <A> If you want to closely replicate the water/fat/sugar content of milk, you can use the following ( originally from this other question ): <S> 200 <S> mL water 2 tsp pure fat ( <S> e.g. , cooking oil) <S> 1 tbsp sugar <S> That will produce the equivalent of 1 cup of whole milk. <S> You can substitute the water for some other flavorful liquid ( e.g. , stock or juice), but you will need to adjust the fat and sugar accordingly. <S> Note that the bread and milk in the original recipe are used to form a panade <S> : The liquid activates the starch in the bread to form a gel, acting much like a fat to lubricate the protein fibers in the meat and help prevent the meatballs from being hard. <S> Substituting a corn-based product for the bread might not have the same gelling properties. <S> If you require the balls to be gluten free, then I would suggest trying finely milled oats. <A> My wife and daughter can't do dairy and we regularly substitute almond milk or coconut milk for regular milk in recipes. <S> It almost always works fine. <S> I'd probably go with almond milk for this recipe. <A> (This is an expansion of my comment -- both more general and more specific) <S> In many recipes that use milk, the milk is just there as a liquid. <S> Replacing it with a suitably-flavoured liquid is often appropriate (though in the presence of other dairy ingredients be cautious before adding anything too acidic). <S> You don't give any idea of the quantity but assuming it's small <S> you could try apple juice/cider (a nice pairing with pork if not too sweet). <S> Now when I say cider I mean the alcholic sort ("hard cider"?) -- it's less sweet than cloudy apple juice. <S> If you also want to avoid alcohol, a variation is juice with a few drops of cider vinegar. <S> The flavour is different but can be good with pork. <S> With other meats white wine can work. <S> In some cases adding (more) beaten egg in place of the milk might work, but some things would become too firm. <S> Given that there's rather a lot of milk in this recipe, replacing it with egg would make change both the texture and the flavour too much. <S> Again, when they will work is when the milk is being just a liquid. <S> Long, gentle cooking of recipes with milk in often means that non-dairy milks won't work so well. <S> You'd also need to consider whether the flavours work, in particular sweetness.
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You could quite possibly use a non-dairy milk (almond/soya/rice) though these won't always substitute for real milk. There are plenty of flavorful but mostly water things you could try - think of things like worcestershire sauce or soy sauce (though I'm not sure what'd go with your recipe).
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Is it safe to freeze ground beef one day before its expiration date? I ended up buying some ground beef that was 50% off, I left it in the refrigerator one day, and now when I was cutting it into 500g (1.1 pound) pieces to freeze, I noticed that it was only one day to the expiration date. Could it still be frozen and be okay after two weeks? I heard if I cook it first, it can be stored for longer, is that something I have to do? and how long can it be stored? P.S. I'm very worried about getting food poisoning, and I don't want to throw it away since I currently haven't a good budget. <Q> It's fine to freeze, no need to cook if you don't want to; just be sure to use it immediately after thawing. <S> Freezing things essentially stops the clock: food will stay just as safe to eat no matter how long it's frozen. <S> It can deteriorate but it's more about drying out (freezer burn), taking on odors, and so on, not safety. <S> So since it's safe right now, it'll be safe frozen. <A> Ground meat can be dangerous (not in the sense of, e.g. mushrooms that are always poisonous, but by attracting bacteriæ). <S> If you’re only cooking for yourself, you’re probably fine if you freeze it before it expires, but if you work in some sort of institution, there are usually rules that it has to be prepared (the core temperature must be high enough to kill off all bacteriæ) on the same day <S> it was ground (not bought, note the difference). <S> Regulations probably vary by country, and I never saw it for my home country either, I was just taught this as teenager when helping cook for a group home. <S> I personally assume that what I buy was ground on the same day (though I rarely buy pre-packaged ground meat) and just roast it if I can’t use it in a meal on the same day, it’s only a couple of minutes of work in exchange for the safety of my food and stomach. <A> Freshness of ground beef can be evaluated from odor, color and from difference in color between internal and external parts of the pack. <S> Normal expiration dates are conservatively rated to avoid any possible troubles with customers. <S> So it should be safe to freeze it. <S> As with all frozen foods, for thawing, place them in the fridge, never thaw at ambient temperature because the warm exterior can support quick bacterial growth. <S> I place ground beef directly in the freezer because in the fridge it changes color rapidly and its odor quickly becomes unpleasant. <A> You should be okay if the meat is not rotten at the time of freezing. <S> If you are concerned about the safety I'd suggest cooking it right away (freezer to pan) when you're ready to use it, rather than thawing it before cooking. <S> It will be fine for browned beef to use in sauce, taco filling, etc.
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On the other hand, if you buy freshly ground meat, then roast/cook it (after seasoning if it has to be done beforehand), you can then let it cool down and freeze it, or even just put it into the refrigerator overnight to use on the next day.
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What is a good method to clean stainless steel hot water pot? Cleaner / Stripper Note - If this question requires more information to be a better fit for the website, please comment so that I can make it a better question. I have seen the suggestions over at the following thread : Given the images of my pot and the nature of the stains (not sure if they are grease or what, we do use the pot only for boiling water, but the stains feel thick and somewhat greasy). I have no interest in buying a new pot as this one seems serviceable. To be honest I can't recall if the pot was this orange color or not but at this point, I'd like to end up with a stainless steel pot stripped down. Please give me a solid recommendation to accomplish this objective. Thanks in advance. BTW ~ I've already used a lot of elbow grease and Brillo pads with cold water to get to this point (~ 1hour). I am hopeful that any solution could simplify the task. <Q> Wow! <S> That is quite a patina you have built up there. <S> I would try Barkeeper's Friend (oxalic acid) in a thick slurry and soak it for a day and see what happens to remove the blackening. <S> It still won't remove the orange enamel paint though. <S> So you might end up having to wet sand it after taking it to a wire wheel. <S> Sound like a project. <A> To expedite the task use a cleaning powder like Ajax or Comet. <S> Rinse well under cold water. <S> If you also want to strip the colored tinting off follow the above steps and then use wet/dry 120 grit sandpaper. <A> I suppose there might be some paint there, but it certainly looks a lot like burned-on grease/oil. <S> Have you got a larger pot or washtub (perhaps sink) <S> this can fit in? <S> Even a plastic bag might work. <S> First thing I'd try would be HOT water and baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) and let it soak overnight. <S> That cures many of my nastier stained stainless problems simply. <S> If not enough, I'd then go the opposite direction and use an acid (barkeepers friend was already mentioned, or citric acid, or vinegar, also with an overnight soaking.) <S> If both of those fail then I'd start contemplating paint strippers, though I might first switch back to (stronger) bases and try the already mentioned oven cleaner first. <S> Be very careful with the stronger chemicals - a new pot is far less trouble and expense than a chemical burn on you. <A> Have you ever made or even heated tomato sauce and has some drip down the side and leave a super shiny streak down the side of your pot after cleaning it off? <S> That's because it's a great cleaner for stainless and for copper as well. <S> Open a can of tomato sauce and soak the stainless in that for a little while, it'll soften up that patina so you can get to the shiny metal without damaging it. <A> If this is really stainless steel, all parts of it, EZ-off oven cleaner should be ok for it. <S> I have used it to get the jellied oil off of stainless steel items, with good success. <S> Spray it on, and let it sit a few minutes, approx 2-10 maybe, then wipe it off. <S> One of my pots had grease cooked on for decades, and it needed multiple treatments,but it was obvious from the very beginning that it was working. <S> It did not damage the stainless steel underneath. <S> But: if any part of your item is some other material, I wouldn't attempt it.
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if it is just the outside wall of the kettle that needs to be cleaned (of what looks like grease) than any scouring pad or course steel wool should work.
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Vegan alternative to Mozzarella I'm familiar with many fine vegan cheeses, ranging from cream-cheese to Camambert. Undoubtedly much progress has been made in this area in recent years. The one (important) cheese I have yet to find a suitable replacement for is Mozzarella. More specifically, I'm interested in a vegan cheese substitute which successfully mimics both the flavor and texture of melted Mozzarella. All soy-based substitutes I've tried which did have stringy properties suffered from very high stickiness, and adhered to the roof of the mouth resulting in an unpleasant experience. Another recipe I've tried is cashew based cheese combined with tapioca flour, though both flavor and texture were less than adequate. <Q> Late but you have to try the vegan Mozzarella from Miyoko's kitchen. <S> Its the only Vegan Mozz <S> I've found that tastes great cold i.e. in a caprese sandwich <S> but it also melts very well as I use it on pizza all the time. <S> It may be sold locally in your area I would use their retail location finder. <S> https://shop.miyokoskitchen.com/products/fresh-buffalo-style-mozzarella-cheese?variant=5781995395 <A> The " Mozzarisella " is based on rice and goes relatively close to the original one, unluckily it may not be so easy to find it. <S> Personally I've never encountered it outside Italy. <A> My favorite vegan mozarella is Teese Vegan Mozarella from Chicago Vegan Foods . <S> Indeed, a vegetarian friend of mine who does eat dairy actually prefers Teese on pizza to dairy cheese. <S> Chicago Vegan Foods recently discontinued retail sale of Teese, though it's still available to food services. <S> You can contact them to find an up-to-date list of distributors. <S> (For example, the closest distributor to me is Pizza Pi Vegan Pizzaria in Seattle.) <A> I've personally tested it out on burgers and found it to melt in a very satisfactory way, without any hint of the stringiness of Daiya shreds. <S> It was also deemed good enough by Pizza Hut who now offers Violife vegan cheese as an option for their pizzas in some countries.
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Violife produces a vegan mozzarella block that serves as a very workable alternative to mozzarella produced from cow's milk.
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How to clean an induction stove from overheat? After all water in teapot was boiled, an empty teapot was left on the surface and stove was turned on. You can see the spot on the photo. Is there some ways to fix or clean this? Induction hob model BOSCH PIB673F17E. <Q> It depends what the 'stain' is. <S> If it's just surface deposits from the bottom of the 'teapot' (kettle?) transferred to the stove top, use a recommended proprietary cleaner <S> (depends what country you are from what is available, ask at a hardware store for ceramic hob cleaner or induction hob cleaner). <S> If it's in the bulk of the stove top caused by heat damage to the thickness of the material, you have two choices... <S> live with it or replace the top. <S> You won't be able to polish out the stain as it goes through the thickness. <S> Side note, that's probably why many induction hobs are black or very dark... <S> harder to spot if there is any discolouration caused by getting a pan way too hot. <A> I've got a black induction hob and left a pan on with nothing in it - hence a huge mark. <S> My husband rubbed it with black T-cut 9Usually used for scratches on cars) and it's completely removed the stain. <S> Phew! <A> Cover the stained area with baking soda. <S> Saturate a dishcloth with hot water and place over the baking soda. <S> Allow to sit overnight. <S> In the morning, remove and re-dampen the dishcloth with hot water and scrub the stained area using the baking soda as a polishing agent. <S> One time I had to do this twice to get the stain off.
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If the stain is persistent, do the following: Wash the surface with soap and water and dry it completely.
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