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What is ideal temperature for baking cupcakes? I baked two batches of cupcakes at 180˚C but both collapsed in the middle. I guessed I must have used a little extra baking soda in the first batch so I used lesser amount of baking soda and baking powder in the second batch. The cakes rose nicely for first few minutes (I watched through the glass door of the oven without opening it) and then collapsed in the middle finally resulting in hard on the outside, sticky in the inside mess. Recipe: Adapted from an eggless cake recipe. Ingredients: 1 cup butter; 1 cup granulated sugar; 1 cup flour; ¼ cup milk; ½ teaspoon vanilla essence; 2 teaspoons cocoa; ¼ teaspoon baking powder; ½ teaspoon baking soda. Process: I cream the butter and sugar together and then add milk and vanilla essence. I then mix dry ingredients and fold them lightly in the batter. Then bake them in cupcake moulds at 180˚C (356°F). <Q> 180C is equivalent to 356F. Most recipes in the US for cupcakes call for an oven temperature of 350F. 180 and 350 <S> are just round numbers signifying a moderate oven. <S> Cupcakes are picky though, a very slight difference in temperature can make a big difference in the final cupcake. <S> Opening the door during baking can cause sinking, so don't do that! <S> (I see that you didn't, so that's one possibility down) <S> Use fresh baking powder. <S> Baking powder that has been opened for just a matter of a few months starts losing effectiveness. <S> Baking soda on the other hand, lasts pretty much forever if stored properly. <S> Are you by any chance using Dutch processed cocoa? <S> If so, try adding a small amount (a quarter teaspoon or so) of white vinegar. <S> Baking soda needs acid to work properly, and Dutch processed cocoa has been made nonacidic. <S> Since your recipe also includes baking powder, that is unlikely to be the problem unless your baking powder is stale. <S> Finally, follow the recipe carefully regarding beating. <S> Overbeating the batter can cause sinking. <S> That's the best answer I can give based on your limited information. <S> We can help you narrow it down further if you give us every little bit of information you can. <A> I would say that the eggless recipe is at fault here. <S> It is not a recipe which replaces the eggs somehow, it is a recipe which simply leaves out the eggs. <S> The symptoms are very typical for that case: there is no binder in the recipe, so all the gas created by the baking powder (that first rise you observe) just goes into the atmosphere, leaving you with warm pudding (the sticky mess you observed). <S> So, if you want a classic cake texture, use a standard recipe with eggs. <S> If you absolutely can have no eggs at all, try a recipe that uses a commercial egg replacer. <S> In the worst case, use some of the homemade replacers, but the texture won't be as nice. <S> As for just leaving out all eggs, there are cakes which do it, but you have to get accustomed to liking the end result. <S> As the solution here is to choose a different recipe, just use the temperature suggested by your new recipe. <A> EDITED: <S> Yes, the original old-fashioned pound cake was named that because it used 1 pound each of butter, flour and sugar. <S> Yes, the ratio was 1:1 of flour and butter <S> but it was done by weight , <S> not by volume which is what is in the recipe the op gave. <S> One pound of flour can vary between 3-4 cups, depending on the type of flour (cake vs high-gluten) and how humid it is. <S> And of course a recipe for pound cake (or anything similar) uses eggs that are vigorously beaten to maintain a solid form when baked. <S> So I stick with what I say about proportion of flour to butter despite what @rumtscho wrote in his comment. <S> I don't guess that the recipe might be off <S> , I know it is! <S> If you check the recipe @Jolenealaska linked to, the proportion of flour to fat (oil in this case) is 3:1. <S> In your recipe, it's 1:1 - 3 times as much fat. <S> That's more like a brownie recipe but without anything like eggs to bind the mixture, plus yours has the addition of milk. <S> Many brownies aren't that rich as well; neither are brownies expected to rise and have a cupcake like texture. <S> Best toss out that recipe or recheck the ingredients ratios.
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The most common reason for cupcakes to sink is an oven temperature that is too high. So try dropping your temperature a bit, and be sure to use an oven thermometer .
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Do you need to rinse vegetables that can be peeled? When using garlic or onions - is it redundant to rinse them in water, being that you take off multiple layers before preparation? <Q> While I don't always practice what I preach, in the interest of food safety, I would recommend rinsing any vegetable or fruits before peeling. <S> The reason for this is that when you cut into an unwashed vegetable or fruit, any contaminants on the outer surface are transferred to the part of the item you are going to eat. <S> While it doesn't happen often, some foods have been contaminated by E. coli, salmonella, pesticides, fertilizer residue, etc. <S> , when not rinsed first. <S> In the worst cases people have become ill from it. <S> Garlic may be the exception as the outer peel is usually removed by hand before doing anything to the individual cloves. <S> (Except when roasting and the top is cut off.) <S> Onions could also be an exception if you are able to remove all of the outer peeling so that your knife will not go through it when cutting the onion. <A> I know this seems counter-intuitive to many people, since the "bad stuff" on produce (primarily bacteria— <S> the pesticides and other residues aren't going to make you sick, they just aren't very appetizing) is on the outside, and you are simply going to peel it away. <S> The problem is, during the process of peeling and/or cutting the item, it is almost inevitable that you introduce some of the bacteria from the outside into the fleshy interior—the part you are going to eat! <S> Is it necessary ? <S> Well, you probably aren't going to die if you don't do it. <S> Only a tiny amount of bacteria will be introduced into the flesh of the fruit/vegetable by this process, so the chances are relatively low that it will make a healthy person extremely sick. <S> If anything, you can expect mild food poisoning symptoms—perhaps so minor that you hardly even notice anything awry. <S> It also isn't particularly necessary to rinse produce that you're about to cook. <S> Onions and garlic are both sometimes eaten raw, And beyond the vegetables mentioned explicitly in the question, there are cucumbers, carrots, etc., all of which are frequently consumed raw. <S> As someone with training in food microbiology, my family sometimes thinks I'm over-cautious. <S> But it never hurts to be safe than sorry, especially when you're buying commercial produce. <S> You don't have to scrub it if you're going to peel it, but if you have running water available (and most of us do!) <S> , it is always a good idea to rinse your fruits and vegetables thoroughly, while rubbing between your fingers. <A> It is redundant to rinse then peel garlic or onion. <S> On the other hand, I do rinse carrots, cucumber and potatoes before peeling. <S> The difference being that you actually remove the outer casing when peeling garlic or onion. <S> With other vegetables you just shave off the very outer layer, often times not thoroughly. <S> I have never rinsed garlic or onion that I intend to peel, nor have I ever seen anybody do it. <S> I will brush off soil stuck on them, but I never see that on onions or garlic from the grocery store. <S> I suppose in some parts of the world rinsing garlic and onions would not be uncommon. <S> If I ever saw it, I would wonder if they really have reason to believe their garlic or onion is that dirty, or if it's just a cultural quirk. <A> I rinse home grown garlic before peeling, but not bought garlic or onions. <S> This is because my soil is very sticky, and so much clings to the outer skin that it otherwise gets everywhere when preparing it. <S> If it's very dry, just brushing the dirt off also works. <S> If you do rinse a garlic bulb and don't use it all, you need to make sure it drys out properly and quickly, otherwise it will spoil. <A> The obvious is if you don't plan to peel. <S> I know this is extreme <S> and I don't rinse garlic but even if you peel by hand you get cross contamination as you have handled the peel and peeled garlic. <S> If you peel then cut one at a time that is a bit of cross contamination. <S> A better practice would be to hand peel all then wash your hands before cutting. <S> You could also then rinse the peeled garlic. <A> According to this reference , unrefrigerated foods with peels (like onions and potatoes) are excellent bacteria incubators when peeled but not so while in peel. <S> My take away: you may not need to wash room temperature sold produce with peels before or after peeling, but you must consume them without delay. <A> Living on an ocean going boat, where water is at a premium, unless your veggies come covered in what cows leave behind, then the answer is probably no. <S> If you have particularly dirty veg, which is to eaten raw, then yes, but on the whole, boiling/steaming/microwaving will kill virtually everything. <S> We live in a society that is <S> a bit mamby pamby and a bit of dirt wont hurt you - most of the time! <S> Oh, and after over 100,000 ocean miles in a small boat without using refrigeration I do know a thing or two about this - we do not use any tins or packets onboard.
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It is absolutely important that you rinse fruits and vegetables before consuming them raw , even if you are going to peel them!
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Substitute for pumpkin pie filling I have a recipe for a French Toast Bake which calls for 30 ounces of pumpkin pie filling. I am looking for something I can substitute since my family is not crazy about pumpkin flavor. Any ideas? <Q> Puree of chayote with (nutmeg / clove / allspice / cinnamon / just sugar) <S> (however you like it) works well. <S> It's an Asian staple and available around the world in most Asian markets. <S> It has no real detectable taste of its own, it just takes on the flavor of whatever you cook it with or put in it. <S> If that's not available, you could sweeten a puree of butternut or regular squash and get the desired outcome. <S> With either method, be careful with your moisture content - you want it to be pretty much the same as pumpkin pie filling for the recipe you want to try. <A> Whatever you use as a replacement, be careful of the sugar content. <S> Depending upon where you live, try mashed/pureed breadfruit - hope it works <A> Perhaps a custard would work? <S> I recently saw a custard pie (just custard, which surprised me a bit as I usually see custard with something in pies), and the texture was fairly similar to pumpkin pie. <S> I also recently saw a pumpkin dessert, with a custard baked in a cleaned out pie pumpkin (flavors overall should be reminiscent of pie, and texture similar, just somewhat deconstructed). <S> This is perhaps not so surprising, since the pie is something like a custard plus pumpkin paste - <S> and I've seen successful pie filling be quite liquid, or quite thick. <S> You might also think about cream pie fillings - I'm thinking coconut cream pie, or banana cream pie, something along those lines, though if you're inspired by a chocolate cream pie filling, more power to you. <S> So, if the pie filling (perhaps from a separate recipe) was supposed to be quite liquid, a not-yet-cooked custard filling should work, and cook up to a similar texture. <S> If it was supposed to be thicker, a cooked custard might do well. <S> Or see what you can just add in, like bean pie, or buttermilk pie, or the sweet red bean paste (adzuki bean) that serves as a filling in Asian cakes and pastries. <S> Overall, when I think of pumpkin filling, I think sweet and starchy and kinda creamy, making custards or puddings a closer substitute than, say, fruit pie fillings (which are sweeter, sharper, a bit tarter). <S> And of course, adding any kind of thick mash should help with consistency, as long as its a flavor you'll like. <S> Go wild, if it pleases you. <S> Good luck with your recipe
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Of course, you could also probably substitute pudding of various flavors, or some other kind of sweet mash (perhaps sweet potato , or squash - though that does taste similar to pumpkin, or perhaps some starchy fruit).
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How to release pungence out of onion for salads without cooking? I have been making a pretty standard Mediterranean-style potato salad but replacing the standard vinegar with lemon juice, which I like better. However, I noticed that, when used, red wine vinegar does more to soften the uncooked union and seems to release the pungent juices from it so they spread to other ingredients. Lemon juice tastes better but I don't think it treats the onion as well. Because I would rather not mix vinegar and lemon juice, I was wondering if there are any way other than using vinegar to treat raw onion so that it releases more juice and also make the onion more palatable? <Q> A simple way is to, upon cutting, place your chopped onions into a bowl of ice water for 10-15 minutes before tossing into your salad (sans water, of course). <S> I find this takes the 'spicy bite' and pungency out of them and leaves the crunch - whereas acid seems to affect the texture of the onion. <A> Marinate the onions in acid for a longer time. <S> I have a recipe that mixes thinly-sliced red onions with lemon juice and feta cheese, and the mixture sits on the counter for 4 or more hours, until the onions are very soft and translucent, are much less pungent, and they have expressed a lot of liquid. <A> It helps remove pungency out of them and are crunchy as well.
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What I personally do is cut the onions half and put them in a bowl of cold water and then after chopping them, marinate them with lemon juice for a longer period of time.
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Best way to clean copper pots? I got an awesome set of copper pots as a wedding gift. They are amazing, but the direct flame has created aggressive burn marks and discoloring. I'm aware that this is always going to occur. Is there a way to restore the original color? <Q> First you need salt, then you need an acid. <S> Some methods use flour because the paste with the flour is easier to control. <S> For acid you can use vinegar or lemon juice; citric acid would probably work beautifully (from Ecnerwal in comments). <S> One of the videos I'm posting here uses white wine vinegar. <S> Their salt is probably Maldon Sea Salt Flakes, which would be even more ridiculous. <S> Lemon juice or plain vinegar along with salt (coarser is probably somewhat better) are all you need to make your pans gorgeous. <S> Here's a video where he uses 1 TBS flour, 1 tsp salt, and enough vinegar to make a paste. <S> Dab it on and let it sit for 30 minutes. <S> Then wipe and rinse off the paste. <S> Voilà! <S> This is another video where he uses white wine vinegar {rolls eyes} and coarse salt. <S> He doesn't use the flour, and the technique is a bit clumsier without it. <S> It's pretty much the same concept as the first video. <S> He goes a bit further and uses a wee bit of elbow grease with a vinegar soaked scrubby sponge on the burn mark on the base of the pan. <S> Many other sources on the Internet, including The Kitchn use lemon juice or cut lemons instead of vinegar. <S> It doesn't seem to make much difference, all of the related methods work. <A> Now, what we actually do when making beer is to try and remove any corrosion on the copper bits with an acid (vinegar, a citric acid solution, or "star-san" which is a phosphoric acid based sanitizer) before <S> we plunge the copper (cooling coil, usually) into the pot, since whatever comes off the coil ends up in the beer. <S> But if you are not making beer, that's not a problem. <S> The coil comes out shiny-clean every time. <S> Odds are excellent it would work on your pots/pans as well. <S> Of course, the other food-grade acids we pre-clean with might also work, and be a hair cheaper. <S> Evidently a common adjunct to the acid cleaning which I was unaware of from the brewing perspective is to mix the acid with salt (not dissolve the salt in it) to use the salt as a mild abrasive in rubbing the copper - it may also contribute chemically <S> but I'm a bit fuzzy on the details.) <A> Using a bit of tamarind pulp and scrub, I used to clean the copper vessels. <S> It makes it clean and shiny. <S> Hope this helps. <S> Wiki <S> In homes and temples, especially in Buddhist Asian countries, the fruit pulp is used to polish brass shrine statues and lamps, and copper, brass, and bronze utensils. <S> The copper alone or in brass reacts with moist carbon dioxide to gain a green coat of copper carbonate. <S> Tamarind contains tartaric acid, a weak acid that can remove the coat of copper carbonate. <S> Hence, tarnished copper utensils are cleaned with tamarind or lime, another acidic fruit.
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Buy a few pounds/kilos of barley malt extract, dissolve it in a LARGE pot of water, boil, immerse your pans, take them out shiny.
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How to Remove Excess Water from Chicken/Other Meats Prior to Cooking? Here in the UK, supermarket chicken and other meat cuts are infused with water to bulk them up prior to sale. So, when frying or browning the meat, I often end up half boiling it from all the water that comes out and I end up having to spoon the excess water out of the pan (along with a lot of flavour) so I'm able to carry on with the stir-fry/browning. Aside from simply buying more expensive (water free) meat or smothering in salt, is there any way of getting rid of this water before cooking? <Q> The salt will draw moisture to the surface of the meat, and leaving it open to the fridge will allow some evaporation to occur. <S> This is sometimes called "dry-brining". <S> That should help but I don't think it will ever get the meat to the point it would be if the water had never been added in the first place. <S> Another thing to consider is the type of pan you're cooking in. <S> A frying pan with short, flared sides will allow more evaporation to occur during cooking than a pan with taller, straight sides. <S> Also, don't crowd the pan : make sure that there is empty space around each piece of chicken to allow as much evaporation as possible. <A> From this article on my site : Water Content of Meat and Poultry <S> The amount of naturally occurring water, or moisture, present in meat and poultry may surprise consumers. <S> An eye of round roast is 73% water before cooking. <S> The same roast after roasting contains 65% water. <S> A whole broiler-fryer contains 66% water before cooking and 60% afterwards. <S> Leaner meat and poultry contain more protein and less fat. <S> Since water is a component of protein (but not fat), a leaner cut will contain slightly more water on a per weight basis. <S> Chicken is listed at 66-69% raw and 59-61% cooked. <S> So with all that in mind, how do you go about cooking a nice brown crispy on the outside and tender and succulent on the inside piece of chicken without accidentally boiling it in it's own juices. <S> First, as was stated in the other answer, consider the type of pan that you are using, a wide shallow sided skillet is great, however, depending upon what you are then going to do with the product, and how much washing up you want to do, then a large based pan will also do. <S> Consider the type of oil/fat that you are using, and the temperature at which you are cooking. <S> A good quality olive oil is a must for most dishes. <S> Put your pan on a nearly high setting, too high and you will burn not only your product but also change the nature of the oil that you are using. <S> Pat your product dry with kitchen towel then place in the pan . <S> Resist the temptation to flatten the item or turn too quickly <S> , food does not like to be beaten up, be gentle with it. <S> You may need to to 'unstick' your item from the bottom of the pan, <S> if so, also turn your pan down a touch. <S> After a couple of mins, turn the item over. <S> That should do the trick. <A> Many of the Asian recipes I use start with putting a small amount of sugar and lettig it sit. <S> Then rinse and part dry. <S> A lot of fluid does come out, and the residual sugar on the meat facilitates Browning.
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You can salt the chicken a few hours or a day in advance of cooking it (you don't need a lot of salt, just whatever you'd normally use to properly season it), and store it uncovered in the refrigerator on a small rack over a plate.
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Wok clean up after every use I wanted to ask, if i really have to clean up the wok after every use. You see those black spots on it ? Am i doing it wrong? Or.. is it ok to leave it so? Just fyi, this wok costs about 230 eur. Thank you for your advices. <Q> You are seeing oil polymerisation, otherwise known as seasoning. <S> It is not required on stainless steel, but it can happen on its own under some conditions (a very thin layer of oil, or only a spray of oil mist, on a very hot pan surface) and wokking produces these conditions at least on parts of the surface. <S> It is your choice whether to keep it or clean it. <S> You won't be able to maintain a great seasoning on stainless steel, it will be somewhat patchy because it cannot cling as well as it does to reactive steels or iron. <S> But since it is not functional on stainless, the quality of the layer is not really important. <S> Just pay attention that it really stays a seasoning (made from burnt-on decomposed oil) and does not become char from carbohydrate deposits. <S> If you decide to clean it, you won't get far with physical efforts or everyday cleaners. <S> The more convenient way is to use boron based cleaners, but they are not sold in some parts of Europe due to safety and environmental concerns. <S> The other way is sodium lye, which does not have the boron toxicity but needs safe handling procedures because it is very corrosive. <S> You can also choose to retire that wok and switch to a carbon steel wok, which can hold better seasoning (and also, being many times cheaper, causes less consternation if it stops looking good). <S> For that solution, you also need to season properly, which does have a learning curve at the beginning. <S> A side note: <S> Am i doing it wrong <S> You may have a somewhat wrong wokking technique - I am surprised that your bottom is so clean while the walls got so much oil polymerisation. <S> My suspicion is that you are overcrowding the bottom and not pushing enough food up the wall. <S> But that is only an aside, since it matters mostly for taste, not for cleaning. <A> The discoloring is basically burnt oil. <S> This is not the same as 'seasoning' in a cast pot. <S> The amount that you have is not a problem, however, when you get a build up it will be. <S> Placing the pan in a dishwasher will get most of it off, or use oven cleaner (both methods use caustic soda). <S> KH7 is great for problems like this, but then so is elbow grease and a scouring pad. <S> There are some old remedies like boiling rhubarb in it, <S> why does that work <S> , well it's a mild form of Hydrochloric acid, which if you lived in Spain you would simply buy in the shops. <S> So, at the end of the day, just give it a good soak in hot washing up water, scrub the sides and hey presto it will be ready for another great tasting meal! <S> The comment about it not being a proper 'wok' is both helpful and unhelpful. <S> Not everyone has the space for every kitchen implement and pan, and <S> many a great tasting stirfry has been produced from a deep sided skillet - possibly one of the most useful pans to have the in the kitchen. <A> Then hang it up and buy a carbon steel wok with a ring and a bamboo brush for cleaning. <S> Europeans try to make everything new and improved when the wok has been around for four thousand years, it's the flat bottom that's your rub, <S> the food just sits and stews or if you get it hot enough to wok properly the oil will burn as it did. <S> You have a very pretty pan <S> and you'll find some good uses but not to wok. <S> You'll find all you need and a tutorial on YouTube. <S> Enjoy !!
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If you really enjoy using the wok then get some brillo pads and over a few sessions the oil stains will come clean with some elbow grease.
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Scaling up water for cooking soup I'm cooking soup as a starter for Christmas dinner. I've made this soup before and I used 1.5 litres of water for 4 servings. I'm making 12 servings for Christmas day so that should be 4.5 litres of water required if I just put in 3 times as much of everything. I'm not sure if I've correctly scaled up the water needed, 4.5 litres sounds like a lot of water. Maybe when cooking 4 servings 1.5 litres of water is used but 0.5 litres boils off, then with 12 servings 3.5 litres is used and still 0.5 litres boils off. Is this a smarter way to scale up the water needed? Edit: To make 4 servings I add 6 tomatoes, a leek and 3 potatoes; I simmer it for 30 minutes with the lid on. <Q> 1.5 litres for 4 servings is 375ml per serving (plus some volume from the veg which I'll ignore) assuming no water boils off. <S> That's a sensible portion. <S> I reckon my soup bowls hold just a little less than that, but you'll leave some in the pan when serving . <S> So I doubt you lose a lot of water when you normally cook it. <S> That said, I'd err on the side of caution and (i) measure the bowls (both the normal ones and the ones you plan to serve it in if they're not the same); and (ii) start with a little less water than you think you need - adding <S> water is quick, boiling it off less so <S> and you don't need the hassle of your soup taking too long. <A> Generally speaking, you are correct that less water will boil off as a % of the total when you increase water volume. <S> Mainly because the surface area of the water will not increase enough to offset the extra volume. <S> The amount of water evaporating will be directly related to the surface area of the top of the water. <S> Imagine a tall test tube of water with a flame directly underneath it. <S> It would take a long time for all the water to boil. <S> Now imagine the same volume of water in a frying pan. <S> It's going to evaporate a lot quicker. <S> If you need to cook it longer to boil more water off, that will be easy to do. <S> The longer the soup cooks, the more the flavors will come together. <S> If you need to add water/stock you can always do that as well. <A> If this is a short cook soup, and I would consider 30 minutes lid on to be short cook for sure, then not a lot of water will be cooked off in your usual proportion, so maybe reduce from 4.5L to maybe 4.25L. <S> If this was a longer cook with more opportunity for evaporation, then what your gut is warning you about would be more likely. <S> If you are concerned it is still the case, or if you wanted to do the same thing with a longer cook and open crock, the I would lean to multiplying the other ingredient by 3, but the water by only say 2 times, start the cooking, and then taste as it goes. <S> If the broth starts tasting strong, then you will want to add water to dilute.
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Based on all the variables at play, the best solution is to add the amount of water you think is close to what you actually need.
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How can I turn rolled oats into flour without a food processor? I don't have a proper food processor, just a little baby-food-sized one, so when I made Alton Brown's all-oats oatmeal cookie recipe before, I used half oat flour and half rolled oats. They were perfect, so I'd like to repeat them for my friend with celiac disease. I found gluten-free rolled oats, but the only oat flour I can find is labeled "may contain traces of wheat." Is there a way I can make rolled oats into flour with something other than a food processor? <Q> You could use a mortar and pestle, if you have a good (and large) one - though it would take a lot of time and grinding to make it work, and probably small batches to fit your mortar and pestle size, it is doable, especially if this is a one-time use. <S> you would probably not want to do this often, though. <S> You might try a blender, it's very similar to a food processor if you happen to have one. <S> I would not recommend an immersion blender, as the oats (and flour) would fly everywhere (as opposed to liquid which holds together a bit more), but a regular blender should work well (also, keep it covered, though). <S> You might want to make sure it's quite clean unless you want coffee flavored cookies, though. <S> And final option, if you have a spice grinder, that should also work. <S> Some people get a spare coffeee grinder for the job, or if you have a little hand crank grinder (like some people use for pepper or cinnamon or such), that would also work - though again, lots of work and small batch sizes, but possibly worth it for one time. <S> Additionally, if you toast the oats a bit, they should be dryer and easier to grind (and toasting gives a bit of flavor) <S> - this will help especially if you're using one of the hand methods, like mortar and pestle or tiny spice grinder. <A> We often use a coffee grinder to make almond flour for my son who is on a very restricted diet. <S> We use a simple 19.99 blade grinder rather than a burr grinder. <S> We've also used it to create powdered sugar from Xylitol and from ordinary cane sugar, and tapioca starch from tapioca pearls. <S> Good luck! <A> I just buy oats from my local supermarket and then I turn it into a flour for making my morning porridge in the microwave. <S> The result is a creamy delicious porridge with bananas or tinned fruits, that I enjoy all the year around and never get fed-up with it. <S> I found the best way to turn oats into flour, is by using a blender on fast speed or as I do, by using a 400 Watts Braun hand blender, this too on fast speed. <S> When using the microwave to make your porridge, blend the four into some COLD milk, then stir in hot water, but not too much, otherwise you will end with a watery porridge and not a thick creamy porridge. <S> It was my idea to use the oats as flour, so that once in the stomach, it will easily attach itself to the cholesterol <S> and then you know the rest. <S> It's a great idea if you want to reduce your cholesterol and lose weight. <A> Use a sift. <S> It may take long, but the result is fine powder. <S> Take some rolled oats and place it on the sift. <S> Put the sift on top of a bowl or container. <S> Rub the oat against the sift. <S> After a while, you should have oat flour.
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If you have a coffee grinder, that's also a possibility - it is intended to turn beans into powder, this is just a different grain.
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What is the texture of grilled swordfish? Purchased and grilled swordfish steaks, as usual, but the texture was very gelatinous(squishy) and raw feeling, though the color was opaque after cooking. Taste was bland and rubbery. The fish was marked Fresh, as opposed to the usual "previously frozen"What is wrong? <Q> You may have purchased mislabeled fish. <S> Unfortunately, this is a real problem, alas! <S> (So at least the texture issue might well not have been your doing.) <A> You likely got old "fresh" fish. <S> Fish contains protein-digestive enzymes that over time create a mushy texture. <S> With frozen fish this is not a problem, as the enzymes are not active. <S> Some kinds of fish and shellfish are very prone to this problem due to the high amount of enzymes in them, this is true for example for Pollack, Whiting, Lobster or Herring. <S> They can turn out mushy even if they are really fresh. <S> As far as I know, Swordfish does not belong to this category, so it is likely that the fish spent too much time in an inadequately cooled state (maybe already on the ship). <A> Grilled swordfish is often referred to as being "steak like" in its texture.
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I agree with the others that your fish was probably not so fresh.
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What makes rice come out chewy and how do you prevent it? I find that sometimes my rice will come out chewy no matter how much water/more cooking time I add. What makes rice come out chewy and how do you prevent it? <Q> I use par-boiled long grain rice, and DO NOT pre-soak or rinse it. <S> Put your rice into a good heavy based pan, add about three times as much cold water and bring to the boil, <S> yes, you can stir it once or twice if you want. <S> Boil for about a minute or two, turn off the heat, leave the lid on and wait about 30 mins (some times it might be up to 45 mins), the rice cooks very nicely. <S> Strain and use as required. <S> This always for me makes perfect fluffy non sticky rice - I have never had an issue with rice with this method. <S> Of course this is for par-boiled long grain rice, other types of rice might act differently. <A> Use basmati rice for fluffy rice where the grain remains unbroken. <S> Rinse and soak beforehand for upto 10 minutes. <S> Bring to boil the water for cooking, and then drain the rice and add to the water. <S> Do not stir and allow the rice to cook for upto 15 mins depending on quantity. <S> Once the grain has cooked drain the rice using a colander. <S> Rinse the excess starch from the rice by holding the colander under running cols water. <S> This will prevent the rice from going gooey and maintain the shape of each individual grain. <S> Place colander on top of the cooking pot which has been removed from the heat to allow excess water to be drained. <S> Thereafter transfer to serving dish. <S> Warm up in the microwave prior to serving. <S> Hope this helps. <A> Adding a little pat of butter into the rice certainly helps keep it from getting a rubbery texture <A> Basmati rice cooking follows a simple proportion: 2:1 water:rice. <S> Add rinsed rice and water to a covered pot. <S> Bring it to a boil, stir vigorously making sure there are no kernels stuck to the bottom of the pot. <S> Lower heat to simmer and cook for 20 min 2-3min into the cooking I stir again, just to be sure nothing is stuck to the bottom. <S> At the end of 20 min stir the pot of rice with a fork to fluff the rice and return the cover for a few min. <S> It should be fluffy individual grains of rice.
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I usually rinse a few times the rice to remove dirt and excess starch (makes for a fluffier rice).
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What are the options when looking for gluten free chapati? Hi does anyone know where I can buy gluten free chapatis or what is the best method of making them and storing them without any preservatives? <Q> I use ivory teff tortillas from La Tortilla Factory as a gluten-free substitute for chapati. <S> They are sometimes available at my local grocery store, but I've also bought them online. <S> They are similar in texture and mouthfeel to wheat chapatis. <S> When heated on a griddle, they brown and puff up just like the real stuff, and they then taste delicious with a little ghee. <S> I don't miss wheat chapatis at all since I discovered these. <S> They are much closer to wheat chapatis than gluten-free sandwich bread is to the genuine article. <S> They freeze well and also keep in the refrigerator for several weeks. <S> If you're interested in making a gluten free Indian roti, I would suggest not trying to make something that approximates chapati. <S> Instead, make some traditional preparation that uses other flours. <S> For example, there's bhakri, which can be made with any of various flours like jowar (sorghum), <S> bajri (finger millet), or even rice flour . <S> Or there's one of my all time personal favorite foods, a multigrain flatbread called thalipeeth . <S> Most recipes online include wheat as one of the ingredients, but you can just leave it out and increase the amount of the other flours proportionately. <S> There's also a sabudana (sago <S> ) version which is a lot simpler as it just uses whatever flour you have lying around in addition to sago. <S> Finally, the site Spice Up The Curry has a section on Indian Breads that includes recipes for rotis made with exotic flours such as rajgira (amaranth), singhara (water chestnut), and kuttu (buckwheat). <S> I've never made any of those, so YMMV. <S> In general I've had good success with recipes from that site, though. <A> The problem you will face will be a rather crumbly mix. <S> Perhaps try using rice flour and include a very ( <S> and yes I mean very) small amount of guar gum. <S> You can buy guar gum in most health food stores, or even some pharmacies. <S> Good luck. <S> Edit: <S> As long as you are not adding other products like olives etc... <S> then store you chapatis (un-cooked) as you would items such as pastry - in the fridge in a zip-lock bag. <A> If you wish to have gluten free chapatis, then they cannot be made from wheat flour. <S> Chapatis/rotis made from flours such as rice flour, jowar (sorghum) flour, bajra (millet) flour , are all gluten free. <S> These rotis are very good for health in terms of ease of digestion and preferred when concentrating on weight loss. <S> Attaching pictures from Google for your reference Jowar Bajra Rice Roti Bajra Roti Jowar Roti
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It is possible to buy gluten free flour from most supermarkets these days, or health food stores.
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How to substitute peanut butter for peanut butter chips I'm making a Peanut Butter Blondie recipe, and I'm trying to make it healthier for a Health Class my son is in. The recipe calls for 2 cups of peanut butter chips and I want to use natural peanut butter instead. How would I convert 2 cups of chips to an amount of peanut butter. Here is the recipe for those interested. http://www.squirrelbakes.com/2011/01/peanut-butter-blondies.html?showComment=1295643747439 <Q> You cannot convert it, because they are two different ingredients. <S> Peanut butter chips are pieces which stay whole when baked. <S> They don't melt, just sit there so you can bite on them after the cookie is baked. <S> Peanut butter is a creamy substance, and if you try to put it in a blondie, it will not form a chunk, it will become part of the dough, giving it a completely different texture and maybe even hindering its baking well. <S> Even if it bakes properly, you will get a totally different result, with dough that tastes uniformly of peanuts, without a contrast taste to bite on. <S> You could try putting in whole peanuts (shelled, without the papery skin, but unsalted and toasted), in which case you can use the same amount in cups. <S> It will still be somewhat different, because they will be harder to bite on than the chips, and it can make the blondies drier as a whole. <A> well, since the chips are supposed to stay firm and not spread out, you would need them to be firmer (at least when mixing). <S> You might try making, not quite sure if it has another name, but peanut butter filling - I recall mixing with powdered sugar, and sometimes a bit of cornstarch or butter, or once in a while brown sugar (though that would melt easier, it tasted good) for a stiff pale peanut butter putty that can act as layers in other sweets, or to approximate the peanut butter filling in chocolates, or other kinds of peanut butter fudge or candy (buckeyes, or whatever). <S> It is just to dry the peanut paste out a bit. <S> Since you're also going to be baking these in blondies, I suppose adding a bit of flour could also work - you just wouldn't want the taste if the flour was uncooked. <S> It can be chilled if still a bit soft, chopped into chunks, and added to your recipe, and any remainder should be kept refrigerated and used quickly. <S> Or, you could go the other way and try something with more fats - coconut oil or cocoa butter, because they're solid at room temperature. <S> The pb chips are supposed to be similar to chocolate chips (fine starchy cocoa powder emulsified in cocoa butter), so you would use a solid fat to firm them up at room temperature, but they would melt, rather then dry up, at higher temps. <S> I think I've seen some recipes for pb chips on this same principle, for those who want to make their own because of dietary restrictions. <S> Again, you would likely need to chill until firm before chopping into chunks, and refrigerate the remainder. <S> (ah, found some recipes along the same lines ). <S> To substitute with two cups of pb chips, you would want two cups of your finished product - though how much peanut butter you start with will depend on how much of which other ingredients you're adding, so I couldn't say - but likely a cup and a half of peanut butter will get above two cups worth of chips/filling, considering how much it will need to be thickened to be made solid. <A> Use the equivalent weight in a recipe that calls for a melted chip. <S> If it is meant to be firm, add a bit of powdered sugar, just as you might in a candy recipe. <A> I substituted peanut butter for peanut butter chips making a pie. <S> It called for 10 ounces melted chips and I usd 10 ounces of peanut butter. <S> It came out perfect.
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Peanut butter chips can be melted... think peanut butter fudge.
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How to cook scallops that will prevent them from becoming too rubbery? What will prevent pan seared scallops from becoming too rubbery? I find that cooking them in the cast iron skillet has not created a tender texture. <Q> It sounds like maybe you cooked them too long. <S> Searing the perfect scallop requires a few steps, and some thought, but it is not difficult. ... <S> and, a cast iron pan is very effective, so don't be put off by previous comments. <S> 1. <S> Use only dry-pack scallops. <S> 2. <S> Before searing, make sure that they are a dry as possible, by placing them on paper towel and drying all sides (you want them to sear, not steam). <S> 3. <S> Find a pan that is large enough so that the scallops are not touching. <S> Otherwise, use more than one pan. 4. <S> Get said pan very hot (I use cast iron with great success, but try other pans to see what you like). <S> 5. <S> Add clarified butter (so that the milk solids don't burn). <S> 6. <S> Add scallops. <S> 7. <S> Don't move the scallops! <S> 8. <S> When you notice a brown crust forming after about a minute, flip the scallops. <S> 9. <S> Cook another minute on side 2. <S> (Alternately, cook most of the way on side one, creating a deep brown crust... <S> so perhaps a minute and a half to two minutes...then flip for 30 seconds) <S> 10. <S> Remove from pan to a paper towel. <S> Bottom line: Dry, hot, fast. <A> Scallops, like any mollusk, are fast cooking. <S> A cast-iron skillet, which holds heat, is the wrong piece of equipment. <S> Take them off the heat before you think they are done. <S> By the time you get them out of the pan, onto a plate, and then served, they'll be fully cooked. <A> First of all, the quality of the scallops is important. <S> Cheap scallops are often treated with sodium tripolyphosphate. <S> These scallops store excessive water and it's very, very difficult to get a good result with them, as you need way too much time and heat to cook them. <S> Second, your scallops should feel dry when touched. <S> If they don't, dry them with a paper towel, salt them slightly, let them rest on a paper towel for ten minutes, then dry them again. <S> Third, for a decent result, you have no other choice than to carefully monitor and test the doneness. <S> Fish and shellfish become dry and rubbery at 140°F / 60°C. <S> So the inside of your scallops should be somewhere between 130°F / 55°C and 140 <S> °F / 60°C max. <S> This is a fairly narrow margin and this is why undercooked or overcooked fish is very common, even in restaurants. <S> Experienced chefs can determine the doneness with their fingers; you can peer into a small incision whether the interior is still translucent. <S> It's better to have one scallop used as test object than a whole pan of ruined scallops. <S> There is nothing wrong with cast iron skillets - you just cannot reduce the heat in time if the pan turns out to be too hot; but unless you end up with burned scallops, this is not your problem. <S> Your problem might be that you are used to a timing that is correct for less heat and that you rely on a feeling, instead of actual monitoring and checking the doneness. <A> On Masterchef a few months back, Marcus Wareing shared a tip to avoid overcooking scallops. <S> Rather than tipping them all into the frying pan/ skillet at once, place them one at a time around the edge of the pan, starting at the 12 o'clock position and working clockwise. <S> Work in the same order when it is time to turn them over or remove them from the pan. <S> By using this "first in first out" method you should get a reliable, even cooking time for each scallop. <S> I've tried this several times now and it works well. <A> the advice that the cast-iron skillet is the wrong piece of equipment is right, however, it doesn't offer an alternative. <S> The heavy base will diffuse the heat to all parts of the base, thus giving a uniform cooking area. <S> Try a stainless steel or copper pan, and keep the heat down a little.
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Scallops should be seared in a heavy pan.
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I'm pretty sure these aren't scones, but what are they? We've made a type of deep fried bread in my family for years, which we've called "scones". I'm fairly certain these aren't actually scones, and have no idea what their name would properly be. The recipe is very free-form, and uses whatever bread dough happens to be on hand. The last time I made it I used bread-machine pizza dough , previous times I've used dough from sourdough bread, no-kneed artisan bread, and baguettes. The dough is pulled into thin disks, whose shape and thickness are generally close to, but not quite, uniform. The dough is then deep fried, cooled on a rack over paper towels for the oil, and is ready to be eaten. The end result looks like this: The valleys are generally filled with jam, butter, honey, or honey butter. So my question is: does this have a name? <Q> You will see it named Lángos (and derivatives) in Hungary and Mekitza (and derivatives) in Slavic languages. <S> Either of these words is used in Western Europe, depending on which group popularized it there. <S> I am not sure this wording has spread outside of Europe, and cannot say if it was imported in the USA or developed there independently, but it is certainly the same end result. <A> Fried Dough <S> As mentioned in comment, it's something I'm mostly used to seeing at fairs - the dough does not do well in a communal fryer where it could pick up other flavors (hmm, fishy fried dough - yuck) and deep frying at home <S> is kind of a chore (but you are up to it!) <S> Scones are one of the many alternate names given in the linked wikipedia article. <A> Fry bread. <S> They are often served as tacos with savory toppings. <S> Sweet toppings like butter, honey, or cinnamon are also common. <S> They are also similar to sopapillas. <S> As far as I can tell, these are called scones only near Utah, USA. <S> I haven't been able to figure out why. <S> Some guess that it is related to the sconecutter restaurant. <A> It's a party food also in the south of Italy, usually prepared as street food too. <S> We call it "pizzillo", and it's made by deep frying the same bread dough used for Naples' pizza, and served with a little of salt on top of it. <S> Search "pizzillo fritto" ("fritto" means "fried") on Google Images, not all images are correct, but you'll find a lot of pictures identical to yours! <S> Source: <S> I'm from the south of Italy, and my dad and his mom always made it. <A> Looks like a Kiachl, a traditional dish from Tyrol and Bavaria. <S> Here in Austria, we serve it either as a sweet dish with cranberry yam and sugar or "piquantly" with Sauerkraut. <S> It's a yeast dough where you pull the edges of it towards the outside <S> so the middle becomes thin, while the edge becomes thick and fluffy. <S> The dish has a variety of synonyms. <S> Depending os where in Austria you are, it is called "ausazochene Nudeln" (noodles pulled towards the outside), Kiachl or Ziachkiachl (pulled Kiachl). <S> See also this recipe .
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Everywhere else in the world scones are biscuit-like pastries. This is a staple of Balkan cuisine.
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When grinding flaxseeds in a coffee grinder, is it safe to add some water inside? http://www.drdavidwilliams.com/how-to-relieve-constipation-naturally/ says Flaxseed is inexpensive and you should be able to find it at your local health food store. Keep in mind that if the seeds aren't crushed, ground, or broken, they will pass through your system intact and you'll lose the benefits. Except for decorating the outside of bread loaves or muffins, I would recommend grinding the seeds in a small food processor or a blender. Small, inexpensive coffee grinders also work well for this purpose. ( If you intend to use a blender, adding a bit of water or liquid to the seeds will make the blending process much easier. ) When using a coffee grinder to grind flaxseeds, is it also advised to add some water to the seeds? Or will adding some water cause danger and damage to the coffee grinder due to short circuit caused by water? My coffee grinder is KRUPS F203 Electric Spice and Coffee Grinder with Stainless Steel Blades, 3-Ounce, Black : <Q> The mention of water in your quote is for a blender, not a grinder. <S> There are also wet-dry grinders, but that's not one. <S> So, I'm not sure if it's actually dangerous, but it's certainly not designed to have water in it. <S> And either way, since it's not meant for wet grinding, it's not likely to grind wet things well. <S> Blenders, on the other hand, are designed for liquids, so it makes sense that blending a slurry might work better than something dry. <A> I can't speak for yours directly but coffee grinders are usually sealed. <S> The dust generated by grinding is bad for motors, and they have to be washed without large amounts of water being held in the mechanism to run down into the motor. <S> I have a small grinder of this type, like yours marketed for coffee and other things. <S> Mine is in the form of a food processor attachment. <S> It is properly sealed. <S> You could use it as a blender so long as you put it together in the right order. <S> The manual ought to be clear if you can't use liquids as they're marketing it as a spice grinder, and it wouldn't be unreasonable to grind sources with oil for a marinade (for example). <S> Having looked at the pictures in a bit more detail it seems like you shouldn't use a lot of liquid as there doesn't seem to be much of a seal where the top attaches. <A> The article you quoted from only says adding a bit of water or liquid to the seeds will make the blending process much easier <S> It doesn't say that you have to add water. <S> I have the same grinder as you and mainly use it for grinding spices (it's not really suitable as a coffee grinder unless you like bad tasting coffee). <S> So, grind the seeds dry and use how intended (either by adding water or adding the ground seeds to something else).
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Coffee grinders are designed for dry grinding, not wet grinding.
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I never succeed in thickening sauces with pasta water. What am I doing wrong? Every cook praises how starchy pasta water is great for thickening sauces and helping the sauce cling to the noodles. But no matter how much pasta water I add, it never thickens the sauce.Yesterday I cooked one pound of pasta in a liter of water (which should yield extra thick pasta water) and the pasta water was still not nearly as thickening as a cornstarch slurry. Is it over hyped, or is something wrong with me? I use Barilla and DeCeCo pastas <Q> You seem to have the wrong expectations. <S> No, it will never be as thickening as a cornstarch slurry. <S> If that's the level of thickening you expect, you are really better off using the slurry. <S> Don't forget that pasta water thickening is a traditional technique from the time when people did not go to the supermarket to buy a pack of cornstarch. <S> They cooked down ripe tomatoes for several hours, and the starchy water saved from needing a few more hours of evaporation. <S> Also, they cooked with homemade pasta, which had some flour residue sticking to it, not the perfectly-gelatinized industrial pastas we buy today. <S> If this is not how you cook, and if you prefer pudding-thick sauces, then the slurry is probably the better method for you. <S> I notice Kenji from Serious Eats has also tested pasta water and recommends it for flavor reasons . <S> He also tested it for thickening - but against salted water, not against a slurry. <S> That's what people mean by "it thickens" - it thickens when compared to random liquids, not when compared to thickeners. <A> Think of your pasta water as a tool for emulsification, rather than "thickening." <S> Add it a little at a time and swirl the pan vigorously. <S> It also allows you to control how "wet" you want your final result to be without having to create other liquid components. <S> Also consider that praises of starchy water generally come from restaurant cooks who are cooking many servings of pasta in the same water. <S> Dry or fresh, as the evening wears on, that water gets pretty starchy, thus dramatically increasing its viscosity. <S> We just don't cook that way at home. <A> As moscafj said, pasta water cannot be understood as a thickening agent at all. <S> In fact, I understand it as a thinning agent: after your sauce has boiled down to more of a paste (great taste, but not very immersive to the pasta), you'll need some way to make it proper liquid again. <S> What you do not want at that point is to make it runny , watery , hence adding pure water is problematic. <S> Likewise with wine / juices / vinegar etc. <S> : these can make a lot of sense for deglazing at the beginning of the cooking, but adding them at the end will make the sauce watery and also add too much of a raw, unsavoury note. <S> And such pure hydrophilic liquids often don't completely merge with a hearty sauce with considerable fat content, making for an unappetizing phase separation: the water will tend to “wash off” the flavourful parts from the pasta on the plate. <S> Hence the pasta water: it liquefies the sauce, but at the same time improves contingency due to the starch content. <S> Stock or cream can perform a similar role, but are less neutral. <S> Depends on the kind of sauce what you want. <S> Since you always have the pasta water, that is the first candidate. <A> All answers given here look right, and the folks that answered your question demonstrated they know what they are talking about. <S> But there is a trick that was not mentioned: in case you have a proper pan and are cooking a short pasta (e.g., fusili or penne), you can use the sauce to cook the pasta. <S> It is a different approach, but it is delicious - and the sauce will become thicker naturally. <S> Give it a try!
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Adding pasta water to your condiment pan has the benefit of helping the condiment form an emulsified sauce that adheres to your pasta.
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Why arent my pancakes browning correctly? I am using a cast iron pan and all of my pancakes are coming out like this. I leave them on and they get crispy on the outside and cook through but they do not brown. I tried turning the heat up and that just burns them in splotches. Then I tried a lower heat and they turn golden in weird uneven patterns but they still cook through. Ive tried different oils, no oils, reheating my pan, waiting longer before flipping (which causes the pancake to have poppled bubbles and dark spots instead of a smooth surface). And when I flip them, the second side gets sort of a film on it when I take it out of the pan, the outer layer separates from the rest (it kind of looks like saltine crackers lol)this is really frustrating. any tips? <Q> You seem to be doing everything alright with the heat and pan. <S> This sounds like a problem with the recipe. <S> Add more milk (or yogurt, or whatever dairy you are using) <S> - you need lactose for browning, so soy milk or enzymatically treated <S> cow milk won't work. <S> Also consider replacing part of the sugar with fructose, HFCS or glucose syrup, they brown somewhat better. <S> Third, make sure they are not too sour. <S> If it is a baking soda recipe, add some more baking soda. <S> The "makes a film and separates <S> " part could disappear after changing the dairy and/or leavener. <S> If it doesn't, make sure you are only lifting at the proper moment. <S> The pancake will stick first, then become releasy, then burn. <S> If it still sticks during the releasy part, reduce the heat (you should still get enough browning after the measures in the last paragraph). <S> If that does not work either, the last step is to increase the egg. <S> You might have to test a few until you find a winner. <A> I had the same problem! <S> I originally used almond milk, an egg, flour, baking POWDER, butter and sugar. <S> My pancakes looked more like tortillas. <S> Lol. <S> I fixed it by adding a few things to the batter. <S> I added baking Soda, and more sugar. <S> Baking soda changed ph to add browning, and sugar adds browning from carmelizing. <S> The first pancakes looked just like yours, and after I modified the batter, they look like this. <A> Is it possible your recipe has buttermilk but no baking soda or not enough? <S> Summarized from J. Kenji Alt Lopez's Buttermilk Pancakes in The Food Lab pgs 143-144: <S> Baking soda affects browning in a major way because it affects the pH of the batter. <S> The Maillard reaction occurs better in alkaline environments, so that after enough baking soda has been added to a batter to neutralize the acid (from buttermilk) any additional will work to increase browning.
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If nothing else helps, you can even add a pinch of baking soda to a baking powder recipe, not for leavening but just for browning. If this is a baking powder recipe, consider using only milk instead of any buttermilk or yogurt. An alternative would be to find a better working recipe and follow it instead of adjusting yours.
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how can I mince a small amount of meat? I want to be able to mince a small amount of meat for steak tartar to eat right away. I want the mince to be fresh each time, so mincing more in advance and storing is not an option, no matter what you do, the meat will never be as fresh as stored in a large piece and minced just before eating. I bought a meat mincing machine, and I tried mincing 500 grams of meat (about one pound for you non-metric USAnians). The amount of meat stuck in the machine after finishing was substantial, and the amount of cleaning afterwards makes the whole exercise pointless. 15 seconds of mincing, and then 15 minutes of getting meat remains out of the machine, chopping it and cleaning the machine. So I chop it by hand with a knife, but that is also quite time-taking although faster then using the machine and cleaning it later. The machine is something like this: Does anyone know a meat mincing machine which would be suitable for mincing 500 grams of meat at a time, or a technique to do it efficiently, faster then chopping it by hand with a knife? The meats in question are tender, lean meats like beef tenderloin or roe deer haunch. <Q> There are a few workarounds to mince your meat, but the results may be not what you are looking for: <S> Some immersion blenders have a special attachment especially for mincing meat or stringy veggies. <S> It's got two super-sharp "winglets". <S> (I'll add a photo once I find mine.) <S> You need to be super careful and fast, or the meat will be more like a puree / paté instead of tiny minced pieces. <S> Food processors will have similar issues: blend a second too long and you have a farce again. <S> This is based on the fact that meat grinders are based on a totally different principle - they push the meat towards the holes and cut off tiny pieces from the larger chunks while the rotating knives puree the food. <S> If you are ok with that, they can be an alternative to dragging out the large meat grinder (and cleaning it afterwards). <S> Note that both substitutes require prepping the meat carefully - remove all sinews and similar. <S> Also, chill your meat well. <S> Cold meat will keep its consistency better than slightly warmer meat. <S> I personally would use a large chopping board and a sharp large knife and chop up the few servings before bothering with tools. <S> But YMMV - it depends on how comfortable and skilled you are with your knife. <A> The texture is slightly different from the results of rotary mincing. <S> Take a look at some videos of some skilled practitioners! <A> I find that using two knives to mince the mince meat would be even faster and not add much time to cleanup for the added efficiency. <S> You would kind of chop <S> the mean like beating a drum, with a knife in each hand. <S> Of course they have to sharp and have proper chopping board.
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If you've got a robust enough cutting surface, mincing in the Chinese fashion, with one or two moderately heavy, sharp meat-cleavers, is very fast and easy to clean up, with no waste.
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Accidently mixed instant and cooked pudding packages I'm making the layered pudding dessert and without looking I dumped an instant pudding mix and a cook and serve pudding mix in the same bowl. I am now staring at said bowl in horror. Too late to scoop and separate. How do I save this? Was my last two packages! <Q> update: <S> It seems that the salts used in instant pudding are heat stable (one turns into the other one at 450°C), so it's possible that it might work by following the cooked directions ... <S> but I'd advise a slurry as a backup. <S> You're going to have to add something to fix it. <S> Either more gelatin (to have it set cold), or starch to have it set when boiling. <S> I'd probably go with the hot method -- you'll bring it to a boil, which will screw up the setting properties of the gelatin. <S> I suspect that you'll want to let it boil for a minute or so, to make sure the gelatin isn't going to set at all (and possibly make it too thick, or interfere with the starch). <S> You didn't say which size of boxed mix you're using, but looking at a few recipes, it seems like you want 3 to 4 TB of cornstarch to set 2 cups of milk. <S> Use that as a basis to scale your recipe. <S> (updating instructions per DebbieM's comment) <S> So : Mix cornstarch (1.5 to 2 TB per cup of milk needed for the instant pudding) with some (less than 1/4 c.) of milk in a jar, seal and shake to make a slurry. <S> Stir in the cold milk <S> (the sum of what's called for on both boxes). <S> Heat to a boil (see notes from cooked pudding package about stirring, etc). <S> Check to see how well the pudding coats the back of a spoon. <S> (wipe a finger through it to get an accurate estimate of how thick it is) <S> If not thick enough (note: it will thicken more when cooled), add some of the slurry, and let it boil for a minute or so (keep stirring or whisking during this). <S> Repeat 4 & 5 ' <S> til you've achieved the thickness desired. <S> Follow the cooked pudding package instructions from there. <S> If you don't have cornstarch, I've seen some recipes that use flour ( <S> about 1/4c. <S> per 2 cups of milk), <S> but they're always chocolate ... <S> I suspect it's to cover up the raw flour taste. <S> If you have unflavored gelatin, you could also bloom some in some cold milk, and then mix it in with the cooked pudding as it's cooling to try to achieve the desired thickness, but too much might end up setting like a blancmange. <A> My annual holiday meal fail this year was : maxing instant and cook and serve pudding. <S> I mixed the packages and prepared both as instant pudding. <S> This was Wednesday at 11 pm. <S> I debated to freak out, try making a new banana pudding pie with what I had left, or just wing it and stick it in the fridge... <S> well I mentioned <S> it was 11pm Wednesday? <S> Yeah, so I opted out of an extra holiday melt down, stuck it in the fridge and hoped for the best. <S> I decided not to chance messing up my entire day Thursday, I didn’t check the banana pudding until I served the rest of the desserts after dinner. <S> I wanted to be just as surprised as everyone else if this thing was still in liquid form! <S> However, very much to my surprise, when I went to serve my banana pudding, “I’ll be damned, it’s pudding!” <S> So, when this happens to you less than 24 hours from holiday meal time: shrug your shoulders, stick it in the fridge, keep calm and holiday on! <A> I just did this exact same thing with Jello brand pudding <A> I did the same thing. <S> Mixing up the cooked for instant. <S> I just went ahead and used it uncooked and it set up fine and tasted delicious. <S> Don’t sweat it because it works fine. <S> Maybe a better flavor and texture to boot.
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and I just heated it in the microwave for 8 mins stirring every 2 mins ( as per cook and serve microwave directions) and it worked.
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How to salvage hardened peanut butter from jar bottom How can I salvage hardened peanut butter from the bottom of the jar? Is there anything I can put in it that will soften it but also add to the taste, or at least not affect it negatively? <Q> As long as the peanut paste at the bottom of the jar hasn't gone rancid, I'm pretty sure the bottom of the jar gets hardened and dry because the peanut solids have sunk to the bottom while the peanut oil has floated to the top, and as you use the peanut butter, a deficit of peanut oil develops at the bottom of the jar. <A> While lorel C's answer, to use peanut (or some other kind of oil) is likely the best, a couple alternatives suggested themselves to me. <S> I've had decent luck adding a bit of water instead - though the peanut butter should perhaps be used up quickly in that case (since addition of water will make the product somewhat less shelf-stable). <S> It does nearly the same job of loosening the peanut butter to spreadability, adds very little flavor, and is available very easily. <S> If you add too much, it does dilute the flavor a bit, but <S> not badly so if you just need a little. <S> Another possibility is the addition of heat. <S> Warming up the peanut butter just a little will let it melt a bit, loosen up and liquify, and it can be more easily worked with in this state. <S> Since it will harden right back up when cooled, you might want to do this only when you're going to finish it off, or when you are pairing with an addition of either water or oil to keep the peanut butter loose after it's cooled back down. <A> Here is what you do guys: Heat water in pot (do not overfill) and put your peanut butter jar in ( only if in glass container obviously). <S> Add <S> little, slightly heated soy milk (sweet, dense, protein). <S> To the amount of the picture above - add 1 tbsp. <S> Stir the softened peanut butter until milk is incorporated and you've achieved that nice consistency! <S> Consistency retrieved <S> ✔ / Flavor enhanced ✔ PS: Any type of milk will work :) <A> If you like natural peanut butter, you'll know that the oil separates really easily compared to the other stuff. <S> I've found that putting the whole jar in the microwave for a few seconds always does the job. <S> Not until it gets hot -- just until it loosens up a bit. <S> To prevent it: I buy a couple jars of PB when they're on sale, store it upside down in the cupboard, and then put it right-side up when I open it and put it in the fridge. <S> Works like a charm :) <A> in most nut butters the oil will separate leaving the bottom over time dry and oilless. <S> Especially in organic nut butters. <S> I found that warming the left over nut butter in the microwave for 30 seconds* at a time will help in the beginning. <S> But be careful! <S> The microwave will not completely liquefy your nut butter. <S> Try not to over cook it. <S> After softening in the microwave, I would recommend mixing in some oil that isn't too flavorful. <S> I found mixing in a bit of water works fine though. <S> You could even make your own mixes to make that last little portion of nut butter count by mixing in honey, unrefined coconut oil, or even Nutella if you so desire! <S> *I wouldn't recommend sticking the whole jar in, most nut butters you have to peel off an aluminum seal, there still might be some on the rim, and it is not safe to microwave <A> So far, the best softening and taste option I've found is to add a little olive oil. <S> In fact, I just ate a PB sandwich with the olive oil recovery in it <S> and it tasted scrumptious!
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I usually try to keep re-mixing the jar as I use it, so I haven't really tried this, but I'll bet if you stir in a little peanut oil, that dry peanut-plaster would soften up and become like its old self again.
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I recently tried to make sourdough with my starter, it didn't rise. Why is there still a crumb? I started and cared for my first sourdough starter for 6 days, had a decently active starter. It would rise noticeably, maybe 1.3x after feeding. I made a basic sourdough recipe using my starter. It's obvious that my starter wasn't up to the task based on the picture below. My current hypothesis is that the tap water in Seattle has to much chlorine. I have since restarted with filtered water. Anyways, I'm wondering why, despite being unleavened, there is still a crumb in the "bread"? Is it because there was some, but more than zero, fermentation? If so, why didn't the yeast multiply and leaven the whole loaf? <Q> Looking at that picture you did definitely get a rise, in fact you got some big air holes. <S> I would be happy to get that crumb, and I have baked plenty of bread. <S> From the shape of it <S> I suspect that what happened is that it simply spread out on you, rather than going up, which is common with dough that has a high hydration level like yours seems to be. <S> Bread dough is a bit like water in that it will flow the path of least resistance, if you simply plop a dough down without restricting it or shaping it you'll get a spread. <S> Shaping will help depending on the result you are looking for, but I would recommend you use a shaping basket, also known as a proofing basket when you do your final rise. <A> You kind of gave yourself the answer in the question. <S> You started the fermentation process which "creates" the desired bubbly and airy texture - but if you didn't provide the sufficient temperature (above 16 degrees Celsius) <S> the yeast couldn't develop. <S> That way the yeast will be left in peace to "eat" the dough and leave those airy bubles! <S> Hope this helps :) <A> Time and Temperature both impact rising. <S> My sourdough breads take significantly longer than commercial-yeast breads. <S> Unlike commercial yeast which is very consistent in rising times, I find wild yeast to be more variable (differences of hours from the same starter and recipes (different days)); there have been times where I figured I'd have to give up on it only to discover in the next hour <S> it finally got some lift.
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Try keeping your dough in nice room temperature and far from air circulation and drafts.
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How do you keep dehydrated broth (powder) from clumping? I have some dehydrated store-bought broth mix (chicken and vegetable) that has clumped into a large solid block. I haven't been able to find any information on the Internet about how to fix this. I suspect it is a matter of hydration (too hydrated or too dehydrated). I could experiment by adding drying agents/water, but I figured I should ask first before making my broth go funky. <Q> The clumping is a result of air and moisture entering the container with the substance. <S> This especially happens if you pour the mix directly from the container over a hot dish - the steam enters and immediately clumps the spices. <S> What you can do is to transfer your mix into a new dry and airtight container. <S> Hope this helps :) <A> To break the clumps up, just use physical force. <A> As Adeline says, this is as a result of moisture (most likely steam) getting into the dry ingredients! <S> There is nothing wrong with the powder, if I were you I'd just crumble it into your food/gravy jug as and when you need it. <S> In future (to answer the question in the title) there are a few things you can do to avoid this happening: <S> Store in an airtight container <S> Ensure you open <S> said container away from running water and hot food and for as little time as possible <S> Rice is traditionally used in salt shakers, but it's probably a bit small for stock powder <S> so I'd suggest dried beans. <S> (FYI stock = broth and by gravy <S> I mean the British kind) <S> I would not recommend using the silicon gel pads as someone else has unless they are certified as safe with food. <S> Most contain toxic chemicals that may leach into the powder over time. <A> THE PROBLEM IS NOT BEING TOO MOIST, <S> IT'S TOO DRY !! <S> Easy to fix & no need to resort to hammers, dissolving in water & freezing cubes etc. <S> To prove this I took 2 chunks of hardened stock powder (broken up & prised out of the container with a knife). <S> One chunk I put in the oven for a few minutes to dry out <S> - it went harder than ever & was difficult to break up. <S> The other chunk <S> I did what I would do for rock hard brown sugar & put it in a dish, covered with moist paper towel & a lid, then microwaved for 10-15 second intervals & stirred with a spoon in between - <S> it soon softened up & returned to a flowing mixture. <S> Yay !! <S> If you don't have a microwave or can't get the hard powder out of one of those cardboard & metal containers (that shouldn't be microwaved anyway) then try the following method (I know it works for brown sugar) <S> Cover the container with a damp cloth & a lid & leave several hours or overnight, stir with a spoon & repeat if necessary - it will take longer but it should gradually soften up & be usable again. <A> Easy fix. <S> In a dry climate, uncap jar for a few days. <S> Then use handle of teaspoon to unclump. <S> If that didn't work, my next step was going to uncap and place in slightly warm oven first; then use spoon handle. <A> My stock is in a plastic shaker but had gone all hard. <S> I just softened it and dissolved it with a little bit of hot water in the microwave, it went to a smooth liquid. <S> I poured this liquid into about an ice cube tray and now have 8 lovely cubes to use when needed! <S> Yum.
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Put the stuff in a sealed, heavy-duty plastic bag and whack on it with a rolling pin or a heavy bottle until it is in smaller lumps, then use your hands to break them down into the original powder. Add something to the container to absorb excess moisture.
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Allergic to the whole pepper family - what can I use in its place? I am allergic to the whole pepper family including black pepper. I don't know what to use as a substitute. I don't eat salt, so that's out. I am having to check every item that I buy to make sure it doesn't have pepper any it. Can anybody give me some suggestions? I would greatly appreciate it. <Q> Grains of paradise are peppery but don't seem to be too closely related to black pepper, so perhaps you won't be allergic to them. <S> They're a bit smaller than peppercorns but can still be ground in pepper grinders. <A> This is getting too long for a comment: When you say 'in its place', are you looking for something to sprinkle on finished food, or do you have a specific recipe in mind? <S> True 'peppercorns' (Piper nigrum) are from vines in the Piperaceae family and get their heat from piperine. <S> This includes white, black & green peppercorns. <S> You might try things from other botanical families, but without knowing exactly what causes your reaction, I'd recommend using allergy testing techniques from survival guides before using it in your food. <S> Other things sold as 'pepper' include: <S> Pink peppercorns <S> (Schinus molle) are in the Anacardiaceae family (which includes cashews, pistachios, sumac and poison ivy). <S> They may cause a reaction in people with nut allergies). <S> They have a peppery note, but with a floral quality to it. <S> Be warned that Brazilian pepper (aka baies roses de Bourbon; aka Christmas Berry, aka Red peppercorn (variety terebinthifolius), aka Florida holly; Schinus terebinthifolius, family Anacardiaceae) can also be sold as 'pink peppercorns' (variety acutifolius), but had previously been banned in the US (still is in Florida) as it's both an invasive species in many areas can cause poison-ivy like reactions if you touch the sap, and the berries are believed to cause vomiting and other adverse effects in some people if ingested. <S> The US FDA does not designated it 'GRAS' (Generally Regarded As Safe). <S> Sichuan (Szechuan <S> ) pepper (aka. <S> Chinese pepper; typically Zanthoxylum bungeanum, but could be anything in Zanthoxylum, including Japanese pepper (sanshō; Z. piperitum), Korean sansho (Z. schinifolium), Wild peppercorn (Z. simulans), etc.). <S> It isn't 'peppery', <S> but it's citrusy and causes your lips and tongue to go numb in larger amounts. <S> Crushed Red Pepper are dried and crushed chili peppers (capsicums), which get their heat from capsaicin. <S> Although most people are familiar with the stuff at pizzerias, it can be made with other varieties of chilis with more interesting flavor profiles, such as Aleppo pepper <S> You can also consider some ground capsicums like hot paprika, or specific ground chilies (jalapeño powder) Alligator pepper (aka. <S> Grains of Paradise) <S> See Jefromi's answer . <S> It's peppery with an interesting background to it. <S> (some folks say citrus & cloves) Not sold as 'pepper', but another sice to sprinkle onto food to wake it up: Sumac <S> (genus Rhus, in family Anacardiaceae) has a sour, citrusy flavor. <S> It's part of the spice mix za'atar . <A> I'm not sure what property of the pepper you want to replace. <S> If it is the spiciness may I suggest ginger. <S> It is quite spicy and goes on everything much like pepper does. <S> Mustard seeds have an earthy flavor suitable for most dishes, you might want to consider it as well. <S> For some smoky flavor try sesame oil. <S> Hope this helps :) <A> <A> like the ginger answer above, horseradish and raw nasturtiums (the entire fresh nasturtium plant... <S> leaves, petals, seeds) are spicy, so they might be worth your time to analyze what is in them to determine if you may have an allergic reaction to them or not.
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Watercress has an amazing peppery flavor and is a great addition to salads!
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What are the keys to leopard-spotting pizza crust? What are the most important factors to achieving leopard-spots on pizza cornicione? I've tried so many different things but still can't get to the level of consistent leopard spots that I've seen others create. I want a pale crust except very distinct charred leopard spots. I do not want the whole crust to be brown or charred spots >1". What am I doing wrong? Recipe: 500g Antimo Caputo or KA Bread 360g-380g Water (72-76% hydration) 16-20g Salt 1g Active Dry Yeast Process: Day 1 Combine either by autolyse , stand mixer, or hand knead Day 2 Ball into three equal parts ~300g/ea Day 3-4 Hand stretch being careful to not push the cornicione much, bake at 1,000°F (dome), 800°F (floor) for 90-120sec in a Blackstone oven (yes it is possible in this oven) This is what I've been able to achieve thus far, the pizza on the left is close but I ended up with 3 big burnt areas out of the frame that were undesirable: This is what I'd like to achieve: Images from pizza_jew and fortina pizza <Q> I would guess the secret is having your dough be irregularly textured. <S> You might be able to achieve this by deliberately texturing your dough, but I expect the original reason was gas bubbles trapped just under the surface of the dough, which blistered and burned quickly due to thinness of the dough and heating faster than the rest of the crust. <S> So how to get this blistering? <S> you would need very well developed gluten, to hold thin, fragile bubbles right on the surface. <S> You would need very gentle handling for the crust - resting and raising again <S> might let your dough puff up again from rougher handling, but it would probably tend to be smaller bubbles and even puffing, not great surface ones. <S> And you would need very active yeast, to raise great bubbles on the surface. <S> How exactly you get these factors will depend on your recipe and your tolerance. <S> Kneading your dough better for good gluten development might help it trap the gas bubbles, even right on the surface. <S> You could try long, cold rises for your dough, which should develop gluten and yeast activity better than shorter, warm rises. <S> You might handle your dough very carefully around the edges, using your hands to stretch rather than a rolling pin or similar, to keep as much air trapped in the crust as possible. <S> You might just cheat, and pinch up knobs, slice flaps, or inject air into bubbles (with a syringe, maybe, <S> I know they're available for injecting marinades) to artificially texture the surface of your crust with thinner or upraised areas that will brown and blacken quickly - which will get your your dark spots with probably less effort than reworking your dough texture, but may not get as much of the texture or taste you're looking for, that happens to go with your spots. <S> It's all up to you. <A> By far the biggest factor is heat. <S> Even VPN 905F temperatures do not produce leopard spots/blistering consistently. <S> I love the leopard-look(!) <S> but it is not essential for perfect crust. <S> Attractive blistering mostly comes from high radiant dome heat. <S> You can tell a lot from time. <S> 90 second pies are all over the place in terms of leopard spots, but 60 second and shorter pies usually have good blistering. <S> I'd get your blackstone as hot as possible <S> , then, after bottom is done, "dome" the pie with the peel to cook/char the top a bit more; rotating if necessary. <S> The irregularities that get charred take care of themselves--I wouldn't worry at all about trying to directly create them. <A> Its the fermentation that matters. <S> Try cold fermenting in the fridge for 3-5 days. <S> That will do the trick. <S> Google that if you don't know how to do it exactly. <A> Your pizzas looks fine. <S> I would not worry about it if the taste and texture of the pizza cornicione is nice. <S> I'd suggest the leopard spots are from the bubbles near the surface of the pizza dough. <S> The leaparding you want to achieve are larger air bubbles on the cornicione <S> Suggest that it is related to the rise during the cooking process, possible related to the heat from your pizza oven or amount of salt in the recipe. <S> Probably half the amount of salt and adjust the fermentation time accordingly. <S> If this doesn't achieve the desired result, try borrowing a friend's Uuni 3 or Roccbox and seeing if gets the desired result. <A> Ill comment, even if it's an old topic. <S> I find that an extensible long fermented dough (not too much elasticity, so not too much kneading), on the verge of overproofing, will facilitate the creation of little bubbles during oven spring - and I read somewhere, the burning of dead yeast cells- and thus will translate to leoparding, even in a home oven (with a good setup aka broil method + thick stone).
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You might make your dough from a preferment or a series of them, so the yeasts have time to develop better and will be more active, or you might use more yeast in general to make the dough rise more quickly to form bigger, irregular bubbles instead of small even ones. The spots have to be cooking, and scorching, before the rest of the crust is even browning.
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Fudge as a cake layer? I have seen countless recipes for cakes that involve a fudge frosting, a soft, gooey layer of fudge that goes between layers of sponge. I have yet to find any cake/sweet recipes where traditional fudge, the type you make or buy in blocks, is used as a layer in a cake. Why is this not done? Does anyone know any recipes? <Q> Fudge icing is actually not made with fudge believe it or not, often it's a chocolate buttercream but there are other recipes. <S> There are a few problems I can see with using traditional cooked fudge as a cake layer: <S> It is not the right texture for a cake: <S> Imagine you're eating nice fluffy cake <S> and then you run into hard, gummy fudge which welds your mouth <S> shut Fudge would be very hard to work with. <S> You cannot spread it, you'd have to roll it out which would be messy Traditional fudge would not keep the layers together. <S> Part of the role of the filling is to stick one cake layer to another so that they stay put, and pieces stay together when cut and put on a plate. <S> A cake with a hard fudge filling would would be hard to decorate as any sideways pressure on the top cake layer would make it slide, and when cut it would fall apart. <A> However, many Death by Chocolate Cake recipes do use hot fudge sauce between the layers and/or include a fudge brownie layer. <S> If you really want to do this, go for it. <S> What's the worst that will happen? <S> You have too much chocolate??? <A> This is certainly doable. <S> But you will have to make the fudge yourself, so you can adjust it to be softer, and maybe even fluffy. <S> Otherwise, the layer would have to be rather thin, so the point where you could just replace it with some caramel sauce or something and get a better result. <S> Maybe if you heat the commercial fudge, and mix in something to thin it… I can’t guarantee that it will stay solid though. <S> Also it might brown and stop tasting like you want it. <S> Anyway, to meta this: <S> It’s basically pure sugar and oil. <S> One of the cheapest, most low-quality things one can use. <S> Why not pick something of higher quality instead and make a great cake? <S> (I find Americans limit themselves to very very few types of ingredients and techniques when making cakes. <S> They’re all nearly the same cake and just look different. <S> Which is why cakes in the US usually are very boring.)
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I have to agree with the other answers and comments that traditional fudge could be awkward as a layer in a cake.
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How can I grind sesame seeds in my coffee grinder better? When I grind sesame alone or with flax seeds, I can see that many of the sesame seeds are not ground. When I grind several things together including sesame, flax seeds and mixed nuts, like walnuts, almonds, and cashews, the powder becomes more stuck together, and I can't see unground sesames. Does the second way indeed grind sesame seeds finer or are the unground sesame seeds hidden in the powder? My coffee grinder is KRUPS F203 Electric Spice and Coffee Grinder with Stainless Steel Blades, 3-Ounce, Black : <Q> Grind the sesame seeds separately using a pestle and mortar (if the seeds really have to be ground). <S> - I think it's just the size that helps them not be hit by the grinder blades so effectively. <S> So, pestle them down and add to the mix afterwards. <A> The reason your mix is becoming sticky when you mix nuts with your sesame is that you are making the nuts into a butter before your grinder can reach the small seeds. <S> You should try grinding the sesame by itself, however try and pack the grinder as much as allowed. <S> That way you'll allow the blade to always be working on something. <S> Also make sure to scrape the sides and mix a couple of times in the process. <S> Hope this helps :) <A> I did that recently by first slowly roasting the sesame seeds in a frying pan over low heat. <S> When the roasting is done, you let the seeds cool down. <S> Then you grind. <S> It works well.
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Grinding sesame seeds manually isn't as hard as grinding the other nuts/seeds that you're mentioning
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How can I thicken heavy cream without changing the flavor? I am trying to make a thickened heavy cream that would be the same texture as "Creme Fraiche", but have not yet come to a desirable solution. As you guys know Creme Fraiche has a tangy taste similar to Sour Cream which is not what I am looking for. Please advise how I can make thickened heavy cream (not whipped cream) either with any available cultures in the market or individual experiences. Thanks everyone. <Q> There are several ways to thicken without turning it into whipped cream or imparting other flavors: <S> Boil until reduced to desired thickness (whisk constantly, do not burn which will cause the flavor to change) <S> Add and incorporate gelatin Add and incorporate corn starch or flour <S> Your desired thickness will dictate how long you boil or how much you incorporate. <A> I was thinking about that yesterday. <S> You could mix the cream with a little bit of Mascarpone or any other "Fresh" cheese (like Faisselle) <A> There are a couple of different techniques. <S> Alton Brown uses a coffee filter to remove some of the water from the cream in his recipe . <S> I haven't tried it, but I think it would preserve the flavor of the cream better than recipes that involve cooking. <S> A more traditional approach is to bake milk or cream until it thickens. <S> See examples here and here .
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You could try making clotted cream.
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What type of Paprika If a recipe calls for "paprika", what type should I use? Does it mean Hungarian, Spanish, California? Also, what type, Hot, Bittersweet, Sweet? <Q> If the recipe is just asking for "Paprika", they want generic paprika labeled as such. <S> Like this: According to the McCormick website , this is "sweet" paprika. <S> The dried, ground pods of Capsicum annuum L., a sweet red pepper. <S> Similarly, the Spice Islands site calls it sweet <S> Vividly red in color, paprika is made from ground Capsicum chili peppers. <S> Although, it doesn’t pack the punch you’d expect from a chili. <S> Instead, it has a sweet flavor and a delicate aroma that can vary from fruity to sharp. <S> You certainly do not want "smoked". <S> Both of these companies sell this specifically. <A> In the US, generic paprika is probably closest to bittersweet - not sweet and definitely not hot, just a middle of the road not-too-assertive variety. <S> Recipes aren't likely to be too picky about the exact type, so in the end, you can get away with whatever you personally like. <A> It depends. <S> There are six different types . <S> Hot, Hungarian, Plain, Smoked, Spanish, Sweet. <S> Paprika releases its flavor with heat but burns easily. <S> So mix it in with liquid, and make sure it gets hot. <S> Sprinkled onto a cold dish (like deviled eggs), it remains quite bland. <S> Add it to browned hamburger meat, and you're halfway to taco heaven. <A> There are two usages of paprika, colour, and taste. <S> If you just want colour, use a sweet one, even a cheap one, it will have no taste but gives a nice colour. <S> However, if you want a real taste, use real Hungarian paprika, there is a serious difference. <S> The Hungarian paprika comes in different flavor as well qualities depending on its origin in Hungary. <S> Here is an excerpt from wikipedia: <S> Noble sweet (Édesnemes) – <S> slightly pungent (the most commonly exported paprika; bright red) Special quality (különleges) – the mildest (very sweet with a deep bright red color) Delicate (csípősmentes csemege) – a mild paprika with a rich flavor (color from light to dark red) Exquisite delicate (csemegepaprika) – similar to delicate, but more pungent Pungent exquisite delicate (csípős csemege, pikáns) – <S> an even more pungent version of delicate Rose (rózsa) – with a strong aroma and mild pungency (pale red in color) <S> Half-sweet (félédes) – a blend of mild and pungent paprikas; medium pungency Strong (erős) – the hottest paprika (light brown in color) <S> The most common are Szeged and Kalocsa. <S> Do not even try to make Gulyasleves without a true and quality hungarian paprika it won't have any tastes at all. <S> Oh, and never make burn your paprika by throwing it directly on fire, it will become bitter.
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When a recipe tells about Paprika, it generally means, "whatever" paprika you want. The recipe you are following and your intended outcome will drive the decision on which to choose.
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Sous vide a whole chicken : temp/time? I have a butterflied chicken in the fridge that is marinating in a mojo mix. I have read many times to SV it at 148f.But what about time? I would like the bird to be uniformly cooked and the meat to be juicy but not stringy. What do you think would work best? <Q> This is a very crude estimate: <S> If you have a 1kg chicken cooked straight out of the fridge at 2C to 65C, and assume that the chicken has thermal properties of water (near enough given that it is 70% water give or take), you need roughly 265kJ. Heat transfer is limited by surface area and thickness of the chicken. <S> If we approximate the chicken as a cylinder with say 150cm length and 10cm diameter, with a total surface area of 628 sq-cm, the average heat transfer rate for the temperature range is around 24W. <S> So, it would take 11,141 seconds (or 186 min or just over 3 hours) to move 265kJ from the water into the chicken to bring it up to 65C. <S> If the chicken were fully immersed in water without a bag, heat transfer would be much quicker since the cavity will also be filled with hot water and the path length is roughly 1/4 of the bagged chicken. <S> So, expect cooking time to roughly fall by 3/4. <S> thermal properties assumed: Cp 4.2 J/g/K, conductivity 0.6 J/s/m <S> /K <A> Given your situation, and your question ("What would work best?"), I would use the grill or the oven. <S> Sous vide is not the correct tool for this job. <S> Cooking a whole chicken sous vide will basically result in a poached chicken. <S> You are probably going to need about 4 hours. <S> I would also go with a higher temp, dark meat at 148F (64.4C) will be safe, but will probably feel under cooked. <S> 150 - 155F (65.5 - 68.3C) would give you a better result. <S> If that is the result you want, sous vide will get you there. <S> However, given the description you provided the oven or grill will be much faster, and likely result in a more desirable outcome. <A> @Choubix himself might have found the answer. <S> Sous vide the white and dark meat at different temperatures to get the " juicy and non stringy breasts. <S> Tender dark meat." that he asked for. <S> That was how I found out too.
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Sous vide chicken can work well, but white meat and dark meat are generally preferred when they are cooked at significantly different temperatures.
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Irish Coffee harder to get right than Baileys Coffee? On a cold winter's day I was in a Irish-themed pub/restaurant and ordered an Irish Coffee . Some time later (could have been half an hour or longer), the waitress comes with all the stuff other people at the table ordered but she was terribly sorry to tell me that me that the person possessing the abilities to create this particular mix drink was currently not here and she asked whether I wouldn't want a different hot drink instead. Now, from my recollection the only other hot (alcoholic) drink on the menu would have been Baileys Coffee and I thought that surely the same would apply here and I opted for something cold instead, she asked me then explicitly whether I wouldn't want another hot drink but I reiterated my new choice. Now in hindsight I can't stop thinking about whether I was right in my assumption that if Irish Coffee was not possible Baileys Coffee wouldn't be either. That's assuming it's the same only with Baileys instead of good whiskey (which would explain why latter was also cheaper). The thoughts even made me read up a bit on creating either drink and indeed in Irish Coffee recipes in particular it was often mentioned that getting the cream to float can be a tad tricky but I didn't get any clear answer. So therefore I'm asking here: Is Irish Coffee significantly harder to get right compared to Baileys Coffee? <Q> Some preparations for Irish coffee demand that the whiskey and sugar be caramelized together by heating them in a heat-proof glass over a burner and then topped with hot coffee and thick liquid cream. <S> It takes some experience to get this heating step right. <S> (Youtube video here ) Baileys coffee is simply coffee with added Baileys liquour (cream optional), like many other [coffee and alcohol] combinations. <S> Of course there are lots of other sources where "Irish coffee" is simply whiskey + sugar + coffee + <S> (even whipped) cream, probably the "original" preparation served to warm up travellers, <S> so without knowing what standards your pub/restaurant follows, it's nearly impossible to say whether you could have ordered Baileys coffee. <A> A "Bailey's Coffee" was likely simply a cup of coffee with Bailey's added, and maybe a dollop of cream on top. <S> Anyone with legal ability to make and serve a drink would be able to get you that. <S> An Irish coffee in it's truest form would be perhaps more work but is not really a different drink. <S> Instead of using a pre-mixed whiskey liquor, you basically make it yourself by adding sugar and Irish whiskey to the coffee and adding a dollop of cream on top to drink the coffee through. <S> Perhaps they didn't have anyone working that morning who would be able to mix alcoholic beverages legally (often you need a license to do so). <S> If this were the case, Bailey's coffee would also be off limits. <S> However, Bailey's coffee is a bit less work so perhaps they did have someone who could make it for you that day. <S> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irish_coffee <S> http://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-make-irish-coffee-167678 http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/irish-coffee/ <A> wow, what a question. <S> Firstly, perhaps step away from the Bailey's idea, there are many type of coffee out there with 'add-ons', think of Cointreau for example. <S> However, many of these other liqueurs are not cream based. <S> Does that mean that the cream in Bailey's makes a difference... <S> I do not think so. <S> As stated above and copied from the usual website references on this site - there are a plethora of recipes out there. <S> So, to your question: 'Is Irish Coffee significantly harder to get right compared to Baileys Coffee?'. <S> No, whether you infuse your coffee with per-caremalized sugar, white, brown or any other type of sugar, use the back of spoon method, squirty cream or properly whipped cream <S> you should be able to get the result that you are looking for. <S> It really isn't rocket science, however, and here is the caveat, when trying all the methods and recipes mentioned - <S> I should be present - for health and safety reasons of course!
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Again with Irish coffee, anyone with legal ability to make and serve a drink would be able to get you that.
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What is queso (the sauce/dip)? Is it short for Chile con Queso? Queso is the Spanish word for cheese but (in the US) it is often used to refer to a cheese-based dip or sauce for tortilla chips. When I google "what is queso?", Google says "short for chile con queso". Looking it up on Wikipedia leads to a disambiguation page where the page for Chile con Queso looks like the relevant result. That page says chile con queso is "sometimes described simply as queso". However I'm also finding a lot of people who think that it is just a cheese sauce that doesn't have anything to do with chile. So is queso short for chile con queso or are they distinct dishes? <Q> Google is correct, in that it can be a shortening of 'chile con queso' (most typically in the US to non-spanish speakers). <S> But 'chile' is not the same as 'chili'. <S> 'Chile' refers to peppers, so the dip is 'peppers with cheese'. <S> 'Chili' is either an alternate spelling for the peppers, but more commonly in the US, it's a dish made from meat, tomatoes and chile peppers (chili con carne, literally 'peppers with meat') <S> And as Cindy pointed out , 'queso' may simply mean cheese and not a cheese dip. <S> (typically of a central or south american variety of cheese; in the US typically queso blanco, queso seca or queso fresca). <S> As best I can tell in the US, this is the more likely meaning when used by Spanish speakers. <S> update : and to make things even more confusing from an entomology standpoint: it's quite possible that 'chile con queso' led to 'queso dip' and shortly after lost its 'chile' ... <S> and it's actually 'queso dip' that's been shortened to 'queso' by Americans. <A> Translated to English, queso means cheese. <S> There are many kinds of Mexican cheeses and most are widely available. <S> Some where along the way, it became a 'thing' to simply call it queso. <S> From Bon appétit <S> : <S> Get your mind out of the bowl of gooey Tex-Mex dip. <S> When we say queso, we’re talking the many varieties of fresh white Mexican cheeses, which are distinctly salty and springy. <S> They tend to taste more of milk than butter or cream, and range from melty to crumbly—you can even grill some of them. <S> To go deep on Mexican cheese, you don't need to shell out at the fancy dairy counter. <S> Seek out these inexpensive favorites (and their rad retro packaging) at your local Latin grocery. <S> A few popular types of Mexican cheeses are queso fresco, queso blanco, queso chihuahua, cotija, and asadero. <A> It depends on the region and the context. <S> If my wife sends me to store for hamburger <S> I know she means packaged ground beef. <S> At a restaurant if I order hamburger I will get a cooked patty with a bun. <S> Queso is the Spanish word for cheese. <S> At the grocery store I would (typically) buy the cheese. <S> At a bar if I order queso I will get chile con queso. <S> Chile con queso is a dish often shortened to queso. <S> I think most people would consider the dish queso to have chilies but it is going to depend on the person. <S> Some people don't serve beans with chili.
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The popular cheese dip, chile con queso, is melted cheese with chile peppers.
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My chicken soup always ends up with bones I'm an avid crock pot-ter. My favorite recipe by far is my dad's famous chicken soup. It calls for bone-in chicken. I usually use drumsticks because that is what my dad uses, but I ALWAYS end up with a ton of little pieces of bone in my soup and it makes this amazing soup kind of disgusting. I'm wondering if I'm doing it wrong? I always get out the big bone, but those little ones are hard to find once the soup is made and everything is just falling off the bone. Is there a better cut of chicken that I can use to minimize the bones I have to fish out of it? I've tried it with boneless chicken and it isn't near as good. <Q> I generally make chicken soup in two phases. <S> Phase 1 is chicken stock, simmering (roasted) bones with aromatics for a long time (often, overnight), followed by straining. <S> Phase 2 is chicken soup, combining the strained stock with chicken meat, vegetables, and other ingredients. <S> Because the stock is strained, it has no bones, big or small. <S> There can be vegetables in the stock as well, which will be cooked until they are mushy, giving up their flavor but no longer something you want to eat; they are also strained out. <S> The bones and the meat don't have to come from the same bird. <S> You can take bones leftover from a roast chicken or other meal, and make stock out of that. <S> You can even save the bones in the freezer, accumulating them from a number of projects, then make one big batch of stock. <S> Freezing the stock means you'll have it on hand any time. <S> Then you could make chicken soup by buying drumsticks (or whatever part you like), and removing the meat. <S> That will turn into soup fairly quickly: it will take just half an hour or so to cook vegetables to the right point, and just a few minutes to incorporate the meat. <S> The bones you removed can go into the freezer, and the process continues. <A> Welcome! <S> I would suggest using bone-in chicken thighs. <S> You would still have the dark meat and the flavor is pretty much the same as drumsticks. <S> Additionally, the thighs do not have the additional small bone that can separate and they usually have have less gristle or cartilage at the ends of the bone. <S> And none of the nasty tendons that you sometimes see in the larger drums. <S> Note that if you decide to try thighs, buy them without the back portion or remove the back portion. <S> The back bones can be worse than anything you get from drumsticks. <A> BOIL IN CHEESECLOTH, works great <S> and I still strain liquid into cheesecloth AGAIN JUST to MAKE SURE there aren't bones or anything. <S> Also REMEMBER to pick meat BEFORE BOILING for Stock. <S> Or the meat has no flavor. <S> Add meat AFTER the first round after carcass is taken out and remake with new meat and fresh veggies.....YUMMMMM <A> Here's the thing - you want the bones and chicken parts when making the soup because it adds so much flavor. <S> However, I generally don't use the keep the meat from that process for my soups, because all the flavor from the meat has been extracted into the liquid. <S> That makes things much easier. <S> You can avoid the pieces you don't want by: <S> Straining everything through a mesh strainer or through a collander lined with cheesecloth. <S> This also allows you to squeeze a bit more liquid from the vegetables/carcass melange. <S> Wrap the meat parts in cheesecloth <S> (spread out the cheesecloth, put it in, wrap the cloth around and tie a knot in the end of it) or a muslin cloth bag before putting it into the pot. <S> This allows you to remove it all at once. <S> Bay leaves, parsley and any other things just for flavoring the stock, to be picked out and discarded later (or, if they aren't currently included, they can be flavor-adding enhancements now that you have an easy way to remove them when it's done), can all go in there. <S> Then, when you've taken it out, have some cut up leftover chicken meat ready to go back in. <S> The meat will have more flavor than the stuff used to make the stock, and you'll have a more flavorful end result. <S> This might run contrary to the whole point of using a crockpot (simplicity and less steps for preparation), which I normally don't do for soups. <S> Another option - Do some knifework before adding the chicken - cut away most of the meat, chop it up, throw it into the crockpot, and then wrap the bones, gristle, cartilage and skin, separately, into a cheesecloth packet as mentioned in option #2. <S> Then you don't have to bother with having a separate bunch of meat ready to add, but you can remove the stuff you don't want in one step. <A> roast the chicken first, then let it cool. <S> This will make stripping the meat off the bones easy, and if you take the time give you a great amount of meat. <S> then take the bones and boil them with an onion, a couple of carrots a stick of celery all roughly cut for 2hours or so. <S> strain off the liquid into a crockpot and add your roasted chicken, and whatever veg ,herbs and dumplings ect, cook on a low heat for another 40 to 50 mins. <S> this may seem to be a lot of bother and it is but it does give you the best stew. <A> The marrow in the bones add the flavor that boneless is missing. <S> My mom had the same problem you are having. <S> You are right about it being disgusting. <S> It kept me away from making crockpot meals for two decades. <S> The disgusting part isn't that the taste is funky...for me. <S> My disgust comes from the thought of accidentally swallowing a small bone that sticks in my throat. <S> That, and the thought of biting into gristle...had that happen once <S> and I never ate crockpot chicken soup again unless it is made with boneless chicken. <S> First, I would ask your dad what he does to eliminate the small bones. <S> I suspect he is cutting those pieces out so they are not a problem. <S> Or, maybe he cooks them into the broth(I've heard that this can be done, but since I use boneless, I don't know for sure).
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If you're using very meaty bones, or even whole birds, you can salvage the meat by picking it off the bones, and adding it to your soup (though most of the flavor will be cooked out of it.)
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How much do egg yolks and whites weigh, in grams? I have an Italian recipe that has been translated to English. The recipe calls for 360g egg whites and 240g yolks. Can anyone tell me how much this is? <Q> The rule of thumb to divide an egg is: 60% egg-white 30% yolk <S> 10% shell <S> So it depends on the size of egg you use (note that the size definition varies between countries). <S> Example:For a 60g (middle of the weight range) <S> European M / American L egg, that's 60 <S> *0.6 <S> = 36g whites and 18g yolk. <S> -> <S> So you'd need (about) 10-11 whites and 13-14 yolks. <S> Of course, not all eggs have the exact same weight and therefore I recommend you <S> use the estimated number of necessary eggs as a guideline and weigh the whites and yolks. <A> Your best be would be to get a small kitchen scale. <S> In general https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicken_egg_sizes 1/3 Yolk 2/3 White <S> So, for a Medium egg (49.6g), if my maths do not suck this morning. <S> White = <S> 2/3 <S> * 49.6g = <S> 33 <S> g <S> Yolk = <S> 1/3 <S> * 49.6 <S> g = 16.5g <S> For 360g of white : 360g / 33g <S> = 11 medium eggs For 240g of yolk : 240g / 16.4g = 14.5 medium eggs <A> For 360g of white, that would be 12 eggs. <S> For 240g of yolks, also 12 eggs. <S> You got lucky! <S> Just seperate 12 eggs. <S> If recipe calls for the gram, try to respect that as it is important, but you could get away with just separating 12 eggs. <S> Happy baking!
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Average accepted weight for a large egg in Canada, (w.o shell) is 50g, 30g white and 20g yolk.
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How to make less salty Fermented Black Bean Stir Fry I recently tried a variant of chinese stir fry using Lee Kum Kee Black Bean Garlic Sauce. I liked the flavor, but the end result was significantly saltier than I prefer. The rough recipe I used was: 2 Tbsp black bean garlic sauce 5 dried peppers 1 Tbsp garlic 1 Tbsp ginger 5oz baked tofu Various veggies 1 tsp Sesame oil, drizzled after cooking It seems like maybe I need to modify the sauce by adding something. However, soy sauce seems like the wrong direction since I'm trying to get less salty. <Q> For the second option I personally have the following strategies which may or may not suit your taste: add more veggies or tofu or other watery ingredients without salt add yoghurt or any other fresh topping that contains no salt also make sure that the tofu you add is not too salty, if possible add plain tofu or as mentioned in the comment to your question you could make your own sauce, one good recipe I found was here: <S> http://www.daringgourmet.com/how-to-make-homemade-black-bean-sauce-or-black-bean-paste/ <S> It tells you how to transform fermented black (soy!) beans into a sauce and also has some interesting examples how you can use it <S> and it doesn't seem very complicated to do. <S> Of course if you are adventurous you could also try fermenting soy beans yourself, but that's another story. <A> Depending on the brand of black bean sauce, the recipe given misses a few balancing elements, which might also force you to add in more than what is called for of the black bean sauce (thus oversalting the dish). <S> A stir fry sauce tends to need a sour element (light or black vinegar, tomato paste, lime, fruit juice) and some sweet element (sugar, syrup, honey, fruit) even if it isn't a literal "sweet and sour" sauce (which adds larger amount of both these elements and balances them). <S> If you rely on the black bean sauce (which is there mainly for umami, salt and aroma, but can contain some sugar and vinegar) to fill that role, the issue described likely happens. <A> Starches are bland or neutral in flavor and can soak up quite a bit of salt without tasting over-seasoned - that's one reason adding potato is a common suggestion for over-salting a dish. <S> In this case, since the sauce is based on black beans and garlic, I would suggest unseasoned black beans, pureed, should take up a bit of the salt while keeping fairly close to the original flavor profile. <S> Or, looking at the recipe Michael Paul found, perhaps soybeans (optionally black or fermented, if available) might be a better match, flavor-wise, if you have any to hand. <S> You're essentially diluting the sauce with the bean paste, so the other flavors may also become less distinct - so you can, if you wish, include more garlic (or any other overt flavors in the sauce) for balance if the sauce's flavor becomes too diluted along the way.
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There are two ways to reduce the saltiness of the finished dish: reduce the amount of salt you put in (in this case difficult, as it is in the sauce, so you'd have to put in less sauce) or increase the amount of water that stays in the finished dish.
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How frequently should I feed my sourdough starter? I am growing my first sourdough starter. It is a week old, but it isn't very active. My concern is that I might be feeding it too frequently or too infrequently. I could see it going either way. The process I have been using is to (initially) combine 100 grams of Breadflour and 100 grams of water in a bowl and whisk with a fork, then cover with a towel. Day two (at 24 hours), I added 100 grams of each ingredient to the bowl and mixed in without removing anything. By day 3 (24 hours again), I had a slightly sour smell and noticed some bubbles. There was also a tan skin that formed over part of the starter, which I removed. I couldn't tell if it was fuzzy or not. That evening, I watched a video where a lady was talking about how you need to feed your starter every 4-12 hours and then later in the video she said every 12 - 18 hours. I was wondering if I was starving my starter. On Day 4 (12 hours later instead of 24) I divided the starter in half, fed one half, and decided to try making bread with the other half (I know it was early, but I figured I might as well try since I would otherwise be throwing it away). The bread actually turned out really well, at least it did for having a weak starter and having never made sourdough before. Anyway, I went back to the 24 hour feeding schedule because the lady who said 12 hours also said that her starter doubles in volume during the feeding. Mine never changes in volume, it just gets some bubbles. My concern is that if the yeast isn't bubbling a lot, that may mean that it isn't eating its food quickly. If it isn't eating its food quickly, then it may not be saturating the starter. So if I feed it to early, I would be diluting the starter more than I would be helping it grow. Like, you feed a well saturated starter and half that mixture is starter, the other half is food. Then you feed it again too soon and the starter (immediately prior to feeding) is only at 75%. But you feed it and now the starter makes up 32.5% of the mixture instead of 50%. then this pattern repeats until you eliminate the starter from the mixture. Am I thinking about this correctly? Instead of time, is there something else that I should be using to determine when to feed instead of time? Is there some variable I am not considering? -House is at a constant 70F-Filtered water from refrigerator starter image from top -Breadflour -Feeding once daily (24 hour intervals)-covering container with some type of cloth or towel <Q> My first impression is that the towel might not be porous enough to let the all-important yeast and bacteria in. <S> Try cheesecloth. <S> If that doesn't do it, here's the long version: Creating a Starter: <S> First and foremost, a week isn't necessarily enough time to get a starter going full steam ahead. <S> It can take as little as a few days or as long as a month. <S> You're relying on ambient yeast and bacteria that are floating around in the air, and the amount of yeast and bacteria available varies according to location, climate conditions, and all sorts of other environmental factors. <S> The specific species and strains of yeast and bacteria also vary from place to place, which is why San Francisco is renowned for its ssourdough - they have the best ambient yeast and bacteria strains. <S> Give it time. <S> Source <S> Maintaining a Starter: <S> Feeding Schedule: <S> As a general rule: Once your starter is healthy and active, bubbling, rising vigorously, and smelling sour, you have two options: <S> If you store the starter at room temperature, you need to feed it twice a day. <S> Don't wait for the risen starter to collapse before the next feeding, because it messes with the ph levels and can make the yeast and bacteria less active. <S> Every 12 hours, feed it. <S> If you store the starter in the fridge, you can go up to a week between feedings. <S> The cold won't kill the yeast and bacteria, it just slows them down. <S> Just make sure the starter doesn't get shoved into a super cold spot and freeze. <S> The feeding process: <S> Stir the starter, remove all but 4 ounces of it <S> (you can either discard the rest or use it to bake something). <S> To the remaining 4 ounces, add 4 ounces flour and 4 ounces of purified or bottled water (chlorine in tap water is bad for the yeast and bacteria, and most filters remove chlorine taste , but not all the chlorine). <S> Room temperature starter gets room temperature water; refrigerated starter gets lukewarm water. <S> Stir until no dry flour remains. <S> Cover with a non-airtight lid. <S> Refrigerated starters need to stay at room temperature for several hours after feeding so the yeast and bacteria have a chance to wake up and eat. <S> Source <A> I made my starter about a decade ago, so I don't recall the details with absolute clarity. <S> I went with 50 grams water/flour <S> so there was less waste and tossed half the starter just before feeding. <S> It certainly was not ready for bread making at one week. <S> It was barely ready for making bread at two weeks. <S> It takes time for the wee beasties to take hold. <S> Patience is needed on your part. <S> After a month or so, my starter would double in a few hours after feeding. <S> After perhaps a few months, maybe six, it would triple or quadruple in a few hours. <S> It takes time for a new starter to establish itself. <A> If your starter has any activity at all, you want to figure out exactly when it's MOST active and feed it just then. <S> You're looking at a population expansion, so if you feed it at peak activity before it gets a chance to start declining (dying off from lack of food) <S> you'll get it thriving in not time. <S> As someone else mentioned, your starter looks pretty wet, be sure you're feeding it 50% water 50% flour by weight, not volume. <S> Good luck! <A> I think every 24 hours is too long between feedings if it is a new starter. <S> I have started several and fed them every 12 hours, and before a week was up <S> it would triple aqnd quadruple nicely. <S> One source I read said a wet towel over the top held on with a rubber band will help keep bugs and flies out of it, but you have to spray the towel regularly with water to keep it from drying out. <S> I have better luck just sitting a saucer on top of it.
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If I recall correctly, I fed the starter every 12 hours for the first week, then every 24 hours for the next week.
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If I want my garlic to taste in a very specific way (with bite or without bite) what should I do? I don't always want my garlic to taste the same way. Sometimes I want only the deep umami flavor without the bite (so I let it cook more) and sometimes I look for a strong garlic bite presence in the dish. I know it depends on how you slice and cook it, but I would like to know the science behind it. My questions: If you want to have a strong garlic bite, how should you dice the garlic, at what temperature to fry it and for how long? Same as above, only without the bite. What "signs" (the smell, the look etc) can cue you in on what "stage" the garlic is right now (strong bite, mellow bite etc)? Are there general guidelines that you should always follow (like always saute garlic on low heat)? <Q> Simply put, the less you cook it and the finer <S> you chop it, the more bite it will have. <S> So you can alter those variables to achieve the effect you want. <S> If you want super punchy garlic, chop it finely and use it raw. <S> If you want mellow, rich garlic, cook it slowly, whole, and it will turn sweet and sticky. <S> If you want something in between, slice and saute until light golden brown. <S> Garlic burns very quickly, so a very high heat is generally a bad idea, unless you are very careful to keep the garlic moving. <S> There is a fine line between nicely toasted garlic and blackened, bitter garlic. <A> Less cooked equals more bite. <S> As far as dicing is concerned, dicing finer will release more "juice" and create more surface area to "mingle" with the other ingredients (or your tastebuds). <S> That being said, finer diced garlic will cook faster, so will require less heat(temp times time) for a given amount of bite. <S> Generally more cooking equals less bite. <S> However, if you also want to avoid burning / charring the garlic you can try microwaving it as suggested here: https://www.cooksillustrated.com/how_tos/6583-taking-the-bite-out-of-garlic Browner generally will have less bite, but a large chunk of garlic with a browned exterior may still be pretty raw on the inside ( again, see microwave suggestion in #2 ) <S> Shouldn't smoke. <S> For really mild garlic try microwaving first, or oven-roasting, as these methods limit the peak surface temperature when compared with sauteing. <A> Check out Kenji Lopez-alt's dive into the science of garlic flavor. <S> http://www.seriouseats.com/2016/03/the-food-lab-how-to-make-great-hummus.html#garlic Short answer is: <S> I knew that the hot flavors in garlic develop when the enzyme alliinase converts a mild compound called alliin into a more pungent one called allicin, and I also knew that this reaction doesn't take place until the garlic is sliced open and cells are ruptured. <S> It's for this reason that you can drastically alter the flavor of garlic just by cutting it in different ways. <S> But in my hummus, the garlic was getting fully puréed either way, so <S> what gives? <S> ...continues <S> Turns out alliinase is highly active at a neutral pH, with peak activity at a very slightly acidic pH of 6.5. <S> As you get more and more acidic, its activity drops off precipitously. <S> Lemon juice has a pH of just around 2. <S> The study's data only go down to a pH of 3, but extrapolating that graph, we can guess that at pH 2, allicin's activity is reduced to a quarter or less of its peak activity. <S> That's what keeps garlic from becoming too harsh. <S> Once enzymatic activity has stabilized, you can then incorporate that garlicky-but-not-harsh lemon juice mixture into your tahini sauce and hummus without fear.
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Garlic strength is mainly down to how much you cook the garlic, and how finely you chop it (different varieties of garlic notwithstanding).
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How to mince garlic efficiently without the garlic sticking to the sides of the knife? Whenever I mince cloves of garlic on a cutting board, it sticks to the sides of the knife making it a tedious task? Is there anyway to prevent this from happening when using a knife to mince garlic the old-fashioned way? Otherwise, I frequently have to wipe off the garlic remnants from the sides of the knife. <Q> As with franko's answer, the reason why you use salt (preferably sea salt) is that it helps to crush and mince the garlic whilst you are chopping. <S> If you are worried about too much salt in your diet, then do not use any other salt than what is used whilst mincing your garlic. <S> Like above, I don't understand why you have to discard what is on the knife <S> , I am assuming that you have peeled your clove. <S> If you are worried about cutting yourself, simply scrape the side of the knife on the edge of the board, gather it up into a little pile and carry on mincing, a bit of chop chop, then scrunch down with the sea salt. <S> As an aside to this, though this was always my preferred method in the past, I have now taken to grating garlic with the very fine part of a cheese grater. <S> This not only takes a second or two but also you don't have to peel your clove as the skin is left on the top side of the grater, whilst the grated garlic is on the underside. <A> <A> I've found that using either (a) frozen minced garlic or (b) adding a little oil to the garlic both work pretty well. <A> Why not simply get a Garlic Press and make things easy on yourself? <A> If the problem is readily minced garlic sticking to the knife, this is hard to solve (some pros seem to avoid it by using very high chopping speeds leaving no time for anything to stick). <S> To get (properly) minced garlic off the knife, a plastic(!!!) <S> scraper card is very handy. <S> If uneven mincing due to big lumps being stuck to the knife is to be avoided: Actually dicing the clove (board parallel cuts 9/10 of the length, lengthwise 9/10, then slicing) will deal with that, at the cost of wasting (or having to re-chop) an end piece. <S> Also, this can get time consuming if you need to prep a whole head worth of garlic...
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I have read that sprinkling some salt on the minced garlic as you chop helps alleviate the sticking, but you may not want extra sodium in your recipe.
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Are cockroaches a usable source of protein? Bear with me, this is an entirely serious if not necessarily particularly practical question :) In The Damage Done , perhaps the best known notionally non-fiction Thai prison story (and, apparently, soon to be a movie ), there are a lot of disgusting, gruesome and/or on occasion quite implausible stories, like elephants playing soccer using balls with prisoners inside. One of these stories involves our hapless protagonist being thrown into "the hole" (isolation) for months, with only water and spoiled rice to eat. According to the book, he survived because he was taught by Thai prisoners sharing the same fate to trap the plentiful cockroaches, feed the rice to them and then eat the cockroaches (yum yum!), which apparently also served as a source of protein. Would this actually work? More specifically, can cockroaches (or insects in general) convert a simple starch into protein, and would you get sick eating them? <Q> http://www.cnn.com/2014/08/31/travel/china-cockroach-farming-food/ <S> They should not be much different than crickets which are commonly consumed. <S> An insect which does not inherently produce a toxin should often be fairly safe depending on what they had been eating. <S> A sewer roach for instance would not be a good idea while a wood roach would likely be safe in a pinch. <S> I recall reality shows which would routinely make contestants eat giant hissing <S> roaches something that might not be pleasant but which would not hurt the contestants. <A> Cockroaches are generally edible. <S> Indeed, the ediblebugshop.com sells roasted cockroaches. <S> [I have no affiliation with the website] <S> They state: <S> See our recipes page for more ways to use your roasted cockroaches. <S> Completely safe to eat and actually taste great, they are sometimes called Land Lobsters! <S> Another example: <S> The Eat-A-Bug Cookbook has a recipe for Cockroach a la King. <S> (Chapter 6, Pantry Pests) <S> If I were a prisoner in the hole, and if it was a roach that grew up in a clean cage with controlled feedings from me, I would eat it. <S> If it were a free range (so to speak) coackroach that just wandered into my cell, I wouldn't eat it uncooked . <S> You don't know where that roach has been, what was crawled through, or what he/she has been eating. <S> In that case, I would want to safety of cooking with heat. <S> That may not be available in the hole. <A> can cockroaches (or insects in general) convert a simple starch into protein <S> No, an insect cannot convert a simple starch into protein without other food. <S> Starch <S> (C 6 H 10 O 5 ) <S> n <S> does not contain the nitrogen necessary for amino acids , which compose proteins. <S> But the insect does not have to convert starch into protein. <S> Presumably this cell is not a closed system; cockroaches can eat other things outside the cell then walk into the cell. <A> Entomophagy (eating of insects) is a well established culinary tradition in some cultures. <S> At time of answering, the relevant wikipedia article both claimed that the protein quality was comparable to soy, and showed photographs of insects/preparations commercially sold to voluntary buyers as a foodstuff in Thailand and Mexico. <A> From this page on one of my websites , here is a light hearted poke at eating insects: <S> Anyone in the mood for fried caterpillars? <S> Roasted silkworms? <S> Braised crickets? <S> You might be blanching, but according to a group of Oxford researchers, certain bugs are more nutritious than our favorite meat staples. <S> In a recent study from the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, researchers compared the nutritional profile of six commercially available insects – crickets, honey bees, silkworms, mealworms, mopane caterpillars and palm weevil larvae – to chicken, beef and pork using two different scoring systems that tracked variables like protein, fat, sodium, vitamins and minerals. <S> The result? <S> When the two scoring systems were taken together, “every single insect the researchers examined came out on top,” reports Medical Daily. <S> The researchers note that crickets, mealworms and palm weevil larvae were “significantly healthier.” <S> In other words, instead of slaving over Cricket à la King for dinner, try folding a little protein-rich cricket flour into your next batch of bread or cupcakes. <A> Insect are a high protean food. <S> But lack fat. <S> Thailand they are ate. <S> Locus also. <S> Sun dried & salted or fried. <S> Being a Islander. <S> I will go more for the scorpion myself.
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These plain roasted cockroaches make a great snack to munch on or can be added to your favourite dish.
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Does it matter which goes in the glass first when having half/half tea? I drink half/half tea. Half sweetened, half unsweetened. I think it tastes better when I put sweetened in the bottom of the glass. A friend says that's silly. It all mixes together. Is my imagination making me think it tastes better when sweet goes in first? <Q> The answer of the question has little to do with cooking, and more with knowing how human cognition <S> (= <S> how do we know that we like something) works. <S> To your brain, "X makes me think it tastes better" is the same as "it tastes better", no matter if X is the chemical composition of the drink or the knowledge that the sweetener went there first, or something entirely else. <S> It is possible that there is some objectively measurable difference in the drink. <S> It is also possible that there is no such difference. <S> Dividing them into "objectively measurable properties of the drink itself" and "anything else" is irrelevant to the outcome (your taste preferences). <S> It specifically does not mean that, if your reasons turn out to be "anything else", your liking is somehow less real, or that you are being silly. <S> So, the answer is basically tautological. <S> If for you it matters that the sweetened goes in first, then for you it matters that the sweetened goes in first. <S> And it has nothing to do with whether if matters for your friend or not, whether you could taste the difference in a blind test or not, or any other possible tests of the "reality" of your feeling of liking. <A> Pretty minor but sugar tea is more dense so pouring it on top will be a little faster mixing. <S> But just a quick stir will mix the sweetened and unsweetened tea. <S> No stir is not as fast of mixing as you might guess. <S> You might be using a different ratio when you pour sweetened first. <A> This is such a pet peeve of mine <S> so I’m loving this question! <S> No big deal if you have a tea spoon handy, <S> but If you get tea thru the drive thru a lot like I do, it’s <S> so inconvenient. <S> When sweet tea is added after the unsweetened it automatically combines, no tea spoon needed!
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In both cases, the outcome is the same - you have some reasons to like the drink sweet first better. My personal opinion: When sweet tea is added first (like they do at about every restaurant here in SC since I’ve been here 20+ years) it will just sit at the bottom of the glass (since tea sweetened with sugar is much heavier that tea with nothing added to it) and the unsweetened will not drop down.
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How to keep shallots from overpowering vinegarettes Most recipes call for minced shallot in a basic vinegarette. However, whenever I use it, the taste of shallot overpowers everything else in the dressing, leaving an aftertaste that usually lasts through to the next day. I've tried reducing the amount of shallot, but no matter how little of it I add, it always takes over. The problem is, I like the taste of shallots, and I think they taste great with greens. I just want to eat a salad that tastes of things besides shallot. So, is there a way to keep the taste of shallots in my dressing without it being the main course? <Q> I always rinsed onions and shallots, to remove the compounds released when slicing through the cell walls. <S> Since reading the following article in Cook's Illustrated March 2011 edition, I prefer its baking soda method. <S> Toning Down Raw Onion <S> ’s Bite <S> We’ve often heard the claim that soaking sliced or chopped raw onions in liquid can mellow their harsh taste by drawing out the pungent sulfur compounds known as thiosulfinates that are produced when the onion is cut. <S> But what kind of liquid and how long of a soak? <S> We tested three of the most commonly recommended liquids—water, milk, and vinegar—by soaking the cut onions in each for 5 and 15 minutes. <S> We found that 15 minutes was necessary for any of the treatments to be effective. <S> The vinegar soak did rid the onions of much of their burn, but it was replaced by an equally strong sour taste, even after thorough rinsing. <S> Milk was also very effective at removing the sulfur compounds, but it left the onions tasting washed-out. <S> The best method—better than even plain water—was our own: a baking-soda solution (1 tablespoon per cup of water). <S> Unlike the other methods, which merely do their best to leach away the offending sulfur compounds, the alkaline baking soda neutralizes sulfenic acid, the immediate precursor to the harsh-tasting thiosulfinates, and prevents them from forming in the first place. <S> Just be sure to rinse the onions thoroughly before using to remove any soapy baking-soda taste. <A> There should definitely be an amount small enough to suit you. <S> The tricky bit is that if you don't get it evenly distributed, you'll still have bites where you get a piece of shallot <S> and it's too much. <S> A couple ideas to fix that: <S> puree your shallots, so you can thoroughly mix in a small amount that suits your tastes <S> You can definitely also temper the flavor as Dorothy suggests, but if it's the general flavor (not just the harsh notes) that's giving you issues, all that'll do is increase the size of the small amount that suits you. <A> Sounds to me like bad shallots. <S> If shallots taste anywhere near as pungent as onions, then they're of low quality and shouldn't be used (at least not in anything raw or delicate). <S> Always taste shallots before use. <S> You may also be particularly sensitive to some of the shallot's flavors. <S> There's nothing wrong with using less in your vinaigrette. <S> It's there not just for flavor, but for its emulsifying compounds. <S> All members of the allium family have these; you can use garlic or scallions or chives and all will help make an emulsion. <S> They all work in very small quantities. <S> The other suggestion is that maybe you don't like shallots at all. <S> You can use something else. <S> If not a different allium, then there's mustard (the most traditional), egg yolk (the Caesar's solution), or tomato paste. <S> I've used mango chutney (it's got cooked onion and who-knows-what-else). <S> Re: the Cook's Illustrated solution, I'd be very wary. <S> I've never heard of a chef doing this, even at the most cutting edge restaurants. <S> It seems like a solution in search of a problem. <S> I've found the palates of this magazine's testers to be extremely unreliable over the years. <S> Caveat emptor.
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let the dressing rest for a day or two before using, so the flavors meld better simmer or heat the dressing, if the other ingredients can take it, to speed along the melding If you get that taken care of, you should be able to then reduce the amount and find what you want.
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Groceries left out on the counter I accidentally left my groceries out on the counter for an hour. Some frozen fish and frozen fruits and vegetables. Are they still good? Especially the fish? <Q> It's all still safe, given that it was only an hour. <S> Even very perishable food like fish and meat is safe for 2-4 hours in the danger zone (above 40F/5C), so even if it had fully thawed it'd be okay. <S> If it was all still clearly frozen on the surface, you have absolutely nothing to worry about. <S> If some of it was thawed on the surface, it's still okay, but note that the time limit in the danger zone is cumulative. <S> So in that case, when you do use it, I'd be sure to avoid letting it sit out thawed before cooking, or after cooking. <S> But it would all still be fine. <S> All you really have to worry about here is quality. <S> If things thawed significantly, and then you refreeze them, the texture will suffer. <S> Things are likely to get mushier, especially vegetables. <S> So if anything seems to have thawed, I'd try to use it immediately instead of refreezing. <A> If every thing is still cold you should be ok. <S> If it is completely thawed I would eat it with in a couple of days. <A> you don't say how frozen/defrosted the fish is. <S> Here is a guide to shelf life which could help. <S> Your fruits will, if defrosted and then re-frozen be a bit more mushy and possibly watery when defrosted again. <S> Your fish however is another matter, <S> if it has de-frosted <S> do not re-freeze. <S> Here is a statement from the above site. ' <S> Finally, if you thawed the fish fillets on the counter or in hot water, you shouldn’t eat them at all. <S> The USDA cautions that it’s dangerous to eat any fish that’s been thawed under those two methods, as the outer layer of the food would have been allowed to sit between the bacteria-breeding temperatures of 40° F and 140° F for far too long to be safe.' <S> Also 'Refreezing is not an option, though, if the fish wasn’t thawed in the refrigerator to begin with.'. <A> During an ice storm, in 2009, we had no electricity for 2 weeks. <S> A friend made it to my house to run a generator for me, to keep my frozen foods from going bad, and I wondered if it was all OK. <S> I was told by the local farm bureau and food safety people that if it is still COLD, but thawed, it can be refrozen. <S> Look closely for any ice still left- any signs of still being partially frozen. <S> As said above, texture may be not prime, but it is food safety to be concerned about. <S> If not still very cold, cook immediately, or throw away. <S> Any foods such as fish or meats should then be cooked well done, to add another measure of safety. <S> I cooked some of my frozen foods in my wood furnace, threw a little away, but most made it.
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If the fish is still a little frozen you can go ahead and put it in the freezer. They'll still be safe, just not as good.
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What size bowl for bread I have a bread recipe for 1 loaf of bread I want to try. Does it matter what size of bowl I use to let it rise in? I normally bake 2 loafs. Can I use the same bowl? I have a friend that told me it is to big and my bread wont rise correctly. I love her to death, but she really doesn't know everything like she thinks she does. I'm still new at bread making. <Q> Margalo is missing a detail in their otherwise good answer: <S> For the first rise you just want to make sure the bowl is large enough, so at least double the volume of your unrisen dough. <S> For very large and wide bowls, you just have to take extra care that the dough won't dry out. <S> But the final rise <S> may need the right size of container: A shaped loaf behaves differently depending on recipe and shaping. <S> Soft doughs will be put to rise in the baking tin (matching the loaf size), very stable ones simply put on a floured board or on the counter. <S> But there is a middle-ground where the loaf has a tendency to "flow outwards" or to flatten, no matter how carefully you shape it or how much tension you create. <S> For those loaves, a proofing basket ("banneton") is used to keep the dough contained - or a bowl, if the baker doesn't have any special equipment at hand. <S> This bowl should be both large enough that the bread won't overflow, yet small enough that the dough is kept together and can't flatten. <S> Using a too-large bowl here nixes the purpose. <A> The shape of the container can also be helpful (or make more difficult) <S> the evaluation of "how much did that rise" - if you are looking for "doubled" it's much easier to see that in a fairly straight-sided container, where "twice as high as when you put it" in means it's doubled. <S> Indeed, clear plastic graduated containers are great for this, as you can note the volume when you start the rise and know "exactly" when the rise is "double" - this may be helpful for a new or nervous baker. <S> In a wide bowl, it is much harder to accurately asses what is "double the volume" as it's certainly not "double the height/depth." <S> As an old warhorse baker, I don't worry about it much, as I have a pretty good idea what I'm looking for in risen dough, and "precisely" doubled <S> does not matter anyway, in my opinion. <A> Yes. <S> The only concern is if the bowl is too small, causing the dough to overflow. <S> If the bowl works for 2 loaves, it will definitely work for 1.
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Many bread recipes use two rises, one after mixing ("bulk rise"), one after shaping and before the bread goes into the oven.
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Why are chickpeas sprouted before grinding them into flour? I am about to make (or at least try to) my own chickpea flour. Having had a good look around, my understanding is that I need to sprout my chickpeas first. My question(s) therefore: Why do I have to sprout my chickpeas? Do I have to sprout my chickpeas? What happens if I don't sprout them? And lastly any other help... <Q> What a great idea! <S> I bought my chickpea flour (called channa flour) from the Indian ( Punjabi) section in a grocery store which 'm pretty certain isn't sprouted. <S> Any problem with gas will be reduced by sprouting. <S> Sprouting converts indigestible oligosaccharides (complex sugars) to simpler sugars easily digested. <S> It's bacteria in our gut metabolizing these oligosaccharides that gives us flatulence. <S> I couldn't find verified data on how much these oligosaccharides are reduced <S> but I found a number of references saying beyond 48 hours, the difference isn't significant. <S> Chickpea prouts start becoming bitter after that. <S> You'll not just get decreased gas formation but a significant increase in protein and protein bioavailability (i.e. how well you digest it). <S> Bonus all around! <S> (So guess who's going to buy some chickpeas and try making sprouted chickpea flour too?) <S> I already knew all that about sprouted seeds and grains but never thought of using sprouted legumes as flour before. <S> I plan on trying soy beans too now. <A> You don't need to sprout your chickpeas, but there are benefits when you do, as sprouting substantially increases nutritional value. <S> By allowing the legume (or seed or grain) to germinate, the phytic acid within it is neutralized, as are enzyme inhibitors. <S> The Nourishing Gourmet Kimi Harris describes : Phytic acid binds with calcium, magnesium, iron, copper, and zinc, making it hard to impossible for you to absorb those nutrients. <S> It’s also irritating to your digestive system. <S> By sprouting your grains, legumes or seeds, you are neutralizing phytic acid very effectively. <S> You will also be neutralizing enzyme inhibitors, which unfortunately not only inhibit enzymes in the actual seed, but can also inhibit your own valuable enzymes once they have been eaten. <S> In Nourishing Traditions, Sally Fallon writes that: The process of germination not only produces vitamin C, but also changes the composition of grains and seeds in numerous beneficial ways. <S> Sprouting increases vitamin B content, especially B2, B5, and B6. <S> Carotene increases dramatically-sometimes even eightfold. <S> Sprout People offers comprehensive nutrition information and a chart listing the proteins, vitamins, amino acids, and minerals. <S> As a side note, while chickpeas are gluten free, sprouting grains that do contain it breaks down the gluten, a benefit to those with gluten intolerance. <A> Legumes in their raw form contain different kinds of toxins (trypsin inhibitor, goiterogenic factors, cyanogenetic glucosides, saponins and alkaloids). <S> Those toxins can be broken down when the legumes are soaked/sprouted. <S> Soaking them release enzymes that hydrolyze nutrients and other compounds that are essential for the soon-to-sprout plant. <S> Source: http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/11/4/281.abstract
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Beyond even anti-nutrients that are neutralized by sprouting, there are other changes that take place during sprouting that make it easier for us to digest our seeds/legumes/grains.
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Technique for peeling boiled potatoes This recipe calls for boiling Yukon gold potatoes with their skins on, then peeling them. I don't really know why, I just decided to follow it. I find that I am unable to peel boiled potatoes in any reasonable amount of time because they are soft, slippery, and very hot. I have tried: Sticking a fork in one end to hold it down as I peel. Cumbersome and potatoes generally split on the fork while I'm working. Holding the potato in my hand as normal. Result: 1st degree burns, 2nd if I'm really being stubborn. Wearing a silicone oven mitt. Cumbersome and mitt gits in the way. Let them cool. But this takes a long time and also, then they're cold... So, two questions: Anybody got any tricks for this? Why boil then peel, won't I get the same results if I just peel them before I boil them like I usually do when I need cooked, skinless potatoes? <Q> Remove a potato one at a time from the hot water with tongs, placing it in cold water for shock. <S> Wearing dishwashing gloves, while under the cold water pull on the potato skin removing it. <S> Place the skinned potato in a finished container and proceed to the next potato <A> When I cook yukon gold potatoes for a somewhat similar application (minus the eggs and the fish), my family likes the skins on the potatoes, so I don't bother peeling at all, but when it comes time to cut the (still hot) potatoes into chunks, I find the skins don't cut very well. <S> They tend to slide off the potato chunks and clump up into annoying little wads of potato skin clogging my knife. <S> Some of the skin stays on the potatoes, especially the pieces I cut just after cleaning the peeling-fragments off my knife. <S> Result is, in my finished dish, there are many peeled and a few non-peeled potato chunks. <S> So my advice is, as long as you aren't toooo fastidious about getting absolutely all the peelings off the (yukon g.) potatoes, just use a fairly dull knife, like I do, and much of the skin will come off while you cut the 1" chunks. <A> If you must do it, there are tools for this. <S> The tool set consists of a special fork, and a special knife. <S> The fork has 3 prongs arranged circularly, not flat like a normal fork, and they are thin. <S> The potato does not split when speared on it. <S> The knife looks like a small vegetable peeling knife, slightly curved and ending in a sharp point. <S> You use the point to score the skin and pick up an edge (the blade is short enough that you can reach the point with your thumb and press the skin corner against it to lift, without having to change your grip on the knife), and then pull off as much as you can in one go. <S> Rinse and repeat. <S> It is not quick work, but not overly frustrating either. <A> If the skins are ready to come off <S> and it's just the temperature giving you trouble, you should be able to get away with lighter insulation than silicone mitts. <S> I'd try a clean cloth or towel, after letting them sit a moment so the skin isn't too wet. <S> The texture should make it grip fairly well, and it should insulate well enough for the job. <A> The purpose of boiling with the skin is to keep the moisture content down. <S> Just let them drain and air dry <S> / cool for a few minutes. <S> It does not matter if they cool as you are going to heat them in the skillet. <S> Another option for dry potato is peel, cube, and bake. <A> Ah well . :-) <S> First: boiling and then peeling will reduce the waste by quite some amount. <S> (No hard evidence here though.) <S> To properly obtain cook+peel potatoes: Cook potatoes to your liking Remove from cooking water Place all potatoes into cold water, or just rinse them thoroughly in cold water (1-2min). <S> This: will "Shock" the skin so that it will actually be easier to remove. <S> If you leave the cooked hot potatoes out in the air to cool/dry, I find them much harder to peel. <S> will cool the outside of the potatoes so you won't get burnt. <S> If after a few potatoes the remainder is so hot again <S> it hurts, just rinse again. <S> Or just leave the bunch in a bowl with cold water. <S> Notes: <S> Yes it's slippery, not not excessively so IMHO. <S> Sharp knife not really required. <S> I find a normal table knife does the job better. <S> Yes, its sticky and a bit of a mess, your hands will get "dirty", but you noticed you're cooking <S> right? <S> Using gloves feels wrong here ;-)
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As far as I can tell, boiling with skin will taste better / the potatoes will loose less starch into the water.
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What can I substitute for hot Korean chili oil in this pork noodle recipe? Our local supermarket sells fantastic pork, normally also on offer. Yesterday I bought a kilo of cubed pork (magro). Yesterday we had kebabs, today perhaps Asian. So, I've thought about making this Korean noodle dish . I have never been that good at replicating authentic Asian food, but I'm always willing to have a go. It's Sunday and the shops aren't open around here. The recipe calls for - 'Hot Korean Chili Oil', is there something 'different' about it or can I substitute it for what I have in the cupboard? <Q> You can always just make your own Korean chili oil. <S> For example, here's The Woks of Life formula for chili oil : <S> 1½ <S> cups oil (ideally a vegetable, peanut, or grapeseed oil… <S> light olive oil is fine, but it has a tendency to set in the fridge) <S> 5 star anise 1 cinnamon stick, preferably cassia cinnamon 2 bay leaves 3 tablespoons Sichuan peppercorns <S> ¾ cup Asian crushed red pepper flakes (Sichuan chili flakes are the best) 1 – 1½ teaspoons salt (to taste) <S> Heat the oil, star anise, cinnamon stick, bay leaves, and Sichuan peppercorns in a small saucepan over medium high heat. <S> When the oil starts to bubble slightly, turn the heat down to medium. <A> My experience is that they are pretty much the same. <S> I have access to an asian supermarket and all the chili oils are in the same place in the market as well as the hot sauces. <S> Chili oil is very spicy. <S> If not available us Siracha near the end of the saute process instead. <A> There are just a couple of things that separate Korean hot chili oil from other types of chili oil. <S> Usually, it's made with hot oil, with dried hot pepper flakes added. <S> The oil gets infused with the chili oils and flavors, and then is strained so you just have the flavored oil. <S> Korean hot chili oil is different in a few ways. <S> The pepper used, specifically, is the Korean gochu pepper. <S> I think,while preferred for completely authentic product, this is probablythe least critical aspect, as many types of dried peppers are calledinto service across cuisines as substitutes for one another. <S> The pepper used is ground, instead of whole or crushed/flakes. <S> The oil is additionally flavored with garlic and ginger. <S> I think you have a couple options here: <S> Make a batch of your own, and store it in a jar. <S> Method/recipe is here: Jihye Change: <S> How To Make Chili Oil (Korean Style) Or use a standard Chinese chili oil, but heat it up and then add some fresh grated ginger and crushed garlic when it is hot, and give it a couple of swirls before tossing any food into it.
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I would use any asian Chili oil.
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How do I wash the "pokey" side of a box grater? I have this box grater, and one of the sides is "non-directional" (not sure what this is called) -- that is, the pointy "blade" things are on every side of the holes: Close-up: The fibers you see are from ginger. My question is: How do I clean this side of the grater? Sponges and rags get torn apart and the fibers are left on the grater. Brillo pads same deal, of course. I tried rubbing it out with my fingers but, you know: Ouch. Even scrubbing from the inside doesn't do much like it does for the directional sides of the grater. The food isn't stuck in the holes, it's stuck on the little points. Rinsing it under the highest pressure water my sink has doesn't blow away the food matter either, it's just all snagged there pretty tightly. I found this page about graters and the author there seems to just avoid that side of the grater specifically because of how hard it is to clean, so perhaps there is no hope here. I do not have a dishwasher. Even though the above picture has ginger fibers on it, I'm not looking for techniques just for this specific case (that just happened to be what was stuck on the grater when I took the picture). I have the same problem with this side of the grater no matter what I grate, e.g. cheese, even hard cheese, leaves bits of cheese there, which are slightly easier to remove with hot water than tangled fibers are, but still not easy. What can I use to quickly and conveniently clean this after each use? The cleaning difficulty makes this my least favorite kitchen tool. I'm never excited when it looks like I have to use it. <Q> A dishwasher gets cheese off even that side - but that's no good if you don't have one, nor is it very effective against ginger and other fibrous foods. <S> The best I've found is simply a washing up brush (i.e. plastic bristles and a long handle) from both sides. <S> I would then put it in the dishwasher for a final clean unless I'm doing a proper load of washing up, which is rare <A> Save your old toothbrush , as this guy shows . <S> Or as this post describes : <A> contrary to what's said here, the dishwasher is a bad choice : <S> it doesn't work - especially for things like cheese. <S> Physical scrubbing is necessary. <S> it will damage plastic/rubber parts over time like a knife, a grater will blunt more quickly when put in the dishwasher <A> I personally use one of these to clean my own cheese grater. <S> You can buy one of them at walmart for pretty cheap. <S> http://www.walmart.ca/en/ip/scotch-brite-palm-scrubber/6000075838915 Plus as an extra benefit it can be used to quick wash a couple things quickly to avoid a full wash if you just need a plate or something. <A> I've never had to clean ginger, but to clean cheese or tomato from these types of graters <S> I simply stab <S> the surface with a soapy sponge. <S> That is, with moderate force and speed I press the sponge onto the surface from the normal orthogonal direction. <S> This works very well and does not grate the sponge. <S> The cleaning motion should be "up-down" from the perspective of the grating surface. <A> If the box grater is dishwasher safe, you can put it on the top rack. <S> Mine always comes out perfect. <S> Also, I agree with @GdD about the brush. <S> Something with moderately short, stiff bristles will work. <S> In the comments and answers to this related question, What's this "pucker" style hole on my cheese grater for? <S> , it is said to wrap it in cling wrap before use. <S> Supposedly it's easier to collect the contents and when you pull the paper off, the grater is clean. <S> I haven't tried this, but it may be worth a shot. <S> If/when I try it, and if you do, it would be smart to notice if any plastic comes off into the food. <A> Make a stiff dough, like the recipies you find to make modeling play-dough for kids or cleaning wallpaper. <S> Run a ball of the dough over the grater and it will grab up the fibers, but its own messy crumbs come back together with some dabbing from the ball. <S> The dough also washes away with water, if necessary. <S> Then switch to “young” ginger, and avoid the woody stuff for grating. <S> If you use it, like my wife does for Asian cooking, mince it with a Chinese knife instead. <A> Alternatively, if you have a gas stove you can purify with fire to burn off the left over bits. <S> Once cool, rinse. <S> Though, care should be taken not to burn oneself or melt any plastic parts. <S> Full disclosure, I've never actually tried this. :) <A> If I were faced with this my inclination would be a pressure washer, although I would avoid getting to point blank range. <S> Beware that you would need to do something to keep it in place <S> , otherwise it's going to go flying.
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Simple enough, but certainly a nuisance: soak a little in soapy water using a plastic bristle brush, clean the inside then take the brush and lightly but quickly scrub the outside using a circular motion rinse, check and repeat as necessary Note: There are also special grater things specifically for woody mature ginger that look like bumps on a plate.
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Do tomato-based sauces change/enhance flavour when left in the fridge? I cooked some green beans in a tomato-based sauce then ate some and left the rest in the fridge 3 days ago. I tasted it today, and it was better than I remember: is this a known phenomenon or am I not remembering right? <Q> This is also true of stews and casseroles. <S> The received wisdom is that it gives the flavours a chance to 'marry' and blend, though I'm not sure of the science behind it. <A> Cells are complex. <S> Each one is a unit which needs to keep itself alive and achieve homeostasis with its environment (big picture: tomato vs. world, small picture: tomato vs. other cells). <S> To this end they need an assortment of proteins and other compounds. <S> Some nutrients are in a plant due to the nature of the the organ the tissue it is a part of: the tubers contain cells with organelles which contain carbohydrates due to their function as an energy store, while fruiting bodies often contain chemicals (and the enzymes which form the metabolic pathway to create them) which act on the behavior of the animals eating them. <S> A good example would be the tobacco plant and nicotine, which is a pesticide; more mundane examples are herbs. <S> When you cut the fruiting body of a plant you lyse some of the cells where you have cut. <S> Pureeing the fruiting body lyses many more, and the vacuoles in the cell which store digestive enzymes (for breaking down unneeded cellular structures - tomatoes aren't carnivorous) occasionally break and begin acting upon whatever is around them. <S> This is why cut apples brown and why cut fruit and prepared herbs lose their flavor. <S> But why does it taste better? <S> The most likely explanation is that this allows the digestive enzymes to break down the contents of the sauce, some of which are indigestible. <S> This makes the sauce more nutritious and easier to digest and your tongue notices. <S> For reference see this patent which mentions the use of pectinase to prepare a tomato sauce. <S> Pectin binds cells together and is an indigestible fiber. <S> The process would convert some of the pectin in the prepared tomatoes into digestible carbohydrates. <A> Many sauces, stews, casseroles, etc. improve as flavours develop over time due to chemistry. <S> Breads also can improve if left to proof slowly before baking. <A> I do most of the cooking in our house, and I'd have to say it's true. <S> When I'm making a jumbalaya, spaghetti sauce or goulash, all of which have tomato-based sauce, my wife always comments that leftovers the next day taste better than the night I made it. <S> The same for my pulled pork, where I use a tomato and BBQ based sauce. <S> I can't notice the difference myself, chiefly because I eat like a pig, but I trust my wife's judgement. <S> I'm not sure of the mechanism involved, whether it's some kind of "marrying" or settling process one of the other contributors posited, or whether it's simple placebo or expectation... but it works. <A> It's not just about tomatoes. <S> This is a well-known phenomenon. <S> I used to be a professional chef, and the recipes for the soups in one particular restaurant I worked in called for resting overnight. <S> One night, a particular soup ran out. <S> A server took an order for it anyway even though he had been told it was 86'd (gone), because he knew there had been a pot of it cooking in the prep kitchen just before opening time. <S> Imagine the drama when he was told that he'd have to go tell his diner "Sorry" because the soup wouldn't be done till tomorrow.
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Most sauces, tomato based or not, will improve in flavour after being left overnight. It is a well known phenomenon.
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Boiling potatoes with vs. without skin It seems I got me thinking ... When boiling potatoes in water or a steamer , what, if any, is the effect of peeling the potatoes before vs. after the cooking process? Does it matter at all whether they are peeled before or after? wrt. to taste in general wrt. to "texture" of the boiled potatoes, when post-processing them further. <Q> I almost never peel potatoes. <S> According to Tablespoon.com , the Idaho Potato Commission recommends that you leave potatoes unpeeled for boiling for reasons of flavor and texture, even if you intend to peel the potatoes after boiling. <A> I like both, but they do taste differently, and "ash" quality pretty much fits what I feel on the tongue. <S> I prefer unpeeled for red meat and dishes with strong taste, and peeled to go with chicken, sweet meats etc. <S> But here your mileage may vary. <S> Some people can't tell difference, some can always tell, and some - only sometimes. <S> According to these datasheets: Potatoes, boiled, cooked in skin, flesh, without salt Potatoes, boiled, cooked without skin, flesh, without salt <S> Per 100g serving potatoes boiled with skin provide 22% of vitamin c, and without - only 12%. <S> Given <S> it's water soluble <S> , I think it's safe to assume that even if you discard peel, you still get more C if you boil with skin. <S> Other differences are small. <S> Largest are fluoride and ash. <S> Even if the nutritional meaning of ash is a bit different, it really fits to what I taste. <S> And vitamin C is acid - again, fits with how I can describe taste differences. <S> Maybe that's just a coincidence, maybe not, can't really tell. <A> Yes, there is a difference in taste. <S> I can't tell you what causes it, possibly the skin preventing the water from properly penetrating the potatoes. <S> But when I eat a peeled boiled potato, I can always tell if it has been boiled skin on or off. <S> My personal preference is very much for boiled-skin-off. <S> Boiled-skin-on potatoes have their own specific taste even after peeling, which is slightly bitter and has a slight physical reaction on the tongue - not exactly hot, not exactly astringent, but somewhat reminiscent of both. <S> This is a taste I get when eating the potatoes as they are. <S> Mashed, or swimming in some dip, the difference is too slight to notice. <A> When cooking potatoes with the skins on, the startch stays inside the potatoes instead of dissolving into the water. <S> Makes the potatoes taste different (better in my opinion) and more beneficial for you. <A> Leaving the skin on can make them more difficult to mash or whip later without over working the potato. <S> Over mixing it whipping too vigoursly will result in a glue like consistency. <S> I still mash both peeled and unpeeled depending on the dish it is being accompanied with. <S> When using a ricer the skins often get caught in the mesh and do not make it through. <S> You can just scrape them off the bottom and chop them by hand but it will take more time. <S> It is generally faster to peel them first (even though it won't seem like it) if you need them on the fly.
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I like the flavor and texture of the skins, even in mashed potatoes, and unpeeled potatoes are less prone to becoming waterlogged. Also, maybe it's my imagination, but I think unpeeled ones are bit more acidic, Tip:After they are cooked, it's easier and quicker to peel the skins of, just run them under cold water while peeling so you don't burn yourself!
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Does cooking octopus in salt or pastry crust produce juicy octopus? I've been reading up on octopus preparation and the different methods used to tenderise the meat. Rustic recipes call for a good beating against a rock until soapy, others talk of a long boil or braise. Papaya has been mentioned as has a pre-cook freeze. Sous vide is obviously a popular one (times and temperatures vary). Before I put my experimenting hat on, I wondered if anyone has tried a salt-crust bake or a pastry crust? I feel the juices would be kept in, the temperature would be consistent but I am worried about the salt content. <Q> ok, so octopus either needs to be cooked for a very short amount of time (just until it's barely cooked through) to keep the muscle tissue tender or for a very long amount of time (2 hrs plus) to break down the connective tissue. <S> The tenderization methods that involve beating it against a rock or whatever are usually for short-cook methods like grilling from raw. <S> So if you're baking it in a salt crust or pastry crust, that wouldn't be particularly conducive to short-cook methods... <S> it's going to need to be cooked for at least two hours. <S> The main problem I see with cooking octopus using this method is that octopus gives off a TON of liquid when slow cooking, and it would a) dissove enough salt to make it inedibly salty, b) dissolve the salt crust completely leaving you with a salty mess, or c) both. <S> With a pastry crust, you wouldn't have to worry about the octopus being salty, but you would have to worry about the crust becoming a juice-soaked sloppy mess. <S> Frankly, I'd just give up on the salt crust. <S> You might be able to fashion a crust using salt and egg whites which would stick together, but I really do think it would be inedibly salty. <S> That seems like it's more work than what you're looking for though. <S> Good luck! <A> From my own experience, frozen octopus as well as squid / calamri, it is best to use the frozen. <S> It is already cleaned and stays tender as you cook. <S> If you have to use fresh they say it stays most tender if you boil for about five minutes then slowly roast in an oven at 200 degrees. <S> I have never tried this method myself. <S> I always used frozen. <A> Octopus is a bit similar to Calamari or squid. <S> Simmer gently in stock or water for three to four hours. <S> Test after two and a half, three and three and a half hours. <S> Or do same in a slow oven. <S> In both cases, pan must be covered.
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If you pre-slow-cooked the octopus and made a gravy out of the cooking liquid, you could definitely get in into a pastry crust.
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Chilis that taste like habanero I like the fruity taste of habanero a lot (the red ones if that matters). But I usually get stomach pains after eating them (not that it stops me). Are there any chilis that taste similar to habanero but burns less/are easier on the stomach/have less scoville rating? <Q> Allepo pepper has a fair bit of fruitiness, but it's typically only available dried in most areas, not fresh. <S> And I suspect it may be harder to get these days with the conflict in the area where it's grown. <S> What you can do, however, is change how you use habanero peppers. <S> Add them whole to recipes and remove them before serving. <S> As the capsaicin is mostly on the inside, you'll get some of the fruitness, without the full hit from the heat. <S> If you want a little more heat, stab it with a knife before adding it (but don't cut it open fully). <S> One of my former co-workers made groundnut soup this way, and it had great flavor without knocking people out. <S> (I think he had 3 or 4 in there; I don't know if they were punctured or not) <A> If you love the tangy, fruitiness of habanero (Scotch bonnet) peppers but can't handle heat, I have some news for you. <S> Trinidad Perfume's golden fruits have traded gut-wrenching fire for an incredibly flavourful, aromatic citrusiness [sic]. <S> Being sweet and with barely any capsaicin, this is the ultimate chilli-hater's chilli. <S> p190. <S> Grow for Flavour, James Wong. <S> 2015 Mitchell Beazley <S> As to where one might find them - I suppose that mainly depends on your physical location. <S> To be honest, I haven't seen them for sale around here (London). <S> Googling does provide a rather large number of options to buy seeds and even grown plants. <A> You can come down in hot but habanero does have a distinctive taste. <S> A trick is to remove the seeds as that is where most of hot is. <S> Substitute in some serrano or cayenne or ??
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From the excellent book Grow For Flavour there is actually a chilli called the Trinidad Perfume which is specifically cultivated to have the same flavour profile as a Habanero without the heat.
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Soften fats for buttercream I am trying to make a stable buttercream and I am using butter and shortening [in the UK we call it trex or cookeen]. However, in this cold weather the fats are not getting to room temperature. What is the best to soften them? I don't own a microwave. <Q> I have had to deal with this several times recently as the people who I bought my house from didn't see fit to have a radiator in the kitchen, so it is often cold in the winter. <S> There's 2 things you need to deal with, one is getting the butter up to temperature and the other is keeping it there. <S> Radiators do work, but are often too hot and if you lose track you can end up melting your butter. <S> Not hot water, but somewhere between normal room temperature and body temperature unless the butter is fridge temperature in which case I use body temperature water. <S> Once I make a buttercream <S> I use a warm water bath to keep the buttercream up to a workable temperature <S> , basically I have a roasting tray of warm water and set the bowl with the buttercream in it. <S> If I'm piping it I will put the side of the piping bag in the warm water, which also works when piping stiff doughs like Viennese cookie dough. <A> You need to increase the surface area of the butter or fat exposed to room air. <S> You can do that by measuring the amount called for by the recipe, than do any of: cut into small pieces with a knife, spread apart on a sheet <S> chunk it with a spoon into many pieces, spread apart on a sheet <S> roll the glob into a thin sheet (done between pieces of wax paper) <S> freeze it the night before, then use a coarse shredder to grate the frozen piece, spreading the grinds over a baking sheet <S> I like the simplicity and orderliness of the first method. <S> The easiest method of all if you can do it: store the shortening in a warmer location. <S> Obviously, you can not do this with butter. <A> Chop the fats into small cubes and leave them near (but not on ) a heat source like a radiator. <S> Chopping them small allows them to warm up more quickly and evenly.
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What I do to get the butter up to temperature is to cut the butter/shortening up into cubes and submerge it in warm water.
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How to get rid of chili-peppers on fingertips? When I cut chili-pepper, it takes more then a day for the chili to disappear from my fingertips. It is particularly hurtfull when I put in my contactlenses. Is there a way to get rid of this chili more quickly? <Q> Capsaicin, the active compound in chillies, isn't soluble in water <S> so it's hard to wash off. <S> As a contact lens wearer you might prefer to wear disposable gloves to prepare them. <S> It is soluble in fats so my wife's approach (she wears lenses, <S> I don't) is to rub olive oil into her hands, then wash with soap and water. <S> It seems effective, and we've seen it recommended online (maybe even here) <S> but we only use fairly mild chillies. <A> I use the some olive oil on your finger tips trick. <S> I takes away like 90% of the problem for me. <S> A friend mine taught it to me that grows some killer peppers. <A> As a last ditch option, consider bleach (however it works - it does).
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Washing your hands in oil, then removing the oil with soap can help.
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I am unable to eat tomatoes. What can I use instead, especially in soups? My digestion doesn't like tomatoes, and all the soup recipes I like call for them. Is there anything I could substitute? <Q> There is an alternate product available that does not contain tomatoes. <S> It is called Nomato . <S> It is described on the home page as: <S> Additional info: <S> Nomato may be substituted in any recipe using tomato sauce, barbecue sauce, ketchup or salsa. <S> Nomato is made from vegetables and seasonings. <S> It contains no soy, dairy, wheat, gluten, nuts and of course no tomatoes! <S> I am not promoting this product and, quite frankly, have not tried it. <S> However, I did read several great reviews about it. <A> You are correct. <S> Many home-made soups use a tomato base. <S> After unsuccessfully trying every substitute I could find for tomatoes, I finally discovered that pear juice makes a great substitute base in soups. <S> Buy just juice. <S> If you are using pear juice packed with pears, you'll have to remove the pears. <S> I haven't tried to puree them, but suspect that might work. <A> For visual appeal sometimes you do just need the red of the tomato. <S> I am unable to enjoy them either... <S> so I substitute red peppers cut in 1/4" strips, as long or as short as I want them. <A> I suggest a little experimentation! <S> Tomatoes have a delicious blend of savory (umami) and acid. <S> Use varying proportions of ingredients that are acidifying or are high in glutamates! <S> Vinegars and various citrus juices are a natural source of acid, as are yogurts and wines or beer (yum!). <S> Sources of glutamates can include aged cheese (like Parmesan or Asiago), anchovies/anchovy paste, soy sauces, miso paste, fish sauce, and Worcestershire (also containing fish). <S> You’ll likely go through a few iterations of each recipe until you find a balance that you like, but I bet you can get a pretty satisfying flavor profile out of it if your willing to tinker a bit. <A> Sour plums have a really similar texture and flavor to tomatoes - they are a base in a lot of Middle Eastern soups
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Nomato sauces are a delicious natural alternative to traditional tomato based products.
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Safety and quality of low-price imported beef sold in US supermarkets As a recent resident of Southern California, I noticed in a supermarket very impressive looking sirloin strip steak for $4.99 per pound. Regular prices in other markets range from 10.99 to 29.99. The beef at this incredible price is from Mexico. Is this beef safe? Does anyone has experience with the quality of Mexican beef? <Q> Exporting meat into the United States is not a simple or easy matter. <S> From the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) : Checklist for Importing Meat, Poultry and Processed Egg Products <S> This checklist is provided as an overview of the steps needed to be taken when you want to import meat, poultry, or processed egg products to the United States. <S> Products must originate from certified countries and establishments eligible to export to the United States. <S> The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Services (APHIS) restricts some products from entering the United States because of animal disease conditions in the country of origin. <S> For information on restrictions related to animal diseases and information about APHIS, contact the APHIS Veterinary Services, National Center for Import and Export. <S> Countries and establishments become eligible following an equivalence determination process by FSIS. <S> After filing the necessary forms for U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and meeting animal disease requirements of APHIS, all imported meat, poultry and processed egg products must be presented for inspection by FSIS at an official import establishment. <S> Mexico is one of 33 countries that can legally export meat to the US. <S> In Mexico there are 74 companies authorized to export to the US (As of May 3, 2017). <S> USDA Source <S> Also from the USDA Website : <S> So, in the United States, beef from Mexico has been determined by the US Government to be as safe as domestic beef. <A> The answer provided by @Jolenealaska is comprehensive on the question of 'safety'. <S> As one who has raised beef cattle I will address the 'quality' question you raise. <S> In the US and Mexico there are a wide variety of beef cattle breeds <S> However, the Mexican ranchers 'lean toward' hybrids that are Brahma crosses because these are heartier (physically) breeds that can more easily withstand the climate (as Brahman). <S> Often you will find that Mexican beef is tougher and introduces a 'gamey' quality to the flavor of the meat. <S> IMHO <S> while you can rely on Mexican Beef to be 'Safe' (by USDA standards) it is not necessarily of 'high quality' for your table. <S> For a more detailed review of the Mexican Cattle Industry see http://www.gbcbiotech.com/bovinos/english/bovinos.html <A> The other answers and links here cover the safety issue sufficiently for me. <S> As to quality, here is my offering. <S> I have found a small market near me that sells beef quite a bit less expensive than the chain markets, or Costco, and Sam's Club. <S> I have been getting very nice looking porterhouse steaks for $2.99-3.99 lb (sold as family <S> pack 2-3 per package). <S> I suspected they were Mexican beef, but I didn't ask till today. <S> I've been buying meat for many, many, years, and I'm a pretty good judge of what good meat looks like. <S> These steaks are usually pretty well marbled (you have to look closely, it varies) , nice color, and <S> when cooked (I like no more than medium rare) are as tender as any other steak with similar appearance. <S> I'm going to continue buying these Mexican steaks. <A> It is safe as U.S.D.A inspected. <S> I do wonder if it is from tougher breeds of beef? <S> Beef can be aged at 27f to 29f in shipping. <S> To age it. <S> Make it tender. <S> As bacteria works on it at that temp. <S> Tenderizes it. <S> So some what different than American grain fed beef. <S> Little different texture & taste. <S> But safe. <S> I am more familiar with Australian beef that is shipped that way to Europe & Asia. <A> Tenderloin for unknown reasons is one of the cheaper cuts. <S> I've been buy the entire tenderloin for $20~30 (4~6 lbs) and cutting it myself to use as fillet mignon, Chateaubriand, birria, etc. <S> In the last few years the stores have been using US cuts like rib eye, New York, Porterhouse, t-bone, etc. <S> Never had any issues with bad meat from known stores.
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I live in Mexico and the beef here is generally better than what I had in the US. Imported products must meet the same labeling requirements as domestically-produced products. The flavor is quite acceptable to me, and I don't consider it "off" in any way.
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Is there any advantage to cooking steak on the bone? My local butcher sells ribeye and sirloin steaks from Basque and Galician dairy cows on the bone. All of their products are fantastic but I question what effect cooking it 'bone-in' has. Is there any advantage - in flavour/texture/ease of cooking- to cooking steak on the bone, or is it simply a way for them to charge more? <Q> Well, many steak experts have held for years that bone-in steak just tastes better, something about that marrow being good. <S> J. Kenji Lopez-Alt from Serious Eats tested that theory. <S> He found that the steak bones were too impenetrable for the marrow to actually flavor grilling steak, but that the bones provided beneficial insulation: To test this, I cooked four identical roasts. <S> The first was cooked with the bone on. <S> For the second, I removed the bone, but tied it back against the meat while cooking. <S> For the third, I removed the bone, and tied it back to the meat with an intervening piece of impermeable heavy-duty aluminum foil. <S> The fourth was cooked completely without the bone. <S> Tasted side-by-side, the first three were completely indistinguishable from each other. <S> The fourth, on the other hand, was a little tougher in the region where the bone used to be. <S> What does this indicate? <S> Well, first off, it means the flavor exchange theory is completely bunk—the completely intact piece of meat tasted exactly the same as the one with the intervening aluminum foil. <S> But it also means that the bone does serve at least one important function: it insulates the meat, slowing its cooking, and providing less surface area to lose moisture. <S> He also mentions that the bone provides a framework to protect the shape of the meat, but it's a pain to carve the bone from the cooked meat: <S> The best way to cook your beef is to detach the bone and tie it back on. <S> You get the same cooking quality of a completely intact roast with the added advantage that once it's cooked, carving is as simple as cutting the string, removing the bones, and slicing. <S> (The quote says "roast" but in the article he seems to be talking just as much about steak) <S> You mention that bone-in steak costs more at your butcher than boneless. <S> I have not typically found that to be the case. <S> I would sometimes pay extra for the butcher's time removing the bone. <A> An excellent article grilled-ribeye-bone-boneless What they found and consistent with my experience is the meat is less cooked near the bone due to thermal properties of the bone. <S> Like a full difference of from rare to medium rare. <S> If someone likes medium well <S> (no blood) <S> you are forced to over cook and dry out the edges. <S> I happen to like a medium T bone with medium rare near the bone but not all people do. <A> It definitely doesn't make cooking easier. <S> A bone acts as a heat-sink and a heat-reflector, and has the effect of slowing down cooking around it. <S> That's not really a problem, but you do need to take it into account when cooking. <S> A good example is a T-bone steak: my usual technique is to first stand the steak upright on the top of the 'T', to force heat into the bone, which is then conducted into the meat as you cook the steak 'normally' on the sides. <S> This offsets the insulating effect the bone has, with the goal of more even doneness through the steak. <S> Again, that's not a problem, per se - <S> and it's really satisfying when you get it right - <S> but a steak without a bone is a lot 'simpler' to cook well. <S> As other people have said. <S> the common myths around flavour and succulence are mostly myths. <S> I can understand roasted, braised or stewed meats wanting bones - in that case, there's an opportunity for the marrow to mingle with the other juices in the pot - but for a steak that just doesn't happen. <S> For me, the reason I like a bone-in cut is for the pleasure of cooking, carving, and eating. <S> Gnawing on the bone of a bit of well-cooked animal is one of life's great pleasures - hell, it may even be the oldest (well, second-oldest), pleasure in the history of the human species. <A> Most kitchens do not have enough heat to take advantage of bone in. <S> You need to make the marrow run for just a few seconds for best flavor. <S> To do this heat your grill to a light cherry red. <S> Slap on Steak. <S> Wait 1 minute turn over. <S> 1 minute & move to cooking heat side of grill to finish cooking. <S> This also sears the outside to seal in flavor. <S> A good steak house will have 2 to 3 grills for heat. <S> They move the steaks from extra hot to cooking heat. <S> Sear then cook. <S> Make the marrow melt for just a bit while searing.
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When I have purchased steak, the bone-in has been less expensive than a boneless steak of the same weight of actual meat, cut, and grade of meat.
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Make Pepperoni out of Regular Salami So, i really love pepperoni pizza, and want to make it at home. However, in my city, i can't find pepperoni for sale in the market (i don't live in the US). So, i was wondering, can i make something similar to pepperoni by seasoning regular salami? If the answer is yes, what seasonings should i use? I thought of paprika and oregano, but i think that there's must be more into it. Any advices? Thanks! <Q> Pepperoni is basically just a spiced pork and beef salami with some smokiness in it, you could achieve a similar flavor by using some smoked chili powder like paprika or chipotle. <S> You also aren't going to get very far trying to make a salami spicy by adding pepper to it beforehand, like injecting it with some sort of spice mix as there's not enough moisture to allow the spice to mix in. <S> You'll have to add spice to the sliced salami, the question is how to apply that seasoning so the flavor seems to come from the salami when eating the pizza. <S> Chili powders will burn in the high temperatures of a pizza oven, producing off flavors and an unappealing look, so sprinkling them on top of the salami slices is not the best idea. <S> You have 2 good options: <S> Add the spice to the pizza sauce: this will make the whole pie taste of the spice and may not be what you want. <S> It's the quickest and easiest solution though Rub one side of each sliced salami piece with the spices, and then put them on the pizza spice side down. <S> This will localize the spice around the salami slices, and put the salami between the spice powder and the heat source so it doesn't burn. <S> This is a bit of extra work <S> but I can't imagine it being that big a pain <S> Personally I'd go with option 2 as you'll get a nice hum of spice around the salami and some on it when you bite. <S> It won't be quite a pepperoni <S> but I bet it will be very close. <A> Just drain it thoroughly and pat it dry before using. <S> The acid helps permeate the fat content of the salami. <S> As GdD suggests, you could add a teaspoon of smoked paprika and chipotle powder to the mix to give it that depth, and a bit more kick. <A> Trader Joe’s Bomba sauce (roasted Calabrian peppers), olive oil, smoked paprika...let it marinate with salami for a few hours= <S> best pepperoni/chorizo ever!!! <A> This might be really difficult to get hold of where you are, but I can fool people into believing there's hot, spicy chorizo in a dish by using Canarian red Mojo powder . <S> Add that to a salami & I'm sure few could tell the difference - so long as it's a Southern-European-style salami, not like a traditional Danish, for instance. <S> It's a dried blend of red chilli, garlic & cumin. <S> It is traditionally made up into a sauce with oil & vinegar, but that's not necessary for this. <S> Though the ingredients would seem very simple, it does have quite a specific flavour profile, that just those few ingredients would not hint at in themselves. <S> Because of this, I'm uncertain if making your own would come anywhere close compared to the real thing. <S> You may be able to get the Cuban variant, but I have never tasted that so cannot comment on its similarity or otherwise.
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You can marinade salami in the pickling liquid of canned pepperoncini around 10 minutes for that slightly off-sour taste and bite.
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Why avoid olive oil in Gotham Steel pans? Background Gotham Steel is a ceramic coated titanium pan. It's the brand with the commercials where they put a mixer in the pan, supposedly to show that it doesn't scratch if you use metal utensils. The coating makes the pan non-stick, slippery even. It comes with the following instructions: FOR BEST PERFORMANCE Gotham Steel™ Ti-Cerama™ Cookware with Titanium Ceramic Coating is designed for cooking without oil or butter. If you choose to use oil or butter, always use it at the proper heat setting. For example, extra virgin olive oil and butter should only be used over low heat. NEVER USE NON STICK SPRAYS. No sharp objects of any type should be used on the inside or outside of Ti-Cerama™ cookware. (Emphasis in original.) I take the last sentence to mean that the mixer ad is exaggerated, but that's not my question. Olive Oil and coated pans It says to only use extra virgin olive oil with "low" heat. Since that's not exactly precise, I searched around for more information. Some reviews said that Le Creuset (which makes a similar, enamel coated iron pan) says not to use olive oil at all. So some people that had both recommended the same thing for the Gotham Steel pans. No olive oil at all. I found this question and this question that suggest that the issue might be extra virgin olive oil's low smoke point. I.e. that the olive oil might simply be susceptible to burning. Not sure why the coating would make that worse, but it's a hypothesis. What actually happens when using olive oil on these kinds of pans? Preferably Gotham Steel, but I'd take information on Le Creuset or similar brands of enamel/ceramic coated cookware. What's "low" heat in this context? Example I sometimes cook sandwich eggs in a Teflon pan with a little olive oil. This basically involves turning the Kenmore stove to 7, letting the oil heat as I scramble an egg in a cup. I turn the head down to 4 and pour the egg into the pan. I wait until the egg is almost cooked through and then flip it. I turn off the heat and wait a bit longer, then I eat it in a sandwich. My experience is that if I do it right, the egg is fully cooked without fry marks. The stovetop is a Kenmore electric with the flat glass on top. Non-induction, a regular heating element. The heat goes Lo-2-3-4-Med-6-7-8-Hi. The obvious thing would be for "low" heat to be Lo on the stovetop. However, that's not a heat that I would normally use for anything other than simmering for a long period of time. E.g. making rice. Does 4 count as "low" heat since I don't keep it there long? Anyway, if I did that same process with the Gotham Steel pan, what would happen? Would it ruin the pan? Burn the egg? Burn the oil? Note that if I don't use the oil, it cooks the egg fine and it slides right out of the pan. That's satisfactory, but I would prefer to understand why I should or should not use olive oil. Ideally someone would have a scientific answer with testing using a Gotham Steel pan. However, I would take an anecdotal answer involving a Le Creuset or other brand if it was explanatory. E.g. I tried that with a ____ and boy did it ruin the pan by ... Other oils What happens with other greases and oils? For example, we tried cooking a meatloaf in the dutch oven sized pan. The ceramic container that we normally use is getting old and could be bigger. So we were curious if this would work. We normally use a fatty ground beef and pour off the grease before eating. This leaves the bottom rather soft. However, with this pan, the result was that the bottom charred into a black crunchiness. Is this related to the problem with olive oil? Or something entirely different and worthy of its own question? Same thing with the passage about non stick sprays. The instructions say that the oven is safe to 500 degrees Fahrenheit. We cooked at 350. That's about 175-180 in metric/Celsius. We also tried a couple roasts in water with sliced onions underneath and they baked fine. And we tried a casserole that has lentils, rice, and Swiss cheese. That's rather greasy, but it didn't have the same behavior as the meatloaf. I.e. the edges touching the pan didn't scorch or char. How do I know which oils will be problematic and which won't? <Q> The instructions aren't telling you that there's something about their pans that makes them especially incompatible with butter or olive oil. <S> Their warning to use lower heats for butter and olive oil also isn't specific to their products, but is more a general guideline. <S> It's pointless to use extra virgin olive oil, because the heat destroys all the distinctive flavor profiles that sets extra-virgin apart from regular olive oil. <S> It's more a general warning that olive oils and other low-smoke/flash temperature oils aren't really made for frying or stir frying purposes. <S> Those warnings would be true with any cookware. <A> I did some research a few months ago. <S> Any oil and particularly non-stick sprays when heated to extreme temperatures polymerize into a nasty stick mess that is near impossible to remove (steel wool and sand paper didn't work. <S> This has ruined several cookie sheets, andthe cheaper non-stick sprays are the worst. <S> I have had to throw out those effected cookie sheets. <A> You can fry in olive oil as long as you exercise some care. <S> Some olive oils have smoke points of 400 F. <S> If you know how to cook, you can even do it by eye <S> (anyone that lets oil go past its smoke point once or twice can control it so that doesn't happen again). <S> Anyway, I cook with olive oil in my Gotham Steel pan and dutch oven all the time, no problem. <S> I also have a degree in chemical engineering <S> and I understand what happens with polymerization - <S> yes Virginia, you can avoid the gunky mess. <S> By the way, if it does happen, don't try to muscle away polymerized gunky oil. <S> A little hot/steamy water and rubbing alcohol does wonders.
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They're saying that, since they are made to be non-stick specifically so people don't need to use ANY oil, they don't generally recommend using it, at all.
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Can Freshly Caught Fish Remain "Fresh" for 2 to 3 Days in Refrigerator? I have often heard that fresh-caught fish, properly stored in a refrigerator, will remain fresh for 2-3 days. Does this mean that the fish can be considered fresh, stored in this manner, by counting the number of days from when it was removed from the water? Also, what conditions need to be met in order for fish to truly be considered fresh? As far as I am aware, even "fresh" fish purchased from fishmongers has already been out of the water for a few days. <Q> Do not toss it in the refrigerator and expect to wait a week to get around to cooking it and expect it to still be edible. <S> From time out of water to cooking, it will greatly depend on variety, size, etc., <S> but if it is properly cared for you will normally have longer than 2-3 days from catch. <S> But, the longer it is from catch to cleaning, time is reduced, that is offal will deteriorate faster than flesh but damage the flesh if not promptly removed. <S> Poor cleaning deteriorates the flesh. <S> Any time out of optimal temperature storage, reduces useful time. <S> You have no idea <S> really how long any of these periods are, unless you harvested the fish yourself, so you assume reasonable handling and that from the time the merchant makes it available, you probably have 2-3 days before you risk spoilage and try to be familiar enough with your merchant that they have not already had it sitting for 2-3 days. <S> All of this though is non-optimal. <S> Fish, and all seafood deteriorates fast. <S> It is not like beef that often benefits from aging. <S> Seafood quality goes down by the hour after harvest. <S> If any seafood that begins to smell like anything other that fresh is past its prime at best. <S> Sliminess, dullness of the surface, any loss of firmness, weeping of fluids, these are almost always signs that the fish is either past its prime or simply beyond usefulness. <S> Some fish are soft to begin with such as salmon, but comparing two fish of the same variety, the firmer fish will almost always be get fresher or better handled fish. <A> Freshness isn't defined by time, it's defined by how good the fish is. <S> There are ways to tell without actually cooking and eating it, of course. <S> If it's really fresh, there should be no fishy smell, and there shouldn't be visible signs of it going off. <S> For whole fish, see How can I tell if fish is fresh? <S> - fresh whole fish has bright skin/scales, and is firm. <S> For fillets, again it should be more firm, it should be plump and not look dried out, and it shouldn't be starting to pull apart. <S> In both cases, discoloration is a bad sign. <S> So the 2-3 days is just a very rough guideline. <S> Honestly, it's noticeably less fresh after even 1 day in the fridge, and you should generally just buy and cook the same day, but 2-3 days is usually acceptable. <S> This is all assuming it's fresh when you buy it. <S> (As you mention, that doesn't necessarily mean it was caught just a few hours before you bought it, just that it was properly handled between catch and sale.) <S> If it spent longer in transit, and wasn't well-preserved, it may not be good as long. <A> We have found that fresh caught fish. <S> Gilled gutted thrown on ice in the boat. <S> If placed in a lightly salted water in a closed plastic container will last 3 days in the 7 day meat keeper set at 32f. <S> Or just at freeze. <S> Often better than fresh froze as ice crystals damage tissue in meat. <S> Or if wrapped tight water buffalo will be more tender after 7 days to eat.
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In my opinion 2-3 days is really just a guide to remind people that fish is highly perishable, more so than most animal proteins.
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Is the advantage of wagyu and other fine beef obliterated when formed into minced burger patty? The best thing about wagyu and similar cuts is its fine marbling. I've recently seen a 'wagyu-beef-slider' on a menu at an upstanding and well respected establishment. Upon internal reflection of appetizer selection (which I recommend all must do) I came to the startling realization that ground wagyu beef, which is the foundation of this slider, might in fact taste the same as any other pedigree with the same fat concentration. I got french onion soup. Was I right that with ground beef, there's likely no advantage to using wagyu? <Q> The main thing that wagyu is supposed to get you is dense marbling. <S> That's especially important for cuts low in fat, like the filet and the sirloin. <S> That is, steaks. <S> The rest of the cow has to go somewhere. <S> The parts that get ground into burgers on conventional cows might as well go into "Kobe sliders". <S> There will be some differences from conventionally-raised beef, where the ground meat is usually made by combining fatty cuts with lean cuts to achieve a precise fat ratio. <S> I would expect ground wagyu to have more fat than a conventional burger, and to have the fat incorporated somewhat differently, but it will vary from processor to processor. <S> So I'd say that the advantage isn't obliterated, exactly. <S> I'd just say that a wagyu burger will be a lot more like a regular burger than a wagyu steak compared to an Angus steak. <S> There's nothing wrong with that, at least as long as they're not trying to charge massively superpremium prices for it. <S> (In my experience they come with a modest upcharge.) <A> This article is disputed by others, so consider it one person's researched opinion and take it as you wish I think: http://www.seriouseats.com/2016/07/fake-kobe-wagyu-beef-japanese-steak.html <S> The general statements are that almost all claims of anything severed as Kobe or even Wagu are likely false or misleading. <S> Now, the author makes his money by writing about fake foods, so has a vested interest in such claims, so that should influence merits, and saying something is a Wagu slider that was made with part or all US Wagu, is that fake food, misleading, or honest? <S> Your call on that. <S> But, personally, I think you probably made the correct call. <S> I would expect something called a Wagu slider would be one that might have some amount out Wagu trimmings added, but not enough to really be the correct us of the meat or representative of the name. <S> The same went on for some time with Bison meat, a wonderful alternative to beef if properly prepared. <S> But for years, it was difficult to find anything but tourist stop samples as over-cooked burgers and meatloaf that was likely about 10% bison and gave people a very poor introduction to a fine meat. <S> That also is opinion, not backed by evidence other than person anecdotal experience though, so no one yell slander please. <A> I'm a carnivore who eats 2 lbs of beef a day. <S> As someone who started consuming wagyu ground beef ( sourced here ) on daily basis, I can confirm that there is a huge difference in the taste compared to conventional ground beef. <S> Remember that much of the meat flavour is in the fat.
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Marbling is not the only factor.
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Used sesame oil instead of soy sauce - can I rescue marinade? I am making panko chicken, for which I marinate the chicken in low sodium soy sauce and lemon. I ran out of the soy sauce and needed an additional 2 tbsp of it. I remembered I had bought a small bottle of it but it was a different brand. I accidentally poured sesame oil. Now I don't know what to do. Can I make something else from the mixture, and what other ingredients should I then put in? <Q> Sesame oil isn't going to impart much flavor to the meat in the marinade <S> However, if you plan to use the marinade as a sauce then keep in mind that Sesame oil is not going to add much flavor to the meat while it is marinaded, however is will add a lot of flavor to the cooked result, perhaps too much <S> That much oil could make your end result a bit greasy in texture <S> Sesame oil has a low smoke point and will burn and produce off flavors if added to the bottom of a hot pan, I recommend adding it to liquid <S> I would suggest if you plan to use the marinade as a sauce just add a little bit of it and add soy separately to the dish to make up for it. <A> There is absolutely nothing wrong with sesame oil. <S> You will get a slightly different flavor. <S> As it's an oil, you may want to reduce the amount of oil elsewhere. <S> Having slightly less soy sauce than described in you recipe doesn't really affect anything (apart from additional soy flavor). <A> 2tbsp of sesame oil is a lot, if it is toasted sesame oil ( <S> the variant most easily mistaken for soy sauce). <S> Certainly too overwhelming for a japanese style dish, you crossed the border to korea(n food) here. <S> Consider finding a recipe for a korean (eg bulgogi) marinade, and add the rest of the needed ingredients too...
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You don't need to rescue the marinade, sesame oil isn't going to ruin it, just add more soy sauce to get the saltiness you need.
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What can substitute for the non kosher ingredients in bolognese sauce? I am trying to make bolognese kosher for my family and struggling. Here is the list of ingredients I hope to find a substitute for: Pork Pancetta Heavy cream Milk Parmigiano Reggiano <Q> None of those is a necessary element in bolognese; find a recipe that doesn't use them (use beef mince, or quorn). <A> There are many bolognese variations out there, some which have milk in them, but there are many which do not as well. <S> My understanding is that a traditional bolognese does not have milk, but as always with Italian food what's traditional is what Mama makes. <S> In any case, you can drop the milk products without substituting anything for them. <S> I don't think that adding soya or anything else will give you the same effect. <S> As for the pork you can replace it with ground beef or turkey, beef has more flavor than turkey but turkey is generally leaner. <S> I make bolognese with a mix of beef and turkey because I find it's less greasy while still flavorful, but that's subjective. <S> Pancetta adds richness, but is not essential. <S> Some people, myself included, use bacon in a bolognese. <S> If you want a substitute for that there are turkey bacons out there in some places but to be honest the ones I've tried generally haven't been very good substitutes for the real thing. <S> Bacon has fat, salt and smoke flavors (presuming it's smoked), so you could try and substitute any kosher cured and smoked meat sliced into thin strips. <S> You could just leave it out entirely as well. <A> Milk (and, I guess as an extension, cream and cheese) is included for richness, pork because a mix of pork and beef is somewhat lighter than beef alone, and pancetta for flavour. <S> None of these ingredients is essential and a "basic" Bolognese sauce would work just fine without all of them. <A> this one seems perfect, notice: olive oil or butter and ½ glass of milk cream ( optional ). <A> When I was growing up, my family had a tradition of having bolognese once a week. <S> We liked putting cheese on top and my mother is vegetarian, so for both of these reasons we used soy "mince". <S> I don't know how easy it is for you to find <S> but I often see both dried and "fresh" varieties in my supermarket. <S> It's often sold under the name "textured vegetable protein", or TVP. <S> As long as you're not eating any other meat, you can use as much or as little dairy as you like.
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In the original italian recipe of " Ragù alla bolognese ", pork is optional, there is just beef mince simmered with red wine until reduced, some vegetables (carrot, onion and celery), tomato sauce, and absolutely no compulsory dairy products (cheese is added on personal taste when the dish is served).
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A different name for Manitoba flour? I'm currently in Greece, I'm trying to find some Manitoba flour but it seems nobody here have ever even heard the name. And I asked in bakeries and restaurants, too, just to be sure to find it. What a different "term" for Manitoba could be? I already checked for the translation and even the Greek term is widely unknown; on the other hand I've had people telling me about flour 75%, flour 50%, and so on. So, maybe they just use a different term at all for the Manitoba flour? (I seriously doubt it, but...I can't come up with anything better) <Q> You need what Anglo-Saxon countries call "bread flour". <S> The wheat for bread flour is not cultivated in Europe, so European bakers tended to import small amounts from Canada and call it "Manitoba flour". <S> The term is falling out of use nowadays, at least I have not seen it much in the newer literature. <S> If you can buy bread flour somewhere, that's good, but chances are that it is not available at all. <S> Else you can 1) add gluten, or 2) make the recipe nevertheless and live with the fact that it is slightly different, or 3) choose a different recipe. <S> All the countries which don't use bread flours still have enjoyable breads and pizzas, so it is doable. <A> From Wordpress : Manitoba – the Italian name for bread flours with a higher percentage of protein, like what we’d call strong bread flour in the UK. <S> It may or may not be from Manitoba province in Canada. <S> Indeed, according to a blurb on a pack of Ecor brand flour, Manitoba flour is also known as farina americana. <S> A blog post on Returning Home To Greece <S> says that Lemnian flour is ideal for a variety of things <S> : I buy Lemnian flour form our local grocer. <S> It is said to be ideal for bread, traditional Greek fillo dough, pizza dough, pasta, dumplings and frying batter. <S> Pic from the post: <A> Old post <S> but in case someone still searching at Greece, I have found Manitoba flour at a store called "To Piperi" at Athens (url is https://www.topiperi.gr/ ). <S> Call them for more information. <S> I also found yellow flour at 5kgr packages but this isn't something rare anymore... <A> Manitoba or Canadian wheat is normally Durum wheat. <S> This is not bread flour. <S> In Asia it would be class 1 wheat flour. <S> In America D class flour. <S> More for noodles. <S> Hard red wheat flour. <S> In Asia class 2 is bread flour, America B class wheat. <S> Run a check against those wheat's in Europe. <A> Where do you live in Greece?? <S> I ordered Manitoba in a local market in Thessaloniki and they have it for me from Italy. <S> I find Barilla and Molino Grassi. <S> Grassi is bio and almost three times more expensive that Barilla. <S> You can replace it with Robin Hood, its available in all supermarkets and its also a Canadian strong flour. <S> Lemnian flour is a totally another variety
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Manitoba flour, also called Farina Manitoba, is a strong flour with a high protein content.
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Do I still add sage? I have a recipe that calls for 3/4 tsp of "Italian seasoning" plus 1/2 tsp sage. My Italian seasoning already has sage in it although I am aware that some do not. My question is do I still add the 1/2 tsp sage as it may be overpowering in sage, or do I just increase the Italian seasoning from 3/4 tsp to 1 tsp or 1 1/4 tsp? My gut tells me up the Italian seasoning to 1 tsp or 1 1/4 tsp and don't add more sage. As I am not much of a cook, I could use some experienced help. Btw, I have McCormick Brand Italian seasoning. <Q> I guess the answer to you is that we really can't give you one perfect answer. <S> The recipe is sort of vague. <S> It calls for "sage" rather than "dried sage" or "fresh sage" and it doesn't specify a brand of "Italian seasoning", so there's no way to know whether or not theirs included sage already. <S> So, I'd ask myself a couple of questions: <S> How far down the ingredients list is sage in my Italian seasoning. <S> In a list of, say six ingredients, is it second or last? <S> Or, are there twelve ingredients and it's tenth? <S> Remember that ingredients lists are required to be listed from highest percentage to lowest. <S> If it's high up the list, I'd be tempted to omit the sage. <S> If it's really low down on a relatively long list, I'd guess that there's very little actual sage in the seasoning and go ahead and use the full amount in the recipe. <S> If it's in the middle, use half. <S> How much do I like sage? <S> Sage can be a very strong ingredient, so it's understandable if you don't like it. <S> If that's the case, I'd be more likely to leave it out. <S> However, if you like sage, use it. <S> If I had to guess, sage is going to be pretty low on your ingredients list, so my general recommendation based on the information I have is that you use somewhere between half and all of the sage as listed in the recipe's ingredients and hope they mean dried sage because if they mean fresh, it's going to be really strong <S> (dried herbs are much stronger than fresh herbs). <S> It's not going to hurt anything one bit. <A> I would add the sage as well. <S> The recipe calls for 3/4 tsp of italian seasoning and 1/2 tsp sage, and even if sage is 1/5 of the italian seasoning that would mean you are only adding 3/20 of a teaspoon of sage to the recipe with it, which isn't very much. <S> By having sage as an extra ingredient the recipe is stating that sage needs to be prominent. <A> I have to say, calls for ingredients as vague as "Italian seasoning" in a recipe are a pet peeve of mine, for basically this reason. <S> One thing you could probably do in this case, since I see that the recipe you linked in your comment was updated recently, is contact the author and find out which Italian seasoning they used, if you wanted to be absolutely precise. <S> Otherwise, if you're in a rush, I say go for it and add the sage. <S> It doesn't seem to me like so much sage or Italian seasoning that it's going to be a make-or-break difference one way or the other. <S> Two other tips that may help: Test for seasoning as you cook! <S> You can definitely do that in this case. <S> Try adding everything but the sage, tasting, and see what you think. <S> Maybe you decide not to go with the extra sage if it tastes delicious as-is. <S> Or add the sage and taste again! <S> You might even decide that the 1/2 t sage isn't enough! <S> I'm generally conservative my first time through a recipe, but I will often be more liberal about throwing in more or even different spices in a later go if I like it. <S> For recipes you decide to keep, treat it as a science and keep a record of your experiments! <S> I make notes on recipes that may include which brands/recipes I used for seasoning blends, <S> what size cans I used, how many onions I bought at my local market to get the amount the recipe calls for, when I make substitutions, and when I decide to go for more/less spice, etc. <S> It won't help you the first time, but it certainly helps for down the road.
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If you really aren't a fan of sage, leave it out entirely!
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How long should I let my tea cool before adding unpasteurized honey to it? I like having my tea with honey. I always buy unpasteurized honey rather than pasteurized honey, to benefit from the healthful enzymes it contains that are destroyed by the pasteurization process. I have heard that unpasteurized honey should not be heated to a very high temperature, because that will (just like pasteurization) destroy the enzymes. So, my questions are: What is the temperature to which it is safe to heat unpasteurized honey without destroying the enzymes in it? Is there a rule of thumb for how long I should let my tea cool to reach this temperature? I do not add anything else (like milk) to the tea that would accelerate the cooling. <Q> Well, after a cursory look online, it looks like the honey shouldn't be heated above 95 degrees Fahrenheit, or what a "natural temperature" of a bee hive would be. <S> Assuming you're drinking black tea, you are boiling the water, so it starts off at around 212 degrees Fahrenheit (near sea level). <S> How long it will take for the tea to cool will depend on what the tea is in and how cool the room you are in is. <S> So, in other words, there really isn't a rule of thumb for the cooling part since the environment the tea is in will dramatically affect how long it takes to cool. <S> I'd just use a thermometer and check it the first couple of times you make the tea. <A> To answer this question we can look first at what temperature is required to pasteurise beverages. <S> I'll take milk as an example. <S> Milk is pasteurised at 72 C / 161 F. <S> Given this <S> I would let the tea drop at least to this temperature first, before adding honey. <S> Update: I read online that honey is pasteurised at 150° F (65.5° C). <S> So this temperature seems to be better than the milk standard above. <S> Given this, letting the temperature drop to 60 C would be recommended to avoid pasteurisation. <S> It's also a pretty good temperature to start sipping your tea :) <A> I found this article online: <S> Heating up to 37 <S> °C (98.6 F) causes loss of nearly 200 components , part of which are antibacterial. <S> Heating up to 40°C (104 F) destroys invertase, an important enzyme. <S> Heating up to 50°C (122 F) for more than 48 hrs. <S> - John Skinner, University of Tennessee <S> Personally I like my tea really hot, so <S> this wouldn't work for me. <S> You said you don't use milk, if you wanted to cool the tea faster, you could add cold water <S> The other option is making iced tea with honey. <S> There is no "definitive time" to get this temperature, you'll have to experiment in your own environment. <S> Factors that can effect how quick it cools are: Thickness of the cup (thinner cools slower) <S> Size of cup (smaller cools faster) <S> If you leave the teaspoon in (cools faster with it in) Temperature of the room
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Use green tea and let it get down to room temperature, add honey and then cool in the fridge or pour over ice.
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What provides the acid for leavening in this banana bread recipe? I have made this banana bread recipe a couple of times. The ingredients are: All-purpose flour Salt Brown sugar Baking soda Bananas Butter Eggs My understanding is that baking soda requires some acid such as milk or yogurt to provide leavening. But this recipe doesn't call for anything that is an acid that I can see. Yet it does produce a perfectly edible loaf and not a dense brick. What is reacting with the baking soda to provide leavening? <Q> ph values: flour 5.5-6.5 brown sugar <S> slightly acidic bananas 4.5-5.2 butter 6.1-6.4 <S> The salt is neutral and the eggs are not acidic, ph 7.1-7.9 <S> The combination of these ingredients is acidic enough to interact with the baking soda to leaven the bread. <S> Even without the bananas, there would be some leavening. <S> Consider the standard ingredients in chocolate chip cookies: flour, sugar, butter, eggs, salt, baking soda and chocolate chips. <S> Though they don't raise nearly as much as banana bread, they do poof up a bit. <A> The banana does. <S> Bananas have a pH level of 4-5 making them more acidic than milk. <A> banana that you are using there. <S> You need to check if its ripe or unripe because unripe ones are little more acidic than the other. <S> To be specific unripe bananas have a pH of around 5.6 and ripe one has a pH of 6.5 <S> Please check this for complete reference on the same: Are Bananas Acidic?
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Most of the ingredients in this recipe are acidic.
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Using food as a cooking fuel to cook other food? I was thinking about it and we use charcoal, gas, wood chips, etc to heat our food; for obvious reasons and since they burn for a long time. But what if, for example, you set a few steaks on fire and use those steaks to cook a hamburger? Would it improve the taste of the hamburger? <Q> In that way you cooked your food with food, but you didn't have to do without either piece of it. <A> There's nothing wrong with experimenting though. <S> Maybe you'll invent something new by burning fruit. <S> Who knows. <A> In a way, exactly that happens in a flambe - potable alcohol (you can drink it <S> and it has <S> calories - food ;) ) is set on fire to cook stuff... <S> and in some preparations (eg very high heat wok cooking), cooking oil (edible calories too) are set on fire for a moment... <S> Of course, there is a symbolic/style/fashion/hip/just plain decadent factor to take into account here - a burger prepared that way <S> would make people CLAIM it tasted better, and that make enough people PERCEIVE it as tasting better, no matter what the actual influence of the technique is - unless it renders the food patently unpalatable, unsafe (though that has a hip factor in itself) or inedible. <S> Also, in a way, any smoking wood you use IS a food ingredient: You process it (by burning it) to extract an edible/palatable fraction (the smoke particles) and add that fraction to your food (by exposing it to the smoke). <A> What about acidity to "cook" fish ? <S> You can make ceviche by "cooking" the fish in lime and/or lemon juice. <S> or salt to cure fish and meat ? <S> You can make gravlax by "cooking" the fish with sugar and salt. <A> Stakes may burn well, steak does not. <S> Go ahead, light a pile of them. <S> I dare you. <S> How long did those burn for before they fizzled out? <S> I generally try to avoid having fat-flare-ups when grilling, as the thick greasy black smoke is the opposite of an improvement in flavor. <S> That would be most of what you'd get from tossing a steak on the coals, which is about the only way you're going to "burn steaks" without having them either not light at all or go out in seconds, depending how hard you try to light them. <S> Your fuel would still be charcoal. <S> The only "practical" application of your general concept which comes to mind (only "practical" due to weird US farming subsidies) would be using a corn-burning stove, and I doubt that would have any particular flavor benefit. <S> You could burn other dry grains, pasta, or nuts if money is no object (presumably if you are starting with "burn steaks.") <S> The nuts will tend to greasy black smoke again (I once gave up on shelling some black walnuts and used the remaining ones for firestarters; They burned quite well.) <A> There is a self -fueling food, but it's only partially self-fueling. <S> You need another heat source to provide the ignition. <S> First, get the fattiest grind of ground/minced beef that you can find. <S> Cook it over either charcoal or a gas grill with a heat deflector. <S> Place the burger directly over the charcoal or heat deflector. <S> Close the lid, which will help heat the entire burger <S> so it renders the fat. <S> As the fat drips, it will create flare-ups which will cook the burger faster than just the starting heat source. <S> It helps to use thinner patties -- as all of the fat is then relatively close to the surface, a higher percentage will drip out ... and the thing will be cooked before the outside becomes a hardened husk.
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If you just want the concept, there are pasta sauces involving egg or egg yolk where the heat from the pasta is the only thing that cooks the egg. It's possible to smoke meat using nuts or herbs, and fish can be baked on a huge slab of rock salt, but other than that, people don't really bother.
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Adding sauce without microwaving the chicken I brought the InnovAsian chicken and broccoli frozen food and missed an instruction. I added the sauce before microwaving the chicken. But the instruction says to microwave the chicken before adding the sauce and add the sauce and microwave another few minutes. What I want to know is, is this an issue? is it still safe to eat? <Q> That won't make it non-safe as long as it gets hot all the way through. <S> MICROWAVE (PREFERRED METHOD) <S> Place bag of sauce in a bowl with warm water to thaw. <S> Open bags of chicken and broccoli and empty into a microwave safe container. <S> Microwave on HIGH, uncovered for 3 minutes. <S> Open bag of sauce. <S> Stir in sauce and heat for 3 additional minutes or until hot*. <S> NOTE: <S> MICROWAVE OPERATING AT 1200 WATTS. <S> MICROWAVES MAY VARY, ADJUST COOK TIMES TO INDIVIDUAL MICROWAVE. <S> *Internal temperature should be 165°F for at least 15 seconds. <S> These instructions are guidelines only since individual cooking equipment vary in temperature. <S> From the manufacturer <S> It's the 165F (74C) for 15 seconds that is actually relevant for food safety. <S> That's just quite hot all the way through, and is almost certainly an overly conservative recomendation anyway. <S> They specify not heating the sauce as much as the chicken because it's not necessary to heat the sauce for safety. <S> The sauce can burn more easily than the other ingredients, which of course would affect taste, but it's not a safety concern. <A> It may make it a little thicker or thinner but not unsafe. <A> It should be safe as long as the chicken is cooked, but they discourage it because the sauce cooks at a different rate from the entree. <S> Dark, thick sauces like oyser sauce burn extremely easily in microwaves.
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Cooking the sauce in the microwave is not going to make it unsafe to eat.
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Mothballs in food cabinets I tossed mothballs in my kitchen cabinets about a month ago, now everytime I open cabinets all I smell is mothballs, and the food smells like mothballs too. Can I eat the food or should I throw it away? <Q> Mothball is a mild poison. <S> msds Contamination via vapor to food may only be mildly toxic but not a good idea. <S> You can keep food in unopened cans and air tight glass containers. <S> Wipe them down with a mild detergent. <S> Sealed plastic containers is questionable. <S> Remove everything then wipe the cupboards and walls with a light detergent. <S> Let them dry / air out thoroughly before returning food to the cupboards. <A> Even if it safe, it is unlikely to be anywhere near palatable. <S> Throw the food out, clean the cupboards, ventilate them well for a few days, then don't put food back in until all smell of mothball has gone <A> The safer way to fight moths in your food or cabinets is with Diatomaceous earth . <S> This white powder is mined from ancient sedimentary rock, the silica remains of diatoms . <S> Think of it as tiny sea shells smashed into a fine powder. <S> The powder particles are dry and sharp like the tiniest of shards of glass. <S> The particles both slice and desiccate moths and fleas, as well as their eggs & larvae. <S> The powder is chemically inert. <S> You can easily rinse or wipe it away. <S> Avoid breathing any, not because of toxic reactions but because it is a physical irritant and can damage cells. <S> If you vacuum the powder, be sure to do <S> so well-ventilated, preferably with a HEPA filter . <S> You can mix the powder with food items like rice that you later rinse before cooking. <S> The bulk bins at your food <S> co-op or natural foods store are commonly treated this way. <S> You can also sprinkle powder along the edges and crevices of shelves where their eggs/larvae tend to nestle.
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Toss contaminated food As others suggest, toss the food as mothballs are toxic by design, being made of: naphthalene ( CDC report ) 1,4-dichlorobenzene ( CDC report ) Diatomaceous earth
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How to "toss to coat" ingredients in a sheet pan? I've been trying new recipes lately, and I often see instructions along the lines of: Put ingredients in sheet pan Drizzle oil over ingredients Add seasonings to ingredients Toss to coat I understand the purpose of this is to evenly coat the stuff in the pan with oil and seasonings, but I don't understand how to physically do it. If I try lifting the pan to literally "toss" the contents, they all go flying out. I've tried stirring instead, but the pan is too shallow for that to be effective. I've started putting everything in a bowl or bag first and mixing it there, but that's clearly not what was intended. I tried doing a Google search, but it mostly told me that "toss" means "mix" without giving a good technique on how to do this in a sheet pan. What am I missing? How do I quickly and easily "toss to coat" food in a sheet pan? <Q> You use your hands. <S> Or, if you're not a fan of getting your fingers oily, use a pair of tongs. <S> If you're happier with the results when using a bag or a bowl, there's nothing wrong with that. <S> The only downside is that you're getting another dish dirty <S> and you're losing a small amount of the ingredients that would otherwise be coating your sheet pan. <S> If you keep using a bowl or bag, I recommend possibly rubbing a thin layer of oil on the pan as you're not "tossing" the ingredients directly in the pan. <A> I just put all the ingredients in a ziplock or plastic bag, add seasoning, shake it up to mix, then drizzle oil into the bag, and shake it up again to mix all together. <S> Then pour everything onto a sheet pan, and spread out the ingredients. <S> If there is extra oil/seasoning left in the bag, you can pour it over the ingredients in the pan. <S> I think it can cut down the amount of oil and seasoning, but I usually just sprinkle on more seasoning. <S> I have <S> never had any problems with cutting back on the oil. <S> As long as everything is well coated, it cooks well, and I don't get extra oil pooling on the sheet pan. <S> You don't have anything extra to wash; just throw out the plastic bag. <A> I often use a pair of spatulas (spatulae?) and lightly toss the ingredients until coated. <S> This is similar to tossing a salad.
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Drizzle oil over the ingredients and then pick them up with your hands and move them around to rub over each other and get evenly coated.
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How can I address watery eggs in a microwaved breakfast sandwich? My blessed wife fixes me batches of breakfast sandwiches consisting of a sandwich thin, some ham and egg whites and freezes them. It's a great breakfast, except for the fact that as it defrosts in the microwave, the egg whites release a huge amount of water and soak the sandwich thin. It seems to me that the problem has to get solved pre-freeze, but if someone sees another approach, that would be great. Somehow commercial folks get around this with packaged breakfast sandwiches...if anyone has any idea, any help would be appreciated. <Q> I see two possible problems with what you've described -- If you don't freeze the egg quickly enough, you're more likely to have larger ice crystals form, resulting in a puddle of water no matter how you defrost it. <S> You should be able to test for this case by just putting the frozen egg in a covered bowl and let it come to room temperature. <S> If this gives you a lot of water, you can freeze the eggs on a sheet pan lined with waxed paper or parchment, then assemble the sandwiches to freeze. <S> Overheating eggs will cause the proteins to tighten resulting in puddles of moisture. <S> (this is mainly a problem with scrambled eggs or egg casseroles). <S> The solution to this is to heat it as little as possible. <S> As for the bread soaking through -- you can also look for alternatives. <S> Bagels and crusty rolls hold up much better to moisture, but bagels in particular can end up really chewy after microwaving. <S> A thicker roll would also have more crumb to absorb moisture. <S> You can also try spreading something on the bread to prevent the moisture from soaking it (although, it can make for messier eating if the sandwich is dripping). <S> For egg sandwiches, I like hot pepper jellies. <A> Udated: I was able to sit and talk with my girlfriend about these, acutaly <S> we were eating them as we talked. <S> Ok <S> this theoretical <S> but here goes. <S> Rice paper, that's right, Vietnamese rice paper . <S> In Vietnam there is a food, <S> Nam Ninh Hoa, It is fresh lettuce, pork sausage, julienne'd carrots and cucumbers, a bunch of different green, a yellow veg <S> i did get the name of and a piece of rice paper that has been folded and fried. <S> you sit at the table and build these and eat em one after the other. <S> You take a piece of rice paper, the paper regular rice paper that has been place it the fridge and that does something to it, slightly pliable. <S> firm but not brittle. <S> put the other ingredients in it <S> wrap it up, dip in a sauce and eat. <S> For clarity: there is one piece of fried rice paper that is included with the other ingredients that are wrapped up in the non fried rice paper. <S> What is relevant is to the OP's question is rice paper . <S> Your wife could just cut them to the size of your sandwich thins and then wrap the egg whites in them. <S> kind of like make an egg white sandwich with the rice paper in place of the bread and then put that into the sandwich and freeze. <S> just eggsperiment with the rice paper. <S> you may have to slightly moisten it, spritz it with water? <S> all of this is to say my answer to the OP is Rice Paper . <S> try it. <S> When you microwave the sandwich the moisture from the eggs will be absorbed by the rice paper. <S> presto magico . <S> non runny sandwich. <A> Well, Jimmy Dean uses an egg patty consisting out of whole eggs, modified corn starch and xanthan gum. <S> The modified corn starch helps absorbing water without heat and the xanthan gum keeps everything together in a rubbery state. <S> Otherwise, I've never heard of frozen cooked egg whites ever being used in a commercial kitchen, only uncooked egg white. <A> It might help to freeze the egg patty separately from the rest of the sandwich. <S> This might give you a chance to brush off any ice crystals that form, meaning less water to try and deal with inside the sandwich. <S> You could either assemble the sandwich when you make it in the morning (with the bonus of being able to heat the elements separately, and possibly discard more water that way), or else after the eggs are frozen, brush off any ice crystals, assemble the sandwich around the frozen egg and put in the freezer again to make your frozen convenience sandwich. <S> Usually I see more ice crystals when something's been in the freezer longer, one reason why making the sandwiches on a delay might help more (maybe make the egg one one week in advance, assemble the whole sandwiches to freeze with last week's frozen egg?) <S> - but it does work that removing the crystals, brushing the ice off, does dry out the item a bit more. <S> Also, this might help the egg freeze more quickly - as per Joe's answer - so the trapped water freezes more quickly, does less damage to the egg, and stays in the egg instead of dripping out. <S> The smaller thermal mass means it should cool and freeze a lot quicker than a whole sandwich, where the bread in particular may insulate it for a longer freezing time.
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And it might make it easier, working with a sturdy and already frozen egg patty, to dust the egg in cornstarch or wrap it in rice paper or something, if you want another layer to absorb moisture with.
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How do I convey an order for over medium eggs without runny yolks? I'm not a chef; I'm a (new) waitress and a few days ago a customer ordered her eggs over medium, but she didn't want the yolks runny. She was very insistent on this, and said she would send them back if they were runny so I put the order in as over hard eggs because I thought the very definition of over medium is that the yolks are just a bit runny. She was pissed and sent the over hard eggs back and told me that she didn't want over hard. So next I tried putting them in as over medium but well done and put a note "yolks not runny". She sent these back too and was absolutely livid, and complained about my terrible service to the manager. How should I have translated her request to the kitchen? <Q> Not to be dismissive, but this just sounds like a difficult guest to me. <S> I think you'll find that this happens from time to time and it can be tough to know exactly what they're asking for. <S> There are two major possibilities here: <S> She was looking for the standard definition of "over medium", but has gotten under-done eggs before and thought she was clarifying; instead her additional information ("not runny") just confused things. <S> She's got some non-standard definition of "over medium", in which case she's going to find it difficult to locate any kitchen that can deliver. <S> This is a bit like defining a "medium-rare" steak as one without any pink in it, then getting mad when you receive a well-done steak. <S> From a server's perspective, it sounds like you tried a couple ways to deliver what she asked for. <S> Her not being satisfied with that could be the result of the kitchen not quite meeting your request <S> , her not really knowing what she's asking for, or other factors entirely. <S> Perhaps you addressed her in a way she found disrespectful or annoying, and used her eggs as a proxy to complain. <S> (A side note from my experience <S> : somebody insistently telling you up-front that they'll send back their food is a huge red flag. <S> It almost always means they're looking for an excuse to cause a fuss.) <S> Frankly, it's not unusual for someone having a bad day to take it out on service staff over something minor. <S> It's an occupational hazard. <S> When this happens, be polite and clear with your manager about what happened and explain the situation as best you can. <A> My understanding is: Over easy - yolk runny and some white runny Over medium - yolk still runny and white firm Over medium well - yolk not runny but still soft and white firm Over hard - yolk firm; break the yolk before flipping Talk to the cook and ask them what to call a not runny yolk. <S> Based on a comment there seems to be misunderstanding about talk to the cook. <S> You don't ask the cook what it is called to argue with the customer. <S> You ask the cook to know what to write on the ticket. <S> If someone orders a not runny yolk what do I call it on the ticket. <S> If someone orders a well done steak but with some pink you don't argue that is medium well. <A> "Over" = cooked on both sides, such that the whites are completely solid. <S> "Over easy" = cooked on both sides, but lightly enough that the yokes are still runny. <S> "Over hard" = cooked on both sides, long / hot enough that the yoke is completely cooked, pale yellow and dry like a hard-boiled egg. <S> "Over medium" is, as you might expect, somewhere in between. <S> Cooked on both sides. <S> Yolk is NOT runny; it is completely congealed. <S> But it's not cooked long / hot enough to get the yolk completely yellow. <S> It should be congealed but still very orange in color. <S> The idea is that you need to cook it enough, even the yolk, that you kill any pathogens; that usually means internal temp > 140 degrees Fahrenheit. <S> "Over easy" and "basted" may not accomplish this; the centers of the yolks aren't there. <S> The more you cook it, the greater the fraction of the protein that is denatured, reducing the nutritional value. <S> "Over medium" is expected to be "just right," safe to eat but minimally denatured and still retaining maximum nutritional value. <S> There are an increasing number of people (or, at least, so it seems to me) who are getting really picky about their food. <S> Many have weakened immune systems and can't handle "risky" foods. <S> Some just want maximum nutritional value from what they eat <S> and they're not satisfied with the old norms. <S> It has taken some practice for me to get reasonably good at "over medium" because I live with one of those people. <A> The guest should have ordered - fried eggs "basted medium". <S> This is where eggs are fried for 1 minuted and then hot grease ladled or spooned over the yolks until the top of the yolk is cooked as fast as the skillet side. <S> The eggs are never flipped and the yolks are never broken. <S> Basted eggs are removed from the skillet while the center of the yolk is still liquid in the center but hot. <S> To prepare fried eggs - basted requires the cook to stay focused on the order. <S> Most cooks are tossing too many orders at one time to do basted eggs justice. <S> If the guests seems a bit particular with their eggs, politely recommend the guest order scrambled eggs. <S> It works every time. <S> I know this because..... <S> I was married to that woman.... <S> and she taught me how to fry her eggs. <A> Over medium should have a fairly firm yolk. <S> Over hard is something entirely different <S> (you break the yolk and mix it in). <S> This is by definitions I've read at least. <S> I have only seen one restaurant that does it correctly though and most seem to make their over medium identical to their over easy.
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You could just have a cook that is not good with eggs. Just turn in a ticket for medium well and scratch out the medium before you give the ticket to the customer.
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How to modify a bread recipe to accomodate longer proofing times? I used to bake a lot but since I've switch jobs, I do not have enough time in the evening anymore. But I work really close from home so I can go home for lunch if needed. My idea is to start the bread in the morning before work, then return for the second kneading during lunch, then I can bake it at night. I know that I need to lower the temperature during the proofing, so I though of putting the dough in the refrigerator. Will this work? Is there other ways to achieve what I'd like? <Q> Aside from (or even instead of) lowering the temperature, you can drastically reduce the yeast; it will take time for the smaller initial yeast population to multiply to a similar population as the larger amount of yeast to start with, and this will reduce the activity of the dough. <S> As a generally salt-avoiding person, I hesitate to say, but will, that additional salt also slows things down, ferment-wise. <S> It will impact flavor, of course, and at some point become effectively inedible, so don't overdo that. <S> If your recipe uses any sugar, you can reduce or remove it...but that will also affect browning and flavor. <S> You may find that the refrigerator slows things down too much to get a loaf risen in the course of a day - or you may need to go the opposite direction on the various yeast-retarding things I just mentioned to overcome the refrigerator temperature on your timescale. <S> Or you can extend your timescale to suit, as needed. <A> I suggest checking out the bread books by Francois and Hertzberg starting with Artisan Breads in 5 Minutes a Day. <S> Their techniques are designed to do things like over the weekend mix up several loafs worth of dough and proof it. <S> Then, when ready to use, take part of it out for a final rise of about 20 minutes and bake which seems to be what you are after. <S> ETA: <S> I suggest this because they have already done the experimenting. <S> I am notoriously bad with bread that if I do one thing slightly wrong I get a brick instead of a loaf. <S> All other cooking I treat recipes as a good starting point. <S> But bread, I want someone else to get it right first, then I try to duplicate what they did. <A> Yes. <S> keep the temp between 50f and 60f and adjust your formulas, timing or temps to accommodate your schedule. <S> Once you establish a routine you will find it very efficient.
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You could buy a used refrigerator for the purpose of bread proofing, ferments, preferment's, sponges, sourdoughs etc.
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Can a fish living in fresh water be called seafood? Pangasius (Wikipedia) says: Pangasius is a genus of medium-large to very large shark catfishes native to fresh water in South and Southeast Asia. ... In 2011, Pangasius was sixth in the National Fisheries Institute’s "Top 10" list of the most consumed seafood in the United States. If I understand correctly, fresh water is not sea water, and has little salt. So why can a fish living in fresh water be called seafood? Thanks. <Q> Don't read too much into the "sea"; there's no rule that every word in the language has to stick precisely to its etymological roots. <S> It's a food word, not a biology word, and fish on your plate looks pretty much the same whether it's freshwater or saltwater fish, so generally it all gets lumped into one category. <A> That usage might be peculiar to the US as most dictionaries like the Cambridge dictionary and Collins Dictionary list the broader definition of seafood as American English and have the narrower definition as the primary definition Fish comes from an Old English word that meant any aquatic animal so most people would probably have just used fish without needing another word to denote all food from aquatic sources in general <A> Yes, you can do so as the term "seafood" is a misnomer. <S> I haven't heard of the term "riverfood" or "lakefood", at least not in English. <S> In Chinese, yes, there is such thing as "riverfood".
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Seafood just means edible aquatic life, i.e. fish and shellfish in general.
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How to make home made jam retain the fruity taste? Today I made a pulp of 2 strawberries, half apple, 4 orange pieces, and 1 teaspoon jaggery. The pulp was tasting fruity. To make jam I put the pulp in a frying pan and cooked on low fire for some time till some of the water dried up. The resultant jam was not thick, it was runny. That is totally fine. Problem is that the fruity taste was gone. It seemed a bit sour. I am just concerned about the fruity taste. How can I retain the fruity taste in home made jam? <Q> Most fresh fruits will lose their "sweet fresh flavor" when cooked. <S> (*geeky stuff at end) <S> When making jams, jellies etc., a good amount of sugar is added. <S> This is done for a couple of reasons, the first is to combine with acid and pectin for thickening, the second is for flavor. <S> When making jam, the proportion of sugar to fruit will be somewhere between 40-100% by weight. <S> (Jaggery is not as sweet as granulated sugar and you would want to add 1/4 to 1/2 more if you were using it in a recipe that called for sugar) <S> Your jam didn't have anywhere near enough sweetener. <S> What you can do to retain the fruity flavor: <S> For cooked jam, add more sweetener. <S> From Wikipedia Fructose <S> The relative sweetness of fructose has been reported in the range of 1.2-1.8 times that of sucrose.[21][22][23][24] <S> However, it is the 6-membered ring form of fructose that is sweeter; the 5-membered ring form tastes about the same as usual table sugar. <S> Warming fructose leads to formation of the 5-membered ring form.[25] <S> Therefore the relative sweetness decreases with increasing temperature. <A> Use a "low sugar" jelly/jam pectin, which balances the amount of pectin to reflect less added sugar, and then follow the directions for making freezer jam/jelly. <S> Since it's preserved in the freezer, the fruit is added to the sugar/pectin/water after it gets taken off of heat, and is stirred for a minute. <S> This results in minimal cooking of the fruit, and it retains a lot more fresh fruit character. <A> Along with balancing the sugar, I suggest a little lemon juice (or Vitamin C) to brighten/sharpen the fruit notes. <S> This especially helps with very/borderline over-ripe fruit. <S> Good luck and good eating! <A> I recall making blackberry jam several years ago from berries that were quite smaller than usual, due to a unusual dry spell that year. <S> The end result that the jam was noticeably stronger in taste and tasted far superior than I have ever had since. <S> This might have been due the lower amount of fluid in the berries. <S> I generally pick my own berries, regardless of what species they are. <S> This jam lasted well over a year in good condition and never lost its' taste.
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Make a fresh fruit (raw) jam that isn't cooked, which will not require a lot of added sweetener Fruit generally contain all 3 sugar types, the majority often being fructose.
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How to prevent light-colored macarons from browning? I have a problem with baking yellow macarons, or any light coloured macarons. The yellow (or any light colour) ones always brown, always! I tried lowering the temperature, I bought the best colours I can get in the UK. The colours are powdered, to reduce the liquid content. Does anyone have a method they could suggest that is fool proof. <Q> As well as the previous answers and if not already doing so, try using beet sugar (e.g. Silver Spoon in UK) rather than cane (e.g. Tate Lyle in UK)as beet sugar takes a little longer to Brown. <A> There are two types of browning, Maillard begins at around 140C and caramelisation at 180C. <S> Maillard needs protein and sugar. <S> Caramelization is a sugar only reaction. <S> Both are exothermic (from memory, could be wrong) and once started, the reaction generated heat will accelerate the browning. <S> Alkaline condition will also promote caramelization. <S> There are bound to be proteins and sugar present in your dough. <S> So, if possible keep your temperature (especially at hot spots in your oven) below 140C. <A> Bravetart wrote an article about this years ago , and noted that some coloring formulations don't play nicely with the oven. <S> She suggests a few brands of gel pastes which work for her.
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So watch out for baking soda and other alkaline ingredients that are not adequately neutralized by acidic ingredients.
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Why did my green tea muffins turn black? I made green tea muffins following the recipe here . I like my muffins moist and fluffy, so I added banana as suggested by the recipe and replaced half of the baking powder with baking soda. I also added a teaspoon of rice vinegar to activate the baking soda. Right before baking the mix was vibrantly green, but after 13 minutes in the oven the muffins had turned very dark — and this morning they were even darker. What happened, and how can I prevent it? <Q> Your first step would be to stick to the recipe. <S> pH changes are well known to interfere with plant pigments. <S> Adding baking soda and vinegar can very well have interfered with something in the muffins, be it the tea or something else. <S> I am not 100% sure this must have been it, but it is the likeliest reason. <S> Also, I would recommend against making changes to a recipe before you have tried it as-written. <S> You cannot know how changes affect it, and what unintended consequences they have, until you have established a reference. <S> For example, you cannot know if your addition of baking soda made the muffins both fluffier and darker, or if it only made them dark without any change in fluffiness. <A> Reviewing HaroldMcGee and thanks to rumtscho's test, it seems to be more complex than just changing the pH environment. <S> The culprit is still likely the banana content though. <S> According to Harold McGee, high temperatures can result in the phenolic components of the banana to create a brown discolorization, even if the enzymes who are usually responsible for the browning process of bananas together with oxygen, are no longer active. <S> An acidic environment helps preventing this, so the high temperature + banana + not very acidic environment is a fair chance for the reason your muffins turned out so dark. <A> If you take a look at the results of.. why does my tea turn dark dark darker when I add baking soda. <S> The results indicate that the chemistry changes. <S> Acids create lighter colors. <S> Use the baking powder and add a squish of lemon juice, the muffins should be lighter.. <A> I blame the banana. <S> Always blaming the banana. <S> Bananas get black, they do. <S> Go again but this time sub in smashed canned pears and a spoon or 2 of mascarpone cheese instead of banana.
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Bases remove some acid ions and allow darker base ions to color the product.
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Is there any point in considering sous vide for unskilled newbie cook? I was considering sous vide as a present for someone, but - being wholly unfamiliar with that cooking method myself except it being trendy - don't know how use(ful|less) of a present that is for them. Is there any point in considering sous vide for unskilled newbie cook who doesn't have too much time to devote to cooking? Specifically, by that I mean someone who doesn't have the time, drive, or natural inclination to be a more expert cook. They don't even use thermometers. They don't cook fancy (or even simply complicated) dishes and most of the time cook same simple staples (steak, stew, soup, simple pasta, roast fish, stir fry, etc...). As far as I'm aware they never cooked a sauce, or anything requiring two stages of cooking. They don't usually have the time to cook anything that requires constant supervision for more than an hour; they are at home for 2-3 hours after work 6 days a week; during which time they are busy. Assuming such a cook continues in the same vein of skill and interest of improving that skill and time commitment; what are the tangible benefits; if any (or downsides, if any) of their having and using sous vide? <Q> I'm a fan of sous vide, and I'm pretty sure it wouldn't make a good present. <S> Sous vide is mainly a technique for improving quality, not speeding up already fast dishes. <S> It can also help move the busy times around (e.g., so you're not so busy when all your guests arrive, useful at a restaurant or if you host parties). <S> First, it's slow. <S> A steak on a grill, you start that something like half an hour before you're going to eat, and that includes starting the charcoal. <S> Less time for gas. <S> A quick sous vide steak would probably be around an hour twenty before. <S> Most of that time is just a bag sitting in the water bath, you don't even need to be home watching it. <S> But it'd be a very late dinner after getting home from work. <S> The basic workflow is first prep and sometimes brown ingredients, second get them in a bag, third they sit in the water bath for a long time (hours, typically), fourth pull from water bath, fifth finish (brown again, garnish with sauces, season, etc.). <S> And honestly, it's fiddly. <S> At least with reasonably priced equipment. <S> You can (and I often do) use ziploc freezer bags, but getting enough air out <S> so they don't float takes practice (and good clips to attach them to a rack). <S> Non-chamber vacuum sealers are often a pain, as they try to suck any liquids into the seal area (often resulting in a failed aeal). <S> I think most sous vide cookbooks, etc. are also intended for non-novice cooks. <S> But if you get it right, it makes an amazing steak! <S> For soups and stews, I'd suggest a slow cooker (Crock Pot). <S> Prep in the morning, cook all day while at work, ready when you get home. <S> Or, going the opposite direction, a pressure cooker. <S> Personally I've only used stovetop ones, but I hear the electric ones are really easy to use, though slightly less capable than stovetop. <A> I'd say it's not so much about the skill of the presentee, but more about whether they enjoy cooking and expanding their foodie knowledge. <S> As has been said, sous vide as such is not particularly complicated - actually, it's probably simpler in some ways: <S> For example, it's e.g. pretty foolproof for many dishes. <S> Furthermore, it could be especially suitable for people with little time: Many items are sous-vided for some time around 24 hours, and do not need any supervision in between, so they could be started one evening and finshed the next evening. <S> This would be much easier than producing e.g. a roast that has to be braised for three hours. <S> In that sense, sous vide is a very helpful technique for busy people. <S> However, there is some effort and planning involved, and so sous vide is primarily suitable for people who consider cooking (at least partially) as a hobby. <S> So: If your friend is a newbie who does enjoy cooking, tries new recipes and techniques etc. <S> , then sous vide is a very good technique they should learn. <S> They will become better cooks quickly, and tehy can start sou-videing stuff right away. <S> If, on the other hand, they are happy with waht they can do in the kitchen and get reasonable meals out of it, then a sous vide is not the right thing - it would be juts a toy that sits on the shelf. <S> Judging from your description, your firend is more likely to be in the latter category, but you'll have to decide for yourself. <A> I think there is a lot of learning to be done with Sous vide. <S> Preferred temperatures, preferred cooking times, flavourings, etc. <S> I am an avid and experienced cook, and I have done a lot of research and experimenting to find my preferred options for SV-ing different proteins, cuts of meat, and so on. <S> There is a lot of varying information out there, so <S> it is really a matter of finding what suits your palate. <S> Having said that, I LOVE sous vide, and I get results with it that I have never been able to achieve any other way. <S> But if someone isn't already interested in trying new ways of cooking and new techniques, I think it would be one of those things that would sit in the back of a cupboard unused. <S> Maybe a slow cooker might be an option that is easier to use for someone that isn't a keen cook... <S> just chuck some meat and veges in, and leave it! <A> Like you, I know only that sous vide is super trendy. <S> But I think you have answered your own question when describing your friend's attitude and relationship to cooking in general.
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Unless that person has expressed an interest in beginning to practice the sous vide cooking technique, it sounds to me like some other gift would be more appropriate.
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What causes butter to "hiss" in the frying pan until I shake it? When frying an egg, I drop about a tablespoon of room temperature butter in the frying pan and turn it on medium flame. As it's melting, it starts to make a hissing sound, and bubbles a bit. Then, I take the pan and give it a shake, spreading the butter around the pan - and the hissing stops, even after putting the pan back on the heat. What's going on? <Q> It stops when there's no more water and only fat/milk solids remain on the pan. <S> When you shake the pan you help release the last few water/vapor droplets into the atmosphere, thus speeding the process. <A> @Vida R is correct, it is moisture boiling off. <S> The surface of you pan is obviously hotter than 212°F (100°C). <S> At that temperature, the entrapped water turns to steam (hissing), the fat transitions from a solid to a liquid. <S> Here's a chart showing the fat, moisture and solids content of various butters ( from here ). <S> Note: <S> the fat and moisture axis' do not start at 0, that threw me off at first <A> At a constant volume, increasing the temperature of a gas yields an increase in its pressure. <S> This increase in pressure causes the gas to spread itself out; i.e., increase its volume, or take up more space. <S> As with a kettle, steam (i.e., water vapor = gas phase of water) experiences an increase in pressure when heated and thus escapes its confinement area (i.e., the inside of the kettle or, in your proposed case, within the butter itself) in order to accomodate its consequent volume increase. <S> The rate at which the steam attempts to increase its volume, however, is too great to fit through the hole(s) <S> it's alloted (this is analagous to a bunch of people trying to escape an emergency situation all through one doorway at the same time) and thus produces pressure pockets that knock up against one another and cause the audible sound waves that we recognize as the kettle whistling or the butter hissing.
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The hissing and bubbles are due to the butter's water content turning into vapor.
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Does there exist a chemical-free, homemade substitute to deli? Kids eat cold cuts cheerfully, whether alone or in sandwiches. I avoid salamis as their (saturated) fat content is conspicuous and alarming, but even the better ones, such as capocollo, are still filled with chemicals, with MSG, sodium erythorbate, and sodium phosphate present in those claiming to be superior because they contain no wheat. The next best option is to prepare my own meat, slice it as thinly as I can, and use that. Unfortunately it'll be necessary to freeze and thaw, since otherwise the time investment would be prohibitive. What is a class of homemade cold cuts that can replace store bought ones? I can think of roasting (slow cooking) lamb, pork, or chicken, suitably spiced with garlic, oil, and mustard, but the resulting flavor does not quite compete with the deli section. Does a healthy (chemical-free) homemade solution exist? <Q> Roast beef is relatively easy to make at home and is much more delicious that store-bought. <S> Here is a good roast beef recipe from the New York Times . <S> There is a Japanese method of cooking chicken called "Torihamu" where the goal is to make the chicken the texture and flavor of deli ham. <S> Here is a little more information and a recipe . <S> A lot of the flavors of deli meat are dependent on salt. <S> A deli meat without salt just does not taste the same. <S> Remember that when making it at home, you will always be using less salt than a manufactured meat. <S> Celery salt may also give you the flavor you need. <S> There's also a lot of good recipes like this DIY Homemade Lunch Meat . <S> Here is a video for making deli ham . <S> The trick to that deli ham texture is cooking gently in water and then pressing. <S> I hope this was helpful! <S> Best of luck to you. <A> It is certainly possible to make classic deli-meats at home. <S> Most "deli meats" fall into the cured category though which means that the preservative agents are still necessary to prevent food borne illnesses such as botulism. <S> Nitrites and nitrates alongside salt are the main inhibitors in this case. <S> At home you CAN safely leave out most of the "fillers" that are often used in commercially prepared things. <S> There is FAR too much to detail here regarding meat curing, however there IS a plethora of information available online regarding everything from ham to salami and more. <S> I encourage you to look into something called "Charcuterie" which is the practice/art of making cured meats and sausages (which is what most deli meat is). <S> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charcuterie <S> There are many books about the subject too. <S> Off hand, several books regarding meat curing and butchery are: The Whole Beast, Charcuterie: The Craft Of Salting Smoking And Curing, Home Production of Quality Meats and Sausages. <S> Again, there is too much about smoking to list here, however there is SO much information online about it. <S> You can either buy a smoker or make your own (google "DIY smoker"). <S> The smoking process generally causes the meat to loose a lot of moisture in addition to adding the smokey flavour which should transform them into something similar to that found in a deli. <A> Nutrition is off topic here and this is kind of in between a nutrition and cooking question. <S> You might want to ask a nutrition focused version of this on health.stackexcange.com <S> I am surprised you are finding packaged lunch meat taste better than what you prepare. <S> My neighbor just grills a chicken breast for his daughter every school night while he is cooking dinner. <S> I like to crock chicken thighs. <S> To me they taste better than a breast in a sandwich as a little more moist. <S> And the are 1/2 the price. <S> I do skin side down with no extra oil and some oregano. <S> Garlic and onion <S> if I have it. <S> You can keep them in the fridge for 2-3 days and freeze for a lot longer. <S> I let them cool just bit <S> and then remove the skin and bone. <S> To me it is easier to remove the bone after it is cooked. <S> I used to trim the fat and skin first but it would be dry. <S> Removing skin last and drain is a lot easier. <S> Below is actually from the BBQ but same basic idea. <S> BBQ taste better than crock but more prone to overcooking as a pretty narrow window. <S> On the left is skins for my dogs and next bone and straight to the fridge.
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If you are not interested in curing meats, smoking them may be another option: things such as smoked turkey breast are common deli meats too.
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Best knives that don't need regular sharpening I'm looking for a knife that doesn't need to be regularly sharpened. The knife is for someone who has damaged wrists, and they find it difficult to have to continuously sharpen their knife. <Q> Ceramic knives will hold their edge 'forever', but are brittle. <S> As long as they don't fall, they should be fine. <S> I googled "ergonomic ceramic knife" and a number of items popped up. <A> IF ceramic and/or serrated knives do not work as a solution, here are the points for choosing a steel knife that will need less frequent sharpening. <S> A good starting point is choosing a knife made from a relatively hard (60-62 HRC) AND high wear resistance steel - VG-10 (not bargain basement grade VG-10 though: there seems to be much that can go wrong in making a knife from that steel), or Aritsugu's A-type steel, are well known to be good choices for that purpose. <S> The key is who eventually sharpens it <S> (can be another person, maybe a professional) has to sharpen it properly - no wire edge. <S> no overheating. <S> intelligent choice of sharpening angles to match knife and user. <S> advising the user on what to do and do not do with it. <S> Alternatively, a knife that integrates well with a sharpening aid made or endorsed by the same manufacturer (Wusthof and Global do offer such) could work - <S> the sharpening by these devices is not ideal but acceptable for some. <A> Don't believe the marketing - any knife will dull after some use. <S> But... You don't need to sharpen knives every time! <S> You don't need to shave with your cooking knives. <S> For real cooking work to be done it's enough just to hone (to fine the cutting edge) with sharpening steel. <S> Look at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nd7r-3RGpJA <S> And best of all: 3-5 strokes is enough. <A> For the average knife and user, stay away from "high carbon steel," as they tend to need sharpening and "touching up" relatively more frequently. <S> Standard stainless steel tends to be relatively more brittle. <S> A blade made from what used to be called "chromalloy" (chromium/molybdenum/vanadium steel) is most likely your best option, holding an edge better than high carbon steel and being less brittle than stainless. <S> What will the knife be used for? <S> Cooking/prep work? <S> Self defense? <S> Daily carry? <S> Hunting? <S> All need to factor into blade choice. <S> One parting observation: Use of a ceramic "steele" to touch up the blade might be a better choice if the user has limited mobility. <S> Just use a lighter touch than with a steel Steele. <S> Just my $0.02 <A> As others have pointed out, harder steels will be better at holding an edge, as will ceramic knives. <S> May I suggest though: let the knive be sharpened by a professional? <S> Most week markets or similar have a "knife guy" who will sharpen your knives for a few dollars/euros a piece. <S> And you don't need to do this every month. <S> Every quarter of half year is probably way more than a home cook would need. <S> Inbetween, use a honing rod to keep the edge sharp.
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Also, sharpening it when it is new can be advisable: Very few knives come with an optimal edge when they are new.
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Which varieties of milk cheese are raw food? Which varieties of milk cheese are raw food? I mean the well-known varieties of cheese, not the many varieties small vendors can have that are only known in small areas. I think that a good definition of raw food cheese is that it's made of unpasteurized milk and it's not heated above or 40°C I've always assumed that feta , queso latino/queso fresco, kashkaval ( link2 ) and Telemea are raw, but maybe I'm wrong.Maybe these fresh cheese varieties are in general raw? <Q> I would venture that the opposite is usually true. <S> Most fresh cheeses require heating to separate the curd. <S> In the US, commercial fresh cheeses are never raw since they must use pasteurized milk. <S> Emmental (Swiss) seems to fit the criteria. <S> It's held at a heat in the 30s but no higher. <A> They can make you seriously ill, for instance Malta fevers (Brucellosis). <S> Some cured cheeses can be legally made from unpasteurized milk as the curing process eliminates harmful bacteria/fungus. <S> These specialty cheeses are said to be richer in taste that similar cheeses made from pasteurized milk. <A> I found a list of raw milk cheeses in German, including what Germans call "Weichkäse" (which is not the same as what I understand under "fresh cheese", but there is substantial overlap). <S> Note that this does not mean that each cheese on the list is always made from raw milk, or that the raw milk has not been heated over 40 C during the production (for example, for camembert you can either start with cold milk and heat it to 35, or start with cold milk, heat it to 50+, then let it cool down to 35). <S> It means that some producers of these kinds of cheese use a method which fits your criteria. <S> Camembert de Normandie <S> Cappregio Munster cheese (that's the French cheese from the Vosgues, especially the Munster-Géromé AOC, not the American Muenster cheese) <S> Pico Queijo de Pico <S> Roquefort <S> Taleggio White brine cheese, Balkan style (what is usually called <S> "Feta" - Feta is an AOC, so all analogues have to be called something else in formal contexts)
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Fresh cheeses are never made of unpasteurized milk (with the exception of illegal cheeses).
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Why do you need raw milk to make butter? I was reading about making butter at home and all the recipes called for raw (I presume this means unpasteurised) milk. Why is this? They also said to wait for the cream to separate from the milk. I've never seen this happen - is there something about pasteurisation that stabilises the emulsion? <Q> You don't need raw milk (or more precisely, raw cream). <S> I've made butter from cream many times, but never from unpasteurized cream -- I prefer locally sourced organic cream for reasons, but the actual butter-making process is exactly the same with a pint of store-bought. <S> Homogenization and pasteurization are separate processes (even though both are typically performed on milk): <S> pasteurization uses heat to kill bacteria and other pathogens, while homogenization breaks up milk fat particles so they stay mixed into the milk instead of rising to the top. <S> If you want to buy pasteurized, non-homogenized milk to skim your own cream, it may be labeled as cream-top or creamline milk. <S> Raw milk is both unpasteurized and non-homogenized, but I personally like the increased safety that comes with pasteurization. <S> Personal anecdote <S> : I once bought cream-top milk to try to skim it for butter, and the amount of cream a half-gallon produced was about a tablespoon. <S> For me, that wasn't nearly enough to justify the extra work -- my family doesn't drink nearly enough milk in a week to salvage the necessary cream for butter-making. <S> I personally recommend skipping straight to cream :) <A> They also said to wait for the cream to separate from the milk. <S> I've never seen this happen - is there something about pasteurisation that stabilises the emulsion? <S> No. <S> When I was a child, we had pasteurized full-fat milk delivered in bottles to our doorstep, and there was always a separated layer of cream on the top. <S> It's homogenization <S> that prevents the cream from separating. <A> If you overwhip cream, it will become butter, with a small amount of liquid (buttermilk?), you can use milk to whip up a foam for topping coffee, by plunging it in a coffee press repeatedly. <S> I've heard skimmed milk is best for that.
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If you are starting from milk rather than from cream , you will need to get non-homogenized (or unhomogenized ) milk.
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How to pump same amount of paste every time? I am not sure if I am on the right site for this, but here it goes. I have a friend, named Jason, who makes a hot sauce for a company he runs. It is very pasty (made of pepper flakes in an oil). The problem is, when Jason makes a batch, he's got to continually stir up the batch while trying to pour an equal (and evenly distributed) amount of the paste into the bottles. He wants a system that makes it easy and predictable to do this faster. Ideally, he would make the paste, put it in something that keeps it stirred so the flakes don't settle, and from there fill each bottle with the same amount of paste. What kind of contraption would do this? <Q> This thought came to me, and is so different from my first answer <S> I don't think it makes a good edit to that... <S> If the product is really made of pepper flakes in an oil rather than mix a batch at all, measure out a bottle's worth of each, funnel in the flakes, pour in the oil (and seal/heat-process if that's normally done.) <S> Might need some vibration/shaking, but two easily dispensed components mixed in the bottle might be a lot easier than getting the mixture nicely dispensed. <A> Some pump controllers have built in ability to be calibrated and dispense a known volume automagically. <S> Keeping the product mixed before the pump is a different matter. <S> I guess there are some super-cheap (no idea how effective) <S> pot-stirrers now, or there are more expensive ones. <S> Here's a cheap one, I guess it stands in the pot and wiggles its "feet." <S> Unless there's significant budget the peristaltic pump (particularly one with dispensing ability) may be too expensive. <A> You could use a large graduated syringe. <S> such as <S> if you can find one very large then you will not have to fill it as often. <S> You cut the tip to optimize flow. <S> The graduation marks will aid in dispensing the proper amount each time. <S> The medical frock is optional.
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When I consider pumping pasty things with flakes in them and dispensing a known amount, a peristaltic pump is what comes to mind.
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over salted an uncooked steak I seasoned uncooked rib steaks yesterday (using a truffle sea salt). cooked 1 today and it was way too salty. How can I salvage the 2 remaining steaks. I cooked the 1st steak in the oven broiler.Thanks <Q> You could try "reverse brining", using a low salt beef stock to eliminate or reduce the loss of flavour in the steaks. <S> (Stocks I make myself are very low salt so that I can reduce them as needed without them becoming too salty.) <A> @wumpus has a great suggestion using reverse brining. <S> Other than tasting excessively salty, your over-salting will have an effect on the texture of the meat and also suffer from dehydration. <S> Hydration is mostly reversible with some penalty in lost flavours which may or may not be noticeable. <S> Salt ions will change the structures of proteins and most of that will be irreversible. <S> This will inevitably affect the texture and mouth-feel of the meat. <S> Only you can tell if the one you had cooked was too tough. <S> If so, do not expect soaking with water or reverse brining to undo that. <S> If that is the case, the second piece may be ruined as steaks. <S> Once you have dealt with the saltiness, you can repurpose it for other dishes. <S> You can cut them into strips for something like stroganoff or slice them for a stir fry for example where toughness may be masked. <A> I would rinse it off, as suggested in the comments, but I would also try a trick with potatoes. <S> Potatoes are a great salt neutralizer, so I would thinly slice a raw potato and line both sides of it... a layer underneath it, and a layer on top. <S> Then broil or bake as usual. <S> I have had success in de-salting over-salty chicken this way.
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You can also drop slices in an over-salted pot of soup, stew, or in a casserole.
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Possible Wine Substitutions for Sherry When Making French Onion Soup I am making French onion soup, and it calls for sherry. What would be a good substitute for the sherry? <Q> Yes, you can. <S> (I usually use wine, in fact). <S> Note that sherries are a fortified wine <S> , so you may want to add a small amount of brandy as well; say 1 Tbl to 1/4 cup per cup of wine. <S> If you are using a chicken stock, restrict yourself to a white wine; perhaps a rose if you have a particularly dark chicken stock. <S> For a beef stock, red or white will work well. <S> In addition, if the recipe calls for a sweet sherry, you can also use a port or a Madeira. <S> In all cases, add in parts and taste between until you're happy with the result. <A> Avoid 'cooking' sherry as too salty, overpriced, and of dubious taste. <S> I suggest brandy if no suitable sherry is available. <S> Avoid overly sweet sherries (e.g. cream finish) <S> ; I like/use an Amontillado. <A>
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I sometimes use cider and a splash of brandy or rum as a substitute for sherry
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Shortbread with a snap I would like my shortbread to have more of a "crunch" snap to it; to also allow it to travel and not get damaged. Is it too obvious to say cook for longer, or do I need to add more flour? My recipe is as follows: 1034g flour, 924g butter, 462g caster sugar and 264g corn startch. Oven temp 150 for 45min. I am then cutting them into fingers. <Q> Your recipe is a bit short of flour for a classic 3:2:1 flour:butter:sugar ratio, counting both the flour and cornstarch with the flour. <S> You have 1298 grams of flour and cornstarch combined, it needs to be closer to 1386. <S> I would recommend cutting the butter in rather than mixing in order to deliver the best crunch. <S> Last, if you're cutting them into fingers then it sounds like it's pretty thick. <S> I've found it's hard to get thick shortbread to be crunchy without overcooking it <S> , I'd suggest thinner is better. <S> When baking use the touch test to detect when it's ready, you want to bake it until it firms up some, a few test batches will give you an idea when it's reached the point. <A> When making shortbread it is important to keep track of the temperature. <S> Normally one is looking for 'short' pastry which is quite crumbly, and in order to achieve this it is important to have cold butter. <S> If you want them to be harder, it may be as easy as to allow the butter to warm up a bit more. <A> Snap is unusual in standard shortbread. <S> What gives cookies snap is a high level of sugar, with some butter. <S> Think tuille cookies, they snap perfectly. <S> You only have 35% sugar here, I would say increase that if you are willing to fiddle. <S> Or start with a snappy recipe outright, for example a snickerdoodle recipe.
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A bit more flour will certainly help, but your method should also be considered.
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Bananas - too many - so how can I preserve them? It must be banana season as the supermarkets are full of them at silly prices. I am beginning to think that I have come across and tried every banana recipe known to mankind. Is there a method of preserving banana? The weather here is quite dry so I have thought about drying banana slices. How about preserves, is there a way to preserve banana without using any sugar? Unfortunately freezing is not an option for me, since my freezer space is at a premium. <Q> You don't mention what variety of banana you have access to. <S> There is a host of banana varieties and they all have different characteristics in regard to flavor and texture. <S> I will assume that you are referring to the Cavendish variety that is ubiquitous in the west. <S> Cavendish bananas, when ripe, are very fragile. <S> They go mushy easily and oxidize quickly. <S> Before they are ripe they are more starchy but relatively flavorless with kind of grassy overtones. <S> Drying them is easy and great if you like eating a lot of banana chips. <S> Recipes are easy to find. <S> You want to use bananas that are slightly under ripe. <S> If they are fully ripe they get leathery instead of drying crisp. <S> Some recipes will call for spraying or tossing them in acid or other mixtures to improve the color or flavor. <S> Obviously, living in a dry climate will help a lot making the drying process much faster and so reduce the chance of mold. <S> Instead, an option that is used often in SE Asia where there is a huge variety of bananas is banana jam. <S> This is more like what I would call a fruit butter. <S> The bananas are pureed and cooked with sugar and sometimes pectin and then bottled. <S> Sometimes chunks of fruit are left but they are much more tender than your typical preserves. <S> It tastes good and will keep almost forever. <S> If you haven't bottled before, the bottling process is more involved than drying. <S> It is easy to find recipes. <S> Many of them will include lime juice or other acids to reduce the browning. <S> Often spices are added which will vary according to the local cuisine. <S> The strangest preservable banana application I have seen was Filipino banana ketchup. <S> Not bad <S> but I can't imagine using enough of the stuff to preserve any quantity of fruit. <S> While writing this post I discovered that banana ketchup is made everywhere <S> bananas are more common than tomatoes. <S> It looks like banana ketchup from other cuisines has a greater ratio of banana and is appropriately yellow. <A> You can keep them in the fridge for a couple of weeks. <S> You can dry them. <S> You can comfit* them. <S> You can make chutney. <S> *Comfit with m - sugaring <A> You didn't mention your location in the question. <S> There are lots of types of bananas in the whole world, some are consumed raw and some cooked. <S> I read in another comment that you are in the Canary Islands. <S> Canary island bananas are Cavendish variety, with subtypes Gran Enana, Zelig y Gruesa Palmera. <S> This varieties are mostly consumed raw. <S> Canary bananas are harvested throughout the year, and prices don't vary much. <S> So it doesn't make sense to preserve it. <S> Anyway.. <S> If you have some leftover and got tired of banana bread, etc.. you can make jam, though I find it uninteresting from a culinary point of view : 1kg of Canary ripe bananas (weight without skin) <S> 500g of sugar <S> 1/2 tablespoon cinnamon 1/2 tablespoon of pure vanilla extract juice of 1 lemon or orange <S> Put in a bowl the chopped banana, the sugar and the juice. <S> Leave it to stand for 15 minutes to release a little juice. <S> Put a saucepan over medium heat and add the mixture from the bowl and the spices. <S> Cook on medium heat for about 45 minutes. <S> Stir occasionally. <S> Once cooked, beat with a mixer to get a smoother texture. <S> 🍌 🍌 🍌 🍌 🍌 🍌
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You don't often see banana preserves (chunks of fruit bottled in a syrup) because the ripe fruit falls apart when cooked and the under ripe fruit doesn't have a strong or pleasant enough flavor. You can fry them. You can make marmalade.
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Why are there bitter bits in my cake? I made a vanilla cake from scratch using this recipe and when I removed it from the pan, I noticed little brown lumps along the bottom and edges the size of BB pellets. I tasted one of the spots, thinking it was burnt sugar, but it was very hard and very very bitter. I think it tasted like baking powder but also lemony. This is the second time this has happened to me using different recipes. It never happens when I make a chocolate cake. All the ingredients today were fresh, everything was at room temperature, and the pan was clean. I greased it with Pam and then placed parchment paper circles. I did not have cake flour, so I used AP flour. The batter looked fine and had no lumps in it, I scraped down the sides of the mixing bowl, and nothing tasted off when I licked the spoon. I think it has something to do with adding the baking powder. What would cause this? <Q> It may have been baking powder but it doesn't matter what it was. <S> Cake methods produce a homogeneous batter. <S> There shouldn't be lumps of anything. <S> The sugar is creamed with the butter until it is smooth. <S> The dry ingredients are mixed together and most recipes call for sifting them into the wet to prevent exactly these kind of lumps. <S> I will admit that, unless my dry ingredients are obviously clumpy, I will often skip the sifting step to save another utensil to clean. <S> Make sure that you scrape down the sides of the bowl to ensure there are no unincorporated ingredients. <S> Cake instead relies on low protein flour and lots of fat to keep things tender and the batter should be completely blended. <A> I have been having this problem on and off. <S> I do think it must have something to do with the baking powder, but it doesnt happen everytime. <S> I keep trying to find an answer but, unless it has happened to you, people think you are crazy. <A> I def understand <S> and I agree with changing to aluminum free <S> I never had this issue until I bought store brand baking powder... <S> I usually get the Argo aluminum free <S> and I’ve been baking for years <S> so I know you’re not crazy <A> I’ve made pancakes and biscuits using a new container of baking powder. <S> It leaves tiny burnt bits that are bitter, salty, and starchy. <S> EXACT same recipe, baking powder is the only variable. <S> It’s store brand since other was out. <S> Not crazy!
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Some baked goods, like pancakes or biscuits, intentionally under mix to keep things tender.
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Why does this entire carton of eggs have 2 yolks each? I got chills this morning making breakfast as I cracked open 6 eggs in a row, all having 2 yolks each. I've read this is caused by an anomaly that is considered normal in an egg here and there. I guess the question is, is a whole crate of double-yolk eggs a "bad" thing or a "good" thing? I'm inclined to go with "good" because it seems there's a heck of a lot more protein and nutrients in a double-yoked egg. And yes, that omelette did end up tasting like a 12-egg omelette with half the whites discarded. Yet, having no good evidence whatsoever I'm suspicious these hens were dosed with some fertility drug. Thoughts? Note: Yes all 12 eggs ended up having 2 yolks each. <Q> Double yolking tends to happen more often in spring and with young or very old birds. <S> As commercial egg producers do not tend to let their birds get old, unless you are getting farm eggs, they are likely young birds. <S> Automatic candles may be set up to separate these as suspect so they had to be re-run to verify they were not bad, which will result in them being grouped. <S> When I raised birds, it seemed like brown egg varieties have this occur more often than white eggs, but that is just my experience. <S> Some people actually try to breed for this <S> and it is more common in some birds. <S> It also makes young birds a bit more profitable as the eggs are large than they would normally be for new layers. <S> There are considerable downsides as well for the birds though. <S> The eggs are not viable, almost always if incubated the egg will fail as if both are fertile, the egg cannot support twins, and one failing in the shell will lead to the demise of the other. <S> Also, the eggs are larger, so a young bird is laying eggs larger than it is physically ready to lay, and for an old bird the eggs can become monstrous. <S> This causes a much higher mortality rate in birds. <S> I have <S> very seldom had double yolks in commercial eggs, but there seems to be something in the water this year. <S> Just last week I had a dozen also that 10 of the 12 were double. <S> Just my luck, I was trying to make angel food cake and did not want them. <S> lol <A> Eggs are 'candled', visually inspected against a light source to check viability. <S> It seems to be standard practice for double yolked eggs to be grouped together, though I can't find a source as to why that might be. <S> I have heard of it several times anecdotally though. <A> If your eggs are from a commercial egg company like those common in the US, there are a couple of related factors that could have contributed to your all-double-yolks carton of eggs. <S> 1 <S> First, commercial egg farms tend to raise hens in staggered flocks, with special growing conditions applied to have all the hens in a single flock reach peak productivity and "retirement" age at approximately the same time. <S> This has some advantages of efficiency, but it also means that hens in a given flock will tend to be in double-yolk phases of their lifecycles at the same time. <S> 2 <S> If the eggs of a single flock are processed together, it increases the odds that individual cartons of eggs will have multiple multi-yolk eggs during these phases. <S> This is not necessarily a drawback from the point of view of the egg packager. <S> One side effect of double yolks is that the eggs are larger than normal. <S> 3 <S> Luckily, there is a market for larger-than-normal eggs. <S> Anecdotally, I've found double-yolk eggs in almost every carton of jumbo eggs I've ever bought, and have had cartons with as many as eight-out-of-twelve eggs doubled. <S> Your twelve-out-of-twelve is still impressive, though—and if they were regular-sized eggs, doubly so. <S> 1 <S> Some brands also actually specifically package and market cartons of double yolkers, but I assume you would have noticed that! <S> 2 <S> As mentioned in other answers and comments, hens who are not in the prime of their reproductive lifespan are more prone to ovulation "misfires" such as double-yolk eggs. <S> 3 <S> However, the individual yolks are usually smaller than the yolk from a regular egg. <S> (Similarly, a human woman's abdomen gets bigger with a twin pregnancy than with a singleton pregnancy, even though twins tend to be a bit smaller at birth than the average singleton.) <A> I love double yolker <S> and I find it is indeed more common at certain times of year. <S> I have one brand that I use and it consistently has double yolks almost year round. <S> Sometimes though I will go a couple months without a single, double, yolker, bummer. <S> I generally end up with an entire carton of doubles when I find one in the batch. <S> I know that there used to be a brand at one store that offered cartons of only double yolks. <S> For some reason, they no longer carry them.
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This brings us to the second possible factor: you will tend to find more double-yolk eggs in cartons of extra-large and jumbo-size eggs.
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Can pho be served ice cold? Is pho ever served ice cold similar to that of Korean mul-naengmyeon? If so, does it have a special name? <Q> A (somewhat south) Vietnamese not currently in Vietnam chiming in ^^ : <S> Apart from some exceptions (like cà phê sữa đá ) <S> I have the impression that there are no traditional ice-cold Vietnamese dishes whatsoever <S> (I'd even dare to say that almost all desserts are eaten warm or at least at "room temperature" at 36°C / 96°F). <S> Maybe it's just due to the non-availability of ice and constant power outrages that lead to cozy 20 <S> °C / 68 <S> °F in the freezer . <S> What I've also observed is my Vietnamese relatives in Vietnam always want to have their tender herbs / lettuce / mung bean sprouts blanched and served immediately. <S> The reasons are omnipresent nasty pathogens. <S> (Don't ask me how they eat their bún chả or bánh <S> xèo with lettuce without getting belly-ache. <S> Perhaps it's all about mitigating risk but not completely avoiding it at all costs.) <S> To answer the question: Probably no. <S> At least not traditional phở. <A> You could do it, but you would need to clarify the broth or it would have a somewhat impalpable fatty chew to it. <S> And by clarifying a finished broth, you would alter the taste a bit more than discretely. <S> That does not make it impossible, you will just need to change the order of your stock(s). <S> Start with any fatty components, clarify the broth, add the non-fatty stuff, simmer as usual, cool then skim any fat remaining. <S> Otherwise you are likely to get a greasy-ish texture, which you probably don't want in a cold soup. <S> You can also just skim thoroughly before serving but <S> if the stock has more than a small bit of fat in it, well... <A> Here's the list of ingredients from one example recipe of the Vietnamese dish from Cooking Light on My Recipes : <S> 3 tablespoons chopped green onions, divided 2 tablespoons dark sesame oil, divided 4 teaspoons fish sauce, divided 1 tablespoon reduced-sodium tamari 2 teaspoons brown sugar 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1/2 pound boneless pork cutlets, trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch-thick strips 8 ounces uncooked organic soba noodles <S> 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar 1 teaspoon chile paste with garlic (such as sambal oelek) <S> 3 cups chopped napa (Chinese) cabbage 1/2 cup <S> finely chopped red bell pepper <S> Cooking spray <S> Here's the picture from that recipe: <S> For comparison, here's the list of ingredients from a recipe for mul-naengmyeon that I'm happy to plug because the author is a favorite vlogger of mine, Maangchi's mul-naengmyeon : <S> 10 ounces (280 grams) dried naengmyeon (buckwheat) noodles 2 packets of liquid or powdered concentrated broth that comes with the package of naengmyeon noodles <S> 2 packets of mustard oil that comes with the package of naengmyeon noodles. <S> ½ English cucumber, cut into thin strips 1 Korean pear (or 2 bosc pears) ½ teaspoon <S> salt 1½ teaspoon sugar 1 tablespoon white or apple cider vinegar 1 hard-boiled egg, <S> cut in halves <S> 2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds, ground ice cubes <S> Here's her video of that recipe <S> And the thumbnail from that video:
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I'm not sure how authentic it is, but I was able to find an often repeated dish referred to as Cold Soba Noodles with Vietnamese Pork that is in a way more like mul-naengmyeon than Pho because it's made with buckwheat noodles.
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Is there such thing as "active dry sourdough-variety yeast"? Apologies in advance if this is a stupid question, or if it doesn't sound coherent, but: Is it possible to buy sourdough yeast, ready to use? You can easily find "active dry yeast" for sale in supermarkets. I realize this regular bread yeast is a different variety from your typical sourdough yeast. But can the sourdough type of yeast (I guess it is referred to as "wild yeast"?) be packaged in a way that you can just add it to your dough whenever you feel like baking, and not have to maintain a starter in a special container, with all the fussy feeding rituals, and worries about its health and environmental conditions, etc.? ... I imagine taking care of the starter must be half the fun, but people are always trying to make a buck by selling you convenience, so I wonder if you can buy little packets of "active dry sourdough yeast". Or does wild yeast have some characteristic that makes it impossible to package it up neatly for sale? Or is there some other reason I haven't seen this product, even on the internet? ... Or do I just need to open my eyes, and I will see it in every market? <Q> No, I really don't think you can have "sourdough yeast". <S> If you want sourdough without the "fuss", you can look up sourdough flavor additive and see what works for you - one here , and here , just for examples. <S> The thing is, sourdough starter isn't just yeast <S> , it is a complex community - including several strains of wild yeast and bacteria, and a complexity that comes from aging. <S> Yeasts can be packaged up - though balancing several strains is tricky, especially if you want consistency - but the bacteria is a lot trickier, especially since conditions which support bacteria are easy to contaminate with the wrong strains, and you would want the product quick - so not taking the time for the bacteria to establish a strong culture, which leaves it more vulnerable to said contamination. <S> Bread yeast is, I think, basically what happened when sourdough yeast was cleaned up and regulated and made safe for storage. <S> I have heard of starters <S> that began with commercial yeast - it apparently takes a while for the characteristic flavors to develop, but apparently they do. <S> Also, I've heard extended proofing ( cold proofing ) gives more complex flavors somewhat similar to sourdough, so simple time is, in fact, a factor in how the taste forms - it gives time for the fermentation to work. <S> The fact that adding more time to yeast or dough makes a bread more complex and sour-dough like, makes me think that there's no way to build that flavor naturally and quickly - after all, there's no instant time on our shelves. <A> Yes and no.... <S> A sourdough is not just yeast, but a combination of different yeasts and bacteria. <S> And from that random mix, a stable colony develops. <S> The "political structure" depends on the initial mix and the way you cultivate the starter. <S> Parameters like temperature and humidity can tip the balance towards "more yeasty" or "more sour" and depending on your desired outcome and flours (rye needs more bacteria to break down the enzymes) you plan to use, you'll probably lean more to one or the other end of the scale. <S> So any yeast for sale would be missing the lactobacillae, or more precise, the lactic and acetic acid for the real sourdough flavour. <S> But at least here in Germany, there is liquid or dry "sourdough" available, which is basically an additive that supplies the acidic compounds. <S> It is deactivated (otherwise the bag would explode) and needs extra yeast for baking. <S> In a pinch, I've read some use a bit of vinegar, but that's very much a workaround, IMHO. <S> Side note: If it's the "San Francisco sourdough" you are after, this would require a special lactobacillus L. sanfranciscensis . <S> According to Wikipedia, it is available for commercial use, so you'd probably have to be willing to order a huge batch. <S> Probably nothing you'd find in your grocery, though. <S> Also, the SF sourdough favours <S> Candida humilis over the more common Saccharomyces cerevisiae for yeast. <S> Dry yeasts for sale are typically strains of S. cerevisiae. <A> One thing I have done frequently is dry out and crumble a sandwich bag size of sourdough starter to ease in its transport or gifting. <S> It usually takes about a day to revive it <S> and it retains most of its character after revival. <S> So, in a sense you can do what you are asking, though you will need more time for your dough to leaven. <S> I am not aware of any product like this you can buy, and I'm not sure how long it will remain potent in the dried-out form. <S> Like you said, sourdough is different from active yeast, and if you want sourdough-like results, you will need to follow the feeding/caring rituals. <S> They exist because they are the best known ways of utilizing sourdough. <A> It is possible to buy dried sourdough starter, e.g.: https://www.amazon.com/Breadtopia-Sourdough-Starter-Dry/dp/B002C08SS2 http://www.carlsfriends.org/ <S> It's more than just yeast; it's a combination of yeast and bacteria. <S> And it's not exactly "active". <S> Like a regular sourdough, you have to pitch this with a slurry of flour and water, and wait several days for it to invigorate. <S> Thereafter you can use a portion of it to make sourdough, and keep the rest alive. <S> It would be just as easy to make a starter yourself, using the "wild" yeast in the air in your house (which will have a fair bit of commercial yeast, if you've ever made any bread at all). <S> You may or may not like the mix of bugs you get from that; the advantage of using somebody else's starter is that you know that somebody likes that particular batch.
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In short, if you start a sourdough starter, you'll start with whatever is a) on your flour and b) in the air around you.
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What kind of bread lasts long? My aunt lives in Venezuela. They don't have basics like bread or meat. I have been mailing her food like crackers and canned meat. I want to mail her some type of bread. I don't know what kind would last the longest. <Q> The classic "long-lasting bread" is rather like a very hard cracker - ship's bread or pilot bread. <S> Otherwise flour and yeast (add water and bake after it arrives) would be more suitable. <S> At some point when I had been reading too much old sailing tales I made some ship's bread - it's about as awful as the tales tell, once aged a bit <S> (it was fairly edible, though fairly dense, when fresh, actually.) <S> The commercially produced "pilot bread" is a bit more friendly for eating. <A> Long lasting bread - what sailors these days know. <S> With over 100,000 ocean miles in a small sail boat, and one eye permanently on how much gas we have this is something that we have now got down to a fine art. <S> So, for a 3-4 week passage, wanting bread, but not wanting to bake our own (not wanting to use a lot of gas) we set out to discover what if any 'long-life' bread was available (that does not need chilling or freezing and is to be considered 'warm storage'). <S> Firstly there is the part-baked vacuum packed bread, normally available as either baguettes or rolls. <S> This should have a shelf life of up to 3 months, and takes between 5-10 minutes to bake in the oven. <S> Depends upon where you live, but we can buy this in any supermarket in the bread section, or sometimes in the health food department. <S> Secondly, we discovered that cheap sliced brown bread, in it's original plastic bag/wrapper lasts for at least a month. <S> It is usable for both sandwiches or toast. <S> I would suggest buying some and leaving it un-opened for a while, then tasting/testing it yourself to ascertain if this works for you. <S> However it may depend upon where you are based as to what type of bread you can purchase. <S> You should also be aware of customs protocols for exporting/importing food stuffs to ensure that you are not breaking any laws. <S> This is one type that will last. <A> In the uk you can purchace long life bread products with an extended shelf life. <S> The longest I've seen is 7 months. <S> http://www.carrsfoods.co.uk/brands/baker-street/baker-street-soft-rolls/ <S> They tend to have a dryer concistency than regular bread rolls, and don't toast well. <S> But the flavour is good. <S> I tend to take them if going camping for a few weeks with limited access to replenishment stops. <A> If real long-term storage (months) is intended, and an oven (or a dutch oven and a fire) is available at the receiving location, the best solution would be to create a pre-mix that just needs to be mixed with water <S> (maybe adding oil too, which you could send along), kneaded and baked. <S> Package it in truly air and insect tight containers (vacuum sealing, or bail lock jars or good quality clip lock plastic containers). <S> There are techniques that can keep breads from staling quickly (high oil/low moisture, using partially cooked flour and less gluten structure, maybe using trehalose...), but they will still eventually lose to mold with anything that's isn't very hard and dry in the first place... <A> You have two options here: <S> It will last a long time but I am not sure of the nutritional value. <S> You go with a sourdough bread which was proofed at low temperatures and which was put in a cold oven. <S> The cold temperatures during proofing and the start of the baking process ensure that the bread will last longer. <S> Personally, I'll go with the second option for the natural ingredients and the flavor. <S> But I know some people do not like the taste of sourdough.
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You go with an industrial bread with a lot of preservative.
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Method for including bacon in an otherwise vegan chili? So I've got a vegan chili I make on a regular basis that I think is pretty darn good, but I'm always looking for ways to make it better. (I'm not actually vegan. Obviously.) Last time I included bacon and bourbon but the effect was... not what I had hoped. The bacon became very soggy and the bacon flavor was non-existent. (So was the bourbon flavor, but that's neither here nor there.) Here's my current method for the chili in broad strokes (makes about 10 cups): Saute onions, peppers (as well as the chili peppers), and cuminseeds in some oil until onion is translucent Dump in beans, tomatoes, liquids (usually beer + veggie broth), and spices Pressure cook in the instant pot for ~6 mins Add some tomato paste and then simmer to reduce for 30-60 mins until desired thickness My first attempt at this was just throwing in 3-4 slices of already-cooked, chopped up bacon in during step 2, but clearly that didn't work so well. How can I get this to go better so I have a present-but-not-overpowering bacon flavor without gross floppy bits of bacon everywhere? <Q> You have two different approaches from Catija and eckes, depending on what you favor, but you could also combine both approaches - Start by chopping up the bacon, and then cooking it in the pot until it's nicely crisped and the fat is rendered. <S> Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon, to paper towels to soak the remaining fat from the bacon and leave it in it's crisped state. <S> Leave the drippings/fat behind in the pot, and use that instead of oil to saute the vegetables. <S> This will allow the bacon flavor to permeate the dish, overall, a bit more. <S> Then, either just before serving, or on the side to sprinkle over the served dish, add the bacon or allow the eater to add, themselves. <A> Moving to answer for OP. <S> If you want to save the crispiness, or a least some of it, the suggestions of sprinkling small pieces at serving time would seem the way to go. <S> It will give you the noticeable contrast and even draw attention to the bacon while not over-powering the base chili flavors. <S> The added bonus that eckes points out is that it gives the option to anyone who prefers to stay away from pork or meat in general to just omit it. <S> If however you prefer to get the flavor of bacon through the chili, the opposite direction is the way I would go. <S> With things like chowder, many people start with a block of salt pork or slab bacon. <S> I like the smokiness, so bacon for me. <S> Toss that into your pot first and start to saute it, <S> that is make it your step 0. <S> If too much fat pour off some. <S> Then saute your onions and aromatics in that and go from there. <S> When done or well along, pull out the meat. <S> If you want it back in, chop into small pieces and return it, but it will not have a crisp bacon texture. <S> Small pieces will keep if for being off-putting though. <S> This should get you a deeper flavor that permeates the chili. <S> You could in fact combine the two, use the slab to create the flavor base, then add the crumbles just before serving to accent and provide the texture. <A> I recommend first cutting the bacon up in 1/2 inch (1 cm) squares rather than leaving it in whole pieces <S> (so it's more similar in size to the onion pieces). <S> This won't necessarily prevent it from being soggy... <S> the only way to prevent soggy bacon is to not put it in at all but to put it on top. <S> There's too much moisture in the chili to keep the bacon crispy. <S> Cutting the bacon into small pieces will minimize the gross appearance, though and will help it blend in a bit more. <S> All that said, if you have a lot of flavor in the chili already, I don't know that you're necessarily going to get much from the bacon... <S> it's a flavor that likes to be the star and not compete with other similar flavors... <S> and I don't think that chili is the place for that... <S> but that's just me. <S> You might be able to help emphasize the salty/umami flavor of the bacon by adding some soy sauce, which I find to really help my turkey chili taste more like beef chili. <A> Fry the bacon separately and let it rest on a plate with kitchen paper. <S> When your chili is done, sprinkle the bacon over the individual portions while serving. <S> Your bacon will be crispy and you'll notice the bacon bits during eating. <S> This has also the advantage that you could invite your vegan friends for dinner and share the chili with them.
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I'd say you need to cook the bacon in step one with the onions, peppers et all... don't use any other oil, just let the bacon fat render out.
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What's the best way for inexperienced cook to finely cut cabbage? I really like home-made pickled/fermented cabbage (russian style; which is bigger slice size than typical Sauerkraut; I would say 1mm thick). But I'm not a great cutter - I am very slow and find it quite difficult to do good even fine cut of a whole head of cabbage. What is the best (two criteria for "best": fastest and/or lowest-learning-curve) way to finely cut cabbage in those amounts (1-2 medium sized heads) for someone without devoting 10,000 hours of training to get the professional chef techniques? I'm OK with using tools (mandoline? grater?) as long as a reasonable quality tool that's recommended can be had for $20-$30 range - e.g. "Buy $200 cuisinart with special blade" isn't quite in scope here. <Q> You can try using a good long sharp knife and a large wooden cutting board like Michael mentioned but <S> it can be slow if you're inexperienced. <S> Other cutting boards will dull your knife quickly which is why I mentioned a wooden one. <S> The only other way I know is to use a mandoline. <S> You'd have to first cut the cabbage small enough to use <S> but I know for myself, it would be a lot faster than using a knife. <S> (And I'm an experienced cook too!) <S> I'm not sure if you'd consider $50 <S> (rough estimate as I don't know where you live) expensive. <S> The best, in my opinion, for a home cook is a Börner mandoline. <S> It's German made and does a great job! <S> I'm not advertising their product - only stating that I think it's one of the best. <S> You can check this video that compares a number of different reasonably priced mandolines. <S> https://youtu.be/I15-htHJF_I <A> Mandolines can work, but there's a problem -- cabbages are round, so the leaves aren't flat. <S> This makes it more difficult to cut everything in only one plane, such as would happen with a mandoline or shreading disk on a food processor. <S> Although people have said 'use a long sharp knife' and similar, they haven't mentioned the technique: <S> Remove any outer, discolored leaves Cut the cabbage in half, through the axis of the stem/core. <S> (likely the most difficult step; a really long knife helps) <S> Cut each half into quarters, again through the axis. <S> Cut the core out of the quarter, by taking a diagonal slice. <S> You want to get the core out, but don't cut so far that you're removing the firmly backed bit around the core. <S> Place the diagonal slice against your cutting board. <S> Slice to the desired thickness. <S> I start cutting the top / thinner parts of the leaves first, angling slightly <S> so I'm not getting sheets at the top, and work until I'm into where the core was. <S> I might continue the whole way down from that end, or reverse it at some point (as it's easier to get really thin slices from the bottom while there's still something to grab onto; you want thinner slices where the leaves are thicker) <S> For really huge heads, I might work on eights, not quarters ... or start with quarters 'til <S> I'm to the core, then split it again to finish the slicing. <A> You might be best off buying a mandolin, however usually they aren't wide enough to fit a head of cabbage. <S> P.s. <S> it's good practice!! <A> i use a 14" mezzaluna knife to cut cabbage to the size you're describing. <S> The one i have was $10 on Amazon. <S> It's not currently available, but i'm including a link so you can see what it looks like: <S> https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B00PV3WJHI/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 <S> There are videos on YouTube showing how to use them. <S> It's pretty easy, but it takes a couple minutes to get used to the unusual shape. <S> This type of knife is also known as a hachoir. <S> Here are some YouTube videos: https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=how+to+use+a+mezzaluna+knife <A> Before thinking of other tools because you assume you cannot do it with a knife - check that the knives you have are up to scratch (sharp, and not having a geometry that will make the task hard). <S> If yours cannot cut off a slice with either one backward or forward stroke, or at most one forward-backward cycle... or if the balance means it is hard for you to control it... it is the knife that is ill suited to the task and not you. <A> Ask someone experienced to observe how you handle a knife and to point out some corrections. <S> Basic knife skills can be learned in half an hour or less - the rest is practice. <S> There are many inefficient habits to using a knife, and it's very, very useful to get rid of them. <S> A cook once showed me how to slice stuff safely and efficiently, and now I do most things with a knife for which I previously would have used some special tool (garlic press, mandolina, herb grater). <S> Common mistakes include using a dull blade, a too small surface to cut on, and pushing the blade towards the surface (slow chipping) rather than using a forward/backward motion (sawing). <S> Use the knuckles of your left hand (if you're a righty) to guide the blade, by holding your fingers in a crimp. <S> By only slightly adjusting the angle of these supporting fingers, you can cut very fine slices. <S> Always having your finger pointing downwards and your thumb locked prevents injury. <S> For a large object like a cabbage, or a small layered and slippery object (onions), you need to cut it in half or quarters and place the plane surface face-down. <S> However, this is all really awkward to explain in writing and not so easy to pick up in reading it. <S> It is more simple than you think and will make your life so much easier!
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To make it easier, try slicing the whole head of cabbage in half, so that you have a flat surface to slice the cabbage. If you do much food preparation and cooking, a mandoline is very useful to have. As I said in the beginning: have someone show you how to efficiently handle a knife.
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How can I make a last-minute birthday cake without using artificial flavor or color? My dad's birthday party is tomorrow, and I do not know how to decorate his cake. He does not eat foods containing artificial flavoring or coloring. What are some methods I could use to accomplish this last-minute effort, and still suit his dietary needs? <Q> The options are very wide. <S> You are not telling us what kind of cake you have in mind, so I'll be making a few assumptions here. <S> But once you start thinking outside the box that equals "birthday cake" with "cake with different colours of icing", a whole world of options opens up. <S> Birthday cakes need not be (multi-)coloured. <S> A one-tone cake that plays with texture can be very elegant, from luscious glossy chocolate ganache to swirls of light and fluffy frosting. <S> You don't even need great piping skills (although it's a neat thing to master some day), heaping on the frosting and texturing into big fluffy "clouds" either with a spoon or a knife can be very beautiful and even my 7yo can produce very impressive results. <S> A bright red strawberry or raspberry on a white frosting, a few sprigs of mint or chopped pistachios for a touch of green. <S> Some lemon or orange zest, perhaps. <S> Even some jam or a fruit compote will do, put on top or served as a sauce on the side. <S> Or go for a nature walk and find edible flowers. <S> Choose non-edible decorations. <S> Birthday candles aren't edible, so you can add more non-edible elements. <S> Little flags on toothpicks or even a small garland held up by two or three large skewers come to mind. <S> Perhaps spell out "HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD" on bunting? <S> Print a photo of your dad and mount it on a skewer or two? <S> I have in the past even used toy figurines as cake topper. <S> As long as everything that actually touches the cake is food safe, you needn't worry. <S> You can use some parchment or plastic wrap to create a barrier under a topper, if necessary. <S> The flags in the picture below are made from origami paper, masking tape is very handy, too, because it needs no extra glue. <A> Since it's last-minute, I'm guessing it'll be tough to work out natural colorings, <S> so I'd avoid doing color-based decorations altogether. <S> You can use chocolate chips or shavings, nuts, fruit (fresh or dried), crumbled cookies, or anything else you like as toppings. <S> I think even just an even coating of chopped nuts looks pretty good, but you can get pretty fancy with patterns, especially if you use more than one thing. <S> Or if you want something you can pipe on, make frosting and a ganache (or another frosting) in different colors - plain white and chocolate, or caramel, or maybe even fruit if you have something strongly colored you can puree. <A> What you are seeking are natural food dyes (or natural food colorings ). <S> These are commercially available and you may find them at a local health or natural foods store or even a quality grocers. <S> They can be homemade , if you have the time and can get the ingredients. <S> Examples of their effects in buttercream: (from Nourishing Joy ) <S> Be careful not to end up with natural fabric dyes without careful checking, as many of these are toxic or bad tasting. <A> Takes very little turmeric to give a bright yellow colour - not enough to have a noticeable taste, especially if you use flavouring. <S> Got any beets around? <S> They give a lovely magenta red colour to food. <S> Diluting would give a pale pink. <S> Mashing fresh peppermint leaves will give a green juice but since you couldn't use much without thinning down the icing, it would likely be a pale green. <S> I know of nothing that gives a blue colour since even blueberries cook a purple-red. <S> So forgoing blue, you can play around with those three shades to make some varied colours. <S> None of this is helpful though if you don't have these ingredients. <S> Hopefully, someone else may know of others. <A> Suggestions: Using a stencil, a seive and some icing sugar <S> , you can create simple decorations known as cake dusting Consider using chocolate icing Fruit can be arranged on top to make wonderful toppings/decorations <S> (source: stylemotivation.com ) <A> Jam or Jelly Got a jar of jam or jelly in the fridge or pantry? <S> For jam, you may want to run through a sieve to remove seeds. <S> You may need to add a bit of water or liquor to thin it out enough to press through. <S> If too thin, simmer briefly on stove to evaporate. <S> Mix <S> well to your batter or frosting for a bit of color. <S> Or swirl. <S> After apportioning batter to the baking pans, plop some jelly and swirl with toothpicks or a thin knife. <S> Ditto for frosting, but you may want to practice first on a plate or waxed paper. <S> If too thick for the frosting, thin a bit with water, liquor, or real maple syrup. <S> Heating in a pan briefly can also help to thin. <S> Another alternative: <S> As seen here or seen here . <A> To prepare cake at last minute, i would make vanilla or chocolate flavoured pancakes or red velvet pancakes. <S> For red color, I would use color from beet. <S> Just grate and squeeze color from it and use how much you need. <S> Layer the pancakes by adding some whipped cream or chocolate ganache or cream cheese frosting which goes so well with red velvet pancake. <S> Top it with some more frosting and fruits of your choice. <S> You can definitely play with flavours and look of it.
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Drizzle a series of lines across the top of the cake, then swipe across the lines with a toothpick to get the fancy effect seen commonly on Napoleon pastries. Find edible decorations for that pop of colour.
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What's the best way to warm a baguette? I baked French bread recently. They were crusty outside and moist inside. Delicious! I froze a few. How should I heat them so they're as good as when they were freshly baked? <Q> I spray mine with a little water and then put it in my toaster-oven at 400 (F) for a few minutes. <S> Won't be as good as fresh baked, but it does improve the smell and texture. <A> I've never had any success baking my own, so this is from experience with shop bought but should be applicable. <S> To just eat cold then defrosting as usual (an hour or two at room temperature should do) gives decent results. <S> It won't be as good as fresh but should be better than if you left it out (I always find they go stale very quickly and are generally not great even the next day). <S> It'll get a little crispier than it was when fresh <S> but you get a little of that fresh bread effect without making toast. <A> Very lightly coat the crust in olive oil, wrap tightly in foil and put in the oven for 10 minutes at 400. <A> slice it, apply some butter, toast it at 220 Degree celsius for about 5 minutes. <S> I had it today in the morning just like the mentioned way <S> and they were amazingly delicious.
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If you want it warm or hot then I find wrapping it in tin foil and putting it in a hot oven for 10 - 15 minutes (adjust depending on whether it's still frozen or not) is quite good.
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How long before intended date of use can a ham be purchased? Hams are on sale now (end date of sale 4-11). I want to bake my ham on the 16th. Seems to me I would be cutting down on "eating time" for the ham. What do you think? Thanks. <Q> I don't believe it will make any difference, and here's why - You may be buying the ham a few days earlier, and the ham may be part of a shipment that was received and stocked at a certain date, as opposed to a later date, but it's doubtful there is a significant difference in the dates that a ham on sale today, and a ham bought Wednesday next week was processed and packaged. <S> That's a mass-produced product, with a huge bump in production near the holidays. <S> It's highly doubtful that the store would make a huge (with, assumed on my part, a certain volume discount or seasonal sales price) purchase of hams for the holiday, and then order more hams, not as part of that order, to be stocked before the same event/holiday. <S> What you will also see, depending on how well they gauged demand, is that hams will be deeply discounted a week or two after the holiday, as the remaining hams from their mass order start getting closer to the product expiration date. <S> Your best bet for determining how long before a holiday is (if you're not going to freeze it) looking at the "use by" date. <S> Any pre-holiday ham sale is going to have hams with a "use by" date that goes past that holiday. <A> The meaning of the date somewhat depends on whether your ham is intended to be cooked, or intended to be eaten as-is. <S> If it is a product intended for thorough cooking, then the expiration date can be understood as "bake by" date. <S> The eating time is always the same, 3-5 days counted from the time you cooked your food. <S> It doesn't matter if you cooked it on the first or last date of the expiration period of the raw meat. <S> If the expiration date is 16th and you cook it on the 16th, you can still eat it until the 20th or so. <A> By the standards of raw meats, (cured) hams often have long dates. <S> Surprisingly long. <S> So you would probably be ok. <S> But you should check the date on the packaging, and go with that. <S> You can freeze them. <S> We often do that at Christmas as our preferred size sells out. <S> Defrost in the fridge (might take a couple of days) before cooking.
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So, if you have a ham expiring on the 16th, you can eat it until the 16th. If this is a product intended for being eaten as-is, then the date is the latest eat-by date.
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Sushi/nori/yaki paper - out of date? I make a lot of sushi. But, as I buy the paper/wrapper in 100's, sometimes I do not use it in what might be considered good time. I have searched and searched the packet for a sell or eat by date but there is none. Is this OK to use even though I bought it about 8 months ago, and opened it about 6 months ago. I have made sushi today from it, it seems OK, rolled great and cut brilliantly, but should I be concerned? The paper is not too dry on the edges and is still a great greeny/blackish color. <Q> According to Still Tasty (a site that looks at USDA, CDC and FDA data), nori lasts 2-4 months in the pantry and 4-6 months in the fridge. <S> Also it says: Store in airtight glass or plastic container or in sealed plastic bag. <S> Refrigerate to extend shelf life. <S> Still, nori is completely dried. <S> I imagine that the concern beyond that time frame is staleness, not safety. <S> I have nori that's years old. <S> I would check to be sure that it is <S> somewhat brittle, not leather-like before I used it, but for quality, not safety. <A> I just checked with my Chinese wife. <S> She confirms that it doesn’t go bad but just is less tasty. <A> Once opened, unless tightly sealed in a not-too-big airtight container, it goes stale and leathery quite quickly. <S> It's not going to do you any harm if it's just lost some texture though - so try it and see. <A> I like my nori chewy, personally. <S> You could store it in an airtight container with a packet of silica gel (electronics equipment usually comes with one or more inside the box- <S> and they can be regenerated in the oven), and that would probably keep it from going off <S> but it would dry out faster. <A> i bought my sushi wraps, nori a few years ago, the packages were never opened, and it would be like a double packed plastic on them, as they sheets are plastic wrapped and then the outside package. <S> They have been in my cupboard and not moved. <S> I opened them today and they are gooey. <S> The inside of the package feels like sticky glue, and the edges of the nori sheets are very very sticky. <S> The sheets are moist and bouncing if you press on them, but the stickiness to them worries me. <S> Feels like someone poured glue on them. <S> I think it's safe to say that Nori does have a shelf life and will go bad eventually. <S> These don't smell, they do look green when you hold it up to the light, I am going to chuck all four packages out. <S> I'd be happy to send u a pic if you'd like to see it. <S> I should add that some of the sheets are just really oily, if you touch them your fingers feel like they are oily as if you touched cooking oil. <S> I think mine have gone bad <S> , I've never seen nori that wasn't dry, and I think it's just deteriorating and breaking down. <S> I also wouldn't trust that bacteria would form once the oil and stickiness started forming.
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My instinct is that it's very dry, so it will last for years without going rancid or becoming inetable, if kept in a climate that's not super humid (or kept in the fridge which is very dry air). So although I would use it out of date (and probably have) it's likely to be past its best having been open so long.
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Overheated stainless saucepan - food now sticks I overheated my Stellar stainless steel saucepan. It is discoloured and if I poach an egg in it, it sticks. Is there any way of restoring the surface? <Q> Googling "Stellar non-stick stainless steel saucepan", I read that it has a coating of polytetrafluoroethylene or PTFE - Teflon being one of the brand names people are most familiar with for this product. <S> Stellar Non-stick <S> Cookware reads <S> Never use a non-stick pan on full heat - overheating it will almost certainly damage the coating. <S> ln fact, many more nonstick pans are damaged by being overheated than by being scratched. <S> Sorry to say but non-stick coatings that have been over-heated are damaged and can't be salvaged. <A> Lifted from a similar question elsewhere on StackExchange : <S> If you have hard water, a soak in vinegar can be helpful. <S> A cooked on veneer of calcium carbonate, or similar water minerals, can make food stick to the surface of the pan very tightly. <S> Vineger will dissolve the stuff completely – Wayfaring Stranger Jul 20 '13 at 12:36 <S> You mention you've already tried vinegar, but Wayfaring Stranger's post points up that the issue in this case is not loss of a nonstick coating, but most likely deposition of minerals from whatever was in the pan when it overheated. <S> When I've overheated pans due to inattention (more times than I care to count), I have found that Barkeeper's Friend and aggressive, thorough scrubbing with a green Scotchbrite pad is the most reliable way to get all of the stains and deposits off. <S> Depending on what was in the pan (proteinaceous or fatty food, for example), sometimes Bon Ami works very well, too. <A> From the Stellar product support page : <S> Excessive heat will spoil the appearance of a pan by causing tinting of the surface. <S> Similarly, when cooking starchy foods for the first time, a bluish tinge may be imparted to the cooking surface. <S> Neither the pan nor the food will have been harmed, and the bloom can be permanently removed by using Stellar Stainless Steel Cleaner available from your Stellar stockist. <S> Another bullet-point on the same page begins with: <S> If your purchase has a non-stick coating... <S> So, apparently Stellar does sell pans that are not Teflon coated. <A> Quality stainless steel (all-clad, calphalon, etc.) is never completely non-stick, but you <S> can still fry an egg and have it slide right out without sticking if you follow a few best practices: <S> Your pan must be scrupulously clean. <S> Turn down the fire. <S> Cold fat to a hot pan. <S> By clean, I mean cleaner than clean. <S> Dishwashers can't do it, nor can plain Dawn and a dish-sponge. <S> A sprinkle of barkeepers friend and (when necessary) <S> a green 3M scrungee-pad. <S> Then dry it with a clean towel. <S> Maybe where you live your water is pure as the Himalayan snows, but where I live, it's liquid limestone. <S> No, you cannot air-dry it because your water residue will layer on the surface and you'll be right back where you started. <S> If you did it right, a clean dry cotton cloth will glide over the surface like a hockey puck on wet ice. <S> Don't try to cook to fast. <S> Resist the temptation to crank your burners up to high all the time. <S> Let it take as long as it takes, turn down the heat a little, it might take a little longer, but the results will be more controlled, you'll have better food, and less likely to burn and stick. <S> Some cooking techniques do legitimately need very high heat (like stir-fry in a wok, or searing) but they have their own rules. <S> Preheat your pan. <S> It doesn't have to be NASA-hot, just hot enough to melt your butter, or shimmer your oil. <S> Always add cold fat to a hot pan. <A> Here is what I would recommend based on own experience with an overheated uncoated (neither PTFE nor ceramic!) <S> stainless steel pan: <S> When the inside pan bottom is clean, put 2 table spoons of baking soda into the dry pan and use a just slightly moist, fine dense sponge to polish the inside pan bottom using firm pressure until it is as shiny as possible. <S> Don't use the rough side of a sponge. <S> (However, depending on the material, some dark stains may remain in the metal and never go away again.) <S> You can also use a little bit of fine polishing liquid or cleaning liquid for ceramic stovetops, but make sure you have thoroughly cleaned off the residues of these in the pan before preparing food in it again.
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First clean the pan from burned-in remains and mineral residues using vinegar or citric acid – if it's thick and hard, bring the vinegar in the pan to boil, then let it soak for a day or two before you scrape off the burned stuff.
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