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Is it safe to use raw mushrooms to flavor a broth? I'm following a recipe for making ramen broth. It says to use chicken stock and boil it with several fresh ingredients for 30 minutes to flavor it, one of which is mushrooms. Being a very inexperienced cook I searched online for how to handle mushrooms for cooking. One of the pages I found is by the Norwegian food safety authority and says that mushrooms should be put in cold water and brought to a boil, letting them boil for 10 minutes to remove toxins in them, and that this should be done even if you plan on frying the mushrooms afterwards. It also specifically says that the water used to boil the mushrooms should always be thrown away, I'm guessing because the toxins gets mixed into the water when you boil the mushrooms. My question is, would these toxins not get into the my broth if I am putting the raw mushrooms directly into it? The recipe says nothing about boiling the mushrooms before hand, or is this just something I should know to do? I also see a lot of recipes for mushroom sauces/soups which says to put raw mushrooms directly into the dish as it is being made, would this not have the same problem?` I am using common white button mushrooms (Champignon). <Q> In Norway lots of people still pick their own mushrooms and the Norwegian safety rules for mushrooms picked in the wild do not apply to Champignons you buy in a supermarket in 99.99999% of all cases. <S> ¹ <S> Note ¹: <S> Unless something went horribly wrong in the food supply chain. <A> I've found a source of some interesting background: Mushrooms traded as food. <S> Vol II sec. <S> 1 <S> Nordic Risk assessments and background on edible mushrooms, suitable for commercial marketing and background lists. <S> For industry, trade and food inspection. <S> Background information and guidance lists on mushrooms published by the Nordic Council of Ministers says on p.51: <S> As it is concluded from animal and in vitro studies that the phenylhydrazine derivatives occuring in Button Mushroom (A. bisporus) as well as the mushroom itself may be genotoxic and carcinogenic, a carcinogenic risk for humans cannot be excluded. <S> It is therefore recommended not to eat Button Mushroom in larger amounts. <S> A significantly higher intake than 2 kg/year <S> (average consumption in Denmark, Iceland, Norway and Sweden) is regarded as “larger amounts”. <S> Proper processing of the fresh mushroom reduces the amounts of potentially carcinogenic constituents. <S> The fried, microwaveheated, boiled (especially if boiling water is discarded), and canned mushrooms contain significantly less of the potentially carcinogenic phenylhydrazines. <S> Also ordinary freezing and subsequent thawing (but not freeze-drying) will reduce the content of phenylhydrazine in the mushroom. <S> It is therefore recommended to process/ cook <S> Button Mushroom before consumption <S> but note that this specifically states that frying reduces these compounds significantly. <S> The precautionary advice is also based on consumption of >2kg/year. <S> Similar advice is not given in many countries sharing common food regulations and cultures. <S> So if you're only eating them occasionally, my interpretation of the quote above is that you've got nothing to worry about, especially is you're doing any kind of cooking. <S> Frying the mushrooms first is a real help if you want to maximise the savoury flavour from them, but pre-boiling is likely to extract some flavour which you then discard. <A> This might be the cause of those worries, on general mushrooms. <S> https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/raw-mushrooms-hazardous-or-harmless/ <S> If you follow the link (I didn't post direct because I think Scientific American listing it makes it a bit more credible than some blog's opinion), <S> the dietician states that, while there is agaratine , which is a toxin, in many mushrooms, including those people normally eat raw, the practical dose makes it a non-issue in many cases. <S> See also <S> http://www.anh-usa.org/supermarket-mushrooms-dangerous-to-eat-raw/ <S> If you want to be sure Google up <S> "raw <your mushroom variety> recipe". <S> But I'm not losing any sleep over this myself over the mushrooms I find in my supermarket. <S> If you this was about mushroom in salads or the like then my own opinion is that that level of concern is unwarranted. <S> Edit: to be clear - look up what's relevant to the specific type of mushroom <S> you are interested in, not the recipe or mushrooms in general. <S> Be safe.
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Also, if you're flavoring a broth, it really doesn't hurt to heat the mushrooms if in doubt and heating might actually be better for the flavor aspect.
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Canned corned beef dinner, for hiking Am wondering how to make palatable dinner with canned (European) corned beef (aka bully beef , not the same as American corned beef ). This is for camping/hiking, so preferably not involving too many exotic ingredients and simultaneous operations. Assume a stove, a frying pan, a couple of pots. Have seen suggestions for mixing it with left-over fried potatoes, but that assumes you have left-over fried potatoes. Am looking for general suggestions, not detailed recipes. <Q> You can make a dinner based on corned beef all from tins, but of course that's fairly heavy for hiking. <S> Fresh veg cabln be lighter and keeps a few days. <S> Tinned potatoes are the key to a traditional one-pot camping meal, fried first if you have some oil or margarine with you. <S> Then it depends what you feel like, but baked beans and peas can be used to make a corned beef hash. <S> Alternatively (using two pans of some sort) tinned tomatoes and dried herbs, with pasta on the side tinned/ <S> dried/fresh veg, whatever you can find or transport, and curry paste, with rice <S> You still only need one burner as one pan can be kept hot while serving as a lid for another, so long as you've got a level, stable base. <A> Looks close to Spam , which is popular here in the US. <S> You can slice it and fry it in a pan, or over open fire to get it hot, then place it on a bun and make a sandwich/burger. <S> Add some lettuce, pickle, ketchup, or whatever you prefer/can carry. <S> From the wikipedia article about Bully Beef : Bully beef and hardtack biscuits were the main field rations of the British Army from the Boer War to World War II. <S> It is commonly served sliced in a corned beef sandwich. <S> Also, just cooking slices and eating with fork and knife like a slab of meat is pretty good too. <S> Dicing it into cubes and tossing into a pot of Marconi & Cheese is also another common way to enjoy it. <A> I suggest checking out recipes on the websites of labels that produce tinned corn beef (one example below) as they will have put time and effort into testing the recipes they publish, which may have originated from contributions from the general public, but weeding out recipes that aren't consistently good. <S> https://www.princes.co.uk/recipes/?f=product&q=&t%5B%5D=Corned+Beef <S> ... <S> FYI <S> I have no connection to Princes.co.uk - they just came up first in my online search.
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Dicing it and scrambling with eggs and diced potato (canned potato's work best since they're already soft) is also good.
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1 ltr Milk is not curdling even after squeezing 2 lemons; What could possibly wrong? I was trying to make Paneer (a type of cheese). So I boiled once then added 2 table spoons of lemon juice. Milk should be separated out instantly from water but it's been 20 minutes.. And milk is still unchanged. <Q> Milk proteins will coagulate at particular temperatures and Phs. <S> You wrote that you used 2 Tbs of lemon juice <S> but you didn't say how much milk you added that to. <S> If you used too much milk then the mixture will not be acidic enough. <S> Follow a recipe. <S> You also wrote that you boiled the milk once. <S> I don't know if it is a language barrier issue <S> but it sounds like you boiled the milk in the past. <S> The milk needs to be at near boiling temperatures when you add the acid. <S> The combination of heat and acid will cause the milk proteins to unravel (denature) and tangle up with each other (coagulate) which will result in the curd you are looking for. <S> If the milk has been handled well, that is if you didn't leave it out overnight, then it has likely not spoiled and you can try again by either adding more acid or bringing to a boil as necessary. <A> Have you checked if the milk is ultrapasteurized? <S> Ultrapasteurization denatures the curds of the milk, allowing it to briefly withstand room temperatures in transport. <S> However, it makes it so curdling (and by extension, cheese) is impossible. <A> Milk instantly curdles to form cottage cheese when lemon juice or vinegar is added. <S> Adulteration is rampant in India. <S> Even if it's just diluted with water it should curdle to some extent; even skimmed milk curdles, although it would produce less cottage cheese. <S> The separated water is whey. <S> If you're in the US, maybe it could be added corn syrup that could hinder curdling of milk? <A> May be it is UHT milk or it is low-fat milk. <S> In US, the milk that we get in normal grocery shops don't curd well for paneer. <S> You can use the milk from Whole Foods.
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The milk could be adulterated, treated with detergent, urea, or made using milk powder.
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Method for how much cinnamon to add to recipe I have an apple pancake recipe I would like to add cinnamon to. Cinnamon is not part of the original recipe. How can I determine a good starting amount for cinnamon in any recipe? The original recipe uses 3 tablespoons of sugar. Comparing this to another recipe, I eventually went with 2 teaspoons of cinnamon. My wife says it doesn't need any more but I'm wondering if I should step it up to 1 tablespoon (3 teaspoons). EDIT: In his book "Ratios", Michael Ruhlman says there are fundamental ratios between ingredients that can be applied to cooking and baking. I am wondering if there is a fundamental ratio that can be used for cinnamon and, perhaps, sugar content in a recipe. And, no, cinnamon is not in the book. <Q> There aren't really any hard and fast rules when it comes to deciding how much cinnamon to start with . <S> There are certainly considerations when thinking about how much flour, milk, fat etc. <S> to use in recipes and this is thrust of the book to which you refer. <S> Baking is essentially chemistry and you need to get the proportions of the chemicals right to produce fluffy pancakes and light sponge cakes etc. <S> When it comes to flavouring the results of that chemistry there is less restriction but balancing the flavours should be a consideration. <S> One thing to think about is 'what do I want to end up with'? <S> For example, are you aiming for apple pancakes, apple and cinnamon pancakes or cinnamon and apple pancakes. <S> If you'd like something that's more balanced in apple and <S> cinnamon flavours then add more cinnamon to the same quantity of apples you used before. <S> If you're after something that's essentially cinnamon in flavour <S> but with some apples there to add body then have at it with the cinnamon and go easy on the Bramleys'. <S> I've done some reading in the copies of Larousse Gastronomique and McGee on Food and Cooking we have at home and also consulted a book called The Flavour Thesaurus. <S> None of these suggest any ratios of cinnamon to other ingredients. <S> The addition of flavouring will always be subject to both personal taste and the needs of the recipe. <S> The proportions of the 'building blocks' of a recipe, particularly baking, can be much more easily defined and, to a degree, calculated. <S> Consider this, if you left the cinnamon out of your apple pancakes completely, they'd still be pancakes and have flavour. <S> If you omitted the flour you'd have an mess. <S> As an addition, in series 2 episode 3 of Jamie Oliver's 30 Minute Meals, he raves about sprinkling cinnamon over Sicilian fish dishes. <S> This is an example of there being no set rules about how much of a flavouring to use or where to use it. <S> I'll try and add some inline references to this tomorrow. <A> In your original question you created a starting point by using two teaspoons of cinnamon. <S> You also have the reference of feedback from your tasting, and your wife's tasting and comments. <S> So, in this case, you basically estimated, and used "trial and error. <S> " <S> You can easily adjust from there. <S> Had you asked the question before you made the recipe, I would have suggested finding similar recipes to see amounts others have used. <S> Beyond that, having enough experience with foods and cooking to estimate a useful starting point for incorporating flavors to your recipes is really all <S> I think we could give you. <A> Without years of cooking experience, the best advice that I can give is to look for recipes similar to yours, but have the ingredient you're trying to add, and use that as a starting point. <S> (you may have to adjust based on the number of servings or amount of other ingredients ... <S> if yours makes 4 servings / uses 2 cups of flour, and the other one makes 6 servings / 3 cups of flour, you'll use 2/3 of what they call for). <S> You also need to look at other similar ingredients -- if yours are plain, but the other calls for cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and allspice <S> , you'll likely want a little more than it calls for (unless you also add in the others) <S> For more obscure recipes, where you can't find anyone who's tried what you're planning, you can try to look at not-quite-so-similar recipes, and adjust based on number of servings. <S> (eg, I want pancakes that taste like cinnamon rolls ... <S> look at the amount of cinnamon per roll, and use that amount per serving of pancakes ... <S> although I'd probably make a compound butter or spiced syrup in that case)
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If you only want a background cinnamon flavour to an apple pancake, then start with a smaller quantity of cinnamon.
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How to par cook potatoes for use as home fries If I were to use a deep fryer, and then a flat griddle, at what temp and for how long should I par cook potatoes to later finish on a griddle as home fries? <Q> I wouldn't deep fry potatoes to par cook them for use with anything other than future frying. <S> That cooking method gives the potatoes a hard exterior that won't cook as easily on your griddle. <S> Instead for home fries I prefer to blanch my potatoes in boiling water. <S> This makes them soft and absorbent to seasoning and the starch is pulled to the surface which then gets that nice crispy exterior that you want at the END of the homefry cooking process. <S> Oh <S> and since your size will effect your cooking time I will just give you a ballpark 7-10 minutes <S> but really you are looking for about 60-75% doneness. <A> Deep frying prior to griddle finish can yield fine results. <S> 5-7 minutes seems reasonable for discs or smallish (1") cubes. <S> Cook until just less than fork-tender, meaning there is resistance at the center when pierced with a fork. <S> Completely cool the potatoes, then the finish cooking will give you nice, crisp surface and tender center. <S> As another poster said, boiling is a fine method also. <S> The comment about 'open to seasoning' is not relevant here, as the seasoning will be on the surface and picked up by oil or onions, etc.. <S> If you boil, same rules of just less than fork tender applies. <S> Cool completely and drain to get good, crisp texture. <A> Per J. Kenji López-Alt, The Burger Lab: How to Make Perfect Thin and Crisp French Fries , "you should place potatoes and vinegar in a saucepan and add 2 quarts (1.9L) water and 2 tablespoons (24g) salt" <S> I've found this method to be yielding the best results.
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Just like par cooking for future frying, you want them cooked just through, so the center will be soft and completely cooked on finish cooking.
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What kind of cookie breaks easily into multiple pieces when dropped? Background: I'm going to be running a science workshop for kids, where kids build a "ballistic reentry vehicle" out of a cardstock paper, holding cookies inside it. The kids will be dropping the vehicle from a height of about 6ft. The kids will be designing the box in such a way as to keep the cookies from breaking. I'm looking for a type of cookie that breaks easily when dropped from such a height. I'd prefer not to bake the cookies myself if I can avoid it. I just need to know what kind of cookies I can buy from a store that are most likely to break apart into multiple pieces when dropped. I imagine the cookies would have to be brittle, but I don't know what kinds of cookies tend to be the most brittle that would be readily/cheaply available in a store. I think most cookies are made to retain their shape rather well, but I'm sure some types are more breakable than others. I would prefer cookies that fracture and break apart into multiple pieces easily when dropped, not cookies that simply fracture or flake off the surface. What kind of cookie breaks easily into multiple pieces when dropped? If I had to bake the cookies myself, what would I have to do to ensure that they come out brittle and easily breakable? Without buying and testing all kinds of cookies to find the the right kind, what properties of the cookie should I look for (e.g. ingredients, style of cookie, etc...) that increase the likelyhood of it being easily breakable? <Q> See if you can find a cookie that is both thin and crisp -- the thinner the better. <S> A tuile came immediately to mind as one that gets relatively fragile once it cools. <S> They come in wafers or rolled into cigars. <S> (Pepperidge Farm sells a version, Pirouette, that are filled with chocolate -- but filling might buffer the cookie too much.) <S> A <S> pizzele can also be pretty breakable, but when I've seen them in commercial packaging they are a softer version. <S> A fortune cookie might be too robust to break on a six foot drop, depending on the angle of impact. <S> If you decide to make your own, do the opposite of advice to prevent crumbly cookies : use a "softer" flour (cake flour rather than all-purpose, which has less protein), use too much flour, use not enough fat, overbake, and use a dark cookie sheet. <S> These cookies aren't likely to taste quite as good, though, so if your secondary goal is a tasty treat it might not work out! <A> A spritz cookie would probably work well for you. <S> When made with a cookie press, the shapes have lines indented, which tend to break apart easily. <A> For homemade cookies, my first choice would be snickerdoodles , and my second choice would be something very thin and crisp like Moravian wafers. <S> The cakey texture of a proper snickerdoodle (made with cream of tartar) makes them prone to breakage, and the fragile, thin wafers break easily. <S> As you guessed, most commercial packaged cookies are manufactured with being breakage-resistant in mind. <S> The one exception I can think of is Nabisco Famous Wafers, which are quite fragile, and certainly won't survive an unprotected 6ft fall. <S> If anything, you may find the wafers too breakable. <S> note: <S> I linked to some sample recipes, but have not actually tried those recipes <A> In principle, what should work best are shortbread cookies, <S> that's cookies made out of pie dough. <S> There is a reason that dough is known in German as Mürbeteig (brittle dough). <S> This dough is made from just fat and flour, with very little water for binding, and it falls apart easily. <S> I am not entirely sure how well it will work with storebought cookies. <S> I have had brands which are bound much more strongly than homemade dough, and keep together more. <S> So you will have to try your way through them, getting different brands, or really bite the bullet and bake. <S> They are not a difficult cookie to make, although a beginner won't be as efficient as an experienced baker.
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Minor damage will be more destructive on a thin cookie, while on a thicker one it would just cause some crumbing.
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Should pasta be started in cold or boiling water? There are two main methods, either putting the strands into water already at boiling point, or putting them in cold water and then putting on the heat. Which method is the best to cook pasta? Does it make a difference if you add pasta to cold or boiling water? <Q> As stated in another answer, Italian tradition is that all pasta is cooked in boiling water. <S> A reasonable explanation for this usage is that it's easier to get the time right this way. <S> Pasta is very sensitive to cooking time, and will easily turn from 'al dente' to an overcooked mush if left on the fire a couple of minutes too much. <S> By cooking it in boiling water, you ensure that it cooks in uniform conditions, always at the same temperature, regardless of the starting temperature of the water, the temperature of your kitchen, and the power of your burner. <S> So it is a safer bet that cooking it for the same amount of time will work. <S> In my experience, the time marked on the package is almost always accurate for pasta cooked in boiling water . <S> So it gives you a useful reference point, which you don't have if you cook it starting from cold water. <A> For dried pasta it doesn’t really matter if you start with cold or hot water, as most of the time pasta spends in water is for hydration. <S> And once the hydrated starches reach a certain temperature they gelatinize, thus cooking the pasta. <S> When you start with cold water, you should use less water, which is actually a plus... <S> Note <S> : I forgot to mention, you should swirl the pot every couple of minutes to prevent sticking. <S> However, when you’re cooking fresh pasta, you should directly start with boiling water. <S> As it’s already hydrated, you just need gelatinization. <S> As for which you should do for dry pasta, there are benefits to both: starting from boiling more consistent timing (and less attention), since you can time from when you add the pasta works with long shapes like spaghetti and fettuccine, since they'll soften quickly to bend submerge starting from cold faster overall - less water to boil, and pasta is already starting to cook by the time it hits a full boil easier to avoid initial sticking starchier pasta water, useful for sauces <A> It depends on the pasta shape: <S> There are times when you do want to start with a large pot of already-boiling water. <S> The first is when cooking fresh pasta. <S> Because fresh pasta is made with eggs, if you don't start it in boiling water, it won't set properly, causing it to turn mushy or worse, disintegrate as it cooks. <S> The second exception is with long, skinny pasta shapes like spaghetti or fettucini. <S> Because they stack together so easily, it's more likely than with other pasta shapes that they will stick together. <S> As the pasta heats and absorbs moisture, starches on its surface gelatinize, becoming sticky, If the strands are stuck together when this happens, they'll fuse together permanently, especially in a smaller pot where you have less room to maneuver them. <S> https://www.seriouseats.com/2013/05/ask-the-food-lab-can-i-start-pasta-in-cold-water.html <A> TL;DR please be nice with yourself: only drop pasta in a pot of boiling water (approx 1 liter every 100 grams of pasta) <S> To the eyes of an Italian, the mere allusion to cooking pasta by dropping it into a pot of cold water is unthinkable. <S> On the contrary, you'll end up eating a dish of overcooked pasta with an unpleasant gummy consistence. <S> The rule of thumb is approx 1 liter of water for 100 grams of pasta. <S> Another rule of thumb is opting for the best brands, the ones whose plants are settled in the southermost regions of Italy (Campania, Basilicata, Calabria, Puglia, Sicilia, Molise etc.).
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You always need to drop pasta into a pot of boiling water in order to cook it.
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How do I strain ginger powder to make ginger tea? I was thinking maybe a coffee filter would work, but then it might not have enough time to fully brew the ginger. I don't know what other ways to filter are good. The powder is very fine-grained, and dried ginger is really expensive right now. <Q> So modifying this recipe, and adapting for ginger powder, you should boil the ginger powder for some time and then filter using a coffee filter. <S> However you should try to find the optimum time here <S> , I think it will be less than the time needed for fresh ginger, as the powdered ginger will have waaay more surface area than the fresh ginger. <A> I drink ginger tea (from bought ground ginger) with honey and lemon to soothe a sore throat and for that I just drink it slowly leaving the ginger in the bottom of the cup. <S> That's the low tech method but certainly possible. <S> It seems to clump a little, but I don't know if the honey and lemon affect that. <S> If I wanted something better I'd use two mugs and steep the ginger in water in one, for a few minutes, then pass through a coffee filter into the other (no need to boil the ginger in the water). <S> A one-cup filter cone would seem ideal. <S> I'd certainly make the effort to do this if I was making it for someone else. <A> Your best bet is probably disposable empty tea bags, since they would allow you to submerge the powder in hot water yet keep it contained. <S> They can usually be bought in bulk for fairly cheap (100 for under $5 USD in my area). <S> Since they are usually meant for loose-leaf tea, you might want to double-bag them (with the inside one upside down) so that the opening is better sealed.
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I think, even though it’s way subjective, the best way to make ginger tea/(infusion actually) is to boil the fresh ginger in hot water for 4-5 minutes, and discard the ginger.
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How to remove onions smell from hands? Why does the smell of onions linger on your hands long after you have been cutting them? Even after washing your hands. I have heard that stainless steel remove odors from hands? Is it true? <Q> There are some specific food scent removal soaps. <S> I keep some made by 'method' by my sink. <S> https://methodhome.com/products/kitchen-hand-wash/ <A> Rubbing your hands on sides of a stainless steel knifes works for me. <S> When you're done with the cutting, rub you fingers on the flat side of the knife (being careful of the blade of course!) <S> under running cold water as if you were cleaning the knife. <S> Do this a few times and then wash your hands and the knife with dish soap and water. <S> It removes all the smell from my hands everytime. <S> Also there are various specialist hand washes available for removing food odors as ChefHopeful mentioned in his answer. <A> This might not exactly be an answer to the question <S> but I do think that prevention is an alternative solution. <S> I just prevent the issue all together by using disposable gloves when cutting onions, garlic and other strong smelling items. <S> I personally prefer to use nitrile gloves as I find latex gloves to leave a horrid smell of there own. <S> If using a recipe using freshly squeezed lemon juice you can keep the rind and flesh and rub your hands with that after cutting the onions.
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Though if you have already fouled up your hands I find rubbing them with lemon juice does help.
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Should Rice be soaked before cooking? Is it necessary to soak rice every time before cooking.What happens if you don't soak rice? Does it effect the taste after cooking? If soaking is necessary then, How much time is required to soak rice? <Q> Rinsing the rice is always suggested, it removes the leftover husk, powder from the rice being handled and/or processed, insect fragments (you'd be amazed!) <S> and more. <S> Soaking <S> the rice is part of the cooking process. <S> Wild and brown rice benefit from this because they'll more evenly cook ' to the tooth (al dente)' with less liquid and time; this is how you get a nice and fluffy pilaf. <S> Most good markets have dozens of kinds of rice and each one does best with a different kind of process and finesse. <S> And we haven't even talked about Sushi rice or Arborio <S> (literally: "absorbent") rice yet. <S> Soaking long-grain or basmati rice has benefits too, depending on how you season it. <S> If you like to cook your rice with achiote powder and safflower strands, soaking in some warm water for an hour is really helpful. <S> Some South East Asian recipes call for the liquid where rice was soaked for a few hours as a thickener or ad-hoc liaison. <S> Tinola (a brothy chicken dish) is one, sinigang na baboy (sour pork soup) another. <S> A fan of either dish can tell when the broth is missing that starchy quality only rice can bring. <S> Rice flour, or cornstarch, even in small amounts, would be too much. <S> So. <S> tl;dr; : Always wash whole rice for hygienic purposes. <S> Consider soaking the rice as part of the technique of cooking it, but make sure it's a conscious decision, e.g. "I think soaking it will yield [result]" Pre-packaged parboiled rice usually doesn't need to be washed or soaked, follow the packager's directions and your own instincts / experience. <A> I assume you’re not mixing the terms rinsing and soaking: <S> Rinsing is for geting rid of excess starch on the surface of the rice. <S> This way it won’t be sticky or be less sticky. <S> Soaking rice does two things: <S> It will, hydrate the rice grains; thus they will cook slightly faster (dry rice also cooks pretty fast) <S> You extract the surface starches into the soaking water. <S> if you discard the soaking water, it will have similar effects to rinsing the rice. <A> Rice is going to cook <S> okay even if you don't soak it. <S> You do, however, want to wash it until the water runs clear so that you get rid of excess starch and so that it doesn't stick together. <S> However, if you're worried about arsenic - and apparently this is a thing - soaking <S> the rice would reduce the arsenic levels significantly. <S> It is not something that's ever kept me up at night, but there are parts of the world where it is worth considering.
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If you don't soak the rice before cooking, it will require more liquid and time, and be more likely to come out clumpy and overcooked.
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How do I boil/cook frozen vegetables to maintain nutrients? There are already a few questions on cooked vegetables on Seasoned Advice. I want to know the best way to cook them straight from the freezer to maintain nutrients. I normally put lots of water in a cooking bowl and boil them for a long time. My wife thinks this loses the nutrients. Is defrosting them on a pan with a small amount of butter and letting them slowly cook actually helping? Are there any other methods to maintain the nutrients as best as possible for frozen vegetables? For frozen asparagus I pan cook it very lightly once defrosted with salt and pepper. For broccoli I place it in a pan with water and boil it. Is steam cooking better, or microwaving? I don't have a microwave as I don't believe in radiating food. <Q> What you want to avoid is where you leave lots of liquid behind. <S> When you're boiling, water soluble nutrients (eg minerals, vitamins B) will be leached out. <S> If you cook it slowly in fat (oil, butter, etc.), but it's so much that it's a puddle left behind, you might be losing fat soluble vitamins (eg, vitamins A, D, E) Cooking at too high of a heat can also break down nutrients into other compounds ... <S> but it's a trade-off, as cooking breaks down cell walls and makes them more bio-available. <S> ... <S> Personally, I tend to look at flavor, not just nutrients, as if it doesn't taste good, you're not going to eat it, and then you won't get any nutrients. <S> So, I'd recommend a 'steam-sauté' method: Put the vegetables in a pan with a little bit of water (about 3 TB / 45mL) and a lid Heat until you have steam, and let steam for a couple of minutes (exact time depends on the size of what you're re-heating, but you want them defrosted) <S> Take the lid off, and let most of the water evaporate. <S> You can push the veg to one side to speed this up Add a little oil and whatever seasoning, and cook 'til you get a little bit of color For fresh vegetables <S> , I'll sauté first, then steam. <S> (and for brocolli, I saute the sliced up stems before adding the florets) <A> Use a microwave. <S> Microwaves have been shown to preserve more nutritional value in vegetables than boiling in numerous studies. <S> When it comes to maximizing the amount of nutrients retained in vegetables a microwave literally cannot be beat. <S> If you don't want to use a microwave then you need to blanch them. <S> I defrost mine on the counter, but if you're using enough water then you shouldn't need to worry about the temperature drop too much. <S> Experiment and use common sense when adding frozen stuff to hot water. <S> Now, with the above out of the way, if you're eating enough vegetables it doesn't matter how you boil them when it comes to the micro-nutrients. <S> The simple fact of the matter is that vegetables don't just contain nutrients, they're loaded, absolutely strapped, with them. <S> If you actually eat enough vegetables - with a good amount of variety of course - you should really be getting all of the nutrients you need that you could get from eating vegetables regardless of the amount of nutrition lost to boiling. <S> Cooking method isn't going to make a ton of difference, unless you boil them for 4 hours or something, but even with that if you just eat a few servings of vegetables that aren't cooked to death you should be fine. <S> Keep in mind that adding a ton of fat or sugar to vegetables is going to affect your macro-nutrients(Macro-nutrients are protien, carbs, and fat, Micro-nutrients are vitamins and minerals and stuff) <S> One thing that's important to note is that you probably don't get all of the nutrients you actually need from vegetables. <S> Most Americans don't get enough b12 so you should be taking b12 <S> supplements.(The rate of b12 deficiency in omnivores is high enough to suggest that the average american isn't getting enough b12 from meat <S> either so you should really be eating <S> b12 fortified foods or taking supplements anyway.) <S> Before the argument starts, frozen vegetables lose less nutrients over time than "fresh" vegetables do. <S> If you're not growing your own food, frozen vegetables are the most nutritional choice. <A> sous vide, although cumbersome, is likely best. <S> No water Comes into contact with the vegetables, and this minimizes loss of nutrients. <S> You can also precisely determine the temperature for the vegetables which can minimize loss of water and nutrients.
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A few studies have found that microwaving certain vegetables actually makes certain nutrients more available too so depending on the vegetable microwaving might actually be more nutritious than eating it raw.
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Why is Rum not affected by distillation like Vodka is? Is this true: Distilled alcohol such as gin, vodka, scotch, whisky and rye are produced from fermentation and distillation of wheat, barely or rye. The distillation process separates the alcohol from the gluten proteins, producing an extracted product that is gluten free. Despite being manufactured from grains that contain gluten, the final product contains NO gluten. Rum is distilled from sugar cane and is high in FODMAPs, so avoid if you can. However, it is a gluten-free option safe for those with celiac disease. Why by vodka is the gluten gone but by rum the sugar still an issue if they're both distilled? Quoted source: https://stephanieclairmont.com/alcohol-doesnt-make-belly-ache/ <Q> There's 2 different statements there: <S> Distillation makes alcohol gluten free Rum is gluten free but high in FODMAPs <S> Both could be independently true or false, there's no logical tie between the two. <S> Some of the information in that article is incomplete and/or wrong: <S> Distillation does not result in gluten free alcohol in all cases. <S> It reduces gluten a substantial amount <S> but there is frequently traces left which may not be tolerated. <S> The standard I've heard for gluten free is less than 20 parts per million, but that 19ppm may still cause a problem Gin and Vodka are made from wheat, barley or rye. <S> This isn't always the case, any sugar-producing plant can be used for gin and vodka, for instance beets, potatoes, grapes, sugar cane, corn, etc. <S> There's plenty of grape and potato vodka and gin, which are gluten free because the sugar source never had any in the first place <S> Not all whiskey is made from wheat, barley or rye. <S> Some whiskeys like bourbon are made from corn, although the requirement is only 80% so some may contain wheat as well <S> Repeated distillation can produce a pure alcohol, however it would remove the compounds that give spirits their flavor. <S> Alcohol stills used to make drinking spirits are often shaped in specific ways to retain flavor rather than get rid of it. <S> Some of these flavor compounds aren't friendly to people with stomach problems, so the less flavor the better essentially if you have issues. <S> It helps of the sugar source is bland to begin with <S> and there's no flavor additives. <S> Rum has lots of flavor after distillation because sugar cane has flavor, whisky has flavor from the grain, but has more added if it's smoked (Scottish whiskeys are peated) and gets further from the barrels its aged in. <S> Potatoes are comparatively bland, and vodka isn't generally barrel aged (it is available <S> but it's not the clear stuff you know) <S> so it's a clearer and "cleaner". <A> Assuming your source speaks the truth, different ingredients, fermentation methods, and distillation procedures result in wildly varying beverages. <S> Your source, however, is not necessarily correct. <S> Both the FDA and the TTB disagree, and have ruled that you cannot claim as "gluten free" any alcohol beverage made from gluten-containing grains, no matter distillation method you use (bolding mine): <S> Consistent with the new FDA regulations, TTB will continue to consider “gluten-free” label claims for alcohol beverages that are made from gluten-containing grains to be misleading to consumers who are seeking to avoid the consumption of gluten for health reasons. <S> However, products made from gluten-containing grains may be labeled with a statement that the product was “Processed,” “Treated,” or “Crafted” to remove gluten , if that claim is made together with a qualifying statement that warns the consumer that the gluten content of the product cannot be determined and that the product may contain gluten . <S> You can read a full explanation on their rationale here . <A> Some rums contain sugar because the producer adds it after distilling, presumably because it improves the taste, which (AFAIK) is rather unheard of for other spirits. <S> Some non-authoritative sources: https://vinepair.com/wine-blog/does-rum-have-sugar-in-it/ http://www.alcademics.com/2014/01/how-much-sugar-is-added-to-your-rum.html <S> http://refinedvices.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=485&p=2515#p2515 <S> Note that not all rums contain added sugar.
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Vodka's fermentation and distillation are generally different from rum, and the resulting spirit tends to be lower in congeners and other non-ethanol substances (unless added after distillation).
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What pasta sauces can I make that don't include cheese? I've been making a fairly standard arrabbiata sauce for months, and I'd like to expand the number of sauces I can make. However, many of these recipes involve cheese and/or milk, but I'm sadly lactose intolerant and would prefer to avoid these ingredients. What others sauces could I be making, and what pasta should I use with them? <Q> Tomato Sauce Putanesca Pesto (omit parmesan) <S> Bolognese (meat sauce) Squash Puree (maybe with sage) <S> Olive oil infusions (fresh herb/garlic/chilis/lemon zest) <S> Roasted Red Pepper puree sauce etc <A> There are very few pasta sauces recipe that actually uses cheese or milk products in their recipes. <S> The ones that use cheese are easy to spot (caccio e pepe, carbonara...) <S> so don't do them. <S> You could use lactose free cheese or milk or cream. <S> Remember that real Parmesan contain very little to no lactose. <A> As an italian, Amatriciana Alla norma Sauce "alla Fiorentina" (sage, garlic, capers, basil, chives) <S> Mushrooms and ham Black Cuttlefish (nero di seppia) <S> Aretina sauce (sugo all'aretina) <S> Mushrooms, nuts and truffle sauce <S> And many more!
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To add to other suggestions, have a look at any sauces that use seafood and shellfish, they mostly are based on oil and tomatoes anyway.
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how to get rid the sourness in yogurt My question is about making yogurt at home. I made yogurt at home but there is some problem which causes the yogurt to taste sour. I tried lots of methods to prevent the sourness because I don't like the sourness in yogurt. But unfortunately, I have failed to achieved the expected results. What should i do to make a perfect yogurt at home? <Q> First, choose a streptococcus culture, or maybe bifida. <S> Lactobacilicus bulgaricus gives you more sour yogurt. <S> Second, go as low as your culture allows you. <S> The manufacturer will have given you the range at which your culture can be incubated, choose something at the lower end. <S> But of course make sure that whatever setup you are using can really hold the temperature in range - for example, if you have a culture that can go from 40 to 46 Celsius, but your apparatus has temperature swings of 1.5 degrees Celsius, don't set it to 40, set it to 42. <S> Third, time. <S> Here, you have to see what is the shortest time you can incubate and have the yogurt set. <S> It is a matter of trial and error with a given temperature and culture. <S> Moscafj's answer suggests 5 hours as a starting point for experimentation. <S> Fourth, storage time. <S> Your yogurt can keep going slightly more sour in the fridge. <S> So don't make more than one week's worth ahead. <S> Fifth, make sure that your starting temperature is also correct. <S> I have a relative who is too impatient to wait for the yogurt cool down properly before innoculating, and never uses a thermometer, she just adds the culture to the too hot milk. <S> Her yogurt always reeks of acetic acid to levels I can't tolerate. <S> If you get your variables right as described above, your yogurt can be pretty mild. <A> Sourness in homemade yogurt is a function of incubation time. <S> The longer you incubate, the more sour the yogurt. <S> Sourness in yogurt is not unhealthy. <S> However, if you prefer a less sour yogurt, just incubate for a shorter period of time. <S> Try 5 hours at 43C (109F). <A> If you are using commercial yogurt as your starter, than choose a yogurt that has a mild taste. <S> I find that Fage brand yogurt produces a less sour yogurt even when I incubate as long as 14 hours. <S> Siggy's on the other hand <S> makes a very sour yogurt. <S> If you are using a commercial yogurt starter, choose a product that advertises that it has a mild flavor.
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If you want less sour yogurt, you have to pick the right culture and right process. The sourness is also affected by what bacteria are in your starter.
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Should I use salted or unsalted butter if the recipe doesn't specify? When recipes call for “butter” but doesn’t specify “salted” or “unsalted”, which should I use? Does it matter? <Q> Generally , you should use unsalted butter. <S> You can always add salt to your unsalted butter, but you can't take it out if you want it less salty! <S> If it's just being melted on some vegetables, then salted butter is probably fine. <S> However, different brands of salted butter have different amounts of salt added, which makes it difficult to know how much total salt is going into your food. <S> This is more problematic in baking. <S> It's possible to easily oversalt or undersalt just by using a different brand — leading to unpredictable results. <S> By using unsalted butter, the only salt remaining in the recipe is what you have added, and you have more careful control over the outcome. <S> If you need to substitute one for another, you can estimate how much salt is in salted butter and adjust your recipe accordingly. <S> If you are not sure whether a particular recipe calls for salted or unsalted, look for clues. <S> Is there additional salt in the recipe? <S> (If not, it may expect some salt from the butter. <S> If so, it may expect unsalted butter!) <S> How old is the recipe? <S> (Newer recipes tend to assume unsalted butter. <S> Older recipes tend to assume salted butter.) <S> Where was the recipe written? <S> Different cultures assume different butters (and salt levels may vary between countries for salted butter!); I will not give an exhaustive list here, mostly because I don't know, but it's worth researching. <S> If you have the time, interest, and money, you can try making the recipe twice (once with salted, once with unsalted butter) and see which tastes better. <S> This is a bigger investment, though, so only worth doing if you really want to get the recipe as good as possible. <A> It does matter, using salted butter changes the salt content of the dish, which will change the flavor. <S> It probably won't greatly affect the chemistry of a dish aside from that, however. <S> In my experience it's much more common to see unsalted butter in recipes, so I almost always default to unsalted if the recipe doesn't specify. <S> If they meant salted butter and I use unsalted, I can usually fix it by adding salt. <S> The only real advantage of salted butter is its longer shelf life. <A> Good question!It depends on the dish being made. <S> Easy rule of thumb: <S> Savory/seasoned as a main dish or meat = salted butter <S> Sweet, fruit or greens <S> heavy = unsalted <S> Also - you can make melted/browned butter easily, by slowly melting the butter <S> so you have a stable cooking medium. <A> This may be somewhat country-specific. <S> Here in the UK, sweetness levels which may be considered normal for the US palate are generally considered overkill here. <S> Using salted butter can provide a balance to the flavour which is missing in unsalted butter. <S> Adding salt separately can solve that problem, of course. <S> But with salt levels being relatively consistent in butter over here, and with most people who do use real butter as a spread using salted butter, my experience is that UK recipes are more likely to assume salted butter unless otherwise stated. <A> In the UK, if a recipe just calls for "butter", it is asking for salted butter. <S> This is because historically all butter was "salted butter", with "unsalted butter" being very expensive before the advent of refrigeration due to its low shelf life. <S> Additionally, the majority of products labelled "butter" will be salted butter, with the unsalted butter being explicitly labelled "unsalted butter", e.g. Compare the marketing of major brands in the UK in their use of butter vs unsalted butter: http://www.kerrygold.co.uk/home/products/ https://www.arlafoods.co.uk/brands/butter-and-spreads/ <S> https://www.dairycrest.co.uk/brands/butters-spreads-oils/country-life/ <S> Here is another source: https://www.statista.com/statistics/301909/leading-brands-of-butter-in-the-uk/ <S> What's interesting is that, with the prevalence of internet-based recipes from the US and other English-speaking countries, the term "salted" is now being applied to plain old "butter". <S> e.g. I remember about 5 years ago <S> Sainsbury's started calling butter "salted butter", which confused my partner at the time as she just wanted "butter", thinking this was an extra salty butter. <A> Salt and butter have two very different functions. <S> Using them together does not allow you to control them separately. <S> For example, if you need more fat but the dish is already salted, you need butter but not salt. <A> Just a note on all of this - it is not necessarily just about the taste. <S> A few people have touched on the shelf life, which also makes a difference. <S> Salted butter is designed to last longer, therefore when doing things like baking - where you want to use the freshest ingredients for a better result - you should always use unsalted, because it will be fresher. <S> (Especially true when making "challenging" things like pastry). <A> If it's a recipe for homemade bread they say it's best to use unsalted butter because salt tempers yeast activity, therefore, theoretically, using salted butter would raise salt content (slightly) and possibly lengthen rising time, lessen oven "blooming", and up the finished saltiness of baked bread. <S> Regardless, I don't find it makes that much difference, for bread baking anyway. <A> There is no such thing as unsalted butter . <S> Butter is just made of milk, without salt or any other additive. <S> If you add salt to it, it becomes salted butter, which is a different thing than butter. <S> That said, the word "butter" can sometimes refer to salted butter in some countries like the UK. <S> In countries like France, butter is normally sold unsalted, and salted butter is considered like butter with an additive (salt). <S> So if the recipe needs butter, just take what is the default in the country of origin of the recipe book. <S> If you don't know, just take unsalted butter, it's always easier to add salt afterwise than trying to desalt your butter :-).
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Therefore, if you want to be as accurate as possible, use unsalted butter.
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Is there a replacement for cheese on pizza? How can I make pizza without cheese? Isn't cheese the most important thing on pizza? It allows pizza toppings to stay in place. I tried without cheese, and on bread, but the toppings did not stay in place. <Q> Depending on how much she doesn't like cheese, and what she doesn't like about it, you have a few options. <S> You may even be able to preserve the appearance of pizza. <S> Some of the vegan cheese substitutes now melt like cheese, and some taste like cheese, but few do both - a careful reading of reviews may find one that fails to match cheese in the way she doesn't like. <S> But assuming they don't go far enough, you'll have to get more creative. <S> Folding over the edges of the dough will help stop things falling off. <S> A much thicker sauce is also useful; with some (e.g. corn) starch in it, it will thicken further around the topping as it cooks. <S> Mixing the toppings into the sauce will help stop them overcooking. <S> Flatter toppings like sliced tomato/sausage, or bacon cut from rashers rather than cubes, will also stick better than round things. <S> Or go cross-cultural, and use refried beans under salsa for a "Mexican pizza" that's neither Mexican nor pizza. <S> A fairly thinly topped base with more on the side than you'd normally expect would be a practical way to serve it, if you're still worried about things staying put. <S> There are plenty of ideas for pizza without cheese. <S> Most are vegan, but you can adapt them assuming you're not. <A> You could also try a bechamel sauce if you're okay with dairy. <A> You could always serve her buttered garlic breadsticks with lots of dipping sauce. <S> (I put anchovies in mine, almost better than pizza!) <S> Add a salad and she won't even notice the pizza at the table.
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Ricotta is sometimes used (even without tomato sauce and with a green vegetable); while technically cheese it doesn't have the texture or the taste you'd normally think of as cheese, but will help things adhere. Maybe try some whisked up eggs, like an egg wash to hold your ingredients down.
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how to store rice for 12 hours so it doesn't dry out I have bad experiences with packing rice for lunch, and having it dry out and get gross overnight (like, I'll steam twice as much rice as I want to eat for dinner and pack half of it away). But it always ends up crusty and hard. When I pack it with a lid on, there's just a bunch of condensed water on the lid, and my rice are still hard and crusty. What's the best way to keep it from losing its moisture? I've tried to search for this, but all the results are just tips on food safety, nothing about quality. <Q> For eating rice cold, I find it best to cool it by rinsing with cold water as soon as it's cooked. <S> Then drain well, pack into a close fitting container, and refrigerate. <S> It also works well if you plan to reheat the rice. <S> You may find that you want it a little softer than at dinner the previous night. <S> In that case let it sit hot and wet while you eat dinner, then drain before the cold rinse. <S> This rapid cooling, apart from preventing the rice from steaming in the box, is also good from the point of view of food safety. <A> I have a sister-in-law who has gluten intolerance, so she travels with plastic storage bags with rice in them, in case she arrives at a destination or airport where non-wheat convenience foods are not easily available. <S> I'm not sure if she further wraps smaller portions in plastic wrap. <S> This way, when it's in the bag, she can squeeze out every last bit of air out of the bag before/while sealing it. <S> This minimizes air flow and keeps it more moist <S> , I think. <S> Definitely do not put it in the fridge if you do this, because once it gets cold, the starches harden and need to be heated. <S> Room temperature and this bagging seems to work for her, though I haven't asked her about it in great detail. <S> She also uses a stickier medium-grain rice instead of a long grain, just because it seems to retain a bit more moisture. <A> At our home we regularly eat leftover cold rice the next day with breakfast or lunch. <S> The trick is to be sure that it is not exposed to air and not refrigerated. <S> We leave it in the pot that it was prepared in, being sure to keep it covered/sealed. <S> It stays perfectly good through the next day - in fact we usually don't take it out and put it into a container for the fridge until the next night's meal. <S> Additionally, I also shake off the condensation which gathers on the lid after cooking. <S> I'm not sure if it does anything, but I feel that excess moisture may lend to faster spoilage. <S> It should be noted that this is using Japanese/Korean rice which usually a medium grain Calrose rice which characteristically softer and stickier than Chinese or other rices. <S> I can't say what the results are like for other drier rices. <S> Also, if you use the type of cooker that has a warmer control on it, Japanese/Korean households leave it on constantly so that warm, if not hot rice is available at any time, so that they are able to pack rice while it is still warm in the morning for the day's lunches. <S> Maybe you might want to invest in one of those... <S> It has been my experience that adding water before microwaving helps it to spoil faster if it is not used up completely (eaten). <S> The best method for reheating leftover rice is to heat it sufficiently - approximately 1:30 mins per cup - covered and without adding water. <S> (This is also the time instruction for pre-cooked rice available in individual servings packages in stores.) <S> It comes out like freshly cooked. <S> Well, nearly. <S> Putting leftover rice in the fridge immediately makes it hard, which is easily remedied with a microwave, but when it's not available as the OP stated, the above method works for me. <A> My son's trick is to put however much (leftover) rice you want into the microwave with a small bowl or cup of water. <S> You only need a couple tablespoons of water - 1/4 cup at most. <A> As an experiment, you might try leaving a gap between the rice and the sealed lid, and putting a piece of clean, absorbent, lint-free fabric, ( muslin would be good ) or paper towel, in the gap. <S> If the container is appropriate, you can stretch the fabric over the underside of the lid, trapping it in the seal. <S> This will help keep the humidity even, prevent a condensate forming and dripping back into the rice. <S> I would try this with dry fabric to begin with. <S> If you're still losing too much moisture, you can moisten it first. <S> This is an extension of one method of preparing (long-grain) rice, where it is allowed to finish cooking in its own heat in a very warm oven, similarly sealed. <S> (Salad leaves keep for longer in the fridge, sealed with a dry paper towel.) <A> I've never had a problem with this method. <S> If the rice isn't cool, you will get that condensation inside the container.
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When I cook my rice, after it is cooked, I spread it out on a sheet pan and let it cool completely before placing into plastic sealed containers for storage. Microwave the rice long enough to heat it up; the water will 'resteam' the rice (making it moist again).
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How long and at what temperature and with what oil should doughnuts be fried? I just gave this recipe a try and the results were as follows: The first doughnuts to be fried, sat in for the full time period listed in the recipe (3 minutes each side) and came out nearly black. The outside was severely overcooked while the inside seemed just about right. Once the doughnuts rested until "warm" but not wet, they would not keep the toppings on them at all. Keeping the oil temperature at the designated 350 degrees (F), was incredibly difficult. It fluctuated constantly between as high as 380 to as low as 340. Leaving the doughnuts in for less than 3 minutes (2 minutes, then 1.5 minutes) produced slightly better color on the outside and the center remained fairly consistent. But the doughnuts still wouldn't take any toppings. Moving the doughnuts directly from the oil to the toppings did get some of the toppings to stick to them but somehow the doughnuts cooled before they could be fully covered with the toppings. I'm guessing that I did something wrong during the frying/timing of the doughnuts but the only substitution I made was to use sunflower oil instead of vegetable oil for the frying since I read somewhere else that sunflower oil was recommended. What I'm looking for is consistency and ultimately the soft, tender texture of apple cider doughnuts with just the slight crunchy topping on the exterior. Of course, leaving all the doughnuts in for the same amount of time would get the same consistency but once I realized they were overdone, I decided to experiment to see if I could get it right by trying different things. No soap. So... Does anyone know what the actual timing for doughnuts are while being fried? What temperature/time and with what oil should doughnuts be fried? Thanks for your help! <Q> There's no standard. <S> If you're product is getting burnt, lower your temperature and avoid over filling your fryer oil with product as this will drop your temp. <A> I would recommend 145˚C for your oil temperature, and to cook the doughnuts until the color is appropriate. <S> It may only take 30-100 seconds per side. <S> Good luck with the next batch! <A> Once the doughnuts are risen, heat oil until it reaches 375 degrees. <S> You've really got to have a deep fry thermometer for this, as temperature of the oil is extremely important. <S> Ideally, the oil will remain between 375 and 380, 380 being a little on the hot side.
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This all depends on dough type (density, fat content, moisture, sugar, proofing, etc) and size of product (volume x weight).
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What Can I Make in a Rice Cooker Besides Rice? I received a rice cooker as a gift. I like to know if anything else I can done with it other than, cook rice. you have some ideas? <Q> Roger Ebert (the film critic) has a cookbook for rice cookers : The Pot and How to Use It ... <S> but there's lots of other ones out there, too. <A> I've read that oatmeal works, and probably other types of grains as well. <S> If yours comes with a little steamer insert like mine did, you can steam vegetables in them. <S> There was a fad awhile back of people making cake in them, too. <A> Any grains that cook by absorption, such as bulgur, work well. <S> You can use it for couscous but as that just needs to be soaked in boiling water there not much point. <S> Wetter foods can be cooked in it but the cutoff won't work, so you'll need to keep an eye on them - only worth it if for some reason you can't put a pan on a stove. <S> While it is rice-based, risotto is worth a mention: a single pot meal in the rice cooker. <S> It's worth starting from a recipe. <S> It's worth getting a rice cooker recipe book if you're feeling adventurous.
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Almost anything that can be cooked in a slow cooker (on low) can be done in a rice cooker. Other similar rice-based dishes can also be done.
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How to make meatball style food that keeps its shape How to preserve shape of meatballs and mince-meat shami kebabs? What ingredients help these items keep their shape? We tried chicpea flour, eggs but the bodies do not keep their shape but some chefs make it so solid that you can literally throw it to someone to catch and it will not loose its shape? <Q> Overworking the meat is generally what you want to avoid for a burger, but in the case of kebab meat it may help. <S> It will give it a denser and bouncier texture. <S> To do this, when mixing in the other ingredients, just mix for a bit longer than you normally would, especially with your hands as the heat will probably melt the fat slightly and help to bind it. <S> Keep working it until the texture is smooth. <A> Mix this with the flavourings/herbs and process again if you want the meat to homogenized or keep the herbs with the unprocessed part if you want chunky herbs. <S> It also gives the meat a springier texture. <S> You can achieve the same effect by working the meat with your hands by mashing and rubbing vigorously as the other answer and comment said. <S> Shami Kababs are traditionally made with boneless beef. <S> The chunkier/thready texture of meat helps the kabab hold their shape. <S> Ground beef mince is also used instead if you like it mild. <S> To achieve a balance, you can use half meat cubes and half ground mince. <S> The trick to a good shami kabab is not just in choosing meat with enough fat to keep it juicy and moist but also in the proportion of chana daal cooked with the mince to hold it together, ideally 1kg meat and 250g daal. <S> More the chana daal, softer the texture will be . <S> It's very important to cook the mixture of meat and daal until all the water has completely and absolutely evaporated out of the mixture before you take it off the heat. <S> If the mixture is too wet, the kebabs will not hold their shape and will disintegrate while frying. <S> Adding an egg in the cooked mixture (of meat, chana daal, spices and herbs) and mixing it in with your hand also helps to retain the shape. <S> You can also place the shaped kababs on a flat tray/platter and put them in the freezer for some time to settle . <S> This will help them hold their shape while frying. <S> If the shami kebab mixture is a bit too sticky or loose and feels difficult to hold together while shaping or frying, as a last resort you can add 1-2 tbsp of roasted gramflour to the mixture but that's not recommended as it interfers with the authentic taste of shami kababs. <S> Dip the shami kabab in whisked egg and shallow fry using minimal oil . <S> This gives them a nice golden crust preventing any disintegration. <A> Kneading salt into the meat should denature some proteins to make it more sticky. <S> This can result in a heavy product, as you have alluded to. <S> (I will add a link, a laboratory exercise from a Southern USA university about food science and meat preservation, if I can find it) <S> То lighten the product it is typical in western cooking to add breadcrumbs, but as these decrease the strength, eggs are often added to compensate.
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For meatballs, you can take 1/2 to 1/3 of the meat and process it in a food processor to make it almost gluey.
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What to do with 10 liters Heinz BBQ sauce? I just got a 10 liter bucket of Heinz BBQ sauce for free, and the expiration date is next week. Any ideas how to properly utilize it? <Q> 'Expiration' dates on anything that's not baby formula aren't. <S> They're ' best used by ' or ' sell by ', but many restaurants will get rid of it for liability issues. <S> Although it should be good for many months past that date, it'd be better stored refrigerated, and I suspect most people don't have the fridge space for that sort of thing. <S> What I'd recommend is finding a soup kitchen or similar near you and donating it. <S> They could slow cook chicken or pork in it for a very easy meal, or even glaze and grill it. <S> If any of the churches near you do big dinners as fund raisers, that's another possibility. <A> That's going to be a "best before" date, not a "use by" date (if it's the same ketchup-like stuff you get in the supermarket). <S> So assuming it's sealed at the moment, open it when you want to use some, and then get through it within the "after opening" instructions (probably something like "keep in the fridge, use within 4 weeks"). <S> You may need to decant into smaller containers to fit in a domestic fridge; you could also freeze some at that stage. <A> As people have mentioned in the comments, you can freeze whatever you don't use right away. <S> One caveat with freezing is that when you thaw it out, it might* not be as good to use a condiment. <S> * <S> I say might because depending on the sauce, it could have enough preservatives/coagulants/other science-y stuff in it <S> that it's texture and consistency remain even after being frozen and thawed. <S> Absolute worst case scenario is you now have ~10 liters of marinade in the freezer. <A> I would start with a packet of Penguins or Tim Tams, they are a great dipping substance. <S> You are going to be very happy for a very long time! <S> But don’t be careless with it...
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I would definitely smother it all over whatever you have in your cupboard already. That being said, you could use it as a marinade, a base for a different sauce, as part of a crockpot recipe, or to baste/slather on meat while you grill.
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Is it true that bananas are radioactive? Is it true that bananas are radioactive, and if you eat too many it can kill you? If yes then how many bananas are good to eat at once. <Q> It's also true that eating too many bananas can kill you, but if you manage to eat enough bananas to get radiation poisoning, you're going to die from something else long before potassium exposure comes into the equation - like, say, the death penalty after murdering the next person to bring a banana within 50 miles of you. <S> Source <S> https://xkcd.com/radiation/ <S> Bananas are on the left, third from the top. <S> To better communicate the scale, the top legal (i.e. totally negligible) radiation dose for US workers is equivalent to eating 500,000 bananas/year. <S> There is actually a unit of radiation exposure measurement called the Banana equivalent dose . <S> Suffice to say, there are about a thousand other sources of radiation in your day to day life that you should worry about before how many bananas you eat starts to become a real concern. <S> You can safely eat as many bananas as you please, at least, from a radioactivity standpoint. <A> In addition to the answers explaining that bananas do contain radioactive potassium, but in small amounts, it's also worth noting that your body maintains a fixed amount of potassium through metabolism . <S> So even if you somehow manage to consume 5 million bananas, your body won't actually be exposed to 5 million Banana equivalent doses of radiation. <A> While it's true that bananas are unusually radioactive (which actually means very slightly), you should keep in mind that all plants and animals are radioactive. <S> For people, about half of our intrinsic radioactivity comes from the potassium in our bodies, and about half from the carbon-14 which we all carry around. <S> But this has nothing to do with radioactivity - it's the approximate maximum capacity of the normal human stomach. <S> Eating more than this runs the risk of tearing the stomach and dying. <S> The question of banana radioactivity has sparked the creation of the Banana Equivalent Dose of radiation. <S> It's about 0.1 μSievert. <S> Since it takes about 5 to 7 Sieverts to kill an adult human, the lethal dose (radiation) for bananas is something like 50 million bananas. <S> And it's even harder to kill somebody that way than that rather silly number suggests. <S> The body has a fairly comprehensive and efficient set of mechanisms for keeping things in balance, and excess potassium is typically excreted within 24 hours. <S> Although, admittedly, the changes needed to support the ingestion of 50 million bananas would almost certainly cause other changes in the (formerly) human body, and any discussion of associated effects become pure speculation. <A> Yes, bananas are radioactive . <S> They contain potassium, and a small part of this comes as a radioactive isotope 40 K. <S> The dose of an average banana is (rounded up) around 0.1 μSv. <S> Other potassium-rich foods also naturally contain 40 K, e.g. potatoes. <S> There is absolutely nothing to worry about. <S> Our natural environment and cosmic radiation means our bodies are constantly exposed to radioactive material, but just in trace amounts. <A> If you were to somehow actually take all that radioactivity into your body you would be dead long before the radioactivity became an issue. <S> The radioactive element is potassium--and potassium chloride is used as an execution drug. <S> In practice your body maintains potassium levels at the right amount (too little is also deadly), eating more bananas simply means more potassium in your urine. <S> Besides, I have a jar sitting here next to me. <S> It's far more radioactive than a banana. <S> It's meant as food, though: <A> When people compare the radiation received from other sources with the radiation from eating a banana, the point of the exercise is not to say that eating bananas is risky. <S> It’s to say that the radiation level you’re exposed to from from things like nuclear power is safe, and you shouldn’t worry about it (or about eating bananas). <A> Bananas do have a very small amount of radioactivity, but as showed by the chart linked in another answer, it's a really small amount, compared to the amount you are exposed to by being around everyday items/doing everyday activities. <S> You would need to eat several million bananas in a short time span to actually suffer ill effects/die, which we all know is basically impossible. <S> The bananas would've probably killed you some other way. <S> Basically, don't worry. <A> Well, yes to both, up to a point. <S> All things are radioactive - radioactive isotopes occur in minute concentrations in nature, so stones, trees, water, air, and indeed fruits are radioactive, and it can be measured too, but only because our instruments are very sensitive. <S> Life has evolved in this environment for ~4 billion years, and it is clearly not enough to harm us. <S> As for the second question - if you will forgive the tongue-in-cheek answer - anything will kill you if you eat too much; that could be concidered the definition of 'too much'. <S> But I think you will have to eat an incredible number of bananas, and it won't be the radiation that kills you, but the overeating.
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Yes, it's true that bananas are radioactive, however, the amount of radiation that you get from eating a banana is negligible. As for safe quantities, that's pretty simple: about 4 liters (9 pounds or so). Yes, but it's extremely small.
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How to prevent shami kabab from breaking at the time of frying them? I am making shami kabab, but the kababs are breaking when fried although the pre-frying mixture is hard. What should I do to prevent them from breaking? It spoils their look. <Q> In these types of recipes, you have two approaches to hold the minced meat together. <S> If you’re not using eggs, or using less than what standard recipe calls; you should use a bit more. <S> Overworking the minced meat with salt creates a thicker texture, it’s not desirable in many kabab/kofte applications; however it will denature the proteins so they will bind... <S> Essentially the same chemical principle with the egg whites. <A> You can keep kneading it until it becomes more pasty, or add flour and and a bit of water if need be. <S> Using the flour, you won't need to use eggs. <S> I have made something similar myself in the past using flour and water <S> but I'm afraid I don't remember well enough to give more details. <A> Without the recipe you're using, it's hard to say what exactly is causing them to break while frying. <S> However, here are some tips from my answer on another question: Shami Kababs are traditionally made with boneless beef. <S> The chunkier/thready texture of meat helps the kabab hold their shape. <S> Ground beef mince is also used instead if you like it mild. <S> To achieve a balance, you can use half meat cubes and half ground mince. <S> The trick to a good shami kabab is not just in choosing meat with enough fat to keep it juicy and moist but also in the proportion of chana daal cooked with the mince to hold it together, ideally 1kg meat and 250g daal. <S> More the chana daal, softer the texture will be. <S> If the mixture is too wet, the kebabs will not hold their shape and will disintegrate while frying. <S> You can also place the shaped kababs on a flat tray/platter and put them in the freezer for some time to settle. <S> This will help them hold their shape while frying. <S> Dip the shami kabab in whisked egg and shallow fry using minimal oil. <S> This gives them a nice golden crust preventing any disintegration.
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If the shami kebab mixture is a bit too sticky or loose and feels difficult to hold together while shaping or frying, as a last resort you can add 1-2 tbsp of roasted gramflour to the mixture but that's not recommended as it interfers with the authentic taste of shami kababs. It's very important to cook the mixture of meat and daal until all the water has completely and absolutely evaporated out of the mixture before you take it off the heat.
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Is there a way to treat any firm cheese so that it can be fried? Something like halloumi can be fried directly, other firm cheeses melt before it's done. Can they be treated somehow so that they don't melt too soon? <Q> It really depends on what you qualify as 'fried'. <S> You can take hard grating cheeses and sprinkle it on a sheet pan (preferably with parchment or silpat), and bake it around 300-400°F (150-200°C) to get a cracker-like item (search for 'parmesan crisp' recipes). <S> If you remove it while it's still warm, you can roll it into a cone or tube, lay it over a bowl or cup, etc. <S> For pan frying, you can coat it in flour or cornstarch, then brown on all sides (or at least top and bottom if you sliced it thinly), but you might need to let it cool down between sides to firm back up. <S> You might get away with rolling it in corn meal, but it's also a function of the cheese. <S> For deep frying, you'll likely have to batter it. <S> You can also look for other non-melting cheeses (feta, ricotta salata, paneer, etc) <A> I agree that it depends on what you mean by "done." <S> If you want to pan fry or grill, and get a crust on the outside, with the interior becoming soft....and use no coatings... <S> You might try freezing the cheese. <S> You would probably have to experiment a bit to achieve the results you want. <A> Just like halloumi ,queso blanco and paneer have a high melting point that makes it suitable to grill or fry. <S> The cheese melts slightly, but largely retains its shape when grilled or pan fried. <A> I've a partial answer actually based on the reverse of the question, how to make cheeses melt well. <S> I've found that moisture really helps when getting cheese to melt nicely (as opposed to dry out or even separate). <S> So, if your cheese is a bit drier, it is more likely to firm up and thus fry instead of melt. <S> It need not be dry all the way through, either, if you leave cheese uncovered for a while, the surface will start to dry out, leaving a thin "crust" or perhaps I mean rind (experience tells me so). <S> I suspect, therefore, that a piece of cheese so dried around the edges <S> would be fryable... <S> perhaps the inside will melt and be soft and gooey but that dry crust should firm up with browning and so contain the softer inside - much like if one was battering or breading the cheese.
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If you have an air fryer or a convection oven, you can do a three part dredge and then bake it at high heat, but you may need to freeze the cheese before baking so it doesn't melt too fast.
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How can I save tomatoes for at least 20 days? I want to save juicy tomatoes, but not in freezer. How might this be possible? <Q> Tomatoes can last that long in a root celar at 15 degrees Celsius. <S> You have to choose tomatoes bred for lasting - so supermarket ones, not homegrown heirloom varieties, and preferably not perfectly ripe and juicy. <S> Your biggest problem would be mold, so carefully check each tomato for places where the skin is torn or the tomato has been squished. <S> Then carefully order them such that there is enough air/ventilation around them, ideally in a single layer. <S> If the humidity around a tomato gets too high, it will grow mold at the place where it grew out of the wine. <S> And never let the temperature drop below 13 Celsius (so don't do it in the fridge!) <S> because they change their taste then. <S> If you cannot do that - for example, if you just harvested a large amount of overripe tomatoes and wonder how to not lose them - your only option may be making something out of them that can be canned. <A> There's no point in freezing tomatoes. <S> Freezing tears their delicate innards to shreds and they thaw to an unrecognizable mess. <S> Stewed tomatoes can be bottled but the texture is not similar to fresh, of course. <S> 20 days is approaching the longest I've personally every <S> had tomatoes last in the fridge. <S> It's a long shot but the fridge is really your only choice. <S> Tomatoes are just fragile fruit that should be eaten quickly. <S> Tomato preservation methods are bottling, drying, or making sauce. <S> All of these destroy the delicate texture. <A> I don't know if you can get 20 days out of them without refrigeration, but there was an episode of Tyler's Ultimate where he was in Italy and claimed that there were tomatoes that had been preserved by smoking, but of the many discussion boards, I'm not aware of any that have been able to confirm that he wasn't just giving bad information. <S> See <S> https://www.chowhound.com/post/smoked-tomatoes-293900 <S> As my step father grows a lot of tomatoes, my mom will typically go through them every day or so, pulling out the ones that are starting to soften up to use that day, or if there are a lot, to make into a batch of tomato sauce. <S> As they're constantly refilling, I doubt any of them are sitting there for 20 days. <S> I don't even know if you could get 20 days with refrigeration unless you are rather specific about the type of tomatoes (plum and smaller tomatoes tend to last longer, but I'd add paper towels to absorb moisture so they don't start developing mold.) <S> I'd also avoid store-bought tomatoes, as those might already be a week old. <S> Serious Eats mentions that refrigeration isn't so bad, so long as you let it get back up to room temperature before eating.
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To get your tomatoes to last longer at room temperature, you can get a day or two more out of them if you store them stem-side down .
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Getting some rum into a commerical fruitcake I have purchased an inexpensive (Costco) 1.6kg (3.5lb) fruitcake. Some folks have recommended adding rum to the fruitcake to moisten it up a bit and give it more flavor. Some process involving cheesecloth and inverting the cake was mentioned. I have a bottle of Cuban rum that was gifted to me and I think it might fill the bill. What is the best process for doing this? At room temperature or in the fridge? <Q> When I feed a Christmas cake (home made, but it shouldn't make much difference) I simply prick holes all over it with a thin skewer and drizzle the alcohol over the top. <S> A few days later I invert and do the same on the bottom. <S> You can repeat a couple of times, 2-3 tablespoons at a time, maximum. <S> For this I wrap in clingfilm, and store at room temperature in an airtight tin or plastic container. <S> This works well for the dark, heavy fruit cakes we have as Christmas cakes in the UK (also traditionally used as the bottom tier of wedding cakes). <S> These cakes keep indefinitely at room temperature so long as they don't dry out. <S> A lighter fruit cake may end up more soggy than moist. <S> Big pieces rather than ground, so you can pour the rum off them easily, and do this with a small amount so you can taste it and dilute if necessary. <A> I'm trying to inject rum with one of those turkey injectors. <S> Using that beautiful Costco cake that doesn't have much taste. <S> One day the top gets injected, and the next day the bottom gets the same. <S> I'm keeping it covered with plastic wrap in the original store container, as I think it is air-tight. <A> A simple technique I have used is to pour some liquor over a cut piece of fruitcake and let it set a few minutes . <S> Not elegant but good. <S> I also prefer bourbon .
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If it's extra flavour you're after, you could steep some appropriate spices in your rum first: a cinnamon stick, a bit of root ginger and a couple of cloves.
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How to cook perfect long grain rice? Every time I make rice it comes out mushy and clumps together. How can I get rice to cook properly and be fluffy with grain separation and everything? <Q> As I don't know what kind of rice you are using, but there are some tips which can help you to make the rice less mushy and non-sticky grains: <S> You can add one tablespoon of lemon juice so it will help the rice not to stick. <S> Do not cover the pan with a lid while you are boiling the rice. <S> Do not stir with spoon too much as it can break the grains of rice into pieces, which can cause mushy rice. <S> Also you should rinse the rice before cooking them. <S> I also followed these tips and it works for me. <A> What I do with my rice (Basmati) is the following: Rinse under cold water in a strainer and leave to stand so the water can drain. <S> In a pan put 2 tbsp of oil per cup of rice (I use olive oil but any (vegetable) oil should do). <S> So if cooking 2 cups of rice I would use 4 tbsp of oil. <S> Warm the rice and oil together <S> and fry it for about 3 minutes on a medium heat (using the smallest burner) whilst stirring regularly to prevent burning. <S> Add per cup of rice 1,5 cups of boiling water and salt to taste <S> (I use 1 tsp per cup of rice), stir once, put the lid on the pan and turn down the heat to the lowest flame for 22 minutes. <S> After the 22 minutes turn off the fire and let it stand (with the lid on!) <S> for another 10 minutes. <S> After the 10 minutes remove the lid from the pan stir through to loosen the grains and serve. <S> At no point after having added the water should the lid from the pan be removed up until finished. <A> I'm going to go contra to pretty much all the advice so far, but this is how I've been cooking rice for 25 years... <S> Clear-lidded pans make this far less guesswork. <S> Use a heavy-bottomed saucepan with a tight-fitting lid, 3 times the volume of your finished rice. <S> Don't rinse the rice, you don't need to. <S> Use your coolest, most even burner - this is not necessarily the smallest. <S> Sometimes the tiny ones generate bad hot-spots that a medium one wouldn't. <S> Boil the kettle. <S> Pre-heat the pan on high. <S> Add rice to your pre-heated pan. <S> Salt as required. <S> Immediately add 1.75 x the volume of water, not double. <S> That should immediately hit a rapid boil because of the pre-heating. <S> Stir once, just enough to ensure the grains are separated. <S> Drop the heat to minimum [on gas this is near instantaneous, you might need to wait a second on electric] <S> Put the lid on. <S> The contents should foam almost to the top but not go over - lift & replace the lid if it looks like it will go over, otherwise leave alone. <S> Simmer at this minimum temperature for 12-15 mins [depends how low you can get the heat] Don't lift the lid to "see if it's done". <S> Learn when it's done by repetition. ' <S> When it's done' btw, is when all the water is gone; you might be able to hear a slight crackle as the last bit dries. <S> After the required time, switch off the heat, leave the lid on. <S> Allow to rest for another 15-20 minutes. <S> Fluff briefly with your spatula; no great effort should be required at this stage. <S> Serve. <S> The rice will be separate & fluffy, none will be stuck to the bottom. <S> This works for pretty much any rice type - long grain, basmati, or short-grain, glutinous [short grain, of course, will not separate in the same way]. <S> *Almost copy/paste from my own answer at https://cooking.stackexchange.com/a/93672/42066 <A> The simplest way to prevent rice from sticking is to rinse it before cooking.
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Cooking rice with too high flame can also cause the rice to clumps.
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Is there any way to make jack-o-lantern pumpkins worth eating? Background: For the holiday Halloween in America, we make decorative lanterns -- Jack'o'Lanterns -- from large pumpkins. These pumpkins are bred to be large, durable, and dry to make them easy to carve. This also results in them being fairly mealy and tasteless as food. Question: is there any food preparation I could make with a surplus jack'o'lantern pumpkin that wouldn't be a waste of the other ingredients? Some way to prepare it that would make up for its dry texture and weak flavor? I've tried roasting one (Afgan-style) on previous years, and it didn't help; it was dry, mealy, and roasted. And yes, I do clean and toast the seeds, which are tasty. I'm looking to do something with the flesh. <Q> Admittedly our carving pumpkins in the UK are smaller than yours, which may affect the texture, but this year and last I made: <S> three been and pumpkin chilli <S> pumpkin tagine pumpkin spice cupcakes <S> pumpkin curry <S> pumpkin, pepper and mushroom fajitas <S> All of these get most of their flavour from other ingredients. <S> All were successful. <S> The chilli, curry, and tagine all start by frying the diced/roughly chopped pumpkin until nicely browned with tasty ingredients (spices, onions, and plenty of garlic), before quite long simmering. <S> The curry was last year <S> but I think I went for quite hot, with a sauce based on tomato, coconut, and mango (I certainly did when I made it again this year). <S> The fajitas were cut into strips and fried, just like the other veg, though I did the pumpkin first and reserved it, to be sure it was cooked through. <S> Again, plenty of spices, garlic etc. <S> I added latte buttercream. <A> In the US, Jack-o-lanterns are typically common field pumpkins and many of the larger and specialty ones are actually gourds. <S> I cannot talk to some of the gourds, so if you are looking at some of the white ghost pumpkins and they very warty ones, use may vary. <S> But the common field pumpkin is certainly edible, but not usually be best choice. <S> The are hard, stringy, dry, etc. <S> To use the, I would recommend roasting, steaming, microwaving or boiling then running through a food mill to break up the stringiness. <S> Boiling of course will remove a share of what flavor they do have. <S> At that point, you would have a puree that could be used in cookies, pumpkin bread, cake, etc. <S> Flavor-wise and texture, you will probably be more satisfied to use what in the US we would call winter squash, <S> butternut is highly recommended, for savory, and pie pumpkins for dessert applications. <S> If you do, lots of spice, as sauce, and lean towards applications you can use a food mill. <S> My experience is it will end put being a much less consistent flavor and more of a base for your spice though. <S> For consistent results, go with a culinary variety. <S> Jacks will typically give the mealy, tasteless leaning results you have encountered. <S> Cinderella is one variety <S> I know that is large enough for carving but is still recommended for culinary use. <S> It is a very stylized and gets its name from the story. <S> If really that variety, it is of French origin and is a deep orange flesh. <S> It looks great as a decoration on its own, can be carved and works either savory or in deserts. <S> I have seen it grilled with just a bit of spice and olive oil and is very tasty that way. <S> But, many people sell less tasty pumpkins as that variety just because they have the right shape. <S> ETA: <S> If you have, or know someone with farm animals, they tend to love field pumpkins, as do deer. <A> You cut the pumpkin into large cubes, add sugar to them and wait overnight. <S> They will release some liquid, and the next day you can cook them until they're soft and no liquid is left. <S> Then you can add shredded coconut and/or walnuts and/or tahini to serve, depending on your taste. <S> Lots of fiber is a plus, <S> even if the taste is a little poorer than the pumpkins of middle east (they look same as American ones with a little more flavor). <A> In India, people use these huge pumpkins to make lentil stews. <S> It goes a long way and is very delicious and nutritious. <S> The bland taste of pumpkin is masked by the fresh seasonings and spices. <S> The stew can be eaten with rice, but I like it just by itself as well. <S> The recipe, in a nutshell, calls for boiling the pumpkin cubes with yellow lentils(pigeon peas are preferred) and a pinch of turmeric and salt. <S> Once the lentils cook, the stew can be seasoned with spices like cumin seeds, mustard seeds, and chilies (the red/green ones). <S> There is a detailed recipe on this page, https://www.vegrecipesofindia.com/pumpkin-sambar-recipe/ .
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In Mediterranean cuisine there is a dessert made with pumpkins. The cupcakes (for which there are plenty of recipes online) started by microwaving and pureeing, and ended up similar to carrot cake - moist and popular. You can use the Jack if you simply do not wan to waste it or have some you want to use, but in my mind, roasting, grilling and such will likely lead to the least satisfying results.
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Does cooking in a nonstick pan affect the finished food? Whenever I cook in a nonstick pan, the food doesn't seem as crispy as compared to when I use simple aluminum pans. Is this due to the pan material or is there another factor behind it? <Q> IMO, it's about firstly, temperature, and secondly, cooking time. <S> Proposed solution is in the last paragraph. <S> = <S> -) <S> Explanation: <S> non-stick pans (referring to the coated type), while being convenient, is not steel to oil, thus the oil is not heated at the required temperature consistently for the required length of time. <S> This affects the crispness that you mentioned. <S> Take for example fried chicken, to get it "crispy on the outside, moist on the inside" requires a high enough temperature, and the oil needs to hold this high temperature somewhat consistently for long enough to cook the chicken. <S> in non-stick pans, the temperature drops drastically as soon as you drop in the chicken pieces, and typically takes more time than one expects to get the temperature up again. <S> Solution: If non-stick pan is preferred, get one with a thick heavy base, preferably 2 layer designs. <S> A deeper bowl design to hold more oil for the frying is preferable. <S> Use medium heat to get the oil temperature up, before dropping the chicken pieces in. <S> turn the heat up a notch after, for a short while to get the oil temperature up again, then turn it back down to medium again. <S> experience will tell you what to do over time and practice. <S> =-) <A> There are a lot of variables in getting food crispy, a non-stick pan being just one of them. <S> The type of food being cooked. <S> A piece of onion will cook differently from a piece of meat or a patty covered breadcrumbs or batter etc. <S> This is due to the moisture content of the food and also the Maillard reaction etc. <S> The type of oil or fat being used in the cooking process. <S> Different oils and fats are more effective at crisping food, hence the use of duck fat to roast potatoes. <S> I have found coconut or rapeseed oil to be better for crisping than cheaper vegetable oil, mainly due to their higher density and smoke point. <S> If you put cold oil in a pan, add food, then apply the heat, you will end up with oily, soggy food. <S> Likewise, if you heat the oil to smoking and add the food, it will rapidly crisp up on the outside (but may not cook properly in the inside as the heat has not had time to penetrate). <S> Whether a lid was used or not during the cooking process. <S> A lid will trap hot, moist steam and cause food to soften. <S> Allowing steam to escape efficiently will improve crispiness. <S> As mentioned, the weight and materials used in the pan. <S> My preferences in descending order are aluminium, anodised aluminium, steel and non-stick. <S> I can't really think of a better description than porous, as it is not smoothness as such (a mirror finish steel pan will result in crispy food, a smooth non-stick pan less <S> so if you are trying to develop a fond rather than frying). <S> When using a non-stick pan, that "stickiness" will not occur, and the crispiness will be different. <A> Aluminum doesn't hold heat well. <S> That's why it is used so often in the bottling and electronics industry - it simply wicks the heat away! <S> Since the food is actually placed on the aluminum surface, the only place for the heat to transfer to is directly to the food. <S> More heat per surface area equals more cooking to that particular area. <S> Simple physics at work, and nothing more. <S> Non-stick pans are typically steel based, and iron holds heat well (thus the deep, rich browning cast iron skillets are known for). <S> Hope <S> this answers your question.
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The temperature and cooking method employed. By using an aluminium pan, you are allowing the food to initially stick to the bottom of the pan when added, and once a high enough temperature is reached, the food will come away with a crispy base. The surface used has a lot of bearing on the quality and depth of the fond developed, the less "porous" the material, the less crispy.
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How do I keep cookies from burning on the bottom? Every time I make cookies they burn on the bottom. Is there a way to prevent this? <Q> It's always helpful when cooking to think about the different ways that the heat is being transferred to your food. <S> In the case of baking we have (primarily) conducted heat from the pan to the bottom of your cookies, convection taking place from the hot air circulating to the top of your cookies, and radiative heat from the heating element in the oven. <S> It's more than likely <S> the heating element in your oven is on the bottom, which is causing the pan to transfer the heat to the pan faster than ideal, causing the bottoms to burn. <S> If, on the highest rack, you're still getting burnt bottoms, you might try putting an empty sheet pan, casserole dish, pizza stone, etc. <S> to try and block some of that direct heat. <S> Alternatively, you might also try, as moscafj suggests, bumping the temp down to 350F. <S> Depending on how well-done you like your cookies, you might have to extend the baking time a minute or two to compensate. <A> I would first get a thermometer that you can keep in your oven so that you can measure the temperature accurately. <S> Home ovens are notoriously inaccurate. <S> One that has some heft to it, as it will better conduct the heat. <S> Finally, I would bake the cookies at 350 F. <A> Invest in a cooling rack. <S> When you remove the cookies from the oven transfer them to the cooling rack so the bottoms can cool. <S> Otherwise the risidual heat from your cookie sheet can burn your cookies. <S> (They also make cookie sheets that are designed to cool quicker but a cooling rack is still ideal)
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Secondly, I would try to use a good quality baking sheet. One way to mitigate this is to adjust the distance between the heating elements and the pan by moving it to a higher rack or adjusting the rack height.
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Is there any trick to make sweet potatoes as regular potatoes? My question is how to change the taste of sweet potatoes into regular potatoes as my younger siblings don't like it whenever I cooked they leave dining table without finishing.Is there any trick to make sweet potatoes to the regular potatoes? <Q> White potatoes and sweet potatoes are very different varieties of tuber, you can't get rid of the sweetness and distinctive flavor of the sweet potato. <S> If there's something in particular your family doesn't like then you can work on that, you can also try the LoB (Lots of Butter) technique, or you can try using them in a dish like sweet potato pie or a curry. <S> At the end of the day if they just don't like sweet potatoes then it may be better to just make something they do like. <A> No, they are 2 different things. <S> How are you preparing them ? <S> Have you tried different ways of cooking them ? <S> boiled, roasted, mashed, fried... ? <S> You could try mixing them up with regular potatoes. <A> I agree with Max - you cannot change the taste of sweet potatoes to make them taste like regular potatoes BUT you can make oven-baked sweet potato fries and they will taste just as good ( or better because of all those amazing vitamins and minerals in the sweet potato) as baked potato fries. <S> Cut the sw. <S> potatoes lengthwise and drizzle oil and salt ( you only need very little, if at all) and bake in the oven for 45 minutes, checking to make sure they do not burn. <S> Your siblings might just ask for more! <S> Good luck!
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When making mashed potatoes, add some of the sweet potatoes to the mix, start with a little bit, then increase ratio of sweet to regular potatoes.
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How to get all the rice out of the pan? Often when cooking rice a lot of it ends up sticking to the bottom of the pan and gets wasted. I'm using a frying pan with a non-stick surface. Is there a way to get all the rice out of the pan easily? <Q> I find that a silicone spatula is frequently better at getting the pan clean than a stiff spatula like a wooden one. <S> If your rice is slightly burnt into the bottom, you might have to use both - scratch it off with the wooden spatula, then collect with the silicone one. <A> Other things you can try: add a tablespoon more water at the start <S> reduce the cook-time by 2 minutes <S> let the rice sit for a minute or two with the lid on, sort of "steaming in its own juices <S> " The idea is that if the rice is just a bit damp, it won't stick. <A> Try putting a spoon of fat (oil, butter, etc) in the beginning... it will melt and coat the rice/bottom of the pan. <S> I used to always have some rice stuck to the bottom of my pan when I moved into my new home with gas stoves instead of electric. <S> This trick works very well, and now my rice all comes out of the pan clean and easily. <A> This works tremendously effectively. <S> If you are using a frying pan with a non-stick surface then my immediate reaction would be that the contact point heat is too high. <S> My second reaction would be to make sure you were rinsing your rice before cooking it (this helps with the extreme stickiness issue) <A> Cook it in the microwave. <S> It never sticks because the heat is applied evenly throughout. <S> Place one cup of rice with one cup of boiling water in a glass bowl with a tablespoon of oil. <S> Heat on full power for 6 minutes. <S> Stir the rice <S> , add another cup of boiling water and heat for another 6 minutes. <S> Then fluff it up once finished. <S> Once you cook it this way you will never go back. <A> I guess it depends on what you expect from your rice, but my recipe is this: Heat up a pot with some (not too much) oil until the oil is quite hot. <S> Put some volume of rice into it, and vigorously scrape <S> /mix it with <S> whatever large implement you have around (big spatula). <S> Smell it a lot. <S> At some point the rice will start to roast (ever so slightly), it may smell like nuts or something like that. <S> As soon as that smell changes, put in two volumes of cold water. <S> Let it get to boiling and immediately lower the temperature until it stays at an almost-boil. <S> Stir occasionally (like every few minutes). <S> Let it cook until the water is about gone. <S> For whatever reason, the rice never sticks, at least not more than can easily be swooshed off with a spatula (without any force, without getting any black burned residue). <S> I usually do that in stainless steel pots (very smooth surfaces). <S> Occasionally I do it in a big wok with a noticeably rough surface, and there it works the same. <S> So it should also work in a pan. <S> I have not tried it in my cast iron pan. <A> I'm going to go contra to pretty much all the advice so far, but this is how I've been cooking rice for 25 years... <S> Clear-lidded pans make this far less guesswork. <S> Don't use a frying pan, use a heavy-bottomed saucepan with a tight-fitting lid, 3 times the volume of your finished rice. <S> Don't rinse the rice, you don't need to. <S> Use your coolest, most even burner - this is not necessarily the smallest. <S> Sometimes the tiny ones generate bad hot-spots that a medium one wouldn't. <S> Boil the kettle. <S> Pre-heat the pan on high. <S> Add rice to your pre-heated pan. <S> Salt as required. <S> Immediately add 1.75 x the volume of water, not double. <S> That should immediately hit a rapid boil because of the pre-heating. <S> Stir once, just enough to ensure the grains are separated. <S> Drop the heat to minimum [on gas this is near instantaneous, you might need to wait a second on electric] <S> Put the lid on. <S> The contents should foam almost to the top but not go over - lift & replace the lid if it looks like it will go over, otherwise leave alone. <S> Simmer at this minimum temperature for 12-15 mins [depends how low you can get the heat] Don't lift the lid to "see if it's done". <S> Learn when it's done by repetition. ' <S> When it's done' btw, is when all the water is gone; you might be able to hear a slight crackle as the last bit dries. <S> After the required time, switch off the heat, leave the lid on. <S> Allow to rest for another 15-20 minutes. <S> Fluff briefly with your spatula; no great effort should be required at this stage. <S> Serve. <S> The rice will be separate & fluffy, none will be stuck to the bottom. <S> This works for pretty much any rice type - long grain, basmati, or short-grain, glutinous [short grain, of course, will not separate in the same way]. <A> I agree with the suggestion of adding a very small amount of oil. <S> I pay attention to the taste and freshness of the oil I use, however small the amount <S> , it influences the taste of the result. <A> Sticking rice usually happens because of a very high cooking temperature. <S> Your pot should be slightly boiling with the cap closed. <A> Let it cool <S> and it won't stick, then you can scrape it out with a spatula rather easily. <A> Do what sushi chefs do when cooking rice, which is to use something like cheese cloth inside the cooking pot. <S> I bought one specifically made for rice, it's big enough to fit inside the pot folded over the rice and the water. <S> AS the rice cooks and the water boils away, the net catches all the rice. <S> When the rice is cooked you grab the ends of the netting and pull the whole thing out of the pot. <S> voila, all the rice in the net.
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When making sticky-rice I use a rice cooker with a non-stick surface on the inner pot.
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Can i use vegetable oil instead of butter in cookies? I have a recipe of cookies in which butter is used. Can I use oil as a replacement for butter? Would it affect the taste of the cookies? If I were to use oil as a butter replacement, what quantity should I use? <Q> Taste is the most obvious. <S> Depending on the oil you choose, you will either just lack the buttery aspects of the flavor or replace them with other flavors (nutty for peanut oil, coconut for coconut oil, etc.) <S> Texture and structure is the next most obvious. <S> Butter, which is semisolid at typical room temperature, will provide more textural support for your cookies than an oil which is liquid at typical room temperature. <S> You won't be able to "cream" most oils the way you do with butter to provide a lighter texture. <S> Using a vegetable shortening like Crisco, or another oil like coconut oil that remains solid at higher temperatures than most oils, could partially address this aspect. <S> Moisture content is related to texture but worth being called out on its own. <S> Vegetable oils are 100% fat; butter is about 80% fat, with most of the remainder being water (and a small amount of milk solids, about 1-2%). <S> To best approximate the butter, you should use 80% of the suggested amount as oil, and 20% as water. <S> So if you have a favorite cookie recipe that you must make with oil rather than butter (such as if you're cooking for vegans, or people with allergies), the best approach would probably be to use 80% coconut oil (which for most recipes "75% and round up" would be close enough) and 20% water. <S> This would provide a nice flavor (although one very different from butter), a melting point more similar to butter than most oils, and gets the moisture content right. <A> The taste part of your question to me is most easily answered with another question: Does the vegetable oil taste like butter? <S> If not, and I am fairly confident you will answer no to that, then yes, it will alter the taste. <S> How much depends on how much you use. <S> but most cookies use quite a bit of fat so the change would typically be noticeable. <S> There are things like butter flavored Crisco that are used as direct substitutes, but I suspect that is not what you are looking for in an answer. <S> In most applications though, if you are going from a semi-solid like butter to a liquid vegetable oil you will likely have very noticeable changes in texture and cooking results due to increased moisture. <S> And in many cases you also may lose chemical and browning effects. <S> Some applications may work, but without experimenting, I would not expect to go from butter to a liquid oil entirely successfully. <A> You technically could, but I doubt they'll come out the way you intend. <S> You'll achieve zero creaming aeration. <S> Without seeing a recipe, I'd say you'll have greasy, crisp, dense, fried "cookies". <A> Butter is an emulsion of about 75-80% fat in water with some dissolved proteins. <S> If you want to replace it with oil, make a mix of 75% oil and 25% water, and whip it into an emulsion before adding. <S> Might add some soy lecithin or other emulsifier to make it easier. <S> Also might want to choose an oil on the more saturated side like coconut or palm.
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Use coconut oil as a replacement if you have on hand, as its firm at room temperature, like butter. You can, but there will be several differences as a result:
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How do I remove oil from soup? Sometimes I want to avoid oil and oil-related food. How do I remove oil from soup? <Q> The easiest way, is to cool (fridge) it down and remove the hardened fat that should have floated to the top. <S> You could try doing while the soup is hot by using a shallow spoon and spoon the liquid fat from the top, or use absorbant paper to absorb the fat. <S> In both cases, it will never remove all of the fat, especially if the soup contains meat or is not a clear soup (like a consommé) <A> You could use an oil skimmer, such as this one from Amazon . <S> It's essentially a sieve with a very fine mesh, it works as fats are much more viscous than water based liquids <S> so stay on top of the skimmer while the water goes through. <S> I use one to remove meat-based fat and impurities from broths and soups, although vegetable based oils tend to be less viscous <S> so I'm not sure if it would work as well, although cooling it down will make the fat more viscous. <A> When making soup, I usually pressure-cook it and let it cool in the pressure cooker overnight. <S> I do this as the first step before liquidising, reheating and seasoning.
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Excess cooking oil floats to the top, and can be removed with a spoon, or a turkey baster.
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How can I add flavor to green tea at home? I often buy green tea with different flavors like lemon, strawberry, and jasmine from the market. I want to add these flavors at home. Can you recommend how I might do this? <Q> Depends on the flavour I suppose. <S> I make a ginger/lemon "tea" with thin slices of lemon zest by just steeping it in water. <S> No reason you couldn't add some green tea leaves to that as well. <S> Lemon Juice, I add before serving. <S> As mentioned finding an extract could work as well. <S> No idea about amounts, you'll have to do some research as to what is safe/appropriate. <S> I haven't used them. <S> For a Jasmine Tea, I would probably just find a good tea purveyor and find a proper Jasmine Tea. <A> Blending tea recipes yourself should potentially taste better than what you get in a pre-blended tea. <S> If you buy a flavoured strawberry tea, there isn't much real strawberry. <S> Instead, it's artificially flavored. <S> What you have to keep when adding fresh fruit to your tea, is to steep the tea without the fruit first, and add the fruit (juice) later. <S> However, when you infuse fruits in dried form (jujube, goji berries), you can steep it together with the tea at the same time. <S> Besides fruits, also try to experiment blending different types of tea (green, black, oolong, pu erh etc..) with non-fruit herbs such as chrysanthemum, lily, and honeysuckle flower. <S> I've published a few recipes for which I'm not sure if it's appropriate to share the links here. <S> Just message me for the details! <A> The main issue with blending yourself is that fresh fruits and flowers don't release flavor well in water. <S> The best would be to find dry ingredients such as fruits in dry form such as dried goji berries, jujube, mango. <S> For flowers, you can buy them fresh and dry them in direct sunlight or above the heater. <A> If you just want to make green tea taste nice so that you get the benefits, add some squash or fruit juice depending on how sweet you like it.
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For the most direct route, I would try just steeping the fruit/flavour in the tea/water for a bit (ie: sliced strawberry, sliced ginger, lemon zest/peel, etc...).
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Roughly chopping large batches of hard nuts For my breakfast oatmeal, I use a variety of nuts. I tend to make large batches beforehand. My biggest issue with the way I do it now, is how to prepare large batches of hard nuts that I'd like to chop roughly. I have tried several methods: A blender, or food processor, which grinds the nuts into a paste Smashing them (covered with a cloth or in a bag) with a rolling pin, which completely pulverizes some and tends to skip a bunch as well Chopping them with a chef's knife Chopping them with a knife gives the best results, but it's very laborious and I can only do a handful or two at a time. I've been trying to search online for suitable methods, but they all seem to use nuts like pecans or walnuts, which really aren't an issue at all. My problems are with Brazil nuts, macadamia nut or even peanuts, for example. Is there any other tool or technique I can use to get roughly chopped nuts (they don't need to be perfectly even) suitable for an oatmeal mix? <Q> A chopping jar: <S> ( photo from Etsy) should be exactly what you need. <S> (You may also want to look at multi-blade mezzalunas, but they're really meant for mincing herbs.) <A> I find different results using a blender vs a full size food processor (the latter tends to leave some whole while chopping the others rather too finely, while the former tends to make a paste with lumps in). <S> On that basis the food processor is better. <S> It's much more successful if run in brief pulses. <S> That's one of the things it's designed for, it's also a stopgap coffee grinder. <S> Again it's better pulsed. <S> If you were dedicating it to nuts, bending the lower blades slightly upwards would probably improve it further. <S> Mini-choppers/mini food processors are also possible - in general a food processor gives more even results if not too empty. <S> With all mechanised approaches, you'll need a little sorting -- tip everything out and put the biggest bits back in for another few seconds. <S> Some nuts are also more brittle toasted and chop better, forming less of a paste <A> Chef's trick <S> : bag them, or double bag, them in a sturdy gallon ziploc bag. <S> Squeeze the air out. <S> Tap the nuts with a rolling pin or sledgehammer (seriously) to break them up. <S> Be careful not to hit too hard or the bag will split.
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My food processor and stand mixer share a mill attachment that does a much better job of nuts.
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Is pad thai actually Thai? More like meta-cooking question, but I believe it fits here better than on travel stack. All around the world, one of the symbols of Thailand is Pad Thai. And multiple versions of curry. But when I wander around Bangkok or other Thai cities, I see pad thai served mostly in tourist areas like Khao San Road and its surroundings, around the Royal Palace, etc.When I look and most food street carts there are plenty of sticks (meat/fish/sausages/balls/seafood put on short wooden sticks and grilled over fire), soups (tom yum based, clear soup with noodles, wonton's), many kinds of meat, seafood, noodles (though not strictly pad thai I think) and so on.Not that many curries either, but in more in-house restaurants you can find them. So my question is - is the pad thai really Thai ? Maybe I'm just overlooking it, or search in wrong places. Or is it a dish once found by a western traveller, made famous in the West and then its renown came back with the travellers. <Q> It's Thai, but it's a relatively new dish as it doesn't date back when the country was called Siam, and it uses Chinese style noodles and preparation (with Thai flavors). <S> There was a coup against the monarchy in 1932; in 1938 Plaek Phibunsongkhram (aka Phibun) came to power as prime minister. <S> Phibun ordered the creation of a new national dish, "Gway Teow Pad Thai" (Thai fried rice noodles). <S> The thing was, noodles weren't popular in Thailand before that, but there are stories that as this coincided with World War II, it was a way to get people to eat less rice. <S> (although, it's rice noodles, so I don't understand that part) <S> The government pushed for the dish, including subsidizing food carts (and banning non-Thai food cart vendors, so there wasn't competition from the Chinese noodle vendors) ... <S> But they're not <S> the only country where foods we associate with them are relatively new -- potatoes and tomatoes are "new world" crops, not European, and untrusted (as they're part of the nightshade family along with capsicums (peppers), eggplant, and tomatillos). <S> So Irish and Italian cuisines before 1500CE (aka 1500AD) were extremely different from what we think of as their cuisines today. <A> It is Thai. <S> Pad thai has its origin from chinese noodle. <S> Actually you can find it anywhere in the country. <S> It is definitely not a new dish recently discovered. <S> According to wikipedia <S> it has been introduced since Ayutthaya period (about 300 years ago). <S> It is different from original chinese noodle style by usage of tamarind juice for sourness, palm sugar for sweetness etc. <S> One of the pad thai restauant receive Bib Gourmand from Michelin Guide. <S> Google has a doodle for it. <A> Depend on how you define whether it is a Thai dish. <S> The Teochew are the major Chinese ethnics in Thailand. <S> Just like the Char Kway Teow in Malaysia, it is derived from Teochew stir fry noodles.
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It actually a Teochew (part of Han Chinese) stir fry noodles but modified to suit Thai taste. It can be found every where even outside tourist area.
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What can i use instead of molasses? I have an American recipe for molasses cookies but I live in Germany. I have not been able to find molasses in the grocery stores near me. Are there any good substitutes? Thanks for any help. <Q> Both http://www.germanyexpat.org/p/finding-food-items.html and https://www.toytowngermany.com/forum/topic/29436-where-to-buy-treaclemolassescornstarch/ recommend "Zuckerrübensirup," possibly brand "Grafschafter Goldsaft." <S> I have no experience with using this or how it compares to molasses. <A> In Germany you can find Pekmez at Turkish stores, which I use Molasses to substitute for :) <A> Golden syrup is the usual substitute, although it is maybe less strongly flavoured. <S> For some recipes it is important that both are acidic, so will react with bicarbonate of soda. <S> Update: I find black treacle is an excellent substitute for molasses. <S> You might be able to find zuckerrohrmelasse in a larger supermarket. <A> I think the number 1 ideal substitute would be sorghum syrup, but I'm guessing since that's not even easy to find in the American South <S> you won't be able to get it in Germany. <S> So do you have brown sugar? <S> If you can find dark brown sugar, or somehow Japanese black sugar you could use about 3/4 cup of that and 1/4 cup of water per cup of Molasses. <S> Brown/black sugar is traditionally made by not refining sugar-which means that those sugar options are essentially a combination of white sugar and Molasses. <S> I don't know the exact ratio, but when I need 1 cup of brown sugar I usually replace it with 1 cup of white sugar plus 3 T of molasses. <S> If you can't find a dark sugar, I'd recommend dark honey before golden syrup. <S> Honey varieties are regional, but if you can find buckwheat or sour wood honey, both of them have some bitter and acidic notes that remind me of Molasses. <S> 4th choice would be to use a combination of maple syrup and corn/golden syrup. <S> Or even dark corn syrup if that exists over there. <S> ... <S> I do have one thought which I'm not sure will work, but if your family is German, do you have a good Lebkuchen recipe? <S> It seems like when Americans try to make Lebkuchen, we end up adding Molasses to replace some ingredients we can't get over here, <S> so it could be that if you compare an authentic Lebkuchen recipe to an American knockoff, you might get an idea of how to best replace Molasses by considering that Molasses was the best substitution for ________ <S> (I don't know I can't find a German recipe that easily.) <S> I've never actually had "black treacle" , which is why I haven't included it, but it seems like that basically is Molasses if you can get it. <S> Good luck. <S> Finding foreign ingredients is a pain. <S> If all else fails, make some Lebkuchen and go taunt some Americans with them. <A> Ask for Melasse / Zuckerrohrmelasse <S> (my local Vitalia sells a brand called Appleford's). <S> It's also possible, and possibly cheaper, to order online. <A> You can substitute maple syrup for molasses in most recipes. <S> It works particularly well in gingerbread cookies. <S> Start with slightly less than the amount of molasses called for as maple syrup is lighter in texture. <S> The flavor profile will be different. <S> You can also substitute honey, though a light clover honey will not have the right effect flavor-wise. <S> A summer wildflower honey often has a more robust flavor than a spring wildflower honey if you have the option of buying local honey. <S> Honey has a different texture from molasses and may affect the texture of the final product. <S> You may want to experiment with using a mix of honey and brown sugar or raw cane sugar to create the appropriate texture while maximizing the flavor. <S> Brown sugar is usually used 1.5 cups to 1 cup to replace molasses. <A> Not sure if it's available in Germany but here in the UK <S> I use black treacle syrup - <S> which is basically the same thing! <S> Here is a recipe I found on how to make it just from sugar, if you can't find it in shops.
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If you can find a dark honey, like buckwheat honey, it will have more molasses-like flavor. You won't find it in many supermarkets in Germany, but Reformhäuser (health-food stores) very often do stock it.
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Why is putting hot milk in a thermos not recommended? A colleague of mine just got a new thermos (inox), this model , and actually read all instruction, and we were surprised to read that it is not recommended to pour hot milk in the thermos. My opinion was that: Unlike tea of coffee, a lot of micro-organisms live in milk, will end up being a favorable place for those micro-organisms to generate a culture (which will be more and more difficult to get rid off, and will contaminate any other fluid poured in the thermos) If you don't wash it straight away, it will really stink. The milk being full of water-insoluble proteins/fat, it will "coat" the internal thermos walls (gross!) - I've already seeing that "coat" forming in plastic containers, and I guess it won't be any different in inox containers. I've actually not found an answer online, so I thought that here I could find some experts. I realize this could be a cross-question for Biology SE , but I felt it more food-related. <Q> Even if you fill it with fairly hot liquid, it will slowly cool. <S> If you do that with a perishable food like milk, you will easily create an environment in the upper range of the danger zone , where food will become unsafe after as little as two hours. <S> Yes, you can argue that you are filling hot milk in a clean container, but in the end, it’ll be not safe by food safety standards. <S> (What you make of that is obviously your choice.) <S> The manufacturer’s warning will protect the end users from food poisoning. <A> It depends on the design. <S> Some can't be washed properly, and milky liquids are much harder to clean off by rinsing than water or most water-based drinks <S> My genuine Thermos brand flask wouldn't be a problem because all the surfaces that come into contact with the food are accessible. <S> My previous small cheap flask had a pouring system in the lid that meant the contents passed through a non-washable chamber (clipped together in a way that wasn't designed to be opened). <S> I eventually forced it open to find it full of hot chocolate residue. <S> My flask is mainly used for kayaking, it has to be made up beforehand as fiddling about with powders when on a riverbank in the pouring rain doesn't tend to get you a hot drink when you need it. <S> At that point it would have gone in the bin even if I hadn't just broken it. <S> A point mentioned in the comments is that the instructions for one particular Thermos say This product must NOT be used for keeping milk products or baby food warm or cool, to avoid the possibility of bacterial growth. <S> This is the only reference to warm contents in these instructions; the word used elsewhere is <S> hot (excluding washing-up instructions). <S> Warm implies attempting to maintain temperatures in the danger zone. <S> (for completeness as comments don't always last) <A> Another aspect might be the engineering behind thermoses. <S> A thermos has a layer of vacuum between two layers of glass(At least back in the day it used to be like this), <S> This meant that the glass will break in case of rapid expansion due to hot liquids poured immediately. <S> Milk has a higher heat capacity compared to diluted beverages, so that means it can hurt the flask even more. <S> Maybe they have engineered this problem away, but might be one of the reasons!-BD.
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The cleaning is one thing (there are flasks without hidden crevices that can be easily cleaned), but there’s also another point to consider: A thermos flask that is doing its job will keep food warm, or rather, slow down the cooling process.
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Can I make a cake with finely ground coffee instead of cocoa powder? I used all my cocoa powder. Will it taste good if I use coffee instead? If anyone has done this before, please share your experiences and hints. <Q> Coffee cake is good, but it's better to start from a recipe for coffee cake than try to adapt a chocolate cake. <S> Cocoa powder brings an appreciable amount of fat and bulk to the recipe. <S> You need to be very careful about terminology. <S> Coffee powder in many places refers to powdered instant (soluble) coffee, which isn't the best coffee drink but is very suiatable as a flvouring. <S> It should be dissolved in liquid before adding tot <S> he cake mix (following the recipe). <S> I have seen coffee powder used to refer to finely ground coffee beans. <S> It's not unknown to add these to food, but it's not common. <S> We discussed this recently . <A> Yes you can. <S> But dont expect it to be a chocolate cake. <S> Also the quantity of coffee must be 1/6 th the amount of cocoa powder you would have used for chocolate cake. <S> Otherwise your cake will definitely turn bitter. <S> Cocoa and Coffee are altogether different material. <S> These are not substitutes. <S> You can try with cocoa powder, Coffee powder(try with instant ) and mix cocoa powder and coffee. <S> You will get three different flavor profile. <S> Hope that helps :) <A> Potentially, but using ground coffee as an ingredient often doesn't work that well as it can add a gritty texture and excessive bitterness. <S> Bear in in mind that when you make coffee to drink the process generally involves a carefully controlled brewing time and separating the ground from the liquor and even if you make 'cowboy coffee' you avoid drinking the grounds. <S> so you don't end up with too much liquid in the mixture.
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Instant coffee is better direct substitute for cocoa powder or alternatively you can brew some coffee and add it as a liquid ingredient, although this may require adjusting the recipe a bit
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Is IKEA frozen salmon safe to eat raw in sushi? I was wondering if IKEA's frozen salmon was safe to be eaten raw in a home cooking environment? It's farmed which is a plus from what I've read, but I couldn't really find any data on their freezing process (except their little note about customer storing conditions that says it should be kept at -18°C or bellow). <Q> This is because of Salmon's high risk of parasites. <S> However, you can turn it into sushi-grade fish if you have a freezer that reaches -20°C, and don't mind waiting. <S> Here in British Columbia, the government has Sushi Safety guidelines (as there are a huge number of sushi restaurants here) <S> which instructs to use one of the following methods to destroy parasites in raw fish (except for Tuna, in which freezing is not required) when served in restaurants; Store frozen at -20°C or below for 7 days Store frozen at -35°C or below for 15 hours <S> Store it at -35 <S> °C until solid, <S> and then keep it at -20° or below for 24 hours. <S> Actually, it may be better to read Manitoba's version of this document, as it gives clearer instructions for the same process. <S> After the fish has gone through this "sushi-grade" process, it is safe to store it at -18° before eating it raw. <S> This is the most common temperature for household freezers, and probably grocery store freezers. <S> Disclosure: I have never done this process myself. <S> However, I have never gotten sick from eating sushi in Vancouver, where they are supposedly following these guidelines. <S> I have occasionally heard of others getting sick for a day (allegedly) from sushi, though this may just be because the restaurant (or fish distributor) made a mistake. <S> Update: It appears that the terms "sushi-grade" & "sashimi-grade" are not regulated by either US or Canadian law, and probably not in the UK either. <S> It appears the EU laws are more liberal, only requiring 24 hours at -20° for wild salmon, and don't require any freezing for Scottish-farmed Atlantic salmon (due to low risk of parasites). <S> The salmon at Ikea is probably farmed Atlantic, so it might actually qualify (so much for everything that I wrote), though I'm not certain. <S> I unfortunately don't have any research data, so I'm just going by law. <S> For alternatives, you can go with tuna, which is rather low-risk even without the deep-freezing, which is often not required by law. <S> If you don't mind being less traditional, you can also use smoked salmon or sous-vide salmon. <A> If you can't find details then it's pretty likely <S> it is not sushi safe, and I would certainly make that assumption. <S> Sushi safe freezing would add extra costs and Ikea is all about low costs. <S> Plus, it wouldn't be necessary if the fish is going to be cooked or cured, and that's how most want to use it. <S> If it was sushi safe I'd expect to see it clearly marked on the packaging - it's good for marketing. <A> I know in the UK <S> at least the freezers in Ikea stores as well as other stores are set to under -20ºC as standard. <S> most likely hovering around -21ºC to -22ºC. <S> Home freezers are also -20ºC by default. <S> So if -18ºC in considered sushi grade then it would pass that test by default almost everywhere.
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Unless if it's labelled "sushi-grade" or "sashimi-grade", they probably don't freeze it deeply enough, so I wouldn't recommend it as-is.
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What are things like Bread, Rice and Cereal collectively known as? I'm not sure if this belongs here or in the English language stack exchange but here goes: We have broad classifications like "Fruit" and "Vegetable" and "Meat"/"Protein". What do you collectively call bread, rice, pasta, cereal etc. My first guess was "Grains" but that feels like referring to the unprocessed thing rather than the food. <Q> There are several terms which you can use, depending on the context of writing (or speaking). <S> A very simple one is "the starch". <S> It is mostly used in the context of meal planning, such as "What starch are we going to serve tonight" or "When planning a vegetarian meal, it is best to first decide on the starch and then select sides that complement it". <S> "Grains" or, mostly interchangeably, "cereals" is what academic specialists for nutrition and diets use in their jargon. <S> If you read a textbook on nutrition, that's where you will find breads, etc. <S> There, the context makes it clear that the word doesn't mean simply uncooked kernels. <S> The nonacademic literature on dieting is more likely to use "carbs" - see Chris H's answer for more detail on that usage. <S> In legal language, for example rules and regulations about food product labelling, or import and export regulations, you will frequently find phrases like "grain products". <S> Since none of these terms is unambiguous, outside of these genres of writing you will probably have to go for something more descriptive, for example "foods made from grains" in a colloquial conversation. <A> A broader category, including things like potatoes, would be carbs (carbohydrates). <S> This is a common category when considering feeding for exercise, and tends to mean starchy foods. <S> It's not a perfect term as "carbs" strictly includes sugars, but the carb component of a meal is the (usually fairly plain) bulk accompaniment to the tasty bits. <A> Since all of those, specifically (even the bread) are derived from cereal grains, they are generally referred to as "grains." <S> Any food made from wheat, rice, oats, cornmeal, barley or another cereal grain is a grain product. <S> Bread, pasta, oatmeal, breakfast cereals, tortillas, and grits are examples of grain products. <S> Grains are divided into 2 subgroups, Whole Grains and Refined Grains. <S> Whole grains contain the entire grain kernel ― <S> the bran, germ, and endosperm. <S> Examples of whole grains include whole-wheat flour, bulgur (cracked wheat), oatmeal, whole cornmeal, and brown rice. <S> Refined grains have been milled, a process that removes the bran and germ. <S> This is done to give grains a finer texture and improve their shelf life, but it also removes dietary fiber, iron, and many B vitamins. <S> Some examples of refined grain products are white flour, de-germed cornmeal, white bread, and white rice. <S> US Department of Agriculture: <S> What Foods Are In the Grains Group? <A> Starch I've heard it called the Rule of Three - protein, starch, vegetable. <A> In other words, and especially for what you specifically mention, these foods constitute the basis of diet for a group of people. <S> Of course, they're also starches, carbs, sugars, etc. <A> People often refer to 'eating grains', and they very rarely mean the unprocessed seeds. <S> I've also seen 'grain foods' used where there might be confusion. <A> The term " farinaceous " might be appropriate, especially when used as " farinaceous dishes " that include other ingredients. <S> The corresponding noun " farina " isn't quite equivalent. <S> "Farinaceous" seems to be rare now but was more common in the 1800s . <A> The examples you've given are all from the grass family and they're examples of cereals. <S> But if you included peas and beans, those are legumes or pulses. <S> But if you also included say potatoes then these are often called carbs. <S> It's unclear which way you want to categorise. <S> If you want to reference the main bulk of some meal which a previous answer has called the carbs, I often call this the filler of a meal. <S> The term carbs can't really legitimately be used e.g. if your filler is a pulse such as kidney beans which has a high protein content <S> so isn't just carbs. <S> Again, bread is a filler but contains protein, carbs and a bit of fat. <S> Or you have say dumplings which are another filler, this time often with a relatively high fat content.
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The term "grains" is commonly used to referred to the 'processed' food as well as the 'unprocessed thing'. The first thing that came to my mind is that these are "staple foods."
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How to bake cake in pressure cooker instead of microwave? I have tried many time to bake a cake using pressure cooker,but every time it was not baked properly sometime it became very hard and sometime it will not baked overall,i am not getting that how to bake a cake properly using pressure cooker? <Q> You should pre-heat the cooker for 10 to 15 minutes and not use the rubber of cooker while baking the cake. <S> Place your cake on some sort of steel ring or on another pot so it will not be directly heat from bottom and bake your cake on low flame for 20 to 25 minutes. <S> It will perfectly baked. <S> I also bake the cake using cooker for several time <S> and it's perfectly baked. <A> Baking implies the use of an oven, and a cake is almost always baked. <S> Maybe you need to revise your ambitions according to your equipment? <S> Pressure cooking only works for wet ingredients, and microwaving any sort of flour-based baked goods is asked to turn them into rubber, even if just reheating. <A> You probably can't bake a good quality , fluffy etc. <S> cake using a pressure cooker. <S> Most cake (not all: dense cakes like pound cake may work ) are going to be nearly impossible to replicate "properly" in that environment. <S> In regards to microwaving cake , that's also not a good way to make most cakes, typically cakes come out spongy and very resistant in microwave <S> but at least they are still much more fluffy than a pressure cooker's. <S> You could try: Steaming or making a mini oven out of foil etc. would be best for a cake if you can't use an oven.
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Cooking cake in a pressure cooker isn't really that great of a way to make cake , usually the pressure forces the cake to become dense and very solid .
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Is there any method to boil a cracked egg without making a mess? If we boil an egg which already has a crack on its shell before boiling, it will break and spread into the water. In many cases if we put an egg into hot water it will crack also. So, is there any safe method to boil an egg like that, or should it be fried or cooked in another way? <Q> If an egg is already cracked then it will almost certainly split open when boiled, there's no way to avoid it, it would be best to cook them using another method. <S> Be aware that once eggs are cracked they no longer have protection against microbes, if you don't know how long they have been cracked it may be best to throw them away. <A> I use Egglettes ™ to boil my eggs. <S> You simply crack the egg/s into a silicone cup and place it/them into boiling water. <S> Without wishing to seem like a crappy infomercial (see below), I find it a heck of a lot easier to crack an egg into a cup than I find it to peel eggshells off of a soft-boiled egg. <S> Obviously it makes no difference if the egg has already sustained a recent crack (from being dropped onto the surface, for example) since you're removing the shell prior to cooking. <S> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WxVT2Q6Vt_c <S> For the avoidance of doubt, I am in no way affiliated to Egglettes other than being a customer <A> Adding salt in the water helps as well. <S> There are multiple theories on why this works. <S> Osmosis direction <S> The egg white will become solid when getting in contact with the salt water and basically it will close the crack again. <S> Boiling point difference <A> You can choose to poach the egg. <S> The egg is cracked into a cup or bowl of any size, and then gently slid into a pan of water at approximately 75 Celsius (167 °F) and cooked until the egg white has mostly solidified, but the yolk remains soft. <S> The "perfect" poached egg has a runny yolk, with a hardening crust and no raw white remaining. <S> I don't have any experience with this <S> but I would imagine you could cook it until the yolk hardens along with the whites. <A> You can boil cracked egg safely just use 2 table spoons of white vinegar. <S> Put White vinegar in boiling water <S> and then gently put the egg in the water and let it boil. <S> Egg will not come out of its shell. <S> You can also make egg poach. <S> Click here to understand about egg poach <A> Believe it or not, you can put some Duct Tape (like gaffer tape - heavy tape) over the crack, and away you go. <S> (I'm not sure why anyone would bother with this - boiled eggs which have some white "poking out" <S> are fine - but there you have it.) <A> It's possible to boil an egg with steam. <S> This usually requires an additional device. <S> The eggs are put upright and won't split open since they are not exposed directly to the hot water. <A> If the egg's been cracked for a while, just throw it out. <S> Even though the boiling process should kill anything growing in it, good sense says it's not worth the risk. <S> In my experience, the heat will quickly make the outer layer of white solidify as it cooks, which will lock everything else inside, crack or no. <S> The worst I've ever seen happen from cooking an egg that cracked early on is that little bits of white escape and get cooked in the water, giving it a cloudy look. <S> I've eaten many eggs that cracked while cooking and never had any problems. <A> You can "steam" the egg instead. <S> use a separator/sieve to suspend the egg above the boiling water in the pan. <S> It will take longer than boiling to completely cook the egg.
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If the egg gets small cracks when you put it in the water or while cooking, it's perfectly fine.
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How can I be more frugal with salt when cooking (dried) pasta? When cooking pasta (from dried), I currently need to add a significant amount of salt to the water to add flavour. As the pasta itself is extremely cheap, and the water is completely free - it can at times feel like throwing money down the drain as the majority of the salty water is discarded. Are there any effective ways to reduce the amount of salt wasted during cooking, without simply undersalting the pasta? (e.g. adding salt after the pasta has been mostly drained) Additional notes: I'm open to making fresh pasta by hand, if salt can be added at this stage rather than in the water The cost of salt should be considered a constant, that is - suggesting a cheaper salt is not valid. Taste/texture quality should be maintained as best as possible. Reusing the salted water is not acceptable, due to space constraints. <Q> It's perfectly possible to cook pasta with no salt at all, so you may be able to wean yourself onto a lower salt level, reducing it gradually. <S> I don't know what, if anything, you're eating with your pasta, so getting that to have more flavour might be an option. <S> If you're actually eating plain pasta and want it salty <S> but as cheap as possible, the first thing you should do is cook it in as little water as possible, and with a lid. <S> This will also reduce your fuel bills (you can reduce them still further by turning off the heat for a few minutes in the middle of cooking). <S> If you use half as much water as before, you could start by adding half as much salt, so the concentration in the water remains the same. <S> To a first approximation, it's the concentration that matters here. <S> Even if you're eating absolutely at cheaply as possible already, I'd be very surprised if you could save significant amounts of money by using less salt, and if you can, you need to consider the health implications <S> (I won't go into more detail). <S> Think about how much in total you spend on it, because you can't possibly save more than that. <A> If you can't get cheaper salt, or reduce the ratio of salt/water, and you don't want to compromise the finished result, then the only option I see is to use less water. <S> Cooks generally gauge the correct amount of salt in pasta water by taste-- <S> they say the pasta water should taste like the ocean. <S> So, if you use less water to cook your pasta, you should likewise need less salt to appropriately flavor the water (and thus the pasta). <S> This answer indicates that using less water should still yield the same quality pasta. <A> If your purpose is truly to save money, you can soak the dried pasta overnight, and it will cook much more quickly, as it will have rehydrated. <S> This will lead to a similar cooking time to fresh pasta. <S> Hence you will save on energy costs. <A> It can be a conundrum, either you need more salt or less water. <S> You don't want to reduce the water as this can prevent proper cooking and cause it to stick. <S> Luckily salt will diffuse quite rapidly into cooked pasta, a fact I discovered when I once forgot to salt my pasta at all. <S> You can drain almost all the water, leaving just enough to barely suspend and cover the pasta, before you add the salt. <S> The salt will diffuse into the cooked pasta. <S> Of course this doesn't happen instantly, and the pasta will continue to cook as long as it's in the hot water, so time it for when you are about a minute from completion (adjusting for the thickness of the pasta). <S> This will reduce the overall amount of salt needed, since you don't need to salt the full amount of water you cook with. <S> It may also reduce the total salt intake, as the outer layers of the pasta will take up the salt more rapidly than the inner, giving some salt flavour but reducing the amount actually consumed. <S> Mastication will eventually homogenize the salt content, but by this time the perception of saltiness has already been encountered. <A> Cook without any salt at all, and salt to taste at the table. <S> Less will be used and none will be wasted. <A> Maybe a stupid answer, but what about buying more salt? <S> Salt is really cheap in most places, so maybe you just feel like you're throwing money down the drain because you're using up your salt so quickly. <A> After removing the pasta, keep the pot of water on the heat until all of the water evaporates. <S> Then harvest the salt. <S> This will most likely not save you much money, though. <S> Alternatively, if you have enough time, and are in the correct climate, you could also set the pot out in the sun and let the water evaporate that way. <S> I read somewhere <S> it will take ~61 days to evaporate a 1-meter cubed amount of water in the Sahara Desert.
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To address the salt issue itself, just gradually add a little less each time you cook pasta, and you will soon find your taste adapting to a lower salt diet.
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When pureeing tomatoes for a fresh tomato sauce, should you throw out the juices or not? One benefit is reduced cooking time since you need to evaporate all the juices before the tomatoes start caramelizing. On the other hand, wont these juices contain flavor you might waste if thrown away? How much flavor will I miss out on if I throw the juices? <Q> I would not throw any part away. <S> There is flavor in all parts of the tomato, particularly the interior (see my comments under an alternate response below). <S> Plus, if you are pureeing first, don't you think the flavors are being mixed, resulting in the loss of at least some flavor if you remove some part of the mixture? <S> Simmering does indeed allow water to evaporate, but, in doing so, it concentrates flavor. <S> How much flavor is gained or lost? <S> I am sure this will depend on the variety, seasonality, and ripeness of your tomatoes. <A> Season it and freeze the extra into ice cube trays and pop them out when frozen and place in any freezer container. <S> When you need a punch of flavor to anything you make in the future you will have a nice addition! <S> I use these "broth" cubes to season rice, soups or sauces that I make all year long. <S> Just an idea. <A> The watery juice on the inside of the tomato doesn't have much flavor once cooked down, the good stuff is the flesh.
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When making a tomato sauce the recommended process is to scoop out and discard the seeds and juice. I would not throw it out!
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Are there different grades or styles of bacon? In commercials and when I go to restaurants (even fast food!) the bacon that I get is a reddish brown color and seems to be mostly meat, or at least meat textured. However, when I buy bacon at the grocery store, it's inevitably almost all fat. It curls badly when cooked, creates a ton of grease, and never looks anything like what "professional" bacon does. I've tried thin sliced, thick sliced, apple wood smoked, etc. , etc. and I always seem to have the same problem. I try to look through the packages and I can never find anything that has mostly meat (lots of white fat). Even when I find a pack that looks good, it seems like the few slices I can see are meaty, but the rest are again mostly fatty. So, what is the secret? Where do restaurants get their perfect bacon? Do I need to ask the grocery meet department for a secret stash of pro bacon? Do I need to go out of my way to a special shop? Is there a name for what I'm looking for other than "bacon"? I'm in the US, Texas. I know other countries have different ideas of what "bacon" is (right?). <Q> In the UK there are two main cuts of bacon. <S> There's "streaky bacon", which is cut from the pork belly. <S> This is mostly what you get in the US. <S> There's also "back bacon" which is cut from the pork loin. <S> This is generally more popular and is very much leaner than streaky bacon. <S> In the US <S> you call it "Canadian bacon". <S> You can also get "middle bacon" which is cut from both, i.e. a contiguous cut from belly to loin - a piece of streaky bacon and back bacon combined. <A> More explicit answer for the USA: <S> USDA says that bacon is not graded . <S> Is bacon inspected and graded? <S> All bacon found in retail stores is either USDA inspected for wholesomeness or inspected by State systems that have standards equal to the Federal government. <S> Each animal, from which the bacon is made, is inspected for signs of disease. <S> The "Inspected and Passed by USDA" seal ensures the bacon is wholesome. <S> Bacon is not graded. <A> I am going to say that in most cases, labels like premium, artisan, etc. are marketing gimmicks. <S> I do not know of any labeling rules that will tell you a given bacon <S> is from a better quality pork belly than another. <S> In general, they come from large hogs that are fatty and have little lean in their bellies. <S> Meatier bacon, more lean tends to be from younger animals which are less economical for mass producers so will cost much more and tend to go to restaurants at a higher price. <S> Family restaurants like breakfast houses will mostly use common bacon, and the will also tend to oven prep it as offered in comments which allows for more even cooking, cooking in quantity and controlling curling. <S> If you want leaner, that is with a higher amount of muscle tissue, that is what typically the windows on bacon packs are for, taking a look. <S> The cheaper, mass produced will seldom be high meat content though. <S> The specialty (read expensive) ones will have a better shot at lower percentage of fat. <S> If however you find a butcher shop, especially one that cures and smokes their own meats, that is when you will likely find bacon that has been made from hand selected bellies with the highest muscle content. <S> I have been lucky in that local stores have started carrying raw pork bellies, so I make my own and can hand pick my own bellies and get the meat content I want. <S> One thing you should know though, <S> if you go over a certain level, some people do not like the results. <S> At the highest level of muscle, the bacon can start to be too lean for many people's taste and start to become tough. <S> More muscle content can sometimes also increase the tendencies to curl as well because the muscle can contract more during cooking than the fat. <S> Again, going to the oven might be the easiest approach to reducing this. <A> The bacon you see on tv has been cooked. <S> Once you cook the fatty bacon you can buy, you will see that it is pretty uniformly brown. <S> If you cook it correctly that is, so it's crisp, and don't just try to microwave it or something :-)? <S> You're assuming that fat is bad. <S> In meats at least, it's the primary vector of flavor. <S> You're not in any case generally meant to keep ALL the fat thrown off in the cooking process for the rest of the dish. <S> People frequently drain bacon which will be eaten separately on a paper towel on a plate, for instance. <S> So test bacons out, see what level of additives you can stand, personally I prefer mine uncured, not a legal term but usually means nitrate-free. <S> But don't try to pick by eyeballing the fat content <S> , that's if anything counter-productive. <A> In my experience, 'center-cut' bacon tends to have a much higher meat/fat ratio than major brand bacon. <S> It's also more expensive. <A> "Irish" Bacon is made from the back of the pig, not the pork belly; it's much leaner, but hard to find in Minneapolis where I live.
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But, there is certainly a difference, and cheap bacon is just that, cheap and been made from the cheapest pork bellies obtained in mass.
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Make a buttery sauce less oily There is a sauce that I make that uses browned butter as its base. I love the taste but it just feels incredibly oily. Is there anything I can add that will fix some of the oil feel or is there a different base for the sauce I can use that will taste similar but not be as oily? Edit: Ingredients and approximate amounts - 1/2 c Salted Butter - Browned 1/2 lb Shiitake Mushroom 1/2 Yellow Onion 2-3 Cloves Garlic Pinch Thyme Pinch Oregano Soy Sauce and Lemon Juice to taste (approx. 1-2 tsp each) This is added to ~3/4 lb pasta. I have tried adding more pasta, but that just dilutes the taste. I need some way to keep the same pasta/sauce ratio while reducing the sauce's greasiness. <Q> You want emulsification. <S> Emulsification is the breaking up a fat and dispersing it into a liquid (or vice versa, dispersing a liquid in a fat). <S> A classic example of an emulsification, also known as an emulsion, is mayonnaise. <S> There are at least two good ways you can emulsify your brown butter, soy sauce, and lemon juice. <S> One way is called shearing, which is just what it sounds like. <S> You're basically cutting off slices of droplets, making them smaller and smaller. <S> The smaller the microdroplets, the more stable the emulsion. <S> You can accomplish a short-lived but great textured emulsion with just energetic whisking of your liquid and fat ingredients. <S> You can make the micro-droplets even smaller and your emulsion more stable by using a blender or immersion blender . <S> A second thing you can do to bind your liquid and fat ingredients into a much firmer and more stable emulsion is to add an emulsifier, an egg yolk being a very solid candidate for the job. <S> Energetically whisk in about half of an egg yolk while slowly bringing the cool sauce to just above perfect serving temperature. <S> If you like where the sauce is going, and would like it to be even more like that, temper , then add the other half of the yolk. <S> Mustard is pretty effective too, for a different flavor. <A> If this sauce is your own creative invention <S> ** and you make it a little different each time, it sounds like you aren't averse to experimentation... <S> Yes, cream is also just full of butterfat, but the homogenized nature of it can help emulsify the fat with the other components of the sauce. <S> Of course it will be just as fatty and rich, but I think it might not feel quite so greasy on your tongue. <S> Another idea would be to stir in a little cornstarch slurry - at the very end of cooking: You know, a little bit of milk mixed thoroughly with a teensy bit of cornstarch. <S> Like maybe a couple tablespoons milk and maybe a half teaspoon cornstarch. <S> Stir those two together good <S> so no starch is left unmixed, then stir that cloudy-milky mixture quickly into the sauce while it is still cooking. <S> This will thicken slightly to counteract the dilution of the milk, and the whole thing should make a nice emulsion with the butterfat, masking the greasiness. <S> ** <S> PS it sounds delicious <A> I would try adding an additional tsp of lemon juice. <S> acids are often used to cut that fatty film left on your palate from rich foods. <S> Other than that I'm not sure... <S> you mentioned not wanting to dilute the flavor by adding more pasta, so <S> I'm sure you would not like any result found by leaving out the butter. <S> If you wanted to try something with a little different taste, you can half the butter and use either a chicken stock or vegetable stock to replace some of the ommitted butter. <S> But it won't be the same. <A> I agree with Jolene.. above. <S> It sounds like the easiest way to fix your problem would be to cut a little bit of cream into your sauce. <S> Maybe use half the amount of butter and add a little cream? <S> What’s happening is the butter is breaking under high heat and therefore separating. <S> Cream would do the same thing but you would have to actually reduce it quite a bit. <S> Because it is much more stable than butter under that type of heat <S> give it a shot. <S> Make sure and reduce it a little for thicker body if you want/need. <S> We used to do this sauce similar to what you’re talking about it <S> was a shiitake soy cream ( <S> but we also cut a little brown sugar in there <S> so it was like a teriyaki cream LOL ) really good!! <S> as a general rule if you’re getting something that you’re experiencing it is because you’re sauce <S> is “breaking “ it has either gotten too hot or too far reduced to the point where the fats and solids will no longer stay together. <S> Another way to fix this is to quickly whisk in some cold cream or even an ice cube once you see the sauce beginning to break ( separate )
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So my suggestion would be to try substituting a little bit of cream (fairly heavy cream, like whipping cream) for some of the butter.
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Pumpkin substitutes for lasagne I have a lasagne recipe that has pumpkin, sausage and collard greens in it. Is there another vegetable that will replace the pumpkin as I do not like pumpkin? <Q> (simple answer) <S> I suggest finding a lasagna recipe without pumpkin in it. <S> Lasagna is a simple recipe and easily adaptable. <S> You can add and remove ingredients to your liking as long as you keep the basic structure of the lasagna (pasta/sauce layers). <S> Make certain that if you add ingredients to the lasagna, that they will be already cooked or can be baked in with the lasagna. <A> A straightforward replacement would be butternut squash, which can usually be going in either pieces or puree in the frozen section of a grocery store. <S> (In my experience, it is much more common than pumpkin!) <S> It has a very similar flavor profile, texture, and cook time. <S> Since winter squashes are so similar, though, you may dislike the resulting lasagna just as much as if you had used pumpkin. <S> Consider whether the cooking/spices are what you don't like (the classic cinnamon, clove, ginger, etc. <S> in "pumpkin spice" desserts), or the base flavor of the vegetable itself. <S> If it's really the pumpkin, you will probably have a hard time finding a tasty replacement. <A> (You will have to adjust the parboiling times to ensure the correct consistency.) <S> For a puree, mashed peas, e.g., would be an additional option.
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Foods which would have a similar texture to pumpkin, either chunked or pureed, are root vegetables such as carrots, parsnips, turnips, or rutabagas. Acorn squash or a similar "winter squash" could also work, but would involve more prep work -- I've never seen them sold any way but whole.
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Can I use red wine instead of white wine for chicken scallops? There's dry white wine used in chicken scallops , is it possible to substitute it with red wine ? <Q> I would avoid using red wine in a recipe that calls for white. <S> Whites and Reds taste different, so you should expect a switch from white to red to be reflected in the finished dish. <S> And, it will also change the color/presentation. <S> I was taught that white wine can be substituted with water and vinegar mixed in equal amounts, along with a small amount of sugar in recipes. <S> I think they taste better with the vinegar/sugar combo than with actual white wine. <S> Here's why: When you add alcohol to a recipe that is cooked, the heat evaporates the alcohol. <S> In the case of white wine, the remaining flavor is tangy and tart. <S> When you use vinegar/sugar in your recipe as a substitute for the wine, your recipe tastes like there is wine in it. <S> Now, we know that white wine isn't made from vinegar and sugar - <S> so there isn't any alcohol in finished dish. <S> It just has a flavor similar to the white wine. <S> Whether you are out of white wine, or prefer to cook without alcohol, (and IMHO) <S> the best substitution is vinegar and sugar. <A> The overwhelming majority of people cannot really tell the difference between red and white wine in a blind taste test. <S> This has been proven repeatedly in various tests - google it for examples. <S> Even wine connoisseurs are fooled sometimes. <S> Red wine will change the colour of the result but not the flavour (any more than the subtle differences in the taste of wines of the same colour). <A> Most red wines have a higher iron content than most whites. <S> Here is an article citing the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry which goes into more detail about this phenomenon. <A> I’m not sure exactly what dish you are planning to make but both chicken and scallops (like the big seared U-10s can go very well with certain red wines <S> so I don’t see what the problem would be.
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Usually Not It will depend on the recipe you are using, but often the flavor of red wine will clash with the fish (scallops, in this case).
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What is this glass object for? I inherited a bar set. It has a wide variety of glassware, all of which I recognize except this piece The bottom portion holds a 1/2 cup. There is a small hole connecting the top and bottom. The top section is about 2in in diameter with a 3/4 inch opening between the top and the bottom. It is awkward to pour out of it and impossible to drink out of it. There are 12 of them, along with all the other glassware. There are no markings on the glassware or the bar itself. The bar only contains liquor glasses (Collins glass, cordial glass, old fashion glass, shot glass) and no wine glasses or beer glasses. What is its purpose? <Q> It's a double bubble shot glass designed for a shot (on top) and the chaser of your choice on the bottom. <S> It is just a novelty and fancy way of presenting special drinks. <S> Here's a video showing how it's used. <A> It looks exactly like a vase for growing hyacinths to me. <S> Edit: <S> This is wrong. <S> As noted in comments, a hyacinth vase has a larger hole. <S> Search for "bubble shot glass" images to see the OP's object. <S> Previous answer continues below... <S> The bulb sits in the top and roots grown into the water below (you have to let the water touch the bulb until the roots grow). <S> See this advert on Amazon <A> I haven't come across one for single servings, but this looks very much like a red wine decanter , used to improve the flavour of a red wine by aerating it. <S> The wine passes through the intentionally narrow neck and flows down the inside of the glass in the lower bulb. <S> This exposes as much surface area of the wine as possible to air, allowing it to breathe. <S> This improves the flavour and gives the wine a smoother feel in the mouth. <S> Aeration is usually done by passing the wine through an aerator - a device with two or more openings, allowing the wine to pass through, or which passes bubbles through the wine - or a decanter which uses a large surface area to do the trick. <S> Without one of these devices, a wine drinker will typically swirl the wine in the glass to reproduce the effect at a smaller scale. <S> The scale of yours, coupled with it belonging to a bar set, implies that it's intended to be used for a single serving/glass at once. <S> When turned upside down, it should fit fairly neatly into the mouth of the red wine drinking glasses in the rest of the set. <S> This allows a second aeration, offsetting the relatively small bulb, and gives the pourer a chance to show off.
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The top bulb is to pour your freshly opened red wine into.
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How can I relably work out the largest cut size of vegatables X and Y so they roast in the same amount of time? I'm interested in making an ultra simple seasonal roast vegetable dish. This site tells me that the vegetables: Beetroot, Brussels Sprouts, Carrots, Leeks, Onions, Parsnips, Potatoes, Pumpkin, Red Cabbage, Swede, Watercress, and Winter Squash. are totally in right now (but answers should related to any selection of roastable vegetables) I'd like to be able to throw some of each in a roasting pan and put in the oven. However I am aware that each veg will take a different amount of time to cook (assuming I like them all equally soft/crunchy). I believe that I can make them all be ready at the same time by cutting them into different sized chunks: leeks should be bigger than potatoes. How can I find relably work out the largest cut size of vegatables X and Y so they roast in the same amount of time? Ideal answers show me where I can find a look up table that either gives the values, or gives values that I can put through some maths to get the values I'm looking for. <Q> First, there are two approaches. <S> This lets me prep veggie #1, get it into the oven, and start prepping veggie #2. <S> Or you could take your strategy of prepping them all at slightly different sizes and putting them all in at once. <S> Either way, you'll start with a decent guess [*], and monitor as they cook. <S> Some things will be ready too soon - you can just pull them out and have them wait for the others. <S> Some won't be ready when everything else is and will get some time on their own at the end. <S> Either way, you need to update either on paper or in your head that veggie X needs to be cut smaller (or put in sooner) or cut larger (or put in later.) <S> * hardest need to be smallest or first: I would try Potatoes, Winter Squash, Pumpkin, Swede, Beetroot, Parsnips, Brussels Sprouts, Carrots, Leeks, Onions, Red Cabbage. <S> Watercress I would barely cook and you can't change the size. <S> Toss in for the last minute or so. <S> Next time, use your adjusted sizes or times. <S> Repeat until it's perfect every time. <A> You cannot have such a list, there are too many variables to take into account. <S> Oven temperature (displayed vs. actual), pan size and type ( for example steel roasting pan vs. casserole). <S> Vegetable are never the same, your potatoes might cook differently than the potatoes I use; they have different water content, different ripeness. <S> You also have to take into account the cut size of the vegetables. <S> Unfortunately, only experience will help in those cases, you will learn that potatoes takes around X minutes when cut at that size, and that leeks takes Y minutes. <S> There's also a personal taste to take into account, I like some of my vegetables to be just cooked (fork tender), and some others to be cooked more <S> so they have a more roasted feel to them, <S> for example, Brussels Sprouts are better, imo, when they are a little bit charred. <A> Cut size is the wrong way to look at it. <S> No matter what, you will want to cut vegetables that you are roasting together to the same size so that they cook evenly. <S> It is more important to sort or categorize your vegetables. <S> Squash, roots and alliums can be cooked at the same temperature for the same amount of time... <S> 425 F for about 45 minutes. <S> Brassica (cauliflower, broccoli, brussles sprouts) and mushrooms for about 25 minutes.
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I like to cut things into the size I want to serve (for roast potatoes each piece about 2 or 3 bites), and cook them differing amount of time.
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Stuffing meat cannelloni and refrigerating to be cooked the next day Is it safe to make uncooked beef cannelloni with cheese and eggs, stuff the raw shells and leave in fridge overnight? I would put the hot tomatoe sauce over top just before baking. <Q> Is the meat cooked or not ? <S> it's not clear. <S> I would prepare the stuffing, cook it all and cool it down and stuff the cannelloni and put that in the fridge. <S> (I treat that the same as a lasagna). <A> It is fine to assemble the dish ahead of time, as long as it is cooked thoroughly when you finish it. <S> The hazard would be making sure it is done, since it will start from cold, but if you check (beef is easy to visually tell if it is cooked) and see the meat has turned brown and there are no bloody juices in the pan, then you will be fine. <S> Remember, too, many people order rare or medium rare hamburgers and steaks. <S> If the meat is fresh, and the assembled dish is refrigerated, there is nothing to worry about. <A> It's safest to cook everything except the pasta. <S> Assemble the dish, cool, cover and refrigerate overnight. <S> Make sure you bring the dish up to room temp prior to baking. <S> It should take ~30 minutes to prevent having your dish burst from thermal/temperature shock. <S> Note <S> : The pasta will absorb moisture overnight and the finished dish will be "al dente".
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Personally, I would bake it all, sauce included the day before and cool it down and put that in the fridge.
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How do I get something sticky like honey or Golden Syrup off measuring spoons or measuring cups? Is there a better way? When I put honey in a spoon or measuring cup, the residue stays and it’s hard to get all of it out. How do I make it all come out? Is there a way to measure honey without leaving honey on a spoon? <Q> It's possible to get specialized equipment for this: a plunger measuring cup. <S> I'd only invest in this if you very frequently measure sticky ingredients -- it's not strictly necessary, but it can be a timesaver for some recipes. <S> It's available from many different brands. <A> As, since this answer other suggestions have abounded, let me clarify. <S> These methods assume you want no wastage & also no cross-contamination of your source jar of the sticky component. <S> They also require almost nothing in the way of 'extra equipment'. <S> Depending on what the next steps to your recipe are, I can think of three alternatives. <S> None are perfect and each would suit a different scenario. <S> Tip it and leave it a long time. <S> Heat it slightly. <S> Microwave or sit the container in hot water. <S> or my favourite, Rinse it out with the next liquid ingredient <S> you will use in the same recipe; or for a spoon, stir your existing ingredients with it. <A> Your concern is NOT getting the measuring item clean. <S> Your concern is ensuring the right amount of ingredient goes where it is desired. <S> If you have decent accuracy digital kitchen scales (relatively cheap usually but may depend on your location), you can measure by weight. <S> If you need to determine the weight by measure of your sticky substance, start with these steps: <S> Tare the scales to zero. <S> Scoop quantity of sticky substance. <S> Measure on scales, and note the number. <S> Once you know how much the desired measurement should weigh (you can also look up these numbers online or in many cookbooks): <S> Place destination bowl on scales and tare to zero. <S> Add sticky substance up to the desired weight. <A> What I do, if the recipe calls for any sort of oil, measure that first, then the honey slides out pretty well. <A> It's not a perfect solution, but using two spoons and scraping one with the other you can get the majority of the syrup off the spoons relatively quickly. <A> Silicone spatulas are quite good at cleaning hard vessels well. <S> Combine that with a small enough measurement - so don't measure 50 ml of honey in a 1000 ml cup, use as close to 50 ml as this gives you a better ratio of volume-to-wall-surface - <S> then scrape with the silicone spatula, and it will be almost as clean as licked. <A> Heat the utensil. <S> For a spoon, fill a coffee cup with boiling water, and drop the spoon in there for 30 secs or so, or for a measuring cup, just fill it with boiling water before measuring out the honey/syrup. <S> The heat will reduce the viscosity making it pour off the spoon/out of the cup better. <A> I've found that a light spray of cooking spray on the spoon or in a measuring cup will make measuring any sticky substance very easy. <A> Rub a tiny amount of neutral oil onto the measuring cup prior to measuring. <A> Why not put the honey pot on the balance instead and take your measures at reverse? <S> That's what I do. <A> Convert all measures to CC's and then use syringes. <S> Different syringe for each ingredient. <S> Minimizes waste, and they come sterile. <A> Water on your spoon will help, I found that when I put peanut butter into my drink in the morning and used a wet spoon from the draining board that it is considerably less sticky. <A> In the case of honey or syrup, buy a squeezy bottle, and measure out the amount by placing the receptical on a balance and squeezing until enough comes out. <S> The bottle can be rinsed out and used again and again. <S> I also buy glass jars of honey (much cheaper than squeezy), and decant that into the squeezy bottle.
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The base is adjusted to the level you need to measure, the sticky honey or syrup is poured in, and then the cup is upended and as the base is pushed in, it scrapes the sides as it travels. Place the measuring item (spoon, cup whatever) on the scales. For getting the cup clean afterwards, wash with hot water, not merely warm.
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How can I package durian flesh so that its fragrance cannot be detected? How can I package durian flesh so that its fragrance / smell cannot be detected? I tried to package some durian flesh using several layers of ziplocs followed by several layers of plastic bags but it didn't prevent the fragrance from escaping the package. <Q> I would recon you´d need a glass or metal container, as aroma-molecules can diffuse though plastic. <S> This is basically the same Problem users of certain "herbs" have, so naturally there is a lot of information available if you look at the right places <A> If freezing is an option, that is probably the direction I would suggest. <S> Most markets I have seen it in sell it that way as a matter of fact. <S> I would still wrapping and maybe a sealed container as I do not believe freezing <S> will completely eliminate the smell especially if it is not they whole fruit. <S> The faster you can freeze will reduce how much smell may spread until it is frozen. <S> I would tend to assume that colder is better as well. <S> I worked with someone who especially liked it, and it is a very interesting fruit. <S> We had to finally ban it from the office though as the smell earns its reputation. <A> Maybe I am hurting unstated assumptions behind the question, but: you could try making canned durian. <S> Smell means that volatile substances are being emitted from the fruit into the air, and land on your airways' mucosa. <S> Canning jars for home use underpressurized air to seal. <S> This means that they are not just sealed the way plastic bags are, there are no molecules travelling from the jar to the outside at all - if there was any hole for molecules to go through, they would go into the other direction, from the pressurized atmosphere to the underpressurized jar. <S> So, no air exchange. <S> And the glass is impermeable even for small molecules, unlike the plastic of sealing bags and the like, which may let some air through. <S> The solution still has to be tested for real-life suitability. <S> One concern is that the underpressure is achieved by having the hot jars release some of their contents into the canner - mostly air from the headspace, but small leaks are expected to happen from a few of the jars out of a batch. <S> If the jars spend several minutes in a durian-scented water bath, it may be that they continue to reek for a long time after being taken out. <S> So you would have to test - preferably with extra headspace. <S> Also, since there seem to be no official recipes published on home canning durian, you'll need to measure your own pH and adjust if needed. <A> You could use a heat sealing machine with heavy duty vaccuum bags. <A> This is a bizarre answer and may not be practical, but if you seal it well in plastic bags and submerge the bag under water it might help. <S> This, of course, is the principle behind toilets ;)
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I would consider if you have it available to use dry ice to initially freeze it to prevent having other items or your freezer capturing the smell.
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How to prevent chocolate covered items from sticking to the cooling rack? I made my first chocolate covered creams as a Christmas test run, but I put them to dry on a cake cooling rack. This morning the chocolate was so stuck that when I took them off the chocolate was tearing off. Not worried about rescuing this test batch, but what can I dry them in to prevent it? Or should I dip one side then the other? <Q> (Some use plastic wrap or aluminum foil, but this may stick as well. <S> Oiling helps.) <S> After cooling, they should come off easily. <S> However, there’s a chance of them developing “feet” when the runoff pools on the parchment, especially if the coating is on the runnier side. <S> If you use a rack (which reduces the “feet” by letting the excess chocolate drip down), you should lift the creams up once they have mostly, but not fully, solidified and transfer them either to the above mentioned parchment or a clean spot on the rack. <S> You can also oil the rack very lightly, but the effect is not too much. <S> In any case, make sure you let all excess chocolate drip off well before actually placing the creams on whatever you choose for the cooling phase. <A> One thing you can put them on is teflon cooking liner (example) . <S> Chocolate doesn't dry by evaporation but but cooling, so you don't need airflow underneath. <S> You can put this on top of a cooling rack or any flat surface. <S> It's very non-stick, but because it's flexible if any chocolates do stick you can peel the sheet of the chocolate rather than the other way round. <S> Otherwise very lightly oiled foil or greaseproof paper can be used. <A> Another approach is to use a skewer. <S> Dip the item, then stick the other end of the skewer into something (a block of Styrofoam, perhaps?) <S> The skewers can all lie parallel to the floor if the items are light, or straight up and down for heavier things - again perhaps in a block of something, or just standing up in a cup or glass. <S> If you're worried about the hole, you can paint over it with a bit more melted chocolate, or redip just the part near the hole. <S> The rest of the item will be cool and dry so it can sit anywhere.
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The simple approach is to skip the wire rack and place the dipped confections on parchment paper, waxed paper or a silicone mat.
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Please suggest a substitute for espresso powder which is not made from coffee I see Espresso Powder frequently in chocolate-based baking recipes. I've done some searching here (and elsewhere online) for potential substitutes, but have only been able to find other coffee-based substitutions. For religious reasons I would like to avoid coffee products. To clarify - caffeine is not the issue, but rather the coffee bean itself. What are some effective substitutes for espresso powder in chocolate-based baking recipes (e.g. brownies) that do not contain the coffee bean? <Q> It works as a drop-in replacement in drinks and foods really well. <S> After all, coffee is just a roasted grain, too. <S> If you need instant coffee, one that dissolve in water or baked goods, I know for a fact that Inka brand makes instant roasted grain "coffee" that can be used as substitute. <S> I don't know about other brands quality, but you can try ones <S> found on Amazon . <S> I personally prefer ones with sugar beet and chicory, some brands also use dandelion. <S> Additions are there to emulate coffee better, to make taste more rich and complicated. <S> Basically, if it tastes good and is bitterish enough, it'll work. <S> I'm not affiliated with linked sellers. <S> It is just an example. <A> If it's primarily a chocolate recipe the coffee is there to add flavour. <S> You may be able to simply omit it. <S> I would generally replace it with the same quantitity of (unsweetened) cocoa powder as otherwise the recipe may be a little too sweet. <S> If you find the overall recipe lacking in flavour after that, try more cocoa or adding a tiny bit of a compatible flavour, for a different but still good effect. <S> One thing that works well with chocolate is vanilla, another is ginger (though too much and it will dominate - good, but not what you asked for). <S> If the espresso powder is dissolved in liquid before adding, you can use liquid extracts to replace some of the liquid (but be careful what you buy if you also avoid alcohol as many who avoid coffee do). <S> This gives you slightly more choice, as you can use a little almond extract, or even mint, or replace the liquid with orange juice. <S> Of the flavours I mentioned, the almond and the vanilla would be best for just adding a subtle bit more flavour, while the others are conventionally used with chocolate in some recipes and ould go well, though change the end result. <S> If the recipe is a mocha recipe, or there's a lot of coffee in there <S> , I suggest looking for a similar recipe with no or less coffee. <S> This is always an option. <A> It won't be coffee flavored (maybe that's not a bad thing), but what about ground black cardamom? <S> I have yet to try it <S> (I am ordering it shortly), but Alton Brown has updated some of his old recipes. <S> His updated chocolate syrup uses black cardamom to enhance the coffee syrup. <S> From his description in the episode, it sounds like more of an herbal compliment, unlike espresso powder's enhancement of the bitter flavors. <S> See new recipe here . <S> I fully plan on playing around with black cardamom and chocolate. <A> Chaga mushroom powder has a similar flavor profile to a lot of coffees and is also super good for you. <S> Coffee is a roasted cherry pit, not a grain, so I'd avoid those. <S> There are a lot of acidic and tannic qualities in brewed coffee, so even a black tea powder may work well! <S> Like another poster said, it's really just to add depth of flavor to the chocolate. <A> Barley Cup was the go-to instant coffee substitute back in the day - roasted cereal and chicory in an easy-to-use powder. <A> Artificial coffee flavour seems like the right solution for your problem.
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You can pretty much substitute coffee with roasted grain coffee-like powder of any brand you like.
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Cutting windows into a premade gingerbread We have a gingerbread kit that we would like to add windows. What is the best way to cut into the hard gingerbread without breaking? <Q> Very, very carefully. <S> Although that's rather tongue in cheek, it's true: slowly and carefully is the key approach. <S> The quicker you try to move, the rougher the shape you produce. <S> You also significantly increase the chance of breakage. <S> Make an initial rough hole at the center point of your eventual window area, and then cut out to finish the edges. <S> A serrated knife used with a slow, steady sawing motion should work. <S> Luckily, if you do end up with lopsided, misshapen, or unexpected results, icing and candy decoration can help hide the mistakes :) <A> Serrated knife is the best choice and was what I was taught to use in my baking class. <S> What @Erica said is right, slow and steady. <S> If the pre-bake is too tough and dry then a possible fix is to add steam to the area you are cutting the window to both sides to soften before cutting (assuming you didn't attach the piece to something already). <S> You can boil some water and then set the piece above it to soften or even fill a bowl with water then put the cookie above the bowl in the microwave (microwave may over cook cookie!!!!) <S> (don't let the water touch the cookie) <S> Try not to use anything other than a serrated knife if possible. <S> But if you are trying for a small window then you may have to create room for the serrated knife with a pairing knife before <S> hand just try not to use it too much if at all. <S> Pairing knifes often will put lots of pressure on and make it easy to crack the brittle cookie. <S> If it does crack, fill it with thick-ish consistency royal icing <S> (watch out if you steam it after adding royal icing it <S> may and probably will fall apart) and let it set before trying to deal with it more (unless you wanna try to cut out the window first <S> then glue it together with icing). <A> If money (and complexity) is no object, laser cutting creates the best finish. <S> A friend of mine created a fantastic gingerbread 'mansion', all of the pieces for which were cut from large slabs of gingerbread she baked. <S> The difficulty in your case would be calibrating the laser to cut in the right place on your pieces. <S> This is obviously not a practical solution for most people, but should nevertheless be mentioned <A> Re-cut the outline of the window to get a sharp and straight edge Repeat carving out the inside of the window to the edge <S> The reason for this approach is that sticking a knife through the gingerbread to cut out any shape first adds material to the gingerbread that is not flexible enough to accomodate the knife without breaking. <S> By pre-cutting shallow lines and then carving the inside out you only remove material, lowering the chances of breaking your gingerbread. <A> I would start not with a knife, but with a cookie cutter. <S> If you dont't have a square cookie cutter, choose something which has at least one straight side, but is smaller than the full window, maybe some kind of triangle. <S> Cut that out, then use the tip of a knife to cut out the other straight sides.
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I'd propose the carving approach: With just the very tip of a pointy knife, draw the lines where the window should be Carve a thin layer of gingerbread away from the inside of the window to the line you made.
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How to stabilize soft nougat? Which ways to stabilize soft nougat do you know? By stabilize I mean making it less sticky and preventing it from creeping. I emphasise, that I don't want to add nut flower into nougat, or make it harder in other ways. I want to preserve soft and sticky qualities inside while making it easier to hold in hands and store. I tried to cover nougat with some powders:- Sugar dust. It doesn't work. Sugar is getting soaked into nougat in few hours.- Cocoa. Good taste (can save if the nougat is too sugary) and relatively not sticky. But doesn't keeps form.- Starch. Definitely reduces adhesiveness but doesn't taste good. I also tried waffles - it's ok, but ... strange? And I know that chocolate is good for this purpose, but I don't like chocolate. Please, answer if you know any other ways, like may be covering nougat with caramel. <Q> In my own practice, I just cook the sugar to a higher temperature in order to make a nougat firm enough to not spread. <S> I can vouch for rice paper tasting just fine with the rest of the nougat. <A> The stickiness/softness/runniness of nougat is directly controlled by the temperature you heat the water/sugar mixture to. <S> The higher the temperature, the less runny the results will be. <S> Once you've mixed in the egg whites, though, you've made your choice, and can't later decide to make it thicker. <S> It sounds like you want two different materials: a hard nougat for the outside, and a soft nougat for the inside. <S> Perhaps you could make two batches, and diP blocks of the softer (heated to a lower temperature) into a still-melted bowl of the latter? <S> It might be tough to get it all to work, though... <A> I tried to make nougat for the first time. <S> The consistancy was way to soft. <S> I left it few hours. <S> I just did not want to waist all that ingredients. <S> I pour the.. Way to soft nougat in a glass bowl and add a little bit of corn flour. <S> I put the glass bowl. <S> Over a pot with boiling water and stir and stir and stir. <S> It reached a nice chewy consistancy and I spread it on a tray till it was cold. <S> Thus way I could save the "flop". <S> And the children finished the nougat within a few minutes. <A> ..... <S> A distinct option would be to make little sugar cookie cups to place the nougat chunks in. <S> I wouldn't completely enclose the nougat in dough and bake it, but cookie bowls could make a pleasant, customizable delivery system if other options are dissatisfactory. <S> Just take a stiff, decorator-approved cookie dough, portion, and with a thumb or measuring spoon, press an indent into each cookie dough ball before baking. <S> As long as the dough is designed not to spread too much, you should get a cookie with a little bowl in it. <S> You could similarly make meringue bowls, which might actually compliment the egg-white based nougat even better.
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However, I have recipes suggesting the use of rice paper, and have eaten store-bought nougat that used rice paper on one or two sides of the nougat to hold it together (and minimize sticky fingers for the people eating it.)
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How to slow down evaporation when cooking? Does water evaporate faster when rolling boil with a lid or simmer without a lid? If I use a certain stove plate with a certain sauce pan set to its lowest setting it will cause the water to roll boil with lid on and just simmer without a lid. My question is, will the lid compensate for that water that evaporates faster (I assume?) when it is rolling boiling compared to when it just simmer? The context is brewing tea. I have found a new tea that should be cooked for as long as possible (an hour is not too much) and I want to leave it unattended. How to avoid too much evaporation? <Q> Covering (using a lid) will greatly reduce evaporation, whether at the full boil or just simmering...or sitting on the countertop. <A> One of these flat metal simmer rings that spread the heat [$£€ 2.50 on eBay] is a cheap & easy way to reduce the heat arriving at the pan from the burner. <A> With evaporating or boiling water, the evaporation of the water takes away an enormous amount of heat. <S> It takes one small calorie (which is 1/1000th of a food calorie) to raise the temperature of one gram of water one degree C, but it then takes 575 calories to boil that water into vapor. <S> In other words, if you add heat to almost-freezing water until it starts boiling, it will take almost six times as much heat energy again to completely boil the water away. <S> With your lid off, it becomes easier for the water to evaporate away, which extracts a large amount of heat energy from the water, keeping your example pot at a simmer. <S> Put the lid on, and you make it harder for the vapor to escape, so less heat is removed, so your pot heats up further to a rolling boil. <S> But, since you're adding the same amount of heat to both pots, in both cases the pot will heat up until the heat lost per time equals the heat added. <S> Although the majority of the heat loss in both cases will be the heat of vaporizing water, having a lid lets you have proportionally more heat loss through conduction to the surrounding air (which is why, with a glass lid, you'll see water condensing on the underside; that transfers heat to the lid, which then transfers heat to the air). <S> So, you'll lose somewhat less water with a lid, but I'll guess there wouldn't be a large difference. <S> In your case, my guess is that you'll get more reliable boiling with a lid, especially a glass one where you can see the contents. <S> And, the somewhat reduced water loss will be a bonus.
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You could look at reducing the heat coming from the burner/ring, so you could leave the lid on & also reduce the boil to a simmer.
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How to pound chicken breasts without a meat tenderizer? I do not have a meat tenderizor. I want to fry my chicken breasts but need to pound out the meat. What can I use instead? <Q> This might seem silly but, . . . <S> I use my fist. <S> I always cover my chicken with plastic wrap to contain the mess before I pound it. <S> You can also glove up instead/as well. <S> I have found that punching it is just the right amount of force for the job. <S> And the uneven surface of my knuckles acts as a meat tenderizer and breaks up the tissue just a little. <S> (But not too much.) <A> Anything flat, non-breakable, and reasonably heavy would work: rubber mallet, rolling pin, flat-bottomed wooden bowl, etc. <S> I would suggest protecting the meat and implement from one another with plastic wrap. <A> Put breast between baking paper, roll like dough with a rolling pin. <S> If you have any spices/herbs/salt/pepper to add you can sprinkle then mid rolling as this will push them inside meat. <A> Put it between two plastic sheets, or inside of a zipblock bag big enough to accommodate the smashed size of the breast. <S> Then you're going to want to grab a skillet and beat that meat into submission. <S> Just make sure the skillet isn't hot or warm when you start assaulting that meat. <A> I've been known to cover with plastic wrap, lay my chef's knife flat along a piece of chicken, and then hit the flat of the blade with the heel of my hand. <S> Obviously, stay away from the sharp / pointy parts; but that is easy to do with a big chef's knife. <S> I typically only do this when I have one or two pieces of meat that need tenderizing (as anymore will tenderize you back!) <A> We designed ourselves a wooden block (remains from a 2" laminate floor joist) <S> about 8" by 8", drilled a hole in one side, and screwed in a handle. <S> When we use it, we wrap it around and around with plastic wrap to keep the meat clean. <S> We would then use this as an intermediate, placing the chicken breasts underneath it, and pound it with a 3 lb sledge hammer. <S> Though it sounds a bit extreme, it is actually quite effective, works quickly, and does not damage the meat. <A> I've seen my mother use a Corningware plate or saucer in place of a meat tenderizer. <S> She would just hold the plate sideways and pound out the meat with the edge of the plate. <A> Iron Skillet (or another heavy pot/pan) Cutting board Rolling pin <S> - really easy if you have the French tapered kind <S> Big can of tomatoes... <S> An empty wine bottle <S> A pool ball (the kind you use on a table...not in the water!) <S> Bon Appetit! <A> First off, you'll definitely want your chicken between two sheets of plastic. <S> You can either do this with two sheets of plastic wrap, or by putting it in a gallon ziplock bag (don't seal it though). <S> Not everyone has a rolling pin, so if you don't just grab the largest heaviest can of food you have and slam it into the chicken. <S> I wouldn't use any beverage cans, and especially not anything carbonated like soda or beer. <S> I actually have a purpose built meat tenderizer and prefer using my rolling pin. <A> I have used a cast iron skillet against a cutting board. <S> Plastic wrap or parchment paper to protect the surfaces...
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The best alternative tool to use is a rolling pin as it's got no sharp edges (will break your plastic and can cut the chicken in half) and has weight and length to aid in leverage when whacking. Cast iron is the classic here, but anything you can swing will work.
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My Russian Teacakes are too crumbly I am making Russian Teacakes. They have been refrigerated per the recipe for approximately 4 hours. I cannot roll the Teacakes into balls as the dough is too crumbly. Help! <Q> In the Russian teacake recipes I have seen, there are four main ingredients: flour butter <S> nuts <S> powdered sugar <S> If you cannot get your cookies to bind, you need to add more butter (the only ingredient with moisture). <S> If you are refrigerating your dough, make sure to cover it <S> so it does not dry out. <A> If you do not let this sort of dough warm up a bit after refrigerating, it will frequently crumble. <S> Let the dough sit on the counter for 10-15 minutes and see if it's workable then. <S> I sometimes let a dough like this come nearly all the way back up to room temperature in order to be able to shape it. <S> If after letting it warm back up, it's still too crumbly to shape, then add a little bit more butter, like mattm suggested. <A> Funny you ask this question; I just finished making Russian tea-cakes. <S> A bit of vanilla flavouring helps; I usually put in around 2 teaspoons for a batch of 40 (equivalent to 1 cup of butter and 3/4 cup of confectioner's sugar, if my memory serves me). <S> The trick that I use, which really helps, though, is actually a technique in rolling. <S> We generally think that the way to make roll cookies is to take a blob of batter and simply roll it between the palms of one's hands. <S> This technique works very poorly for Russian Tea Cakes, however, even if the batter is moist enough to work. <S> With the palms squashed against each other, start rolling them around as though you were rolling a cookie, but with your hands virtually touching each other. <S> Slowly release the pressure while continuing to roll until the cookie is round and smooth, and voila! <S> The advantage of this technique actually also has a hidden benefit: the cookies (form my experience) tend to disintegrate less while coating them in icing sugar after cooking.
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It works much better to take a blob of batter of the correct size to make a cookie and squash it flat between the palms of the hands.
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Can't find frozen cranberries anywhere. Can I use fresh instead in my cake recipe? I can't find frozen cranberries anywhere. How can I substitute fresh cranberries for frozen? Do I chop them up and add sugar? Do frozen cranberries have added sugar in them? My cake recipe asks for frozen cranberries. <Q> Frozen cranberries usually do not have added sugar, and are usually frozen whole. <S> So the sneaky solution would be to buy fresh cranberries, freeze them, and then use them however the recipe calls for :) <S> Since you're not worried about long-term storage, a few hours in the freezer on a baking tray should get them to the correct consistency. <A> Unless you have reason to think that the baking time has been very much readjusted to compensate for the frozen state of the berries, you can probably use fresh ones in exactly the same way. <S> More likely the recipe assumes you're someplace where the supply of fresh berries is very limited. <S> I've made the same cake with fresh and frozen other berries, and had no trouble going back and forth according to supply. <S> Well, except the time I went overboard and nearly doubled the amount of frozen berries, but that would probably have been a problem with fresh ones as well. <A> Freezing fruits breaks down the cellular walls changing the fruit's consistency and the way it interacts with other the ingredients. <S> If a recipe calls for frozen fruit, chances are the results will be quite different if you don't freeze your fresh fruit before using it.
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You can substitute fresh cranberries, but wash and freeze them first.
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Is eggnog just a milkshake? Last year I tried eggnog for the first time, following a homemade recipe involving egg, cream and sugar. The result tasted like a thin vanilla ice-cream milkshake (with spices and alcohol).Recipes for homemade ice-cream use similar ingredients (without spices and alcohol). Is this just superficial, or do the definitions of ice-cream milkshake and eggnog overlap so that it is reasonable to conceive of eggnog as a flavoured milkshake? (I am looking for a technical answer that rules out my milkshake theory, or suggests it's an acceptable substitute.) <Q> Not really. <S> For a start there's no milk in it <S> (there's cream, but <S> milk is the defining factor in a milkshake). <S> Second, egg isn't a normal ingredient in a milkshake, and neither is alcohol. <S> Of course they can be added, but they take you away from what's normally meant by the term. <S> When that happens it's normally reflected in the name. <S> In general, trying to precisely categorise foods is an exercise in futility - defining a category that includes everything you'd expect it to invariably includes things that don't belong, or you end up with categories so broad as to be useless. <S> Is a hot dog a sandwich? <S> Even calling eggnog a cocktail ( <S> An alcoholic drink consisting of a spirit or spirits mixed with other ingredients, such as fruit juice or cream. ) is slightly problematic, as "cocktail" usually implies <S> it's mixed just before serving, rather than bottled in between (as is common with eggnog). <A> Egg nog is a custard. <S> The only difference is you don't freeze it in an ice cream mixer. <S> It has all the same ingredients as ice cream except a heavier use of alcohol. <S> I haven't tried <S> but I'd bet you could freeze it, too. <A> For one thing, eggnog (around in one form or another for hundreds of years) significantly predates milkshakes. <S> Even switching the order of invention, though, still no :) <S> A milkshake is based on ice cream and milk, blended with flavoring. <S> Some variants don't include ice cream, but a milkshake is always thick and cold. <S> It doesn't include any eggs. <S> You could have an eggnog flavored milkshake by adding spices and alcohol, but it wouldn't be eggnog. <S> Eggnog must include eggs, with cream and milk added to make it richer and thicker. <S> Traditionally it is alcoholic (and milkshakes traditionally are not). <S> While not served hot, it is never as cold a drink as a milkshake. <A> The similarity is not superficial in that the ingredients and preparation of eggnog is essentially the same as those for making a custard style ice cream. <S> The difference is in the subsequent preparation: a milkshake involves blending ice cream and milk and flavorings into a frozen thick drinkable concoction while eggnog is traditionally served warm. <S> Is eggnog a milkshake? <S> No the final product is too different. <S> Is the similarity superficial? <S> Again no, the ingredients and initial preparation are essentially the same (though the proportions will differ).
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In effect, drinking eggnog is drinking unfrozen custard style ice cream base, with some liquor thrown in.
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Alternative to salt when using Mortar and Pestle For numerous reasons, I need to prepare the vast majority of food salt-free. Been doing this since the 80's, and now we are very sensitive to any added salt in our food. This extends to, for instance, salting the water for boiling pasta or vegetables. When I read about using a Mortar and Pestle, recipes often suggest adding a little salt to act as an abrasive. Clearly, from my family's point of view, that salt would not be desirable in the prepared dish. What can I use as an alternative, without changing the flavors too much. For example, sugar might work from the abrasive point of view, but would add sweetness where it wasn't expected. (Irrelevant, but someone will probably ask. 1/2tsp of salt in a meal is enough to cause my partner to be very ill. Hence the salt-free regime.) <Q> 2 solutions: <S> I have an unpolished granite pestle and mortar : they're much cheaper than the polished granite ones and are much more abrasive then a wooden or ceramic one. <S> I also don't use any salt, (for taste reasons, not for health reasons), but if your partner is intolerant to the Na in the NaCl <S> (salt) <S> you can get get 100% <S> chemically pure CaCl 2 ¹ from any decent pharmacy² <S> and that is an unlimited allowed food additive according to the FAO/WHO <S> and it tastes just like salt.³ Note¹: <S> Food grade is only 85-90% CaCl 2 and will not be sufficient in your case... <S> Note²: <S> Ask for the crystalline form... <S> Note³: <S> Talk to your physician about this solution before believing random strangers on the Internet! <A> It simply doesn't occur to me: I've been light on salt for ages, much more so since baby-led weaning. <S> So in many cases you can simply omit it, and maybe work a little harder. <S> Most of what I grind is dry spices. <S> Some, such as coriander, grind much better if toasted first - they're more brittle. <S> This is a good idea anyway as a lot of spices release their flavour better this way. <S> Starting with dried chillies helps a lot compared to fresh, if you grind chillies. <S> The harder ingredients, like coriander and especially fenugreek will act to break up softer things. <S> Sugar, however, is too soft to be much use. <S> If you like to make your own pesto, or other wet things that are often ground (and you might well do if you're avoiding salt) <S> then a mini chopper/grinder device or food processor attachment helps a lot - simply avoid grinding by hand. <A> I've never heard of using salt as an abrasive with a mortar and pestle. <S> I might just use more of the spice in question and filter whats left. <S> But if you were looking to use something as an abrasive you could try whole versions of whatever spices you are already using (cardamom, coriander, mustard, etc.) <S> Or for a generic option, peppercorn seeds. <S> A bit of pepper doesnt hurt even when you think it might (eg baking). <A> Try NuSalt instead. <S> It is potassium chloride (KCL). <S> (It also works great for tight muscles or muscle spasms if you drink a lot of water and flush away electrolytes.) <S> Or try a non-glazed mortar & pestle. <S> Some are smooth, while others are rough. <S> Or try buying the pre-ground spices and skip the mortar & pestle.
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I almost never add salt when grinding, in a rough ceramic mortar with a pestle to match.
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I poured simple syrup over cooked apples. Why did it turn watery? I boiled apples in water until tender. I took apples out, then added lemon and sugar to water in pot and boiled it. When I poured it over the apples it made a nice thickened gel. By morning it's all watery. Why? <Q> Some of the water content of the apples has migrated from the apples to the surrounding syrup. <S> This is due to an effect called osmosis. <S> The apple, like all living things is made out of cells that have (among other things) water inside them. <S> The cell walls are semipermeable, meaning small molecules like water can pass through them, but larger molecules like sugars cannot. <S> All dissolved substances (sugars, salt, etc.) attract water to themselves, so if you expose the apples to a highly sugary solution (like syrup), the water will be pulled from the apples into the syrup. <A> The syrup has very high sugar content and the apples much lower. <S> The syrup pulls water out of the apples by a process known as osmosis, which tries to equalize the sugar concentration on each side of the permeable membranes of the apples' cells. <A> Sugar is hydrophilic, meaning it's attracted to water. <S> The water migrated out of the apples and equalized the sugar concentration. <S> This process is referred to as osmosis. <S> Next time, try boiling the apples in that sugar syrup instead of just water.
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Your water soaked/softened apples likely had a higher moisture content compared to your syrup.
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How to cook dried red beans faster? I bought some dried red beans from the supermarket. I learned that in order to cook them well, I need more time. I have to soak them in cold water for one night, then cook for another two or three hours. Are there any tips or tricks to cook them faster? <Q> If you want to reduce total preparation time, you can skip the soak. <S> Then you can just boil for about 4-6 hours, instead of soaking overnight. <S> This is not a tradeoff most cooks are willing to make, since it wastes quite a bit of energy, and reduces the taste qualities of the prepared beans somewhat. <S> If you want it even faster, as weets mentioned, pressure cooking is the way to go. <S> Then you can get away with about 45-50 minutes for unsoaked and 25 minutes for soaked beans - that's the time spent at pressure, the total time will depend on the warming up time, which differs with pressure cooker type and total amount of beans you are cooking at once. <S> The same preference for soaked beans applies with pressure cooking. <S> If these times don't work for you, you cannot reduce them, but you can switch to buying canned beans. <S> The disadvantages there are the higher cost, higher storage volume, and the fact that some brands have off tastes. <A> What is the dish you are trying to make? <A> You can soak it for 45 minutes in warm or simmering water. <S> When that happens you'll end up with a lot of indigestible sugars in the water so you'll want to pour that off and then boil them in water. <S> I think you'll end up with more indigestible sugars in the water after that so you'll want to pour those off too <S> and then you can get into a 2-3 hour cook time. <S> When you finish that they should be edible, but they won't be soft. <S> They'll come out with a bit of bite. <S> There are a couple of things you can do to drastically reduce even this cooking time. <S> The first is that you can cook what gets sold at walmart and other places as lentils. <S> This don't require pre-soaking and can be cooked in like 45 minutes. <S> You can also use a pressure cooker or an instant pot. <S> This will allow you to cook at higher temperatures, but it won't do anything about the pre-soak time. <S> The most effective thing you can do to reduce cook time would be to buy canned beans. <S> Canned beans are a lot less cost effective when it comes to calories per pound/gram, but you save an absolute ton of time since the beans are already cooked. <S> I typically just put the beans in some water in the fridge to soak them on the week <S> I know I want to cook them. <S> That generally gives them enough time to pre-soak properly and it prevents them from growing if I don't cook them the next day. <S> Generally speaking if you want to cook dried beans, you're going to have to do something like this. <S> You can also just cook the beans till they're soft. <S> I know that works with chickpeas. <S> I feel like I get better results when I pre-soak though. <A> I generally just do a 10 minute boil, 1 hour rest, then simmer for 15-2 hours. <S> But this blogpage suggests that you don't even need the resting period. <S> Essentially her trick is to avoid packaged dried beans and use the bulk beans available in some stores. <S> No idea where that would be in my area, but... <S> How to Cook Dried Beans - The Quick and Easy Method
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If you are looking to soften the beans quickly you can use a pressure cooker.
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Is it redundant to add umami to tomato-based sauces? On the wiki page for umami , it says that tomatoes are "rich" in umami components. Does that mean it is redundant to add umami (such as monosodium glutamate) or soy based flavorings to tomato-based sauces, or is there a benefit? For example, a typical tomato-based sauce is cocktail sauce, which often has worcestershire sauce in it as an ingredient. However, the main active component of worcestershire sauce is fermented fish sauce or soy, which is primarily valued for its umami. So, if umami is already present in the tomatoes, why add the worcestershire at all? <Q> The Wikipedia article you link actually hints at an answer. <S> It points out that there's a synergistic effect when combining different classes of umami-rich foods, leading to a greater flavour enhancement than would be expected simply by adding the effects of the ingredients Japanese make dashi with kombu seaweed and dried bonito flakes;... and Italians combine Parmesan cheese on tomato sauce with mushrooms. <S> So it's certainly traditional. <S> But in your example the tomatoes bring some sweetness along with the umami, while the Worcester sauce (like soy sauce) is salty and so rich in umami <S> it's used in small quantities. <S> The effect of combining them is a more savoury sauce than one that tried to get all its umami from tomatoes. <S> Red pesto uses parmesan to similar effect. <A> If you're only looking for umami, then it's potentially redundant. <S> But looking at the bigger picture, we add other ingredients to round out the overall flavor. <S> Using solely tomato can be too plain / sweet / sour. <A> It is always a question of taste; <S> Worcestershire adds a different subtle "flavor profile" to the sauce. <S> Fresh tomatoes do not have a lot of umami at all, they are acidic and sweet (depending on the freshness of the tomatoes) <S> Cocktail sauces need to be fresh and acidic tasting, that is why you do not cook them; and why you add horseradish and/or worcestershire sauce to them. <A> There is also a strong school of thought that says partial matching of flavor profiles helps when looking for flavor balance. <S> Say you are starting with a tomato base that is providing umami and sour and you want to boost sweet, salt and heat. <S> You could just add some hot sauce, salt and sugar and say you are balanced. <S> But if your source matched umami, it may very well blend better into a more satisfying balance. <S> It would only be a redundant flavor if it started to dominate in that case. <S> So, in your cocktail sauce example, you might not want to use acid as you matching profile because you may push to the point of sour being too dominant.
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Tomatoes will develop more umami the longer you cook them, the early acidity will be replaced by some caramelization.
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Can I use rice wine vinegar in risotto? I don't tend to keep any white wine in the house for cooking and have a bottle of rice wine vinegar to use up - only used it once and don't know what else to use it for. Could I use rice wine vinegar at the start of cooking a risotto? <Q> I would not use any vinegar. <S> You will not want the sour taste that vinegar will leave. <S> You will have a better final result if you just omit the wine. <S> If you feel like it needs a little acidity at the end add a light squeeze of lemon (or even a couple of drops of vinegar). <S> However, I've made risotto plenty of times without wine or extra acid... <S> no problem! <A> Yes, you can, although I'd suggest adding a little sugar to it to offset the sharpness of the vinegar. <S> About 1 tsp in 3/4 cup of vinegar should do it. <S> However, if your rice vinegar is "seasoned rice vinegar", then it already has sugar in it (and salt). <S> Add no sugar, and decrease any salt you'd normally add by 1/2 tsp. <S> Basically the wine at the start is just adding a bit of acidity and flavor. <S> The most reliable substitution, as @moscafj suggests, is probably just to omit it entirely and increase the quantity of stock. <A> I dunno about rice wine vinegar, but I always make risotto with a little bit of vinegar to omit the wine. <S> I just use a little bit of vinegar watered down to a small cup, and use accordingly more stock. <S> I do this because I figured it might help with the acidity, although I have never verified it. <S> Numbers: <S> 30ml Apple Vinegar mixed with 100ml water About 1l of stock <S> 250-300ml Risotto rice <A> You can use rice wine vinegar for anything that you would otherwise use red wine vinegar for, or white vinegar, like salad dressings. <S> You could even use it as a substitute for lemon juice, in savory dishes only, carefully. <S> It gives an Asian undertone to flavors, which is quite nice if you're aiming for that. <S> I like to drench dimsum with it for instance. <S> But it's NOT a substitute for wine. <S> Wine is never that sour. <S> Wine may be what vinegar is made from originally, but the fermentation completely changes its qualities. <S> Parmesan is not a substitute for milk for instance. <S> Just please don't :-).
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Other substitutes that work for the wine in risotto are lemon juice (decrease quantity, add sugar), sherry (straight up), wine vinegar (add sugar), and white grape juice.
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How to cook egg whites? I have bought a bottle of egg whites as I do not enjoy the yolks at all. For normal eggs I'd either fry them on the pan (pour it on non-stick, flip it over sometime later or a few times and done) or boil till hard. Is there any chance to get the whites into something hardened? The recipes on the internet mostly make scrambled eggs but I want it all in a single piece of white with a structure similar to boiled egg. I tried pouring the egg whites on the pan but they burned to the pan and became unflippable. It ended up something similar to scrambled eggs (I tried higher and lower heats). Then I tried to fry them using oil. It worked but it all tasted oily which was bad once again. Then I tried pouring egg whites into the water similarly to how poached egg is made. It just dispersed throughout the water and became a fluffy, wattery mess of boiled egg scraps. <Q> I suspect that you'd like a solution do with no expensive or difficult to find equipment, as would we all - so that's what I offer. <S> What you will need: <S> A tin - as from soup or sweetcorn or tunafish. <S> The only stipulation is that it should have straight sides, not crinkled. <S> A little oil/butter. <S> A saucepan, medium/small. <S> A jug or beaker of water. <S> A thin flexible knife to free the egg from the tin. <S> Firstly prepare the tin. <S> Use a tin opener horizontaly to remove the top lip of the tin that is left after normal use. <S> Clean and dry the tin, then coat the interior surface with the oil/butter careful to not cut yourself on the sharp metal edge. <S> Pour the egg white into the tin <S> , place the tin in the centre of the saucepan. <S> Using the jug, add water to the saucepan till the level is approximatley level with the surface of the eggwhite. <S> Do this gently to avoid disturbing the tin. <S> Gently heat the saucepan until it simmers very gently, leaving the lid off the pan. <S> Wait. <S> For every 50 mL of egg white, wait whilst it simmers for 6 minutes. <S> Turn the heat off. <S> Allow to cool enough to touch the water surface without burning yourself, don't rush this <S> just let it cool naturaly. <S> Remove the tin from the water and gently invert on a plate. <S> Use the tin opener to pierce the base of the tin and gently shake the tin up and down with the plate till the egg releases, if it doesn't, you can turn the whole thing upside down and trace the inner side of the tin using the knife to free the egg, re-invert and gently shake till it releases. <S> Voila, you should now have an egg white cake. <A> For preference, I would use a sturdy bag from a vacuum sealer (but without using the vacuum). <S> I don't have a recipe that I've tried, so you may have to experiment with timing. <S> When I hard cook whole eggs, I put them in cold water in a pan, bring it to a boil, immediately turn it off, and then let it sit for ten minutes. <S> If you can seal th whites into the bag with little air, and then roll the liquid into a cylinder about the thickness of an egg, the time should be close to what I do for a whole egg in the shell. <S> If you don't have a vacuum sealer, you could try using a 'freezer' zip-top bag and add it to boiling water that you then turn off. <S> I haven't actually tried these recipes with egg whites (or substitutes), <S> so, if you try them, I'd love to see how they work for you. <A> Coonass Egg "Sous-vide en Carton" <S> I tried pouring the egg whites on the pan <S> but they burned to the pan and became unflippable. <S> It ended up something similar to scrambled eggs (I tried higher and lower heats). <S> Almost like in Van's post here , when I was working out all the time I ate a LOT of egg whites. <S> Normally, I used an egg-white seperator to separate the yolks, and then I donated them to the neighbor's pye dog. <S> But, if you want to know another way to cook eggs <S> I suggest cooking them in the carton . <S> Buy a carton of Egg Whites. <S> They should come bout 2 pints in a carton. <S> Cook half <S> em' classy. <S> Then for the other half, place half the carton of the eggs whites back in the carton. <S> Boil a small pot of water. <S> Put the carton in the pot of boiling water. <S> Now for the magic. <S> Just wait for 10 minutes. <S> Then split the carton down the center with your pocket knife, open it up, and serve with orange juice. <S> Eat them plain or add some Tony Chachere's creole seasoning . <A> I tried cooking egg whites in the carton, and it took me a while to figure it out, but they finally cooked through and were quite delicious. <S> I had made the mistake of opening up the top and leaving off the lid and they just weren't cooking, but then I realized that they needed the steam <S> so I put the lid back on and sealed the top with a binder clip and voila! <S> Definitely plan to try this method again once my current carton isn't so full, because clean up was a dream.
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I would try to cook the egg whites in a plastic bag submerged in water.
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When making batter/dough, why is it really bad to clean your spoon by hitting it on the edge of the bowl a few times? Mom and I were looking at a holiday cooking tv-show a few weeks back, and during the part where the host made the dough for the oliebollen , he hit his spoon a few times against the bowl, to get rid of excess stuck to the spoon. Apparently, this was bad enough that mom felt she had to comment on that out loud (NOOO! You fool!). According to her, when making oliebollen (or any other kind of dough/batter which includes yeast ), you should never hit your spoon on the bowl, as this will prevent the dough from rising properly. I've tried to look this up on the internet, but found no such claims/instructions nor any explanation of why hitting a spoon on the edge of the bowl would prevent the dough from rising properly. So, when making batter/dough, is it really bad to clean your spoon by hitting the edge of a bowl? If it is, why would doing so prevent the dough from rising properly? <Q> Oh, those cooking myths! <S> Whenever you think you have heard them all, there's a new one. <S> In a yeasted dough, the yeast is perfectly fine with being tossed, beaten and generally mangled. <S> The little yeast cells couldn't care less about what you do in the initial stage of mixing and kneading. <S> (That's obviously different when you consider the dough after the bulk raise: You want to keep the existing bubbles, sometimes more - think baguette or ciabatta - sometimes less, when you punch out the larger ones for a smoother texture, but I digress.) <S> What is an issue, is the kind of air that didn't come from yeast digestion and is safely entrapped in a gluten network, but the air that was beaten into the batter mechanically. <S> In the oliebollen recipe I have, you make a fairly liquid yeasted batter and finally add beaten egg whites. <S> Now, thats a material that doesn't take well to being jostled around. <S> Just consider how carefully the egg whites are usually incorporated: There's even a cooking term for the method, you fold them in, instead of stirring like crazy. <S> Many bakers will handle a batter with incorporated egg whites very carefully, because they don't want to burst those precious bubbles 1 . <S> But unless I am working with something <S> super delicate, a gentle tap of the filled pan can help too-large bubbles rise to the top (and subsequently be pierced) instead of creating unsightly cavities or worse, darkened patches on the surface. <S> The kitchen rule of "don't bang the spoon on the bowl" may well originate from there - but then the rule applies to all kinds of batter with stiff egg whites. <S> You can be on the very safe side and desist, but I am quite sure that it won't really matter if you tap gently. <S> On the other hand, wiping the spoon with your finger or a spatula means you get all batter in your bowl, and not in the sink, which the frugal me appreciates. <S> 1 <S> That's something that fires back in macaron making, where you have to purposefully destroy some of the bubbles... <A> There may be a few batters that are sensitive to shocks or loud noises, but most will not be (see Stephie's answer for more detail). <S> In my household, the real reason for not beating the spoon was always clearly about protecting the dishes, not the food. <S> Mixing bowls can chip, crack, or dent (depending on the material). <S> If the bowl has a lid, then damage to the lip of the bowl can prevent the lid from fitting. <S> If the bowl is ceramic or plastic, an impact may crack the bowl, which may even get shards of bowl material in the batter. <S> For cooks that like their cookware to last (my mother's pots and pans are older than I am), banging a spoon on the bowl is unthinkable. <S> You either scrape the batter of with another spoon, or you flick the spoon into the bowl without making contact (the motion is similar to the one used for banging the spoon on the bowl). <A> Another reason not named so far, that applies even to combinations of spoon and bowl/pot that are mechanically perfectly fine with hitting and vibration-insensitive contents: Not banging safes the nerves of everyone else in the house. <S> Keep in mind that sound transmitted through solids travels surprisingly well and table or sink can act as sound board... <S> So, extra points if the kitchen table touches the radiator or some pipe or if the bowl/pot is in the sink (= <S> mechanically connected to the water piping).
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Not tapping the spoon will also prevent chipping the mixing bowl, which in the past was often made of clay or ceramics, and avoid splattering.
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How does curry shop keep their curry hot without reducing them? So when you buy curry , wether in Japanese or Indian style they will give you piping hot curry. how do they maintain that temperature without incidentally reducing the water hereby making them more salty? or do they have a vat of room temperature curry and only reheating the portion that'll be eaten? <Q> Other components of the dish are kept cold, and heated when the dish is ordered. <S> Some parts may need to be quickly cooked, then the broth added. <S> A curry shop will do exactly this. <S> When you order a green curry with chicken, they will take a portion of chicken and some vegetables, sautee them until the vegetables are cooked and the chicken hot, then add the sauce. <S> The sauce might be cold or hot, depending on how busy the place is. <S> Now, to really get to your question... <S> If a sauce or soup is kept warm for hours, you are exactly correct, it will reduce and get overly salty. <S> There is a very easy fix!!! <S> Add water !!! <S> In any restaurant I have worked I would add water or stock throughout the service period. <S> I would be tasting as needed and adjusting, but it just that simple. <S> Add water. <S> (or heavy cream for cream soup) <A> A takeaway lunch place I used to enjoy visiting kept their small range <S> chilled (definitely not room temperature, that wouldn't be safe) and reheated to order. <S> But that was somewhere that was expecting to serve quickly. <S> More often such dishes are assembled to order from components prepped as much as possible in advance and chilled. <S> If the main ingredients are cooked beforehand, this is quick enough. <S> A glance at the range of options on a typical curry menu would suggest that they'd need many containers of finished curries, but keeping the sauces and the meats separately chilled allows them to be combined into a wide range of options. <S> Dishes can be kept hot, typically something like 60-80C so not boiling. <S> The low end is limited by food safety (and I'm not up to date on the exact numbers; there's also a maximum hold time) while the upper end is limited more by quality. <S> Sauces can in theory be topped up with water but this isn't normally seen in practice. <A> I think they use a double boiler type of pan. <S> So with the top pan holding the curry, there is warm/hot water underneath it keeping it hot. <S> If they kept the water anywhere near boiling it would be plenty hot for the curry to stay warm but not boil over.
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Many curry shops and other varieties of fast service restaurants and take out places will indeed keep a variety of broths, soups, stocks, and sauces hot during service hours.
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How to "Sponge" in "Sponge and Dough"? I'm trying to improve my bread making and have read about the sponge and dough method. From my understanding, I should use 20% to 30% of my flour for the sponge. To the sponge's flour, I should add 60% (of the sponge flour's weight) water. Then I add 1% (again, of the sponge flour's weight) of yeast. So, assume a formulation that uses 1 kilogram of flour. Also assume that I will use 30% of my flour for the sponge. I would calculate the following: 300 grams flour 180 grams water (60% of 300) 3 grams yeast (1% of 300) Was my understanding correct? A dough with 60% hydration feels a bit solid to me (not what I thought a sponge might feel like). Here's a photo of my "sponge": Is this correct? I'm worried I'm doing this wrong. Also, since my entire formula is 65% water -- couldn't I just combine all my flour, all my water, and all my yeast to make one big sponge? <Q> There are many ways to make a sponge. <S> Probably no way is totally wrong <S> (OK, maybe adding 10mL of water to 1000g of flour is totally wrong). <S> There are wet sponges and dry sponges. <S> I haven't paid enough attention or done scientific enough studies to decide whether this is actually true. <S> These two general classes of sponge (wetter and drier) are often called poolish and biga respectively. <S> There's a ton to learn about pre-ferments. <S> Here's a discussion on the difference between poolish and biga: <S> Funtional effect of biga vs poolish <S> So, is your ratio of flour to water wrong? <S> Not necessarily. <S> I'd imagine you can find a recipe for a biga with that exact ratio. <S> I just pulled a cookbook off my shelf ( Flour, Water, Salt, Yeast ) and found that the ratios in the biga recipes are similar to your recipe: 340g water to 540g flour and 544g water to 800g flour (that's 68% in both cases). <S> In both cases the biga is a larger percentage of the total dough than in your case (50% and 80% respectively), but that probably doesn't matter too much. <A> Most of the recipes that I follow with a sponge method use all the water, about 1/3 of the flour and all the yeast (roughly 1% or less). <S> The idea here is to hydrate some of the flour to improve flavor and to get the yeast in log-phase growth so that it is replicating rapidly and producing lots of CO2 for the rising of the bread. <S> I wouldn't worry too much about being exact with these measurements, other than that adding too much yeast will make your bread a bit too airy and have a strong yeast flavor. <A> I definitely have only used the wet-sponge method. <S> Learned to bake bread from the Tassajara Bread Book.. <S> You used all the water and about half the flour, which gave something not entirely liquid but pretty close to it, no ball possible. <S> With yeast of course, first dissolved and soaked a few minutes in warm water, and all the sweetening you were going to use (mostly honey for EE Brown, but sugar would work too). <S> The idea of the sponge is to give the yeast a running start without having to deal with all the heavy flour at once.
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Supposedly the ratio of flour to water in your sponge can have different effects on the final product.
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What is the purpose and effect of using knuckles when kneading bread dough? Some recipes specify that the baker's knuckles should be used when kneading the dough. What is the purpose and effect of using one's knuckles as part of the kneading process? <Q> I don't think that it is really necessary to use your knuckles. <S> Rather, there are ways to knead dough well, and ways to knead dough badly. <S> I have seen ineffective people pinching the dough, or turning it between their hands, or other strange motions, which in a cargo-cult way resemble actual kneading, but don't do anything useful. <S> My guess is that whoever writes such instructions has learned a correct way of kneading that involves the knuckles, and writes down the admonishment to remind people that they have to do it <S> right for the recipe to work well. <S> The reason for the choice of label may be because the author is unaware that there are effective kneading methods which don't use the knuckles, or because the author has taught new kneaders and has found out that "use your knuckles" is a good cue to get them to use the right kind of motion. <S> A third possibility is that the author is referring specifically to the punching down step of a double-rise bread process. <S> In that case, the motion between the first and second rise is not the same as standard kneading, and maybe the author wanted to underscore the difference. <A> This may not be the primary reason <S> but I have hot hands and my knuckles are noticeably cooler than my palms or even the insides of my fingers. <S> It's less of an issue with dough than with pastry <S> but I still find that kneading with my palms makes the dough sticky compared to using my knuckles. <A> The writer is telling you a method for kneading. <S> They can't the skill level of the user. <S> This is from my knowledge <S> not books: <S> Fingers only give 8 points of impression, which is a small area. <S> Fingernails can leave bacteria. <S> Although some modern cooks weargloves to protect food. <S> Using fingertips can cause injury to fingers nerves. <S> It is a more efficient to use knuckles. <S> It is less likely to remove gloves stuck to the dough <S> (wrappingfingers tightly into a fist helps to hold gloves on) <S> This way a camper in the woods as well as a chef with nice equipment can get the same results. <A> Maybe knuckles impart more force compared to just using extended fingers (or the palm of your hands) when kneading the dough ? <S> I assume the "use knuckles" step is when you punch the dough after the first rise; it is just easier. <A> When you knead with your palms, they are bent close to 90 degrees backward, which puts additional stress on the joints and ligaments. <S> When you knead with your fists (knuckles) <S> your wrists are (or should be) straight, which allows you to apply more force without stressing the joint. <S> This will be especially beneficial if you knead a lot of dough (or for long time).
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It might be intended to make kneading easier on one's wrists, especially for persons with weak wrists or joint problems.
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How can I make a large amount of caramelized onions for a french onion soup? I am looking to make a large amount of French Onion soup (for ~16 servings), and rather than spend hours in front of a skillet (as I would have to do several batches), I am looking for an easier way: could I bake a large amount (~20 onions) in an oven to achieve a similar effect? should I put them in a pressure cooker? are there even better alternatives? In particular if anyone has advice as far as what else or details as to how to make it work (temperatures for ovens, convection/broil, pressure to cook at, etc. (I already read this , which while it would help, aims mostly at speeding it up & not doing a large amount which is more along the lines of what I am thinking) I would be interested, as I don't want to experiment with a large quantity of onions several times in order to get it right P.S. - I am using yellow onions, although I'd imagine this would apply to all onions P.S. #2 - what do restaurants do? <Q> You can caramelize onions in the oven to do large quantities. <S> This isn't less effort, and it actually takes longer, but it does allow you to do really large quantities <S> ; I did 20lbs of caramelized onions for one Polish dinner <S> I was serving this way. <S> Since I haven't been able to find a website with this method, here it is: heat oven to 325F/160C <S> fill a hotel pan or baking pan with sliced onions to a depth of about 3/4"/2cm <S> toss the sliced onions with vegetable oil or melted butter and a little salt (and optionally a little sugar) cook, uncovered, in oven for 1 hour to 90 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes. <S> The reason for the 2cm depth of onions is to keep them from burning in the oven, which they tend to do if spread thinner. <S> Also, if you have a gas rather than electric oven, you may need to add a little water occasionally to prevent burning. <S> Althernately, Kenji of Serious Eats has a formula for cooking caramelized onions over high heat, and thus cooking each batch faster, without losing flavor. <S> This would allow you to jump through several batches. <A> Use a pressure cooker if you have one. <S> I saw this in modernist cuisine but the above mentioned kenji (legend) has a discussion . <S> The total cooking time is under 30 minutes. <A> Slice 5 extra large sweet onions in half, then in fairly thin half moon slices. <S> Place them in a 6 qt (5.7 liters) slow cooker with a splash of water for 12 to 15 hours. <S> Like magic they turn brown. <S> Stir regularly after they have cooked several hours to even out the browning process. <S> This also produces a small amount of onion stock which will go well in your soup.
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Caramelizing onions works great in a slow cooker.
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Preventing oil burn when searing steak Recently got into cooking steak at home and overall been enjoying the results :) That being said, it seems like my pan always smokes quite a bit and the oil looks to be burnt. I'm using refined avocado oil which has a high smoking point of 500F and a cast iron pan. I was wondering if anyone could provide some tips to prevent the oil burning and control the pan temp. If I lower the heat I no longer hear a sizzle. Also perhaps the pan needs to be smaller to fit the steak? <Q> I always do my steak in cast iron, but instead of oil <S> I use salt. <S> Yes, you read that right, no oil in the pan. <S> At all. <S> The salt provides seasoning and prevents the steak from 'sticking' to the skillet. <S> You can preheat your skillet over a medium heat to cut down on the smoke, yes even without oil, there's still smoke. <S> But what I found is that the hotter the cast iron, the smokier things get. <S> So, I'll recap, omit the oil and heat the pan longer over a medium heat. <S> (You won't miss out on the sizzle, and you won't have to open every window in the house.) <S> I'm adding a couple of recipes that recommend the opposite (searing hot pan that goes into a 500F oven!) <S> but with a total cook time of 10minutes or less. <S> How to Cook the Perfect Steak in Cast Iron <S> reccomends Avocado Oil. <S> Pan-Seared Rib-Eye uses Canola Oil. <S> oh! <S> and... the Smoke Point of Oils lists <S> Avocado oil heat/smoke point at 520F, Canola at 400F, and Coconut oil at 350F. <A> If you are asking how to prevent the oil from smoking while making a good steak: you can't. <S> So, if you don't want to consume oil which has been taken above its smoking point, you cannot eat seared steak. <S> You can make steak in a coldish pan (not hearing a sizzle will be a good thing then, or better, use an infrared thermometer to make sure your pan stays at low temperatures), or in the oven, or try some method which uses no oil - typically grilling, but the salt alternative in elbrant's answer is also interesting. <S> If you dislike the crust on the steak on your picture: this is a well seared steak, and it is how most people like their steak to be. <S> If you don't like it this way and want it less crusty, then you should not be following typical steak guides, since they are trying to produce what you got. <S> Instead, try lower temperature methods, such as the oven, or sous vide without a finishing sear. <S> If you like the taste of your steak, but are afraid that you broke some important cooking rule: you didn't. <S> And there is no cooking police which will come for you if you don't follow some common piece of advice or other, even if sometimes online discussions make it seem that way. <S> Continue making steaks the same way as this one. <A> Personal Experience based: <S> You can get the sear you are looking for at a lower temp using a cast iron pan. <S> The lower temp will solve a lot of the problem. <S> Pre heat cast iron pan to something less than 400 then add oil then steak. <S> Then Turn heat up incrementally while cooking so that max temp is reached just before the steak is done. <S> Don't move or turn the steak until it is ready to turn. <S> Turn once only. <S> When ready to turn, as you pick the steak up with tongs, put a bit of oil where you are going to place the steak. <S> The oil makes the meat fry rather than boil from steak juices being released and seems to prevent some loss of moisture in the meat
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The pan for proper searing of steak has to go hotter than the smoking point of any cooking oil.
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Can I make potatoes sweet by cooking them? I've heard that cooking "breaks down" carbohydrates such as starch. I also know that starch is a complex carbohydrate, which is essentially made out of simple carbohydrates (sugars). Potatoes contain a lot of starch, so I was wondering: is there a way of cooking potatoes that will break the starch down and make them sweet? Of course, I'm not expecting to be able to make them sweet like candy, but I'm wondering if I can get some amount of sweetness out of them. I'm just asking out of curiosity; I don't have any particular goals or dishes in mind. <Q> A raw potato is 79% water, 17% carbohydrates (of which 88% is starch) and 2% protein. <S> So your question is essentially: can starch be turned into sugar? <S> In theory the answer is clearly 'yes': this is what plants do when they break down the starch created as the final product of photosynthesis, and what happens in the human digestive system. <S> Starch degradation is a complicated process involving several different amylase enzymes. <S> In practice, I think the answer is 'no'. <S> In a raw potato, starch is present in many small granules. <S> When cooked, the starch gelatinizes: <S> the granules burst and water is absorbed. <S> This is a irreversible chemical change that obviously has a big effect on taste and texture. <S> But it does not produce significant amounts of sugars. <S> A closer match to the starch degradation process in plants occurs in brewing. <S> When beer is brewed from barley by heating a 'mash': the natural amylases present in the grain convert starch to sugars; these are then fermented by yeast. <S> The exceptionally sweet-toothed might try to mimic this process with potatoes, adding something like wheat, barley or sweet potato that has natural amylase. <S> You could then boil the potato 'proto-beer' to extract the sugar. <A> (it's called "Cold Induced Sweetening"), which is discussed in Serious Eat's take on Austrian Potato Salad ) <S> If you know someone who grows potatoes, they can just leave them in the ground to dig up in the early spring. <S> For the rest of us, it means leaving a bag of potatoes in the back of the fridge for a few weeks. <A> What you intended won't work. <S> I have also heard generic statements that cooking in principle breaks down complex carbohydrates to simple ones, but this doesn't mean that all complex carbohydrates will break down, nor that any cooking method will do it. <S> And when we come to your specific example, it is a no: starch doesn't break down into sugars at potato-cooking temperatures. <S> Even if you were to heat starch more, it doesn't become especially sweet - you can observe it when making dark roux. <S> But not cooking.
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There are other ways to break the starch down, and the other answers point out the main ones, cold temperature and enzymes. The way to make potatoes sweet is actually to not cook them right away -- you need to chill them, to give the time for starches to convert to sugars.
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Is there a way to make this bread recipe's crust less crunchy? This is a challah recipe I inherited: 1 cup warm water 2 eggs, lightly beaten 2 tbsp vegetable oil 4 1/2 cups bread flour 1 tbsp sugar 1 tbsp yeast Knead, let rise, braid, let rise, egg wash, and bake at 375°F for an hour. I like the flavor of this and the consistency of the bread inside. However, I don't like how hard and thick a crust it gets. I've tried leaving off the egg wash but it's still crispy and tough. (This hasn't always been a huge deal, it's just how this loaf bakes... but my daughter recently got braces, and she's finding it very difficult to eat!) Are there tweaks I can make to ingredients, baking time, or oven temperature to get a more pliable crust? <Q> I make the same Challah bread recipe every year, and mine says to bake at 350°f for 35 min and the crust is chewy but not crunchy or crisp. <S> I've never had it under baked either. <A> Another way to ask this question is: how can I cook the exterior of this food less, while keeping the inside cooked? <S> This applies to most foods, including meat, cakes, etc. <S> I suggest cooking this bread at a lower temperature for longer. <S> The inside will be cooked and the outside will be relatively less cooked. <S> Perhaps try 325. <S> Is your oven using convection by chance? <S> If so, turn that off. <S> Convection increases surface temperatures significantly and dries more due to moving air. <A> As the currently provided information seems to point to overcooking, as the commenters and other answers already found out: you want to cook it until it is "just through" and see what happens. <S> So I would suggest going by internal temperature instead of time. <S> Stick a meat thermometer in the bread and remove it when it reaches 96C <S> , that should give you a properly baked bread. <S> If that turns out to be too doughy, you can experiment with 98 C or so. <S> But keeping it in the oven until dried out a lot will indeed produce the hard crust you describe. <S> When you do this, the inside of the bread will change also. <S> Challahs tend to be rather soft-squishy, although this one probably not so much, as it is not overly heavy on egg yolk. <S> But be prepared for a different texture on the inside. <A> I've made normal white bread before, and when it came out of the oven I would cover it with a clean dish towel, and the crust would be soft after it had cooled. <S> I'm presuming the steam would be trapped next to the crust and soften it. <S> I remember the loaves I didn't do this to had very hard crusts.
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The answer to this question is a lower temperature.
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What dish is improved by pressure cooker? Ok so I've read conflicting arguments on the merit of pressure cooker against others. I'm planning to buy one. some says it's the same taste/quality but saves time, some says it gives more nuanced taste to some dish because of uniform maillard and the pressure extract more flavor (isn't that just moving one flavor component to others hence the overall flavorfullness is the same?) . is there any kind of dish that can be improved (or at least more nuanced) with pressure cooker? stews, soups, chili sauce(sambal), stocks, meat broth etc ? thanks in advance. <Q> It works well with rice and lentil soups (Indian Daal) where uniformity is desirable. <S> It is inferior than pots for making curries and stews. <S> Although I have no experience with non veg cooking! <A> Pressure cooking is primarily a time-saving measure. <S> I have never tasted anything that it actually improved. <A> For this type of salad a low starch, waxy boiling type of potato is used and in my experience, they come out <S> better, i.e. waxier, in a pressure cooker. <S> I haven't done the science, but I think it has to do with the shorter cooking time.
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It works wonderfully for stocks and it can dramatically reduce the cooking time. In my opinion, the only dish that is better, i.e. tastier, prepared in a pressure cooker are potatoes as used in a southern german potato salad.
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What does "season it to taste" mean? I hear chefs like Gordon Ramsay say this and many, many others. When a chef has boiled potatos or bacon or spinach... Be it my family or Betty Crocker ...What are the "seasons" they are talking about???? [Please note] I am not asking "How much" but "What is" <Q> Add your preferred level of salt and pepper Seasoning usually refers to salt and black pepper, but occasionally to other flavor-enhancing ingredients in the dish such as acid (vinegar, lemon, etc.) <S> and heat (red pepper, sriracha, etc.). <S> "To taste" means to the degree you enjoy it. <A> to season verb [ T ] UK /ˈsiː.zən/ <S> US /ˈsiː.zən/ <S> season verb [ T ] <S> (FLAVOUR) <S> to improve the flavour of savoury food by adding salt, herbs, or spices when cooking or preparing it: Drain the rice, stir in the salmon and season to taste (= so that it has the taste you like). <S> https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/season to season (v.) "improve the flavor of by adding spices," c. 1300, from Old French assaisoner "to ripen, season," from a- "to" (see ad-) <S> + root of season (n.) on the notion of fruit becoming more palatable as it ripens. <S> Applied to timber by 1540s. <S> https://www.etymonline.com/word/season#etymonline_v_23063 <A> The nicest rule I've heard for seasoning (as opposed to flavoring) is: "Not so much you can taste it, not so little you can't" You can season with many things: salt, pepper, nutmeg, mace, Parmesan, anchovies, mustard, lemon juice.. <S> I could go on. <S> It shouldn't taste strong enough to confuse them, It should just make those flavors taste better.. ' <S> more of themselves'.
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Seasoning enhances whatever you have decided are your main flavors.
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How do you remove the chicken smell from Tandoori chicken? The last time I cooked the chicken, it had a strong chicken smell. I know that the chicken was not bad because I was fine after eating it. Also, I defrosted it for 24 hours and immediately cooked it. I'm not sure whether the flesh smell comes because of the marinade (something we need to add), or the way it is cooked (like don't air fryer it, or don't use 200 Celsius for cooking, or keep the gas grill on low), or do we need to wash chicken after defrosting it (WHO recommends not washing chicken to avoid the water splashing around, and I guess store bought chicken might be pre-washed, but not sure whether we need to wash it to remove the water that gets accumulated after defrosting it), or is it to do with adding more oil while cooking, or is it that I must be careful to discard all marinade that's left over in the bowl rather than use them to coat the chicken one last time? I'm totally at my wit's end about to get rid of the chicken smell. <Q> You should try a South Indian way to remove the raw smell of the chicken and this method applies for any meat. <A> Yes it happens something, you don't need to worry much for that. <S> It has a simple solution and if you follow the basic instructions, I hope you won't get that smell in future. <S> Always use first marination for Tandoori chicken or any Tikka or kebabs. <S> Apply little amount of lemon juice,salt ,pepper, chilli powder and oil and keep it for 10-15 minutes before applying the final yogurt marination. <S> When you apply first marination,your final product will be more juicy and flavourful. <S> And such kind of raw chicken smell won't come . <A> I will assume you are cooking the chicken whole. <S> Supermarket chicken is usually frozen for transportation, unless it's specifically stated on the label "air chilled". <S> This freeze and transport process makes the chicken smell unpleasant. <S> Fresh chicken does not have this smell. <S> Follow these steps: lightly crush with a mallet 2 inches of ginger root (old ginger is better). <S> lightly crush the bulbs of 2 whole scallions (green onions), and knot them into a bunch. <S> stuff the ginger and scallion into the stomach cavity of the chicken before cooking.
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To remove or reduce this smell (sometimes, it's so strong, it will not be completely removed), use old ginger and fresh scallions. After defrosting the chicken, wash it and marinate it with some haldi ( turmeric Powder ),leave aside for 5-10 minutes and then start the actual marination.
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Non-spicy substitute for chili peppers when making a Thai curry paste from scratch I'm making a green Thai curry paste from scratch. I'm very happy with the recipe, and I've made it with much success in the past, but today I am cooking for someone who can't take much heat. Or well, only very little; I can put a single capsicum annuum ('standard' red chili pepper?) in a dish for 4, let's say. But the recipe calls for 3 tablespoons of green bird's eye chilies. That's definitely going to be too hot, even if I de-seed and trim the insides. However, a significant part of the paste comes from these (there's about 11 Tbsp of ingredients in total, so 1/3th to 1/4th is the chilies) and leaving them out entirely probably doesn't do it any favour. So my question is, what would you replace them with? I could get a green bell pepper, but I imagine that'd be quite watery. I also have access to jalapenos, which are a bit milder (and green, as far as that matters) but I imagine could still get quite spicy. Or perhaps I do leave them out after all. What would you go for? <Q> Let me take a wild swing - <S> I think trying to generate the volume required by using jalapeños would be too hot for your friend & you <S> 're right that a regular capsicum/bell pepper wouldn't have enough flavour to water ratio. <S> Also 'bell peppers' don't taste like chillies. <S> How about <S> Hungarian or Banana peppers? <S> Now, this is quite a variable & may depend on where you live as to which type you can access. <S> Here in North London I can choose from 3 varieties without going more than 50m from my front door - from the the fat 'triangular' ones like giant fresnos with very smooth skin which are very cool, to the skinny ones about 20cm long with a 'lumpy' skin, which would be the type I would aim for. <S> Though they are generically known as Hungarian, [& of course, could actually be grown anywhere] they are likely to be commonly found in Turkish stores - local availability of course not guaranteed. <S> They taste like 'chilli' not like 'bell peppers' <S> but they really don't have too much kick to them. <S> They would generate the flavour without too much heat, but not sufficient colour, so you could perhaps trick some extra coriander [cilantro] into your paste to deepen the green. <S> From comments - though I wouldn't bother for myself, you can keep the heat down still further by not using the seeds or inner 'whiter' membranes. <A> To dry the peppers, I halve and deseed them and put them in a convection oven at 90°C for about 3 hours. <S> They don't have to be dehydrated completely, just semi-dry (like sun dried tomatoes) is enough. <A> You should get our hands on Kashmiri Red Chilli which is easily available in powder form at Indian stores, however it shouldn't be impossible to find whole dried ones. <S> It has the typical red chilli flavor without any considerable heat. <S> Alternatively, you can try tomato puree but it will not tasye the same.
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I do this a lot (mostly red curries though) using oven-dried bell peppers, or the variety that is sold here as "sweet pointy peppers".
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My gravy for my mash potatoes tastes bland So I'm completely lost on what to do. I have no idea why my hamburger gravy for my mash potatoes is so bland. 1lb ground beef, 2tbsp worcestershire sauce, 1onion, 1/2 tbsp of garlic powder, 2cup milk, 3tbsp flour, and salt&pepper to taste. I doubled everything except only 3cups of milk instead of 4. When actually eating it the gravy just seemed kind of bland. <Q> The recipe says "Salt and pepper to taste" maybe you did not add enough ? <S> In any cases, the recipe looks really bland; there's not much flavor in there. <S> You need to build the flavors from the start. <S> This is what I would do. <S> I'd cook the onions first to golden brown and put aside. <S> Add the onions back to the meat. <S> (my addition) <S> Add some tomato purée; add some herbs, add some spices; continue cooking until "dry" Continue with the recipe, adjust seasoning. <A> Gravy "goodness" comes from the flavor left behind when the meat cooks. <S> All those bits & pieces left behind on the caramelized bottom of the pan is the stuff you want in your gravy. <S> So start, by cooking the ground beef until you see "glaze" in the bottom of the pan and <S> the meat is well-browned. <S> Then add your onion into the beef, stirring it in and cooking a couple minutes (until the onion softens). <S> Meanwhile... mix equal amounts of soft butter and self-rising flour. <S> Add this, your seasonings and ~1C of milk to the pan. <S> Stirring until everything is well blended. <S> Then add more milk, a half cup at a time, until you reach your desired consistancy. <S> If your gravy ends up too thin, don't stress, cooling the gravy down will thicken it up some. <S> (note: if your butter is cold when you go to mix it with the flour, pop it in the microwave for 8-15 seconds. <S> It doesn't need long to soften, so start at 8 seconds and add a couple seconds at a time until the butter is soft enough to stir into the flour.) <A> Other helpful flavour enhancers are: the water from reconstituted dried mushrooms, capers, anchovies, celery. <S> I don't think the milk helps either, try using less. <S> I use butter or lard. <S> The browning of the flour in the fat creates more flavour.
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It also helps making a roux as a start, using the flour and some kind of fat. I'd cook the meat until brown and crispy (add some salt and pepper) Some kind of stock would help, either bone broth, store-bought stock or even a stock cube in boiling water.
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Is it necessary to add vegetables to slow cooker pot roast? I like slow cooked roast for tenderness but hate the taste of 'pot roast' vegetables. Is it really necessary to cook vegetables with the roast? <Q> If you're doing it as a pot roast, the vegetables are mainly there to deliver flavour (unlike in a stew, where they're a major part of the dish). <S> Sometimes they're eaten, sometimes discarded (which seems like a waste to me, so I would choose vegetables I'd want to eat). <S> They take on a role similar to stock or a flavoured rub or oil when roasting in an oven. <S> On that basis you can generally omit them. <S> One thing to watch out for though is that the vegetables can be used to lift the joint slightly, so it doesn't sit in a pool of fat <S> *. <S> In that case you'd want to replace them with something inert, or use them but discard them. <S> If you then find that the meat wants a little more flavour, you can always add a little of a suitable herb and some black peppercorns, to be discarded. <S> * Note that the term "pot roast" is used broadly, sometimes adding significant amounts of liquid and sometimes not. <S> I don't know if this is a regional thing, but my answer is meant to cover both types. <A> To directly answer the question as it was originally posted before edit: <S> Longer answer: <S> It is not necessary to cook vegetables with meat. <S> The vegetables do add flavor (a flavor that many appreciate) <S> but I don't feel that is the main reason. <S> Many people add potatoes to the pot roast while cooking. <S> Potatoes don't add any appreciable flavor. <S> Instead, in my case I do it to save time. <S> Sometimes I will plan my lunch meal on Sunday and put things in the pot to cook. <S> By having everything in one pot, when I return from morning services I can just pull everything out of the pot and put it on the table. <S> Based on services ending just about noon and the travel time home, this removes the need to wait for food to be prepared for the lunch meal. <S> It's also easier to do. <S> Rather than put only the meat in one pot and then create more dirty dishes by cooking the vegetables separately, I can put them all in one pot and make cleanup time shorter. <S> So, to answer what I feel <S> is a very opinion based question, "to save time". <A> I agree about those vegetables. <S> Julia Child has a great solution. <S> Julia Child only adds aromatics like onions, celery, carrots, and garlic (never potatoes) to a roast in her pot roast recipes (see Beef Burgundy). <S> Once the roast is finished, she strains-out the aromatics because they are now tasteless and mushy. <S> She then sautes pearl onions in butter and adds those in just before serving. <S> If you want potatoes, she cooks those separately or adds them to the pot roast about 2 hours before the roast is finished cooking. <S> Google "julia child beef bourguignon" for her recipe and many variations. <S> BTW, her recipe is delicious, it is worth any extra time or expense to try at least once in your life. <A> Sometimes it's to lift the meat up <S> so it's not cooking directly on the bottom of the pot. <S> In any case, if you wrap your meat in parchment paper you can roast it in the oven and get pretty much the same effect as a pot roast. <S> You still need to add aromatics like onions to your roast if it's in the recipe though. <S> That's a flavoring issue.
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why does everyone add vegetables to slow cooker pot roast To save time
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How to make sure that I do not break the glass bowl in a double boiler? I used a glass bowl as a double boiler for making scrambled eggs and it broke. I know that rapid cooling and heating caused glass to break. for some reason I thought the thick glass bowl would not break. so how do I ensure I do not break another glass bowl while double boiling? <Q> Thickness is not an indicator of heat-proof glass, just think about laboratory glassware, which is sometimes quite thin. <S> It’s rather the other way round, thermal conductivity is low for glass which can increase inner tension when heated quickly. <S> Thicker glass will be more robust against mechanical force, simply because it’s thicker. <S> If you want to be sure, get a bowl that is labeled as “heat-proof” or similar (terms may vary). <S> It’s still a good idea to avoid sudden temperature swings, just to be sure although some manufacturers claim that their products can withstand temperature swings of 150K. <S> It shouldn’t be an issue with melting chocolate, because you should place the bowl over (not “in” or “touching”) <S> barely simmering water anyway and not have the water in the lower pot at a full rolling boil. <S> There’s a good chance that even non-ovenproof bowls will stand up to this, but as you experienced, it can go wrong. <S> Another, often overlooked factor is the tension within the heated glass, especially if the temperature distribution is uneven (again: don’t boil the water at full speed). <A> Two things to be careful of: <S> The bowl mustn't reach the water (or even be heavily splashed). <S> In some cases the side of the pan (assuming the bowl is in a saucepan) can heat a ring of bowl. <S> This probably isn't a good idea. <S> Keeping the heat low and making sure the pan doesn't boil dry can help a lot. <S> A thin insulating spacer (folded baking parchment or similar) should stop this happening too. <S> In general bringing the temperature up gradually is sensible, and not putting cold liquid into the hot bowl. <S> You may have simply been unlucky. <A> Get a proper tempered glass bowl or use a metal bowl.
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The glass will be more sensitive to shocks, so don’t bang the bowl with a metal spoon when stirring or getting leftovers off the spoon and don’t set it down hard on the table or counter.
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Serious buildup outside of cast iron skillet I recently was given an old family cast iron skillet and noticed that the outside of it had serious buildup. Basically I can take my fingernail and lift several, thick, black pieces off. The inside of the pan is fine. I was wondering where this comes from and if this affects cooking on the pan. Also what would be the best way to remove the buildup? Thanks <Q> The inside looks absolutely fine, so assuming you will protect that if you do any actual work on the outside <S> I see a couple of routes you can take... <S> You can ignore it & see if it will reach a new equilibrium with your own cooking equipment & technique. <S> as you're not cooking on the outside the seasoning is far less important, & as you've already discovered, the outsides of pans can get a lot more build-up over time than the insides <S> *. <S> You could attack it with sandpaper, or a drill & wire brush attachment, though you need to beware of the mess that can make if you do it indoors... or you could take it to somewhere <S> that could shot-blast it for you. <S> This is an industrial cleaning process, depending on abrasive type can be extremely vicious, but it's rapid <S> & they could clean the outside back to shiny iron in 2 minutes. <S> You can then re-season the outside. <S> *You should have seen my old wok before my partner threw it away. <S> I eventually forgave her ;) <A> I inherited old pans with thick carbon build up. <S> I built a fire in my fire pit and placed the pans above the coals. <S> After all these were pans my parents used on campfires. <S> I kept an eye on them until the carbon started flaking off. <S> I would not place them on a roaring fire <S> you could run the risk of cracking your pans. <S> Now this is something I would not recommend if you have valuable cast iron. <S> I have a friend whose grandmother would season her skillets in an earthen oven completely surrounded in fire. <S> She did this for decades as it was her custom to give cast iron as gifts. <S> She never once cracked a pan. <S> She gave me a griddle to make tortillas on that I’m still using 20 years later. <A> Placing the pan in the oven during a self cleaning oven cycle will make the peeling layers turn to ash, and they can be easily scoured off using a steel wool scrubber. <S> (Tried this from experience with a pan very similar to yours) <S> Unfortunately, this will require re-seasoning the entire pan. <A> I am always looking for things to break out my dremel.... <S> iT would work perfectly on a cast iron pan that has build up... <S> In fact you could used several different attchments to really take off the black bumpy stuff.... <S> I would have a ball if I had a cast iron skillet that was old and needed this <S> I have it looking new in no time at all <S> and you could too !! <S> grab your dremel and get to work !
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You can clean it off & quite quickly return the outside to a lesser seasoned state -
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Temperature of Electric Fan Ovens In an electric fan oven when cooking a specific recipe at a given temperature should that oven reach that temperature given the 20deg. difference between that and a conventional oven? I bought an oven thermometer placed it in the Fan oven andset the oven at 170deg C. the thermometer only reached 140deg. C. is my oven faulty? <Q> So now you have the oven thermostat saying one thing and a thermometer saying something else. <S> As other answers have said, that could be because you didn't wait long enough for the oven to heat evenly, or that the thermometer is not in a good location. <S> If neither of those applies, the only conclusion you can draw is that one of them is wrong. <S> In order to conclude that the oven is off, you need at least two thermometers. <S> Of course, if you do that, you may find that all three disagree. <A> Or at least that the thermostat is wildly off. <S> It's not uncommon for thermostats to be 10-20 <S> °C off, but 30° <S> C seems like too much. <S> (On the other hand, how much do you trust your thermometer?) <A> You also have to consider how long the oven had to warm up (when the light goes off it may not be evenly warmed up, though this should be better in a fan oven) and whether you had to open the door an let cold air in to read the thermometer.
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Yes, it sounds like your oven is faulty.
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How Can I Spread Crepe Batter Before It Cooks? I am trying to make crepes in a non-stick skillet. I've got the batter ready, well refrigerated. However, I am having trouble getting the batter to spread enough to cover the whole skillet before it cooks too much to do so. So I'm ending up with small crepes shaped like a splatter, instead of pan-sized ones shaped like nice circles. Also, the edges are crisping way too much and folding up and down in unattractive ways. I'm mostly cooking on low-medium heat, closer to low than medium because I don't want the batter to cook. But no matter what I do, it seems to cook almost as soon as it hits the pan and no longer flows. So when I try the 'dip and swirl' method to spread the batter, it's already too thick to flow. Any help? Should I try higher heat? <Q> Your batter is too thick. <S> You say it's refrigerated, but if that's the case <S> it's likely thicker than if it was at room temperature. <S> Also, as it sits it gets thicker, and if you're making a solid batch, for a few people, you need to keep thinning it as you go. <S> Take the liquid you were using to begin with (milk), and add very small quantities at a time, on the order of tablespoons, stirring and evaluating the texture after each one. <S> If you go too far, you'd have to add flour again and get into an overly involved cycle of correction. <S> Crepe batter thickening is a common problem in crepe establishments in the US. <S> The crepes early in the day are fine but they get thicker and thicker as the day progresses because nobody thinks to thin the batter. <A> It sounds like maybe there's a couple of possibilities. <S> The pan is too hot. <S> This can happen even over lower heat settings if you leave the pan to preheat for too long, or it may be that the burner's "medium-low" setting is just too hot, and you should use an even lower setting. <S> The batter consistency is wrong. <S> You aren't using enough batter. <S> If you're satisfied with the thickness of the crepes you're getting, then you need to use more batter in order to cover the rest of the pan. <S> You don't mention the thickness in your question, but since you're still calling them crepes and not pancakes, I'm guessing they're thin enough? <S> I think you're having either some combination of the first two issues or the third issue (most likely on its own, but possibly combined with #1). <S> You mention crispy edges, which sounds like the first issue, but you also mention it rapidly becoming "too thick to flow" <S> so I think you may have a little of both of the first two going on. <S> Given you're getting crispy edges and consider that a problem (every good crepe I've ever had has had lightly crispy edges, so I wouldn't necessarily call that a problem), it is possible that your batter is too thin, but I think that's unlikely-- crepe batter is better too thin than too thick, in my experience. <A> You can actually buy tools which help to spread batter. <S> My sister got me a hot-plate crepe maker for Christmas the other year, which came with one of these: Which I find does the job perfectly! <S> You should be able to find one online pretty easily or DIY one yourself. <S> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uhKFAlk-gtU <A> First, this can indeed be a thick batter, as the other answers mentioned. <S> I would recommend using Ruhlman's ratio of 1:2:2 flour to milk to egg as a starting point of what a good crepe batter should be like. <S> You can experiment with other recipes if you want something nonstandard, but first do some batches to get a feel for the proper consistency. <S> And don't eyeball, use a scale. <S> Second, the swirl method produces slightly thicker crepes, like Swabian Flädle. <S> If you want a true thin French crepe, you should use a T shaped tool for spreading the batter. <S> It does need some practice, but it's learnable in a reasonable time. <S> If you instead stay with the swirl method, even with the proper consistency, the bottom layer of the batter will bake before you've swirled the top, so you need sufficient batter to allow for that, as senschen said. <S> The lacy edge is also common with swirling, although proper consistency reduced it too. <S> It also depends on good swirling technique, if you can hit an angle where the batter doesn't climb the pan wall, you don't get the lace. <S> What makes it worse are pans with sloping sides, instead of straight ones (less hot) or real crepe pans without walls. <S> Also, gas makes it worse, because it warms the pan sides. <S> Again, if you want your crepes to be that close to the original ( thickness, no lacy edge, proper Browning, etc) you should use proper tools and not a random pan without a spreader. <A> Higher heat, thinner batter, and don't put it in the fridge. <S> No tools necessary. <S> I recommend thin non-stick pans, and a gas stove. <S> The batter should be thin enough it basically spreads itself, as soon as it hits a pan hot enough to totally 'melt' it. <S> The only reason to swirl it is to circularize it. <S> It should be a consistency that you could drink without needing a glass of water afterwards. <S> Paper thin browned edges is the perfect crape IMO. <S> That's when you flip it. <S> I don't have mom's recipe atm <S> but it's probably a little heavy on the butter. <S> Real butter, with which you coat each pan liberally (use more than one pan or you'll be there all day) in between each cake and allow it to come back up to temp. <S> If the pan isn't hot enough it'll just make regular pancakes, even if you've got the batter right.
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Crepe batter should be very thin, if it is cooking before you can spread it out that indicates that perhaps the batter is too thick.
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How to apply ascorbic acid ppm in bread baking? According to Effects of different doses of ascorbic acid on alveograph and bread making quality of wheat flour with average quality as starting material : the best dose of ascorbic acid that can be added for the improving average flour quality is 50-70 ppm If I want to add 70 ppm to my flour comprising 600 grams of whole wheat flour and 100 grams of bran and wheatgerm, how many mg of ascorbic acid do I require? <Q> I did more googling of research papers and of all three sources accessible by me, ppm is actually per flour basis . <S> Quite a shocker to me. <S> Here are the links: ISSN <S> No. <S> (Print):0975-1130ISSN <S> No. <S> (Online):2249-3239TheEffect ofAscorbicAcid andGlycerol <S> onQuality <S> ofFrozen BarbariBread Effects of Gliadin/Glutenin and HMW‐GS/LMW‐GS Ratio on Dough Rheological Properties and Bread‐Making <S> Potential of Wheat Varieties Method for producing danish dough <S> I have also sent an email to Georgiana Gabriela Codina for good measure, though I am not sure if she responds to public queries. <A> You're going to have water in your dough too, right?Info is hidden behind the great paywall. <S> However, I Found the whole article here: https://www.journal-of-agroalimentary.ro/admin/articole/70859L20_Vol_XIV_2008_Codina_Georgiana.pdf <S> You may have to switch browsers to see it. <S> Turn off your VPN etc. <S> PPM is usually measured as milligrams per liter. <S> but you've got a HIGHLY nonideal mixture there. <S> Use the paper to figure out how they're measuring volume, and add the mass of ascorbic acid appropriately. <S> Oh , I see they don't say how they measure ppm, so are probably just looking at total dough volume in liters, and adding ascorbic acid appropriately: <S> 50mg/L = 50 ppm. <S> Lord knows what happens when the stuff rises. <S> You might do best by emailng the author: <S> Corresponding author: e-mail address: <S> codinageorgiana@yahoo.com <S> This is an odd niche in science, and they probably follow conventions that those outside do not know. <S> Generally speaking, PPM is milligrams per liter. <S> In this situation, I'd count both solids and liquids as part of the liter, so total dough volume . <A> ppm means parts per million. <S> To answer straightly to your question 50 to 70 mg of ascorbic acid for each one kg of the overall ingredients taken as reference, presumably those explicitly mentioned or at least discussed at that point. <S> Since you are not dealing with analysis you can approximate and add that amount to one kg of ingredients, as for one kg plus some mg is still one kg, at least in the kitchen. <S> If you use less than one kg of flour then you simply go by usual proportion. <S> For 700 g choosing the higher dose of 70 ppm means 50 mg, for instance. <S> Just be sure to what ppm refers to, weight of just flour(s) or flour plus water to handle it. <S> This is just to clarify to a broader audience, not necessarily because of importance in the kitchen, what ppm are and how can be used. <S> ppm is parts per million by weight . <S> Often it is treated as mg/ <S> l just because of working with dilute solutions in water . <S> As for diluted water based solutions have a density very close to 1, in this case 1 ppm is indeed equal to 1 mg in 1 liter of solution. <S> That is. <S> So if you would have to add ascorbic acid at mg scale to water as a base for, say, a syrup, than 1 ppm is indeed 1 mg/l. <S> As soon you add spoons, than ppm won't makes operatively sense and one would say 100 g for liter of water. <S> Finally one can refer to volumes or mixed quantities but it should be explicitly stated. <S> Is an issue present in research as well, for instance when solutions prepared in solvent with different densities are mistakenly treated without thinking that mg/l is now different than ppm independently of concentration. <A> Just for the record, she replied and for what it is worth: <S> The recommendation dosage ( medium dosage) for maturate the flour is 2g/100 kg flour (Ascorbic acid can be added in the milling or in bakery in the mixer with the yeast, water, salt, enzymes, emulsifiers, e.g. <S> The optimum dosage depend by the quality of the flour and by the recipe who is used : the enzymes added, the cysteine added, the technological process, the parameter of the process, etc. <S> To study the influence of the ascorbic acid the dosage can be for example: 1g /100 kg flour, 1.5 g/ 100 kg flour, 2 g ..., 2.5, 3, etc or 1g... <S> 2g... <S> 3g...4g.... <S> (10ppm=0.01 g/kg= 1g/100 kg) <S> If you have any questions please let me know. <S> Best regards, <S> Georgiana Codina
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Dear Sir, Ascorbic acid dosage in milling and bakery it is based on the weight of the flour.
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Does microwaving fully cook chapatis? I saw a video on how to make chapatis and someone made a comment saying you must allow chapatis to fully inflate because it is the steam inside them that cooks them and not fully inflating means you have raw dough evidenced by areas with lighest colour. This makes me wonder then doesn't microwaving cause chapatis not to fully inflate and so they would end up partly raw as per comments? Is the only way to fully cook chapatis to put them over fire? Couldn't you pan heat, grill or bake them etc to have them fully cooked(though I imagine they will not inflate by these methods)? <Q> I have made chapatis many times, although I'm not an expert by any stretch of the imagination. <S> Most of my attempts have come out just fine. <S> Chapatis/rotis are usually cooked on a tava (or tawa) - which is basically a flat or slightly concave cast iron pan. <S> A flat griddle pan or even a frying pan(skillet) could be used instead. <S> I've also seen them cooked over an open flame, but this is certainly not necessary. <S> I wouldn't recommend microwaving chapatis to cook them. <S> They won't get the brown spots of colour or develop the same flavour caused by toasting of the surface. <S> They will likely end up being tasteless cooked lumps of dough. <S> If you want to reheat them, you could do it in a microwave. <S> I would sprinkle with a little water first and wrap them in a dish towel, and microwave for 20 seconds or less until just warmed. <S> I guess you could also reheat them in a dry pan, but not too long <S> or they will just dry out. <S> Again sprinkling with a little water might help them not dry out. <A> Generally speaking when you microwave chapattis you're just reheating them, but here it sounds like you want to try cooking them from raw dough. <S> Microwaves are quite variable but in general there are hot spots and cold spots. <S> The turntable moves the food through them quite well but to really even out the cooking needs stirring or conduction within the food, neither of which works well with chapattis (and the steam can't diffuse far enough before some bits are overcooked) . <S> Cooking then in a pan works <S> well - I use an enamelled cast iron pan with no fat, and get the pan very hot first. <S> They inflate a little that way, and cook evenly. <A> They would technically cook in a microwave, they would just look a bit uninteresting & the texture wouldn't be quite the same. <S> Ready-made ones from the supermarket will often have microwave instructions as well as dry-fry & oven-based. <S> In the microwave, there is a tendency towards the plastic packaging being used as part of the steaming method - cut one edge off, then microwave in the 'open bag' that remains. <S> Traditionally, of course, they would either be dry-heated for a minute - which doesn't greatly inflate them, or dry-heat for a few seconds before holding over a flame, which does puff them up considerably.
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You may get lucky with a good microwave, essentially if you move it part way through cooking, but microwaves aren't generally good for things like dough. If you are talking about store-bought chapatis, then these are already cooked.
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After full reseasoning of my cast iron, eggs are still sticking Hey there Cast Iron pros, I've liked my cast iron but it hasn't been very non-stick. When making eggs, even with oil and a good hot heat before adding to pan, eggs will stick to the pan. I'm hoping to get a great non-stick finish that eggs (or anything else) won't stick to. I fully reseasoned my pans doing the following: Full removal of seasoning via self-clean mode in oven for 3 hours. Cleaned out dust and scrubbed some more with steel wool and salt, then washed cleanly. Heated to 200F then added coatings Add a small amount of flax seed oil to pan, rub very thinly over pan, and bake for 1 hour at 400F Repeat step 4 adding new coats 5 times. After I did all this the pans were looking pretty good, nice clean finish, but there were still a few bumps and imperfections in the pans. I tried making some eggs and they stuck as they had before. It's not terrible, but not great non-stick either. I'm very curious for suggestions: do my pans just have scratches and bumps in them from years of use and these (even with a good seasoning) cause stickiness? Is there something else I can try to get a great non-stick finish on these pans? Photos: Clean Pan: Pan after making eggs: <Q> I have a similar (but not the same) frying pan. <S> Your problem is, most likely, a lack of heat, not a lack of seasoning. <S> I always set my frying pan, empty, on a low/medium fire. <S> When it starts to come to temperature, I raise the temperature to high. <S> [If I have something else to cook, I do that before cooking eggs. <S> This way, I make sure the iron is hot]. <S> When the iron is hot enough, the eggs should not stick. <S> Learning how to controle the temperature of the pan is quite the process, and I have had eggs sticking to my pan at times... and I used to be a professional cook. <S> Just saying. <S> The Leidenfrost effect is your friend. <S> See this question as well. <A> My two cents. <S> After seasoning I fried bacon a few times. <S> Just to use it with something self lubricating that will not stick on itself. <S> Second thing is, I don't know if you tilted the pan for the shot <S> but it look like your oven is slightly tilted toward you so when you heat it oil will run "down". <S> So before adding anything to the pan give a mix <S> so the oil will be evenly distributed <A> You need to get it high enough to polymerize the oils. <S> It sounds like you almost followed the original instructions correctly - Strip your pan down to the iron using the techniques I describe in my popover post. <S> Heat the pan in a 200°F oven to be sure it’s <S> bone dry and to open the pores of the iron a little. <S> Then put it on a paper towel, pour a little flaxseed oil on it (don’t forget to shake the bottle), and rub the oil all over the pan with your hands, making sure to get into every nook and cranny. <S> Your hands and the pan will be nice and oily. <S> Now rub it all off. <S> Yup – all. <S> All. <S> Rub it off with paper towels or a cotton cloth until it looks like there is nothing left on the surface. <S> There actually is oil left on the surface, it’s just very thin. <S> The pan should look dry, not glistening with oil. <S> Put the pan upside down in a cold oven. <S> Most instructions say to put aluminum foil under it to catch any drips, but if your oil coating is as thin as it should be, there won’t be any drips. <S> Turn the oven to a baking temperature of 500°F (or as high as your oven goes – mine only goes to 450°F ) and let the pan preheat with the oven. <S> When it reaches temperature, set the timer for an hour. <S> After an hour, turn off the oven but do not open the oven door. <S> Let it cool off with the pan inside for two hours, at which point <S> it’s cool enough to handle. <S> Chemistry of Cast Iron Seasoning: <S> A Science-Based <S> How-To <S> If your oven goes higher than 400, then you should have cranked it up. <S> For seasoning, it doesn't matter if the oil smokes, that's fine since you're altering the physical structure of the oil, not cooking food in it at this time.
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Most probably your problem is that when you seasoned your cast iron skillet with the flaxseed oil, the temperature that you "baked" it in the oven was too low.
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What is a good way to roast hazelnuts? I need to roast some hazelnuts to use later for other preparations. How do you do it? In a cooking pan or in the oven, and for how much time? <Q> While using a pan on the stove top can result in roasted hazelnuts (or any nut), it does require constant movement and attention. <S> It can be quick, but it can also go wrong quickly if your heat is too high... <S> or you stop shaking the pan for too long. <S> Ten to 15 minutes would do the trick, but use your nose and eyes for guidance. <S> Once nuts begin to roast, they can quickly go from perfect to burnt. <S> Start checking after 8 or 9 minutes . <S> If you are working with hazelnuts that have the skins on them, after roasting, you can dump them onto a clean kitchen towel. <S> Fold the sides over and rub the nuts between the towel. <S> This should quickly remove most of the outer skins. <S> I remove the cleaned ones to a bowl, and give the remaining ones another rubbing. <S> You may have to work at (or ignore) the few stubborn ones. <A> Both the pan and the oven method work, use whichever you find more comfortable. <S> If you don't yet know which is more comfortable, try both and see. <S> You can't predict the time, just roast until they smell good. <S> If they are peeled, the color will turn slightly more golden. <S> You will also recognize roasting too long (burning) by smell. <S> The one important thing that's not obvious to beginners is to have them in a single layer, do not fill the pan. <A> Microwave does pretty good job on this for me. <S> The trick is to find the right power level and time. <S> You'd need to find them by experimenting with the same amount of nuts. <S> Once that is done, nuts can be roasted with no supervision. <S> I set power 5 out of 10 and time 5 minutes for about 200g of nuts evenly spread on a plate. <S> The result is consitent and predictable. <A> I've had the habit of splitting the nuts in half and placing them split side up in the roasting tin. <S> This seems to increase the flavour considerably. <S> I do this with almonds as well (split lengthways along the thin edge). <S> Obviously, I'm not catering for large numbers of people! <S> I don't bother with removing the skin though, it's extra fibre after all. <S> Also, I've been baking at 400° for a shorter period (about five minutes) <S> but I'm going to try the lower temperature recommended above next time.
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Alternately, roasting in a 325 to 350 F (163 to 177 C) oven , on a sheet pan, in a single layer, results in a much more predictable outcome and requires less direct attention.
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Wood pellets in a smoke box: Can I use wood pellets in a small stainless steel smoker box on my Weber gas bbq? And if I can any tips on how to proceed. <Q> If it were me, I would ignite a small portion and allow to burn for 5 to 10 minutes, blow out the flame, then add fresh pellets to the already burning portion (without smothering). <A> My initial assumption was that wood pellets have some sort of binding chemical that holds them together. <S> But, further research shows that when the sawdust is extruded under pressure and some heat, the wood releases a polymer that resides within a plant's cell walls called lignin, which binds the sawdust together and keeps the pellets in shape. <S> Wood pellets are made from compacted sawdust and woodchips. <S> These are byproducts from sawmills and other industries that use wood. <S> The pellets are formed under heat and pressure, which releases natural plant lignin that holds the pellets together without glue or additives. <S> University of Maine Extension: What We Have Learned About Heating With Wood Pellets in Maine <S> In other words, it looks like the wood pellets are just made of wood. <S> As long as it's all hardwood, originally, you should be fine for smoking with them. <S> You might want to go out of your way to find pellets that are labeled as "food grade. <S> " How to proceed? <S> Just like you would with hardwood chips, I'd think. <S> When I use hardwood chips to smoke on my gas grill, I will soak them in water for about 15 minutes, drain them, put them into heavy duty aluminum foil packets, slit the packets in several places, then, when heating the grill, have all the burners on, and put the packets on, as well. <S> You can do something similar with your metal box. <S> I've read in places that soaking the chips might be completely unnecessary (the moisture is driven out of the chips before they start smoking anyway <S> , I believe is the reason). <S> When the grill is hot and the packets are smoking, I turn off all the burners but one (not in the middle), and turn that burner down to where it needs to be to maintain a relatively low temperature for the smoking process (adjusting that burner level to keep it in my desired range), with the packets all moved over the active burner, and the meat receiving indirect heat. <S> When smoking meats, I usually have the pan with the meat in it covered loosely with foil that has been perforated repeatedly with holes, so smoke can move in and around the meat. <A> The answer is yes - I have used the following technique successfully with wood chips, so I suspect it will work with pellets: <S> make a small (approx 6 in x 4 in) , flattish (approx 1 inch high) pouch out of aluminium foil fill with pellets seal by folding edges poke a few holes for air flow/smoke escape on top and bottom Place directly on the flame diffusers (those sloped things above the flames) <S> You may have to play a bit with the heat setting, as this is burner dependent, but a low to mid heat should be enough. <S> Make sure that you keep the lid down while smoking. <S> 30 min of smoking is usually enough to flavor meat well for something like ribs or chickens. <A> Look for A <S> -Maze-N - <S> Their products are designed to add smoke. <S> I have a 5x8 "Maze" (it looks like one of those brownies pans that makes every piece have two hard edges) that lasts for close to 10 hours with a couple of handfuls of pellets. <S> They also have models that work with sawdust. <S> If you're doing pellets, don't use standard furnace pellets. <S> Always use food-grade pellets. <S> Using an A-maze-n maze, after adding the pellets, you need a torch to light it off. <S> A good cigar lighter works as does a culinary kitchen torch.
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As long as they are designed for cooking/smoking (not treated wood pellets that you made yourself), no problem.
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Does canned tuna contain (dead) parasites? While using canned tuna to make salad, I remembered a Youtube video about sushi-grade tuna. If I recall correctly, the main criterion was if it contains parasites and that it's rather hard to find a clean fish, which makes them so highly priced. Especially the tail was heavily infested when they sliced up an example. Now, since I have nothing better to do while eating, I thought I could ask how likely it is, that I'm currently eating some cooked tuna parasites? <Q> It is quite likely that it does contain them, yes. <S> A randomly chosen nonpaywalled study of Mediterannean tuna <S> (DOI: 10.14411/fp.2014.011) says that Overall, 84% of the gills examined harboured metazoan parasites. <S> Now these are the gills, not the meat in the tin, but it is unlikely that there will be much information on the meat itself: <S> The research on large tunas is hampered by the high value of fish; therefore, the studies on the use of parasites as tags consider mainly examination of gills, head and viscera, because of their limited (or null) commercial value <S> I don't know enough about fish parasite to tell you whether the 11 species found are all gill-only, but that sounds unlikely. <S> Where there is an ecological niche, it will be filled. <S> So, extrapolating from the gill parasite numbers to body parasite numbers <S> doesn't sound too bad. <S> And I am pretty certain that the people who prepare the fish don't have any method or reason to go remove the parasites from within the fish meat, just like apple sellers don't have a method to remove the worms from apples. <S> So it sounds entirely believable that there are parasites in most cans of tuna, and if you eat enough of them, your chance of never eating a cooked parasite goes against zero. <A> TL;DR - <S> To elaborate , I assume that we are talking about canned food in general, as there's nothing specific about canned tuna except that it's meat, which means it'll definitely go through Pressure Canning <S> The industrial canning process is all about Preservation by Sterilization i.e. putting the food in the can, sealing it, ensuring that it's leak proof (air tight) and then heating the under high pressure, high temperature (more than ~ <S> 120 <S> °C / 248°F) so that all pathogens and bacteria in it die Retort packaging <S> e.g. Capri Sun also undergoes a similar process Tetrapac is very similar to retort packaging except it relies on air tight / leak proof packaging and <S> the food is only heat sterilized before packaging (part of the reason why orange juice in such packaging is always devoid of vitamin C) <S> If you're concerned about The Dead Parasites <S> Yes, some parasites die & remain in the fluid as dead matter and keep floating in Brownian motion (click the link to watch the video) Bacteria spores survive canning which remain dormant until the conditions become favorable again i.e. until you open the can (that's why they advise you to consume as soon as possible or refrigerate immediately) <S> PS: <S> About the criterion you mentioned about quality of tuna / infested with parasites , I guess, that must be regarding the concern for transporting. <S> Tuna fish is too big, too hard to catch & contain, and it is is expensive too. <S> Tuna is usually captured & transported from Japan and if it's already infested with parasites, then it may not survive the journey and the dry ice doesn't help much as the fish is exposed. <S> For the same reasons, some top chefs prefer (small) fishes shipped alive, Tuna fish is too big for that. <S> I became familiar with the Victorian age fantasy word The monster <S> Soup while watching Manu Prakash's Foldscope . <S> The word is a reference to the microbes present in water observed under a microscope. <S> Boiled Dirty Water under the Microscope - <S> This video is cool. <S> I'd definitely recommend watching. <A> Probably only just the "dead" ones, due to the rigors of the canning process -- https://www.quora.com/Does-canned-tuna-have-parasites <A> I bought fresh tuna for my cats today for the first time. <S> It was cut into cubes and packed upon my request. <S> While I was dividing the tuna pieces for freezing, I was disgusted to see white worms in the flesh. <S> Yuck!!! <S> Apparently, they were in the belly part, embedded in the flesh. <S> I was surprised to find a misleading advice on Livestrong <S> that tuna is an exception to fish carrying parasites. <S> I found at least 10-15 worms in 1 kg tuna. <S> I wish I had clicked a picture to upload.
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Yes , the " monster soup " is pretty much a real thing. As long as the container isn't damaged and within it's expiry date, it should be ideally safe for consumption
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What substitutes work with a capsaicin allergy? I recently found out that I'm allergic to capsaicin, so that means no spicy Mexican food, which I love. Are there any substitutions that I can use? I can have black pepper, but too much black pepper and that's all you taste. <Q> You could try other piperine containing types of peppers ( Piper genus), these include P. longum (long pepper) and P. retrofractum , as well as white pepper P. nigrum , though any member of the Piper genus should contain some piperine, but amounts and hence spiciness will vary. <S> You could also try ginger ( Zingiber genus), as well as mustard seeds and shoots/leaves ( Sinapsis genus and Brassica juncea ), all of which are objectively "hot", though also with different (and strong) flavours and heat levels. <S> Wikipedia also has a list of peppers under their Template:Herbs and Spices , which includes such things as Alligator pepper ( Aframomum ), Schinus genus, Sichuan pepper ( Zanthoxylum ), and a couple of others. <A> If you're looking for something to mimic the flavor profile of chili peppers, to give you familiar-ish tastes in your food, the best I've found is sweet or smoked sweet paprika. <S> Sweet paprika is made from bell peppers would contain no capsaicin , since bell peppers do not . <S> Hot paprika, on the other hand, is made from capsaicin bearing peppers and would not be safe - and some paprikas are made from mixed batches of peppers, so it may take some label-reading and deciphering to make sure you get a pure-bell-pepper paprika. <S> I've only seen smoked sweet paprika in my area, <S> though it seems that smoked hot paprika is available elsewhere. <S> I'm pretty strongly intolerant of capsiacin, and this works for me to get the flavors in food balanced well when working with recipes that call for chili peppers. <S> It will of course still be different, but it can be flavorsome and very good. <S> I would suggest caution, though, when trying paprika at first as tolerance levels can vary a lot - mine is severe enough that I consider sweet paprika safe enough for me as safe to recommend, but there's always the possibility of individual differences. <S> If what you're missing is not flavor-profile-stuff but the actual spiciness, bob1's answer on foods and flavorings with other spicy compounds may work well. <S> Or you could maybe just try eating your food while really boiling hot, to replicate the scorching of one's mouth :) <A> You could ramp up the heat by adding more cumin rather than more black pepper. <S> It's commonly used in both Indian, and in Mexican cuisine, so the flavour shouldn't be too strange. <S> It can make spicy dishes feel much more fiery. <S> but then again, these might affect the flavour in ways that make the dish taste more Asian, rather than Mexican.
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Other possibilities are to use other warm spices, such as cloves, cinnamon, ginger, Szechuan pepper corn, mustard seeds, etc . . .
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How much smoke is normal for pan cooking steak? I am on a quest to make the perfect steak on a stovetop. Today I took my first step and frankly there were a few things that were really concerning. I am using an induction cooktop and a stainless steel pan and no oil. All the instructions said to put the steak on high heat so I cranked the stove up to 9/10 and was surprised when smoke started billowing off of the pan. I took the pan outside to cool and avoid setting off the fire alarm. Then I brought it back in setting it at 6/10 which is about where I cook my chicken breast. After leaving it there for 5 minutes still a Heft amount of smoke was generated and I eventually turned it down to 5/10. When I flipped the steak that side was still over cooked. I had hardly reached what I would consider “high” temperatures (especially compared to how I cook chicken) and the steak was already smoking and burnt. So I guess my question here is how much smoke is normal when cooking steak in this matter? What is that “high” temperature that will lock in some amazing flavor without creating too much smoke or burn? Surely it cannot be at a 5/10 on my stovetop. Is induction cookware effecting anything here? <Q> in my experience, a carbon steel pan is highly reactive in term of temperature, especially on an induction cooktop; it will quickly overheat and burn your food. <S> Steak will smoke a lot, especially if the fat content is high. <S> Try lowering the temperature, use a thermometer and continue on your quest for the "perfect" steak. <A> Unless the meat is extremely fatty itself (a hamburger) <S> I would recommend always cooking with some oil or fat. <S> The oil helps moderate and distribute temperature (esp into all the cracks of your meat). <S> You don't need a lot. <S> You will get a certain amount of smoking as the oil heats up and eventually smokes. <S> Same thing with meat fats. <S> Something I do is once the oil starts to smoke <S> is to dump out the excess and adjust whats in the pan <S> so its over the oil. <S> Also, given the thickness of the meat, you don't necessarily want to sear as hot as the stove will go, it will end up black and blue. <S> You'll have to experiment and find what works <A> Slightly unrelated answer here, as it particularly doesn't deal with steak. <S> And as @Max pointed out, it also depends on the kind of utensil thinner the steel, faster it heats. <S> thicker the pan <S> , slower it heats & slower it cools down. <S> It also means it'll cook your food more uniformly. <S> Therefore, it's recommended that you use a pan with thick bottom. <S> The smoke is generally is a result of an overheated pan evaporating a mix of oil and water and excess <S> smoke'd mean burnt or overcooked food or, just over-cooked-sides while inner portion remains still raw and burnt cooking oil, which isn't good for health Solution <S> Keep it <S> temperature controlled - <S> The machine will turn off automatically when the pan's bottom heats up beyond that point & will save your steak from burning. <S> Depending on the kind of cook top you use, it may offer features where you can set the temperature to say 160° <S> C / 320°F. <S> Frying / Sautéing activities are usually done at ~350°F. <S> If your cooking procedure involves covering the pan, then 320°F should be good enough (but it may require a longer cooking time). <S> If you're cooking with an open pan, then you may want to increase it a bit, but not beyond ~400°F because that's where most of the edible oil, including fat, begin to evaporate / burn.
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The issue with most induction cook tops is - They heat up too fast, faster than conventional convection based methods e.g. gas burners or oven (not microwave).
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How can I mellow the taste of this goat cheese Two days ago, I bought a goat cheese. It looked white and rectangular, it didn't had a particular name, and because it was in plastic I couldn't smell it. I got home, opened it, and wrapped it in paper. Some time after, I took a bite, and the cheese's texture was already not as expected; not creamy, kinda hard, and without a layer around. I took a bite and it felt like licking a ram. I tried to mitigate it with bread, and left it alone. Later, I gave it another round; this time on toasted bread, hoping cooking it would get the stench out of it. It didn't work. Now, i tried to crush it and mix it with olive oil and rosemary; it didn't work. I want to know what I can do to mellow out the taste of the cheese to a level I can enjoy. <Q> Have you tried anything involving cooking the cheese? <S> I have a feeling that some of the goatiest (not a word <S> but it should be) <S> goat's cheese is mellowed a little by heat. <S> You could try thin slices on (part of) a pizza, or warming it, pressing it onto toast and finishing under a grill or with a blowtorch. <S> The usual accompaniment to that would be a green salad including some strongly flavoured (peppery or bitter) leaves, which would also compete with the flavour. <A> This looks, and sounds, like a feta style cheese. <S> I know that people are accustomed to seeing a certain type of cheese as "goat cheese", but goat milk can be used in mostly every type of cheese as cow or sheep milk. <S> You can try leaving it for several days in water in a closed box in the fridge, and see if it reduces the smell to a level you like. <S> If necessary, change the water a few times. <S> This is normally done with feta to reduce the salt, but will also dilute the aroma somewhat. <S> It is not certain whether you can ever take it to a taste level which you personally enjoy, for background see <S> I overseasoned my food <S> , what can I do to remove the strong smell? . <A> Maybe try it with a tapenade on some toast points, or melt it into a bechamel and pour atop some charred artichoke hearts and serve with some preparation of beef.
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If you go the cheese sauce route, you may think about cutting the bold goat cheese with something a little blander, like an Emmental or Muenster or mild cheddar.
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How to not dry out precooked meat in a recipe Certain types of meat like chicken breast seem to have such a short window of being done. Cooking too little can be unhealthy and cooking too much can dry it out. So it seems most cooks are very careful with not overcooking these types of meats. Yet, I see all kinds of recipes about how to reuse leftover roast chicken, or chicken pot pie recipes where you're supposed to cook the chicken first (or use leftover cooked chicken) and then put it in the oven for another 15 - 45 minutes (depending on the recipe). I just can't understand how we're expected not to severely dry out and overcook the meat in these types of recipes. Is there some kind of a trick I'm missing? If there is enough liquid, are we able to drastically slow the cooking process? But even braised chicken breast can be overcooked without too much extra time. Can we optimize for this second cooking by using large pieces or trying to not completely cook the meat in the first cooking? <Q> You're not expecting the same texture if you re-cook, that's why many re-cook recipes involve shredding the meat before the second part of the process - separating it as long fibres. <S> Chicken Tinga, Pulled Pork, etc use this as the basis of the texture of the dish. <S> Using fattier cuts can mitigate the drying out. <S> Personally, if I have a long cook that's going to be using chicken breast, I often don't put the chicken in until near the end, so I can get it 'first time' rather than second. <S> It will affect absorption of other flavours though. <S> Something like a curry you can tweak this approach by marinating the chicken in a similar spice blend. <S> Sometimes I just make the call based on experience with a particular dish, or try it both ways & see which I prefer. <S> If you par-cook the meat, you will then have an extended period where the centre is in a completely unsafe temperature zone. <S> Don't do this. <S> then finish in the oven, in the pie-mix. <S> So long as the mix doesn't start from cold, temperatures ought to remain in the safe zone throughout. <A> You could do it carnitas style. <S> https://cafedelites.com/pork-carnitas-mexican-slow-cooked-pulled-pork/ <S> Cook meat. <S> It will get dried out. <S> Save the fat that cooked out of the meat! <S> Hand shred dried out overcooked meat. <S> Fry shreds in fat. <S> YUM! <A> In many cases, you're not supposed to re-cook the meat, you just need to warm it through. <S> You do need to cook it through the first time, but you just want to avoid overcooking it too much. <S> (this is best to do while it's still warm from the first cooking). <S> In the case of a pot pie, you just need to take the chill off of the meat before you bake it. <S> I make the sauce, cooking whatever vegetables with it, then add the meat. <S> You'll finish re-heating the meat when the whole thing bakes. <S> If you're making something like chicken <S> a la king, where you're not necessarily baking it, then just give it a few minutes to warm through. <S> The wet sauce will help to regulate the heat so it doesn't overcook. <S> (although it's still possible to overcook it if you let it cook for too long). <S> For casseroles with crumb or cheese toppings, I'll bake it until it's warmed through, then use the broiler (top heat only) to brown the top. <S> For pot-pie, you need to cook the pastry top, so you can't quite do this ... although you can cheat and bake biscuits separately and set them on top of the casserole when they're fully or almost done. <A> Chicken is very easy to be overcooked — whether on the grill, on the stove top or in the oven. <S> On the grill, you can usually remove the burnt edges, and the inside will still be moist. <S> The stove top and oven are a little trickier, though, since typically the meat is dried-out on the inside too. <S> Change up the meal by shredding the dry chicken and adding mayonnaise, salt, pepper and other spices of your choice for homemade chicken salad sandwiches. <S> If you don’t wish to change the meal completely, slice the chicken into thin strips, and add a mixture of olive oil or butter and herbs. <S> Drizzle that on top, and garnish with salt and pepper. <S> You can also add barbecue sauce or your favorite vinaigrette.
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From comments For a pie - so long as it's going straight in the oven, you can flash-fry chicken chunks to get some good colour If you overcook it, then yes, it's better to shred it and put it in some sort of flavorful liquid to let it soak up some liquid.
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What can I substitute for soda pop in a sweet pork recipe? I was looking up sweet pork recipes and every one of them call for Coke or Dr. Pepper. I avoid soda as much as possible because of questionable ingredients: specifically GMO corn syrup, sodium benzoate and caramel color. Are there any safer substitutions I could use to achieve the same/similar flavor? <Q> Apple juice is good with pork. <S> The frozen cans of concentrate are cheap and perfect for this use. <S> Apple juice lacks the dark notes of cola. <S> To get those I propose you add hoisin sauce . <S> It is very sweet, a great mix with pork (I have some boneless ribs soaking in some right now awaiting the grill) and will lend the apple juice more of a dark sweet tone. <S> If you want to stay pure to your recipe, sub in one of the organic root beers on the market. <S> They are easy to find and they will brag about how they don't do the stuff you dislike about Big Cola. <S> Whole Foods has a store brand one you could use. <S> Root beers vary a lot; try some first to make sure it has flavors you want for your pork. <A> The main function that soda adds in these recipes is as a flavored syrup that also has an acid. <S> So make your own. <S> Add your preferred sweetener to water with some form of acidulation (I prefer apple cider vinegar with pork) and a few spices and you will have something suitable to use. <A> I learned a recipe for a chicken dish from my mother. <S> Her recipe also called for cola to create a sticky and caramelised sauce. <S> She taught me, however, that the cola could be replaced with fruit juice. <S> Her preference was a mix of pineapple, mango, and orange juice. <S> Shops where I live call this juice mix "tropical fruit" juice. <S> It stands to reason, though, that any of the above juices individually, and maybe others, will work, too. <S> Here's an example of a recipe similar to what my mother taught me, supporting my claim of the juice helping to create the property sought by your question <A> What about something like Hansen's ? <S> It's available at the local store here in Nowheresville, MN population ~7k so it shouldn't be too hard to find. <A> The flavors in Coke are cinnamon, vanilla, and citrus. <S> I personally taste cinnamon the most. <S> Dr. Pepper has a lot of other spice and berry flavors, and is similar to root beer. <A> Depending on how much time you have, how often you would like to use this (or similar) recipes, how much you like the idea(s), and how involved you want to get... <S> you could try making a cola syrup recipe <S> *. <S> You could even reconstitute it with club soda, or carbonated or sparkling water, or use water, a sprinkle of yeast, and some time to turn your syrup into a cola you can directly sub into the recipe. <S> This does require a much higher up-front investment, but it might be fun on one hand, and work for other recipes (and, yanno, drinking sodas) on the other. <S> *example link was randomly chosen
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You could try to recreate the cola taste by using apple cider vinegar and adding cinnamon, vanilla, and molasses.
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How to prepare vegetables for a sandwich that can last for several days in a fridge? I'm not much of a cook but neither am I a complete stranger to the kitchen. I like to prepare sandwiches to take with me to work in a box. Since I do it often, I like to make them more "interesting" than just plain bread-meat-cheese. So far however I've only come up with the idea of putting in various off-the-shelf sauces/dressings/whathaveyou that I can buy in the supermarket. Whenever I buy and eat pre-made sandwiches, they taste a lot better than what I make myself. I've tried to figure out why this is and I think it's because they contain vegetables. I like vegetables in a sandwich - cucumbers, lettuce, tomato, avocado, bell peppers, etc. The problem with adding them myself is that it just takes too much time to do. I usually make the sandwiches in a hurry in the morning, so I have about 5-10 minutes to do it. Washing-peeling-slicing-storing - that just takes too much time. Sometimes I add pickles, but most of the time I consider even that too big of a hassle. So I was thinking - if I could pre-slice the vegetables and store them for several days (ideally - up to 5 days), that would do it. I'd just have to grab them from a box and throw them on the sandwich. I'm afraid however that sliced vegetables won't keep so long, even in the fridge. I haven't tried it though. Are there any tricks out there that could help me? Some way to make sure they last longer, or perhaps are much quicker to prepare in the mornings? We can skip tomatoes, I think a sandwich with tomatoes in it would be a mess after several hours in a box anyway. Or perhaps other ideas to quickly give a sandwich an interesting taste? (Subjective, I know, but I'm not picky and will try different things) <Q> There’s a third option between storing the vegetables for a week and cutting them in the morning: Cut just the amount you need for one morning the evening before . <S> Storing overnight is not a safety issue (assuming basic principles like storing in the fridge are followed), and you still can “slap them on” as requested. <S> Another thought: You describe cutting in the morning as too time-consuming, but my favorite tool in this context is a small cheapo vegetable slicer ( like this one ). <S> I hold it right over the sandwich, shave a few slices of cucumber or similar right on it and am done. <S> Thirty seconds, tops, including a quick rinse. <S> If you are interested in other toppings, I suggest you take a second look at the leftovers from yesterday’s dinner: <S> Either they are already spiced or a dash of lemon or mild vinegar plus an overnight stint in the fridge <S> gives you a perfect sandwich vegetable - not unlike antipasti. <S> Slice them right when you are packing them up, of course, for a grab-and-go sandwich preparation. <A> It depends on your vegetable, but the best way to store most prepped vegetables is to make sure they stay moist. <S> The best way to do this is to cover them with a damp cloth. <S> Another thing you can do is to add lemon juice. <S> The acid acts as a natural preservative and a flavor enhancer. <A> If your vegetables are wilting (especially about lettuce) then you should take a box with a lid (if it seals well, that's better, but normal does it too), put some water on the bottom, and put the vegetables raised above the water - either large pieces directly on something trivet-like, or smaller cut pieces in a second, smaller box sitting again on a trivet (or a makeshift trivet). <S> If your vegetables are going slimy or moldy, there is nothing you can do. <S> The lifetime of a cut vegetable is 3-5 days in the fridge, just like any other perishable food, and it can be shorter in some unlucky cases (e.g. if your vegetables were older or already had some invisible stage of mold when put in the fridge). <S> Short of preserving them (so e.g. using pickles instead of cucumbers on the sandwich), you can't really do anything. <S> The last resort would be to freeze them, but the texture will change so much that most people would not eat a sandwich with thawed vegetables, so it is very unlikely that this is a viable option.
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Leafy greens like lettuce (sans dressing!) keep well for a few days and some roasted vegetables are also interesting:
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